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September 21st
On this day in history in ....
1964 - Fred Blassie and Bobo Brazil took their famous feud to Madison Square Garden in New York City, where the two battled to a draw. In the main event, WWWF World Champion Bruno Sammartino defeated Waldo Von Erich via countout.
1967 - WWWF ran Glouestor, MA featuring:
-Luke Graham defeated Arnold Skaaland.
-Ricki Sexton defeated Angelo Savoldi.
-Gorilla Monsoon defeated Smasher Sloan.
-Baron Mikel Scicluna defeated Miguel Perez.
-Eduard Carpentier defeated Guillotine Gordon.
1969 - Championship Wrestling from Florida ran San Juan, Puerto Rico headlined by NWA World champion Dory Funk Jr. defeating Hiro Matsuda before 6,371 fans. Matsuda captured the first fall in 19 minutes but Funk captured the second fall in four minutes. Funk won the final deciding fall in ten minutes. Other results from the show saw:
-No Time Limit: Cyclon Negro & Beautiful Brutus defeated Dale Lewis & The Great Malenko -Negro forced Malenko to submit in 12:40.
-El Mongol defeated Sputnik Monroe in ten minutes.
-Sam Steamboat defeated Smasher Sloan in 13:25.
-Les Welch vs. Eduardo Perez fought to a 15 minute draw.
1970 - A live event in Tulsa, Oklahoma promoted by Leroy McGuirk featured:
-Jim Valen (the future Jimmy Valiant) beat Treach Phillips.
-Ronnie Etchinson over Eduardo Perez.
-The Hollywod Blondes, Buddy Roberts & Jerry Brown defeated Klondike Bill & Jean War Eagle.
-Waldo Von Erich beat Cowboy Bill Watts in a Best of Three Falls match.
1970 - A live event in Shrevport, LA promoted by Leroy Guirk saw the following results:
-Danny Hodge & Rene Goulet beat The Spoiler & Sputnik Monroe.
-Frank Dalton drew Chuck Karbo.
-Luke Brown beat Aldo Bogni.
-Jerry Miller beat Ronnie Paul.
1971 - A live event promoted by Fritz Von Erich in Dallas, TX at The Sportatorium featured:
-Jose Lothario, Johnny Valentine & Fritz von Erich defeated Thunderbolt Patterson, Toru Tanaka & Buddy Wolfe
-Wahoo McDaniel fought The Spoiler to a double countout.
- Bobby Shane defeated Bobby Burns.
- Nick Kozak defeated Bronko Lubich by DQ.
1972 - An event in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada featured:
-Killer Karl Krupp defeated the Beast.
-Bobby Kay defeated Mike "The Judge" Dubois (aka Alexis Smirnoff) by DQ.
-Ron Thompson defeated Carlos Montez.
-Leo Burke defeated Johnny Ringo.
-Earl Black & Fred Sweetan defeated the McGuire Twins (Benny & Billy).
1972 - An event in Salem, Oregon was headlined by Lonnie Mayne defeating Tough Tony Borne in a Steel Cage match. The remainder of the event saw:
- Tony Rocco defeated Rick Renaldo.
- Steven Little Bear defeated El Gringo.
- The Skull (Bugsy McGraw) defeated Ricky Hunter.
-Haru Sasaki defeated Sabu (Jose Gonzales)
1973 - WWWF ran Albany, NY at the Washington Avenue Armory with the following results:
-Tony Altimore defeated Pete Doherty.
-Manuel Soto defeated El Olympico.
-Pancho Valdez defeated Ricky Sexton.
-Vicki Williams defeated Tony Rose.
-WWWF World Champion Pedro Morales & Gorilla Monsoon defeated Mr. Fuji & Prof. Toru Tanaka.
1976 - Championship Wrestling from Florida ran Tampa, FL featuring:
-In a Lights Out Match, Ray Candy defeated The Assassin.
-In an I Quit Match, Dusty Rhodes defeated The Missouri Mauler.
-Ray Stevens defeated Hiro Matsuda.
-Jerry Brisco & Steve Keirn defeated Hollywood Blondes by DQ.
-Billy Robinson defeated Bob Orton, Jr. by DQ.
-Tommy Seigler def. Oki Shikina.
-Don Serrano def. Leon Ogle.
1979 - Georgia Championship Wrestling ran Atlanta, GA, featuring:
-In a Lights Out Match, Bill Watts beat Ernie Ladd.
-In a Steel Cage match, Tommy Rich & The Crusher beat Ivan Koloff & Ole Anderson to win The Georgia Tag Team Titles.
-Tony Atlas (substituting for Dusty Rhodes) beat Killer Karl Kox.
-The Sheik beat Georgia TV Champion Ray Candy but the win came after the 15 minute mark so Candy retained the belt.
-Bob Armstrong beat Toru Tanaka.
-Rick Oliver & Jonathan Boyd beat Ricky Fields & Bill Dromo.
-Buzz Sawyer beat Carl Fergie.
1981 - Jarrett Promotions ran a rare Mid-South Coliseum event in Memphis, TN, drawing Mid-South Coliseum drawing 6,912 to witness:
-Roy Rogers beat The Assassin.
-Mid-America Champ Steve Keirn fought Dutch Mantell to a no contest.
-Bill Dundee beat The Heartbreakers in a handicap Hair vs. Loser Leaves Town" match.
-Southern Tag Champs Ricky & Robert Gibson beat The Nightmare & Speed.
-Atsushi Onita & Masa Fuchi beat Ricky Morton & Eddie Gilbert in a No DQ match.
-The Dream Machine & Sweet Brown Sugar (Koko Ware) beat Rocky Johnson & Jimmy Valiant.
1981 - WWF World Champion Bob Backlund defeats Intercontinental Champion Don Muraco in a Texas Death Match at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The bout went 31:35. Backlund scored the pin after reversing a suplex attempt into a backdrop. Muraco's foot was on the bottom rope during the cover but the referee failed to notice.
The remainder of the card, which was broadcast on the MSG Network and the USA Network, featured, courtesy www.TheHistoryofWWE.com:
-The Great Yatsu pinned Baron Mikel Scicluna at 9:37 with a sunset flip
- Mr. Saito and Mr. Fuji co-won a $10,000 20-man battle royal by last eliminating Rick Martel at 18:24; order of elimination: Bulldog Brower, Ron Shaw, Curt Hennig, Baron Mikel Scicluna, Steve O, Jose Estrada, the Great Yatsu, Mil Mascaras, Pedro Morales, King Kong Mosca, Killer Khan, Johnny Rodz, Roberto Soto, Larry Sharpe, Tony Garea, SD Jones, Dominic DeNucci, and Martel (Steve O's MSG debut)
-Steve O pinned Ron Shaw at 6:52 after an axe handle off the top
-Mr. Fuji pinned Curt Hennig at 7:14 with a Samoan Drop; prior to the bout, Capt. Lou Albano escorted Fuji to the ring
-Killer Khan pinned Dominic DeNucci at 4:03 after avoiding a charge in the corner; prior to the bout, Freddie Blassie escorted Khan to the ring
-Mr. Saito pinned Roberto Soto at 6:54 with a kick to the chest; prior to the bout, Capt. Lou Albano escorted Saito to the ring
-Pedro Morales pinned Larry Sharpe at 6:28 with a backslide
-Mil Mascaras pinned Bulldog Brower at 2:41 with a crossbody and splash
-WWF Tag Team Champions Tony Garea & Rick Martel defeated Johnny Rodz & Jose Estrada at 12:15 when Martel pinned Estrada with a sunset flip.
1982 - Championship Wrestling from Florida ran Tampa, FL at the Fort Homer Hesterly Armory featuring:
-Brian Blair beat Vic Rossitani.
-Kevin Sullivan fought Jim Garvin to a draw.
-Mike Graham, Butch Reed & Sweet Brown Sugar beat Bruiser Brody, Kamala & Kendo Nagasaki.
-Jake Roberts beat Barry Windham.
-Dusty Rhodes & Little Cocoa beat Big John Studd & J.J. Dillon in a mixed tag.
-Ron Bass beat NWA World champion Ric Flair via DQ.
1984 - World Class Championship Wrestling ran The Sportatorium in Dallas, Texas featuring:
-Jules Strongbow drew Scott Irwin.
-Jake Roberts beat Buck Zumhofe.
-Jose Lothario beat Killer Khan via DQ.
-Kevin Von Erich & Skip Young beat the PYT Express (Koko Ware & Norvell Austin).
-NWA World champion Ric Flair beat Gino Hernandez.
1985 - WWF ran their first-ever event in Tulsa, Oklahoma at the Expo Square Pavilions featuring:
-Randy Savage defeated Mr. Wrestling II.
-Cpl. Kirchner defeated Moondog Spot.
-The Missing Link defeated Steve Gatorwolf.
-The British Bulldogs defeated The Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff.
-Ricky Steamboat defeated Don Muraco.
-The Junkyard Dog defeated Terry Funk via disqualification.
1986 - Carlos Colon defeats Terry Funk in a tournament final for the WWC Universal Heavyweight Title in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The belt had been vacated on April 30th when Colon was injured. This began Colon's fifth reign with the belt. On the same card, The Rock N' Roll RPM's (Mike Davia & Tommy Lane) defeatThe Pastores (Luke Williams & Butch Miller) to win the WWC World Tag Team Title, starting their second reign.
1986 - Bill Watts' UWF ran The Sam Houston Coliseum in Houston, Texas featuring:
- Rick Steiner beat Jeff Gaylord
-Jeff Gaylord & the Karate Kid beat Rick Steiner & Lord Littlebrook in a mixed tag.
-The Fantastics beat Eddie Gilbert & Sting via DQ.
-Ted Dibiase beat Jack Victory.
-Terry Taylor beat John Tatum.
-Dark Journey beat Missy Hyatt.
-UWF Champion Terry Gordy fought The One Man Gang to a draw.
-Steve Williams beat Michael Hayes in a Steel Cage match.
1987 - Ted DiBiase made his return to Madison Square Garden after almost eight years after his last Garden match (where he lost to a debuting Hulk Hogan). In his Million Dollar Man persona, DiBiase offered Junkyard Dog $500 to not wrestle him. JYD instead headbutted DiBiase, then gave out the money to the crowd. The remainder of the card, which was broadcast on the MSG Network, featured:
-Scott Casey pinned Steve Lombardi with a bulldog at 11:32.
-Don Muraco pinned Bob Orton.
-The Islanders defeated Strike Force.
-Tiger Chung Lee pinned Brad Rheingans.
-WWF champion Hulk Hogan fought the One Man Gang to a double countout.
-Jacques & Raymond Rougeau fought Greg Valentine & Dino Bravo to a time limit draw.
-George Steele defeated Sika via disqualification.
- King Harley Race pinned Hillbilly Jim.
-Randy Savage pinned WWF Intercontinental champion The Honkytonk Man in a non-title bout.
1987 - A live event in Memphis, TN at the Mid-South Coliseum presented by The CWA featured:
-Rocky Johnson beat The Knight of Darkness.
-Big Bubba beat Billy Joe Travis.
-The Nasty Boys beat The Rock-n-Roll RPMS via DQ.
-Mid-America Champ Jeff Jarrett beat Brickhouse Brown.
-Paul Diamond & Pat Tanaka beat Steve Armstrong & Tracy Smothers.
-Jerry Lawler & Bill Dundee fought Carl Fergie & Don Bass to a double countout.
1989 - WWE taped Saturday Night's Main Event at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati, Ohio. Here are the results, which aired on October 14, 1989 on NBC:
- Randy Savage defeated Jimmy Snuka with a rollup after hitting him with Sensational Sherri's loaded purse.
- WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan defeated Ted DiBiase with a small package. After the match, DiBiase and Zeus attacked Hogan, but Jake Roberts made the save, using Damien to run them off.
- Roddy Piper defeated Haku with a belly to belly suplex.
- Tito Santana vs. Rick Martel ended in a double disqualification when their upcoming Survivor Series partners (Dusty Rhodes, Red Rooster, Brutus Beefcake, Big Bossman, Akeem, Honky Tonk Man) all interfered and a huge brawl broke out.
- The Buskwackers defeated The Rougeau Brothers when Butch Miller pinned Jacques after a double gutbuster.
1990 - Dustin Rhodes made his Madison Square Garden debut, defeating Paul Diamond with an elbowdrop. Other results from the show, which aired on the MSG Network, featured:
-Sgt. Slaughter defeated Nikolai Volkoff via submission with the Camel Clutch.
-The Barbarian (with Bobby Heenan) pinned Tito Santana at 7:21 when the momentum of a crossbody off the top by Santana put the Barbarian on top for the win.
-Paul Roma (with Hercules Hernandez) pinned Marty Jannetty when Hercules swept Jannetty's feet from under him and held the leg down during the pin.
-Ron Garvin pinned Bob Bradley at 6:28 with a rollup.
-Hacksaw Jim Duggan defeated Rick Rude via disqualification at 9:10 after Rude pushed the referee to the mat.
-WWF champion Ultimate Warrior & The Legion of Doom defeated Demolition Ax, Smash, & Crush when Warrior pinned Smash with a splash.
1991 - Joel Goodhart's Tri-State Wrestling Alliance ran what turned out to be its final live event at the Convention Center in the Philadelphia Civic Center. The show, titled "Autumn Armageddon II" saw the following results:
-Mr. Sandman (The Sandman) won a Last Blood Battle Royal featuring Crybaby Waldo, Ernesto Benifico, Ghetto Blaster, Glen Osbourne, Jimmy Jannetty, Johnny O, Michael Bruno, Mr. Anthony, Rick Perez, Rockin' Rebel, Sabu and Tony Stetson.
-TWA Heavyweight champion JT Smith defeated DC Drake in 12:48.
-Tony Stetson defeated Mr. Sandman in 7:04.
-The Blackhearts defeated DC Drake (substituting for Larry Winters) & Johnny Hot Body in 16:03 to win the titles.
-Owen Hart defeated Takayuki Iizuka.
-Kevin Sullivan fought Terry Funk to a double DQ in 11:02.
-Eddie Gilbert & Madusa Miceli defeated Cactus Jack & Luna Vachon in 12:22.
-In a Steel Cage Match, Abdullah The Butcher defeated The Sheik in 5:17, followed by a crazy brawl all over the venue.
1991 - WCW ran Raleigh, NC at The Dorton Arena featuring:
-Big Josh (Matt Borne) pinned Oz (Kevin Nash).
-Brian Pillman pinned Richard Morton.
-PN News pinned Thomas Rich.
-WCW U.S. Tag Team Champions The Patriots, Todd Champion & Firebreaker Chip defeated Michael Hayes & Jimmy Garvin
-WCW World TV Champion Steve Austin fought Dustin Rhodes to a draw.
-Bobby Eaton defeated Johnny B. Badd via disqualification.
-WCW World Tag Team Champions Arn Anderson & Larry Zbyzsko fought Rick Steiner & Bill Kazmaier to a double countout.
-WCW World Champion Lex Luger pinned Barry Windham.
1992 - Barry Windham & Dustin Rhodes defeat Terry Gordy & Steve Williams to win the WCW & NWA World Tag Team Championship in Atlanta, Georgia.
1992 - Brian Christopher defeats Reno Riggins in Memphis, Tennessee to win the vacant USWA Southern Heavyweight Title. The belt had been vacated after a match between then-champion Riggins and Christopher on September 14th. With this win, Christopher became the champion for the fifth time. On the same card, Junkyard Dog defeated Eddie Gilbert for the USWA Unified Heavyweight Title, ending Gilbert's second reign, and Moondog Fifi defeated Miss Texas for the USWA Women's Title.
1992 - The WFi ran Furitsu Gym in Osaka, Japan with the following results from two events held over the cout
-Yoshihiro akayama KO Tom Burton (9:02).
-Hiromitsu Kanehara drew Mark Silver (15:00).
-Tatsuo Nakano beat Masahito Kakihara (4:53) via submission.
-Mark Fleming beat Yuko Miyato (9:26) via submission.
-Kiyoshi Tamura beat Steve Cox (7:03) via submission.
-Kazuo Yamazaki beat Yoji Anjoh (10:01) via submission.
-Nobuhiko Takada beat Gary Albright (20:25) via submission to become the first UWFI World Champ.
1994 - After just over three years of operations, the Global Wrestling Federation closed down. The group, which had a television show on ESPN, had attempted to fill the wrestling void left when Fritz Von Erich left the business and Jerry Jarrett stopped promoting in Texas. This would pretty much mark the end of any Dallas-based company as a national force on the wrestling scene. The company is credited for helping to launch the careers of The Patriot, Jerry Lynn, and Lightning Kid (Sean Waltman).
1994 - WWF ran Sayreville High School in Sayreville, NJ with the following results: Nikolai Volkoff pinned PJ Walker, WWF Ladies champion Alundra Blayze pinned Bull Nakano, Kwang pinned Jim Powers, Doink (Ray Apollo) pinned Jeff Jarrett, Thurman "Sparky" Plugg (Bob Holly) pinned Abe "Knuckleball" Schwartz (Brooklyn Brawler Steve Lombardi), The Heavenly Bodies defeated Well Dunn, Mabel pinned Bam Bam Bigelow.
1996 - The first episode of WWF Livewire debuted on the USA Network.
1996 - WWF ran The Baltimore Arena in Maryland, featuring:
-Justin Bradshaw pinned Aldo Montoya.
-Mark Henry defeated Jerry Lawler via countout.
-Barry Windham pinned Hunter Hearst Helmsley with the superplex.
-Henry & Phinneas Godwinn defeated Marty Jannetty & Leif Cassidy when Leif Cassidy was pinned.
-Farooq pinned Marc Mero with the Dominator.
-WWF Tag Team Champions Smoking Gunns defeated Owen Hart & -Davey Boy Smith when Smith was pinned.
-Savio Vega defeated Crush via disqualification when Crush began whipping Savio with his belt.
-Sycho Sid pinned Goldust with the powerbomb.
-WWF Champion Shawn Michaels pinned Vader with Sweet Chin Music.
-The Undertaker pinned Mankind with the tombstone.
1998 - Masahiro Chono vacates the IWGP Heavyweight Title due to a severe neck injury.
1998 - A WCW Monday Nitro taping in Boston, MA saw the following results:
-Fit Finlay defeated Barry Darsow.
-Wrath defeated Nick Dinsmore.
-Rick Steiner defeated Rick Fuller.
-Raven & Kanyon defeated Los Villanos IV & V.
-Diamond Dallas Page defeated Alex Wright.
-Ernest Miller defeated Lenny Lane.
-Perry Saturn defeated Jerry Flynn.
-WCW Cruiserweight Champion Billy Kidman defeated Disco Inferno.
-Konnan defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr.
-The Giant & Stevie Ray fought Lex Luger & Kevin Nash to a no contest.
1999 - During a Smackdown taping in Dallas, Texas, Triple H wrestles five times in order to earn a spot in the Six-Pack Challenge at Unforgiven. He loses to Big Show in a Chokeslam match, defeats Kane in an Inferno match, loses to Mideon & Viscera in a Casket Match, defeats Mankind in a Boiler Room Brawl, and defeats the Rock in a Brahma Bullrope Match. Also on the show, Road Dogg & Billy Gunn defeat The Rock & Mankind to win the WWF Tag Team Championship and Ken Shamrock wrestles his final WWF match, losing to Chris Jericho in a First Blood match when Jericho hits Shamrock with a hockey stick and Shamrock "spits up" blood.
2000 - WCW ran Oklahoma City, Oklahoma with the following results:
-WCW Cruiserweight Champion Elix Skipper defeated Kwee Wee.
-The Great Muta defeated the Demon.
-Mike Awesome defeated Jeff Jarrett.
-Kronik defeated Chuck Palumbo & Sean Stasiak and Ron & Don Harris.
-Vito defeated Reno in a hardcore match.
-The Jung Dragons defeated Mark Jindrak & Sean O’Haire, & Mike Sanders.
-Shane Douglas defeated David Flair.
-Bill Goldberg defeated Lex Luger.
-WCW World Champion Booker T defeated Scott Steiner.
-WCW U.S. Champion Lance Storm defeated Gen. Rection.
2002 - Ted "Rocco Rock" Petty passed away, suffering a heart attack while traveling from one independent event in Jersey City, New Jersey on the Jersey Turnpike to a Philadelphia, PA booking for 3PW. Petty was only 49 years old. Mike Johnson wrote the following:
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REMEMBERING TED PETTY I was terribly saddened to learn of the passing of Ted Petty, known in the ring as Flyboy Rocco Rock. Petty was one of the truly nice guys in wrestling, in that he always went out of his way to be nice to the fans. After spending years in the business under a mask as the Cheetah Kid in the Northeastern independents and doing moves like moonsaults that would later be popularized by others, Petty never forgot the years of trying to make it when he clicked as one half of Public Enemy in Extreme Championship Wrestling. A former boxer, Petty worked several gimmicks early in his career, first as Cheetah Kid which he did on a New Japan Pro Wrestling tour, and the little seen Kimodo Dragon, another masked character he used briefly. When Paul Heyman and Jim Crockett did their initial World Wrestling Network taping in Fort Hood, Texas, Petty was to be one half of a masked Kimodo Dragons tag team with Dean Malenko. At the very first Monday Night Raw taping in January 1993, Petty worked the first match of the taping under a mask as Cheetah, doing a dark bout against another Northeastern independent worker– Johnny Rotten, who would later grow his hair out, wear a goatee, add some weight (OK, a lot of weight later on) and transform into Johnny Grunge, Petty's close friend and partner in The Public Enemy. Once Petty, already in his late thirties, started playing the role of Hoodie and waving his arms as one half of the tag team "More Afraid of Living Than Dying", his career took off as he began to get recognition among the fans as he worked regularly for Extreme Championship Wrestling and became one half of the core tag team of the promotion. The first true Paul Heyman-Tod Gordon ECW creation to take off with a life of it's own, The Public Enemy helped ECW turn the corner in 1995 when they became babyfaces. While many of the matches do not hold up to the test of time on video, if you were attending Extreme Championship Wrestling during that 1995 era, there were many a night that no matter how good or bad the show was, Public Enemy coming out declaring they were the "Mack Daddies of Violence", brawling, bleeding, and bringing the fans into the ring for a "House Party" to the tune of "Here Comes the Hotstepper" sent you home happy and ready to come back for more. The Public Enemy was a unique entity in those days. Here was a man in his late thirties and a heavy Cajun white guy playing hoodies who grew up on the streets and were using wrestling to make sure they didn't go back. Their promos ranged from heavy and violent (Petty destroying glass bottles with a baseball bat as he declared the team would defeat Cactus Jack and Mikey Whipwreck since he had seen "the fear in Cactus' eyes") to silly and comedic, as the pair would often end promos with Petty slapping Grunge with his hat and proclaiming, "Oh Johnny!" The mixture and texture of the duo's work off each other was a hit, and the crowd bought them as both entertaining and badasses at the same time. In early 1995, and being screwed out of their ECW World Tag Team championships in storyline, the ECW fans turned The Public Enemy babyface, and from that point on, the formula for the team was simple– Petty danced while Grunge (who had absolutely NO coordination) marched around the ring high fiving the fans. Grunge would do some mic work promising blood and mayhem, and the pair would then deliver. Petty the stronger worker of the two by far, would always do the majority of the in-ring wrestling while Grunge brawled and bled. Always looking to protect Grunge, Petty was likely the one taking the pinfall losses when the team did lose. Although many credit the likes of Sabu and Terry Funk for putting ECW on the map, TPE was the first homegrown creation to truly draw for the promotion. For whatever reason, the booking, the work, and the hype all created magic that ECW fans bought, and they loved Public Enemy. Feuds and matches against The Funk Brothers, Ian & Axl Rotten, Sabu and Taz, The Pitbulls, The Gangstas, and Dean Malenko & Chris Benoit remain favorites for old school ECW fans of that era. When Sabu no-showed the promotion in April 1995 at what was then the promotion's largest ever event, the Three-Way Dance, TPE turned up the level of violence and began using more and more tables in their matches, sometimes even lighting them on fire before Petty would moonsault through them. While there was a time Sabu was considered the nucleus of ECW, The Public Enemy more than filled that void. Their popularity within ECW continued to skyrocket. With that popularity came the notice of the larger promotions, and for the first time, a homegrown ECW talent was courted by the national promotions. The WWF came calling in November 1995, but PE didn't sign with the promotion after a dark match at Survivor Series that year. WCW began bidding with promises of a huge push which never materialized and huge money, more than Petty had made in the wrestling business ever. The ECW fans that popularized Petty's career cooled to him, with some claiming TPE had sold out. Of course, none were truly aware of Petty's actual age and in the same position, many if not all would have drawn the same conclusion- after so many years in the business for little money, it was time to go. The decision was an easy one to make, but Petty paid tribute to the ECW fans that made his career on his last night in the promotion in January. "You people are the greatest wrestling fans in the world." He said after the team's final bout in the ECW Arena. "Whether you know it or you don't, and you probably don't, Just the energy you people create make us guys do things we normally wouldn't do. There ain't no way I'm jumping off a ledge, 12 feet in the air, through two tables, unless you people made me do it...and you did. Me and Johnny Love You." After leaving Extreme Championship Wrestling for WCW, The Public Enemy never recaptured that magic feeling they provided every few weeks in the Bingo Hall in South Philly, but after years of killing himself on independents and Japan, Petty got the chance to work nationally and make good money. A forgettable WCW Tag Title reign was the highlight of their WCW career, and the duo bounced back to ECW for a sobering return that sadly showed that one can never go home again – The Public Enemy of 1995 wasn't going to return in 1999. After a brief fling in the WWF where they are most remembered for being absolutely decimated by the Acolytes, TPE was back in WCW, although with a very reduced push where they were basically extras on a cast of dozens and dozens of wrestlers. In recent years, Petty had worked for the fledgling XWF managed by Jasmin St. Clair and making the odd occasional independent appearance. For many fans though, Ted Petty was the epitome of a journeyman wrestler who finally made good. After years of toiling, he hit upon a persona that fans loved, and he had the chance to live his dream as a wrestler nationally. Personally, I'll never forget the many matches I watched live and the fact that Petty, as a member of The Public Enemy, helped me as a fan fall in love with Extreme Championship Wrestling. |
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Afa Anoai issued the following statement on the passing of Ted Petty:
AFA SPEAKS ON PASSING OF TEDDY
World X-Treme Wrestling was shocked and saddened to learn of the sudden passing of Ted Petty, better known as Rocco Rock from Public Enemy. Before joining ECW, WWF, or WCW, he started his career as the Cheetah Kid, competing in many regional independent promotions, including the Trans World Wrestling Federation, one of the predecessors to WXW.
Ted's last WXW appearance was at the 2001 Awards Banquet where he was recognized for his longtime friendship with Afa the Wild Samoan, and achievements in the ring. Afa explained that Ted was one of his former students and trainers, then the two shared a few brief but fond memories. Afa joked about something that happened during a trip to Pittsburgh, while Petty said that Afa almost got him killed three times, including being held hostage in Beirut for three days while on tour overseas. The two laughed about the memories and shared an emotional hug. It was very clear to all of us at WXW that Afa (Pops) thought of Teddy as a son, as Teddy so lovingly referred to Afa as Pops.
When Pops was notified late last night of the passing of Teddy, he was in total shock. Pops said "here is a guy that never drank, smoked, or did drugs, and was taken away at the best time of his life. I will miss Teddy very much. We shared a 20 plus year friendship and I'm very sad to not have Teddy as part of my life any longer.
One thing for sure, I know Teddy is in a much better place and I guess our dear Lord needed a new star for the Federation that he is building in heaven. My heart goes out to Teddy's family.
WXW would like to send their sincerest of condolences to the Petty family.
I hope no one minds that I feel the need to add this brief recap of memories that I will honor for the rest of my life.
When I first received the news last night that we lost yet another great superstar, I was heartbroken. Teddy was like a son to me, I trained him and he worked as one of my trainers some years ago. He was one of the most respectful men that I have ever met, if you were lucky enough to become friends with him, you were considered a friend FOR LIFE.
Teddy was loyal, hard working, honest, reliable, trustworthy, and a downright great person.
There are so many stories that I could share, but I know that I must limit my space. So just a few memories I thought I would mention.
There was a time when I got a call from Teddy to replace my good friend Kamala on a tour in Germany. On the first day of the tour, during Teddy's match, he dove off the top rope and landed on his opponent who was outside the ring. As Teddy hit the floor, on top of the opponent, his ankle hit the steel rail, and he screamed out in pain. As everyone ran to ringside to bring Teddy back to the dressing room, he was obviously unable to walk on his leg. I grabbed him by the arm and laid him on the ground, and had another wrestler sit and hold his body. Before Teddy knew what was happening, I had his boot off and I was giving him a Samoan Rubdown. Teddy was screaming in agony as tears were coming down his face. Although I knew I was hurting him, I did not stop because his ankle was so swollen. He had a fracture, and I could feel it as I was massaging it. When I finally finished torturing him, I taped up his ankle, had him ice it, and got him back to his room. The next morning, he came into my room, walking with pressure on both legs, thanking me for fixing his ankle.
Another story that I know Teddy loved to tell was of a trip that I took to Beirut, Lebanon back in the early 90's. My WXW group was held hostage for three days by machine gun at the airport. Teddy often said that on this trip, I almost got him killed, but the truth of the matter was, that he trusted me so much that although former President Bush Senior warned us not to go on this tour, Teddy was one of the first to volunteer his services.
Teddy was also with me when we made a trip to my Island Samoa . We didn't have a wrestling ring in Samoa so Teddy, Ray Licamelli (Doink) and I built a ring for us to use for our tour. As you can see Teddy was indeed close and was like a son to me.
A few years back, I got a call from Teddy telling me that he was ready to retire his ring truck business, and wanted to turn it over to me because he knew that I would treasure his truck, ring, and steel cage. I was so honored to know that he could have given it to anyone, but he chose me. Although I had the truck painted black, and put my WXW logo on it, I still referred to it as Teddy's Truck. Having the truck makes me feel like I still have a part of Teddy that I will cherish because he was such a great person.
Thank you for allowing me to share these few memories with you, as I'm sure there will be many posts, because Teddy had many friends.
God Bless, and stay healthy - Afa the Wild Samoan
2002 - 3PW ran the ECW Arena. Mike Johnson filed the following live report:
3PW returned to the ECW Arena last night in Philadelphia, PA drawing a crowd in the 250-300 range for the first meeting of Sabu and Syxx-Pac Sean Waltman in over a decade and the return of Abdullah the Butcher to the building for the first time since the early 1990s.
Full results of the event saw:
*Hack Myers (looking nothing like he did during his ECW run) pinned Ace Steele. Most of the crowd did not seem to know who Myers was.
*Colt Cabana pinned CM Punk.
*Josh Daniels pinned White Lotus.
*The Blue Meanie pinned Chris Chetti. Chetti worked with stitches in his forehead and the bridge of his nose from taking a bad chairshot at a booking in Florida the night before.
*Joey Matthews and Christian York defeated Danny Doring and Roadkill in a great back and forth tag team match. Roadkill was knocked off the top rope through a table, leaving Doring to be pinned with the Full Effect. It was the first bout Doring and Roadkill had teamed for in about a year. The crowd gave them a huge ovation and several "ECW" chants. After the bout, the usually silent Roadkill took the mic and said, "I usually don't speak, but thank you for remembering" and left to another ECW chant.
*3PW champion Gary Wolfe pinned a large masked opponent doing a convict gimmick. He was a last minute substitute for Rocco Rock. Wolfe got the pin with a Death Valley Driver. The promotion was not aware of Rock's passing during or immediately after the show.
*Angel defeated The Rockin' Rebel via submission with a double testicular claw. Rebel had issued an open challenge to anyone in the back and when Angel hit the ring, Rebel insulted women, prompting her to attack him and start the bout.
*Abdullah the Butcher and Kevin Sullivan brawled all over the building to a no-contest when Sabu hit the ring and attacked Abdullah with a spike. After several minutes of Sullivan and Sabu working over Abby, Syxx-Pac hit the ring and all four brawled to the back. Sullivan and Abby were both bleeding by five minutes into the bout. The type of brawl you would expect from these two and entertaining.
*A "strip-off" between Missy Hyatt, Jasmin St. Clair, and Diana (the advertised Kendra Jade was removed from the show when another booking in the area was cancelled, as that was why she would have been in Philly and able to appear) ended up with Rockin' Rebel and Hyatt laying out St. Clair and The Blue Meanie. After Rebel, who was judging (in a falsetto voice thanks to the earlier testicular claw), ruled that Diana was eliminated, Hyatt attacked St. Clair after Jasmin had a song played that made fun of Hyatt's weight. Rebel joined in on Jasmin, so Meanie hit the ring. Missy low blowed him and they were left laying.
*Syxx-Pac pinned Sabu in a tremendous match with a X-Factor off the top rope through a table. Sabu had earlier legdropped Pac through a table bridged between the ring and guard rail to the floor. Pac bled after being spiked by Sabu while in a Camel Clutch. Both workers had their working boots on here, putting on a better than expected main event.
The promotion returns to the ECW Arena on 10/19 with Syxx-Pac, Sabu, Jerry Lawler, and Curt Hennig making his first independent appearance after his WWE departure announced for the event.
2002 - Xavier defeats Low Ki in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to become the second ever Ring Of Honor champion. Mike Johnson filed the following report:
RF Video's Ring of Honor returned to the Murphy Recreation Center last night, drawing 400+ for an event which saw the promotion "throw the script out the window" as they stated prior to the show in press releases, as Spanky and Steve Corino, who were set to be integral parts of the show, were needed to stay in Japan for Zero-One's PPV.
To make up for the card changes, the promotion promised a different slant on the ROH concept, offered the first two bouts of the evening for free, and organized a Fan Fest prior to the event with meet and greets with the roster. The FanFest included an angle where Michael Modest was approached about joining Christopher Daniels' Prophecy but refused.p>
Complete results of the show:
*In the first round of the ROH Tag Team championship tournament, Christopher Daniels and Donovan Morgan defeated Jose and Joel Maximo in 7:21. During the bout, a woman who got into it with Simply Luscious hopped the rail and hit a moonsault off the top on Daniels and Luscious.
*In the first round of the ROH Tag Team championship tournament, Dick Togo and Ikuto Hidaka defeated James Maritato and Tony Mamaluke. Gary Michael Cappeta came out to interview the former FBI about their issues. This led to an immediate match between Maritato and Mamaluke, with Mamaluke scoring the pin in about 3:30.
*In the first round of the ROH Tag Team championship tournament, American Dragon and the debuting Michael Modest defeated Chris Divine and Quiet Storm in 6:23.
*Da Hit Squad came out for their match with Natural Born Sinners but were jumped and laid out by the Carnage Crew. The Crew stated they had also laid out the Sinners in the back (Sinners were not at the show), giving Modest and Dragon a Bye to the Finals of the tournament.
*In the semi-finals of the ROH Tag Team championship tournament, Christopher Daniels and Donovan Morgan defeated Dick Togo and Ikuto Hidaka in 14:24. This was said to have been a tremendous bout.
*Alex Arion from New England Championship Wrestling made his PA debut for the promotion, defeating Dunn in 1:36. The bout was supposed to be a tag match with Dunn & Marcos against Arion and Prince Nana, but Nana came out wearing protective gear on his head, saying his head hurt, playing off Low Ki "knocking out" Nana at the promotion's 6/22 event. The Christopher Street Connection, complete with ECWA's The Japanese Pool Boy, came out and did a promo, only to be jumped by Alexis Laree.
*CM Punk did a promo in the ring to build to his debut for the promotion in November, only to have long-time rival Colt Cabana come out as well.
*Xavier defeated Low Ki to win the Ring of Honor championship, becoming the second competitor to hold the belt after Christopher Daniels became involved. Xavier joined Daniels' Prophecy. This was said to have been another tremendous bout.
*Pro Wrestling NOAH's Takao Omori debuted, defeating NWA TNA's Sonny Siaki, also making his debut for the promotion, in 7:28.
*In a rematch from the initial Ring of Honor event in February 2002, Jay Briscoe defeated The Amazing Red with the J-Driller in 7:47. Another strong match.
*In a Streetfight, Paul London defeated Michael Shane in a bout that included Tables and Chairs. The finish of the bout saw London do an amazing Shooting Star Press off the top of a 12 foot ladder in the middle of the ring onto Shane for the pin. London had pulled out of the ROH Tag Team championship earlier in the night when London confronted him (since his partner Spanky was in Japan, London was going to team with American Dragon but Shane came out) to get a shot at Shane, who he has been feuding with. This was said to have been an out of this world bout with tremendous spot after spot.
*In the Ring of Honor Tag Team championship finals, Christopher Daniels and Donovan Morgan captured the promotion's championship, defeating American Dragon and Michael Modest in 26:40. This was said to have been a tremendous tag match.
Notes: Gary Michael Cappetta was used as an interviewer in the ring and backstage....The mysterious large African American male who attacked and chokeslammed several wrestlers at the last ROH event in PA resurfaced, with ref Hanson the object of his destruction this time....Ring of Honor returns to The Murphy Recreation Center on 10/5 with "Glory By Honor" an event designed to be one of their showcase events. Scheduled for the show is Low Ki vs. Samoa Joe, Steve Corino vs. Rudy Boy Gonzales in a Texas Death Match, Doug Williams, Ikuto Hidaka, Dick Togo, and more.
2002 - WWE Smackdown ran San Jose, CA. Mike Headley filed the following live report:
I just got back from the WWE Smackdown event at the San Jose Compaq Center (HP Pavilion soon). Here are the results.
Jamie Noble won a Three Way Elimination match for the Cruiserweight Championship, defeating Billy Kidman with a backslide pin and Rey Mysterio, Jr. with a double underhook powerbomb. Torrie Wilson was the guest announcer, and got into a little catfight afterward with Nidia, scoring a bronco buster.
John Cena beat Bull Buchanan with a rollup after botching the sunset flip.
Chuck and Billy beat the team of Crash Holly and Mark Henry. Chuck pinned Mark Henry after a superkick.
D-Von beat Randy Orton with his finisher. D-Von got a lot of cheap heat talking bad about the Sharks and saying San Jose fans were terrible.
Hurricane Helms and Shannon Moore beat Tajiri and Doug Basham. Hurricane got the pin with the Shining Wizard.
Brock Lesnar with Paul Heyman defeated Kane via DQ after a long power match. Heyman was great, earning lots of cheap heat similar to D-Von’s by berating San Jose. At one point, Brock hi-fived Heyman, and Heyman acted like his hand was hurt. Brock used a chair to take Kane out, and when Kane tried to do the same, the ref called the match. Kane laid out Heyman and Brock, and then left. No Kane pyro!. As Intermission began, Brock and Heyman started to stand up and show off the world title belt, when BAM! Kane’s pyro hit and both dropped to the mat. It was great. The fans loved it.
Matt Hardy beat The Big Valbowski with the Twist of Fate.
Kurt Angle beat Chris Benoit with an amateur wrestling sequence and a leg pin. It appeared that Benoit was the face in the eyes of the fans.
In the Kiss My Ass tag team match, Edge and Rikishi defeated Eddie and Chavo Guerrero. Chavo received the Rikishi Driver and then got pinned. When Eddie and Chavo tried to leave after the match, the ref got on the mic and said that since they signed the contract, one of them would have to come back in and kiss Rikishi’s ass. If they didn’t they’d each have a 10 thousand dollar fine. As the ref counted to ten, they checked their pockets to see if they had any cash, and sprinted into the ring when the ref was on eight. Eddie and Chavo attacked Edge and Rikishi when their backs were turned, and so after a scuffle, Eddie got an Edgeface, and Chavo got a Stinkface. Then Rikishi made Edge dance, but Edge mad sure that Rikishi would dance too. The fans went home happy.
Good show, my first live WWE event.
Biggest face pops were Kane, Billy and Chuck and Rey Mysterio Jr. Billy and Chuck were cheered as they came to the ring, but were halfway booed while wrestling.
Biggest heel pops were Brock with Heyman, Angle and Jamie Noble.
It was sort of disturbing to see two separate kids in separate areas holding “You suck” signs, and another kid behind me chanting “You Suck” during a non-Angle match.
2002 - WWE Raw ran Fresno, CA. Cy Headley filed the following report:
Here are the results from the 9/21 WWE show from Fresno, CA
Spike Dudley beat Steven Richards.
Tommy Dreamer beat Raven.
Trish Stratus and Jackie beat Molly and Victoria.
Bubba Ray Dudly beat Test.
Chris Jericho beat Rob Van Dam after a ref bump. RVD got his head back after the match with a Frog Splash.
Shelton Benjamin, Johnny Stamboli and Mark Jindrak beat Justin Credible, Planet Stasiak and Christopher Nowinski.
The Big Show beat D'Lo Brown.
Jeff Hardy beat William Regal.
Lance Storm and Christian beat Goldust & Booker T best of three falls match.
2002 - NWA: TNA broacast their Saturday morning TV episode. Phillip McConnell filed the following TV report:
NWA:TNA Saturday Morning Report for 8-21-2002
By: Phillip McConnell NWA:TNA Correspondent
Phillip@totalnonstop.com
Hello and welcome to this NWA:TNA Saturday Morning Report, I'm Phillip McConnell. Despite what I have seen a lot of people say this week on the internet since Wednesday night I thought this weeks TNA pay-per-view was very good and I had a great time at the show. Yes, it was not perfect but then again nothing else is either. So to all of you out there in internet land try and have some fun and enjoy the shows. Be honest in how you feel about the shows but don't cut down and blast for the sake of thinking you sound better because you did. With that said this lets go straight into this weeks review of NWA:TNA Saturday Morning.
This weeks show starts off in the ring with the Masked Bullet punching away at Jeff Jarrett. Bullet grabs a microphone and says, "Oh you didn't know?"
The logo swings into place, flames roll in and we are off and running with this weeks NWA:TNA Saturday Morning.
Jeremy Borash and Bert Prentice start off by talking about this past week's PPV. Bert says that over 800 people filled up the TNA Asylum this past week (looked like more than that). Borash and Prentice start hype for the 9/25 PPV. Double main event as Jeff Jarrett will take on B.G. James and in a lumberjack match it will be Ron Killings vs. Jerry Lynn. Borash then tells us what we will be seeing today.
Tag Team Gauntlet for the Gold (10 teams. Two men will start, a new person enters every 60 seconds. When two men are left their partners will be allowed to return and a tag match will start, the winners getting the NWA World Tag Team Titles). Teams in this match: Brian Lawler & Disco Inferno, James Storm & Chris Harris, Brian Lee & Ron Harris, CW Punk & Race Steel, Jimmy Rave & Derek Wylde, Jose &Joel Maximo, Sonny Siaki & Jorge Estrada, Scott Hall & Syxx-Pac, B.G. James & Marcus Bagwell, and Slash & Kobain.
Some of the highlights from this match shown include:
-Brian Lawler and James Storm start. Lawler crotches Storm on the middle rope as he gets into the ring.
-Lawler goes for a DDT but Storm reverses that into a DDT of his own.
-Joel Maximo shown getting into the ring.
-Lawler tosses Derek Wylde out of the ring. Lawler then superkicks Joel off the apron to the floor. Lawler then eliminates Storm by punching him off the top turnbuckle.
-Marcus Bagwell in and goes to work quickly on Lawler with a kick to the gut then a swinging neckbreaker.
-Kobain in next.
-Brian Lee in and he takes control of the match going to work on everybody in the ring.
-Syxx-Pac enters the match and quickly goes after everybody in the ring.
-Ron Harris enters and let the double teaming begin. Lee and Harris eliminate Jorge Estrada.
-Harris and Lee eliminate CW Punk and Jimmy Rave. Buff Bagwell also gets eliminated.
-Syxx-Pac eliminates Lawler.
-Jose Maximo makes a big mistake. He enters the ring by jumping off the top rope. Bad thing was Ron Harris caught him and then threw him over the top rope to eliminate him.
-Harris and Lee put the H-Bomb on Syxx-Pac.
-Lawler, still at ringside, hits Syxx-Pac from behind. When Syxx-Pac turns around to confront Lawler he gets eliminated by Ron Harris.
-Slash, R. Harris, and Lee triple team B.G. James.
-Sonny Siaki enters the match and goes after Slash. Siaki hits the over the top neckbreaker then the flip legdrop.
Jeremy Borash and Bert Prentice back and talk about what we just saw. They say after the commercial break we will see the finish to this match.
Commercial Break
Borash and Prentice back and they throw us back to the Tag Team Gauntlet for the Gold.
-Disco enters the match.
-Scott Hall enters and goes to work on Brian Lee.
-Chris Harris enters the match.
-Siaki charges Disco in the corner. Disco moves out of the way and Siaki goes flying over the top and down to the floor.
-Hall and James double team Disco. Hall tries to toss out Disco but Disco catches himself on the ring apron only to have Hall punch him off and to the floor.
-Hall and James now go at it. Lee clotheslines both Hall and James over the top rope. This means that Chris Harris and Brian Lee are the finally two men in the match.
James Storm and Chris Harris vs. Ron Harris and Brian Lee winner wins the NWA World Tag Team Titles.
-R. Harris attacks Storm on the ramp. R. Harris chokeslams Storm on the ramp.
-R. Harris and Lee dominate C. Harris with double team moves as Storm struggles to crawl to the ring.
-Storm gets to the ring only to get hit with a knee knocking him back to the floor.
-R. Harris and Lee put C. Harris in the H-Bomb.
-Storm finally gets in the ring. Storm goes after both and seems to have the momentum in his favor until he gets caught in the H-Bomb.
-R. Harris is outside the ring and set up a table. He places Storm on it. In the ring Lee sets up C. Harris for a powerbomb. As Lee picks up C. Harris, C. Harris slides down the back off Lee. C. Harris rolls up Lee and gets the pin. Winners and NEW NWA World Tag Team Champions: "Wildcat" Chris Harris and "Cowboy" James Storm.
Borash and Prentice back and Borash gives Prentice credit for picking the winners in the Tag Team Gauntlet for the Gold. More hype for 9/25 show. Borash and Prentice talk about that after the commercial break we will see Dustin Diamond.
Commercial Break (end 1st half hour)
Borash and Prentice back. Borash on the cell phone and says after he hangs up that he B.G. James was talking to him when he said "you better call somebody". Prentice calls Borash a "mizark". Prentice then ask Borash about his comments from last week about being on Pinks' tour bus. Borash smiles and says "if that's what the kids call it these days". Prentice then says that stuff came up missing from Pinks' tour bus and that Borash is the only person claiming to have been on the bus. Broash starts to get the deer in the headlights look. Prentice then says that Pink's cell phone is missing. Borash says he had to call to get a ride home. Talk turns to Dustin Diamond and his appearance on this past week's PPV.
Dustin Diamond interview from this past weeks PPV is shown.
Tiny the bell ringer vs. Dustin Diamond in a boxing match
-Diamond shoves Tiny before the match.
-Diamond with a right to Tinys' gut then a left to the head followed by a right and that's it. Diamond wins by knockout.
Commercial Break
Borash and Prentice back and they talk about Borash appearance along with Ron Killings, Sonny Siaki, and Jorge Estrada on Wednesday morning on the Nashville morning TV show, Mornings on Fox 17. They announce that the syndication deal with the Urban Network starts the first week of October. Bert then says his favorite part of TNA is the TNA Girls. A picture of Jamie (the blonde that dances while sucking on a Blow-pop) is shown. Talk turn to AJ Styles vs. Kid Kash leading us to…
AJ Styles vs. Kid Kash
Some of the highlights shown from this match include:
-Styles with a heel sweep on Kash.
-Both men exchange arm drags.
-Styles on the ring apron and Kash springboards off the middle rope and dropkicks Styles to the floor.
-Kash leaps over the top rope and down onto Styles on the floor and hurracanranas Styles.
-Styles hits an Asai moonsault onto Kash on the floor.
-Back to in the ring as Styles hits a springboard dropkick to Kash.
-Kash hits the Bankroll (Kash was sitting on top turnbuckle. In one quick move he leaps up and as he does does a 180 up to a standing position on the top rope. Then spins off kind of like Jeff Hardys' Whisper in the Wind.) Gets only a two count.
-Styles picks up Kash in a firemans' carry. Styles then backs up near the ropes and drops Kash throat first across the ropes sending Kash crashing to floor.
-Styles jumps off the ring apron and hits Kash with a spin into a Flatliner, ala Amazing Red.
-Back in the ring as Kash hits a double springboard into a hurracanrana on Styles.
-Styles on the mat and kips up and takes Kash over in a headscissor take down.
-Styles goes for a springboard dropkick off the middle of the top rope but Kash meets him with a dropkick right to Styles' groin.
-Kash has Styles in position for a hurracanrana off the top turnbuckle. Kash goes for the move but Styles blocks and hits the Styles Clash off the middle turnbuckle for the win. Winner: AJ Styles
Commercial Break
Borash and Prentice back. Prentice plugs the USA Championship Wrestling show that will be in Lavergne, TN next Saturday night.
Highlights of Borash, Killings, Siaki, and Estrada from Mornings on Fox 17 are shown. Charlie Chase is the host of the show. Chase talks to Killings about his hair and the match against Shamrock. Chase ask Borash about the incident involving Jeff Jarrett and the Tennessee Titans. They talk about Dustin Diamond for s second. Then two guys from some place called Associate Sales start to do a commercial (they allow local business to do live commercials on the Mornings on Fax 17 show.). The two guys talk about the "wrestlers taking over the studio" As they do this you see Siaki, Estrada and Killings come into the picture. The two guys "attack" Siaki, Killings, and Estrada to end the highlights of the segment.
Commercial Break End 2nd half hour.
Borash and Prentice talk about Scott Hall and Syxx-Pac. More hype for 9/25.
Hall and Syxx-Pac interview from the PPV shown.
Commercial Break
Jeff Jarrett vs. Masked Bullet (B.G. James) segment from the PPV shown. As part of this is the B.G James interview from the PPV.
Commercial Break
Borash and Prentice back. More hype for 9/25 with the focus on Jerry Lynn vs. Ron Killings
Great little video is shown about the Lynn vs. Killings match. Set to some kind of music that did a nice job of accenting the high points of the video. Video starts off with Sonny Siaki talking to Goldylocks. "Tonight Jerry Lynn has a chance to put the X Division on the map." "Every athlete on the X division roster must stand united and stand by Jerry Lynn by showing out support." Highlights start off with Killings showing a bloody Lynn to the camera. Next is Killings planting Lynn into the announce table. Killings punching away at the cut on Lynn's head and then Killings nailing Lynn with the ax kick in the ring. Shows AJ Styles, Maximo Brothers, Kid Kash, Jorge Estrada and Sonny Siaki making way to ring while in the background you hear the Siaki quote from earlier "Every athlete on the X division roster must stand united and stand by Jerry Lynn by showing out support.". Lynn now shown in control despite the heavy blood lose. Then as Lynn goes to the top turnbuckle, with the ref distracted, Siaki crotches Lynn. This allows Killings to hit Truth or Consequences (Diamond Cutter) for the win.
Commercial Break
Borash and Prentice back to wrap up show.
Don West shown doing his hard sale from the end of this past weeks show. B.G. James makes his way to the ring with a microphone talking to Jeff Jarrett. Killings, leaving after his title match tired to shake his hand but James just slaps it away. Killings then attacks James. Jarrett joins him and they double team James in the ring. Hall and Syxx-Pac hit the ring and triple team on Killings and Jarrett. Killings and Jarrett leave the ring as Hall, Pac, and James pose to end show.
Overall a great show this morning. Borash and Prentice continue to have a great chemistry working together. Throughout the show a commercial was shown that told some of what to expect this Wednesday night.
- Lumberjack Match: Ron Killings (NWA World Champion) vs. Jerry Lynn (NWA:TNA X Champion) One, or Both titles will be on the line
- Jeff Jarrett vs. B.G. James
- Syxx-Pac vs. Brian Lawler
- NWA World Tag Title match: Chris Harris and James Harris vs. unnamed team
- Also appearing: Low-Ki, AJ Styles, Kid Kash, Miss TNA Bruce, Amazing Red, Scott Hall, Flying Elvises, Maximo Brothers
Once again I want to thank everybody for reading this weeks report. Keep those emails coming, Phillip@totalnonstop.com . Also keep checking out www.totalnonstop.com as we are constantly looking to keep you informed on all that is NWA:TNA. New interviews each week, including our sit down interview with Sonny Siaki. Have a great week and as always, best wishes.
2002 - It was announced that Road Dogg Brian Jammes would miss a Jersey City Wrestling event in Jersey City, NJ due to an auto accident on the way to the airport.
2002 - FOX's America's Most Wanted covered an attack on former XPW Champion The Messiah. Kevin Draper filed the following report:
The case of indy star The Messiah was aired on America’s Most Wanted on Saturday, September 21st, 2002. Here is exactly what happened on the show.
At the beginning some clips of WWE segments are shown, and John Walsh puts over the group as being great to work with (they did a case a while back where Undertaker came on and they caught an alleged killer). Many clips are shown of the indies as well.
We see some clips of Messiah in the ring, and some very interesting behind the scenes footage of indy wrestlers going over some of their spots before the show, and setting up the ring together.
Messiah talks about what actually happened during the attack. Two men entered his apartment and Messiah, assuming they were friends of his roommates, causally asked, “What’s up?” to which they actually replied to, saying “Not much man.” Messiah said he could see in the reflection of the TV screen he was playing video games on the two men pointing as if they were arguing about who should attack Messiah. When he saw the men lock the door behind them, he turned around to confront them, at which point he was jumped.
Thereafter all three struggled on the floor fighting and one man got Messiah in a choke, while the other took out gardening shears. Messiah describes in sickening detail seeing the shears wrapped around his thumb, and then his thumb popping off. Then, Messiah was able to fend them off and reach the locked door, but did not have his thumb to open in, and he was jumped right away. One of the men reached down to his belt as if he wanted to actually cut Messiah’s penis off, but Messiah was able to fight the men off until they finally ran.
Sketches of the men were shown and investigators speculate over why Messiah was attacked like this. Some possibilities were thrown around as to who it could have been. As to why the attackers took the severed thumb with them, it is speculated that if it was a paid hitman, the thumb may have been taken as proof of the assault.
Go to http://www.amw.com America’s Most Wanted’s Website for sketches of the attackers along with additional info on the case.
2002 - WWE aired Velocity. Matt Zylbert filed the following TV report:
Hello all and welcome back to THEE Velocity report of all Velocity reports. As you already know, I am your courageous reporter, Matt Zylbert, and THIS is the 'five-star' 1Wrestling.com Velocity report that would win gold at the Olympics. With another great week of Velocity lined-up for us, let's send it down TONY THE CHIM... wait a minute, it seems as if new ring announcer Jason Roberts has taken over Velocity as well! Pretending he's related to Jake Roberts, let's send it down to Jason "The Snake" Roberts for our opening bout....
Billy Kidman vs. Tajiri
Awesome! No, I'm not referring to Velocity low-carder, Mike Awesome, but I AM referring to how awesome it is to have this match kicking off THIS week's edition of Velocity. In the past two encounters of this show, both men have went on to have great matches, splitting the series at one. These two will also be well-known to me for competing in the first ever Velocity match. Now that's history for ya.
To the match now as Kidman starts off in control with a shoulder block and nicely-performed huracanrana, but as he tries to follow up with a baseball slide on the outside, Tajiri manages to side-step it, enabling him to nail Kidman with a kick to the shoulder. Wow, that was one sentence. Back in the ring, Tajiri immediately gets a two count, and now begins to go to work on the left shoulder of Kidman. After a single-arm DDT, Tajiri works a sit-down arm bar, and on commentary, I learn that Marc Loyd is a father. I wonder what life would be like if your dad was the play-by-play man of Velocity. Oh well, I'll be there in a few years anyway, alongside Marky Mark himself. Paying attention to the match now, Kidman punches his way out of the arm bar, and manages to follow up with an arm drag. Despite that though, Tajiri would assume control again, going back to work on the left shoulder. At this point, the Japanese Buzzsaw works an arm-wringer briefly, before Kidman counters out of it with a snapmare. Billy would get in some of his offense now, connecting on a nice dropkick, before knocking his foe down with a clothesline. An enziguiri later leads to a two count, and now Kidman seeks to get in some high-risk offense. However, Tajiri drills him with a kick to the face as he was coming off the second rope, and that gains a two count on the pin after. The former Cruiserweight champion hopes to now follow up with a powerbomb, but once again, YOU CAN'T POWERBOMB KIDMAN! As expected, Kidman counters with a face-buster for a near fall, and now the other former Cruiserweight champion is looking to finishing things off. As he brings Tajiri to the corner though, the Buzzsaw cleans his clock with another kick to the face. Tajiri now hopes to get in some offense, but instead, Kidman would gain the advantage back after a tornado bulldog, aka Crash's old finishing move. As a result, Kidman is now able to head up top, but misses the Shooting Star Press, leading to a two count for Tajiri. Kidman now hoped to put Tajiri on the mat with a sky-high, but GREAT ring psychology kicks in, as the left shoulder hurts too much, and Kidman ends up falling on the mat. This allows Tajiri to absolutely clean his clock with the Kick of Death, giving him the three count. Solid match, which saw Tajiri get the needed win. I mean, after you're squashed by Mark Henry on national television, you need all you can get.
Winner: Tajiri
Commercial
Burger King Slam of the Week: Following this past week's main event on Smackdown, Angle and Benoit engage in a reversal of each other's finishing holds, in which each man tapped out to the other. Wow, each man was really trying to have it their way. Hehehe, get it? That's Burger King's motto! Never mind.
Albert vs. Funaki
YES! YES! YES! It looks like up next will be another demonstration of the Albert squash, one of my personal favorite things to watch. This is basically a re-match from last week, so let's hope the decision does not change.
Before the match, Funaki does his usual "Smackdown #1 Announcer" routine, and then gets the crowd against "Olbert" with a "Shave Your Back" chant. Great, now I have to heat Michael Cole laugh like an idiot. After calling him a "Big Hairy Bully," Funaki enters the ring and we're off. Meanwhile, Michael drifts off once again, as he GUARANTEES that Angle/Benoit will steal the show at Unforgiven. THANK YOU, Mr. Captain Obvious. Like we didn't know that already. To the match now and after some stalling, Albert knocks down Funaki with a shoulder block, but misses a splash attempt soon after. Funaki would capitalize with a dropkick to the face for a one count, before following up with a bulldog. Unfortunately for the Indeed One though, Albert would catch him with a powerslam as he went off the ropes, thus, giving him the advantage. Proceeding some elbows to the back now, Albert works a rear chinlock, and the crowd now begins a huge "Shave Your Back" chant. Michael Cole calls it "good advice," and don't even get me started on the "advice" Cole needs. Back to the match as Albert executes a modified backbreaker, and then takes his time with some punches. A boot choke in the corner later sees Funaki try to fight back with some punches. However, Albert thwarts the comeback attempt with a knee to the mid-section, just before whipping Funaki hard into the corner, causing him to fall down on the canvas chest-first. Albert then starts to laugh, causing Michael Cole to insult him like the classy guy he is. He then goes on pretty much, what I would consider, as a rant about winning matches. That ugly rat-face pretty much said that it doesn't matter what you do during a match, just as long as you win. HUH? Pretty much Jesse Ventura's philosophy, but Cole is NOT a heel commentator. In other words, he's basically saying that you can cheat, and as long as you win, it's okay. So Michael, if I were to take a gun while the referee was out, shoot my opponent in the shoulder, knocking him out cold, and then pin him for the three count, that's okay with you?! And if he believes in that, WHY exactly does he always complain when a heel cheats to win? ONCE AGAIN, Michael "Rat-Face" Cole makes himself look like an idiot. Okay, now away from my own little rant and back to the match, as Funaki avoids a Baldo Bomb attempt by pulling on Olbert, I mean Albert's chest hair. Smackdown's #1 Announcer then follows up with a boot in the corner, allowing him to head up top. Unfortunately for him though, Albert catches him off the top in a bearhug. Again though, Funaki uses his smarts by pulling on Albert's back hair now. If pulling head hair is illegal, why is Funaki allowed to pull hair on Albert's body? Is there a difference or something? Or maybe referee Mike Chioda is hoping for Albert to finally shave his back. Anyway, Funaki side-steps a corner ram attempt, enabling him to school-boy the hairy-one for the three count! Big, big upset, but as always, Albert acts like a sore-loser by clotheslining Funaki after the match. Actually, is proven last week, it doesn't matter if Albert wins or loses. He's just gonna attack you after the match anyway. Anyway, as he looks like he's leaving, he turns around and returns to do more damage. At first, Funaki nails Albert with a kick to the face from inside the ring, but Albert catches him on a pescado attempt. This allows him to ram the spine of Funaki twice into the steel post, and that's enough this week for Albert. "Oh come on now!" remarks the rat-face. God I HATE when he talks like that. Somebody please take him off the air already.
Winner: Funaki
Boot of the Week: Two weeks ago on Smackdown, Paul Heyman has a little chat with Sara Taker, causing the Undertaker himself to once again hog more TV time, I mean arrive on the scene. Before he can do anything though, Lesnar takes him with out a chair, and then tells Sara, "Life's a Bitch." It certainly is when modern-day Undertaker is main eventing a PPV. Ugh.
Loyd and Cole intro all of the Undertaker/Lesnar highlights from Smackdown, as once again, Taker just doesn't sell for Lesnar and it is REALLY pissing me off. And does anyone notice the irony in Undertaker's, "Payback's a Bitch" comment? I mean, I would assume that Undertaker has pissed off most of the younger guys for keeping them down just to protect his own spot in the company. Well when Taker is older and crippled, and when these guys are Taker's current age, I wouldn't be surprised to see them kick his ass one day. And he deserves it. If Taker wasn't so SELFISH, I'm sure he wouldn't mind doing the normal, expected thing of putting over the younger talent. But NOOO, the Taker "paid his dues" and all, and he USED to be good. Just because you used to be good, doesn't mean you should be taking up all the TV time while you suck.
Commercial
From "earlier in the day," Funaki interviewed Crash about his match later on with The Hurricane. The multiple-time Hardcore Champion talks about how he is undefeated ever since jumping to Smackdown, and he wonders, "Who can beat me?" You tell 'em Crash!
The Hurricane vs. Crash
Ya know, the WWE can confuse its fans to a great deal, and here's another example. A few weeks ago on Smackdown, Crash defeated the Hurricane in his Smackdown debut with, if I recall correctly, a handful of tights. Then just last week on Velocity, they teamed up to take on Jamie Noble and Tajiri, which they won. Now THIS week, they face each other again just after winning a big tag-team match? HUH? If you want to be confused, leave it to WWE!
"Crash is 2-0, like the Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints, and UNLIKE the New York Jets," says Marc Loyd. I've said it several times in the past, so lemme say it again: Marky Marc rules! I live in New York, and I absolutely HATE the Jets. I'm not a Giants fan either, no, no, no. I'm orange and black all the way; GO BENGALS! Meanwhile, I bet Michael Cole has no idea what Marc is talking about, because he's too busy thinking about cock-fighting or something. I have no clue what goes on inside the mind of that rat-face. Anyway, to the match finally as we get some basics, leading into a staredown from both men. Moments later, they go at it again, with Crash taking control after a kick to the mid-section. On commentary, rat-face calls Crash a "strange dude," but he has absolutely NO RIGHT AT ALL to be calling anyone strange. I admit I'm strange, but there is NO ONE as strange as Michael Cole. Back to the match as Hurricane immediately comes back with a hip toss and a scoop slam. As he now went for a right hand, Crash stopped, dropped, and rolled... to the outside for a breather. Hurricane tried bringing Crash back in from the top, but instead, the Holly cousin pulled Helms neck-first into the ropes. Crash would head back in at this point, where rolls-up Hurricane for two, and then works in a punch to the back for another two count. Crash would get another near fall now after a bodyslam, and on commentary, Cole mentions how he talked with Shannon Moore and the Hurricane earlier in the day about Matt Hardy. "They" don't know what's wrong with him, and I put "they" in quotes because I HIGHLY doubt anyone would spend anytime on their Saturday talking with Michael Cole. Focusing on the match again, Crash cinches on an abdominal stretch, but gets caught pulling the ropes while applying the hold. Referee Mike Sparks forces him to break it up, so Crash now works it in the center of the ring. Only this time, Hurricane elbows out, allowing him to take down Crash. After a boot in the corner now from the Super Hero, Hurricane would follow up with the Overcast, and both men are down. When they get up, Hurricane, of course, gains the upper hand with some punches, just before hitting his heroic flying clothesline. A neckbreaker now gets a two count, and Hurricane seeks to follow up with a suplex. Unfortunately for him, Crash blocks it and counters with a roll-up using the ropes... for two. Holly would then put the Hurricane on the top, but before he can do anything, Helms shoves him off, and this enables the Super Hero to strike the villain with a beautiful top-rope crossbody for another near fall. At this point, SEVERAL reversals take place, as Crash blocks an attempted kick by the Hurricane, and then Helms would do the same. He then sets up Crash for the HurriChokeSlam, but Holly counters it with a roll-up for two. Hurricane counters a bodyslam attempt at this point by getting his adversary in position for the Eye of the Hurricane, but Crash would re-counter by forcing Hurricane into the ropes. Helms re-re-counters that by holding on to the ropes, which blocks the roll-up, and then hits the Shining Wizard as Crash was down for the three count. Much-needed win for Hurricane, as Crash **sigh** suffers his first loss since jumping. Well, at least he's still undefeated on Smackdown, and that .500 record on this show ain't bad either.
Winner: The Hurricane
Commercial
Marky Marc and MC show us some highlights from [crappy] RAW, in which Steph got the better of Bischoff during the IOW segment. Following that, Bischoff challenged Stephanie to that stipulation match, which will feature Rosey and Jamal taking on Billy and Chuck at Unforgiven. Ohhh how great it was to see Steph out-smart Bischoff. And excuse me for being a loyalist towards my own brand, but I just love my boss, Stephanie McMahon. And Steph, forgive me for what I said awhile ago about how I'd rather want to listen to Frenchy Martin over you. I wasn't thinking when I said that.
Loyd and Cole run down through the Unforgiven card.
Marc and Michael then intro a pretty cool highlights package for the Brock/Undertaker feud.
Commercial
Shannon Moore vs. Randy Orton
What the hell is this? Why is Randy Orton in a Face vs Face match for the second consecutive week? He's got a pretty good future ahead of him, but you're not supposed to put him over other young faces. That just doesn't make any sense, AT ALL. Oh wait, this is WWE. I forgot, things are always koo-koo.
Before the match, Michael Cole once again proves that he never prepares for Velocity, as he asked where Tony Chimmel has been. Umm... why not visit your own company's site? Jackass. Anyway, to the match now as we get some basics at the start, leading into a staredown from both faces. I hate sportsmanship. After a reversal of wrist locks now, Shannon manages to execute an arm drag, followed by a nice spinning heel kick for two. Orton would come back soon after though after giving Moore a snake eyes, and this allowed him to follow up with a big top-rope crossbody. Shannon would roll through it though, almost giving him the win as he picked up a close two count. Orton then decided to use his power as he knocked down Shannon with a clothesline. The third-generation star would then follow up with some kicks, before sending him shoulder-first into the turnbuckle. Randy and Shannon.... they sound like a couple. Orton would continue the damage on the left shoulder, as after a shoulder take-down, Randy would put on a sit-down arm bar. Shannon did, however, fight his way out of it with some forearms, but despite that, Randy assumed control again with a kick to the face. He then tried to follow up with a DDT, but Shannon, proving he watched old Jake Roberts matches, held on to the ropes to block it. Didn't Hercules use that same strategy at SummerSlam '88? I'll have to look back on my tape again, and unfortunately, have to listen to Superstar Billy Graham "commentate" in the process. Well, at least he doesn't suck as much as Michael Cole. Back to the match as Moore connects on a reverse crossbody from the second rope for a two count, but falls victim to a powerslam moments later. Orton goes for two consecutive pins, each getting two counts, and then puts his opponent on the top rope. Unfortunately for him though, Shannon knocks him off with some punches, and this enables him to perform his corkscrew moonsault on to the standing Orton for another two count. Back on commentary, Cole considers a possible Shannon Moore win as a "huge upset," thus making Shannon look like a jobber. One, the WWE has basically done NOTHING special at all with Randy Orton, and two, Shannon has the potential to be a future Cruiserweight champion. The guy's got skills, but when you have the moronic Michael Cole making him look like a jobber, then that's not good. Anyway, we focus on the match again, which turns out to be the end. Orton counters a whip, and gets Shannon in position for his weird neckbreaker, which he now calls the "Ozone" for the win. It's funny how when Orton did that move on Smackdown, Michael Cole referred to it as the Overdrive, I believe. Well, that's just a REALLY dumb name, and I assume Orton changed it, so Loyd used the new name. HA! I love when people other than myself make Cole look like a complete fool.
Winner: Randy Orton
Our two hosts quickly shill for Confidential, and that's all she wrote.
In my opinion, another great week of Velocity. Cruiserweight matches were good, Albert/Funaki was a fine squash-turned-into-upset, and the main event was decent. But sooner or later, Michael Cole has got to get off this show. I will admit that he's not as bad on Smackdown, but on Velocity, he is a complete moron who has no idea what he is doing. Hopefully, when Al Snow returns from Tough Enough Trois, Cole will be booted off the air, and I'll get the potentially great duo of Marky Marc and Al Snow. And if that happens, I think I'll throw a party in which I invite everyone IN THE WHOLE GODDAMN CONTINENT because Michael Cole really does piss me that much off.
That's gonna do it for this week, so until next week, this is Matt Zylbert wishing you guys and gals a nice weekend, and I'll see ya next week! Peeeaaace.
2002 - AAA and CMLL TV aired in Galavision. Victor Martinez filed the following TV report:
AAA/EMLL Lucha Libre
Sept. 21, 2002 on Galavision
EMLL came in at 1hr/39mins. AAA came in at 1hr/15mins. The show aired at 12:30p.m.
Rayo De Jalisco Jr. is waiting for Brazo De Plata when Atlantis shows up. Rayo tells him he's been waiting for Porky a while and he hasn't shown up. Atlantis tells him he knows where he is. They find him at the Coliseum consetion stand ordering food. Porky tells them not to worry, he'll be ready, and Wagner doesn't get along well with the Japanese anyway. Rayo says he doesn't like Wagner either, and he wants him. They tell Porky there's no time to eat, it's time to wrestle. He reluctantly goes along.
Dr. Wagner Jr., Takemura, & Black Tiger vs. Rayo De Jalisco Jr., Atlantis, & Brazo De Plata
1st Fall: The Rudo team control the fall completely, beating the tecnicos 3 on 1 each. Takemura gave Atlantis a spin kick on the top rope. Ultimately Wagner power bombs and pins Atlantis.
2nd Fall: Between falls they showed a special presentation of achievement awards they presented to Manuel Robles and Karloff LeGardie. Rayo gets his mask ripped as the rudo team gang up on him. The tecnico team makes their comeback. Rayo topes Wagner. Atlantis splashes Takemura and Tiger together, and Plata does too. And they pin them together.
3rd Fall: This turns into a regular tag match. It goes back and forth for a while. Until Plata splashes Takemura outside the ring. Rayo submits Wagner to a Surfboard. Atlantis submits Tiger to a torture rack. After Rayo unmasked Wagner.
Pierroth has his meeting with his troops and he is already in his pep rally, when Veneno comes in late. And gets bawled out by Pierroth. They display their weapons, guns of various sizes and types, and a flamethrower. And vow to destroy Los Dinemites.
Cien Caras, Mascara Ano 2000, Universo 2000, & Apollo Dantes vs. Pierroth, Veneno, Violencia, & Bulldog.
1st Fall: The Dinamites beat up the Boricuas 4 on 1, one by one. This only lasted a few minutes, Bulldog went and got a pipe of some kind, and started walloping them with it. He got DQ'd.
2nd Fall: Apollo got carried to the back, unable to continue. The Boricuas take control, beating up on Universo, tying his mask to the ropes. While all 4 are beating up on Mascara, Mascara gives up. However, the Boricuas did not stop when told to by the ref. and got DQ'd.
Highlight Moments: Sombra De Plata submitting Koreano, Starman doing a tope on Zumbido, Tzuki doing a moonsault, Tigre Blanco doing a somersault tope. And Virus running Fuerza Guerrera into the ring post.
Emilio Charles Jr., Bestia Salveje, & Scorpio Jr. vs. Virus, Volador Jr., Felino.
3rd Fall only aired: What they showed wasn't bad. This ends when Felino goes for a 'Rana on Emilio but he turns it into a power bomb and pins him. Bestia submitted Virus, and Scorpio power bombed and pinned Volador.
Rey Bucanero meets with Ultimo Guerrero in Ultimo's home. Rey says there's nothing spooky about his place. They vow to beat Vampiro and Shocker at the big show. Suddenly there's the sound of glass breaking, Rey asks what that is. Ultimo said it's the cat. Rey reminds you hate animals. Ultimo said he meant the maid. Rey leaves, and says they'll meet at the arena.
Blue Panther, Rey Bucanero, & Ultimo Guerrero vs. Shocker, Vampiro, & Hijo De Lizmark.
1st Fall: The Rudo team attack as the tecnicos are making their entrance. Ultimo gives Vampiro a foot stomp while Panther is holding him half outside the ring. The rudo team are in full control of this fall. They gang up on and submit Shocker, and they pin Vampiro together.
2nd Fall: Rey gives Vampiro a standing senton outside the ring. Vampiro and Shocker do planchas together on Rey and Ultimo outside the ring. Lizmark does twirling slam on Panther and pins him.
3rd Fall: The tecnicos displayed some nice moves. Lizmark gave Rey a stunner and Ultimo a superkick. Then Panther gets a armbar on Lizmark and submits him. But he's not the captain. Shocker submits Rey with a version of the figure four. And Vampiro gives Ultimo a back suplex and pinned him.
Next Week: The hair vs hair between Negro Casas vs Tarzan Boy. And the match for the EMLL tag team titles Rey Bucanero & Ultimo Guerrero vs Shocker, & Vampiro. And Pierroth vs Mascara Ano 2000.
AAA:
Opens with owner Antonio Pena saying Dandy will face Perro Aquayo Jr. in a hair vs hair match, becuase Electroshock didn't have the guts.
The Black Family touting how good they are.
Psicosis saying the Vipers and the Black Family are the only two that count. And Los Vatos are practicilly finished.
Oriental, Pegasso, & Oscar Sevilla vs. Psicosis, Espiritu, & Chessman
1st Fall: Starts very slow. Pegasso gives Psicosis a somersault plancha outside the ring. A series of near falls ensues. Finally Oscar submits Espiritu. And Oriental submits Chessman to an armbar.
2nd Fall: The rudo team make a comeback and take full control. All 3 rudo beat up on Oriental, and Psicosis gives him pump handle slam and pins him.
3rd Fall: Psicosis and Chessman give Pegasso a conchairto. All 3 tecnicos do topes. Pegasso does a moonsault. Sevilla submits Psicosis to end it.
In the News: A clip of a electrified cage match where Mascara Maligna lost his mask.
Martha Villalobos displays the Reina de Reina title saying she is rightful champ. When Esther Moreno shows up saying she was never beaten nor pinned so she should be champ. That's when Martha attacks and minor catfight ensues.
Electroshock saying he is not afraid of anybody and that Pena is wrong. He challenges Zorro to hair vs hair.
El Zorro, Super Crazy, & Mr. Aquila vs. Electroshock, Abismo Negro, & Pirata Morgan
1st Fall: The rudos are in full control hitting them with steel chairs, low blows, and throwing them into the ringside seats. Finally Electroshock gives Zorro a frankensteiner and Abismo splashes him and they pin him. Super Crazy and Aquila also get submitted.
2nd Fall: The rudos start this fall by smacking the tecnicos with the chairs, but the tecnicos make a comeback. Super Crazy displays some nice moves and speed. Aquila does a somersault tope on Abismo. Suddenly Lady Apache comes out with a Kendo Stick and tosses it to Zorro who uses it on Electroshock, She smacks him with a chair. Ref. Tirantes DQ's them for her interference. Rudos win. Super Crazy disappeared midway through this fall and never returned, didn't catch what happened to him.
And that was it for this week.
2002 - WWE aired Confidential on the USA Network. John Keane filed the following TV report:
Confidential Report for 9/21/2002.
Recorded at the WWF TV Studios in Stamford CT.
Your Host: Mean Gene Okerlund.
Gene welcomes us in, then quickly moves on to hype tomorrow nights Unforgiven PPV. He mentions that both Raw GM Eric Bischoff and Smackdown GM Stephanie McMahon have personal interests in one match on that show.
(Gene doesn't go into detail, so I'll give you the Readers Digest version. Tomorrow night Raw's Rosie and Jamal square off with Smackdown's Billy and Chuck. Stipulation in place: Steph's boys win, Eric kisses her butt-literally. Eric's pals win, Steph engages in Hot Lesbian Action.)
Later in the show, we'll take a look at some of the other bizarre stipulations that have been in place during WWF/E matches.
First up is a piece focusing on Kurt Angle. Gene reminds us Kurt won the gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the 1996 Olympics. He also mentions that Kurt is considering making a run at competing in the 2004 Olympic games.
We go with Kurt to the U.S. Olympic training facility in Colorado Springs. There he hooked up with Rulan Gardner, who won the gold in wrestling at the 2000 Olympics. Gene mentions Rulan, who recently lost a toe to frostbite after a snowmobiling accident, continues to train.
Rulan feels Kurt has a 95% chance of making it back to the Olympics. He opines the only things holding Kurt back are lack of time to train and nagging injuries.
Kurt puts over his love of amateur wrestling as he takes a tour of the training facility-seems lots of improvements have been made since he was there back in '96. Passing the weight room, Kurt remembers being there while fellow Olympian and WWE star Mark Henry threw up (!). Kurt cordially greets the Olympic hopefuls and their trainers, remembers some faces from 8 years ago.
Kurt feels his presence in WWE has increased public awareness of amateur wrestling. Footage rolls of him using techniques utilized in that sport in the WWE setting.
We move on to Kurt observing the Olympic hopefuls training. He quickly joins in for a little sparring. After, Kurt mentions this was his first time working out in the amateur setting since his Olympic appearance. Kurt ends the segment by stating that he still hasn't made a final decision about making an Olympic run, but will definitely make his choice before the end of the year. Break.
Gene returns to mention that the Tough Enough series has given the public a look at what it takes to become a WWE star-the fast-track version. He then states there are other ways to make it to the big dance-which leads to a segment on René Dupre, an 18 year old wrestler currently training at the new WWE facility in Louisville KY, a branch of Ohio Valley Wrestling.
We follow René through a typical day. After getting up at 4 a.m. to down a protein shake, he hits the sack again to rise a couple hours later for his first meal-yet more protein. We quickly flash back to the past-René' states he's following in his fathers footsteps, as his dad was a pro wrestler during the 50's and 60's. René began wrestling for his dads own promotion at the age of 14. Stuff follows about the difficulty of balancing a wrestling career with a social life and scholastics, let's move on.
We hear from OVW boss Jim Cornette.
(BLATANT site plug: If you're not already a Premium site member, throw down your 5 bucks if only to hear Jim's shoot interviews. His thoughts on Eric Bischoff and Vince Russo will have you laughing your butt off- long as you have no problem with 'colorful' language!)
Jim feels René has done a good job so far, largely due to his fathers earlier training. René briefly discusses homesickness and growing up in a bilingual household (French/English), we'll again move on.
Back to the daily routine. Rene' begins working out in the ring at noon, usually continuing on until 3. We hear from Tom Prichard, WWE Manager-Talent & Development. He remembers being impressed by René during a tryout camp in Cincinnati, which led to him being signed to a developmental deal. René has the highest of praise for Tom, citing his knowledge of, and passion for, the biz.
We move on to Tom speaking to the OVW workers. He states that the 6 minutes they may get of TV time in the future is the opportunity to get the fans into your character, and not a second should be wasted.
As footage rolls of René 'running the gauntlet' with a series of opponents, Tom goes into his strengths and weaknesses. Strength: his ability to 'flow' in the ring, once again due to his earlier training. Weakness: sometimes over-zealous, needs to learn how to 'pull back'. Fellow OVW wrestler Nick Dinsmore praises René for doing as well as he did, doubts he could equal his efforts in the gauntlet. René voices his satisfaction at being allowed to work for OVW, while Jim Cornette feels René' has all he needs to be successful physically, just needs to focus on mental discipline.
After working in the ring, René hits the gym to work out with weights. OVW talent Doug Basham feels René definitely has what it takes physically, feels any wrestler wishes they could've been in his condition when they were 18. Tom states he sees René making it to WWE eventually-René, understandably, hopes sooner than later.
After weight training, René's day is pretty much over. He goes back to his hotel, eats another high-protein meal, and crashes by 11-to be up in about 5 hours. Break.
WWE Rewind: From this years Backlash PPV, Hulk Hogan defeats HHH to once again become WWF Champion.
Gene reminds us that the Hulkster has been out of action for a while due to taking a severe thrashing from Brock Lesnar a few weeks back. However, he feels that (Brock's agent) Paul Heyman's statement that 'Hulkamania is Dead' is greatly exaggerated. This leads into a segment focusing on the recently released VHS/DVD, 'Hulk STILL Rules'.
Footage from the video airs, and we hear from Hulk himself. He readily admits that in his early days in the WWF there were two prime movers pushing the Fed to the top, himself and Vince McMahon. He praises Vince for providing him a framework for him to 'run with the ball'. We hear from the great Freddie Blassie, who clearly states Vince provided the brain and Hulk the brawn. Pat Patterson states that Vince felt the Hulkster was the perfect vehicle to steer the Fed into different aspects of entertainment apart from traditional pro wrestling. Hulk reminisces about the WWF crossing traditional territorial boundaries, in particular citing his confrontations with Harley Race in the Handsome Ones home turf of Kansas City. Hulk admits other wrestlers weren't happy with Vince's approach at the time, but increased pay due to merchandising and licensing quickly convinced them that he, Vince and the WWF weren't such bad guys. Break.
(Commentary: That was abrupt, was starting to get interesting!)
Gene returns to announce that earlier this week WWE was presented the 'Participate America' foundations corporate award in honor of the recent 'Pledge to Participate' rally held in NYC. He goes on to remind us of WWE participation in charitable functions at all levels over the years, which leads to footage of the aforementioned 'Classy' Freddie Blassie making an appearance at a Salvation Army Veterans Residence (no city/state mentioned). Residents and workers issue the highest of praise for the Classy One, who makes an appearance at the facility every Friday. Freddie gives quick opinions on Captain Lou Albano ('just talks') and The Grand Wizard ('nice guy'). Seems the 'Classy' handle is no exaggeration. Break.
Gene returns to remind us that every year fans get a chance to vote for 'Match of the Year' at WWE.com. In contrast, tonights episode of Confidential debuts a new segment-'Superstar Choice Cuts', wherein a WWE Star gets to choose a favorite match of theirs to air on the show. Tonight Bradshaw, who Gene reminds us is currently out with an injury, gets his choice-himself and Faarooq of the APA vs. Road Dogg and Billy Gunn of the New Age Outlaws. Match originally aired 10/18/99 on Raw.
As the match airs we get commentary from Billy, Faarooq and Bradshaw. Match was mainly notable for the top turnbuckle coming completely off a ring post after a hard bump, leaving one corner of the ring without a top rope. Acolytes quickly made use of the turnbuckle and ropes, pummeling Billy while Roadie cowered at ringside. All 3 remind us anything can happen on a live show, Bradshaw mentions Vince gave the match a thumbs-up.
While we're on the subject of impromptu brawls, Gene reminds us of Stone Cold Steve Austin's clubberin' of Booker T. in a supermarket earlier this year. This leads to a segment focusing on the Book's newest commercial for Hungry Man, filmed in another supermarket. Great as usual, Booker rules. Break.
Gene talks up Unforgiven, the earlier mentioned Raw vs. Smackdown tag match in particular. Before we go into our segment on bizarre stipulations, we hear from Bischoff about what he has planned for Steph should she be forced to engage in Hot Lesbian Action. He plans on using his imagination on behalf of the male fans, insists the action will 'go beyond' what we saw a couple of weeks ago on Raw.
We go to a video piece with highlights of various past stipulation matches: hair vs. hair, 'Kiss my Ass', dog food consumption, skin to win, etc. Most notable clip is from the legendary Gerald Briscoe/Pat Patterson 'Evening Gown' match for the Hardcore Title-not shown is Crash Holly putting an end to the abomination, gaining quite a few fans in the process.
Gene takes it home by announcing next weeks episode will be an 'encore presentation' (AKA repeat) of the episode dealing with Stone Cold's abrupt departure from WWE. End of show.
Decent show this week, really wish the bit with Hulk talking about his early days with the Fed had been extended.
2002 - Dory Funk Jr.'s !Bang! TV aired their weekly TV. James Malone filed the following TV report:
Today's edition of !BANG! featured part one of the much anticipated 60 minute Ironman Match featuring FC Triple Crown Champion The Royal Stud Adam Windsor defending his FC World Heavyweight Championship against FC United States Champion and New Japan Pro Wrestling star Osamu Nishimura.
Before the match started, commentator Dory Funk Jr. announced the latest recipient of the Funking Conservatory's Fighting Heart Award, Dr. Dorothy Funk Werblo. Dr. Werblo is the Aunt of Dory Funk Jr. and she has received the award for her many years of service to helping gifted children. The match started off with a lockup between Adam and Nishimura. Nishimura shoved Adam into the corner and made a clean break when called for by Head Referee The Claw. After another lockup. Nishimura pulled Adam into a headlock and followed up with a headlock takedown to the mat. Adam countered with a head scissors but Nishimura quickly kicked out and was on his feet. Adam gained the advantage with a double wristlock takeover, but Nishimura countered with a crab submission hold and was forced to break when Adam grabbed the bottom rope. Another tieup between Adam and Nishimura ended up tangled in the ropes.
As The Claw called for the break, Nishimura managed to get a shot into Adam's stomach. Adam pushed Nishimura into the ropes but was knocked down by Nishimura's shoulder tackle. Nishimura bounced off the ropes, over Adam, ducked Adam's clothesline attempt, and caught Adam with a German suplex and The Claw was able to make the three count giving Nishimura the first fall of the match. After the one minute rest period was over, the match resumed with Adam giving Nishimura a series of European uppercuts. Adam attempted a pin but Nishimura kicked Adam right off into the corner. Nishimura retaliated with uppercuts of his own followed up by a front facelock. Nishimura changed the hold to a Japanese armbar. Nishimura then put Adam into a surfboard submission hold. Adam tried to counter the hold but was unsuccessful.
The Claw asked Adam if he wanted to give up, but Adam said no. Adam was finally able to reverse the surfboard and apply it to Nishimura. Adam tried to roll Nishimura up for the cover, but Nishimura was able to get his feet on the ropes at two. Nishimura was able to catch Adam with a monkey flip, much to the delight of Heater who was at ringside with the other wrestlers who were on the card that night. Nishimura took Adam back down to the mat with an armdrag into an armbar. Nishimura then applied a form of a crossface submission hold. Nishimura yanked back trying to get Adam to tap out. Adam was able to reverse and apply the crossface on Nishimura. Nishimura got out of the crossface and applied an armbar submission hold on Adam.
Nishimura followed up with a head scissors, but Adam managed to make it to the ropes calling for the break. Nishimura took Adam back down to the mat with a drop toehold and followed up with an Indian deathlock submission hold. Nishimura reached back and put the crossface on Adam once again. Adam managed to grab the ropes to force the break. Both Adam and Nishimura started exchanging kicks to one another and as Adam went for his last kick, Nishimura grabbed Adam's leg and caught him with the dragon screw legwhip. Nishimura then applied a half Boston Crab and this forced Adam to tap out to the hold. At this point, Nishimura was up two falls to zero.
During the one minute rest period, the TV camera picked up another shot of Heater with a big smile on his face, showing his hatred for the Royal Stud. The next fall started off with Nishimura getting another leglock submission hold on Adam, but Adam was able to make it to the ropes to force the break. Adam was able to catch Nishimura with an armbar. Both men continued to exchange submission holds until Nishimura whipped Adam into the ropes to attempt a back body drop, but Adam caught Nishimura in a small package to gain his first pinfall of the match. At this point !BANG! signed off the air and announced that the conclusion would be featured on next week's program. Next week's TV report will also bring you the conclusion of the match.
Saturday night, September 28, at the Dory Funk Arena in Ocala, FL, will be "Foot Stompin Fall", our next !BANG! TV taping. The main event will feature Adam Windsor and Osamu Nishimura teaming up against FC Hardcore Champion Heater and a mystery partner. I have been informed that Heater WILL reveal who his partner will be at the end of next week's program. Also appearing will be Dr. Tom Pritchard of WWE Talent Relations to scout out the talent on the card. Along with Adam, Nishimura and Heater will be the FC Women's Champion Vanesa Harding the American Hardbody, the U.K. Kid, the Irish Siren, and this show will mark the long awaited and much anticipated return of a popular Conservatory favorite. She is no longer the Living Dead Girl, but she is now The Temptress Cleopatra. Several other wrestlers will be on the card with The Claw officiating the action. Get your tickets early as we guarantee great wrestling action. See you at the matches.
2003 - WWE Hall of Famer Johnny Valiant performed his one man show in NYC at the Theater for the New City.
2003 - WWE held their Unforgiven Pay-per-view in Hershey, Pennsylvania at the Giant Center, headlined by Bill Goldberg defeating Triple H for the World Heavyweight Title. This would be the final championship, to date, that Goldberg would win. Here is Tim Whitehead's original report on the show:
WWE's Unforgiven, a RAW brand PPV, aired live from Hershey, PA. I'm giving the show a thumbs up, mainly for HHH finally dropping the world title and the fact that everyone worked hard. Overall it was a somewhat mixed show, hot in spots, cold in others.
THE DUDLEYS defeated LA RESISTANCE & ROB CONWAY in a handicap tables match to capture the RAW World Tag Titles in 10:17. Earlier on HEAT it was announced that Spike Dudley couldn't compete due to injury. Eric Bischoff made the match into a handicap bout (it was originally a six man). Steve Austin then upped the ante and declared that La Resistance's tag belts would be on the line. D-Von got doubled on early. He fought back, and joined Bubba Ray in destroying Conway. Bubba cleared the ring of all three heels to a good pop. D-Von tagged back in and cleared the ring again with a ton of flying lariats. Bubba called for the tables after a wazzup spot, and before you know it several tables materialized in and around the ring. D-Von got sent through a table first (the rules were that to win you had to put all of the opposing team through a table). Bubba pounded Sylvan Grenier and put him through a table. D-Von moved a table to keep Bubba from being smashed through it. The Dudleys then powerbombed Conway from the ring through a table on the floor, and his head hit a second table next to it in a manner similar to what happened to Spike two weeks ago. Finally they 3D'ed Rene Dupre through a table for the win. Decent opener, and the crowd was into it.
TEST defeated SCOTT STEINER in 6:56. Jim Ross kept talking about how sweet Stacy Keibler is, how she has a nice personality, etc., leading Jerry Lawler to say JR probably goes to Hooter's and orders carry-out. Stacy kissed Steiner, infuriating Test. Steiner hit a suplex, some chops, and an elbow. Test tried to use Stacy as a shield and she slapped him. Test sent Steiner into the stairs and then full nelson slammed him. Test came off the top but got caught and suplexed. Test got powerbombed but didn't seem to go up right for it. Test tried to use the ropes for a pin after a low blow on Steiner, but Stacy broke the pin up. Test reached over the ropes to grab her, but she snapped his neck on the ropes and Steiner almost scored the pin. Test hit the pump handle slam, but got distracted by Stacy and chased her rather than going for the pin. There was a badly mistimed spot where Stacy accidentally bumped into Steiner, leading to Test booting him in the face. Test got a chair. Stacy took it from him and swung it at him, but Test ducked and Steiner took the blow. Stacy looked like she was about to cry. Steiner staggered back up, but caught the boot to the face and was pinned. This was the usual cluster-type match we've been seeing on RAW. Test dragged Stacy to the back afterward, as it was reported that Steiner, by losing, now becomes Test's "property". We'll see the results of this tonight on RAW.
RANDY ORTON defeated SHAWN MICHAELS in 19:20. Ric Flair came out with Orton. Heartbreak Kid outwrestled Orton on the mat. Orton tried to match HBK move for move but HBK kept outwitting him. Orton looked frustrated. HBK hurled Orton over but he skinned the cat and nailed HBK with a dropkick. Orton put the boots to HBK. Orton came off the top but caught a knee to the groin. HBK lariated Orton over and skinned the cat himself. HBK nailed Orton on the floor with a flying crossbody off the top. HBK dominated for a while, scoring some twos after standard suplex and sunset flip moves. They traded fists and chops. HBK charged at Orton, and ended up hitting the post when Orton sidestepped. Flair posted the wounded HBK and gave him a low blow. Orton began working on HBK's shoulder, which was sold as injured from the post shot. Orton scored several two counts here. HBK came back with fists and chops, hitting a flying forearm. HBK did a kip-up to show he was still in the game. He backdropped Orton and slugged Flair off the apron. HBK hurled Orton over the top and sent him into the ring barrier. Back in the ring, Orton recoverd and sent HBK crashing upside down into the corner. Orton blocked the sweet chin music and hit the RKO, but only scored a two. Orton came off the top with a crossbody. HBK sidestepped and Orton crashed to the mat. HBK slugged Flair again. He hit an elbow off the top on Orton, but hurt his own shoulder (still sore from the earlier posting) and couldn't follow up with a pin. He kipped-up again. HBK hit the chin music and Orton went down and was pinned, but Flair put Orton's foot on the rope right after the three count. The ref saw it there and assumed it had been there during the count, so he voided his count and the match continued. Flair got back on the apron, and HBK nailed him with the chin music, but this gave Orton the opening to pull out some brass knux. He KO'ed HBK with them and scored the pin. Very good match, easily the best on the show.
Chris Jericho visited La Resistance & Conway. All three were nursing their wounds from the tables match. Jericho said they were the latest victims of Austin's abuses of power as general manager. He noted that their match wasn't supposed to be for the tag titles but that Austin changed the rules just minutes before the match. He vowed that he would stand up and fight Austin's tyranny.
TRISH STRATUS & LITA defeated MOLLY HOLLY & GAIL KIM in 6:45. Trish & Lita cleaned house early. Lita nailed Gail with armdrags, backdrops, and suplexes. Trish chopped the hell out of Gail. Molly enabled Gail to gain command but Trish fought back and escaped Gail's choke-type hold. Trish got trapped in the heel corner and beaten down. She escaped and tagged but the ref didn't see it and disallowed it. As Gail stomped Trish, Molly caused Lita to bump off the apron. It looked like Lita hit pretty hard and she split her lip open. Lita was a little rusty here from being out of action for a year. Lita finally hot tagged and threw lariats and fists like crazy. She hit a spinning headscissors on Molly and Litabombed Gail. Trish gave Molly a huracanrana and Lita then hit her with a twist of fate and moonsault for the pin. All action, and a solid match.
KANE defeated SHANE McMAHON in the Last Man Standing match in 19:52. Shane hit Kane with a chair from behind during the intros. He nailed Kane with several chairshots, including some to the knee. He wrapped Kane's knee around the ringpost. He rammed Kane into the stairs. Kane juiced from the back, apparently from a chairshot. Shane came off the ring barrier but Kane caught him and slammed him on the floor. The ref counted but Shane got back up. Kane beat Shane down and hit him with the stairs. Shane made it back up at the count of eight. In the ring, Kane chokeslammed Shane, but Shane again got back up before the ten count. The ref got bumped. Kane went for a tombstone piledriver, but decided to do it on the stairs, so he dropped Shane and brought the stairs into the ring. Shane recovered and bulldogged Kane on the stairs. Shane did a Van Terminator, kicking the stairs into Kane's face. The ref was still out, and in fact he was out for a ridiculously long time with no substitute ref coming in. He finally revived just as both Kane and Shane went down after some brawling with the stairs. Both beat the ten count. They left the ring and brawled up the aisle, with Shane holding his own as he slugged it out with the alleged monster. Kane rammed Shane over and over into the steel Unforgiven sign. Kane smashed Shane into the Spanish announcers' desk, which was on an elevated platform, and then tried to turn the desk over on Shane, but Shane rolled clear. Shane hit Kane with a piece of metal and a boom camera (breaking the camera lens). Kane got back up at the nine count. Shane used a cable to choke Kane and to drag him up on a platform. He beat Kane down with a monitor and gave him a DDT. Shane then went to the top of the big Unforgiven sign and came off, attempting to give Kane an elbow smash. But Kane rolled clear and Shane crashed through the wooden platform in a daredevil spot. JR & Lawler sold it like Shane was destroyed and likely broke his neck. Shane stayed down and was ten counted, with Kane winning. Shane did a full neck brace and stretcher job, and it was later reported that he was hospitalized. I have mixed feelings about this match. On the one hand, it's totally bizarre to push Shane as competitive with a guy they're trying to promote as an unstoppable monster. On the other hand, they were both good here and the crowd seemed to love it, and Shane clearly got over doing that daredevil spot.
Jericho confronted Austin backstage. He blamed him for making Kane into a monster and for screwing La Resistance out of their tag belts. Austin dared him to take his best shot. But Jericho said he was too smart for that, and would force Austin to crack by getting to him psychologically and avoiding any physical provocation.
CHRISTIAN defeated CHRIS JERICHO and ROB VAN DAM in a three way match to retain the IC Title in 19:02. The crowd was dead here after the Last Man Standing spectacle and the earlier HBK vs. Orton bout. In addition, most of the match didn't click. I've never been a fan of three way matches, which always have too many broken up pin attempts. Most of the match was Jericho & Christian doubling on RVD, but then being unable to pin him because neither wanted the other to win. RVD rallied a few times but obviously couldn't score the pin either. A lot of this was really sloppy and they seemed to not be on the same page. Some early highlights were RVD moonsaulting both foes on the floor, RVD hitting a somersault plancha on Christian, and Jericho hitting a springboard dropkick on RVD. Jericho blocked an RVD huracanrana attempt and hooked the walls hold, but Christian broke it up. Jericho and Christian went at it for a while. RVD started a comeback and the crowd finally got into the match the last four minutes or so. They did one great spot where RVD was setting Jericho up for a move off the top, but Christian got underneath both and superplexed them. RVD hit a frog splash on both foes at the same time. Christian brought the title belt in. RVD sent Jericho from the ring and laid Christian out. He went up for the frog splash but Christian got his knees up, with the title belt on his knees, and RVD landed on the belt. Christian pinned RVD to retain the title. JR said the match wasn't pretty, which was his way of saying it was disappointing, which it was. But the last four minutes or so were good.
Triple H did a promo comparing Goldberg to a dragon-slaying knight in a fairy tale who suddenly finds himself in the real world and gets his ass kicked. HHH said he doesn't believe the hype.
AL SNOW & JONATHAN COACHMAN defeated JIM ROSS & JERRY LAWLER in 8:16. No one did commentary here, since apparently no one realized it was necessary. Actually, it wasn't. JR wore an Oklahoma jersey. Lawler and Snow started off, doing some routine brawling and occasional pin attempts. Snow backdropped Lawler. Coach, from the ring apron, told Snow to do another backdrop, but this time Lawler blocked it and gave Snow a piledriver. Snow draped his leg across the ropes to break the three count. Snow rallied and beat Lawler down. Coach tagged himself in, against Snow's wishes. Coach stomped Lawler and went for the bronco ride but got crotched when Lawler moved. Lawler bodyslammed Coach as the crowd chanted for tables. Lawler hit Coach with a fistdrop. Snow broke up Lawler's attempted pin. JR tagged in to a big pop. Snow confronted him like a bully, and JR kicked him in the balls. JR then put the boots to Coach as if he were nothing but a government mule. JR was pounding the hell out of Coach, and seemed primed for victory. But, out of sight of the ref, Jericho ran in, dropkicked JR, and rolled Coach on top of him. Lawler tried for the save but Snow held him. JR was pinned. Jericho did a promo from ringside boasting that this was the first stage in his plan to mentally break Austin, namely by costing his boy JR his job, since the stips were that Snow & Coach would replace JR & Lawler on RAW if victorious. The match itself was about what you'd expect, but JR was great during the post-match, looking heartbroken at the loss, and telling Lawler he let him down. He did a nice promo talking about how he'd wanted to be in the wrestling business since he was a kid and said Lawler was like a brother to him. He and Lawler vowed to go out on top like professionals and to call their final match together (the main event) doing the best job of the careers.
GOLDBERG defeated TRIPLE H to capture the RAW World Title in 14:57. The rules were that the title could change hands on a DQ or count-out, and that Goldberg would have to retire if he lost. The crowd was hot at first but soon cooled, though they popped at the finish. Goldberg press slammed HHH early and HHH bailed out. They slugged it out, followed by a backdrop from Goldberg, and HHH bailed again. HHH snapped Goldberg's throat on the ropes. HHH got back in the ring, but Goldberg caught him with a suplex. Goldberg went for a spear. However, HHH nailed Goldberg with a knee to the head, so the spear move backfired. HHH lariated Goldberg out and posted him. HHH hit a chop block and wrapped Goldberg's leg around the post. He kept working over Goldberg's leg, including hooking the figure four. Goldberg reversed it, but HHH escaped. HHH hit a knee drop. He went for another one but Goldberg blocked it and hit a powerslam. HHH bumped out, where Goldberg rammed him into the stairs. HHH juiced. Back in the ring, there was the mandatory ref bump. HHH hit Goldberg with a low blow and a DDT. Goldberg shook it off and backdropped HHH from the ring. HHH got the sledgehammer he always has hidden under the ring (why don't they search for it earlier?) and hit Goldberg with it. Goldberg went down, but this time came back up like Superman, or more likely Hulk Hogan, and speared the shocked HHH. Goldberg jackhammered HHH for the pin as the ref revived. The match was only average, and to get Goldberg's win over it needed to be quick and lighting-like, which wasn't going to be allowed for political reasons. But Goldberg is now the champ and we'll see how they handle it.
2003 - WWE Smackdown ran a matinee in Binghamton, NY featuring:
-Matt Hardy & Shannon Moore defeated Spanky & Paul London when Hardy pinned London with the Twist of Fate.
-Nunzio pinned Sho Funaki with a reversal into a cradle and using the tights for leverage.
-Charlie Haas pinned Orlando Jordan with an Oklahoma side roll after Jordan missed a flying bodypress.
-Doug & Danny Basham defeated The Ultimo Dragon & Jamie Noble when Danny pinned Noble with a spinebuster off the top.
-WWE World Champion Brock Lesnar defeated the Undertaker and the Big Show by pinning Show with the F5 after Show hit the chokeslam on the Undertaker.
-WWE Cruiserweight Champion Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned Tajiri following a standing West Coast Pop.
-Chris Benoit & Billy Kidman defeated Albert & Rhyno when Kidman pinned Rhyno by blocking a superplex and hitting a top rope powerbomb.
-Torrie Wilson defeated Dawn Marie and Sable in a Tiny Teddy contest; Funaki was the guest MC.
-WWE U.S. Champion Eddie Guerrero pinned John Cena after hitting him with the title belt.
2004 - At a Smackdown taping in Phoenix, Arizona, The Fabulous Moolah & Mae Young (combined age of 162) defeat Torrie Wilson & Dawn Marie (combined age 62) when Moolah rolled up Dawn for the pin in under four minutes.
2004 - Vince Russo responded to comments made about him in Jerry Jarrett's book about the creation of TNA, specifically on Russo's writing ability in a post made on his website's message board.
Russo's comments were made to a fan on the board defending him in a thread about Jarrett's comments that were featured in an excerpt on PWInsider.com. In the excerpt, Jarrett wrote to his son Jeff via email that reading Russo's writing was, "Like reading a book by someone on LSD."
Russo wrote:
"Dear Marty,
I am completely taken back by your effort to defend me concerning Jerry Jarrett's e-mail. What an honor to have somebody spend that kind of time in your favor.
I thank Jerry Jarrett for making it crystal clear why I have come to despise the wrestling business over the past 12 years. Jerry's e-mail to Jeff clearly and matter-of-factly shows you first hand what kind of situations and individuals I have had to deal with throughout my career.
Let me just say it right now--I hate the wrestling business. The only thing that keeps me involved is all the young men and women in TNA who I truly care for. My interest is to counsel them and school them in a business that will just chew them up and spit them out . . . if they let it. My greatest joys come in this business today when I get to spend some quality time with the talent. This past Sunday AJ Styles and his wife invited me, my wife Amy and my daughter Annie to his church. It was the best time I had in the "wrestling business" in the past two years. To me--that's what it's all about.
I'm just sitting here stunned--trying to figure out what makes one individual discredit another. What? To me there is only one answer--again--tear others down=build yourself up.
I pray foir (sic) Jerry Jarrett and I mean that. I hope one day he will be able to find the peace, love, happiness, contentment and joy in his heart that I have discovered in mine.
Please let Jerry's e-mail be a lesson to you all. If you can't share love . . . it's not worth sharing.
I thank you so much for remaining loyal. I appreciate the fact that you can see through it all and realize--WE WERE ENTERTAINED AT THE TIME AND THAT'S ALL WE EVER ASKED FOR.
Your will always be family.
Vince"
2005 - WWE.com announced that Mark "Muhammad Hassan" Copani was no longer with the company. As they wrote on the site, "According to John Laurinaitis, Vice President of Talent Relations for World Wrestling Entertainment, Mark Copani, a.k.a. Muhammad Hassan, and WWE have decided to go their separate ways."
According to the story, Copani had no ill will towards WWE and is heading to Hollywood to try and become an actor. When asked if he would ever wrestle again he said, “Wrestling is in my back pocket for now. Luckily, the door was left open for a return if that is what I wish to do in the future. And if that’s something I wish to do, I know who to call.”
There had been rumblings among WWE wrestlers over the weekend that the release was coming or had happened. Since being removed from WWE TV, Copani had moved to Los Angeles to try and break into acting. According to one source, Copani felt that it was just a matter of time before he was dropped since there was nothing that WWE could really do to bring him back given the uproar over the Hassan character. Copani, wanting to put his energies into acting, had privately discussed requesting a release in recent weeks.
One WWE source noted that Copani wasn't the most well liked person among some in the WWE locker room. There was a feeling among some of the wrestlers that he was using the business as a stepping stone and didn't have a particular passion for it. There was also unhappiness towards him by WWE management towards the end of his run since (if you can believe this) he had turned down ideas that would have pushed his character even farther across the line. Management was also unhappy that Copani had turned down their request to head to Ohio Valley Wrestling to brush up on his in-ring skills after the Hassan character was written off following a PPV match at the Great American Bash PPV.
To date, Copani never wrestled again, although he did make at least one wrestling convention appearance years later.
2005- Chyna began filming a season of VH-1's The Surreal Life.
2006 - WWE signs 2 Cold Scorpio to a three year contract. He would go back to his old WWF name of Flash Funk (because he would not sign the rights to the Scorpio name over to WWE) and be used on a few overseas shows, but would never appear on WWE TV, and would be released less than a year after being signed.
2006 - Word came out that Vince Russo had officially joined the TNA Creative team, while Mike Tenay and Scott D'Amore were off the team. This meant the new creative team would be Vince Russo, Dutch Mantel and Jeff Jarrett. They would remain the creative team until 2009, when Mantel would be released and Jarrett would voluntarily remove himself from the team.
2007 - Steve Austin appeared on the Dr. Drew radio show. the Dr. Drew show, which broadcasts in late night radio because of sexual content. A caller asked him if he would ever wrestle Hulk Hogan. Steve articulated his answer to this ever popular question. Austin said that while he respected Hogan's career and his fans, Hogan was "moving around slow, and takes forever to fall down". He said that if the match took place, it would "suck". Austin doesn't think to much of Hogan personally. He also added that Hogan liked to "stir the pot" and was manipulative. He did again say that he did respect Hogan's career and fans, but that the match would never happen.
2007 - Hermie Sadler's UWF presented Capital Punishment II in Virginia. Joseph White filed the following live report:
Joey Matthews/Mercury over AJ Styles after illegally holding the ropes. I have no idea why, but they played with the crowd getting cheap heat for almost 20 mins. Most matches in the mid-Atlantic area tend to be like this, as it was back in the 70's-80's and to me seems outdated. However the kids ate it up, so stick with what works i guess.
JBL then came out and recruited LAX for his team and Slaughter got Team Macktion to join his team. Macktion is nothing special in my opinion they are a cross between the Hardys and London and Kendrick. JBL cut one hell of a promo here.
Special 8-Man Over the Top Rope Battle Royal - Winner faces Joey Matthews tomorrow night. Damien Wayne was the only familiar face, the rest I never heard of. AJ Styles came in the back door as the 8th entry and missile drop kicked Wayne and someone else out of the ring. AJ Styles won and will face Joey Matthews tomorrow night in a rematch
David Young & Daffney over Jake Manning *Doing a boyscout gimmick of all stupid things* & Gail Kim after Young gave Manning a spinebuster
Hermie along with Ron Simmons and Ricky Steamboat presented a check for $20,000 to the Commonwealth Autism Fund. When they announced the check amount Ron Simmons said his favorite quote "DAMN!!!" The crowd chanted one more time so he said it again! "DAMN" It never gets old to me.
Senshi over Ruckus with the Warriors Way Double Stomp. WWE or TNA should keep their eye on Ruckus. The guy who managed Senshi did a damn good job he actually got into the ring afterwards and raised Senshi's hand.
D-Lo Brown over Abyss via DQ, after Abyss hit D-Lo with a chair. Awesome Back and forth match, my favorite of the night. The same guy who managed Senshi Managed D-Lo and got into the ring yet again afterward. However this time show promoter Hermie Sadler pulled him aside and it looked like he kind of chewed the guy out. I don't know how they are able to work this guest manager thing out with the VA state commission, but I assume as long as you don't actually get in the ring. This guy did so twice, and my guest is Hermie got pissed about it.
Intermission to set up the cage - it took about 30 minutes
Un Civil War 10-Man Cage Match - Team Slaughter over Team JBL
-Team Slaughter = Kirby Mack, TJ Mack, Dustin Rhodes, Rick Steiner, and Scott Steiner
-Team JBL = Elix Skipper, CW Anderson, Steve Corino, Homicide, and Hernandez
-The Rules were the captain was able to get involved if they wanted to and you can only win via tap out or surrender.
-JBL came in to the cage (in his suit minus the cowboy hat) and gave everyone a Clothesline From Hell, Slaughter came in behind him and locked on the cobra clutch. JBL tapped out. Team Slaughter was victorious
Afterward JBL said he would be there after the show for everybody in Richmond to line up and kiss his ass.
Overall an OK show. I guess the only reason WWE let JBL, Steamboat, and Slaughter do the show is because it was for a good cause. I hope they do a Capital Punishment 3.
2007 - TNA broadcast Impact, featuring the in-ring debut of Judas Mesias. Richard Trionfo filed the following TV report:
As Impact moves closer to their biggest pay per view of the year, Bound for Glory as well as the two hour debut of Impact in two weeks, it is time for the company to move towards that pay per view. Last week, we saw Judas Mesias make his first appearance in the Impact Zone as he attacked Abyss during his match with Kurt Angle. We also saw Black Reign attack someone besides Chris Harris. Another new wrestler made his Impact Zone debut as Junior Fatu showed up as the man who will face Christian Cage in the Samoan Challenge. Will we see a smackdown between Fatu and Cage or will there be some raw hatred over what Christian has done to Joe? What will happen when a member of the two teams that will be battling for the TNA Tag Team Titles at Bound for Glory meet in singles action, and which former NWA World Champion will win as Ron Killings meets A.J. Styles? What new things will happen between Kurt Angle and Sting? What about between Karen Angle and Sting? Will we find out any more matches for the pay per view?
We start off tonight's show with a look back at last week's episode of Impact. We see Black Reign attack Shark Boy after their match and Eric Young saving Shark Boy from any further injury. While we see footage from No Surrender of Samoa Joe choking Christian Cage, we hear Christian berating Matt Morgan. Samoa Joe spears Joe and we find out that Matt Morgan will be the special enforcer for Christian's match against Joe. We also find out that Christian will be wrestling Junior Fatu tonight. We see the Angle further humiliate Sting. We see highlights from the Six Sides of Steel Match that is interrupted by the first look at Judas Mesias.
We go to Kurt Angle's locker room where Kurt is with his wife Karen and Kevin Nash. Angle says that he brought the cameras in to publicly apologize to him. He says that he did not mean what he said to Nash at No Surrender and that he was under a lot of pressure because he had three matches. He says that he is sorry. Angle says that he knows that Nash was not at Impact last week because he was angry at Kurt. Nash accepts the apology and then Kurt hugs Kevin. Nash says that the hug is a little creepy. Kurt says that last week was awesome with the beat down they gave Sting. Kurt says that he has not felt that good in years. Karen says that you don't mess with the Angles. Nash says that the Angles don't know Sting like he does. Nash says that there are two Stings. There is the nice Sting; and the real creepy, dark, evil Sting. Karen tells Kevin that he is completely overreacting. Nash asks Kurt and Karen if they remember a little group that he was in called the nWo. Nash says that they decided to punk Sting by knocking him around and spray painting him. Nash says that for the next two years their lives were a living hell. Nash says that Sting was a demon. Nash says that they kicked a sleeping dog. Kevin wants to know whose idea this was and Karen points at Kurt while Kurt points at Karen.
Someone enters the locker room and asks Karen if she is Karen Angle and then when she identifies herself, he hands her a letter. Karen wants to know why he is walking into her dressing room as she accepts the letter. Karen says that this is a great time for fan mail. Kurt tells Kevin that Karen slapped Sting four times and Kevin is incredulous. Karen says that Kurt told her to slap him. Karen says that after she slapped Sting, Kurt beat the hell out of him. Karen and Kurt argue until Karen reminds Kurt that Sting hit her at the pay per view. Kevin does the air quotes and says allegedly. Karen wants to know what Kevin's problem is as she gets up and says that Kevin wasn't even there and did not see what happened. Kurt wants to know what they need to do. Kevin says that they need to make things right and do some damage control. Kurt tells Karen that she is going to apologize. Karen says that she will do it but she is not happy about it. Karen leaves the locker room and Kevin says that Kurt better pray that Sting buys this. Kurt gets up and asks Kevin to join him in prayer.
We are live on tape from Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida and your announcers are Mike Tenay and Don West.
Match Number One: Judas Mesias versus Eric Young
Eric is very hesitant to get into the ring with Mesias but he gets a pep talk from some of the fans at ringside. Mesias tosses Young into the corner and punches and chops Young. Young with punches to Mesias and then he floats over on an Irish whip. Mesias grabs Young by the throat and then he tosses Young over the top rope to the floor. Mesias goes outside the ring after Young and he throws Young into the ring post three times. Mesias picks up Young and he punches Young in the head before throwing Young into the ring steps. Mesias with a running boot to the head against the ring steps and we see that Young is bleeding from the forehead. Young is rolled back into the ring. Mesias with a leaping Flatliner for the three count.
Winner: Judas Mesias
After the match, Mesias kicks Young in the head and then he punches Young. Shark Boy comes out and then he comes to the ring to try to save Young. Mesias stops the attack as Shark Boy checks on Young. Mesias with a kick to Shark Boy and then he punches Shark Boy followed by the leaping Flatliner. Mesias returns to Young and then he bites Young's forehead. Mesias goes outside the ring and he gets a steel chair. The referees try to stop Mesias from doing any more damage to Young or Shark Boy but the referees flee the ring. Rhino comes to the ring and he has a chair as well. Mesias leaves the ring.
We go to the back where Crystal is with A.J. Styles and Tomko and there is a tropical feel to the backstage area. A.J. says that it took him all day to set this up and he is wearing a straw hat. He has a grass skirt for Crystal to wear for Christian's arrival. Christian enters and A.J. says that he is early. A.J. says that it is a celebration because Christian is wrestling one of the biggest and baddest Samoans ever so he is keeping the theme going with a luau. A.J. says that he has some bananas and suggests that they peel them with their toes like the Samoans do. Tomko reminds A.J. that tonight he is facing one half of the tag team champions who they will be facing at Bound for Glory. Tomko wants them to win the TNA Tag Team Titles and wonders if A.J. wants to win them too. A.J. says that he wants to win those titles. Tomko tells A.J. to get the bananas out of his hand and the hat off his head and come on.
Christian is left with Crystal and he says that last week he told Jim Cornette to find the biggest and baddest Samoan that he could find and he says mission accomplished because Cornette found Fatu. Christian says that he knows how good and talented Fatu is, but unfortunately Fatu caught him at a bad time. Christian says that when he looks at Fatu, all he sees is Samoa Joe. Christian says that Fatu has found himself in the wrong place and that is in the ring with the best, with the champ. He tells Samoa Joe to watch closely because he is going to do to Joe at Bound for Glory what he is going to do to Fatu tonight. He points out that he has never been pinned and has never submitted and it will continue at Bound for Glory. We go to commercial.
We are back with Mike talking about how Team 3D is going to take care of each tag team, one by one. We go to a video package for Team 3D and the Steiners. We see the promos between the Steiners and Team 3D after Slammiversary when Scott showed everyone the scar from his surgery. We also see the Steiners being attacked by Team 3D. We hear from Team 3D where Brother Ray says that he cannot believe that they showed the Steiners any respect. He says that the Steiners are on their death beds with IVs hooked up with a little old nurse trying to feed them strained prunes. He calls them an old decrepit, washed up tag team. The video ends with Scott making a challenge.
Match Number Two: A.J. Styles with Tomko versus Ron Killings with Pacman Jones
Styles gets distracted by talking to Jones before the match and that allows Killings to hit Styles from behind. Killings with punches to Styles followed by kicks. Killings with an Irish whip and running clothesline followed by a bulldog. Killings hits a running clothesline on Styles. Killings punches Styles but Styles responds with a phenomenal drop kick. Styles with a back breaker to Killings and then he starts yelling at Jones on the floor. Jones takes off his shirt and then he jumps onto the apron and spits at Styles, hitting him in the face. Styles chases Jones around the ring and Jones slides into the ring. While Tomko tries to stop Styles when he returns to the ring, Killings hits a flying forearm. We go to commercial.
We are back and Styles is choking Killings. Styles with an Irish whip but Killings with a float over followed by a cartwheel into a split when Styles tries for a clothesline. Killings with a jumping leg lariat followed by a kip up into a split. Killings with a punch to Styles followed by a gourdbuster driver. Killings kicks Styles in the back and then he punches A.J. in the head. Killings kicks Styles but Styles punches Killings. Killings with a knee to the midsection but Styles hits a double thrust to the throat to stagger Killings. Tomko with a knee to Killings' back from the apron on an Irish whip and that allows Styles to hit a discus clothesline. Styles with a rake of the eyes and then he hits a spin kick. Killings with a poke to the eyes but he is unable to hit the rollup because Styles holds on to the ropes. Styles with a moonsault into an inverted DDT but he can only get a two count. Styles goes up top but Jones distracts A.J. from the apron. Tomko is also on the apron but he is taken off the apron after a drop kick from Killings. Styles comes off the top turnbuckle and goes over Killings. Styles misses a spin kick while Killings misses a jumping leg lariat. Styles does not miss with the Pele kick. Tomko gets on the apron and that distracts the referee. Styles sets up for the Styles Clash, but Jones comes in the ring and he sprays A.J. in the face with the spray paint. Killings hits the axe kick for the three count.
Winner: Ron Killings
We go to the back where Jeremy Borash is with Karen Angle. Jeremy says that Karen has requested airtime to address Sting. Karen says that she is making an open public statement to Sting. She says that she has done some terrible things to Sting over the last few weeks. She says that she has done some horrible things to Sting over the past few weeks. She asks Sting for the opportunity to make things up to him. She says that if Sting is the true true gentleman that he says that he is, then he will meet this lady in the ring tonight to hear what she has to say. We go to commercial.
We are back and Karen Angle comes to the ring. Karen addresses Sting and she says that she is deeply, deeply sorry for the things that she did to him this past week. He says that she has done some things that she is deeply, deeply ashamed of. She never meant Sting nor his family any harm. From the bottom of her heart, she is sorry. Being the amazing performer that she is and being married to the great Olympic champion and eleven time world champion, she got caught up in the moment. It was just one slap, maybe three or four but she cannot remember. The fans in the Impact Zone are not buying what Karen is saying and they let her know their feelings about it, but Karen tells everyone that she is trying to apologize. Karen says that all she wants is for Sting and Kurt to go out at Bound for Glory and have a great match. She wants to see two amazing competitors going at it in the ring.
Sting says that if she thinks that he is going to get caught up in another Angle plot, she is wrong. Sting appears from the Chute of Facial Impact and says that Karen is right about one thing. It will be just Kurt Angle and just Sting at Bound for Glory for the TNA Heavyweight Title. There will be no tricks and no Karen Angle. Karen wants to know who is going to stop her and wonders if Cornette will be able to do anything. Sting asks Karen if she read the letter. Karen pulls out the letter and is shocked to see that it is a restraining order. Sting says that Karen cannot come within fifty feet of him between now and Bound for Glory or she will be arrested, handcuffed, and carted away to jail. Karen wants to know if Sting is kidding and Sting says that he is not kidding. He also points out that he is closer than fifty feet from Karen. Karen backs up, but Sting moves closer to the ring and to Karen. Karen crawls up the Ramp of Heelish Impact and the "Police" come up behind her and they handcuff her.
Kurt Angle comes out and he wants to know what is going on while Karen is screaming and kicking. Kurt yells at Sting and then we see Karen get taken down the Chute of Heelish Impact by the "Police". Karen is taken out of the Impact Zone and into a police car. Kurt tries to tell the "Police" that she did nothing wrong, but they take her away.
Match Number Three: Christian Cage versus Junior Fatu
They lock up and Christian is pushed out of the ring by Fatu. Christian re-enters the ring and he gets Fatu in a side head lock. Fatu with a shoulder block and then he stands over Christian but Christian moves out of the way. Fatu blocks a punch from Christian and he responds with a forearm to Cage. Christian avoids a clothesline from Fatu but then Fatu bends over and Christian stops short of Fatu's rear end. Fatu with a back body drop to Christian and Fatu gets a near fall. Fatu with a chop to Christian followed by a series of Irish whips and then he charges into the corner for a running butt splash but Christian moves out of the way. Christian goes up top and he is caught by Fatu who hits an uranage for a two count. Christian punches and chops Fatu but Fatu shakes them off. Fatu with a head butt to Christian and Christian goes to the apron. Fatu with a running shoulder block that knocks Christian off the apron and into the guardrails. We go to commercial.
We are back and Christian is choking Fatu in the ropes. We see that Christian hit a missile drop kick during the commercial break to gain the advantage. We return to live on tape action and Christian is on the top turnbuckle, but he misses a frog splash when Fatu rolls out of the way. Fatu with uppercuts to Christian. Christian tries for a sunset flip but Fatu will not go over. Fatu tries to drop down but Christian rolls out of the way. Christian covers but Fatu with a powerful kick out. Christian tries to Irish whip Fatu, but Fatu will not budge. Fatu with an Irish whip and punches to the head. Fatu with an Irish whip followed by a belly-to-belly suplex for a two count. Fatu hits a super kick on Christian. Christian backs into the corner and Fatu with a running butt splash. Christian falls into the turnbuckles and Fatu sets up for the Stinkface but Christian goes to the apron. Christian goes up top but Fatu with a press slam. Fatu pulls Christian into the corner and sets for the Bonzai Drop but Christian gets his knees up. Christian exposes the turnbuckle and that gets the referee's attention but it backfires when Fatu hits a Samoan drop but Fatu can only get a two count. Fatu sets for a power slam but A.J. Styles has appeared at ringside to distract Fatu. Fatu with a super kick to Christian and then he gets Christian up for another slam, but Styles grabs the legs. Christian with a rollup for the three count.
Winner: Christian Cage
After the match, Fatu pulls A.J. Styles into the ring while Styles celebrates Christian's victory. Fatu with punches to Styles and Christian followed by a double noggin knocker. Fatu with running butt splashes into the corner on Styles and Christian. They both go down and it is stinkface time. Styles is the first one to suffer the consequences. Fatu does it to Christian. Tomko comes out to attack Fatu and he makes it a three-on-one situation. Samoa Joe comes out and he goes after Styles, Cage, and Tomko. Joe with a running back elbow to Christian and Christian gets out of the ring. Joe and Fatu exchange head butts on Tomko and Tomko joins Styles and Christian on the floor.
We go to the back where Sting is being attacked by Judas Mesias and Mesias is choking Sting as we go to credits.
2009 - Lacey Von Erich, the daughter of Kerry Von Erich, signed a deal with TNA.
2009 - Ring Announcer Lilian Garcia makes her WWE departure after calling Raw, wanting to concentrate on her musical career and other projects. She would return to work a Raw broadcast several months later when the majority of the WWE crew were trapped in Europe due to a volcanic eruption. Richard Trionfo filed the following TV report for that unique episode:
We are live from Little Rock, Arkansas and your announcers are Jerry ‘Land of my favorite Governor’ Lawler and Todd ‘Vintage Goodbye Lillian’ Grisham.
We see a limo arrive and it isn’t the Undertaker coming out of the driver’s seat. Cedric The Entertainer is joined by the Bellas and his associates. Cedric has some people in football uniforms come out of the limo as well as a friend of the ‘Suck It Granny’. We even have a mohel and a farmer with a goat.
Degeneration X come out and they have something to say before our first match. Hunter asks if we are ready and then he yells at everyone to be ready. Hunter brings up Hell in a Cell in two weeks and he asks Shawn about the first Hell in a Cell match involving Shawn Michaels. Shawn asks Hunter who has won more Hell in a Cell matches than anyone and Hunter reminds us it was him. He says that he is a five time winner. Then they point out that Cody and Ted have never been in a Hell in a Cell match and then they talk about how they don’t know what to expect. Hunter talks about their opponents the last time and how they were beaten and battered. Shawn says Vince was in the match and they like him. However, they don’t like Cody and Ted. Hunter says that they will get the beating of their lives at Hell in a Cell and on that night, it ends.
Match Number One: Triple H with Shawn Michaels versus Cody Rhodes with Ted DiBiase
Ted gets on the apron and that distracts Hunter and Cody punches and kicks Hunter. The referee pulls Cody away and that allows Hunter to send Cody into the corner. Cody with a punch and kicks. Hunter charges into a boot from Cody and Cody with a double sledge to the back followed by punches and a choke in the corner. Cody is sent into the ring post and then Hunter does it again. Hunter with a third attempt and then he puts Cody in the Crippler Crossface. Cody makes it to the ropes and the referee tells Hunter to release the hold. Cody rolls to the floor and Ted checks on Cody but Hunter with a baseball slide to Cody and he sends Ted into the ringside barrier.
We go to commercial.
We are back and Cody with a rear chin lock on Hunter. Hunter punches Cody but Cody with a neck breaker and a near fall. Cody with a forearm to the head. Cody with a punch and then he chokes Hunter in the ropes. Ted punches Hunter while the referee was with Cody and Cody gets a near fall. Cody with a side Russian leg sweep for a near fall. Cody with a cravate and kick. Cody goes up top and hits a moonsault for a near fall. Cody stares at Shawn and that allows Hunter to recover and punch Cody. Cody with a kick but Hunter sends Cody over the top rope to the floor. Shawn stands next to Cody and Cody slaps Hunter. Shawn chases Cody and he avoids Ted but he punches Ted. Ted with a flap jack to Shawn onto the announce table and then Cody and Ted with a high low to Shawn. Hunter sets for a pedigree but Ted gets a chair and the referee calls for the bell.
Winner: Triple H by disqualification
After the match, Ted hits Hunter in the head with the steel chair. Rhodes gives Hunter CrossRhodes and then Ted gives Hunter Dream Street. Cody and Ted aren’t done and they put the chair on Hunter’s head but Shawn gets the GameHammer and Cody and Ted leave the ring.
We go to commercial and we have a contract signing coming up.
We are back and it is time to bring out Cedric the Entertainer. Cedric says that tonight is going to be off the chain. Cedric says that everyone asked him why he would be a good guest host and he says that he is the real deal and he is a WWE fan. Cedric jokes that Big Show drives a Prius. Cedric talks about the second and third generation superstars. We see some comparisons, even Mark Henry and the Kool Aid Man.
Santino comes out and he talks about how honored he is to be with Frederick the Entertainer. Santino has Frederick’s new DVD and he wants to do stand up comedy. Santino bombs on his first joke and Cedric pulls a Kanye.
Chavo Guerrero comes out and Cedric says that Chavo is funny because anyone who lets a leprechaun beat him up every week is hilarious. Santino tells Cedric that Chavo didn’t let Hornswoggle win. Chavo says that Hornswoggle isn’t the problem. The problem is that punk guest hosts put him in a no win situation. He says that he is sick and tired of the celebrity host junk. Cedric says that Chavo being karate chopped by Bob Barker was pathetic. Chavo asks Cedric if he is a tough guy now. Chavo says that he is out here to make a challenge to Cedric. He challenges Cedric to a match tonight. Cedric talks about a battle he has with his movie star. Santino tells Chavo that Fredrick the Entertainment accepts the challenge of Chavo the Leprechaun Loser.
We see footage from last week when Miz took the US Title while Jack Swagger pinned Kofi.
Josh Mathews is with The Miz and The Miz has Kofi’s title belt. Miz says that he took what is going to be his. He says that he shocks audiences all over the world and he is the reason why people watch. Miz says that the United States Champion should be from the United States. Kofi attacks Miz from behind and takes back his belt after asking Josh what’s up.
We go to commercial.
We are back and did you know that more people watched Raw than the major networks (of course we don’t want to mention Monday Night Football).
Match Number Two: Evan Bourne versus The Miz
Bourne asks Miz where his belt is and then they lock up. Miz with a clean break and then they lock up again. Bourne sends Miz into the corner but Miz sends Bourne into the turnbuckles followed by punches. Bourne with a drop kick and kick to the leg. Miz drops Bourne on the top rope. Miz with a kick to the head followed by a camel clutch. Bourne with kicks to the leg but Miz with a knee and kicks to the back. Miz with an Irish whip but he misses a clothesline and Bourne with a rollup for a near fall. Miz with a neck breaker for a near fall. Miz chokes Bourne in the ropes and kicks him in the head. Miz with a suplex for a near fall. Miz returns to a modified camel clutch. Miz pulls Bourne to the apron and he connects with forearms to the back of the head followed by a running knee lift. Miz returns to a Tiger Clutch but Bourne sends Miz into the turnbuckles and then he follows with kicks. Miz with the running clothesline into the corner. Miz goes up top but Bourne crotches Miz and Bourne with a rana from the turnbuckles and then it is time for Bourne to go up top and he misses the Shooting Star Press when Miz moves. Bourne lands on his feet but Miz hits his version of The Stroke for the three count.
Winner: The Miz
Cody and Ted are in the locker room and Randy Orton enters and he wants to talk about tonight. Randy says that he wanted Cody and Ted at ringside for the contract signing, but after what they did to DX, he wants them to rest for their match at the pay per view. Randy says that he has everything taken care of because it is only a contract signing.
We go to commercial.
We are back and the Official Contract Signing Table is in the ring and Jerry Lawler brings out the participants in the Raw main event on Hell in a Cell. Out first is Randy Orton. We see footage from last week when Batista defeated Randy Orton. Out next is John Cena. Jerry tells John and Randy that there is a No Physicality Order in effect. Jerry tells Randy he can accept the match or give up his rematch clause. Randy signs the contract. Orton tells Lawler to get out of the ring.
Orton tells Cena that he thinks he has him all figured out and at his lowest point and his weakest. Randy stands up and he says that he is more dangerous than he has ever been. He will do whatever it takes to get his title back. Randy points out that Cena has never been in a Hell in a Cell match, but he has been in one. Randy says that he knows what it takes to win. Orton tells Cena that he will never be the same.
Cena stands up and throws his hat into the crowd and then he asks Orton if he was saying something. Cena goes to the video tape of Orton saying ‘I Quit’ at Breaking Point. Orton asks Cena if he wants to turn it into a joke. Cena says that he already said what Orton would do and Randy has done that. Cena says that Orton has punished him more than any other Superstar. Cena says that he made it through that. Cena says that Orton has scared him into surrendering the title after what Orton said about Hell in a Cell, but then Cena laughs and says that was ridiculous. Cena signs the contract and says that is the funny part because the match is now official. Cena says that if Orton does not win, he is done with title matches. Cena says that he has looked in Orton’s eyes and he knows what Randy is capable of. He says that Randy should be worried because Randy does not know what Cena is capable of. Cena says that when they lock the door at Hell in a Cell, he will DESTROY Randy Orton.
Orton says that he would love to RKO Cena through the table, but legally he cannot do that. Orton says that Cena’s arrogance has caused people to despise him. Hell in a Cell might be coming in a few weeks, but he has no problem getting a few people to put Cena through hell, right now.
It isn’t LackeyMania coming out, it is the Undisputed Tag Champions, Big Show and Chris Jericho. Randy watches from the announce table.
Show gets rid of the table and Show and Jericho attack Cena. Mark Henry and Montel Vontavious Porter come out to make the save.
Cedric appears on the TitanTron and he has an idea. Cedric decides that there will be a six man tag match with Big Show, Chris Jericho, and Randy Orton facing Mark Henry, Montel Vontavious Porter, and John Cena.
We are back with the Slam of the Week: Alicia Fox defeating Gail Kim last week.
Alicia Fox is at ringside to watch the next match.
Match Number Three: Mickie James versus Beth Phoenix
They lock up and Beth sends Mickie to the mat. Beth tries for a slingshot suplex but Mickie avoids it and then Mickie with a neck breaker and a drop kick that sends Beth to the floor. Mickie with a Thesz Press and then she gets in Alicia’s face. Beth sends Mickie into the ring post. Beth with the Implant Buster for the three count.
Winner: Beth Phoenix
After the match, Alicia takes the title belt and brings it into the ring. Alicia with a scissors kick.
We go to commercial.
Match Number Four: Kofi Kingston versus Jack Swagger for the United States Title
Swagger with a kick and forearms to the back. Swagger with a key lock but Kofi with an arm drag to escape. Kofi with chops but Swagger catches Kingston and puts him on the turnbuckles. Swagger throws Kofi away on a tornado DDT attempt but Swagger with a big boot.
Miz comes to the ring and he takes the title belt. Swagger goes after Miz and hits a Northern Lariat on Miz and Swagger leaves with the title belt and Swagger gets counted out.
We go to commercial.
We are back and did you know that a lot of homes can get WWE?
Match Number Five: Chavo Guerrero versus Cedric the Entertainer with The Bellas with Guest Referee Santino Marella
Cedric puts on his mask before the match, but he keeps his cape on. They lock up to a stalemate. Chavo takes Cedric’s hat and stomps on it. Cedric is furious and leaves the ring. Cedric goes under the ring and Chavo knows that Hornswoggle is under there. Chavo goes to the other side to wait for Cedric to come out. Suddenly Cedric is bigger and Chavo chuckles. Chavo slaps new Cedric and then new Cedric chases him. New Cedric slams Chavo back into the ring. Chavo tells Santino that it is not Cedric. New Cedric with a clothesline. New Cedric with a splash in the corner and then he goes under the ring one more time. Now Cedric III is short and white. Cedric III with a frog splash. Cedric Classic returns to get the three count.
Winner: The Cedric Trilogy
We go to commercial.
We are back and The Reverend Al Sharpton is the guest host next week.
It is time to run through the card for Hell in a Cell and it is Rawcentric.
Cedric is with Kelly Kelly in the locker room and Cedric is hitting on her. Chris Jericho is in the office behind Cedric and Chris stares at Cedric before telling him that they need to talk. Cedric says that he is busy with Kelly and comments on Chris’ breath. Big Show emerges and says that they need to talk and apparently size matters.
Jerry Lawler is at the announce table and he points out that tonight is the final night for one of the Divas. Jerry thanks Lillian for more than ten years of service in the WWE. Lillian gets on the mic and she says that when she signed up for this ten years ago and she never expected this type of adventure. She says that she has been all over the world and she talks about performing the National Anthem, especially in front of the troops. She says that it has been amazing working for this company. She talks about the people she has worked with. She says that she will miss the fans, but her heart will always be in the ring.
We go to commercial.
We are back and Chris Jericho is in the ring with a mic and he says that they dislike John Cena as much as him. That is why they went to Cedric the Entertainer to have them up the ante for the match. Chris says that if they lose the match, then next week, Randy has to face Mark Henry, John Cena, and Montel Vontavious Porter in a gauntlet match. Show says that he needs to trust them. If they win then John Cena will be in a gauntlet against the three of them.
Match Number Six: Randy Orton, Big Show, and Chris Jericho versus John Cena, Mark Henry, and Montel Vontavious Porter
Cena and Jericho start things off and they lock up and Cena with a clean break but Jericho with a punch and forearm. Orton makes a blind tag and Cena with a shoulder to Jericho but Orton comes in and Cena gets Orton on his shoulders. Orton leaves the ring and Cena chases after him and Show gets in the way. Jericho with a vintage sneak attack. Orton works over Cena in the ring. Orton with a punch but Cena punches back. Orton with a power slam followed by a leaping knee drop. Show tags in and he connects with a head butt. Show with a punch to the midsection and Jericho is tagged in. Jericho punches Cena followed by a back elbow. Orton tags in while Jericho stands on Cena’s neck. Cena with a belly-to-belly suplex. Porter and Jericho tag in and Porter with a belly-to-belly throw and thrusts to Jericho followed by a flying clothesline. Porter with a facebuster and it is time for some Ballin’ and Show and Orton stand on the apron watching the move. Show stops the Playmaker and head butts Porter in the back of the head. Show tags in and slams Porter. Show with a head butt followed by a clothesline. Orton slithers into the ring and he has Porter in a reverse chin lock. Porter with elbows and punches but Orton with a drop toe hold and knee to the back. Jericho tags in and chokes Porter in the ropes and misses a splash into the ropes and both men are down. Orton tags in and he stops Porter from making the save. Orton with the Garvin Stomp. Porter blocks punches from Orton and hits a few of his own. Porter with a punch and then Henry makes the tag as Porter goes by him. Henry with a head butt to Orton and then he knocks Show off the apron and brings Jericho into the ring. Henry with a body block to Orton. Cena sends Show over the top rope to the floor. Jericho clips Henry and then Orton hits the RKO on Henry for the three count.
Winners: Chris Jericho, Randy Orton, and Big Show
2010 - TNA President Dixie Carter announced that Ken Anderson had signed a new "long term" contract with the company.
2010 - WWE presented NXT. Richard Truonfo filed the following TV report:
We start off with a look back at the problems between Kaitlyn and Vickie Guerrero. We also see Vickie Guerrero run the obstacle course before the Divas. Then we see the other Diva storm off the set after getting frustrated with the show.
We are live on tape from Bloomington, Illinois and your announcers are Josh ‘I get to interview people on Raw’ Mathews and CM ‘Major Straight Edge Upgrade’ Punk. Your host is Matt ‘If I could do the pay per view commentary alone . . . wait, I already do that’ Striker.
CM Punk makes his way to the ring wearing a lovely blazer that is straight edge. Punk is given a present from Josh, an 8x10 photo and Punk rips it. Punk calls the show a car crash and he is looking forward to watching it.
The Divas come out to the ring. Matt says that if they thought they were scrutinized before, it gets worse. In two weeks, we will get the first elimination. Matt says that last week was huge for Jamie since she won her first match and the Joke Off. Matt points out that Kaitlyn won the Obstacle Course.
Vickie interrupts Matt and gives a few Excuse Mes. Vickie says that what Kaitlyn did last week was impressive but she showed Kaitlyn how to run the obstacle course. Vickie says that it is her leadership skills that made her win. Kaitlyn is in a match this week against Jamie. Vickie says that she invited some of her close friends to coach her this week.
We see the only Divas Champions come to the ring and they are wearing matching outfits. Michelle says that Kaitlyn should be thankful that Vickie Guerrero is her pro and that she can trust in the two of them. Layla points out that they are the undisputed Diva’s Champions. Michelle says that she is the sole reason why Kaval won Season Two. Layla says that if Jamie’s pros were here, it wouldn’t matter because her pros are the Bella Twins. Michelle says that they are beautiful because the sky is the limit, but they don’t really mean it. Michelle and Layla insult the rookies.
Kelly interrupts and tells Michelle and Layla that they can’t run things. Kelly says that even though Jamie’s pros aren’t here, she is here and so is Naomi. Kelly suggests a six person tag match.
Layla and Michelle accept the match.
There is some tension in the ring and Matt plays peacekeeper because we will have a competition, but first a commercial, and it will be Legendary.
We are back and it is time for the next challenge. Matt says that the most important thing for Divas is their timing. That is why we are going to play Musical Chairs. Matt reminds us that the Diva with the most wins gets immunity. Matt reminds us that Naomi has two wins while Kaitlyn and Jamie have one win each. Punk talks about how he was at the Steel Domain Wrestling School and they played musical chairs. Kaitlyn is the first one eliminated. We lose a rookie and a chair. The next rookie to go is Jamie. Maxine is the next one to go but she wants a piece of Aksana before she leaves the ring. We are down to three and there is some stutter stepping and Aksana is eliminated. They circle the chair and AJ wins but Punk suggests that there is some controversy with the win.
Punk and Josh look at the replay and they talk about AJ was able to pull off the upset.
We go to commercial.
We are back and Josh comments on Punk’s wardrobe.
We go to a video package for Aksana. She talks about how she is from Lithuania and she came to the US in 2001. She wanted to be a professional figure athlete. In 2009, she won Ms. International Figure and she was interviewed by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Competing in fitness and figure, it is like the WWE. She talks about how she is usually shy and quiet, but in the ring, she is different. Aksana says that she never stops believing in herself. She says that if you are smart, you know how to be sexy and powerful.
Aksana is in the back and Goldust asks her if she saw the video. Goldust says that it was awesome. Aksana says that she got a letter from Immigration and she has problems with her visa. Aksana says that she could be deported. Aksana doesn’t want to have her dreams taken away. Goldust says that they will fix it. He tells Aksana to be focused. He tells Aksana that she needs to win some matches and she can still win NXT. They do some breathing techniques and then Goldust says that he wants Aksana to show her aggression.
Punk talks about how he could have used some subtitles with Aksana. Josh then asks Punk if he ever talked to his rookie like Goldust did with Aksana. Punk says that he never talked to his rookie.
Speaking of deportation, Josh segues into what happened on Raw and how Nexus could be deported. Who wants a Raw Rebound.
It is time to run through the two matches announced for Hell in a Cell and Punk adds his thoughts.
We see footage from last week’s Joke Off and Maxine’s comments to AJ.
Match Number One: Maxine with Alicia Fox versus AJ with Primo
They lock up and Maxine with a knee and she sends AJ to the mat. AJ with punches and a shoulder tackle. AJ with a cartwheel and arm drag followed by a spin kick. AJ with a kick but Maxine with a drop toe hold and then she chokes AJ in the ropes. Maxine with a reverse chin lock. AJ gets to her feet but Maxine sends AJ back to the mat in what is described by Punk as ‘vintage’ moves. Maxine with a suplex for a near fall. Maxine with an Irish whip followed by a kick and clotheslines. AJ with a drop kick but Maxine with a brainbuster but AJ floats over and gets the three count.
Winner: AJ
We are interrupted by Michael ‘I never said I quit NXT even though I said it last week’ Cole. He wants our attention and he wants everyone to boo him. Cole says that the fans booing him are in the minority because Cole says that he knows there is a silent majority telling him to please return to NXT. Cole says that he had an epiphany. NXT without Michael Cole is unwatchable. NXT without Michael Cole is like Braylon Edwards driving through Manhattan or Bristol Palin trying to dance. NXT without Michael Cole is just bad. Cole wants his loyal fans, the Cole Minors. Punk tells Cole the show is bad with or without him. Cole says that he is bringing back journalistic integrity and he is coming back to NXT. Punk hugs Cole as we go to commercial.
We are back and Did you Know that WWE provides tickets for members of the military.
Punk mentions that he wishes he had a Chihuahua with him.
Matt Striker is in the ring and it is time for the second challenge of the night. It is time for the Talk the Talk Challenge and they will have sixty seconds to speak on their topics. Jamie goes first and her topic is ‘teeth’. Jamie says the WWE Universe doesn’t want to hear her talk about teeth. They want to hear about how Jamie is going to rock their world. She will bring her sex appeal, dedication and devotion more than anyone in the locker room. It is about a strong athletic woman who strives to better herself and not some weak girls who think they can fight. Jamie is going to prove what sexy, smart, and powerful means.
Matt reminds the WWE Universe the rookies have to stay on topic.
Naomi’s topic is ‘toupee’. Naomi thinks about it while the crowd boos. She can’t think about anything to say about a toupee right now. She wonders if we are here to wrestle. She is here to show us how good she is in the ring.
Matt says that Naomi has been disqualified for being off topic. Jamie has been disqualified as well.
AJ is next and she is hoping for a good topic. It is ‘caffeine’. She says that if anyone knows about caffeine it is her. She does not need caffeine because she has a natural high. She has this business and this ring. She has her passion for everything that she does in the ring. She says that she has been trying to do this for years, and did not need a check put in her face like the others.
Aksana’s topic is ‘llama’. Punk asks for subtitles. Aksana says that she loves blue eyes and likes Matt’s eyes. Aksana asks for an explanation. Aksana asks what a llama is. Aksana wants Matt to show please. Matt asks Aksana to talk about a camel. Aksana runs out of time.
Maxine’s topic is ‘foot’. Maxine says that she is the woman who belongs on top in WWE. It is because she can use her foot to squash AJ if she gets another match. She will use her foot to squash her until she taps out. She says that the only position for her is on top.
Kaitlyn is the last one and her topic is ‘ignition’. Kaitlyn says that she got some advice in the back and she was told to picture everyone in their underwear. Kaitlyn talks about the different people’s underwear and she says that she has gotten her ignition going.
Punk comments that he is not wearing pants and that is how he usually watches NXT.
The audience gives the competition to AJ.
We go to commercial.
We are back and Punk talks about how great a time he has had tonight on NXT.
Match Number Two: Layla, Michelle McCool, and Kaitlyn with Vickie Guerrero versus Naomi, Kelly Kelly, and Jamie
Layla and Kelly start things off and Kelly with a slap and Thesz Press. Kelly with an arm bar and Jamie is tagged in. Layla wants a time out and she takes the flower out of Jamie’s hair. Layla makes fun of Jamie and Layla throws the flower at Jamie before locking up. Layla pushes Jamie and Jamie pushes back. Jamie with a kick to the leg followed by a slam. Kaitlyn tags in and Jamie with a kick followed by a side head lock. Kaitlyn tries to get out of the hold and connects with forearms. Kaitlyn with a spear but she misses an elbow drop. Jamie works on the arm and Naomi tags in and Kaitlyn takes Naomi down and brings her into the corner. Michelle tags in and she kicks Naomi in the corner. Michelle is sent into the ropes and Naomi with a rollup for a near fall. Naomi with a drop kick and forearms. Naomi with an Irish whip and a spinning heel kick to the apron. Naomi knocks Layla off the apron and Michelle kicks Naomi. Layla hits Naomi and Naomi hits Layla but Michelle with a belly-to-belly suplex. Kaitlyn tags in but Naomi gets the three count.
Winners: Naomi, Jamie, and Kelly Kelly
After the match, Kaitlyn pushes Michelle. Layla grabs Kaitlyn’s leg and Michelle with a kick. Vickie yells at Kaitlyn.
2012- WWE broadcast Smackdown. Richard Trionfo filed the following TV report:
We are live on tape from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and your announcers are Michael ‘Not Vick’ Cole and Josh ‘At least I don’t have to call the main event when they do it again on Raw on Monday night’ Mathews.
We begin tonight’s show with a Hall of Famer returning, but unlike Monday night when it was Jim Ross to fill in for Jerry Lawler, tonight it is Edge.
Edge says that never gets old. There are a few reasons why he is here. First, Philly is the home of the Broad Street Bullies, and it was eighteen months ago that he was forced into retirement. He wondered what he would do because this was all he ever did and all he ever wanted to do. Edge says that he can start to watch WWE again as a fan, not a performer so he can sit down and enjoy it.
Edge says that he has seen a number of crazy things in his career, but he has never seen anything like this and we see footage from Monday night between Daniel Bryan and Kane and their individual declarations that they are the Tag Team Champions.
Edge has a confused look on his face and he says that he has been away for a while. He wants to know how the Devil’s Favorite Demon and Goat Boy became BFFs and tag team champions. Edge says that he knows what it takes to be a tag team champion . . .
Daniel Bryan’s music plays and he makes his way to the ring.
Daniel says that he wanted to correct Edge on his use of pronouns. ‘THEY’ did not become the Tag Team Champions . . . ‘I’ am the Tag Team Champions.
Daniel repeats himself until Edge tells Daniel to try decaf. Edge tells Daniel that he is oblivious to everything and then he wants to know how Daniel pulled it off.
Daniel says that he is in control of himself. He is an anchor. He is a rock. He is one with his emotions.
Edge asks Daniel if he is kidding him. Daniel tells Edge ‘no’. He says that he could see how someone like Edge would be suspicious.
Edge says ‘excuse me’ and Daniel says that is an interesting choice of words. Daniel tells Edge that Dr. Shelby has been teaching them that our subconscious thoughts often emerge in the heat of battle. Daniel says that the words ‘excuse me’ make him think of Edge’s ex-wife. He asks Edge if he thinks of his ex-wife and the pain that they caused each other.
Daniel says that Edge’s theme music explains it all. ‘You think you know me’, but does anyone really know Edge deep down . . . in the heart? Daniel tells Edge to go back to acting and to go back to retirement. Daniel says that he is a redwood and there is nothing that him or any of the people can do to make him snap.
The fans figure that this is a good time to try to make Bryan snap as Edge tells Bryan that the Grasshopper played it well. Edge says that it sounds like a challenge. Daniel says no while Edge says yes. They go back and forth and Edge says that the fans are right because this is fun.
Daniel’s BFF and the other member of Team Huggy Bear, Kane makes his way to the ring.
Kane tells Edge and Bryan that they are both wrong because ‘I am the Tag Team Champions’.
Daniel and Kane go back and forth until Edge stops him and they tell Edge that he seems angry. Kane tells Edge that Dr. Shelby has a lot of relaxation exercises.
Edge is rendered speechless. Edge talks about how they have stolen each other’s girlfriends and beaten each other up. He understands why Bryan is comfortable with his inner-self, but he tells Edge that he is not Barney the Big Red Dinosaur . . . Kane is the Big Red Machine.
Edge reminds Kane about some of the things they have done. Edge reminds Kane that he stole his wife and then when Edge was going to marry Kane’s ex-wife, he interrupted the wedding and tombstoned the priest. Edge reminds Kane that he tortured Kane’s father and each other.
Kane says that he remembers all of that and he thinks that he needs to rectify that situation right now.
Edge removes his jacket and he is looking for Kane to take the first shot. Instead, Kane opens his arms for a Hug of Epic Proportions. Edge doesn’t know what to do but he moves closer to Kane and then they embrace.
Bryan says ‘no’ repeatedly and the crowd responds with ‘yes’.
Edge tells Daniel to join the hug and he approaches Edge and Kane only to be stopped by the music of Damien Sandow.
Damien begs everyone’s indulgence and he introduces himself. He says that he is here to help all of us. For the past fortnight, this very serial has been plagued by the sophomoric and tasteless operetta of these two miscreants. The shame and humiliation emanating from betwixt these ropes as these two combatants ‘hug it out’ is a complete abomination.
Damien condems the halfwits for lapping this up like a parched street canine laps at a feces infested puddle. This shows has vast and far this enterprise has fallen.
Edge interrupts the intellectual savior and martyr and he says that he could watch Bryan and Kane argue and hug it out for two hours, but after thirty seconds of listening to Sandow, Edge says that he had to swallow his own barf. If Sandow wants to do something about it, why not come to the ring and face one of these men.
Damien says that he is a thinking man and he does not resort to measures of physical means.
Edge wants to know if the crowd wants him to come and fight one of the men.
Damien says that their opinion does not matter.
Edge gets a yes/no chant going while Damien tries to stop him.
We go to commercial.
Match Number One: Kane versus Damien Sandow
Sandow with a side head lock but Kane with a shoulder tackle that forces Sandow to the floor. Kane chases Sandow around the ring and then Sandow tries for an elbow drop but Kane rolls back to the floor. Kane punches Sandow on the floor and they return to the ring. Kane with punches in the corner followed by an Irish whip.
Sandow with an elbow in the corner but Kane with a big boot. Sandow with a kick to Kane but Kane is not happy about it. Sandow leaves the ring and he stops in front of Bryan, who proclaims himself, ‘I am the Tag Team Champions’. Kane grabs Sandow by the hair and returns Sandow to the ring. Sandow rolls to the opposite side of the ring and he drops Kane across the top rope.
Sandow with kicks and punches Kane in the corner. Sandow with a side head lock but Kane with a belly-to-back suplex. Kane with a running clothesline into the corner followed by an Irish whip and another running clothesline. Kane with a side slam for a near fall. Kane goes up top for the clothesline and he hits it. Kane signals for the choke slam but Bryan holds up the tag title belts and proclaims that ‘I am the Tag Team Champions’.
Kane loses his focus on the match as Bryan gets on the apron. Sandow hits Kane from behind and hits the straightjacket neck breaker for the three count.
Winner: Damien Sandow
After the match, Bryan proclaims ‘I am the Tag Team Champions’ as he holds both belts. Kane shows some anger in the ring.
We go to commercial.
We are back and Kane is in the back looking for Daniel Bryan and he sees Dr. Shelby. The doctor wants Kane to calm down, but Kane won’t calm down because Bryan cost him his match and took his tag title belts. Kane says that he will rip the beard off of Bryan’s goat face if he does not his belt back.
Daniel emerges from a case behind Dr. Shelby and he says that he does not have a goat face. Kane says that he does. They go back and forth until Bryan calls Kane a Big Red Freak.
Dr. Shelby loses it and he yells at both men. He says that they have both made progress so he wants to do a trust exercise. He asks Kane if he will refrain from ripping off Daniel’s beard if he gives him his title belt. Daniel asks if he does not want his beard ripped off. Bryan gives Kane back one of the belts.
Kane says that there is still the issue of Daniel causing him to lose.
The doctor asks Kane if it would be okay if Daniel has a match tonight. Kane says that would make things better.
Kane says ‘I am the Tag Team Champions’ but the doctor cuts of Bryan before he can respond.
It is time to review the decision at Night of Champions to reinstate the Brogue Kick.
Alberto Del Rio is in Booker T’s office looking at Booker’s book. Booker wants to know what Alberto is doing in his office. Alberto says that he was waiting for Booker so he does not act like a coward like he was on Sunday. Alberto wants to know what Booker was thinking when he reinstated the Brogue Kick.
Booker says that his investigation was finished and he determined that the Brogue Kick is dangerous but it is legal. Booker tells Alberto if he doesn’t want to get hurt, he should keep his nose out of Sheamus’ business.
Alberto complains about Booker reinstating the move right before the match and that was why he lost to Sheamus.
Booker says that he might have been wrong to reinstate it immediately before the match.
Alberto wants to know if that means he will get another title match.
Booker tells Alberto that he has to earn a shot to get another title match. He may get another shot when he has to team with Dolph Ziggler to face Sheamus and Randy Orton.
Alberto throws Booker’s book to the couch and he leaves.
WWE Divas Champion Eve Torres makes her way to the announce table to watch the next match.
Match Number Two: Natalya versus Layla El
Natalya tells Layla to focus on her instead of Eve. Natalya pushes Layla but Layla with a back heel kick and then she takes Natalya to the mat by her hair. Layla with a drop kick and then Layla looks at Eve but that allows Natalya to recover and she hits a discus clothesline and she kicks Layla.
Natalya with a near fall and then she sends Layla to the mat. Natalya with an abdominal stretch. Natalya tries for a power slam but Layla escapes and gets a near fall with a rollup. Natalya tries for a Sharpshooter but Layla kicks Natalya away. Layla hits the Lay Out for the three count.
Winner: Layla El
We go to commercial.
Match Number Three: Alberto Del Rio (with Ricardo Rodriguez) and Dolph Ziggler (with Vickie Guerrero) versus Sheamus and Randy Orton
Sheamus and Del Rio start things off and they lock up. Del Rio backs Sheamus into the corner and he kicks Sheamus and punches him until the referee warns Del Rio. Sheamus with a boot to the head followed by a neck breaker for a near fall. Orton tags in and Randy hits a standing drop kick and gets a near fall. Orton with a knee drop to the head and then he starts the Garvin Stomp.
Sheamus tags back in and he kicks Del Rio and punches him. Sheamus with an Irish whip but he misses a charge into the corner. Del Rio with an enzuigiri into the corner and then he chokes Sheamus. Del Rio with kicks to the leg. Sheamus with an Irish whip but Del Rio with an elbow and then he charges at Sheamus and hits the fireman’s carry slam. Vickie and Ricardo get on the apron and that distraction allows Ziggler to hit Sheamus from behind with a forearm.
Del Rio with a drop kick to the head and he gets a near fall. Del Rio tags in Ziggler and Dolph kicks Sheamus followed by a leaping elbow drop for a near fall. Ziggler with a reverse chin lock. Ziggler takes Sheamus to the mat to stop Sheamus’ attempt to tag in Orton. Del Rio tags in and he kicks Sheamus in the back and gets a near fall.
Del Rio with a rear chin lock and he puts his knee in Sheamus’ back. Sheamus gets to his feet and he punches Del Rio. Del Rio with a kick but Sheamus returns fire with a power slam. Orton tags in and he connects with two clotheslines and Del Rio misses one. It is power slam time and then Orton tries to get Del Rio on the ropes for the IEDDT and Ricardo tries to interrupt Orton but Randy is able to hit the IEDDT.
Ziggler tries to interfere with Randy’s pre-RKO mat punching but Orton sees him coming and hits a power slam on Ziggler. Orton sends Ziggler to the apron for the IEDDT but Del Rio grabs the leg and Ziggler drops Orton across the ropes and Del Rio hits a lungblower and gets a near fall. Del Rio with a boot to the chest and Ziggler tags in. Ziggler punches Orton and chokes him in the roeps. Orton with kicks and an Irish whip. Orton runs into an elbow and Ziggler with a flying clothesline for a near fall. Ziggler with a reverse chin lock but Orton with a belly-to-back suplex.
Del Rio tags in and he stops Orton from making the tag. Del Rio with a back heel kick to Orton and then Orton with an Irish whip but he runs into an elbow. Del Rio gets onto the turnbuckles but Orton with a drop kick that sends Del Rio to the floor.
Ziggler and Sheamus tag in and Sheamus with a few double sledges followed by shoulders in the corner. Sheamus tries for the running knee lift but Ziggler avoids it and he applies a sleeper but he does not get it fully locked in and Sheamus with a snap mare to escape. Sheamus misses a Brogue Kick but Ziggler misses a Fameasser. Sheamus with the uranage back breaker for a near fall.
Del Rio sets for the cross arm breaker but Sheamus avoids it and he sends Del Rio towards Orton who hits an RKO. Ziggler tries to use the briefcase but Sheamus sees it coming and he connects with a Brogue Kick for the three count.
Winners: Sheamus and Randy Orton
We go to commercial.
Match Number Four: Daniel Bryan versus Cody Rhodes
Bryan with a kick and European uppercuts that send Cody to the mat. The crowd chanting yes is only making Daniel more aggressive. Cody with a hot shot on Bryan followed by kicks for a near fall. Cody with a gourdbuster and he kicks Bryan in the midsection. Cody punches Bryan and backs him into the corner.
Bryan with kicks in the corner but Cody with a kick of his own and then Bryan flips out of the corner on an Irish whip and Bryan follows with a flying clothesline. Bryan with a running drop kick into the corner and he applies the No Lock but Kane’s pyro goes off.
Kane makes his way onto the stage but Bryan is distracted and he cannot apply the No Lock. Bryan yells at Kane on the stage and Rhodes is able to hit Cross Rhodes and get the three count.
Winner: Cody Rhodes
Kane laughs at Bryan from the stage while Bryan yells ‘no’.
We go to commercial.
We are back and Daniel Bryan is looking for Kane. He finds Kane and Kane is still laughing. Bryan wants to know what that was. Kane says that he doesn’t know what Bryan is talking about. Bryan blames Kane’s pyro for causing him to lose.
Kane says that they should consider them even.
Bryan says that he is a better wrestler and Kane belongs in a dark basement.
Kane tells Bryan that he belongs in a petting zoo. Bryan tells Kane that he belongs in the basement of a petting zoo.
Bryan turns around and wants to know what the two people want. We see that it is Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes. Cody says that this spectacle proves that the two of them as tag team champions is a complete joke.
Damien says that this trivial experiment is about to come to a combustible conclusion.
Bryan asks Cody and Damien if they think they are a joke. Kane says that if they want to see something combust, why not face them tonight.
Bryan says that they are scared of him and then Kane says that they are scared of him. They fight over which one they were scared of.
It is time for a look at the issues involving John Cena and CM Punk.
Josh Mathews reminds everyone that John Cena underwent elbow surgery.
Match Number Five: Brodus Clay (with Funkettes) versus Heath Slater
Clay shimmies and Slater shows Clay how to play air guitar. Clay misses a clothesline but he blocks a punch and slams Slater. Clay with a punch to the midsection and then hits a running knee lift. Slater with a kick and punches. Clay catches Slater and then hits a T-Bone Sheeeplex.
From out of nowhere, Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal attack Clay and the referee calls for the bell.
Winner: Brodus Clay (by disqualification)
After the match, Slater, Mahal, and McIntyre attack Clay. Drew and Jinder with a double suplex while Slater hits a sliding clothesline. Drew hits the Future Shock DDT and then Mahal applies a camel clutch.
We go to commercial.
We are back and remember that Jerry Lawler will be interviewed Monday night on Raw.
Match Number Six: Santino Marella versus Antonio Cesaro (with Aksana) in a Non Title Match
Santino tries for a drop toe hold but that doesn’t work. Cesaro with a kick and European uppercut followed by a deadlift side salto. Cesaro with a cravate and Santino with punches and a forearm. Santino with a split and hip toss followed by a diving head butt.
Santino goes for the cobra and Aksana gets on the apron and the cobra is more interested in Aksana’s flesh than Antonio’s. Antonio hits Santino from behind and then Antonio with a knee and he removes the cobra from Santino’s arm.
While the match continues, Aksana reaches for the cobra and Antonio hits the ropes and Aksana falls into the ring and the referee checks on Aksana. Antonio with Swiss Death but the referee was busy dealing with Aksana and the referee misses the count. Antonio yells at Aksana and then Santino gets the three count after a rollup.
Winner: Santino Marella
After the match, Aksana checks on her injured leg and Cesaro is fuming over the loss.
Cesaro gets on the mic and he tells Aksana that he is thinking of something in five languages. He tells Aksana that they are finished.
We go to commercial.
We are back for the main event and the other tag teams in the company are around ringside to act as de facto lumberjacks.
Match Number Seven: Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow versus Daniel Bryan and Kane
Cody and Kane start things off and Kane sends Cody into the turnbuckels and Kane with punches. Kane with a head butt followed by a forearm. Cody tags in Sandow and Kane doe not wait for Sandow to get into the ring and he hip tosses him in. Kane with punches and a short arm clothesline and gets a near fall. Kane with a snap mare and drop kick to Sandow.
Bryan tags himself in and they argue. Bryan with a drop toe hold on Rhodes followed by Kicks of No to the chest. Bryan with a drop kick to Rhodes and Bryan gets a near fall. Bryan refuses to make the tag and Cody sends Bryan into Kane. Cody hits Beautiful Disaster and gets a near fall.
Sandow sends Kane into the ringside barrier to further isolate Bryan. Sandow tags in and he connects with forearms and kicks to Bryan. Rhodes tags back in and he kicks Bryan in the ribs. Rhodes with punches to Bryan and then he applies a hammer lock but Bryan with elbows. Both men go for cross body presses and both men go down.
Sandow and Kane tag in and he punches Sandow. Sandow is sent into the turnbuckles and Kane with punches. Sandow with punches of his own. Kane with a kick to the midsection followed by a DDT. Kane sets for the choke slam but Sandow with elbows to escape. Kane is able to reapply the hold and hits a choke slam but Cody hits Kane in the back with a chair.
Winners: Daniel Bryan and Kane (by disqualification)
After the match, Rhodes tries to hit Kane again but Bryan takes the chair. Kane with an uppercut to Rhodes.
Bryan holds the chair and he wants to hit Rhodes with it but he sees Kane and he gives the chair to Kane. Kane appreciates the gift and he hits Rhodes in the ribs and back with the chair.
Bryan brings a chair into the ring and they smile before Bryan hits Sandow with the chair. Kane and Bryan alternate on Sandow.
Once they finish Kane throws down the chair and he goes after the teams on the floor. Kane throws the Usos into the ring and Bryan hits both of them with chair shots. Titus O’Neil is next followed by Darren Young. Tyson Kidd and Justin Gabriel do not miss out on the chair shots. Kane and Bryan lay waste to everyone else in the ring.
Kane takes the title belts and he gives one to Bryan. They hold their chairs and belts above their heads as we go to credits.
2012 - SHINE held their third iPPV. Richard Trionfo filed the following live report:
Welcome to PWInsider.com’s live coverage of SHINE 3 from the Orpheum in Ybor City, Florida.
Our hostess for the evening, Daffney is in the ring as the show begins. She introduces herself for those who do not know her.
Match Number One: Santana versus Sienna Duvall
They lock up and Sienna works on the wrist and arm. Santana rolls through to reverse but Sienna with a knee and Irish whip. Santana with a float over and arm drag. Santana with a modified octopus on Sienna but Sienna makes it to the ropes. Santana continues to work on the arm as she takes Sienna to the mat. Sienna makes it to the ropes and Santana releases the hold.
Sienna sends Santana into the ropes and Sienna with forearms to the back and then she stretches Santana in the ropes and connects with crossfaces to the throat. Sienna with a drop kick to the back and Santana falls to the mat. Sienna gets a near fall. Sienna with a kick to the ribs followed by a clothesline and then Sienna celebrates in the ring.
Sienna turns her attention to Santana’s back and drops onto the back. Sienna with a camel clutch. Santana thinks about tapping out but Santana fights through the pain. Sienna drops Santana to the mat and then kicks her in the ribs. Sienna with a body scissors and she adds forearms to the back. Sienna with a seated Dragon Sleeper and she rakes the abdomen with her fingernails.
Sienna turns it into a full nelson but Santana gets to her feet. Santana escapes the hold and gets a near fall with a rollup. Santana with a clothesline followed by a drop kick and side Russian leg sweep for a near fall.
Sienna sends Santana into the turnbuckles and then hits a running clothesline into the corner and hits a bulldog coming out of the corner but Sienna can only get a two count. Sienna with an Irish whip but she runs into a boot. Santana goes to the turnbuckles for a cross body but she can only get a two count. Santana with a running boot to the head.
Santana with a handspring moonsault for the three count.
Winner: Santana
Match Number Two: Leva Bates versus Kimberly
In continuing with her theme of wearing different outfits for each show, Leva is dressed as a character from the Walking Dead.
They lock up and Kimberly with a side head lock take down. Leva with a head scissors but Kimberly bridges and escapes into a single leg crab. Leva with a knee bar and she turns it into a single leg crab of her own. Kimberly with a knee bar. Leva with another knee bar.
Leva with a hammer lock but Kimberly with a reversal. Leva with a drop toe hold and then she reads Kimberly her rights. Leva with an Irish whip and Kimberly floats over and kicks Leva.
Kimberly grabs Leva’s gun and tries to use it but it does not work. Leva with an arm drag into an arm bar. Leva rides Kimberly like a horse but Kimberly gets to her feet and she runs Leva into the turnbuckles to get out of the hold. Kimberly with shoulders in the corner.
Kimberly chokes Leva in the corner and then she kicks Leva in the midsection. Kimberly with a giant swing and then she biels Leva by the hair. She biels Leva to the other side of the ring by her hair.
Leva with a sunset flip for a near fall. Kimberly tries for a sunset flip but Leva stays on her feet and then she drops down and gets a near fall. Kimberly with a spinebuster for a near fall. Kimberly with a suplex for a near fall and she starts to show from frustration over the multiple two counts.
Kimberly tries for a punch but Leva blocks it and chops Kimberly in the upper chest. Leva with a series of round kicks and a back heel kick. Leva misses a kick and ends up doing a split. Leva with a swinging neck breaker for a near fall. Kimberly tries for a slam but Leva with an inverted DDT for a near fall. Leva covers Kimberly but Kimberly rolls through and gets a near fall. Kimberly gets Leva on her shoulders for the Air Raid Crash and she hits it but only gets a two count.
Kimberly runs into boots from Leva and Leva with a shot to the midsection. Leva goes up top and hits a knee to the back but Kimberly is able to kick out at two. Kimberly with a punch to the midsection and she gets Leva up for a shoulder breaker. She misses a clothesline and Leva with a super kick for the three count.
Winner: Leva Bates
Match Number Three: The West Coast Connection (Tracy Taylor and Su Yung) versus Rainbow Bright (Gabby Gilbert and Luscious Latasha)
Yung and Gabby start things off and they go for a Greco Roman Knuckle Lock but instead they do the wave. They try again and they are still in a dancing mood. They try a third time and Gabby with a waist lock but Yung with an arm drag. Latasha tags in and so does Taylor.
Taylor with a waist lock take down after she gets tired of Latasha’s dancing around the ring. Taylor with a front face lock into a wrist lock. Latasha with a reversal but Taylor with a reversal of her own. Taylor with a La Magistral for a near fall. Taylor with a front face lock and a single leg take down into a step over toe hold. Latasha with a rollup for a near fall.
Yung tags back in and she gets a near fall with a rollup. Taylor tags back in and she uses the ropes for extra leverage on an arm drag. Yung with an arm drag as well and Tyalor with another arm drag. Taylor with a Hawaiian surfboard on Latasha. Taylor tries for a Boston Crab but she cannot turn Latasha over.
Latasha with a reversal and Gabby is tagged in. Gabby with a double sledge and wrist lock. Gabby continues to work on the arm and takes Taylor down with a firemans’ carry. Taylor with a head scissors but Gabby escapes and she tries for an ankle lock and then she gets a near fall.
Latasha tags back in and they hit a double drop toe hold and a double drop kick to the head and Latasha gets a near fall. Latasha with a rear chin lock and snap mare followed by a drop kick to the head and she gets a near fall on Taylor.
Gabby tags in and she connects with a double sledge to the midsection. Taylor with an arm wringer and she gets a near fall. Yung tags in and she gets a near fall with a rollup. Taylor tags back in and Taylor works on the wrist and applies an arm bar. Yung tags back in and they connect with a double snap mare and Yung gets a near fall. Yung stretches Gabby and then applies a Boston Crab. Gabby makes it to the ropes and Yung releases the hold.
Gilbert and Yung exchange near falls and Latasha tags in. Latasha with a cartwheel and splash into the corner. Gabby tags in and she hits a running splash into the corner. Latasha tags in and hits a drop kick into the corner and gets a near fall. Both ladies try for a cross body and both go down.
Taylor and Gabby tag in and Taylor with forearms to the head. Taylor gets a near fall. Taylor with a version of the Rough Ryder for a near fall. Latasha breaks up the cover but Yung takes care of Latasha. Yung with a boot to the back and Taylor gets the three count.
Winners: West Coast Connection
Match Number Four: Taylor Made (with Allysin Kay and April Hunter) versus Greek Barbie
Barbie and Taylor have something to say before the match. Taylor with an Irish whip but she misses a charge into the corner. Barbie with a kick and snap mares followed by a sliding clothesline. Barbie with forearms to Taylor followed by an Irish whip and running back elbow. Barbie with a Samoan drop for a near fall. Barbie with more foreams but Allysin and a April grab her legs.
Taylor with a kick and neck breaker for a near fall. Taylor slams Barbie’s face into the mat. Taylor distracts the referee and that allows Allysin and April to double team Barbie. Taylor with kicks and a slam for a near fall. Taylor with an Irish whip and running clothesline into the corner.
Taylor with a forearm and boot to the back. Taylor with an Irish whip and then she face washes Barbie. Taylor with a baseball slide to the hamstring for a near fall. Taylor argues with the referee for a moment and then she returns her focus to her opponent. Barbie with a rollup for a near fall. Taylor with a drop kick to Barbie for a near fall. Taylor chokes Barbie and the referee warns her.
Taylor with a forearm and punch but Barbie with a kick. Taylor with kicks of her own and a kick to the back of the head. Taylor with a sleeper. Barbie with an elbow and then she hits a pump handle slam but Allysin and April pull Barbie out of the ring. The referee does not see the attack on the floor but Barbie fights back and takes care of Hunter and Kay. Taylor misses an elbow and Barbie with a few flying clotheslines.
Taylor with a spinning Greek Hammer followed by a kick to the head. Barbie with an overhead T-Bone suplex but April gets on the apron and distracts the referee. Allysin with a Samoan drop and Taylor makes the cover for the three count.
Winner: Taylor Made
Daffney is in the ring and she talks about the women’s wrestling legends that they are going to celebrate tonight. Daffney introduces Lexie Fyfe. She asks for the Legends to come into the ring.
The first person to be honored is Sabrina. The next person honored is Diane Von Hoffman. The next legend honored is Joyce Grable. The final honoree is LeiLani Kai.
Lexie thanks everyone for coming tonight for this ceremony. She talks about how she learned a lot from these women. She thanks everyone for paving the way for women’s wrestling today.
Mercedes Martinez comes out and she tells them to get out of her ring and she is tired of hearing them while she waits in the back for her match. Mercedes asks for a motorized scooter to get these women out of her ring.
Daffney stands between Mercedes and the legends.
Match Number Five: Mercedes Martinez versus Jayme Jameson
Mercedes with forearms and punches but Jayme with punches to Mercedes with a super kick and kicks in the corner. Mercedes puts Jayme in the tree of woe and hits a missile drop kick. Jayme with punches to Mercedes followed by punches and shoulders.
Jayme chokes Mercedes in the corner and kicks her. Jayme with sit out power bomb for a near fall. Each women takes the other down by the hair.
They exchange forearms and punches with Jameson getting the advantage. Mercedes gets Jayme on her shoulders for a Death Valley Driver but Jameson kicks out at two. Mercedes tries to get Jameson up but Jameson blocks it. Jameson with a snap mare driver for a near fall.
Jameson with forearms and punches to Martinez. Jameson tries for a butterfly suplex but Martinez blocks it and then Martinez with a spinebuster for a near fall.
Jazz emerges from the back to watch and Martinez tries for a fisherman buster but Jameson counters with a rollup for the three count.
Winner: Jayme Jameson
After the match, the legends have something to say to Martinez.
Match Number Six: Jessicka Havok vs. Mia Yim
Yim with a series of near falls to start off the match followed by arm drags and a cross arm breaker. Havok gets to the ropes and Yim releases the hold. Yim with a head scissors take down but Havok with a back heel kick and a round kick followed by a running boot to the head.
Havok with another kick to the head and then she chokes Yim but Yim is under the ropes. The referee warns Havok. Havok chokes Yim in the ropes. Havok with knees to the head followed by a back breaker and she keeps Mia on her knee. Havok with head butts to Yim but Yim with punches to the leg.
Havok with a shot to the head. Yim with a rollup from a wheelbarrow for a near fall. Havok with another kick to the head and she puts Yim in a camel clutch. Havok pulls Yim by the hair and tells Yim that she does not respect her any more. Havok with a shoulder in the corner.
Yim with an ankle lock on Havok and she kicks Havok in the back. Havok chokes Yim in the corner. Havok with a snap mare and kicks to the back. Havok with a rear chin lock. Havok with a full nelson and back breaker. Havok with forearms in the corner and he misses a splash into the corner. Yim with a series of Yakuza Kicks followed by a cannonball into the corner for a near fall.
Yim with kicks followed by a German suplex for a near fall. Havok with punches and she gets a near fall. Jessicka runs into a knee and then Mia with a tarantula in the corner. Mia misses a missile drop kick and Havok with a kick to the midsection. Havok with a bear hug and she runs Mia into the turnbuckles.
Havok misses a forearm into the corner and Mia with a drop kick into the corner for a near fall. Mia with kicks to the head. Havok with a clothesline but Mia avoids it and she goes into the ropes. Havok goes through the ropes to the floor. Mia goes to the apron for a running kick to the chest. Mia goes up top for a moonsault and they return to the ring and Mia gets a near fall.
Mia goes up top again but misses a corkscrew splash. Havok with the Air Raid Crash for the three count.
Winner: Jessicka Havok
After the match, Havok puts Mia in a cross arm breaker and eventually releases it, but she is not done. She goes to the floor and gets a chair but Yim and the referee know better.
Match Number Seven: Allysin Kay (with Taylor Made and April Hunter) vs. Christina Von Eerie
April and Taylor distract Christina and Allysin gets a near fall with a rollup and uses the ropes. The referee shows Allysin what she was doing. Allysin pie faces Von Eerie twice and then she apologizes. Von Eerie hits Kay in the face and follows it with kicks. Kay rolls Christina into the corner.
Von Eerie with a waist lock and near fall. Von Eerie with a head scissors. Allysin with forearms and Von Eerie with a waist lock and then she applies a cross arm choke on Kay and gets a near fall. Von Eerie with a head butt. Von Eerie gets on Allysin’s shoulders and Kay drops Christina on the ropes. Kay with a Northern Lights suplex.
Kay gets a near fall and then she kicks Von Eerie in the back. Kay sends Von Eerie into the turnbuckles. Kay with a hard Irish whip and then she sends Christina into the turnbuckles and chops her. Kay with another hard Irish whip and then she gets a near fall. Kay with a series of face washes to Von Eerie followed by a forearm.
While the referee is distracted by Kay, Von Eerie is attacked by Hunter and Taylor. Kay blocks a handspring back elbow and hits a German suplex for a near fall. Kay with forearms and then she applies a cross arm choke on Christina. Kay sends Christina to the mat and then she slams Christina’s head into the mat.
Hunter slaps Christina when the referee is not looking. Kay with an Irish whip but she misses a charge into the corner. Von Eerie tries for a rana but Kay blocks it. Von Eerie eventually hits the rana. Von Eerie with a forearm into the corner followed by a knee. Kay catches Von Eerie and hits a fallaway slam.
Kay goes up top but Von Eerie recovers and hits an overhead belly-to-belly superplex and both women are down. Christina gets a near fall. Von Eerie with an enzuigiri followed by a drop kick to the head. Taylor distracts the referee when making the count. Christina knocks Taylor off the apron but Allysin with a belly-to-back suplex and bridge for the three count.
Winner: Allysin Kay
Match Number Eight: Jazz versus Rain
They lock up and Jazz with a wrist lock. Rain tries to get to the ropes but Jazz pulls her into the center of the ring. Rain makes it to the ropes and Jazz releases the hold. Jazz and Rain have some words over the proper pace for the match. Rain with a waist lock but Jazz with an arm drag. They lock up again and Rain works on the wrist. Jazz with a cartwheel and arm drag to escape. Rain backs into the corner and wants a breather.
Rain wants the referee to clean up some debris in the ring. They lock up and Jazz with a slam. Jazz wants Rain to get out of the corner but Rain says that Jazz is cheating. They lock up again and Jazz backs Rain into the corner and Jazz with an Irish whip and monkey flip out of the corner. Rain rolls to the floor and wants a time out.
Jazz joins in the count with the referee but Rain does get back into the ring but it is only to break the count and Rain goes back to the floor. Jazz follows after Rain, but Rain does not know it. Jazz with punches to Rain and then she tries for a splash against the ring post but Rain moves and Jazz hits the post with her shoulder.
Rain sends Jazz back into the ring and Rain with a boot to Jazz and then she starts to work on the arm. Rain slams the arm into the mat and then she gets a near fall. Rain with an arm bar and she adds extra pressure on the arm. Rain sends Jazz shoulder first into the ring post. Jazz with a kick and punch. Rain regains control with a shot to te arm and then she hits a shoulder breaker and gets a near fall.
Rain uses the ropes to work on the arm. Rain wraps the arm in the ropes until the referee warns her. Rain with a hammer lock and knees to the shoulder. Rain drives Jazz’s arm into her shoulder to add more pressure. Rain uses the ropes again and then hits a running boot into the arm. Rain sets for the Lotus lock but Jazz rolls back and gets a near fall.
Jazz with elbows to Rain to get out of the hold. Rain with a drop kick to the shoulder for a near fall. Rain with a leaping divorce court and she gets a near fall. Rain cannot believe that she hasn’t finished off Jazz.
Jazz with forearms and Rain fires back. They continue to exchange punches and forearms until Rain hits an arm breaker and gets a near fall. Rain puts Jazz on the apron and then tries to use the ropes to hyperextend the arm. Rain gets a near fall. Jazz with punches. Jazz with a suplex and she floats over and gets a near fall.
Rain with a key lock and she gets a near fall. Rain sends Jazz shoulder first into the post. Rain kicks Jazz in the shoulder and then rolls through into a guillotine choke with the hammer lock. The referee drops the arm twice and it goes down. He goes for the third one but jazz keeps her arm up and the match continues.
Rain with an Irish whip but she runs into a boot and uppercut. Rain with a rollup for a near fall. Jazz with jabs to Rain followed by a round house for a near fall. Jazz with forearms to the back and then she gets Rain on her shoulders but Rain counters with a rollup and she uses the ropes but the referee sees it and stops the count.
Jazz with an X Factor for a near fall. Rain with a jawbreaker and forearm but Jazz with knees to the back and Jazz with the elevated double chicken wing and she drops Rain to the mat.
Mercedes Martinez comes out and distracts Jazz for a moment. Rain misses a kick and Jazz applies the STF. Mercedes tries to help Rain by pushing the rope towards her but Rain has to tap out.
Winner: Jazz
After the match, Mercedes and Jazz have a staredown.
Lenny Leonard makes his way to the ring and he has an important announcement about SHIMMER and SHINE.
On October 19th, Saraya Knight will be at SHINE 4 to defend the SHIMMER title against Jazz.
Mercedes is not happy about this decision.
Jazz thanks everyone for coming to the show. She also thanks the legends who are here. If it wasn’t for these women, she would not be in SHINE. Jazz tells Mercedes that she will be the SHIMMER Champion at SHINE 4. Maybe if Mercedes wins a match, she might get a title match. She says that Mercedes goes after smaller opponents or people who cannot compete.
Thank you for following the live coverage of SHINE 3.
SHINE 4 will be on Friday, October 19, 2012 and will feature Jazz versus Saraya Knight for the SHIMMER World Title
2012 - TNA ran Winston Salem, NC. Charlie Johnson filed the following live report:
This was my first TNA show and I have to say that I was really impressed. They all worked hard and like they say on Impact, it's a special experience. Here are the results.
Ken Anderson beat Crimson.
Mickie James beat Gail Kim.
Magnus beat Samoa Joe.
Eric Young and ODB beat Robbie E and Robbie T.
Rob Van Dam beat Gunner.
James Storm and Jeff Hardy beat Austin Aries and Bobby Roode. Aries played off of the angle they did on Impact where he wants what Hardy has.
2012 - WWE ran State College, PA. Mike Ladd filed the following report:
In the opener, Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara beat Tensai and The Miz. Miz didn't like the outcome and complained on the mic. That led to an impromptu match where Rey beat Miz.
Layla beat Aksana.
Brodus Clay beat Heath Slater.
In a US Title match, Antonio Cesaro beat Zack Ryder to retain the belt.
Justin Gabriel beat Damien Sandow. That is not a typo.
Michael McGillicutty beat Dean Ambrose.
The main event was Big Show vs. CM Punk in a lumberjack match. Show won when Punk got DQ'd for using the title belt.
2013 - Retired professional wrestler Angelo Savoldi, who at one point was a minority owner in the WWF, passed away. PWInsider.com reported the following in 2013:
The Savoldi family, through the official Facebook for their promotion Wrestling on Fire, announced that Angelo Savoldi passed away today at the age of 99. At the time of his passing, Savoldi was the oldest living professional wrestler.
Born in April 1914, Savoldi began wrestling during the Great Depression as a way to make a living, working in the Northeast territory run by Jack Pfefer. He soon made his way to different territories.
As a heel, had several runs with the NWA Junior Heavyweight championship, defeating Irish Mike Clancy, Dory Funk Sr. and Ivan the Terrible (later known as Pampero Firpo).
Savoldi, nicknamed "The Vampire" was considered an awesome heel, especially when feuding with Danny Hodge. There was a well known incident where a fan decided to stab Savoldi as he returned to the locker room. In one of those "only in wrestling" stories, the fan turned out to be Hodge's own father, who had not been indoctrinated in how the business worked due to the secrecy of the time.
As Savoldi moved into the latter part of his career, he settled down in Parsipanny, NJ where he worked as an undercard talent for the WWWF. At one point, he was also a minority owner in the company. It was often said that if anyone knew all the skeletons in the WWWF's closet after all these years, it was Savoldi.
Savoldi also had a hand in training a number of wrestlers, including former NWA World champion Jack Brisco.
Later on The Savoldi family (Angelo and his sons Mario, Tom and Joe) would run a number of different promotions, including ICW (later IWCCW) and the current Wrestling on Fire promotion. A number of stars, including Taz, Tommy Dreamer and Little Guido had their earliest TV appearances with that promotion.
Savoldi was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in Amsterdam, NY in 2004. The previous year, he was awarded a lifetime achievement award by the Cauliflower Alley Club.
As recently as a few years ago, Savoldi had talked of writing an autobiography. How far that project got, if it even got started, is unknown.
Our deepest condolences to the Savoldi family and all of Angelo's friends and family on their loss.
WWE would pay tribute to Savoldi on their website and with a video retrospective on their programming.
2013 - EVOLVE ran their first (and to date, only) live event in Ridgewood, Queens. Mike Johnson filed the following live report:
Welcome to PWInsider.com's live, ongoing coverage of EVOLVE's debut in Ridgewood, Queens at the Guzman Sports Lounge featuring:
EVOLVE opened with Lenny Leonard introducing Matt Jackson, one half of the DGUSA Tag Team champions. Jackson took the mic said everyone came here to see Matt Jackson because he's the biggest name on this show. He said that he welcomed everyone to EVOLVE 39 or whatever it is, but also to the very first Young Bucks Invitational.
He said that he and Nick brought in the best tag teams in the world. He said that Nick isn't here because they travel the world and well, he didn't want to be here. He said that he's looking forward to singles action against Caleb Konley, someone he's been scouting but now he will get the Invitational started.
Los Ben Dejos (Cruz & Rios) vs. Chuck Taylor & Orange Cassidy
Los Ben Dejos were attacked and double teamed by Taylor and Cassidy early. They came back with some double team moves, working over Taylor. Cruz and Cassidy went back and forth. They then nailed a series of tag team moves, culminating in a springboard legdrop for another two count.
Taylor and Cassidy regained control. They draped Cruz on the ropes and Cassidy came off with a double stomp to the back as Taylor DDT'd him for a two count. Taylor and Cassidy were sent to the outside. Cruz hit a dive and then Rios hit a moonsault to the floor.
Cassidy and Taylor regained control. Cassidy hit a dive to the outside and then a headbutt off the top for a two count on Cruz. He tried to superplex Rios but was fought off and hit with a missile dropkick. Los Ben Dejos went nuts with all sorts of tag team combination moves for a two count.
The battle continued until Taylor hit his piledriver combination for the pin.
Your winners, Chuck Taylor & Orange Cassidy!
Matt Jackson complained none of them did a single superkick and said it was 2 1/2 stars at best. Taylor and Cassidy confronted him. Taylor said that they can't touch him because of the EVOLVE rules but he can take his star rating and his purple tights and shove them up their ass. He said they were coming to take the belts.
Caleb Konley hit the ring and told Jackson he wanted to go right now.
Caleb Konley vs. Matt Jackson
The crowd chanted "Superkick."
They went back and forth with some nice reversals early. Jackson caught him with a double palm thrust and tried for a superkick but it was blocked. Konley nailed a kneedrop for a two count. He began working over Jackson's arm.
Konley was backdropped over the top to the apron but ducked a Jackson kick. He kicked Jackson in the chin and came in with a springboard move for a two count. Konley chopped away at Jackson, which the crowd popped for.
Jackson sent Konley to the outside and he sailed over the rail to the front row. He struggled to get back inside the ringside area and was nailed with a superkick. Jackson nailed a kick out of the ring into Konley, snapping him back into the guard rail. Jackson brought him back to the ring, working him over and scoring several two counts.
Konley ducked a clothesline and nailed Jackson, then drilled one of his own for a two count. He hit a great tope suicida to the outside. He drilled Jackson for a two count.
They battled back and forth. Jackson nailed him with a superkick abnd a Buff Blockbuster off the top. Jackson went to the top and told Konley, "You're dead." He came down and drilled him with a superkick to the back of the head for another near fall.
They began exchanging forearms and chops. Konley nailed him in the back and hit a clothesline, followed by a Falcon's Arrow for a two count. They battled to the top, where Konley nailed a DVDR off the top for another two count.
They continued battling until Konley locked in a submission and forced Jackson to tap.
Your winner, Caleb Konley!
A really good match.
Out came the Bravado Brothers, who now sport better physiques and shorter haircuts. They called themselves the world traveled Bravados and they came back to win the Invitational and then the DGUSA Tag titles.
The Bravados vs. The Shard & Jigsaw
Shard and Jigsaw claimed they were the CHIKARA tag champs forever since the company has "closed." Jigsaw kept going "FOREVER!" like Terry Funk did during his retirement.
The Shard controlled Lancelot Bravado early. The Bravados made a comeback after Jigsaw was tagged in. Harlem hit a dive to the outside. He rolled Shard back in, but Jigsaw swept his feet out from under him. He worked over Bravado on the outside as the referee was caught up trying to keep the other one from leaving the ring to help.
The Shard and Jigsaw continued the assault. Shard began working over Bravado's ankle. Jigsaw and Shard tagged in and out working on the ankle. Bravado used a sunset flip to score a two count on Jigsaw, then tried to scramble for a tag. He was pulled away and back to the opposition, where Shard nailed a double stomp.
Jigsaw finally missed a running dropkick and took a bump out of the ring to the apron, then to the floor. The hot tag was made and Harlem worked over the Shard. He pressed and slammed Shard. Jigsaw returned to the ring but was drop-toehold'd into the buckles, then suplexed for a two count.
The battle went back and forth. Jigsaw held Bravado on his back for a Gori Guerrero Especial and Shard came off the top driving both knees int him. All four began battling in the ring. Shard was him with a head and arms suplex into Jigsaw in the corner.
Bravado sent Shard off the apron to the guard rail. He brought him into the ring and then came off the top. They all battled in the ring and wiped each other out. Bravado locked in a cross armbreaker on Shard, who turned it into a rollup. Jigsaw broke up the submission when Shard wasn;t going to be able to escape.
Bravado tossed Jigsaw to the floor. They doubled on Shard with some nice maneuvers but Jigsaw returned to break it up. Jigsaw and Bravado began chopping the hell out of each other. Jigsaw was nailed with a sitdown powerbomb for a two count. Shard hit the ring and began drilling one of the Bravados with kicks to the chest but the other nailed an enziguiri.
Jigsaw nailed a brainbuster on one of the Bravados. Shard superkicked him in the face as he was dropped down. Bravado kicked out at the last minute. The crowd thought that was the finish.
Shard was sent into Jigsaw and they worked over Shard, who kicked out at the last minute. They drilled Shard again and finally scored the pin.
Your winners, The Bravados!
Matt Jackson said that once again there were no superkicks from The Bravados. He then claimed Jigsaw and Shard won because they used "multiple superkicks." The Bravados warned Jackson they were coming for the belts.
Really entertaining tag match!
Earl Cooter vs. Brian XL
Cooter attacked XL as he entered the ring and worked him over. XL nailed a bodypress as he rebounded off the ropes for a two count, then nailed another.
XL nailed a slingshot senton off the apron, then tossed Cooter out of the ring. He nailed a dive to the outside. On the outside, XL chopped Cooter hard several times. The last one sounded like a shotgun and literally stunned me it was so hard.
Cooter nailed XL as he returned to the ring and nailed a flying clothesline for a two count. XL tried to small package him but Cooter kicked out and nailed a suplex, dropping XL across his knee. Cooter began ripping at XL's arms.
Cooter dropped a knee and choked XL on the mat. Cooter nailed a right hand. Cooter did this weird move where he ran XL into the ropes like a DVDR then tossed him over, snapping him down like a neckbreaker. XL returned to the ring, where Cooter worked him over. XL made a comeback with some stiff shots.
XL nailed a springboard splash into the ring for a two count. He went for a bodypress but was caught and nailed with a Fallaway Slam. Cooter nailed a quebrada for a two count. Cooter worked XL over in the corner and bulldogged him for a two count.
Cooter went for a belly to back suplex but XL landed on his feet and nailed a dropkick. He then hit a twisting springboard into a tornado DDT for the pin.
Your winner, Brian XL!
Larry Dallas came out with a new protege that he announced as Caleb Konley's new partner. He told the new protege Mike (I didn't catch the last name) to attack XL and destroy him. Mike said he;'s be fined and suspended. Dallas said he didn't care and would pay him to make it up. Mike attacked XL and worked him over as XL tried to wave them off like they were no one and leave. He beat down XL until an official came out to ward them off.
Style Battle: Four Way Elimination Match: Lince Dorado vs. Drew Gulak vs. Shane Strickland vs. Mr. Touchdown
Gulak and Strickland started with Gulak controlling the action early. Lince blind tagged himself in and he and Strickland went back and forth with a nice series of near falls and reversals. The crowd was really into this one and into Lince's cat like Lucha character.
Dorado used a bow and arrow and rolled up Strickland for a two count. The crowd is Meowing. Mr. Touchdown tagged in and rolled up Strickland. He cinched in a side headlock and shoulderblocked Strickland down hard. He cinched in an armbar but it was reversed. Strickland was backed into the ropes and nailed with a back elbow. Strickland regained control and worked over Football, who became flustered and tagged in Gulak.
Dorado tagged back in and the crowd was back to Meowing. Gulak was worked over for a bit but cut him off with some hard chops in the corner. Gulak missed a charge in the corner and was hit with a Lucha takedown. Strickland tagged in. He and Lince chopped the hell out of each other. Dorado nailed a reverse rana for a two count. The crowd was yelling "Meow" with every move like ECW fans would yell "Shah!" for Hack Myers.
Mr. Football tagged in and cleaned house on Strickland with some hard shots to the back. They battled over a suplex but Strickland turned it into a small package. Dorado tagged in and nailed a back senton splash on Strickland for a two count.
They went into a series of cool sequences and Strickland was eliminated. He had a good showing.
Dorado and Gulak went back and forth. Linde went for a moonsault but was caught and nailed with a spinning tombstone for a pin. So, Dorado, who got really over here, was eliminated.
Touchdown worked over Gulak with chop and went for a charge but was elbowed in the face. Touchdown caught him with a powerslam for a two count. They went back and forth with some nice sequences. Football nailed an over the shoulder powerslam.
Touchdown came off the top with a splash but Gulak pulled his knees up. Gulak locked him in a Boston Crab. Touchdown tried to make it to the ropes but was pulled into the center. Gulak let the move go but began kicking the hell out of him before cinching in an anklelock. Touchdown finally made it to the ropes.
Gulak chopped him hard several times in the corner. Touchdown returned the favor. Gulak nailed a charging headbutt in the corner as Touchdown was on the top. Gulak nailed a big superplex. Gulak rolled up Touchdown then pulled him into a Dragon Sleeper and scissored Touchdown's body. Touchdown gave up.
Your winner, Drew Gulak!
As an introduction for a lot of these players, it was excellent. Lots of really good wrestling plus Touchdown and Dorado's personalities really shined.
Style Battle Four Way Elimination Match: Josh Alexander vs. Biff Busick vs. Maxwell Chicago vs. Green Ant
Ant and Busick started out. They had some nice early exchanges after a feeling out process. Ant grapevined his legs and worked them over. Busick grabbed the ropes. Ant grabbed a leglock and he again grabbed the ropes.
Alexander tagged in and he and Busick went back and forth. They had a good exchange and Maxwell began mimicking their moves and asking the crowd if they saw him keep up with him. They were not enthused. They went after him but he tagged himself out.
Green Ant and Busick were back at it again, slugging it out and exchanging chops. Ant nailed an Olympic Slam, Busick tagged in Chicago by slapping him across the face. Ant began working him over in the corner with headbutts and chops. The crowd was into that big time after Maxwell's comedy remarks and silliness.
Ant shoulderblocked him down and pulled him into a sunset flip. Maxwell got out and nailed a neckbreaker, which popped the crowd since they were shocked he could do anything. Ant came back with a springboard missile dropkick but Busick tagged in while he was hitting the move. Busick locked in a Camel Clutch and Chicago screamed and quit.
Alexander hit the ring and stomped the hell out of Busick. Ant hit the scene and cleaned house with some kicks and a dropkick on the apron. Ant set up for a ove off the ropes to the outside but Busick cut him off. He powerslammed Ant.
Ant made a comeback and locked both of his opponents in a one legged Boston Crab. All three battled back and forth. Ant was nailed with corkcrew tombstone and pinned. The crowd did not like that one in the least.
Busick tossed Alexander with a Judo Throw. They went nose to nose and began chopping each other. Busick nailed a series of slaps and rebounded off the ropes. Alexander cut him off and nailed a slingshot suplex. Tully Blanchard is smiling. They are doing some pretty stiff work.
The crowd chanted for Green Ant. Busick went for a full nelson but he was shoved back into the buckles. They went back and forth. Alexander went for an armbar submission but Alexander slipped out and went for his tombstone. Busick reversed it but Alexander broke free and kicked him hard, then hit a German suplex for a two count.
They battled back and forth with some awesome exchanges and chops. Busick killed him with a running forearm that was just BRUTAL. Alexander battled back but was taken down and covered for a two count. Busick locked him in a sleeper choke and he submitted.
Your winner, Biff Busick!
Great stuff. Lots of awesome work from Busick and Alexander. Maxwell was fine as the comedic character he is meant to be and Green Ant was on fire.
So, tomorrow it will be Biff Busick vs. Drew Gulak, which based on their styles, should be AWESOME. The other competitors will be in a Freestyle.
Rich Swann & Ricochet vs. DGUSA champ Johnny Gargano & Trent Baretta
Swann vs. Gargano is set for tomorrow in Brooklyn. If Gargano's team wins tonight, it's a Loser Leaves Town bout for Swann. If Swann's team wins, it's a title defense for Gargano tomorrow.
Gargano says he's refusing to fight Swann because he loves him, so Baretta started the match. The crowd started singing "Why can't we be friends?"
Baretta shoulderblocked Swann down hard. Swann used some dazzling moves and superkicked him out of the ring, Swann played to the crowd, allowing Gargano to then attack him from behind. Baretta returned to the ring and drilled him. Swann made a comeback. He and Ricochet nailed some nice double team maneuvers.
Ricochet tied up Barettaand smashed his head into the buckles over and over. He then tied him up in different holds, trying to force a submission. Gargano hit the ring but ended up tied up on the mat, allowing Baretta to attack him.
Gargano and Baretta double teamed Swann. Gargano drilled him with an awesome dropkick to the back of the head. You can see that Gargano is really growing as a worker in this role. He reminds me a LOT of Chris Jericho. Baretta started acting like he was going to do this insane move then just kicked Ricochet in the gut.
Baretta cinched in a front facelock. Ricochet fought his way to his feet. He went for a tag but Baretta cut him off and leveled him with a lariat. Gargano held his legs out and Ricochet was drilled into his boots. He tagged in and worked over Ricochet.
He beat down Ricochet in the corner but was shocked when Riocchet fired back. They ended up both down. Baretta tagged in and cut off Swann to prevent him from making the tag. He then drilled Ricochet with a back suplex for a two count.
Gargano tagged back in but was cut off with an elbow as he charged. Baretta hit the ring but was tossed out. Swann was about to get tagged but was pulled off the apron by Baretta. Thestorytelling in this is awesome.
Baretta and Gargano pulled him back to their corner and trashed Ricochet. He finally laid them both out with a sequence that saw Baretta accidentally grab Gargano and then Ricochet nailed a neckbreaker that took them both out.
Swann tagged in FINALLY and hit a missile dropkick on both. He wiped out Gargano with a great dive. Ricochet and Baretta went back and forth. Swann returned to the ring and they double teamed Baretta with an awesome flurry of offense for a two count.
Ricochet went for a 450 splash but Baretta rolled out of the way. Ricochet landed on his feet but Gargano distracted him. Baretta took him out. They went into an awesome series of sequences, which the crowd was blown away by.
They began firing back and forth with forearms and chops. Baretta nailed a reverse piledriver after Gargano superkicked Ricochet but Swann broke it up at the last second.
Gargano battered Swann and spit on him. That woke up Swann who went face to face with his former partner and began beating the holy hell out of him. Swann unloaded with some massive chops. Gargano caught him and trapped him on his shoulders, allowing Baretta to nail a flying knee off the top into his face for a two count. Gargano was shocked he kicked up.
Gargano said, "I'm sorry Rich, I love you." and set him up to be decimated but Ricochet returned and drilled him with a big dropkick to te face. Ricochet hit a 720 on Gargano. Swann hit his standing 450 splash and scored the pin.
Your winners, Ricochet & Rich Swann!
Just an awesome tag match that was so ridiculously good, it was criminal there were only 100 or so fans here.
Swann will have a DGUSA Open the Freedom Gate title shot tomorrow.
Swann took the mic and asked everyone what they thought of the match. He said that now he's kicked his ass, he gets to name the stipulation. He said he knows the belt means the world to Gargano, so he doesn't need to add any stipulations. He said that he knows he can beat him and tomorrow he will. Great promo. Swann's charisma is better every time I see him.
EVOLVE champion AR Fox vs. Tony Nese with Mr. A & Su Young
Fox took the mic and said at the last DGUSA, he learned his lesson about the numbers game. He said that he can't put his hands on Young but he has someone who can. Out came Ivelisse Velez.
Young was really good with her reactions and with playing off the crowd. A is pretty much playing Big Bubba Rogers. They add a nice dimension to Nese's presentation.
Fox seemed a lot more confident with his charisma and with speaking on the mic than I've remembered him being. Those are good things.
They started out with some good, slow build wrestling. Fox eventually get the better of Nese, who powders out to the floor to catch a breather. They battle back and forth. Fox nails a pair of dives but when he goes gor the third, Young gets on the apron. He stops, then charges anyway. She screams and ducks as Fox sails over her with a tope con hilo. Cool spot.
They battle on the outside with Fox getting the better of the exchange. Nese is brought back into the ring and covered for a two count. Fox nailed a springboard twisting splash for a two count.
Fox places Nese on the top and prepares for a move but Young distracts the referee. Nese goes to the outside. Fox rebounds off the ropes for a move but A pulled him out and gives him a spinbuster into the apron. Nese works him over on the outside.
Fox is tossed back in the ring and Nese scores several two counts. Fox keeps going for big moves but Nese grabs the ropes to evade them. Fox goes for a cutter but is caught and suplexed rudely into the buckles. Nese works over Fox, who makes a comeback with a series of foream smashes.
Nese was caught in a twisting suplex and covered for a two count. Young covered him to prevent Fox from coming off the top. That allowed A to yank him off and Fox slammed his face into the buckles. Nese peppered Fox with forearms on the outside.
Nese rolled the champ back into the ring and cinched in a rear chinlock. Ivelisse tried to rally the champ. Nese kicked him in the face as he escaped. Fox came back with a great missile dropkick. He clotheslined Nese and sent himself through the ropes, skinned the cat and came back in with a kick to the face.
Fox continued to work over Nese, catching him with a modified bulldog for a two count. Nese went to the outside. Fox nailed a springboard into a 450 backsplash . Fox tossed Nese in and nailed a top rope splash for a two count.
Fox and Nese battled back and forth. Nese nailed a gutwrench sit down powerbomb for a two count. They made their way to their knees and battled back and forth. Nese nailed a palm thrust but was kicked in the face. He cut off Fox with a back kick but was kicked several times. Nese finally cut him off with a lariat.
Nese covered Fox for a two count. Nese worked him over with chops in the corner. Fox came off the ropes and drove Nese's face into his knee. He went back to the top for a 450 splash but Nese rolled out of the way. He nailed the Electric Chair on the champion for a two count.
Fox went for a Spanish Fly but was caught and suplexed down by Nese. Fox went to the top but was cut off by Nese and set up for a superplex. Fox fought him off and sent Nese to the mat. Fox missed the 450 splash off the top. Nese rolled him up for a two count.
Nese power-lifted Fox up and slammed him into the buckles for another two count. Fox caught Nese trying to come off the ropes and nailed a DVDR. He nailed the 450 but the ref was distracted by Young getting in the ring. Fox argued with the ref, allowing Nese to recover and nails DDT.
Finally Velez and Young began catfighting and rolled ut of the ring, They went to the back fighting as the referee followed and who could blame him. Velez ripped off Young's shirt and when she realized it, she ran to the back screaming.
Mister A went to the top to interfere but Fix nailed him. He drilled Nese and then nailed the Spanish Fly off the ropes, drilling A into Nese. Fox then covered Nese for the pin.
Your winner and still EVOLVE champion, AR Fox!
A fun main event to close a really good top to bottom show. Well worth checking the VOD iPPV out on this one folks!
2013 - Ring of Honor held a TV Taping in Philadelphia, PA. Josh Higham filed the following report:
ROH TV tapings
September 21, 2013
National Guard Armory
Philadelphia, PA
Pre-show:
Kongo defeats Dalton Castle with a splash.
Episode 1:
Adam Page defeats ACH after rolling through a cross body from ACH. Kevin Kelly on commentary alone.
Nigel McGuiness puts over the tournament semi finals at Death before Dishonor and announces a Champions vs All-Stars 8 man tag for Glory by Honor. If a champion is pinned, it triggers an automatic and immediate title match. Michael Elgin is the first name announced. Jay Briscoes comes out saying he's the real champ and he'll be cleared soon (by Chicago). Briscoe says he's done something Elgin hasn't done: beat Cole with the title on the line. Elgin comes out saying Briscoe didn't defend the title when Elgin was number one contender. Referees separate Elgin and Briscoe, but no physicality.
Nigel joins commentary.
Roderick Strong defeats Mike Mondo with the Gibson driver. Post match, Strong says he's done it all in ROH for the past ten years, and that he is Mr. Ring of Honor.
Marshall Law with Veda Scott comes out seeking justice from Outlaw Inc. Outlaw Inc win easily with a Steinerizer, breaking more of RD Evans' fingers, then call out reDRagon, who do not come out.
Matt Taven defeats Jay Lethal to retain the television title with the forward DDT. Lethal guerreroed his way to getting Truth Martini and the hoopla hotties ejected from ringside. But Martini and the hotties return to celebrate post match. Martini said Taven will go down as the greatest tv champion in history.
Episode 2:
Mark Briscoe defeats Tadarius Thomas with the froggy elbow. Fun capoeira/redneck Kung fu sequences.
Adam Cole cuts his championship promo, talking about Briscoe and Elgin. Elgin comes out, but Cole escapes until met by Briscoe at the entrance ramp. Briscoe and Elgin tug-o-war with the belt until Nigel takes it back and returns it to Cole.
Michael Bennett and Maria defeats Brutal Bob Evans and Cheeseburger. Bennett pins Burger after a TKO. Bennett cuts a promo, being proud of ending BJ Whitmer's career with the best pile driver and saying he'd end Cheeseburger's career. This brings Kevin Steen out, saying Bennett's lying, that Bennett was crying like a bitch the night he hurt Whitmer. That caused Maria to slap Steen, and security tries to pull the two men apart.
Corino tries to take a spot at commentary, but Todd Sinclair ejects him. Corino grabs a mic and heads in the ring. Corino claims to be a family man and needs this job, a job he's earned, trying to get Nigel to honor the contract he signed. Corino hugs Kevin Kelly as he leaves.
reDRagon retains the Tag Tram Championship, defeating Forever Hooligans and C&C Wrestle Factory with O'Reilly pinning Koslov. Outlaws Inc hit the ring, trying to break Fish's finger, but O'Reilly pulls him to safety.
Episode 3:
Jimmy Jacobs defeats Silas Young. Before the bell rang, Young cut a long promo on Jacobs and Philadelphia. As soon as the bell rang, Jacobs hits the spears and gets the pin.
Davey Richards pins Ricky Marvin. Really good match.
Eddie Edwards pins Kevin Steen with a jackknife cradle. Before the match, Michael Bennett attacked Steen and hit him with a pile driver. Steen yelled at Todd Sinclair to start the match. After the match, as referees were attending to Steen, Bennett attacked again. As Bennett was leaving, Edwards tossed Bennett back to the ring where Steen hit Bennett with the package pile driver. As fans chanted one more time, Edwards hit Bennett with another package pile driver.
Kevin Steen closed the show putting over Eddie Edwards, saying Edwards never calls himself best in the world, so Steen will say it for him.
Notes and thoughts: Attendance dropped off significantly from Death before Dishonor. The bleachers were closed, putting my estimate in the 400-500 range. A lot of the wrestlers were still wearing their NoH8 temporary tattoos from the photo shoot earlier in the day. I was a little annoyed they didn't announce the other three All Star competitors for that eight man tag at Glory by Honor.....Ring of Honor returns to the National Guard Armory on February 22, 2014 for the 12th Anniversary Show.
2014 - WWE broadcast the 2014 Night of Champions PPV. Mike Johnson filed the following PPV report:
Welcome to PWInsider.com’s WWE Night of Champions 2014 PPV coverage! Thank you for logging in and joining us tonight.
Kickoff Show
The panel is Renee Young, Big Show, Alex Riley and Booker T. Young welcomed us to the panel and the PPV and noted the late breaking news that Roman Reigns underwent emergency surgery yesterday and would not compete tonight.
They went right into a video feature on WWE World Heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, showing his dominance in the company.
When they returned, the panel discussed the John Cena vs. Lesnar bout at Summerslam. They used some boxing/MMA- lie factoids from the first match, noting Cena was only on offense for a little over a minute in their last match and was on the mat over 11 minutes.
The panel talked about the title match, then Tom Phillips in the social media lounge discussed what fans felt about the main event.
They aired a video package about Rusev vs. Mark Henry.
Big Show said Mark Henry was going to show Rusev some good old-fashioned American justice. Booker said that you can't sleep on Rusev as he's laid out everyone he's been in the ring with.
They recapped the issues between the Chris Jericho and Randy Orton, then discussed the WWE Intercontinental championship bout between The Miz and Dolph Ziggler. They talked about the U.S title bout as well.
Backstage, Booker T interviewed Goldust. They talked about their old tag team and joked around. Goldust then got serious and said the old Goldust is gone. Booker looked disturbed. Stardust showed up and did his entire deal, promising the “cosmic key” (The WWE Tag Team titles) would be theirs tonight.
The panel discussed the WWE Divas championship situation. AJ Lee was interviewed by the panel. She said that her boss Stephanie can throw anything into the match but she’s going to get that she gets what belongs to her. She then looked into the camera and addressed Paige, saying tonight would be the last time that she would hold what rightfully belongs to her. She was asked about Nikki Bella. She said, “Nikki has a big bark. I bite.” She skipped off.
After another visit to the social media lounge, they ran a breaking news piece on Roman Reigns. They had a video of Roman in his hospital bed where he talked about calling 911 because of the pain in his abdomen, which was due to his incarcerated hernia.
They aired a great video on the Cena vs. Lesnar main event.
It was time for The Peep Show with Christian. He brought out Chris Jericho. They went back and forth taking shots at each other over who was in charge of their former tag team. Christian mocked his clothes. Christian said that Jericho has his hands full with Randy Orton tonight. They showed the attack from Raw where Orton jumped Jericho in the training room.
Christian said that Orton’s issues with Jericho is that Jericho is everything Orton isn’t, noting that Orton is HHH’s lapdog. Orton, on the screen, showed up and said some really lame lines knocking the two. He said he beat Christian so bad, he can’t compete anymore. He said when he was done with Jericho, the only TV show he will be able to star on is Total Divas. Wow, that was lame. Jericho knew it as he said Orton would be starring in Total Jackasses and said Orton told some lame jokes. He went into Y2J promo mode ripping on Orton and promising that he would take out Randy. The Jericho promo was fun. Everything else? Eh, not so much. Orton’s verbiage was BEYOND forced. They need to let these guys and girls talk like real people because the verbiage doesn’t even sound like anything anyone would ever say in legitimate conversation, much less competition.
WWE Night of Champions PPV
After WWE did a great video on the WWE championship, fireworks went off and we went right into the action.
WWE Tag Team champions The Usos vs. Goldust & Stardust
They showed footage of the Dust Brothers taking out Jey’s knees. The announcers noted that he says he’s 100% tonight.
Goldust and Jey locked up. Goldust was backed in the corner and nailed with a series of right hands. Stardust tagged in but was controlled with several slams. The Usos used a double team Hotshot on Stardust. Jimmy locked on an armbar but was backed into the Dusts’ corner. The referee was distracted, allowing Goldust to nail a right hand.
Goldust tagged in and whipped Uso hard into the buckles. They controlled Uso as they tagged in and out. Jimmy Uso finally was able to stop himself during an Irish whip and nailed a right hand on Goldust. He scored a two count. Goldust went to the outside. Uso jumped on the guard rail and hit a dive on Stardust. Goldust grabbed him and drilled him on the floor.
Goldust tossed Jimmy back into the ring for a two count. They continued working over Uso, who tried to fight his way out, only to be caught and taken back down. Some fans were chanting, “Cosmic Key.”
Uso finally nailed a jawbreaker on Stardust. He staggered into the corner, where Stardust missed a charge. Goldust tagged in but was tagged with an enziuiri. Jimmy finally made the hot tag to Jey, who exploded with several clotheslines and right hands.
Jey went for a back suplex but Stardust landed on his feet. Jey caught him in the corner and began beating his hamstring and knee. Jimmy nailed a dive to the outside on Goldust. Jey nailed a flying bodypress on Stardust for a two count. He followed up with a Samoan Drop and nailed the back splash in the corner on Stardust, followed by a superkick on Goldust. Stardust attacked Jey from behind and nailed Crossrhodes for a two count.
Stardust tied up Jey in the ropes and slapped him. Jimmy went to unhook him but Stardust nailed him off the apron. Jey rolled up Stardust for a two count. The Usos hit a pair of dives on the Dust Brothers. Stardust finally was able to roll up one of the Usos and hooked the tights for the pin.
Your winners and new WWE Tag Team champions, Goldust & Stardust!
Good, athletic back and forth match. Some really nice action here.
Backstage, Byron Saxton interviewed WWE Intercontinental champion Dolph Ziggler and R-Truth. Ziggler said he isn’t a movie star but has the best stunt double in the business (Truth) and that you can hardly tell them apart. That was sort of funny. He promised Miz would never work in this town again after mocking his acting stardom.
WWE United States champion Sheamus vs. Cesaro
They locked up but ended up in the ropes, forcing a clean break. Cesaro tried to out wrestle Sheamus but surprisingly, Sheamus countered and controlled the early action. They broke clean again and Cesaro slapped the champion. That fired up Sheamus who went after Cesaro. Cesaro was worked over but snapped the champion’s throat over the ropes.
Cesaro came off the ropes but Sheamus came back and mounted him with right hands. They ended up spilling over the top to the floor. Sheamus returned to the ring with a shoulderblock over the top for a two count. He went to the top but Cesaro pounced and nailed a big uppercut that sent him to the floor. Decent action so far.
Cesaro snapmared Sheamus over and cinched in a side chinlock, trying to wear the champion down. Cesaro turned it into a sleeper and Sheamus dropped to his knees. Cesaro worked him over but Sheamus nailed a belly to back suplex. Cesaro recovered first and went for a clothesline but missed. Sheamus nailed a series of his own and went for a move but was caught with a big clothesline as he rebounded off the ropes.
Sheamus nailed The Irish Curse for a two count, then drilled him with another backbreaker, only to see Cesaro kick out. Cesaro rolled outside to the apron but was caught and drilled across the chest with hard shots. Cesaro broke free and kicked Sheamus in the head. Cesaro went to the top but Sheamus cut him off and overpowered him, sending the Swiss Superman flipping forward into the ring for a two count. Good, physical bout.
Sheamus went for the the White Noise but Cesaro slipped out and nailed a big Uppercut. He called for the Neutralizer but Sheamus blocked it. Cesaro nailed a big kick to the head but was caught with an over the shoulder tiltowhirl backbreaker for another two count.
Sheamus psyched himself up and went for the Brogue Kick but missed and was rolled up for a two count. Cesaro nailed a Blue Thunder Bomb for a two count. Sheamus missed another Brogue Kick but was caught with a DVDR-like slam for another two count. Good stuff!
Cesaro began slapping the hell out of Sheamus but that only fired up the champion Cesaro nailed a series of kicks to the face and a right hands but Sheamus dared him to keep them coning, looking like a beast. Cesaro did but Sheamus hit an explosive Brogue Kick out of the corner and scored the pin.
Your winner and still WWE United States champion, Sheamus!
Really good physical back and forth fight. Cesaro lost nothing by losing here. Sheamus looked really good as well and you felt like both guys were fighting for something that was worth fighting for. Thumbs up.
Backstage, Mark Henry was pacing his locker room. Big Show showed up and asked him if he was ready. Henry said that you know he is. Show asked him if he knew what was on the line. Henry said the country was. Show said he’s got 318 million tag team partners tonight. He presented Henry with tights that featured the American flag and cut a good promo firing up Henry. Henry said that he was going to take out Rusev, because that’s “what I do!” Good segment.
Justin Gabriel interviewed country music stars Florida-Georgia Line. They are going to join the announcers on commentary. Cue all the jokes about guys being too “Southern.” They announced they were going to be part of Tribute to the Troops in December.
WWE Intercontinental champion Dolph Ziggler (with R-Truth) vs. The Miz (with Damien Mizdow)
The commentary was more about the music careers of Florida-Georgia line early on, so much that I was having flashbacks to Nitro with announcers talking about anything but what was going on in the ring.
There was some decent action early on, believe it or not. Miz took over and stomped on Ziggler. Miz locked in a side chinlock. Ziggler fought back but was whipped into the ropes where Miz drilled him with a knee to the mid-section that sent him up and over.
Miz continued to stomp away on Ziggler, controlling the match. Miz nailed a big right hand and scored a two count. He psyched himself up and began acting like a professional boxer, dancing around the ring as he nailed his strikes. Miz went for a right hand but Ziggler tagged him first. Miz cut him off and whipped him into the corner but Ziggler charged out with a nice clothesline.
They battled to the floor, where Miz was tossed into the guard rail. Miz was tossed into the ring but Mizdow nailed Ziggler on the floor. Truth went to help but Mizdow attacked him too. He began jawing with Florida-Georgia Line and they confronted him. Oh Lord. He told them to sit down and they shoved him on his ass. Truth chased Mizdow out of the Arena.
Ziggler nailed a big kick but Miz kicked out at two. Ziggler missed the Famouser so Miz locked in the figure four leglock. Ziggler was trapped in the center and almost pinned but pulled his shoulders up. He fought to turn the move and actually did a hell of a job trying to get to the ropes before finally doing so. Miz tried to capitalize but Ziggler kicked him off and scored a two count.
Ziggler called for Miz to get up. Mizdow returned and tried to interfered but was nailed off the apron. Miz rolled up Zigger and hooked the tights to get the pin.
Your winner and new WWE Intercontinental champion, The Miz!
The wrestling itself was fine but the focus on everything but the match and Damien Sandow again being treated like a joke really hurt this. I bet this was far better live than it came across on TV.
They recapped The Roman Reigns injury issues.
Out came Seth Rollins, dressed to wrestle and carrying The Money in the Bank briefcase. Rollins took the mic and said it was funny how life works sometimes. “One minute you are on top of the world and the next…you’re Roman Reigns.”
Rollins said that Reigns was scheduled to face him tonight but Reigns was rushed to the hospital. He said emergency surgery was no excuse for not showing up here tonight. He said that in the interest of fairness and justice, he was going to give Reigns ten seconds to come to the ring and face him. If there’s an angle for tonight, here it comes. You can hear people chanting for “Ambrose.”
Rollins had the referee ring the bell and Charles Robinson began counting out Reigns. He hit ten. They announced Seth Rollins was the winner via forfeit.
Rollins took the mic and said it’s not official until someone raises his hand. Robinson did and Rollins began laughing and smiling. Rollins said that he knows everyone is let down because he isn’t competing tonight. He said that he’s disappointed because of Roman Reigns because he’s not half the man that he believed Roman was. He said that Roman left him high and dry and left him having to make it up to everyone. He showed off the case and said he’s an opportunist, then said he was going to issue an open challenge.
He challenged anyone in the back to come out. No one did. He said that he was giving anyone a chance to compete with him. Backstage, a cab pulled up and out came Dean Ambrose. Big pop when he came out.
Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose
Business just picked up!
Ambrose went nuts and they began brawling. Rollins went over the rails into the crowd and they brawled up the Arena stairs. They brawled across the arena floor. Rollins cut him off and went for a piledriver but was backdropped on the floor.
Security hit the scene as they battled back towards the entrance ramp. Ambrose jumped off a digital sign after breaking free and wiped out security. Then he dove off the entrance stage on Rollins and they brawled back into the crowd. Ambrose clotheslined Rollins over the rail back inside the ringside area. He grabbed a steel chair but before he could use it, Jamie Noble and Joey Mercury tackled him.
Security jumped on Ambrose and handcuffed him with plastic ties as an angry Triple H showed up to direct traffic. Ambrose was carried out kicking all the way. Stephanie was also out there. Rollins was furious asking where Ambrose came from. Uh, the movie he was hired to do? Triple H and Stephanie escorted him to the back, raising his arms.
A fun brawl. I guess it’s a no contest? As a replacement for the Roman match, this was a lot of fun. Ambrose comes the closest of anyone since Steve Austin to bring a legitimate feeling of danger and frenzy with his physicality. Fun stuff!
Mark Henry vs. Rusev (with Lana)
Big pop when Henry’s music began. They had Lilian Garcia sing the national anthem, which got the crowd pumped and gave this an even greater “big fight” feel. Big pop when she was done.
Henry nailed Rusev with some hard punches and Rusev went to the floor to regroup. Henry maintained control and Rusev went to the floor again. It was definitely all Mark Henry early.
Rusev finally scored by drilling Henry into the ring steps on the floor. Back in thering, he killed Henry with an Avalanche in the corner and then a running back splash. He worked over Mark and locked in a camel clutch. Man, they should have the announcers outraged he is using Sgt. Slaughter’s move. That was turned into a side chinlock. Rusev (naturally) used the Side Russian Legsweep.
Rusev continued wearing down Mark Henry. Henry fought back to his feet and scored several clotheslines. He nailed a splash in the corner but was hurting. He went for a slam but his back gave out. Rusev hit a spinkick to take Henry down.
Rusev began working over Henry’s back and went for the Accolade. Henry suddenly realized what was going on and fought his way back to his feet before Rusev could nail it. Henry went for the sitdown powerbomb but Rusev raked his face. Henry somehow caught him coming and nailed the World’s Strongest Slam but his back prevented him from following up. Rusev rolled out of the ring before Henry could capitalize.
Henry grabbed at Rusev from the ring but was nailed with a thrust kick that sort of hit him. Rusev climbed up on the apron and nailed another kick. Rusev hit a charging thrust kick and cinched in The Accolade. Henry fought but quickly tapped out.
Your winner, Rusev!
The match was about what you would expect in terms of using Henry’s Olympian status as a way to build Rusev towards his eventual showdown with John Cena in the main events. This was built exactly as it should have. OK bout.
Rusev and Lana celebrated in the ring as the Russian flag dropped down.
JBL went into overdrive about how Henry let down the entire country and man, that was grating.
They plugged the 10/26 Hell in A Cell PPV and said there would be "at least one" HIAC match.
Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton
Jericho took it right to Orton at the bell with punches and shoulderblocks. The referee tried to separate them allowing Orton to nail Jericho. Jericho worked him over in a corner and then preened to the crowd. Jericho fired back with a series of chops but was shoulderblocked down. Jericho came back with a dropkick and clotheslined Orton over the top to the floor.
Jericho hit a baseball sliding kick to the outside and then smashed Orton into the Spanish announcer’s table. He tossed Orton back into the ring but was cut off. Orton whipped him into the corner and caught him with a clothesline against the turnbuckles. Jericho fought off Orton and went to the top but took too long and was nailed and crotched on the top.
Orton nailed a superplex and followed up with a…side chinlock? Yep, he did! Jericho fought back but missed a leaping charge in the corner and crashed over the buckles to the floor. Orton worked over Jericho on the floor and slammed him onto the top of the railing with a big backbreaker. He then hit a belly to back suplex on the announcers’ table.
Orton rolled him back into the ring and scored a two count. Jericho finally fought back and nailed several shoulderblocks and a leaping clothesline into a slam for a two count. Jericho stomped away on Orton in the corner but was caught with the snap powerslam for yet another near fall.
Jericho cut off Orton and went to the top. He came off with a double axehandle and bulldogged Orton. He went for a Lionsault but Orton got out of the way. Jericho, now bleeding from the nose, realized and landed on his feet but was caught with Orton’s patented backbreaker. He went for the RKO but was sent off and nailed with the Lionsault for a two count.
Jericho was cut off and set up for the hanging DDT off the ropes but escaped and went for the Walls of Jericho. Orton escaped and sent Jericho into the ringpost as he charged the corner. Orton set up for the punt kick but missed. Jericho rolled him up for a two then locked in the Walls of Jericho. Orton fought for the ropes but Jericho pulled him back out into the center of the ring.
Orton finally was able to counter and roll Jericho, sending him through the ropes. Jericho landed on his feet and went to return to the ring but was cut off and nailed with the hanging DDT off the ropes Orton played to the crowd, then set up for the RKO as Jericho tried to get to his feet. Jericho caught him out of nowhere with the Codebreaker and scored a two count. Good back and forth stuff.
Jericho scaled to the top rope. Orton caught him with the RKO as Jericho dove off and scored the pin.
Your winner, Randy Orton.
A very, very good back and forth match. Really top notch work here in the last third of the bout. Some awesome work at the end. They did a lot more playing to the crowd than usual, especially Orton and it added to the bout.
They aired a really good Paige video. So good that I wish they would have aired it on TV.
Brie Bella did a promo backstage. She said that Paige and Lee have the chance to do what she hasn’t had the chance to do yet, knock Nikki down a notch. She said Nikki was like karma, a bitch.
WWE Divas champion Paige vs. AJ Lee vs. Nikki Bella
Back and forth action early. Lee gained control nailing Paige and Bella on the floor. Paige tried to get off and offered her hand for Lee to kiss. Lee instead worked her over and nailed a big kick for a two count.
Paige caught her with a kick to the gut. Lee cut her off and went to the top but Nikki returned to shove her off and back into the ring. She covered Lee for a two count and then worked her over for another two count. Bella began beating Lee’s head into the mat but Paige attacked her and sent her to the floor.
Paige cradled Lee’s head in her arms then drilled her in the gut. She screamed, “Why don’t you love me?” and drilled Lee with a series of headbutts before beating her down with punches across the back. Paige awkwardly ran Lee to the ropes and nailed her with a series of kicks to the face.
Bella blasted Paige off the apron from behind and covered Lee for a two count. She drilled Lee with a knee for another two count. Bella slammed Lee down and covered her yet again. Lee fought back but was caught coming off the ropes with a bodypress. Lee turned herself into the Black Widow submission but Paige attacked them before Lee could get a tapout.
A frustrated Paige worked them over. She went for a superplex on Lee but Bella slipped underneath for a powerbomb as they did a Tower of Doom spot. All three were spent and exhausted. Lee rolled to the outside. Bella grabbed Paige for Shock Treatment and nailed it, but Lee broke up the pinfall.
Nikki nailed Lee and worked her over. Lee slammed her off the apron to the floor. Lee charged the ring and locked in the Black Widow. Paige countered it several times but Lee locked it back on and finally scored the submission.
Your winner and new WWE Divas champion, AJ Lee!
Solid match when the wrestling was allowed to shine but not a really smooth bout. I really liked the finish with the Black Widow counters. Bella taking the bump off the apron was a minor surprise. It was obvious the live crowd wanted to get Cena vs. Lesnar.
WWE World Heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar (with Paul Heyman) vs. John Cena
Lesnar overpowered Cena early and nailed German suplex. Cena fought back but was taken down and locked in a Kimura. Cena kept making it to the ropes. Cena fired back with a series of rights but Lesnar caught him with a German suplex. Lesnar suplexed him over and over but Cena’s shoulders weren’t on the mat so the referee wouldn’t count.
Cena nailed several hard shots but was beaten back down to the mat. Lesnar rolled Cena up and hooked the leg for a two count. Lesnar beat him in the corner with a series of shoulderblocks. Cena fired back with a series of right hands and backed up Lesnar against the ropes but was clobbered with a clothesline as he rebounded off the ropes.
Cena tried to attempt a single-leg takedown but Lesnar just beat him down with shots across the back. Lesnar grabbed a big hammerlock but Cena grabbed the ropes. Lesnar continued trashing him in the corner, then nailed an overhead belly to belly suplex for another two count.
Cena fired back with a series of strikes only to be cut off with a series of shoulderblocks. The story has been that no matter what Cena throws at the champ, Lesnar is such a beast he can absorb it and beat Cena down. Lesnar began drilling him with knees across the back.
Cena finally began putting some offense together with strikes and punches. He went for the AA but Lesnar slipped around behind and nailed a big Gernan suplex. Lesnar was bleeding from the nose after that last exchange. Lesnar nailed a series of shoulderblocks in the corner as WWE cameras closed in on a bruise around Cena’s kidney area.
Lesnar drove Cena hard into the buckles and nailed a series of shoulderblocks. Cena shocked Lesnar with the AA out of nowhere but Lesnar kicked up at two. Lesnar went for the F5 but Cena slipped out and locked on the STF. Lesnar fought out of it and locked on a Kimura. Cena refused to tap and powered his way to his feet and charged Lesnar into the corner. Lesnar refused to break it. Cena did it again and nailed Lesnar, which finally broke it.
Cena nailed the AA again and locked on the STF. Lesnar went for the ropes but Cena dragged him back to the center of the ring. Lesnar grabbed the ropes and Cena pulled him back to the middle and Cena locked it on again. Cena nailed the AA but Seth Rollins hit the ring, causing the DQ.
Your winner by DQ, John Cena!
Well, no one saw that coming.
Rollins nailed Cena with the case, sending him to the floor. He looked at Lesnar down on the mat and nailed the curb stomp, then told the referee he was cashing in. They announced Rollins was cashing in but the bell never rang.
Cena attacked Rollins and ran him off. Lesnar recovered and grabbed Cena from behind, then nailed the F5. Lesnar is still the champion. The show went off the air with a series of replays and Cena looking frustrated that he couldn’t get the job done.
2023 - Sukeban debuts. Mike Johnson filed the following live report:
Welcome to PWInsider.com's live, ongoing coverage of the Sukeban premiere event from Capitale in NYC.
PRE-SHOW NOTES:
Tonight's show will stream live on the promotion's Tik Tok channel at this link. Veda Scott and Sam Leterna will be the broadcast team.
The arena has been set up to feel like Shin-Kiba 1st Ring from Tokyo, right down to Sukeban branded pillows for fans to sit on at each level.
When fans entered the building, the lobby was decorated to look like a Japanese fair with free popcorn, drinks and snacks for everyone as they waited to enter the arena. The promotion did a great job setting this up.
The promotion has also some really high end looking posters, hoodies, shirts and Tote bags featuring the Sukeban logo as well as the logos of the different factions.
Speedball Mike Bailey is here working behind the scenes.
The promotion has a live DJ playing and mixing music. At one point, he played Faith No More and I was a very happy soul.
The legendary Vladimir the Superfan and Ringside Charlie are sitting front row.
AEW's Emi Sakura is here visiting.
Looks like about 750 fans here. They sold out within 90 minutes and then added some additional seats to their wait list, which we are told sold out within a minute of being released.
Since all the talents are portraying new personas for this promotion, I will likely do coverage using those names and after, go back in and denote which talents are portraying them.
The show began at 8 PM on the dot with a video feature explaining the promotion and the different factions.
The ring announcer came to the ring, announcing each faction as well as The Stray Cat.
SUKEBAN PREMIERE
Cherry Bomb Girls - Crush Yuu, Supersonic, Riko Blondie vs. The Vandals - Atomic Banshee, Otaku-chan, BINGO
The masked Supersonic started with Otaku-Chan, who grabbed a side headlocked and worked her over. Otaki sent her into the ropes and they criss crossed back and forth before Otaku hit an armdrag and they faced. Bingo and Riko tagged in but Riko was quickly tossed out. This led to Crush and Banshee hitting the ring. Crush used her might to fight off Banshee and finally took her down with a big kick. She controlled Crush but couldn't score the pinfall.
Supersonic and Riko quickly tagged in, working over Banshee. The crowd chante for Banshee to make the comeback and she finally nailed a DDT before crawling back to her corner. BINGO tagged in and rained down with right hands. The Cherry Bomb Girls attacked but BINGO tricked them into running into each other. She faced off with Crush and stomped her foot. She tossed Riko into her own partner and kicked her, making her give Crush a jawbreaker. BINGO scored a two count on Riko.
Crush tagged back in and unloaded hard with chops on poor BINGO. Oktaku-Chan, the smallest competitor, was going to step up to Crush but thought better of it. Everyone battled. Crush nailed Otaku-Chan with a back senton splash but somehow she kicked up, which got a big pop. Crush nailed one off the ropes and that was it.
Your winners, Cherry Bomb Girls - Crush Yuu, Supersonic, Riko Blondie!
This was a lot of fun.
Special Attraction Three-way Match: Saki Bimi vs. Queen of Hearts (Miyuki Takase) vs. KONAMI
KONAMI was a mystery opponent and NYC popped huge.
Lots of arm drag takedowns and near falls early on before they faced off to a round of applause. KONAMI grabbed Bimi in a camel clutch. Hearts added a Boston Crab, so it was a double submission. The crowd chanted for Saki. Heart and KONAMI double teamed Bimi, sending each other into the corner. Hearts nailed a snapmare and set up KONAMI to nailed a kick to the back.
They controlled Bimi for a long time, giving the crowd a reason to sympathize with her. Her opponents took turns giving her hair mares and tossing her across the ring, Hearts and KONAMI soon turned on each other, allowing Bimi to nail them with a double bulldog. The crowd popped and chanted for her - so simple but effective. Bimi cleaned house and placed Hearts across the top. She knocked her into the ring and came off the ropes with a Vader Bomb for a two count. Hearts came back with a big dropkick and locked on an abdominal stretch. KONAMI grabbed her in one, which allowed Bimi to slip around and locked them both in a submission.
They all started wailing away on each other with forearms. Bimi and KONAMI finally had enough and took out Hearts with a double boot. KONAMI offered Bimi a handshake but they turned on each other and began forearming each other. Bimi caught her with a big boot as she rebounded off the ropes. KONAMI came back with a great German suplex with a bridge for a two count. Bimi came back to lock her in a pendulum submission before dropping her to the mat. They went into a series of near falls.
Queen grabbed Bimi from the outside and called for KONAMI to nail her, but Bimi moved and Queen was knocked off the apron to the floor. Bimi tried to go for a powerbomb but was rolled up and pinned.
Your winner, KONAMI!
Super entertaining three-way.
The atmosphere and ambiance of the environment makes this so much fun live.
Special Singles Match: Midnight Player vs. Stray Cat
They had Stray Cat come out from one of the corners of the building, down a staircase, because she was a cat slinking around. The crowd chanted "Meow" at her.
Player had the early advantage but Stray Cat kept escaping. All I want to do is make Heathcliff references but I will prevent myself. Player ripped at her mask and eyes but Cat killed her with a hard kick to the mid-section as she rebounded off the ropes. Cat wailed away on Player in the corner. She drilled her with a roundhouse kick to the back and scored a two count.
Player came back and attacked her back and shoulders, working Cat over in a submission. Player drilled her hard with a chop across the chest. Cat came back with a hard forearm across the chest. They fired away at each other, with Player getting the better of Cat. The crowd chanted Meow, allowing Cat to make a bit of a comeback. They exchanged strikes but Car started to get the better with a series of karate style hits, scoring a two count. Player came back and booted Cat out of the ring to the floor.
Cat returned to the ring, where Player pounced on her, scoring a near fall. Cat came back with several kicks, almost scoring the pin. They battled until Cat spun over Player and cinched in an anklelock. Player fought her way out and nailed an inverted DDT but was too spent to capitalize. The referee began counting them down as the crowd rallied their favorite, the Stray Cat. Player nailed a Slingblade but Cat kicked out at the last second.
Player rebounded off the ropes but was caught with a spinkick to the side of the head and was almost pinned. Cat measured and drilled Player with a running kick to the head and scored the pin.
Your winner, Stray Cat!
They showed each other respect after the match.
A truly entertaining bout. They worked really hard.
Harajuku Stars - Maya Mamushi & Babyface vs. Dangerous Liaisons - Commander Nakajima & Lady Antoinette
They started fighting in the ring with the Stars whipped into each other but reversing it. Babyface nailed a bulldog on Lady A. Lady A and Nakajima sent Mamushi to the floor and doubleteamed Babyface, stomping away on her and choking her against the ropes. Nakajima sunk in a chinlock but was choking her. She scored several near falls before tagging in Lady A. A antagonized Manushi, so when she tried to hit the ring, the referee admonished her. This allowed Lady A to smack Babyface with a chain.
Lady A went for a head scissors but Babyface reversed it and made the tag. Mamushi came off with a bodypress but was immediately attacked by Nakajima and beaten in the corner. Mamushi made a comeback and drilled Lady A with hard kicks and forearms. She charged but the ref was pulled in front, allowing Nakajima to attack her from behind. Lady A choked and attacked, nailing a spinning slam for a two count. Nakanishi cut her off with a stomp to the stomach and kicked kicking away at her. She charged and nailed a boot to the face as Mamushi was caught on the ropes.
She finally missed and Mamushi made the comeback, or so it would seem, as A tripped her. Babyface had enough and attacked Nakanishi after Mamushi was pulled from the ring. She snapped an armbar on Nakajima. They battled to their feet where Nakajima nailed Babyface and went for the pin but Mamushi returned and broke it up. Nakajima hit a missile dropkick on Babyface off the top but again it was broken up. Lady A attacked Mamushi and choked her in the ropes. This allowed Nakajima to scored the pinfall with a fallaway slam into a bridge on Babyface.
Your winners, Dangerous Liaisons - Commander Nakajima & Lady Antoinette!
A really nice back and forth tag bout that told a story and got the heels over.
Out came Bull Nakano, who was never officially announced although we had reported she would be here. She was in full makeup and hair and came out with the Sukeban Championship belt, which was being revealed for the first time ever. She called for the mic and said hello to NYC and announced she was the Commisioner of Sukeban. it was her honor to present the World Championship and held up the title.
Main Event Title Eliminator: Countess Saori vs. Ichigo Sayaka
The winner will compete for the Sukeban World title at their next event. The date and location for that has not be announced.
They both played to the crowd, which allowed Countess to attack Sayaka from behind. She attacked and ripped at Sayaka, working her over in the corner and driving a knee into her back while poised against the ropes. Ichigo went to the floor, where Countess followed and worked her over around ringside. Countess dragged her by the hair and slammed her into the ring steps. Ichigo was out on the floor but made her way back to the ring where she just beat the countout but was immediately kicked in the head and flung across the ring by Countess.
Ichigo finally fired back and covered Countess, who slipped out at one and kicked her down, then began wearing down Ichigo's knees. She locked on a figure four in the center of the ring. The crowd clapped to rally Ichigo. Ichigo finally made it to the ropes. Ichigo fought back and charged with an elbow in the corner. She nailed a big legdrop for the pin. She locked on a Gory Guerrero Especial, trying to force a submission. Countess escaped and rolled to the corner. Ichigo screamed and charged, but Countess escaped and nailed a dropkick to the knee.
Countess went for a suplex but Ichigo blocked it. She nailed a forearm across the chest. They battled back and forth with near falls. Lots of damn good wrestling here. Countess went back to the figure four but Ichigo again made it to the ropes. Countess attempted another but was kicked off. They kept going back and forth until Ichigo seemingly scored the pin but Countess kicked out at the last second. The crowd was confused but they battled onward. Countess nailed a dragon screw legwhip. Ichigo scored the pinfall with a small package.
Your winner, Ichigo Sayaka!
With the exception of the 10 seconds where the referee accidentally counted three and called for the bell, this was really entertaining and good.
Commander Nakajima confronted Ichigo and attacked her. The locker rooms spilled out and brawled. Bull Nakano demanded they stop and announced they would face off at the next event.
The show ran 90 minutes bell to bell and was one of the most professional first shows I've ever seen. They ran a tight ship and the audience loved it.
2023 - Just days after Endeavor officially took over control of WWE, a number of WWE talents are released. Here is PWInsider.com's reporting from the day:
10:27 AM - Mustafa Ali, who has been working WWE NXT of late and has been advertised as facing Dominik Mysterio at the NXT No Mercy event on 9/30, tweeted the following: "I am longer working with WWE. I look forward to the future. Thank you, -Adeel"
10:54 AM - Tenille Dashwood announced she has been released by WWE.
11:21 AM - Aliyah, who has been with WWE since signing a WWE deal back in 2015, announced her departure from the company.
11:33 AM - PWInsider.com has confirmed the following releases:
Elias, who has been with WWE since 2014.
Riddick Moss, who signed a developmental deal in 2014 and came to the main roster in 2020.
Fightful.com is also reporting Rick Boogs and Top Dolla have been released.
12:09 PM - Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Dolph Ziggler is the latest name released by WWE, PWInsider has learned. Ziggler, real name Nick Nemeth, has been with the company since signing a developmental deal back in 2004. As one of the longest tenured talents in the company, this one would likely be one of the most surprising of the departures on paper.
12:13 PM - Shelton Benjamin announced his release from WWE.
4:23 PM - WWE NXT star Quincy Elliot has been released. Elliot announced "No Longer with WWE. Let the Celebration Begin." on his Instagram Stories. Elliot debuted for the NXT brand in 2022 and last wrestled this past August.
4:31 PM - WWE NXT talent Bryson Montana announced he has been released by WWE.
4:41 PM - PWInsider.com has confirmed the following three releases from WWE's main roster today:
*Former WWE 24/7 ChampionDana Brooke.
*Mansoor.
*Mace.
4:58 PM - WWE has released WWE star Babatunde aka Dabbo-Kato and Commander Azeez. Babatunde had been with WWE dating back to 2020. His lone main roster run was as Azeez, accompanying Apollo Crews. He also played the main antagonist Sampson in the WWE Studios film The Main Event.
5:01 PM - WWE has released Shanky, PWInsider.com has confirmed. Originally trained by The Great Khali in India, Shanky was signed by WWE in 2020 and assigned to the Performance Center for additional training. He was brought to the main roster in 2021 as part of the Raw brand but was later drafted to Smackdown. This year, he was brought back to the main roster as part of Indus Sher and recently worked the Superstar Spectacle in India, challenging GUNTHER for the WWE Intercontinental Championship.
5:04 PM - Yulisa Leon, a second generation lucha talent and the daughter of Bronco, has been released by WWE NXT, PWInsider.com can confirm. Leon was signed to a WWE developmental deal in February 2021 and made appearances on 205 Live and appeared on Smackdown this past May.
6:26 PM - Daniel McArthur, a WWE Performance Center recruit who had a UNC Track & Field background announced this afternoon that he has been released by WWE. On his Instagram Stories, McArthur wrote, "As of today, my journey with WWE has ended. It was a great journey and got to meet a lot of great people. Truly a blessing but now onto bigger and better thing! Stay tuned to what's next. Thank you to everyone who made my WWE experience amazing." McArthur was signed in June 2022 but had not made his official in-ring debut.
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