Chrononaut
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SUNDAY, JUNE 13, 2004 -- WWE BAD BLOOD
The pre-PPV Sunday Night Heat was hosted by Jonathan Coachman and Jim Cornette, who recapped the stories behind each match on the card for tonight's Bad Blood. During the broadcast, WWE Intercontinental Champion Randy Orton came down to the ring in a suit and tie and cut a killer promo about his Boiler Room Brawl this evening against Mankind. The Legend Killer recalled how he had been feuding with Mick Foley off-and-on for almost a year and claimed that he was ready to settle the issue tonight and move on to stake his claim as the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time. The third-generation superstar promised to finish what he started and would finally eliminate the Hardcore Legend in his own element: the Boiler Room Brawl. Orton stated that he had asked Evolution not to intervene, no matter what, so that he could prove his greatness to himself, to the paying customers ("key word: paying"), and to Mick Foley. (90%)
Following Heat, Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler welcomed viewers to WWE Bad Blood LIVE from Columbus, Ohio, and hyped the exciting lineup for this evening's pay-per-view before sending it up to ring announcer Howard "The Fink" Finkel in the squared circle.
World Tag Team Title/Triple Threat Match: Chris Jericho & Edge vs. Christian & Kane vs. Chris Benoit & Shawn Michaels [champions]
During the introductions, J.R. questioned the judgment of RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff in booking this championship contest when Shawn Michaels & Chris Benoit would be squaring off for the World Heavyweight Championship in the main event, but Lawler responded that it was their duty as World Tag Team Champions to defend the belts. Trish Stratus escorted Christian & Kane for this well-worked opening bout that saw the Heartbreak Kid avoid the tag early on as Edge & Chris Jericho took turns battering Christian, who eventually managed to tag in the Canadian Crippler. After some nice exchanges between Benoit and Jericho, Kane tagged himself in and went to work on the Rabid Wolverine, who withstood tremendous punishment as the Big Red Machine & Christian used quick tags and double-teams to control the World Champion, scoring several near-falls. HBK watched from the apron and reached for the tag, but didn't enter illegally, while Benoit rallied back and took down Kane with the Rolling Germans. Both men crawled to their corners, but Benoit made a detour and tagged Y2J while Kane tagged Christian. Jericho, Christian, Edge, and Kane slugged it out in the ring while Benoit shoved Michaels, who pushed back. The co-World Tag Team Champions grappled with each other at ringside, distracting referee Earl Hebner, while Kane clotheslined Edge over the top rope and went out with him. Meanwhile, Trish retrieved one of the tag belts and tossed it to Christian, who whalloped Jericho with the gold and covered him as the official returned to register the three-count at 15:37, giving Christian & Kane their first World Tag Team Championship together. Afterwards, the new champs celebrated their victory in the squared circle while a horde of WWE agents and officials flooded out to break up the brawl between Benoit and Michaels on the ramp. (80%)
Scott Steiner & Test vs. William Regal & Eugene
The crowd cheered Eugene & William Regal as they marched out together, William looking serious and Eugene happy and playful, for this entertaining tag team contest. William & Eugene worked surprisingly well in tandem and held their own against Test & Scott Steiner, who wrestled angrier and more aggressively than they had in a while and gained the advantage, isolating Regal as Ross suggested that the Englishman might be suffering from ring rust. Big Poppa Pump & Test tagged in and out and dominated Regal with impressive power moves while RAW GM Eric Bischoff strolled down to ringside and subtly cheered on the heels, as a confused Eugene watched him from the apron. Regal kicked out of each pinfall attempt and was locked into the Steiner Recliner, looking Bischoff right in the face as the RAW GM taunted him and shouted at him to submit. William used the verbal barbs to his advantage, psyching himself up to grab the rope and break the Recliner as Eugene got the fans to rally behind the former Intercontinental Champion. Regal fired back at Steiner with uppercuts and forearm shots before making the hot tag to Eugene, who charged in and cleaned house, unloading on the Genetic Freak and Test when he stepped into the ring. In the end, William tied Test up in the Regal Stretch while Eugene dropped Steiner with the Stone Cold Stunner and applied the Regal Stretch on him as well, forcing the two muscular superstars to tap out at 11:18. Afterwards, Eugene invited his Uncle Eric into the ring to celebrate his first-ever PPV victory, but Bischoff refused until Regal held open the ropes and "helped" him in. As William reminded him that his sister was likely watching, Uncle Eric forced a smile and embraced the oblivious Eugene. (76%)
Six-Man Tag Team Match: Shelton Benjamin & The Extreme Animals (Rhyno & Tajiri) vs. Evolution (Triple H & Batista & "Nature Boy" Ric Flair)
Ross described the trio of Tajiri, Rhyno, & Shelton Benjamin as an extremely eclectic squad united by their opposition to Evolution, who functioned like a well-oiled machine as they battled back-and-forth with the faces. The story of the match was Shelton getting into Triple H's head by avoiding all contact with him and taunting him from the apron until he fell prey to underhanded tactics by Evolution and wound up trapped in their half of the ring. Evolution assumed control as HHH, Ric Flair, & Batista tagged frequently and worked over Shelton, who began to frustrate his more experienced opponents by continuously kicking out of pinfall attempts. The fans rallied behind Benjamin as he ducked a killer lariat from Batista and rebounded off the opposite side with a spinning heel kick that knocked the wind out of both competitors. Batista crawled over and tagged HHH while Benjamin lunged and tagged Rhyno, who rushed in, dodged a right hand from Hunter, and took out the Nature Boy as he tried to get involved. The Cerebral Assassin went after Shelton, who nailed HHH with the Dragon Whip kick, causing him to stagger back in time for Rhyno to tear into him with the Gore. The Man Beast quickly hooked the leg for the three-count on the former eight-time World Heavyweight Champion at 18:58 while Shelton slammed Slick Ric with the T-Bone Exploder and Tajiri cracked Batista with the Buzzsaw Kick. Afterwards, the Extreme Animals & Benjamin celebrated their victory on the rampway while Evolution were dazed in the squared circle. (77%)
World Television Title Match: Matt Hardy [champion] vs. Jeff Hardy
Lita escorted Matt Hardy to the ring as J.R. recalled that the Hardy Boyz were former five-time World Tag Team Champions and one of the most popular duos in WWE history, and that the Hardyz and Lita were all very close at one time. Awesome match here, as Jeff Hardy was in vintage shape and scored several near-falls early on with his fast-paced high-risk offense until Lita tripped him up behind referee Charles Robinson, giving Matt the opportunity to focus on Jeff's leg. The World Television Champion proclaimed himself "the best wrestler on television" as he attacked Jeff's leg and cinched in an Indian deathlock that the Enigmatic One broke free from and mounted a comeback. Lita hopped up on the apron to distract the official, but Miss Jackie raced out and dragged Lita down to the floor, tossing her into the ringsteps. While the ref was busy with the women, Matt bailed out to retrieve the TV belt, but Jeff soared over the top rope and hit his brother with a plancha before dropping him on the floor with the Twist Of Fate. Jeff rolled Matt back into the squared circle and landed the Swanton Bomb from the top turnbuckle to earn the 1-2-3 at 13:21 and capture the World Television Championship as the crowd popped. Afterwards, Jackie grabbed the TV belt and presented it to Jeff, who embraced her and held the gold over his head while Lita helped Matt up the ramp. (85%)
Ultimate Diva Match: Trish Stratus vs. Stacy Keibler
Following a promo for SmackDown's Great American Bash: Independence Day on Sunday, July 4, Lawler eagerly explained the rules for the first-ever Ultimate Diva Match: the first fall would be held under Bra & Panties rules; the second fall would then be a Lingerie Pillow Fight in which the winner would be the first woman to hit her opponent three times on the head with a pillow; and if necessary, the third fall would be a straight wrestling match. Both women entered alone, Trish Stratus in her usual wrestling attire and Stacy Keibler wearing a tank top and short-shorts, as Trish dominated the first fall with her superior grappling experience and abused Stacy, ripping her shirt off to expose a lacy white bra. Stacy fought back and tore Trish's top off before Trish got serious and hammered Keibler to the canvas, pulling off her shorts to win the first fall at 3:59. Referee Jack Doan produced a fluffy pillow for the second fall and ordered Stratus to remove her pants to comply with the "Lingerie" portion of the Lingerie Pillow Fight as Ross recalled that Trish herself came up with the Ultimate Diva stipulations, but the former four-time WWE Women's Champion refused and screamed at the official until Stacy snuck up from behind and "de-pantsed" her, drawing a big pop from the crowd. Confused and embarrassed in a black thong and corset, Trish tripped over her own pants as Stacy snatched the pillow and swiftly whacked Stratus across the head with it three times to win the second fall at 4:42. Stacy put the pillow over Trish's face and suffocated her until the ref took the pillow away and discarded it as Keibler scored a couple of near-falls. Stacy put her long shapely legs to use with legdrops and a tight headscissor submission, but Trish battled back and dumped Stacy out to ringside before sneering at the fans and pulling up her pants. Although Stacy landed a few kicks, Trish blasted her with the Chick Kick to score the deciding pinfall at 8:09 and declared herself the Ultimate Diva and the "Alpha Female" of RAW. (81%)
WWE Intercontinental Title/Boiler Room Brawl: Randy Orton [champion] vs. Mankind
While the different camera angles in the dark, shadowy boiler room were shown, Ross explained the updated Boiler Room Brawl rules: the two participants would begin in the boiler room, no disqualification, no count-out, pinfalls and submissions only anywhere in the boiler room. Randy Orton entered the boiler room in wrestling gear with his WWE Intercontinental Championship belt and stood beside the door, cocking back with the gold as he waited for Mankind to walk in. However, Mankind emerged from the shadows behind the Legend Killer and blindsided him, slamming the door shut by ramming Orton's head into it. The Deranged One unloaded on Orton with a metal trashcan, smashing him repeatedly as referee Mike Chioda locked the door and put the keys in his pocket. The crowd out in the arena, watching on the TitanTron, cheered loudly as Mankind beat the holy hell out of Orton, bending the trashcan in half. The third-generation superstar proved his mettle by battling back as the hated rivals brawled around the room and traded a handful of near-falls. Mankind assumed control and busted the Intercontinental Champion wide open with a merciless series of chairshots that J.R. stated were payback from last Monday's RAW, but Orton kicked out of a close near-fall and mounted a comeback by countering a piledriver with a catapult, sending Mankind face-first into a hanging pipe. The former three-time WWE Champion started to bleed from beneath the leather mask as Orton Irish-whipped him right through the door out into the hallway, knocking the door clean off its hinges and drawing a big pop from the crowd. The masked Mick Foley gasped for breath as Orton capitalized and battered the Hardcore Legend down the hallway, through the catering area, inside a locker room, and finally out into the arena on the stage, where the Legend Killer tried to hurl Mankind off to his doom. However, Mankind blocked and reversed the hiptoss, sending Orton through a table to the floor below. The Deranged One quickly leapt off the stage and flattened Orton with the Suicide Elbow on the floor, but the official refused to count the pinfall because they weren't in the boiler room, so Mankind hoisted Orton over his shoulder and carried him backstage. Along the way, the Intercontinental Champion wriggled free and slugged it out in the hallway as they got nearer to the boiler room, which they finally re-entered when Mankind reversed an Irish-whip through the empty doorway and followed Orton into the room with a clothesline to the back of the head. Orton kicked out of a double-arm DDT on the chair, surprising Mankind, who began to rip his own hair out before getting up and retrieving a can of gasoline and a sack from a corner of the room. He dumped the bag and thousands of thumbtacks and screws spilled out onto the floor as the crowd popped. Mankind added to this by pouring gasoline on the tacks and producing a barbecue lighter from his boot, setting a small fire in the center of the room as the commentators were almost speechless. The Deranged One applied the Mandible Claw on Orton and tried to force him back into the fire, but the Evolution member dropped to his knees and lowblowed Mankind, allowing the ref to pick up a fire extinguisher and put the fire out. As the first-ever WWE Hardcore Champion staggered around, Orton climbed halfway up a nearby ladder and prepared to leap, but Mankind climbed up and joined him on the ladder. They slugged it out precariously on the ladder before Orton grabbed Mankind by the head and dove off with the RKO to the floor, dropping both superstars onto the pile of tacks and screws. The Legend Killer crawled toward the Hardcore Legend and draped his arm across his chest for the three-count at 27:54 to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship as the commentators praised the performances of both men. Afterwards, numerous medics hurried into the room to attend to Mankind and Orton, who was able to accept his title belt from the ref and raise it as he lay on his back on the floor. (83%)
World Heavyweight Title Match: Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Benoit [champion]
The commentators recapped the storyline so far, including the ending of the Triple Threat Match earlier, as Lawler accused Shawn Michaels of stringing Chris Benoit along recently in order to win the World Heavyweight Championship, which J.R. admitted looked to be true. Tremendous main event, featuring some flawless chain-wrestling displays early on, as the crowd mostly favored the Rabid Wolverine and jeered the Heartbreak Kid, who got so distracted by the fans' chants that Benoit took the advantage and worked over HBK's problematic back. Shawn battled back after avoiding a Benoit charge in the corner, resulting in the Canadian Crippler going between the turnbuckles and striking the ringpost with his shoulder and jarring his neck. Michaels capitalized on the incident and focused his attack on Benoit's shoulder and surgically-repaired neck, scoring several near-falls and trying to wrench out a submission using a version of the Dragon Sleeper, but the World Champion rallied back and escaped the hold as the fans rooted for him. Benoit unleashed a series of stiff chops that lit up Shawn's chest and snapped him down with a snap suplex, before landing the Swandive Headbutt from the top turnbuckle for a close near-fall. The Crippler managed to lock in the Crippler Crossface on HBK and tried to grind a submission out of the former four-time World Heavyweight Champion, but he hung tough and grabbed the bottom rope with his free hand to break the crippling hold. Staying focused, Benoit slammed Michaels with the Rolling Germans, but during one of the suplexes, Shawn's foot clocked referee Earl Hebner and appeared to knock him out cold. The World Champion went to check on the official and tried to revive him to no avail, as Shawn stumbled to his feet and aimed the Sweet Chin Music at Benoit, who caught the foot and took Michaels down. The Wolverine attempted to apply the Sharpshooter, but HBK was able to reverse it and apply his own Sharpshooter, a la 1997 Survivor Series, as Johnny Nitro sprinted down the ramp in a referee's uniform. Benoit held his neck and screamed in agony as he reached for the ropes and pounded the mat in frustration when suddenly Nitro waved his arms and called for the bell at 31:08. The crowd was in stunned silence and the commentators seemed confused as ring announcer Howard Finkel declared that according to the "replacement official", Chris Benoit had tapped out when he pounded the mat; therefore, Shawn Michaels was the brand-new World Heavyweight Champion. HBK looked angry and confused as Nitro passed him the big gold belt and raised his arm triumphantly, but Michaels pulled away from him and looked at the title belt in his hands. The crowd chanted "bullshit" as Shawn staggered up the ramp with the belt, followed by Nitro, while Benoit regained his vertical base and glanced around in shock. The Crippler glared out and shouted at Nitro and the stunned Michaels while J.R. and the King signed off. (85%)
Overall: 81%
Buyrate: 1.95
Paid Attendance: 20,368
PPV Revenue: $4,875,000
Ticket Sales: $1,222,080
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Hope you liked it. I know, I know, the "Montreal Incident" rehash is old, but it was necessary and I think it came off pretty well. Let me know what you think, and thanks for reading.
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Bumped...in case anybody missed my update over the long weekend.
The PPV should be up today or tomorrow.
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WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW -- MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2004
Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler introduced the show LIVE from Albany, New York, and hyped this Sunday's Bad Blood before running through some of this evening's events: the Extreme Animals, Shelton Benjamin, & Mankind squaring off against Evolution in eight-man action, Eugene taking on Test, and in the main event, a WrestleMania XX rematch between Chris Jericho and Christian.
Jonathan Coachman was in the arena's boiler room to interview Mankind, who stated that he planned on disfiguring Randy Orton so horrificly at Bad Blood that his own father wouldn't recognize him. The Deranged One claimed that he was dedicating the Boiler Room Brawl this Sunday to Mick Foley and Cactus Jack, when suddenly Ric Flair burst into the shadowy room and tried to attack the former three-time WWE Champion. Mankind leapt to his feet and slugged it out with the Nature Boy until Batista charged in and jumped him from behind, but Mankind continued to hold his own until Randy Orton entered the room and whacked the Deranged One across the back with a metal folding chair. Triple H appeared in the doorway and called the shots as Batista & Flair held Mankind by the arms, allowing the WWE Intercontinental Champion to bombard his arch-rival with a seemingly endless series of stiff chairshots to the skull. The Evolution members dropped the barely-conscious Mankind to the floor and reveled in their sadism as the Game congratulated his troops on a job well done. (86%)
Eugene vs. Test
J.R. explained that RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff had security posted at the arena entrances to keep William Regal barred from the building after his involvement last week, as Eugene gladhanded fans on his way down the ramp and received a nice pop, while Test was seconded by Scott Steiner to a round of boos. Eugene surprised Test with his quick-witted wrestling technique as he evaded his larger opponent and took him down several times. Test gained the advantage and dished out punishment, tossing Eugene with powerslams and back-bodydrops, until Eugene wriggled out of the pumphandle slam and "Hulked Up" as the fans cheered him on. When Big Poppa Pump tried to get involved, a nearby cameraman whalloped the former WCW Champion with his camera, distracting Test long enough for Eugene to trap him in a backslide for the three-count at 6:42. (75%)
Afterwards, Eugene raced around the ring to celebrate his victory as the cameraman stepped in and removed his wig and beard to reveal himself (predictably) as William Regal, who looked around defiantly and patted Eugene on the back. RAW GM Eric Bischoff appeared on the stage with a microphone, his face red with anger, and screamed about how sick he was of Regal interjecting himself when he wasn't part of the active RAW roster. However, Bischoff claimed that he had just received a phone call from his sister and explained that she thought William was a "good influence" on Eugene, so he felt pressured to give the Englishman another chance but wasn't happy about it. Bischoff stated that if Regal wanted to get involved, he was booking him in a tag team match at Bad Blood with Eugene as his partner against Test & Scott Steiner. William was eager to accept the challenge, when suddenly Steiner & Test stormed back into the squared circle and blindsided Eugene & William and pounded them down to the canvas, leaving them laid out as the crowd booed. (74%)
Following a commercial break, World Television Champion Matt Hardy made his way down to the ring with Lita and Shannon Moore by his side and took the microphone. Matt brought up the return of his brother, Jeff Hardy, to RAW last week and expressed his outrage that Jeff had interfered in Mattitude's affairs. The World TV Champion claimed that he had issued a standing offer for Jeff to become a Mattitude Follower ever since he left WWE last year, and was disappointed that the Enigmatic One decided to turn his back on his family and friends "for a girl", referring to Miss Jackie. Matt explained that he was angry and hurt and called out Jeff, who emerged from the curtain to a good crowd pop and stepped into the squared circle. When Matt asked him why he "betrayed" his family, Jeff responded that he had been disgusted by his brother's recent actions, such as the assaults on Rico and Jackie, and was ashamed to be related to him. Jeff stated that he returned to RAW to try to talk some sense into Matt, Lita, & Shannon, but he realized that they were beyond help and decided to challenge the Mattitude Sensai. Matt replied that as much as he wanted to send Jeff packing for North Carolina himself, the Engimatic One hadn't been around in a year and didn't deserve to wrestle the TV Champion yet, but if Jeff could beat Shannon tonight, he would give him a crack at the TV Title this Sunday at Bad Blood. Just as Jeff accepted the challenge, Shannon blindsided him to kick off the impromptu match-up. (73%)
Shannon Moore vs. Jeff Hardy
Lita & Matt Hardy stepped out to ringside as Shannon Moore put on a great fast-paced contest with Jeff Hardy, who rallied back after the initial ambush and pulled off his shirt to the delighted squeals of the female fans in attendance. The Enigmatic One looked to be in tremendous shape, both physically and mentally, as he fired off some of his trademark maneuvers and traded near-falls with Moore throughout this back-and-forth match-up. Late in the bout, Lita distracted referee Charles Robinson while Matt hopped up on the apron and attempted to interfere, but Jeff sent Shannon crashing into the World Television Champion, who fell to the floor. Jeff quickly dropped Shannon with the Twist Of Fate and dove off the top turnbuckle with the Swanton Bomb to earn the TV Title shot at 9:37. Afterwards, Lita helped Shannon up the ramp while Matt promised to spoil Jeff's comeback at Bad Blood this Sunday. (80%)
Christian & Trish Stratus were shown sharing a private moment backstage, as Christian boasted about what a great week this would be. The former three-time Intercontinental Champion explained that tonight he would pin Chris Jericho one-on-one just like he did at WrestleMania XX, adding that if Edge or any of the other participants in this Sunday's Triple Threat Match tried to get involved, he had Kane waiting in the wings. Trish looked forward to proving her status as RAW's Alpha Female by beating Stacy Keibler in the Ultimate Diva Match at Bad Blood and informed Christian that she had already arranged a congratulatory party to celebrate he and Kane winning the World Tag Team Championship. Christian replied that that was why he loved her and they made out. (83%)
Elsewhere backstage, Jonathan Coachman interviewed Evolution as they were getting ready for the scheduled eight-man match-up. All four superstars were smiling and laughing as Triple H claimed that it would be a shame if Mankind wouldn't be able to compete tonight, because that meant that the Extreme Animals & Shelton Benjamin didn't have a chance in hell, just as they wouldn't in the six-man encounter this Sunday at Bad Blood. Randy Orton advised Mick Foley to straighten out his split personalities and make the right decision not to show up for their Boiler Room Brawl, while Ric Flair vowed that he and Batista would put Tajiri & Rhyno in their place... "WOOOOOO!" (86%)
Eight-Man Tag Team Match: Evolution (Triple H & Randy Orton & Batista & "Nature Boy" Ric Flair) vs. Shelton Benjamin & The Extreme Animals (Rhyno & Tajiri) & Mankind
This started off as a 4-on-3 handicap match, as Ross and Lawler were unsure if Mankind was still in the building or if he had been taken to hospital after the brutal chairshots from Randy Orton earlier. Although the Extreme Animals & Shelton Benjamin functioned well as a very eclectic unit and held their own in the early going, the numbers game caught up with them as Evolution assumed control and isolated Rhyno, utilizing frequent tags and double/triple/quadruple-teams to wear down the Man Beast, who was eventually trapped in the Figure Four Leglock by Ric Flair. The crowd rallied behind Rhyno as he reversed the hold and escaped, only to butt heads with the Nature Boy, as both men collapsed and crawled toward their respective corners. Flair tagged the Legend Killer as Rhyno made the hot tag to Shelton, who rushed in and cleaned house as all hell broke loose with all seven competitors in the ring at once. Amidst the chaos, Orton surprised Benjamin with the RKO, but before he could cover the former SmackDown superstar, Mankind staggered down the ramp to a huge pop. Lawler wondered what he would have to do to keep the Deranged One down for good in the Boiler Room Brawl as Orton's jaw dropped, distracting the WWE Intercontinental Champion long enough for Tajiri to nail him with the Buzzsaw Kick. Orton stumbled back from the Kick as Benjamin managed to roll him up for the 1-2-3 at 16:22. Afterwards, Orton rolled out to the floor and Mankind drove him up the ramp with lefts and rights while the Animals & Shelton bailed out and celebrated their victory at ringside, leaving Triple H, Batista, & Flair fuming in the squared circle. (78%)
Backstage, Chris Jericho was heading out for the main event against Christian when he was stopped by Stacy Keibler, who offered to escort Y2J for the match since Trish Stratus would undoubtedly be seconding Christian. Jericho was unsure, but Stacy assured him that she could take care of herself and looked forward to getting her hands on Trish before their Ultimate Diva Match, especially if it meant Y2J would get a fair crack at Christian. Jericho agreed and Stacy strode out alongside him. (84%)
Chris Jericho vs. Christian
Stacy Keibler escorted Chris Jericho, while Trish Stratus accompanied Christian and scowled at Stacy as the commentators discussed Bad Blood's Triple Threat Match, Ultimate Diva Match, and World Heavyweight Championship bout, explaining that RAW GM Eric Bischoff had kept Chris Benoit & Shawn Michaels separated for the past couple of weeks to protect his investment for this Sunday. This was a great main event that kicked off with trash-talk between the former World Tag Team Championship partners before they exchanged loud chops to the chest. Jericho dominated the opening minutes as he unleashed his pent-up anger and frustration, which was also his downfall when he made a cardinal mistake that Christian capitalized on to take Y2J down and ground him with some impressive mat-wrestling technique, scoring several near-falls. Late in the contest, Christian applied a Texas Cloverleaf and almost forced a submission, but Jericho powered out and mounted a comeback that culminated with the Lionsault. However, a catfight at ringside between Trish and Stacy distracted referee Earl Hebner while Kane lumbered down to the squared circle and gripped Jericho by the throat, planting him with the Chokeslam To Hell. Edge then raced out and tore into Christian with the Spear before hitting Kane with a high cross-bodyblock that sent both men tumbling over the top rope to the floor. Meanwhile, Jericho crawled over and covered Christian as the official returned to the in-ring action and registered the three-count at 14:59. (91%)
After the bell, Kane spiked Edge into the ringpost and returned to the ring to assault Chris Jericho, who was still hurting from the Chokeslam To Hell. The Big Red Machine scooped up Y2J in preparation for the Tombstone, but Chris Benoit roared out in street clothes and began chopping Kane across the back until he released Jericho, who collapsed to the canvas as the World Heavyweight Champion rebounded off the ropes. Benoit ducked a big boot but Kane caught him by the throat off the other side, threatening a Chokeslam. Meanwhile, Shawn Michaels sprinted down the ramp but tripped up a bit as he got closer to the squared circle, giving Kane time to bury the Rabid Wolverine with the Chokeslam. As soon as Benoit hit the mat, the Heartbreak Kid slid into the ring and surprised Kane with the Sweet Chin Music. Christian also received the Superkick, as did Jericho when he got up. Edge climbed in and ducked the Superkick, but HBK didn't miss the next one, flooring Edge. Benoit struggled to pull himself up by the ropes and staggered toward Michaels, who instinctively nailed the Canadian Crippler with the Sweet Chin Music, but immediately looked regretful after realizing who he had hit. Shawn held his head and checked on Benoit as Ross and Lawler signed off with some final hype for Bad Blood this Sunday. (83%)
Overall: 81%
Rating: 5.80
Attendance: 10,048
Ticket Sales: $401,920
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WWE SMACKDOWN! -- THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2004
Joey Styles and Tazz opened the UPN broadcast in Uniondale, New York, and announced the lineup for tonight: Rob Van Dam & John Cena teaming up against Charlie Haas & WWE United States Champion Brock Lesnar, the Undertaker meeting Rene Dupree, the Dudley Boys facing Los Chavos and an unnamed partner in six-man action, the Shooting Star Express taking on the Full Blooded Italians, and much more.
The Shooting Star Express (Billy Kidman & Paul London) vs. The Full Blooded Italians (Johnny "The Bull" Stamboli & Chuck Palumbo)
During the introductions, a brief video package aired to recap the Full Blooded Italians/Shooting Star Express angle over the last few weeks, as Styles mentioned that Nunzio was barred from the building. This was a very good opener, as the fans are really getting into Paul London & Billy Kidman, who functioned great as a unit throughout this back-and-forth match-up. At one point, SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long strolled down to ringside and confronted a suspicious-looking cameraman, pulling off his wig and beard to reveal Nunzio as Tazz suggested that both Nunzio and Long watched RAW this past Monday. The confusion distracted the FBI, as the Express knocked Johnny The Bull out of the ring with a double dropkick before both Kidman & London ascended to opposite top turnbuckles and landed the jaw-dropping Double Shooting Star Press on Chuck Palumbo, giving Kidman the pinfall at 8:01. Afterwards, the FBI bailed out and argued with the SmackDown GM while Kidman & London soaked in the cheers of the crowd. (78%)
When the Shooting Star Express returned to the backstage area, they were greeted by Paul Heyman, who congratulated them on their impressive victory and mentioned how successful they had been as a tag team, adding that as good as they were together, he thought that either of them could be a breakout singles star. Heyman brought up his promo from last week about the Agency eventually controlling all the gold on SmackDown and stated that that included the Cruiserweight Championship, a title that Billy Kidman had held seven times and one that Paul London had the capability of winning as well. The former ECW owner praised both London & Kidman and claimed that he was extending an offer to either of them to split up the Shooting Star Express and join the Agency so that he could guide them to capture the WWE Cruiserweight belt. Kidman shook his head and turned down the offer, but London seemed slightly interested, surprising Kidman, as Heyman informed them that he expected an answer next week and walked off. (82%)
Out in the arena, the crowd cheered Bubba Ray, D-Von, & Spike Dudley as they made their way down to the ring for the scheduled six-man tag team bout. Los Chavos then made their entrance but stopped on the stage as Chavo Guerrero looked a bit confused and Chavo Classic carried a microphone. Chavo Sr. claimed that as great a wrestler as he was in his prime, he knew that his son was right and that he was "no spring chicken" anymore, so he was going to withdraw from tonight's match-up, drawing boos from the fans and protests from the Dudleys in the squared circle. Thinking that this meant he would be wrestling the three Dudleys all by himself, Chavo Jr. freaked out and almost walked off, but his father assured him that he wasn't going to leave him high and dry and announced that he had a surprise for his son and for the WWE Cruiserweight Champion. Classic introduced "Plan C for Chavos": Chavo Jr.'s partners would be Juventud Guerrera & Essa Rios, who strutted out together and embraced Los Chavos as the smarter fans reacted with some shock. Classic dubbed the group "La Raza" and stated that their Mexican pride would result in Chavo regaining the Cruiserweight belt, as the four Hispanic superstars headed to the ring. (83%)
Six-Man Tag Team Match: Spike Dudley & The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley) vs. La Raza (Chavo Guerrero & Juventud Guerrera & Essa Rios)
Chavo Classic accompanied La Raza as Styles recalled that Juventud Guerrera was a former three-time WCW Cruiserweight Champion and Essa Rios had held the WWE Light Heavyweight Championship in 2000, discussing the background of Rios & Guerrera for newer fans, while Tazz pointed out that if Chavo Guerrero could pin Spike Dudley tonight, he would receive his rematch for the WWE Cruiserweight Title at the Great American Bash. The Dudley Boyz were understandably surprised by this turn of events but dealt with it and put on an entertaining six-man encounter that went back-and-forth as La Raza meshed well as a unit, utilizing their quickness and sneakiness to offset D-Von & Bubba Ray's obvious strength and size advantage as Bubba got caught in La Raza's corner and double-and-triple-teamed numerous times with frequent tags. Eventually, Bubba hit Juventud with a clothesline that floored both men, who crawled toward their respective corners and made the tags, Juvi to Chavo and Bubba to Spike. D-Von charged in with Spike but was stopped by referee Brian Hebner, while Essa jumped Spike along with Chavo behind the ref's back. Spike fought back bravely against the two Hispanic superstars as Chavo Classic snatched the Cruiserweight belt amidst the chaos and tossed it to his son, who whalloped Spike across the side of the head with the gold. Chavo Jr. discarded the belt and covered Spike as the official returned to administer the three-count at 12:08, earning Chavo a rematch for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship on Sunday, July 4, at the Great American Bash. (76%)
Afterwards, La Raza cracked both D-Von & Bubba Ray Dudley with the WWE Cruiserweight Title belt and assaulted Spike Dudley three-on-one with Chavo Classic calling the shots. The crowd popped when Rey Mysterio raced down to the ring as Chavo Guerrero & Essa Rios bailed out, leaving Juventud Guerrera alone against Rey Rey, who slugged it out with Juvi before hurling him through the ropes with a spinning headscissors. La Raza retreated while Mysterio retrieved the microphone and talked about the brutal assault he suffered from John Bradshaw Layfield last week and JBL's subsequent challenge on Velocity. Rey brandished a leather strap like the one he was whipped with last week and accepted Bradshaw's challenge for the Great American Bash, but wanted to make it a Mexican Strap Match, drawing a big pop. JBL appeared on the stage with his own mic and leather strap and accepted the stipulation, boasting that he had been whipping "little guys" like Rey for as long as he could remember. Taking exception to the comment, Rey Rey stated that looks could be deceiving and he would leave welts all over JBL on Sunday, July 4, but Layfield laughed again. Mysterio got angry and offered to show Layfield how nasty he could get, pointing up the ramp behind JBL at the fleeing La Raza and challenging Juventud to a "Strap-On-A-Pole" match next week. Juvi looked confused, but JBL continued to laugh so Rey charged up the ramp and brawled with him until several WWE officials flooded out to separate them. (89%)
Backstage, Rene Dupree was tying up his robe and looking rather worried about his match tonight against the Undertaker while Kurt Angle and the Big Show gave him a peptalk. The French Phenom recalled that last week it was three-on-one and seemed wary of facing the Dead Man alone, but the Olympic Champion promised that he and Show would be watching on the monitor and that they had his back. After Dupree headed out, Angle and Show looked at each other and smiled. (75%)
Rene Dupree vs. The Undertaker
Tazz suggested that Rene Dupree was Kurt Angle's "sacrifice" to the Undertaker, who was led down the ramp by Paul Bearer carrying the urn. This was a surprisingly entertaining match-up, as the French Phenom withstood the Dead Man's early onslaught and dished out some offense of his own while the Big Show and Kurt Angle were shown in the locker room watching on the monitor and reacting with surprise. Although Dupree scored a couple of near-falls and held his own against the former four-time WWE Champion, 'Taker regained control and buried Dupree with a chokeslam followed by the Tombstone at 7:36. (82%)
As soon as the bell rang, the Big Show was at ringside and grabbed Paul Bearer by the back of the neck, dragging the bulbous mortician up to the stage where Kurt Angle was waiting. The Olympic Champion snatched the urn from Bearer and ran off as the Show shoved Bearer, who rolled down the ramp like a barrel and stopped at the feet of the Undertaker. The Dead Man roared and gave chase as cameras followed him backstage in his pursuit of the urn, only to see Angle and Show racing off in a convertible, laughing and celebrating. The Undertaker stopped and rolled his eyes back in his head as Styles claimed that Kurt Angle might regret his activities tonight for the rest of his life if 'Taker gets hold of him. (85%)
In the arena, WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero looked very intense and serious as he walked out to the ring and grabbed the microphone to talk about last week's non-title loss against Booker T. Latino Heat admitted that the Book may have been the better man that night and that he had perhaps underestimated the former five-time WCW Champion, before calling out Booker T, who was booed when he marched down the ramp and stepped into the squared circle. Eddie stated that Booker pinned him fair-and-square last week, but as a Guerrero, he wasn't a big proponent of "fair and square", preferring the "lie, cheat, steal" mantra. Therefore, Guerrero requested that their WWE Title bout at the Great American Bash be a "No Disqualification" match, which got a good reaction. After thinking about it for a few moments, Booker realized that the stipulation would put champion and challenger on a level playing field, so he accepted and extended his hand to seal the deal. The WWE Champion looked to the fans for guidance as Booker assured him that the handshake wasn't a set-up, but when Eddie shook his hand, it was Eddie who cheapshotted the Book with a left hand and unloaded on him. The Book bailed out and retreated as Latino Heat warned that he should "never trust a Guerrero" and the fans cheered. (84%)
Michael Cole was in the locker room to interview Paul Heyman while Charlie Haas & Brock Lesnar were warming up for their tag team main event against Rob Van Dam & John Cena tonight. Heyman stated that the Doctor Of Thuganomics & Mr. Thursday Night had a lot in common, as Heyman made RVD a superstar in ECW and could have done the same for Cena as SmackDown GM if Cena hadn't snubbed him, and predicted that his Agency would rip them limb from limb and sent them both back to rehab...NEXT! (83%)
The Agency (Brock Lesnar & Charlie Haas) vs. John Cena & Rob Van Dam
Paul Heyman accompanied Brock Lesnar & Charlie Haas to the ring to a loud chorus of boos, while both Rob Van Dam & John Cena lived up to Styles' billing as two of the most popular superstars in WWE when they walked out together and were greeted by a massive pop. Great main event action that saw the faces dominate in the early going until the Agency focused on Cena's knee as Tazz recalled that Mr. Thursday Night had been out of action until tonight since being trapped in the Haas Of Pain at Judgment Day. Haas was referred to as the "Human Submission Machine" as he exchanged frequent tags with the WWE United States Champion and worked over Cena's leg, softening him up. The crowd rallied behind the Doctor Of Thuganomics as he battled back and made the hot tag to RVD, who rushed in and fired kicks off at both Lesnar & Haas. The groggy Cena managed to pounce on Haas, distracting referee Nick Patrick while Heyman retrieved a metal folding chair and slid it in for Lesnar to use. However, RVD got to the chair first and used it to nail Brock with the Van Daminator behind the ref's back, then discarded the chair and landed the Five Star Frog Splash from the top turnbuckle to score the shocking 1-2-3 on the U.S. Champion at 14:15. Afterwards, Haas tried to blindside RVD, but Cena made the save and planted the Human Submission Machine with the FU while Styles and Tazz ended the broadcast. (84%)
Overall: 82%
Rating: 5.85
Attendance: 10,043
Ticket Sales: $401,720
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WWE VELOCITY -- SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 2004
* Hosts: Michael Cole and Josh Matthews.
* "Mr. Ass" Billy Gunn & Hardcore Holly vs. Oman Turtoga & Diablo Santiago: Uninspired squash to kick off Velocity, ending when Hardcore covered Oman at 3:07 following the Sidewinder from he and Mr. Ass. (54%)
* Backstage, Jamie Noble was trying to flirt with Torrie Wilson and promised her that he was a changed man. Torrie looked doubtful but agreed to start over with a clean slate since Jamie had lost Nidia. Noble was ecstatic and dedicated his match tonight to her. (85%)
* Jamie Noble vs. Chris Sabin: The commentators laughed at Jamie Noble's chances with Torrie Wilson throughout this competitive match-up, which went back-and-forth until Noble locked in the Trailer Hitch and forced Sabin to tap out at 5:59. (65%)
* Marissa Mazzola interviewed Paul Heyman, who was alongside WWE Tag Team Champions the Thrill Kill and referred to them as "the pinnacle of athletic tag team excellence", bragging that nobody would be able to take the belts from them. (91%)
* Non-Title Match: The Thrill Kill (Sean O'Haire & Mark Jindrak) vs. Jimmy Jacobs & Alex Shelley: Paul Heyman accompanied his WWE Tag Team Champions for this non-title squash that showcased the Thrill Kill's raw athleticism and aggressive teamwork, finishing off their opponents when O'Haire covered Jacobs at 4:00 following the Seanton Bomb from the top turnbuckle. (63%)
* A video aired to hype the huge tag team main event of this Thursday's SmackDown, pitting the Undertaker & WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero against the Big Show & Booker T. (86%)
* Marissa Mazzola interviewed Dawn Marie, who stated that after beating Ultimo Dragon & Funaki in tonight's Velocity main event, the Basham Brothers would be ready for a serious run at the WWE Tag Team Championship. (82%)
* Elsewhere backstage, Ultimo Dragon & Funaki were shown heading out for the Velocity main event with Gail Kim by Funaki's side. Funaki seemed to be trying to mediate as the Dragon argued in Japanese with Gail, who replied in Korean apparently. (60%)
* The Basham Brothers (Doug & Danny Basham) vs. Funaki & Ultimo Dragon: Dawn Marie escorted her Basham Brothers while Gail Kim accompanied Funaki for this solid Velocity main event that featured some good tag team action from both sides, although Ultimo Dragon & Funaki appeared to experience some miscommunication. One such incident led to the finish, as Gail hopped up on the apron and Danny sent Ultimo crashing into her, knocking her to the floor. Funaki was horrified and attended to Kim while the Bashams snared the Dragon in the Ball & Gag, giving Doug the pinfall over the former WCW Cruiserweight Champion at 8:09. Afterwards, Funaki abandoned Dragon and carried Gail to safety. (70%)
Overall: 70%
Rating: 5.56
Attendance: 10,016
Ticket Sales: $400,640
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Here's the final lineup for WWE Bad Blood on Sunday, June 13...as always, predictions are appreciated.
World Heavyweight Title Match: Chris Benoit [champion] vs. Shawn Michaels
WWE Intercontinental Title/Boiler Room Brawl: Randy Orton [champion] vs. Mankind
World Tag Team Title/Triple Threat Match: Chris Benoit & Shawn Michaels [champions] vs. Christian & Kane vs. Chris Jericho & Edge
World Television Title Match: Matt Hardy [champion] vs. Jeff Hardy
Six-Man Tag Team Match: Shelton Benjamin & The Extreme Animals vs. Triple H & Batista & Ric Flair
Ultimate Diva Match: Stacy Keibler vs. Trish Stratus
William Regal & Eugene vs. Scott Steiner & Test
Now for the Great American Bash: Independence Day on Sunday, July 4, which I know wasn't the actual date it was supposed to happen, but I changed it because the date was just too good to pass up. The lineup so far...
WWE Championship/No Disqualification Match: Eddie Guerrero [champion] vs. Booker T
WWE Cruiserweight Title Match: Spike Dudley [champion] vs. Chavo Guerrero
Mexican Strap Match: Rey Mysterio vs. John Bradshaw Layfield
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WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW -- MONDAY, MAY 31, 2004
Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler introduced the show LIVE from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and announced the loaded lineup for this evening: Eugene making his official RAW debut as an active competitor against Scott Steiner, Edge & Chris Jericho facing La Resistance, Kane & Christian meeting Tough Enough, the Extreme Animals taking on Ric Flair & Batista, and in the main event, WWE Intercontinental Champion Randy Orton & Triple H battling Mankind & Shelton Benjamin.
La Resistance (Robert Conway & Sylvain Grenier) vs. Chris Jericho & Edge
Both squads received tremendous pops, as La Resistance waved the Quebec flag, while Edge & Chris Jericho were warmly welcomed by their fellow Canadian fans. This was a hot opener that saw La Resistance utilize their superior tag team skills to score several near-falls on Jericho & Edge, who worked well in tandem as the commentators hyped the Triple Threat Match for the World Tag Team Championship at Bad Blood. After some solid action, Edge covered Sylvain Grenier at 12:58 following the Spear while Y2J had Robert Conway trapped in the Walls Of Jericho. (77%)
Afterwards, while Chris Jericho & Edge celebrated their victory, Christian appeared on the stage carrying a microphone, flanked by Kane and Trish Stratus, who was sporting a black eye. Christian apologized for interrupting and brought up last week's main event, blaming Jericho & Edge for intentionally costing he and Kane their shot at the World Tag Team Title by interfering and causing a disqualification. The former three-time WWE Intercontinental Champion theorized that Y2J had sabotaged the match so that he would give him the singles rematch he had so desperately wanted, and admitted that Y2J's plan worked, challenging Jericho to a WrestleMania XX rematch next week. The first-ever Undisputed Champion smiled and gladly accepted the match, but suggested that they do it right away, taunting Christian & Kane, who both charged down to the ring and began brawling with Edge & Jericho until an army of WWE agents and officials flooded out to break it up. (85%)
Christian & Kane vs. Tough Enough (Al Snow & Maven)
Trish Stratus stood in Kane & Christian's corner for this solid tag team bout that showcased the improving teamwork of the heels, who controlled most of the match-up, although Tough Enough got in some smooth double-team offense on Christian. Throughout the contest, a very bitchy Trish interfered in the action, leading to the end when Kane buried Maven with the Chokeslam To Hell at 7:11 while Trish whalloped Al Snow with the Chick Kick at ringside as Christian was holding him. Afterwards, Christian motioned to his and Kane's waists and predicted that they would become World Tag Team Champions at Bad Blood. (80%)
Backstage, Tajiri & Rhyno were shown marching down a hallway. The Extreme Animals were grunting, snorting, screeching, and butting heads as they headed out for their match-up against Evolution. (76%)
The Extreme Animals (Rhyno & Tajiri) vs. Evolution (Batista & "Nature Boy" Ric Flair)
Footage was shown from last week of Ric Flair & Batista attacking the Extreme Animals in retaliation for their interference in Evolution business the previous week. This was a fairly long and heated contest that helped to elevate Tajiri & Rhyno, as they displayed tremendous tag team skills to combat the combined power and experience advantage of the two Evolution members, who managed to isolate the Japanese Buzzsaw and used frequent tags to work him over. Tajiri showed his heart by continually kicking out of pinfall attempts and rallied back, catching the Nature Boy with a spinning heel kick before making the hot tag to Rhyno, who roared in and unloaded on both Evolution members as all hell broke loose. Amidst the four-way chaos, Batista hauled Tajiri up for the Demon Bomb, but Tajiri spewed green mist in Big Dave's face in mid-air and they tumbled out to the floor. Meanwhile, the Man Beast ripped into Flair with the Gore for the upset pin at 14:46. Afterwards, the Extreme Animals celebrated while the blinded Batista flailed wildly at ringside as Slick Ric shouted threats and tried to help Big Dave up the ramp. (81%)
Cameras backstage showed an enthusiastic Eugene clapping and smiling, stopping every backstage worker that he came across to tell them how excited he was to be a part of the active RAW roster. Eugene recounted Scott Steiner's amateur background at the University of Michigan, as well as Big Poppa Pump's five WCW Tag Team Titles and his reign as WCW Champion, and naively claimed that he was looking forward to a nice wrestling match. After Eugene headed out, RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff was shown in the doorway of his office with a devious smile on his face. (79%)
Eugene vs. Scott Steiner
The crowd cheered Eugene loudly when he made his way out and ran the ropes while waiting for Scott Steiner, who looked surlier than ever when he walked down the ramp to a smattering of boos as Ross explained that while Big Poppa Pump hadn't been on RAW in quite a while, he was undefeated in tag team competition on Sunday Night Heat. The match-up kicked off with Eugene offering a handshake that Steiner accepted with a smirk before they locked up, which resulted in Eugene shocking the Genetic Freak with a fireman's carry takedown, an armdrag, and a hiptoss that only served to enrage the former WCW Champion. Steiner proceeded to manhandle Eugene with a variety of suplexes and slams but didn't go for a pin as Lawler suggested that RAW GM Eric Bischoff was very happy backstage. The fans rallied behind Eugene as he ducked a Steinerline that errantly hit referee Charles Robinson, who took a sweet flip bump while Eugene performed his Chris Benoit tribute by waistlocking Big Poppa Pump and taking him down with the Rolling Germans. Eric Bischoff appeared on the stage and ushered out Test, who rushed to the ring and aimed the Final Exam running boot at Eugene. However, Eugene dodged it and Test clocked Steiner as Bischoff had a stroke on the stage. The "Hulked-Up" Eugene clotheslined Test over the top rope and dropped the Big Legdrop on Steiner as the official crawled over and administered the three-count at 7:08. Afterwards, Eugene ran around the ring celebrating until Test slid back in and blasted him with the Final Exam. The Genetic Freak got to his feet and cinched in the Steiner Recliner on Eugene as Test kicked and stomped him. Bischoff cheered them on until William Regal emerged from the audience in street clothes and stormed the squared circle, using a pair of trusty brass knuckles to drive off Test & Steiner. The fans cheered like mad as Regal tended to Eugene while Bischoff turned red with anger and freaked out. (73%)
Following a commercial break, Trish Stratus strode down to the ring by herself and grabbed the microphone, complaining about the black eye she suffered last week from a kick by Stacy Keibler. Trish claimed that Stacy was insanely jealous of her standing as the "Ultimate Diva" and had been trying to knock her off for months, bringing up the cappuccino-spilling incident from last month that she suggested was an attempt to burn and disfigure her. The former four-time WWE Women's Champion stated that she had been thinking about it all week and all night, and had come up with a way to settle the rivalry and prove her standing as the "Alpha Female" of RAW: a two-out-of-three falls "Ultimate Diva Match" at Bad Blood in which the first fall would be a Lingerie Pillow Fight; the second fall held under Bra & Panties rules; and the third fall, if necessary, would be a straight-up wrestling bout. Stratus scowled as Keibler appeared on the stage with a mic and accepted the challenge before running down to the squared circle and tackling Trish. The two red-hot divas rolled around on the canvas, slapping and clawing at each other, until several WWE officials rushed out and separated them while the fans booed. (92%)
Montreal Street Fight: Miss Jackie vs. Lita
Miss Jackie marched out in cut-off tie-dyed jeans and tank top, looking ready to fight with a trashcan full of weapons, as footage was shown from the April 18 Heat of Matt Hardy & Lita injuring Rico's arm, while Lita was seconded here by the World Television Champion. As soon as Lita stepped into the ring, Jackie was all over her with a kendo stick as the crowd cheered and Matt cringed at ringside. Due to the ringside brawling and numerous weapon shots with the stick, stop sign, trashcan, and cat-o-nine-tails, this was an entertaining back-and-forth encounter that the fans enjoyed. In the end, Hardy got involved and dropped Jackie with the Twist Of Fate before Lita climbed to the top turnbuckle and landed the Litasault for the 1-2-3 at 4:56. Afterwards, Matt retrieved a metal folding chair and wrapped it around Jackie's head, but before the cruel couple could complete their dastardly deed, the crowd popped huge as Jeff Hardy made his return to WWE by racing out and attacking his brother. Matt & Lita looked shocked as they bailed out and retreated up the ramp while J.R. hyped the return of the Enigmatic One, who checked on Jackie. (77%)
Jonathan Coachman was in the locker room to interview Evolution's Triple H, Randy Orton, & Ric Flair, as the Cerebral Assassin growled that he and the Legend Killer were ready to dismantle Shelton Benjamin & Mankind tonight. The Game vowed that he would make Shelton pay for embarrassing him, while the WWE Intercontinental Champion looked forward to the opportunity to destroy Mankind before their Boiler Room Brawl at Bad Blood. (96%)
Evolution (Triple H & Randy Orton) vs. Mankind & Shelton Benjamin
This unusual main event kicked off when Randy Orton & Triple H, who were seconded by Ric Flair, charged up the ramp to assault Shelton Benjamin as he was making his solo entrance. The two Evolution members battered Shelton until Mankind rushed out to even the odds, as a very heated donnybrook erupted in the aisleway with all four superstars slugging their way down to the ring. Ross brought up the storied history between Mick Foley and the Game, recounting their brutal Street Fight for the WWE Title at the 2000 Royal Rumble, as Mankind & Benjamin engaged in an entertaining, back-and-forth tag team bout with the Cerebral Assassin and the WWE Intercontinental Champion. Eventually, some well-timed interference from the Nature Boy at ringside allowed Evolution to isolate Benjamin and use their superior experience as a unit to wear him down with frequent tags and double-teams. Shelton kicked out of numerous pinfall attempts and finally mounted a successful comeback that resulted in a hot tag to Mankind, who barged in and unloaded on both the Legend Killer and the Game. The Deranged One clotheslined HHH over the top rope and applied the Mandible Claw on Orton while Shelton held Hunter at bay on the floor. Orton tried to fight out of the Claw but was fading until Flair entered the squared circle and caught Mankind with a lowblow, prompting referee Earl Hebner to call for the bell and award the decision to Mankind & Shelton via disqualification at 13:22. The Intercontinental Champion regained his composure and joined Slick Ric in stomping Mankind while Batista raced down to ringside and blindsided Benjamin, helping HHH beat down the former two-time co-WWE Tag Team Champion. The crowd booed until the Extreme Animals roared out, armed with metal folding chairs, and drove off Evolution as J.R. admitted that Rhyno & Tajiri were "unlikely heroes". The Man Beast and the Japanese Buzzsaw stood with Shelton & Mankind in the ring while Evolution retreated and swore revenge, and Ross and Lawler signed off. (78%)
Overall: 81%
Rating: 6.04
Attendance: 10,034
Ticket Sales: $401,360
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WWE SMACKDOWN! -- THURSDAY, JUNE 3, 2004
Joey Styles and Tazz opened the UPN broadcast in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and discussed some of tonight's events, including WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero meeting Booker T in the non-title main event, Scotty 2 Hotty & Rikishi challenging the Thrill Kill for the WWE Tag Team Championship in a Judgment Day rematch, Rey Mysterio facing Chavo Guerrero, Kurt Angle issuing a challenge to the Undertaker, footage from Funaki's date with Gail Kim, Paul London taking on Nunzio, and more.
The show began with Paul Heyman leading WWE United States Champion Brock Lesnar, WWE Tag Team Champions the Thrill Kill, & Charlie Haas to the ring, where Paul picked up the microphone and bragged about how he had used his finely-honed negotiating skills to bring together the most talented group of world-class athletes in the history of professional sports. Heyman drew some loud boos when he badmouthed the Toronto Blue Jays and compared his Agency to great dynasties such as the New York Yankees and the Chicago Bulls, boasting that in their very short period as a unit, the Agency had not only captured the tag belts and the U.S. Title, but they had also "ended the careers" of Rob Van Dam and John Cena. The former ECW owner promised that this was only the tip of the iceberg and that eventually he would control all of the gold on SmackDown, but he was interrupted by Scotty 2 Hotty & Rikishi, who received a mild pop when they appeared on the stage. Rikishi stated that after listening to Heyman run his mouth, they couldn't wait any longer for their Judgment Day rematch and demanded their title shot immediately. Mark Jindrak & Sean O'Haire flexed and nodded, so Heyman accepted and stepped out to ringside with Lesnar and Haas while Scotty & Rikishi approached the squared circle. (63%)
WWE Tag Team Title Match: The Thrill Kill (Sean O'Haire & Mark Jindrak) [champions] vs. Rikishi & Scotty 2 Hotty
Paul Heyman stood in the Thrill Kill's corner along with Brock Lesnar & Charlie Haas for this solid championship contest that saw Scotty 2 Hotty & Rikishi work hard to attempt to regain the WWE Tag Team Championship that they lost at Judgment Day. Basically a blow-off to this mini-feud, as Mark Jindrak & Sean O'Haire cut the ring in half and punished Scotty, who eventually managed to break free and make the hot tag to Rikishi. The former Intercontinental Champion charged in and cleaned house, but the Thrill Kill targeted his leg and worked him over before Jindrak slammed the 360-pounder with the Mark Of Excellence and O'Haire landed the Seanton Bomb from the top turnbuckle for the three-count at 8:55. (76%)
Afterwards, Charlie Haas & Brock Lesnar dumped Rikishi out to the floor while the Thrill Kill pressed Scotty 2 Hotty over their heads and tossed him over the top rope onto Rikishi at ringside. The Agency celebrated the successful WWE Tag Team Title defense to a chorus of boos until the TitanTron lit up to show John Cena pacing back and forth with a slight limp in a darkened TV studio. The crowd popped as the Doctor Of Thuganomics stated that he had been listening earlier and informed Paul Heyman that his comments about ending his career were premature, like a lot of other things in Paul's personal life. Heyman turned red as Cena claimed that the Agency would have to do a lot worse to "put this mad dog down" and announced that he would be in the house next week, but he wouldn't be coming alone. Rob Van Dam entered the shot and greeted Cena as Heyman's jaw dropped, and Mr. Thursday Night challenged Haas & Lesnar to a tag team match next week against he and Cena. Brock stepped in front of the flabbergasted Heyman and accepted the challenge, declaring that it would be their pleasure to finish off Cena & RVD, who both smiled and promised to be there live and in living color next week in Long Island. The big screen shut off as the Agency shouted threats. (80%)
Footage was shown from this past Saturday's Velocity of Gail Kim setting up the match between Funaki and Jamie Noble, with the winner getting a date with her, and the subsequent bout that saw Funaki pin the former WWE Cruiserweight Champion following the Rising Sun. The date was then shown, as Funaki wore jean shorts, sneakers, and a SmackDown t-shirt, while Gail was dressed in a tight-fitting Oriental gown and flanked by Akio & Sakoda, who were wearing tuxedoes. They went to a Chinese restaurant filled with mostly white patrons, and got across the angle that Funaki was of a lower class than Kim as he ate like a slob while Gail promised that she wouldn't try to change him if he joined Kyo Dai. Gail mentioned that the only thing that stood in the way of them being together was Ultimo Dragon since he didn't seem to like her, but before Funaki could reply, Gail kissed him. A huge smile broke out across Funaki's face as he suddenly fainted and landed face-first in his plate of noodles. At Gail's orders, Kyo Dai picked up Funaki and carried him out as the scene faded out. (76%)
Nunzio vs. Paul London
During the introductions, Styles announced that the Full Blooded Italians and Billy Kidman were barred from ringside and that if Paul London won, the Shooting Star Express would face Chuck Palumbo & Johnny Stamboli next week with Nunzio barred from the arena. This was a well-worked contrast of styles that saw Nunzio use his great mat skills to counter London's risk-taking technique as both men traded near-falls. In the end, London escaped the Sicilian Crab and put Nunzio away at 7:47 with the 450 Splash from the top turnbuckle. (74%)
Backstage, Chavo Guerrero was discussing how disappointed he was with Chavo Classic's plan last week against the Dudley Boyz, but hoped that "Plan B" to regain the WWE Cruiserweight Championship would work out better, as Chavo Sr. explained that if his son defeated Rey Mysterio tonight, Spike Dudley would have to give him his rematch. Chavo Jr. recalled that he beat Rey Rey to win the Cruiserweight belt at No Way Out and felt confident he could do it again, but Classic assured his son that no matter what, he had Plans C through Z lined up to make sure that Chavo became Cruiserweight Champion for the fourth time. (66%)
Chavo Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio
Chavo Classic seconded Chavo Guerrero as Tazz compared Chavo Sr. to an overactive "sports dad" that would do whatever it took to ensure his son's success, and he lived up to the analogy as he interfered throughout this tremendous athletic contest. Guerrero looked great as he employed a mat-based strategy to combat Rey Mysterio's fast-paced, high-flying style, featuring several near-falls from both superstars. Late in the match, Classic tried to get involved again, but Rey Rey dispatched him with the 619, then springboarded back in from the apron with the West Coast Pop on Chavo for the 1-2-3 at 10:39. (83%)
Following the bell, Chavo Guerrero rolled out to the floor and threw a fit as Chavo Classic tried to console his son on the way up the ramp. Suddenly, John Bradshaw Layfield blew past them on his way to ringside, where Rey Mysterio surprised him with a slingshot plancha as they brawled around the ring. JBL managed to gain control and sent Rey Rey sailing into the steel ringsteps before tossing him into the ringpost. The former seven-time Cruiserweight Champion crawled into the squared circle to get away, but Bradshaw followed him in and removed his belt, mercilessly whipping Mysterio with the leather strap across the back and chest as he writhed and yelped in pain. Layfield yanked Rey to his feet and blasted him with a strap-assisted Clothesline From Hell as the commentators recalled Rey's interference last week that led to JBL being pinned by Spike Dudley. JBL wrapped the belt around Mysterio's neck and prepared to heave him over the top rope to hang him, but several WWE agents and officials came out to intervene as the crowd booed Bradshaw, who exited the ring with his arms raised triumphantly and an arrogant smile on his face. (83%)
After a commercial break, Kurt Angle slowly walked to the ring wearing a neckbrace and holding his sides as the Big Show followed him for support. The Olympic Champion took the microphone and talked about his rivalry with the Undertaker, claiming that at Judgment Day he was looking forward to a physically-competitive athletic contest, but instead he was brutally assaulted with a deadly weapon by the Phenom. The fans booed when Angle suggested that SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long should suspend the Dead Man indefinitely for the unprovoked beating, but changed his mind and decided that he could dish out better punishment in the ring. The arena lights flickered as the Undertaker marched down to the squared circle, followed by Paul Bearer and the urn, and got right in Angle's face. The former four-time WWE Champion backed off and clarified that he wasn't issuing a challenge for tonight since his neck still wasn't 100%, but the Dead Man grabbed him by the neckbrace. When the Big Show stepped forward, 'Taker gripped him by the throat with the other hand and squeezed until Rene Dupree hit the ring and attacked the Grim Reaper from behind. 'Taker no-sold the blow and released Show & Angle to go after the French Phenom, giving Angle & Show the opportunity to blindside the Dead Man and beat him down as Styles explained that Undertaker's rage was clouding his mind. Dupree picked up the mic and challenged 'Taker to a match next week, swearing revenge for last week's chokeslam and Tombstone and declaring that he would prove he was "the true Phenom" of WWE as he kicked and stomped the Reaper while Angle & Show celebrated their ambush. The Undertaker sent the heels running when he sat up and grabbed Dupree by the throat, but the former co-World Tag Team Champion wriggled out of his grasp and retreated up the ramp with Show and Angle, who clutched his neck and grimaced. (87%)
In the locker room, Michael Cole interviewed WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero as he was warming up for his non-title main event against Booker T. Latino Heat stated that he was proud of holding the WWE Title and displayed a bit of his old cocky persona when he claimed that tonight would be a sneak preview of July 4's Great American Bash: Independence Day, with the only difference being that after the Bash, Booker would be going right back to the bottom of the ladder and Eddie would move on to defend the belt against other challengers. (93%)
Non-Title Match: Booker T vs. Eddie Guerrero
The commentators hyped up the WWE Title bout scheduled for the Great American Bash and the implications that tonight's non-title main event could have on their Independence Day match, as this excellent contest showed great promise for the pay-per-view encounter. Both superstars had their working boots on and traded the advantage back-and-forth with some crisp chain-wrestling and fast-paced action, as well as a heated slugfest when Eddie Guerrero and Booker T spilled out to ringside. The Book more than held his own and looked strong as he focused his attack on the WWE Champion's lower back, but Eddie repeatedly kicked out of pinfall attempts and escaped from a Jesse Ventura-style bodyvice submission applied by the former five-time WCW Champion. The fans rallied behind Guerrero as he mounted a comeback and put Booker down with the Three Amigos before ascending to the top turnbuckle. However, when Latino Heat leapt off with the Frog Splash, Booker rolled out of the way and hit Eddie with the Axe Kick for a very close near-fall that had the crowd on the edge of their seats. Eddie went for the Three Amigos again but Booker countered with a short-arm into the Book End and hooked the leg for the surprising three-count at 17:08. Styles emitted a rare "OH MY GOD!" as the Book's eyes went wide and he got to his feet to celebrate his clean non-title victory over the WWE Champion, who rolled out to the floor and held his head in shame and shock. Booker showboated over his huge win with the Spinaroonie and the crowd booed as Styles and Tazz closed the broadcast. (87%)
Overall: 79%
Rating: 6.23
Attendance: 10,041
Ticket Sales: $401,640
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WWE VELOCITY -- SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 2004
* Hosts: Michael Cole and Josh Matthews.
* Six-Man Tag Team Match: Spike Dudley & The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley) vs. Pablo Marquez & Marco Jaggi & Claudio Castagnoli: Semi-competitive squash to kick off Velocity that ended successfully for the Dudleyz when the WWE Cruiserweight Champion pinned Pablo at 5:44 following the 3D from D-Von & Bubba. (64%)
* When the three Dudley Boyz were shown returning to the backstage area, they were confronted by Los Chavos. Chavo Guerrero backed up his father but looked somewhat concerned as Chavo Classic claimed that his son deserved another shot at the WWE Cruiserweight Championship and challenged the Dudleyz to a six-man match-up this Thursday on SmackDown, with the stipulation that if Chavo Jr. pinned Spike, he would get his Judgment Day rematch. Bubba scoffed and accepted the challenge, stating that it didn't matter who Los Chavos had as their partner since he looked forward to kicking the Guerreros' asses again. After the Dudleyz continued on their way, Chavo Jr. questioned Chavo Sr. about the challenge, but his dad assured him that he had a plan. (74%)
* Elsewhere backstage, the Full Blooded Italians were shown heading out for their match tonight. (66%)
* The Full Blooded Italians (Johnny "The Bull" Stamboli & Chuck Palumbo) vs. Jimmy Jacobs & Alex Shelley: Nunzio seconded his fellow FBI members as the commentators mentioned that the Italian Piranha would be barred from the building this Thursday on SmackDown. Semi-competitive squash for the FBI, who finished off their opponents when the Bull covered Jacobs at 4:10 following the Kiss Of Death from he and Chucky P. (66%)
* A video aired to hype the "double main events" of SmackDown this Thursday, featuring a tag team battle pitting John Cena & Rob Van Dam against Charlie Haas & WWE United States Champion Brock Lesnar, and the "Phenom vs. Phenom" showdown between the Undertaker and Rene Dupree. (81%)
* The Big Show vs. Chris Sabin: Although Sabin bravely fired off a series of dropkicks at the outset, this turned into a total squash for the Big Show as he put Sabin away with the Show Stopper at 3:01. (71%)
* Marissa Mazzola interviewed John Layfield, who was roaring mad about Rey Mysterio costing him the match against Spike Dudley last week on SmackDown, and challenged Rey Rey to meet him face-to-face like a man at the Great American Bash: Independence Day. (83%)
* "Mr. Ass" Billy Gunn vs. John Bradshaw Layfield: Solid, heated Velocity main event that went back-and-forth with basic brawling action. In the end, JBL clobbered Mr. Ass with the Clothesline From Hell for the 1-2-3 at 7:36. (75%)
Overall: 70%
Rating: 5.98
Attendance: 10,006
Ticket Sales: $400,240
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WWE SUNDAY NIGHT HEAT -- SUNDAY, JUNE 6, 2004
* Hosts: Jonathan Coachman and Jim Cornette.
* Test vs. Chad Collyer: Scott Steiner seconded Test for this impressive squash that ended when Test blasted Collyer with the Final Exam at 3:04. (68%)
* Jeff Johnson interviewed Scott Steiner & Test, who announced that he would be getting his chance to eliminate Eugene tomorrow night on RAW with William Regal barred from the arena. Test vowed that he would finish the job that Big Poppa Pump started. (79%)
* Lita was shown backstage alongside Shannon Moore as he headed out for his match. (78%)
* Shannon Moore vs. Jack Evans: Lita escorted Shannon Moore for this competitive little match-up, during which the commentators discussed Jeff Hardy's return to RAW this past Monday. Shannon put Evans away with the Mooregasm from the top turnbuckle at 5:14. (69%)
* Jeff Johnson interviewed Rosey, who explained that he hadn't heard from the Hurricane in a couple of weeks and would have to go it alone against the Backseat Boys...NEXT! (64%)
* Handicap Match: Rosey vs. The Backseat Boys (Johnny Kashmere & Trent Acid): The commentators questioned the Hurricane's whereabouts as the Backseat Boys came very close to pulling off the victory, but Rosey mounted a comeback and flattened Kashmere with the Spinning Samoan Drop for the 1-2-3 at 4:49. (68%)
* A video aired to hype a massive eight-man tag team match for tomorrow night's RAW featuring Evolution against the Extreme Animals, Shelton Benjamin, & Mankind. (85%)
* Val Venis & Lance Storm vs. Ebony & Ivory (Mark Henry & Garrison Cade): Steven Richards & Victoria accompanied Ebony & Ivory for this solid Heat main event that went both ways before Storm inadvertently superkicked Venis, who then fell victim to the Perfect Harmony and was pinned by Garrison Cade at 7:18. (74%)
Overall: 71%
Rating: 5.74
Attendance: 10,009
Ticket Sales: $400,360
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Here's the updated lineup for WWE Bad Blood on Sunday, June 13...
World Heavyweight Title Match: Chris Benoit [champion] vs. Shawn Michaels
WWE Intercontinental Title/Boiler Room Brawl: Randy Orton [champion] vs. Mankind
World Tag Team Title/Triple Threat Match: Chris Benoit & Shawn Michaels [champions] vs. Christian & Kane vs. Chris Jericho & Edge
Six-Man Tag Team Match: Shelton Benjamin & The Extreme Animals vs. Triple H & Batista & Ric Flair
Ultimate Diva Match: Stacy Keibler vs. Trish Stratus
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WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW -- MONDAY, MAY 24, 2004
Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler introduced the show LIVE from Rockford, Illinois, and announced this evening's lineup: Matt Hardy defending the World Television Championship against Shelton Benjamin, La Resistance meeting the Extreme Animals, Shannon Moore facing the Hurricane one-on-one, and in the main event, Kane & Christian challenging Shawn Michaels & World Heavyweight Champion Chris Benoit for the World Tag Team Championship.
The ring was set up for "The Highlight Reel" as Chris Jericho introduced himself and explained that he had requested this time to prove exactly why he was a better host than Christian and finish what started on "The Peep Show" last week. Y2J separately introduced his guests, World Tag Team Champions Shawn Michaels & World Heavyweight Champion Chris Benoit, and got right to the bottom of the situation, asking if the Rabid Wolverine and the Heartbreak Kid could co-exist to defend the belts against Christian & Kane later tonight. The Canadian Crippler stated that he respected the hell out of HBK as an athlete and a wrestler, but with his track record, he couldn't fully trust Shawn, who seemed hurt by the implications and insisted that "this leopard had changed his spots". The World Champion got nose-to-nose with Shawn and recalled that he had been whacked by an errant Sweet Chin Music, questioning whether it was really an accident. Benoit brought up the "Montreal incident" with Bret Hart at the 1997 Survivor Series and used it as an example of Michaels lying through his teeth to get the WWE Championship, drawing an "ooooohhh" from the smarter fans. Michaels took exception to the comment and informed Benoit that he just did what had to be done at the time, but since returning to WWE two years ago, he was a changed man. However, HBK added that one thing that hadn't changed was that he was still "the Showstopper, the Icon, the Main Event" and he planned on winning the World Title at Bad Blood fair-and-square. The World Tag Team Champions continued to argue until Christian interrupted on the ramp, carrying a microphone, flanked by Trish Stratus and Kane. Jericho accused Christian of violating his airtime and challenged him to another singles match, but Christian denied the request because he and Kane would be too busy defending the World Tag Team Title after tonight, advising Y2J to find himself a partner. Kane & Christian advanced toward the ring but several WWE agents and officials rushed out to prevent any physical confrontation, saving the action for the main event. (82%)
Backstage, Matt Hardy had Lita by his side as he psyched up Shannon Moore for his bout tonight against the Hurricane. Hardy reminded Moore that this evening was a big night for Mattitude, since Matt himself to defend his World Television Championship against a hot young athlete like Shelton Benjamin while Shannon had the opportunity to win his first singles match on RAW. (70%)
The Hurricane vs. Shannon Moore
Rosey seconded the Hurricane while Shannon Moore was escorted by Lita as Lawler explained that Matt Hardy was warming up for his World Television Title defense later. This was a hot opener that saw both competitors trade high-risk maneuvers and go at it fast-and-furious as Ross recalled that Moore & Hardy defeated Rosey & Hurricane in tag team action last week. During one fast-paced exchange, both superstars tumbled out to ringside, where Lita snuck up behind the Hurricane and tried to gouge his eyes out. Rosey came around to even the odds and charged with a clothesline, but Shannon ducked and Rosey inadvertently decked Hurricane. Lita pounced on Rosey to keep him occupied while Moore rolled Hurricane back into the ring and ascended to the top turnbuckle, landing the Halo on the former two-time Cruiserweight Champion for the three-count at 8:37. Afterwards, Lita & Shannon celebrated on the way up the ramp while Rosey helped Hurricane off the canvas, only to have the Hurricane shove his Super Hero In Training away and storm off on his own. (78%)
In the backstage office of the RAW General Manager, Eric Bischoff was seated behind his desk, looking very unhappy, as William Regal entered the room in a suit and tie. Bischoff berated Regal for not taking Eugene out last week and informed him that there were no open spots on the active RAW roster, advising him to say goodbye to any friends he might have in the locker room. William was angry but asked about Eugene's fate and wondered if Uncle Eric was going to live up to his word. Bischoff replied that he had already booked Eugene's first "official" match for next week...against Scott Steiner. Regal couldn't believe his ears and protested the decision, explaining that Big Poppa Pump was a former WCW Champion and had one of the nastiest mean streaks in the business as a smile crept across Bischoff's face. The RAW GM suggested that maybe Steiner could finish the job and told Regal that he had 15 minutes to say goodbye and leave the building. Regal tried to argue, but Bischoff threatened to call security so the Englishman left. (70%)
La Resistance (Robert Conway & Sylvain Grenier) vs. The Extreme Animals (Rhyno & Tajiri)
Lawler mentioned La Resistance's accusations of discrimination last night on Heat as the Extreme Animals interrupted Sylvain Grenier's rendition of "O Canada" to kick off this well-worked tag team contest that went back-and-forth with both squads displaying some crisp teamwork. Grenier & Robert Conway scored several near-falls as they isolated Tajiri, who finally broke free and made the hot tag to Rhyno. The Man Beast rushed in and cleaned house before ripping into Sylvain with the Gore for the 1-2-3 at 9:14 while the Japanese Buzzsaw kept Conway at bay with the Buzzsaw Kick. (77%)
Afterwards, as the Extreme Animals raised their arms in victory, Batista & Ric Flair stormed the ring and blindsided them. Tajiri & Rhyno tried to fight back but the Nature Boy had a metal folding chair in hand and drove it into the Man Beast's midsection, then bashed him across the back of the head, while Batista annihilated the Japanese Buzzsaw with the Demon Bomb. As they stood over the fallen Animals, Slick Ric warned them that they shouldn't have messed with Evolution's business last week and promised that they would regret it for a long time. (77%)
WWE Intercontinental Champion Randy Orton was shown wandering backstage in his street clothes with his hands bandaged, carrying a metal folding chair as he called out for Mick Foley using all of his aliases: Mick, Mankind, Dude Love, and Cactus Jack. The Legend Killer yelled about Mankind's assaults on him the last two weeks and claimed that he had been waiting to see him all night, but couldn't find him in any of the locker rooms. Orton finally came to the boiler room and opened the door, tentatively entering the shadowy room as he continued to holler Mankind's name and check every nook and cranny for the Deranged One. Suddenly, Mankind lunged out from behind a boiler, but Orton was able to turn in time and waffle him with the chair, flooring him. The third-generation superstar went after Mankind on the floor with the chair, but Mankind caught the chair and made it to his feet as he struggled with Orton over the chair. Mankind managed to use leverage with the chair to swing Orton face-first against a boiler before unloading with lefts and rights. The Intercontinental Champion was reeling but pounced on Mankind, tackling him to the floor, where they rolled around brawling and scuffling as a horde of WWE officials flooded in to separate the heated rivals. The Deranged One sat on the floor, squealing and ripping out his own hair, as Orton was held back by referees and vowed to bash Mankind's brains in at Bad Blood. (85%)
World Television Title Match: Matt Hardy [champion] vs. Shelton Benjamin
Lita walked out arm-in-arm with Matt Hardy, followed by Shannon Moore, as Lawler hailed the return of "the Mattitude Era" and predicted that he may never lose the World Television Championship, while Shelton Benjamin came out to a loud pop and looked very focused as Ross pointed out that although he had enjoyed great success in SmackDown's tag team ranks, he had yet to win a singles title. Great athletic contest here that saw both superstars trade the advantage several times, exchanging fast-paced offense and close near-falls, while Moore was ejected from ringside by referee Charles Robinson after interfering. Lita was the next to go after she got involved, which led to a near-fall for Matt that almost ended Shelton's championship dreams. Benjamin mounted a comeback as the fans rallied behind him, but the match-up spilled out to ringside, where Hardy whipped the former two-time co-WWE Tag Team Champion into the steps before retrieving the TV belt from the timekeeper's table to use as a weapon. While the official was busy with Hardy, Benjamin got back to his feet, but Triple H charged down the ramp and blindsided Shelton, planting him face-first on the floor with the Pedigree. The Game smiled as he retreated up the ramp, leaving Shelton to be counted out at 14:08. Matt Hardy celebrated his "successful" championship defense by grabbing the TV belt and meeting up with Lita on the stage before Shelton regained consciousness. (79%)
Cameras showed Matt Hardy returning backstage as he bragged to Lita, "now that's how you defend the World Television Championship!" Lita grinned and made out with Matt in the hallway until they were interrupted by Miss Jackie, who recalled how they had put Rico out of action a few weeks ago and reported that he wouldn't be back for at least six months. Matt questioned why Jackie was here tonight then, to which Jackie responded that she came to RAW to challenge Lita to a Montreal Street Fight next week as a measure of revenge for Rico. Lita chuckled and claimed that she would be happy to put Jackie on the shelf next to Rico, accepting the challenge. (80%)
Elsewhere backstage, Stacy Keibler was chatting with Chris Jericho, observing that he had had a rough year so far and offering a sympathetic ear if Chris ever wanted to talk, when Trish Stratus arrived on the scene, flanked by Christian & Kane as they were on their way out for the World Tag Team Championship main event. Trish stopped and advised Stacy not to waste her time with a "little boy" like Jericho, offering a double-date with herself and Christian to set Stacy up with Kane, who had a sick sinister smile on his evil face. Stacy made a disgusted face and almost vomited, turning down the offer. Trish accused Stacy of thinking she was better than Trish, but before Keibler could reply, Stratus slapped her across the face. Stacy instinctively pounced on Trish and rolled around on the floor with her, scratching and clawing at each other as both women screamed and yelled. Christian grabbed Trish and pulled her away as Jericho did the same with Stacy, but Stacy managed to swing one of her long legs out and blast Trish with a nasty kick to the head that surprisingly knocked her out. Trish collapsed to the floor and Christian frantically attended to her while Jericho dragged Stacy away. (83%)
World Tag Team Title Match: Christian & Kane vs. Chris Benoit & Shawn Michaels [champions]
Christian looked somewhat distraught when he walked out behind Kane, without Trish Stratus, as the Big Red Machine's pyro went off, while Shawn Michaels & Chris Benoit had separate entrances. Lawler worried about Trish's condition as this heated main event got underway with Christian pretending to lead off for his team, only to slither out of the lock-up with the World Heavyweight Champion and tag Kane, who went at it tooth-and-nail with Benoit. This was an awesome championship contest that saw the advantage shift back-and-forth as the World Tag Team Champions functioned well together but encountered some miscommunication, which allowed the challengers to isolate the Rabid Wolverine and work him over. J.R. pointed out that Kane & Christian had a combined 17 World Tag Team Titles with various partners as they scored several near-falls until the Canadian Crippler mounted a comeback, tossing both opponents with German suplexes before making the hot tag to Shawn. The Heartbreak Kid charged in and unloaded on Kane & Christian as referee Earl Hebner lost control. Christian retrieved one of the tag belts behind the official's back and tried to use it on Michaels, but HBK ducked and Christian whacked Benoit in the back of the head before Michaels knocked the belt out of his hand and slugged it out with him. Kane used the distraction to grip Shawn by the throat and bury him with the Chokeslam To Hell, giving Christian the chance to cover him. However, before the ref could administer the three-count, Chris Jericho & Edge roared down the ramp and hit the ring, attacking Christian & Kane as the ref called for the bell at 17:39 and awarded the decision to the challengers via disqualification. Ross declared that Y2J had taken Christian's advice and found himself a partner as Edge & Jericho drove Kane & Christian out of the squared circle. As Christian & Kane retreated, RAW GM Eric Bischoff appeared on the stage with a microphone and claimed that he wanted to settle the issues involving these six superstars, announcing an addition to the Bad Blood card: Benoit & Michaels defending the World Tag Team Championship against Christian & Kane and Jericho & Edge in a Triple Threat Match. HBK complained from the ring that he and Benoit were already scheduled to wrestle for the World Title at Bad Blood, but Bischoff just shrugged, while Ross and Lawler signed off. (85%)
Overall: 79%
Rating: 6.04
Attendance: 10,004
Ticket Sales: $400,160
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WWE SMACKDOWN! -- THURSDAY, MAY 27, 2004
Joey Styles and Tazz opened the UPN broadcast by running through some of the evening's events, including the six-man main event pitting John Cena, Scotty 2 Hotty, & Rikishi against WWE Tag Team Champions the Thrill Kill & WWE United States Champion Brock Lesnar, a special interview with the Undertaker, an update on Kurt Angle's condition, the Dudley Boyz meeting Los Chavos in tag team action, and much more.
Similar to last week's program, WWE Cruiserweight Champion Spike Dudley kicked things off by walking out to the ring and taking the microphone to discuss his title defense last week against Rey Mysterio. Spike stated that he was sick of people interfering in his matches because he wanted to prove to himself and to the fans that he could get the job done himself, and was about to offer a rematch to Rey Rey when John Bradshaw Layfield appeared on the stage in his wrestling gear with a mic of his own. JBL warned Spike that he was biting off more than he could chew and suggested that professional wrestling was a "big-boy sport" that left no room for pipsqueaks like Dudley and Mysterio. Bradshaw advised Spike to take his Cruiserweight Title and "go back to the midget division where y'all belong", infuriating Spike, who challenged JBL to put his money where his mouth was and face him tonight one-on-one. JBL laughed and accepted the challenge as he headed down the ramp. (78%)
Spike Dudley vs. John Bradshaw Layfield
Tazz jokingly asked if the WWE Cruiserweight Championship was on the line as John Layfield overpowered Spike Dudley right off the bat, shoving him back into a corner and charging in, but Spike moved and Bradshaw slammed into the turnbuckles. Spike got in some early offense but JBL took control and dominated most of the contest with his overwhelming size and strength, as Dudley displayed his tremendous heart by repeatedly kicking out of every pinfall attempt. The fans rallied behind Spike as he mounted a comeback and had JBL reeling, but when he went for the Dudley Dog, JBL tossed him over the top rope to the floor in a sick bump. Bradshaw staggered back and raised his arms in victory as referee Chad Patton began the 10-count on Spike, who was struggling to get to his feet at ringside. Meanwhile, Rey Mysterio raced out and hit Layfield with a modified 619 to the back, just in time for Spike to climb back in the ring and grab hold of the stunned JBL, dropping him with the Dudley Dog for the upset pin at 10:08. Afterwards, Rey helped a confused Spike escape the squared circle while JBL protested the unseen outside interference. (73%)
Backstage, Chavo Guerrero was watching on a monitor and complaining to Chavo Classic that Spike Dudley offered Rey Mysterio another shot at the WWE Cruiserweight Championship before giving him his contractually-obligated rematch. Classic assured his son that after they beat the Dudley Boyz tonight, Spike would have to give him his rematch, but Chavo Jr. expressed some doubt that they would be victorious over D-Von & Bubba Ray since his dad was "no spring chicken" anymore. Chavo Sr. just smiled and patted his son on the back, promising him that he had a plan to take down the Dudleyz as they headed out. (69%)
Los Chavos (Chavo Guerrero & Chavo Classic) vs. The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley)
Prior to the opening bell, referee Nick Patrick performed the traditional patting-down of the participants, which yielded nothing until he got to Chavo Classic, who was smuggling a blackjack, brass knuckles, a lead pipe, a roll of quarters, pepper spray, a steel chain, and even a $20 bill to bribe the official with, all found in various places on his person as Tazz remarked that that must have been the plan that Chavo Sr. mentioned. This kicked off an entertaining tag team match-up that saw the Dudley Boyz in full ass-kicking mode as they took turns beating on Classic until the second-generation veteran snuck in a lowblow on D-Von and tagged in Chavo Guerrero, who used every trick in the book to control the Dudley Boy, choking him with the tag rope and raking his bootlaces across D-Von's eyes. Once Classic recovered enough, Los Chavos used quick tags and sneaky double-teams to score several near-falls, but D-Von eventually battled back and made the hot tag to Bubba Ray, who charged in and cleaned house. Amidst the chaos, the Dudleyz spiked Classic with the 3D and Bubba scored the pinfall at 9:11. Afterwards, the Dudleyz dropped Chavo Jr. with the 3D on top of Chavo Sr. and celebrated their win. (79%)
Ultimo Dragon was walking down a backstage hallway on his way out for a match against Rene Dupree, with Funaki by his side as they chattered excitedly. After they passed by a room, Gail Kim came out the door with a smirk on her face as she watched Funaki from behind. (66%)
Ultimo Dragon vs. Rene Dupree
Funaki seconded Ultimo Dragon for this solid "strength vs. speed" match-up that the commentators used to discuss some of the other ongoing SmackDown storylines. The action went back-and-forth until Gail Kim sauntered down to ringside and began flirting with Funaki, who was once again dumbfounded. This distracted the Dragon as he tried to talk some sense into Funaki, giving Dupree the opportunity to waistlock Ultimo and pin him with a bridging German suplex at 5:01. Afterwards, Funaki seemed torn between helping Dragon up and leaving with Kim, but ended up being led up the ramp by Gail as the crowd gave him a mixed reaction. (71%)
After Ultimo Dragon rolled out to the floor looking disappointed, Rene Dupree celebrated his victory by doing the French Tickler dance until the arena suddenly went dark. When the lights came back on, the Undertaker was in the ring with his hand wrapped around Dupree's throat, hoisting him up and planting him with a vicious chokeslam. The Dead Man quickly scooped the French Phenom back up and buried him with the Tombstone as Paul Bearer stepped into the squared circle and used the urn to pull 'Taker away from Rene. Michael Cole, microphone in hand, joined the ghastly pair for the special interview and asked about the Grim Reaper's brutal assault on Kurt Angle at Judgment Day, wondering where the rage came from that he displayed. Bearer advised Cole not to ask such questions about things he knew nothing about, but responded that the Judgment Day violence came from a very dark place deep down in the Phenom's soul, a place so dark that it could only be neutralized by the light of the urn. The Undertaker explained that since being resurrected after being buried alive at last year's Survivor Series, an evil force had been trying to surface from within his soul and warned Angle not to keep pushing him. When Cole asked for specifics, the Dead Man's eyes rolled back in his head and he gripped the broadcaster by the throat. Bearer waved the urn around and wailed for 'Taker to release Cole, but the TitanTron lit up with an image of Kurt Angle, wearing a neckbrace and sitting in his living room, which was decorated with medals, trophies, and plaques. Cole managed to escape as the Olympic Champion stated that he wasn't buying the "voodoo mindgames" and suggested that 'Taker should be suspended indefinitely after the display of brutality at Judgment Day. The Reaper replied that it didn't matter whether he believed it or not, but begged Angle to push him far enough to fully unleash his "dark side". Angle scoffed and claimed that he was no longer afraid of the Undertaker, distracting the former four-time WWE Champion while the Big Show lumbered into the ring and blindsided him, bashing 'Taker with a metal folding chair several times as Angle shouted encouragement from the big screen. The 7-foot 500-pounder finished the Phenom with the Show Stopper on the chair and left him laid out as Show exited the squared circle. The crowd booed until Undertaker slowly sat up with his eyes rolled back, roaring with anger, as Styles predicted that we hadn't seen the last of the "vengeful demon" 'Taker. (92%)
Backstage, John Cena was shown marching down the hallway as the commentators hyped tonight's six-man main event. Suddenly, Brock Lesnar came out of nowhere and whalloped the Doctor Of Thuganomics across the back of the head with the WWE United States Championship belt, stomping and kicking him after he hit the floor. Lesnar yanked Cena back up and hurled him against the brick wall with the F-5, possibly damaging his leg, as Paul Heyman showed up with a big smile on his face and egged Brock on. SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long arrived on the scene and immediately ordered Lesnar ejected from the building, but Heyman argued that Lesnar was involved in the main event. Long replied that the Agency would have more important things to worry about if Cena couldn't compete tonight, threatening heavy fines and suspensions, but in the interest of the promised main event, the SmackDown GM allowed Heyman to select a substitute for Brock. Charlie Haas appeared behind Heyman and stared Long down with an icy glare as medics attended to Cena and security ushered Lesnar away. (82%)
Six-Man Tag Team Match: Charlie Haas & The Thrill Kill (Sean O'Haire & Mark Jindrak) vs. John Cena & Rikishi & Scotty 2 Hotty
Paul Heyman accompanied his Agency members to a negative reaction, while Scotty 2 Hotty & Rikishi were without John Cena as Styles explained that he was receiving medical attention backstage. Rikishi started off strong, but the odds overwhelmed the former WWE Tag Team Champions as the Thrill Kill & Charlie Haas functioned very well as a unit, isolating and dominating Scotty while also knocking off Rikishi whenever he charged in to defend his partner. This continued until John Cena limped out to a huge pop and cleaned house on Haas, Mark Jindrak, & Sean O'Haire before stepping out to the apron and waiting for Scotty to crawl over and make the legal tag. The Doctor Of Thuganomics maintained control on his own and lifted Jindrak across his shoulders for the F-U, but he was distracted when Brock Lesnar appeared on the stage surrounded by security. Security tried to remove Lesnar as he taunted Cena from the stage, distracting the former WWE United States Champion long enough for Haas to run in and clip Cena's knee before dragging Jindrak to the Agency's corner. Jindrak tagged Haas, who legally entered the ring and applied the Haas Of Pain on Cena's damaged leg while O'Haire took care of Rikishi at ringside. Cena groaned in agony and refused to submit to the crippling leglock, hanging on until he finally blacked out from the pain and referee Nick Patrick called for the bell at 14:28, awarding the decision to the Agency. Afterwards, Haas held Cena in the Haas Of Pain while the WWE Tag Team Champions stomped and kicked at his knee, until Heyman called his dogs off and they left, proud of their dirty work. (73%)
Following a commercial break, Booker T made his way down to the ring to a loud chorus of boos and picked up the microphone, still looking rather insulted as he brought up the comments made by WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero last week. The Book was very intense as he stated that he hated being embarrassed in front of a network television audience and hadn't thought about anything else all week, defending his inability to help John Bradshaw Layfield win the WWE Title at Judgment Day by pointing out that it wasn't his fault JBL dropped the ball. Booker announced that the rest of what he had to say he wanted to say to Eddie's face and called out Latino Heat, who strutted out to a big pop and went face-to-face with Booker in the squared circle. The former five-time WCW Champion promised that he wouldn't need to make any excuses after the Great American Bash because unlike JBL, he would get the job done and leave Norfolk, Virginia, with the WWE Championship. When Guerrero mocked him, Booker gripped the WWE Champion by the jaw and pulled him close, warning that he could "gank" his ass right there, but instead he offered to back up his boasts by challenging Eddie to a non-title bout next week. Guerrero shoved Booker and accepted the challenge, predicting the same result next week and at the Bash: Latino Heat flattening the Book with the Frog Splash and walking out with the WWE Championship belt still around his waist. Booker and Guerrero stared each other down as Styles and Tazz hyped next week's big-time non-title main event and ended the broadcast. (86%)
Overall: 76%
Rating: 5.37
Attendance: 10,008
Ticket Sales: $400,320
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WWE VELOCITY -- SATURDAY, MAY 29, 2004
* Hosts: Michael Cole and Josh Matthews.
* A-Train vs. Scorpio Sky: Total squash to showcase A-Train's impressive strength as he finished off the masked youngster with the Derailer at 2:14. (60%)
* Backstage, Jamie Noble was attempting to hit on Gail Kim, telling her his sob story about how he realized all of the things he had done wrong after Nidia left him and he just wished another girl would give him a chance. Gail sneered at him as Funaki arrived on the scene and jealously pushed Noble, who shoved back as the two began to scuffle. Kim suggested a solution: Funaki vs. Noble in the Velocity main event with the winner getting a date with Gail. Both men stopped tussling and eagerly agreed to the match and the stipulation as Gail excused herself and headed out with Sakoda & Akio for their bout. (73%)
* Kyo Dai (Akio & Sakoda) vs. Jimmy Jacobs & Alex Shelley: Gail Kim escorted Kyo Dai for this semi-competitive squash that ended when Akio covered Jacobs at 5:03 following the Double STO from he and Sakoda. (60%)
* Backstage, Nunzio was headed out for his match, flanked by Chuck Palumbo & Johnny Stamboli, when he was stopped by Paul London, who had Billy Kidman by his side. London challenged Nunzio to a one-on-one encounter this Thursday on SmackDown after the events of last week's Velocity, and after thinking about it for a few moments, the Full Blooded Italian accepted the challenge by grabbing London and kissing him on the cheek. The FBI snarled as they left while London wiped his cheek and made threatening gestures. (61%)
* Nunzio vs. Chris Sabin: Nunzio was seconded by his fellow FBI members for this competitive little match-up in which Chris Sabin once again showed potential before Nunzio put him away with the Sicilian Slice at 6:37. (72%)
* A video package aired to hype the non-title main event for this Thursday's SmackDown pitting WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero against Booker T, emphasizing that it would have a huge impact on their WWE Title bout at the Great American Bash on Sunday, July 4. (81%)
* Jamie Noble vs. Funaki: Gail Kim, flanked by Kyo Dai, stood in a neutral corner for this excellent Velocity main event that saw both Funaki and Jamie Noble display their tremendous athleticism as they engaged in a well-worked back-and-forth match-up. They alternated between fast-paced action and mat-based psychology, trading near-falls, until Funaki planted Noble with the Rising Sun tornado DDT for the 1-2-3 at 9:03. Afterwards, Gail congratulated the happy Funaki with a friendly hug while Sakoda & Akio raised his arms in victory. Although Funaki was over the moon with Gail by his side, he looked somewhat uncomfortable in the presence of Kyo Dai as the commentators stated that the date would be shown on SmackDown. (83%)
Overall: 68%
Rating: 5.74
Attendance: 10,010
Ticket Sales: $400,400
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WWE SUNDAY NIGHT HEAT -- SUNDAY, MAY 30, 2004
* Hosts: Jonathan Coachman and Jim Cornette.
* Tommy Dreamer vs. Tony DeVito: Competitive squash to kick off Heat as Tommy Dreamer planted Tony DeVito with the Dreamer Driver at 3:59. (64%)
* Jeff Johnson interviewed Victoria, who was flanked by Garrison Cade & Mark Henry as she promised that on behalf of Stevie Night Heat, she and Steven Richards would find some way to get Ebony & Ivory back on RAW. Until then, she stated that they would continue to destroy the competition on Heat. (77%)
* Ebony & Ivory (Mark Henry & Garrison Cade) vs. Chad Collyer & Matt Stryker: Victoria escorted Ebony & Ivory for this semi-competitive squash that ended when Cade covered Stryker following the Perfect Harmony. (74%)
* Backstage, Ric Flair was psyching Batista up for their tag team match tonight in preparation to eliminate the Extreme Animals on RAW tomorrow night. (84%)
* Evolution (Batista & "Nature Boy" Ric Flair) vs. John Walters & Jack Evans: Although Evans & Walters got in some offense on the Nature Boy, this was basically a squash for Evolution as Batista finished off Walters with the Demon Bomb at 5:08. (66%)
* A video package aired to hype a huge tag team main event for tomorrow night's RAW pitting Shelton Benjamin & Mankind against Triple H & WWE Intercontinental Champion Randy Orton. (85%)
* Jeff Johnson interviewed Edge, who cut a great promo about being Chris Jericho's partner at Bad Blood in the Triple Threat Match for the World Tag Team Championship, explaining that he was looking forward to winning his first title since returning from a serious neck injury. (89%)
* Lance Storm vs. Edge: Solid Heat main event with some good back-and-forth action until the end, when Edge drilled Storm with the Edgecution for the three-count at 7:46. (73%)
Overall: 73%
Rating: 5.80
Attendance: 10,023
Ticket Sales: $400,920
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Here's the updated lineup for WWE Bad Blood on Sunday, June 13, with more to come...
World Heavyweight Title Match: Chris Benoit [champion] vs. Shawn Michaels
WWE Intercontinental Title/Boiler Room Brawl: Randy Orton [champion] vs. Mankind
World Tag Team Title/Triple Threat Match: Chris Benoit & Shawn Michaels [champions] vs. Christian & Kane vs. Chris Jericho & Edge
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WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW -- MONDAY, MAY 17, 2004
Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler introduced the show LIVE from San Diego, California, and announced the lineup for this evening: World Heavyweight Champion Chris Benoit on "The Peep Show", Shelton Benjamin taking on Batista, Eugene meeting William Regal, the Extreme Animals battling Ebony & Ivory in a Hardcore Match, Rosey & Hurricane facing Lita & World Television Champion Matt Hardy, and in the main event, Mankind squaring off against Ric Flair.
Hardcore Match: Ebony & Ivory (Mark Henry & Garrison Cade) vs. The Extreme Animals (Rhyno & Tajiri)
Steven Richards & Victoria escorted Ebony & Ivory to the ring as a short video package aired to explain the backstory of this feud, while the Extreme Animals got a nice pop upon their entrance. A slightly disappointing, sloppy brawl that featured both squads using chairs, trashcans, stop signs, and tables as Ross reminded viewers that the losers would be unable to wrestle on RAW for one year. In the end, Tajiri blasted Garrison Cade with the Buzzsaw Kick while Rhyno drove Mark Henry through a table in the corner with the Gore, followed by both Animals scoring pinfalls at 7:31. Afterwards, Victoria & Steven tried to attack the Animals but the Japanese Buzzsaw spewed green mist in Victoria's face, while Richards fell victim to the Gore/Buzzsaw Kick combination. (69%)
Following a commercial break, Rosey & Hurricane were making their entrance and gladhanding the fans. Once they were in the ring, Matt Hardy & Lita came out on the stage with a microphone, carrying the Hurricane's cape and Rosey's eyemask. The World Television Champion suggested that the Super Heroes misunderstood his challenge on Heat and announced that while Lita was his "partner in life", she wasn't his tag team partner tonight. Hardy announced the return of "the Mattitude era" and introduced his partner as his former "number-one Mattitude Follower", making his RAW debut after jumping from SmackDown: Shannon Moore, who pranced out to a smattering of boos and high-fived Matt & Lita before the trio headed down to the squared circle. (68%)
The Hurricane & Rosey vs. Mattitude (Matt Hardy & Shannon Moore)
Lita stood in the Mattitude corner as J.R. crowed over Shannon Moore jumping to RAW and put him over as a talented young blue-chipper with a ton of potential. This turned out to be a very good tag team bout that displayed flawless teamwork from Shannon & Matt Hardy, while Rosey & Hurricane looked good but encountered a couple of problems that saw the Hurricane visibly annoyed with his Super Hero In Training. One such error led to the finish, as Rosey accidentally knocked Hurricane out of the ring with a clothesline before being taken down by a Double Side Effect from Hardy & Moore, giving the World Television Champion the pinfall at 8:59. Afterwards, the Mattitude threesome celebrated up the ramp while the Super Heroes argued. (80%)
Jonathan Coachman interviewed Shelton Benjamin in the dressing room as he was warming up to face Batista. When the Coach asked the former Minnesota Golden Gopher about his rivalry with Triple H, Shelton boasted about his 2-0 record against the Game and stated that while he wasn't afraid of any challenge, including Batista tonight, he didn't see why he should give HHH another rematch. (77%)
Batista vs. Shelton Benjamin
Lawler and Ross argued over Shelton Benjamin "having Triple H's number" throughout this solid match-up, which kicked off when Batista attacked Shelton as he was entering the ring. The commentators suggested that Batista was doing HHH's dirty work, as the Beast seemed more interested in punishing the former two-time co-WWE Tag Team Champion than actually winning the contest. Benjamin held his own against Big Dave, using his agility and technical skill to his advantage, but as he was building momentum, HHH ran in and pounced on Shelton, drawing a disqualification for Batista at 9:43. Ric Flair soon joined in the beatdown, as HHH went to ringside and retrieved a sledgehammer from underneath the ring. However, before the Game could use it, Rhyno & Tajiri roared down to the ring and knocked the sledge to the floor. The Extreme Animals cleaned house and drove Evolution from the squared circle before checking on Shelton as the fans cheered. (71%)
After an ad break, the ring was set up for "The Peep Show" as Trish Stratus introduced Christian and passed him the microphone. Christian mentioned his involvement in RAW's main event last week and introduced his guest, Chris Benoit, who received a great pop when he marched out and confronted Christian about trying to cost him the World Heavyweight Championship against Kane. The Rabid Wolverine got right in Christian's face and informed him that he didn't forgive and forget so easily, which Christian used to change the subject to Shawn Michaels not being around to help Benoit last week. The Canadian Crippler responded that he handled himself just fine, with an assist from Chris Jericho, and didn't need the Heartbreak Kid, at which point HBK's music kicked in as Christian announced that he had "forgotten" to introduce his other guest tonight. Shawn walked out looking unhappy and explained that he had done everything in his power to change his life, but still people wouldn't believe him. HBK insisted that everything he had done lately, including making the match in which he and Benoit won the World Tag Team Championship, was for the "greater good" and wondered when the Crippler would grant him a shot at the World Title. Benoit replied that he had always wanted to find out once and for all who was better, him or Michaels, and accepted his challenge for Sunday, June 13, at WWE Bad Blood. The World Tag Team Champions exchanged some heated words until Christian interrupted and reminded them that it was his show, questioning when he would receive his World Title shot. Michaels & Benoit looked at each other before unleashing a wicked double-chop to Christian's chest, bringing Kane lumbering down to the squared circle as a four-way brawl broke out. An army of WWE officials and agents flooded out to separate the combatants, but HBK inadvertently smacked the World Champion with the Sweet Chin Music when Christian dodged the kick. Kane, Christian, & Trish backed up the ramp as Shawn grabbed the mic and offered them a crack at the World Tag Team Title next week if they wanted to rumble. Christian smiled and nodded on the ramp. (87%)
In the backstage office of the RAW General Manager, William Regal was dressed to wrestle as he made a last-ditch effort to convince Eric Bischoff to cancel tonight's match against Eugene, explaining that he had a family to feed and he didn't want to have to hurt Eugene to earn a spot on the active RAW roster. Bischoff sneered and expressed his dissatisfaction that Regal "went easy" on Eugene during their training sessions, but Regal tried to appeal to Bischoff's heelish sensibilities and suggested that Eugene could be of great use to the RAW GM. Bischoff responded that he could barely stand the sight of his "specially-abled" nephew and wanted him gone, making it clear that he expected Regal to take care of the problem tonight. William sighed and protested, but Eugene barged into the room and enthusiastically went on and on about how excited he was to finally get to wrestle on TV. Eugene stated that he told his mom to watch RAW tonight and hugged his Uncle Eric, asking William if they would be going out to the ring together. Regal grabbed Eugene by the shoulders and gruffly reminded him that they were opponents this evening, insisting that he keep that in mind when they locked up. The smile faded from Eugene's face as William stormed out of the office and Eric wished Eugene luck. (80%)
William Regal vs. Eugene
The participants entered separately, as William Regal looked emotionally torn awaiting his opponent, while Eugene appeared to be in awe of his surroundings when he walked slowly down the ramp. Lawler claimed that the ring was no place for somebody in Eugene's "condition", while Ross feared for his safety, as the match-up began as a clean wrestling exhibition with Eugene showing his surprising prowess, trading holds and counterholds with William, who seemed impressed. A mutual respect was evident as the action escalated and Regal reluctantly cranked his game up, applying some excruciating submissions and begging Eugene to tap out so he wouldn't have to hurt him. Eugene refused to submit and kicked out of several near-falls as the fans rallied behind him and he "Hulked Up", no-selling and mowing Regal down with lefts, rights, and clotheslines. Following some back-and-forth chain-wrestling, Eugene managed to take William down and wrap him up in the Regal Stretch, wrenching in the submission until Regal had no choice but to tap out at 12:57. The crowd popped as Eugene immediately released William and jumped for joy as J.R. proclaimed him the newest member of the RAW roster. RAW GM Eric Bischoff appeared on the stage as Eugene tried to help Regal up, but Regal shoved him away and looked at Bischoff, who motioned at William to finish the job. Regal nodded and spun the confused Eugene around, but instead of attacking him, he hugged Eugene and raised his hand in victory as the fans cheered and Bischoff threw a tantrum. (77%)
Backstage, Jonathan Coachman interviewed Ric Flair, who talked about Mankind's boiler room assault on Randy Orton last week and how disgusted he was that Mankind soiled him by applying the Mandible Claw. The Nature Boy mentioned that the Legend Killer was watching RAW at home as he recovered from the beating and vowed to get revenge not only for himself, but for the WWE Intercontinental Champion, by snapping Mankind's legs with the Figure Four Leglock...NEXT! (93%)
"Nature Boy" Ric Flair vs. Mankind
J.R. brought up Mankind's promo on Heat and wondered if Randy Orton would accept the Deranged One's challenge to a Boiler Room Brawl at Bad Blood, as Mankind and Ric Flair put on a great old-school main event that saw the Nature Boy focus his attack on the former three-time WWE Champion's knee, while also going through his usual chops and lowblows. Mankind fired back with his violent brawling style until he missed a running knee in the corner, giving Slick Ric the opportunity to snare Mankind in the Figure Four Leglock. The most psychologically-disturbing personality of Mick Foley refused to tap out and used a very unique counter to escape the dreaded submission hold, by pounding on both his and Flair's legs until the Nature Boy finally released him. They went through the former 16-time World Heavyweight Champion's usual routines, including the Flair Flip in the corner and Mankind tossing Flair off the top turnbuckle, before the Deranged One clamped on the Mandible Claw. Slick Ric struggled briefly but succumbed to the paralysis, as referee Charles Robinson dropped his arm three times, giving the submission victory to Mankind at 13:01. (82%)
As soon as the bell rang and Mankind released Ric Flair from the Mandible Claw, Randy Orton stormed the ring and swung a chair, but the Deranged One ducked and kicked Orton in the gut, causing him to drop the chair. Mankind quickly drilled the WWE Intercontinental Champion into the chair with a double-arm DDT and retrieved the microphone, asking Orton if he accepted his challenge for a Boiler Room Brawl at Bad Blood. The Legend Killer just held his head and groaned when Mankind held the mic to his mouth, so Mankind picked up the chair and smashed it down across Orton's left hand, which resulted in a scream of agony, but still no answer to the challenge. The third-generation superstar yelled in pain as Mankind bashed Orton's other hand with the chair and repeated his challenge, but this time Orton managed to scream a "YES!!!" and the crowd popped. Mankind thanked Randy, telling him to "have a nice day", before discarding the chair and sitting down beside Orton, rocking back and forth with a demented grin on his masked face, as Ross and Lawler signed off. (80%)
Overall: 78%
Rating: 5.56
Attendance: 10,035
Ticket Sales: $401,400
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WWE SMACKDOWN! -- THURSDAY, MAY 20, 2004
Joey Styles and Tazz opened the UPN broadcast in Las Vegas, Nevada, by discussing the ramifications of last Sunday's Judgment Day and announcing a couple of tonight's match-ups, including Charlie Haas facing Hardcore Holly and Billy Gunn taking on the new Number One Contender, Booker T.
The crowd popped mildly as brand-new WWE Cruiserweight Champion Spike Dudley made his way down to the ring and picked up the microphone, smiling with genuine happiness as he described the elation he felt when he won the title from Chavo Guerrero at Judgment Day on Sunday. The perennial underdog dedicated the victory to his family, friends, and fans that had supported him through thick and thin, but added that something was hampering his enjoyment of his accomplishment, recalling how he had won the Cruiserweight Battle Royal with some unwanted help from Booker T to eliminate Rey Mysterio. Spike claimed that he wanted to rectify the situation and called out Rey Rey, who seemed surprised as he stepped into the squared circle. Spike told Rey that he had always admired him due to their similar size and the fact that critics always said neither of them would make it in the business, but here they were, so he wanted to begin his Cruiserweight Title reign by offering Mysterio the first shot at his gold later tonight. Mysterio gladly accepted the challenge and put Dudley over as one of the most tenacious and determined competitors he had ever met before shaking hands with the WWE Cruiserweight Champion and declaring that the best man would win. As Rey exited the ring and headed up the ramp, with Spike following a few feet behind, John Bradshaw Layfield charged out and leveled Mysterio with a big boot to the head. When Spike tried to intervene, JBL tossed him away and dragged Rey up to the stage, where he clobbered him with the Clothesline From Hell before planting him with a brutal powerbomb on the steel grating. Bradshaw looked very angry and shouted about how Rey had cost him the WWE Championship against Eddie Guerrero at Judgment Day as several WWE agents and officials came out to attend to Mysterio. (74%)
Backstage, Funaki sat on a bench as he laced his boots in preparation for his match against A-Train when Gail Kim sauntered into the room wearing a schoolgirl uniform with her hair in pigtails. Along with the camera panning up, Funaki slowly looked up at Gail and absent-mindedly continued lacing his boots as she smiled sweetly and congratulated Funaki on a successful mini-tour of Japan with Ultimo Dragon over the past couple of weeks, stating that she had missed him while he was gone. Speechless, Funaki blushed and grinned as Gail informed him that the offer to join Kyo Dai was still on the table before leaving the room. When Funaki got up after she left, he fell on the floor because he had accidentally tied his laces together while gawking at Kim. (72%)
A-Train vs. Funaki
Styles explained that Funaki & Ultimo Dragon had participated in a two-week round-robin tag team tournament in Japan, finishing an impressive second-place, and the Dragon had stayed in Japan a couple extra days to visit family. Typical "big vs. little" match-up here as A-Train manhandled Funaki, who had a few hope spots and fought back with his speed and aerial maneuvers. At one point, Gail Kim walked out and distracted referee Chad Patton, as well as Funaki, while Sakoda & Akio invaded the ring and took down A-Train with simultaneous dropkicks to the knees. Kyo Dai pummeled the Train on the canvas and held his head up, attracting Funaki's attention. Funaki looked confused, but shrugged and thumped A-Train with a double-footed seated dropkick to the face, then covered the 340-pounder as Kyo Dai exited and the official returned to administer the three-count at 5:59. Afterwards, Gail smiled seductively and waved at Funaki as she left with Akio & Sakoda. (70%)
Chavo Guerrero and Chavo Classic were shown walking down a backstage hallway as Chavo Jr. complained about Spike Dudley offering the first crack at his WWE Cruiserweight Championship to Rey Mysterio tonight. Classic wondered if Rey would be in any shape to wrestle later and suggested that they go knock some sense into Spike and take Mysterio's title shot. However, they bumped into D-Von & Bubba Ray Dudley, who looked rather unhappy since they had heard the Guerreros' plans for their half-brother. The Dudley Boyz informed Los Chavos that they would have to go through them to get to Spike and challenged them to a tag team match next week with a Cruiserweight Title shot on the line, which the father-and-son combination reluctantly accepted once they realized that it was their only choice. Bubba warned Los Chavos that if they touched a hair on Spike's head, they would regret it. (75%)
Hardcore Holly vs. Charlie Haas
Charlie Haas was flanked by Paul Heyman, new WWE United States Champion Brock Lesnar, and new WWE Tag Team Champions Mark Jindrak & Sean O'Haire as Styles recapped the Agency's successful evening at Judgment Day and the reformation of O'Haire & Jindrak as the Thrill Kill. Tazz himself referred to Haas as a "Human Suplex Machine" as he took Hardcore Holly's stiffest shots and answered back with a variety of suplexes and leg submissions before locking Holly in the Haas Of Pain, forcing the former six-time Hardcore Champion to tap out at 7:42. (76%)
Following the bell, the Thrill Kill dumped Hardcore Holly out to the floor as Paul Heyman retrieved the microphone and Brock Lesnar patted Charlie Haas on the back. Heyman boasted about the Agency's accomplishments last Sunday at Judgment Day: Sean O'Haire & Mark Jindrak taking the WWE Tag Team Championship from Rikishi & Scotty 2 Hotty, Charlie Haas ending Rob Van Dam's career, and Brock Lesnar capturing the WWE United States Championship from John Cena. The former SmackDown General Manager claimed that Cena had nobody to blame but himself and credited the Doctor Of Thuganomics with inspiring him to form the Agency, motioning to the TitanTron as footage was shown from the January 15 SmackDown of Cena stuffing soap in Heyman's mouth while Chris Benoit held him in the Sharpshooter. Heyman's face turned red as he stated that he never forgot that embarrassment and would do everything in his power to destroy Cena and make his life miserable, gesturing at Lesnar as he proudly held the U.S. belt over his head. The crowd's boos turned to cheers when Cena's voice could be heard as the Doctor Of Thuganomics appeared on the stage with a mic, admitting that he lost to Brock and wouldn't make any excuses. Building intensity in his voice, Cena added that the loss wouldn't stop him from going after Heyman and singlehandedly dismantling the Agency to regain his U.S. Title. When Lesnar called his bluff, Cena charged down to the ring and opened fire on the Agency, catching Jindrak, O'Haire, and Haas with lefts and rights before grabbing Heyman by his tie. Unfortunately, before he could do anything to the unscrupulous agent, Lesnar blindsided Cena and beat him down to the canvas as the rest of the Agency joined in the assault, stomping and kicking the former WWE U.S. Champion until a horde of officials, backed by Rikishi & Scotty 2 Hotty, flooded out to intervene. The Agency exited the ring, proud of their dirty work, as Scotty & Rikishi shouted threats at them. (75%)
A video package aired that recapped the feud between Kurt Angle and the Undertaker, including stills of the Dead Man's violent assault on the Olympic Champion that earned him a disqualification at Judgment Day. Exclusive post-match backstage footage was also shown of an unconscious Angle on a stretcher with neckbrace being loaded into an ambulance while the dazed Big Show had his head bandaged. The video ended with the announcement that next week's SmackDown would feature an update on Kurt Angle's condition and a special interview with Paul Bearer and the Undertaker. (95%)
Booker T vs. "Mr. Ass" Billy Gunn
Once in the ring, Booker T admonished ring announcer Tony Chimel and demanded to be introduced as "Number One Contender Booker T" when he comes out. Tazz put over Booker's chances of winning the WWE Championship on Sunday, July 4, at the Great American Bash as the Book looked great in this entertaining athletic match-up against Billy Gunn. In the end, the former five-time WCW Champion finished off Mr. Ass with the Axe Kick at 8:03. (77%)
Afterwards, as Booker T celebrated his victory, the crowd popped huge as WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero strolled down the ramp with a microphone and congratulated the Book on his win tonight and his Number One Contender victory over Rey Mysterio at Judgment Day. Latino Heat stated that it took a "big man" to beat Rey Rey with interference from John Bradshaw Layfield and questioned Booker's qualifications as Number One Contender since he needed JBL's assistance, adding that Booker couldn't even return the favor to JBL and failed when he tried to help Bradshaw win the WWE Title. The Book was infuriated as he grabbed a mic of his own and stumbled over his words, claiming that he did the best he could, before Eddie cut him off and predicted that he would be saying the same thing after the Great American Bash when he went home empty-handed. The fans cheered and laughed at Booker as Guerrero chuckled and returned to the locker room, leaving the former five-time WCW Champion livid and humiliated in the squared circle. (83%)
Michael Cole interviewed SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long, who announced that next week's main event would be a six-man affair pitting John Cena, Scotty 2 Hotty, & Rikishi against the Thrill Kill & Brock Lesnar. As Long was speaking, Rey Mysterio staggered past apparently on his way out for his Cruiserweight Title shot. The SmackDown GM stopped Rey Rey and asked him if he was really serious about wrestling tonight after suffering the nasty powerbomb on the stage from John Layfield, even offering to postpone the championship contest, but Mysterio replied that if he did that, JBL would have gotten the better of him. Long told Mysterio that he admired his resolve and wished him luck. (88%)
WWE Cruiserweight Title Match: Spike Dudley [champion] vs. Rey Mysterio
Spike Dudley came out first to a respectable pop and seemed very proud to be WWE Cruiserweight Champion, while Rey Mysterio walked down the ramp with a slight limp, holding the back of his head as Tazz speculated that he could have suffered a mild concussion earlier. Both competitors shook hands to kick off this championship main event and proceeded to engage in a solid back-and-forth match-up, as Spike dished out more offense than usual due to Rey Rey's condition, scoring a handful of near-falls. Mysterio fought back and built momentum until Dudley managed to dodge the 619, causing his masked challenger to tumble through the ropes. Spike pulled himself up by the ropes as John Bradshaw Layfield rushed down to ringside and went after Rey, who was ready this time and struggled with JBL. Meanwhile, the weary Spike instinctively rebounded off the opposite ropes with a baseball slide that nailed Rey in the back of the head before Spike crawled back to mid-ring, not seeing Bradshaw. Behind Dudley's back, JBL bashed Mysterio with a stiff forearm across the back of the head and tossed him back into the squared circle, where Spike dove off the top turnbuckle with the double-stomp to the gut and covered Rey for the 1-2-3 to retain the WWE Cruiserweight Championship at 13:12. Afterwards, Spike noticed the smiling JBL and shook his head in disappointment, helping Rey Rey up as Styles and Tazz closed the broadcast. (69%)
Overall: 76%
Rating: 5.37
Attendance: 10,049
Ticket Sales: $401,960
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WWE VELOCITY -- SATURDAY, MAY 22, 2004
* Hosts: Michael Cole and Josh Matthews.
* Ultimo Dragon vs. Angel Dust: The commentators discussed the situation between Funaki and Gail Kim during this semi-competitive squash, which saw the Dragon put Angel Dust away with the cool-looking Asai DDT at 4:43. (56%)
* Marissa Mazzola interviewed Rene Dupree, who kept referring to himself as the "French Phenom" and declared his superiority over the rest of the SmackDown roster. (68%)
* Rene Dupree vs. Scorpio Sky: Another semi-competitive squash that ended when Dupree drilled Scorpio with the Paris Driver at 2:56. (60%)
* Marissa Mazzola interviewed Chavo Classic & Chavo Guerrero, who complained about being bullied by the Dudley Boyz and demanded his rightful rematch for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. (76%)
* Chavo Guerrero vs. Chris Sabin: Chavo Classic escorted his son out for this surprisingly competitive match-up, as Chris Sabin showed some potential against the former three-time Cruiserweight Champion, who eventually finished off Sabin with the Gory Bomb at 5:49. (74%)
* Paul Heyman grinned like the Cheshire Cat as he led WWE Tag Team Champions Thrill Kill down a backstage hallway on their way out for non-title action. (84%)
* Non-Title Match: The Thrill Kill (Sean O'Haire & Mark Jindrak) vs. Petey Williams & Jerrelle Clark: Paul Heyman accompanied his WWE Tag Team Champions for this non-title squash that displayed the Thrill Kill's aggressive teamwork. After toying with their opponents, Jindrak pinned Clark following the Mark Of Excellence at 3:25. (68%)
* Backstage, the Full Blooded Italians got into a confrontation with the Shooting Star Express when both factions were heading out for the Velocity main event. As a result, SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long barred everyone from ringside for the singles bout. (68%)
* Chuck Palumbo vs. Paul London: Solid back-and-forth Velocity main event that featured Paul London using his innovative aerial offense to combat Chuck Palumbo's strength advantage. Late in the contest, Nunzio raced down to ringside, but his interference backfired and London pinned Chucky P at 6:44 following the 450 Splash off the top turnbuckle. Afterwards, Billy Kidman saved London from Nunzio, but Johnny The Bull rushed out to tip the odds in the FBI's favor and they laid out the Shooting Star Express. (70%)
Overall: 66%
Rating: 5.98
Attendance: 10,009
Ticket Sales: $400,360
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WWE SUNDAY NIGHT HEAT -- SUNDAY, MAY 23, 2004
* Hosts: Jonathan Coachman and Jim Cornette.
* Kane vs. Chad Collyer: Christian & Trish Stratus escorted Kane for this total squash, which the commentators used to hype the World Tag Team Championship main event for tomorrow night's RAW. The Big Red Machine buried Collyer with the Chokeslam To Hell at 2:03. (65%)
* Jeff Johnson interviewed La Resistance, who claimed that they were discriminated against due to their French Canadian heritage. When Johnson pointed out that Robert Conway was from Louisville, Kentucky, he responded that he had applied for Canadian citizenship. (66%)
* La Resistance (Robert Conway & Sylvain Grenier) vs. Chris Swan & Mark Wolf: Squash city for La Resistance as they put their opponents away when Conway covered Swan at 3:19 following the Au Revoir from he and Grenier. (60%)
* Backstage, Tough Enough were getting ready for tag team action when Maven thanked Al Snow for helping him out against La Resistance a couple weeks ago. Al replied that he would always be there for any of his former students and suggested that if they stuck together, they could eventually win the World Tag Team Championship, the first in a long line of titles for Maven. (80%)
* Tough Enough (Al Snow & Maven) vs. The Backseat Boys (Johnny Kashmere & Trent Acid): This was a very good competitive match-up that saw the Backseat Boys once again put on an impressive performance, while Tough Enough displayed great teamwork as well. In the end, Maven hit the flying bodypress from the top turnbuckle on Kashmere for the three-count at 6:00. (80%)
* A video aired hyping the main event for RAW tomorrow night, featuring Shawn Michaels & World Heavyweight Champion Chris Benoit defending the World Tag Team Championship against Kane & Christian. (86%)
* In the arena, Victoria & Steven Richards made their way down to the ring and took the microphone. Richards declared that as the General Manager of Stevie Night Heat, it was his duty to defend the honor of Heat. Steven put RAW down, promising a "hostile takeover" of Monday nights, and claimed that he could kick the butt of anybody backstage who wanted to stand up for RAW. After a few moments, some royal music began playing and the crowd popped as Jerry Lawler marched down to the squared circle and accepted the challenge on behalf of RAW. (81%)
* Steven Richards vs. Jerry "The King" Lawler: Victoria tried to jump Jerry Lawler at ringside before he even entered the ring, but the King blocked her attack and put her over his knee for a spanking. This gave Steven Richards the opportunity to blindside the RAW color commentator and take control, kicking off a solid old-school Heat main event that saw Steven score several near-falls. They traded the advantage a few times until the King ducked the Stevenkick and planted Richards with the Memphis Piledriver for the 1-2-3 at 8:51. (74%)
Overall: 72%
Rating: 5.27
Attendance: 10,009
Ticket Sales: $400,360
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Here's the early lineup for WWE Bad Blood on Sunday, June 13...
World Heavyweight Title Match: Chris Benoit [champion] vs. Shawn Michaels
WWE Intercontinental Title/Boiler Room Brawl: Randy Orton [champion] vs. Mankind
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SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2004 -- WWE JUDGMENT DAY
The pre-PPV Sunday Night Heat was hosted by Michael Cole and Josh Matthews, and previewed the lineup for tonight's PPV. John Bradshaw Layfield was also shown arriving at the arena in his white limousine with longhorns on the hood. When he stepped out of the limo in a suit, tie, and cowboy hat, JBL proclaimed that this would indeed be his Judgment Day and that he would add Eddie Guerrero's WWE Championship to his assets. (69%)
Following Heat, Joey Styles and Tazz welcomed viewers to WWE Judgment Day LIVE from Los Angeles, California, and hyped the exciting lineup for this evening's pay-per-view before sending it up to ring announcer Tony Chimel in the squared circle.
Rob Van Dam vs. Charlie Haas
Rob Van Dam was introduced as "Mr. Pay-Per-View" and received a great pop from the fans, while Charlie Haas was booed as he was accompanied by Paul Heyman. Styles pointed out that this could be the biggest night in Heyman's career since he could walk out of Los Angeles managing the WWE United States Champion and the WWE Tag Team Champions, while Tazz recalled that RVD pinned Haas in his SmackDown debut after the draft lottery. Great choice for an opener, as Van Dam kept the action fast-paced for the first few minutes, taking the fight right to the Ice Man until Haas managed to take control with a nasty half-nelson release suplex that flipped RVD onto his face. Haas applied some of his lethal submissions, including a painful-looking STF, to wear down the Whole Damn Show, but the fans rallied behind RVD as he eventually mounted a comeback and landed the Rolling Thunder. However, when RVD went to the top turnbuckle for the Five Star Frog Splash, Heyman grabbed his leg and crotched him on the turnbuckles, allowing Haas to climb up and bring Van Dam crashing to the canvas with a head-and-arm superHaasplex. The former two-time co-WWE Tag Team Champion quickly cinched in the Haas Of Pain and RVD tried to hold on, but was forced to tap out at 16:33. After the bell, Haas refused to release the Haas Of Pain, cranking it even harder as Van Dam appeared to pass out from the extreme pain. Referee Brian Hebner tried to physically break the hold but the Ice Man held on tight with a sadistic scowl on his face, until SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long came down the ramp and grabbed the microphone, giving Haas to the count of five to release RVD. The crowd counted along with Long and once they reached five, the GM announced that the decision had been reversed, awarding the victory to Mr. Pay-Per-View. Upon hearing this, Haas let go of Van Dam and protested the decision, but Long refused to change his mind and warned Heyman that if any of his other clients tried anything like this tonight, his entire Agency would be suspended without pay indefinitely. The crowd cheered the SmackDown GM as he returned to the dressing room while Haas and Heyman fumed at ringside. (80%)
WWE Cruiserweight Title Match: Spike Dudley vs. Chavo Guerrero [champion]
Chavo Classic seconded his son, Chavo Guerrero, as footage was shown of Spike Dudley winning the 10-man Cruiserweight Battle Royal last month on SmackDown with some unwanted help from Booker T to eliminate Rey Mysterio. Tazz admitted that Spike was "pound-for-pound" one of the toughest superstars in WWE but laughed at his chances of winning the WWE Cruiserweight Championship, as Dudley started off strong until some interference from Chavo Classic turned the tide. Chavo Jr. dominated the rest of the championship contest with his excellent mat skills and strength advantage, bending the rules to stifle Spike's comeback attempts as he demonstrated his "Cheat To Win" philosophy. Classic got his cheapshots in too, and tried to wrap things up by tossing a blackjack in the ring and distracting referee Chad Patton. However, Spike scrambled between Chavo's legs and got to the weapon first, clubbing Guerrero over the head with it before tossing it to the floor and climbing to the top turnbuckle. When the official turned around, Dudley dove from the top with the double-stomp to the gut and pinned Guerrero at 12:07 to win his first WWE Cruiserweight Championship in a huge upset. Afterwards, Classic dragged his unconscious son out to ringside and attended to him while D-Von & Bubba Ray Dudley came out and carried Spike on their shoulders as he celebrated with his new belt to the cheers of the crowd. (74%)
Number One Contender Match: Booker T vs. Rey Mysterio
Styles announced that the winner of this encounter would be named the Number One Contender and would receive a WWE Title shot on Sunday, July 4, at the Great American Bash. This was a well-worked athletic contest that the crowd totally got into, fully supporting Rey Mysterio as he once again proved that he belongs with the "big boys", not giving an inch to Booker T in this back-and-forth struggle. Both superstars worked hard and scored plenty of near-falls as the Book used his obvious size and strength advantage to overpower Rey Rey, who responded with his fast-paced aerial tactics to keep the former five-time WCW Champion off his feet. Late in the match-up, Mysterio nailed Booker with the 619 and was standing on the apron preparing for the West Coast Pop when John Bradshaw Layfield made his way to ringside and dragged Rey to the floor, smacking his head on the apron on the way down, while the Book had referee Jim Cordaris distracted. JBL took Rey's head off with the Clothesline From Hell before tossing him back into the ring as Booker went to the top turnbuckle and landed the Houston Hangover on the former seven-time Cruiserweight Champion to earn the three-count at 19:50. Afterwards, Booker was all smiles when he met up with Bradshaw on the ramp and celebrated his victory as JBL declared, "one down, one to go", which Styles understood to mean that the two heels had made some sort of shady deal for tonight. (81%)
Following a promo that aired for RAW's Bad Blood on Sunday, June 13, WWE Tag Team Champions Scotty 2 Hotty & Rikishi made their entrance, limping slightly from the assault by Brock Lesnar & Charlie Haas on SmackDown, as Tazz and Styles tried to guess who their mystery opponents would be; Tazz wondered if it could be the Dudley Boyz, while Styles suggested the Eliminators from the old ECW days. Paul Heyman appeared on the stage with a microphone and explained that he had scoured the world for the perfect tag team to sign to his Agency, listing his criteria: young, hungry for success, and willing to do whatever it took to achieve that success. Heyman announced that his mystery squad were former two-time WCW Tag Team Champions and introduced a combination that he dubbed "The Thrill Kill": Sean O'Haire & Mark Jindrak, who joined Heyman on the stage and stood on either side of him. Jindrak & O'Haire looked to be in peak physical condition as they growled and stuck out their tongues to a heel pop, accompanying the smiling Heyman to ringside. (77%)
WWE Tag Team Title Match: Rikishi & Scotty 2 Hotty [champions] vs. The Thrill Kill (Sean O'Haire & Mark Jindrak)
Tazz was impressed by Paul Heyman's mystery team as Styles recalled their WCW history as the Natural Born Thrillers, one of the hot young new tag teams of the 21st century, and pointed out that they looked angrier and hungrier than ever. The WWE Tag Team Champions went right after Mark Jindrak & Sean O'Haire as soon as they stepped into the squared circle, slugging it out with their mystery challengers to kick off this solid championship contest. Rikishi had a bandaged leg as a result of the Haas Of Pain on SmackDown but looked strong in the early going, unloading with bodyslams and belly-to-belly suplexes and exchanging frequent tags with the limping Scotty 2 Hotty. However, it didn't take long for the Thrill Kill to isolate Scotty and aggressively work him over with quick tags and powerful double-teams while Heyman shouted orders from ringside. In the end, Jindrak slammed Scotty with the Mark Of Excellence and tagged O'Haire, who ascended to the top turnbuckle and dove off with the Seanton Bomb. While Jindrak knocked Rikishi off the apron with a hard right hand, O'Haire covered Scotty to capture the WWE Tag Team Championship at 10:03. Afterwards, Heyman retrieved the belts and presented them to his Thrill Kill as the crowd booed the new champs. (76%)
Kurt Angle vs. The Undertaker
Footage was shown of Kurt Angle's recent attacks on the Undertaker as Paul Bearer led his Dead Man down the aisle for this vintage 'Taker bout, which saw the Phenom manhandle Angle from the outset until the Olympian managed to escape and run away. The Undertaker chased Angle around ringside until Angle used Bearer as a shield, shoving him toward 'Taker and attacking the Dead Man's ankle while he was briefly distracted. Angle focused on the Undertaker's ankle, dropping the steel ringsteps on the ankle on the floor before rolling him back into the squared circle, where he used every maneuver and submission hold in his arsenal to weaken the Phenom's leg and ankle in preparation for the Angle Lock. This continued for several minutes until the fans rallied behind Undertaker, who battled back and ended up clotheslining Angle over the top rope and went out with him. The two veterans brawled around ringside as the Phenom fought very aggressively and started to dominate the Olympic Champion, culminating in a vicious chokeslam through the Spanish commentators' table. As Angle lay semi-conscious in the wreckage, referee Chad Patton tried to stop the Undertaker, who grabbed the official and tossed him away, warranting Patton to call for the bell and award a disqualification victory to Angle at 16:57. This didn't faze 'Taker, as he retrieved a metal folding chair and proceeded to bombard Angle's prone head and torso with a barrage of vile chairshots while snarling like a vengeful demon. Even Bearer seemed shocked at the violence his Dead Man was unleashing, as the Big Show lumbered down to ringside to make the save and fell victim to a series of nasty chairshots that felled and busted open the 7-foot 500-pound redwood. The blood seemed to intensify Undertaker's brutality as he drove the chair down into the Show's forehead until Bearer used the urn to attract the Phenom, who snapped out of his psychotic rage and limped towards his long-time manager. Paul led 'Taker up the ramp while a horde of medical attendants flooded out to take care of Kurt and Show. The commentators were speechless. (92%)
WWE United States Title Match: John Cena [champion] vs. Brock Lesnar
John Cena performed a hardcore rap on his way out about Brock Lesnar, who was accompanied by Paul Heyman and Sable as Tazz explained that Brock & Sable were engaged and Brock wanted his fiancee at ringside when he won the WWE U.S. Championship. This was a great championship contest that kept the fans captivated from bell-to-bell as Lesnar used his power-oriented style to stay on his feet and combat Cena's "ground and pound" technique, which was a brilliant strategy for this heated back-and-forth struggle. When the slugfest spilled out to ringside and the United States Champion began to gain the advantage, Heyman distracted referee Brian Hebner while Sable snuck up from behind and lowblowed Cena. The Next Big Thing assumed control and tortured Cena in the ring with an assortment of suplexes and throws before applying the Brock Lock, almost gaining the submission. With the fans rallying behind him, Cena mounted a comeback and unloaded on the former three-time WWE Champion with punches, clotheslines, and bodyslams, even knocking Heyman off the apron with a haymaker when he tried to get involved. However, when the Doctor Of Thuganomics lifted Brock up for the F-U, his back gave out and Lesnar slipped off his shoulders onto his feet, spinning Cena around and scooping him up for the F-5 and the 1-2-3 at 21:12, giving Lesnar his first WWE United States Championship. Afterwards, Brock clutched the U.S. belt as he embraced Sable and Heyman at ringside and celebrated his victory, which Styles noted gave the Agency control of the WWE U.S. and Tag Team Titles after tonight's events. (84%)
WWE Championship Match: John Bradshaw Layfield vs. Eddie Guerrero [champion]
During John Bradshaw Layfield's extended entrance, footage was shown from the April 15 SmackDown of JBL pinning Eddie Guerrero in a tag team match following a Booker T Axe Kick, which Bradshaw bragged about. This ignited the WWE Champion's "Latino Heat" and he took the fight to his larger challenger, kicking off a surprisingly good back-and-forth championship main event as Bradshaw worked hard to put on a hard-hitting brawl with the excellent Eddie that spilled out to the floor a few times. Both superstars traded near-falls throughout the contest as Layfield threw everything he had at Guerrero, but Latino Heat refused to be pinned and began to mount a comeback when Booker T strolled down to ringside in his street clothes. This distracted Eddie and allowed JBL to regain the advantage, but when the WWE Champion kicked out after the Clothesline From Hell, Booker sprang into action, grabbing the WWE Title belt and dropping it in the ring. The Book distracted referee Nick Patrick while JBL picked up the belt and prepared to use it as a weapon, but Rey Mysterio raced out from behind and grabbed the gold out of his hands. Rey Rey returned the belt to the timekeeper and Patrick ejected Booker from ringside as Guerrero took JBL down with the Three Amigos and flew off the top turnbuckle with the Frog Splash to earn the three-count and retain the WWE Championship at 23:44. Afterwards, JBL rolled out to the floor and Eddie celebrated his successful title defense with Rey while Styles and Tazz signed off. (81%)
Overall: 82%
Buyrate: 1.86
Paid Attendance: 20,236
PPV Revenue: $4,650,000
Ticket Sales: $1,214,160
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Thanks for reading...good guesses, by the way
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WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW -- MONDAY, MAY 10, 2004
Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler introduced the show LIVE from San Jose, California, and announced tonight's events: Val Venis taking on Triple H, Randy Orton's "Legend Killer Challenge", the Extreme Animals & Edge battling Stevie Night Heat in six-man action, and Chris Benoit defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Kane in the main event.
Christian & Trish Stratus were already in the ring as Trish welcomed viewers to "The Peep Show" and handed the microphone over to Christian, who talked about how he was a superior host to Chris Jericho and how the quarter-hour ratings were so much better for "The Peep Show" than "The Highlight Reel". The former three-time WWE Intercontinental Champion then brought up this evening's main event and introduced his guest as "RAW's next World Heavyweight Champion", Kane, who lumbered out as his pyro went off. The Big Red Machine announced that he was about to do something he had never done in his life: he thanked Christian & Trish for their efforts in convincing RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff to grant him the title shot tonight. Christian happily accepted the gratitude and promised Kane that he and Trish would be at ringside to provide "moral support" and to get a front-row seat when Kane captured the World Championship. Christian once again offered a high-five, but when Kane finally went to accept it, they were interrupted by Chris Jericho's music, as Y2J walked out to a huge pop and fearlessly stepped into the squared circle. The first-ever Undisputed Champion argued that Kane didn't beat him cleanly two weeks ago to earn the title shot, but added that he wasn't going to cry over spilled milk. Trish responded that she thought that crying was Jericho's specialty ever since WrestleMania XX and laughed, enraging Jericho, who tried to maintain his composure as Trish & Christian continued to heap insults on him. Finally, Jericho had enough and lunged at the cruel couple, but Kane caught him by the throat and squeezed, threatening a Chokeslam To Hell. Before Kane could follow through on his threat, Chris Benoit charged out and attacked the Big Red Machine with forearms and chops across the back. However, Christian & Trish blindsided the Heavyweight Champion of the World and Kane planted Jericho with the Chokeslam. After a Chick Kick from Trish, Benoit was scooped up by Kane, who buried the Rabid Wolverine with the devastating Tombstone. The crowd booed loudly as Kane exited with Christian & Trish, grinning sadistically while Lawler predicted that the Big Red Machine would be leaving San Jose with the gold. (84%)
Following a commercial break, La Resistance were in the ring and Sylvain Grenier was butchering the Canadian national anthem in French as Robert Conway waved the Quebec flag. They were interrupted by Maven, who came out onto the stage with a microphone and advised Sylvain not to quit his "day job", adding that after seeing him wrestle, maybe he wasn't much better at his "day job" either. Conway tried to calm Grenier as Maven mentioned La Resistance's 2-on-1 attacks against him on RAW and Heat, and promised that things would be different with the sides even, introducing his partner and mentor...Al Snow! Making his return to WWE after a dispute with management last month, Al Snow got a nice pop when he emerged and stated that he and Maven were "Tough Enough" to beat the French out of La Resistance. (69%)
La Resistance (Robert Conway & Sylvain Grenier) vs. Tough Enough (Al Snow & Maven)
The Tough Enough squad stormed the ring and cleaned house on La Resistance to kick things off in this opening tag team contest, which was a solid back-and-forth old-school match-up with several double-teams and quick tags on each side. The Frenchmen used underhanded tactics to gain the advantage, but in the end, Sylvain Grenier fell victim to the Snow Plow and was pinned by Al Snow. Afterwards, Maven knocked Robert Conway over the top rope with a beautiful standing dropkick and celebrated with his Tough Enough mentor. (74%)
Backstage, Steven Richards, with Victoria by his side, was psyching up his Stevie Night Heat teammates Garrison Cade & Mark Henry for their six-man match-up. Ebony & Ivory vowed that they wouldn't let their "General Manager" down and would do as much damage as possible to Tajiri, Rhyno, & Edge...NEXT! (72%)
Six-Man Tag Team Match: Steven Richards & Ebony & Ivory (Mark Henry & Garrison Cade) vs. Edge & The Extreme Animals (Rhyno & Tajiri)
Victoria escorted the Stevie Night Heat contingent to the ring for this entertaining six-man affair as Lawler pointed out that Steven Richards' threats to "take over" RAW were a bit more serious now with Mark Henry backing him up. Good action throughout the contest, as Ebony & Ivory did most of the dirty work, isolating Tajiri and working him over with double-and-triple-teams, but the Japanese Buzzsaw eventually escaped and made the hot tag to Rhyno. With all six men brawling in the ring at once, the Man Beast ripped into Steven with the Gore and covered him for the victory. Afterwards, Stevie Night Heat retreated while Rhyno retrieved the microphone and demanded a rematch against the World's Strongest Man & Garrison Cade next week on RAW in a Hardcore Match with one stipulation: if the Extreme Animals lost, they would leave RAW; however, if Ebony & Ivory lost, they would only be able to wrestle on Heat for one year. Richards accepted the challenge on behalf of Cade & Henry and vowed to make them eat their words. (76%)
In the backstage office of the RAW GM, Eric Bischoff was sitting at his desk when William Regal walked in with Eugene and explained that his nephew was actually a very quick study and a natural, mentioning how fast he picked up the basics during their training. Eugene enthusiastically ran behind the desk and tried to hug his Uncle Eric, repeating Regal's claims that he "did good" and was ready to wrestle for the World Heavyweight Championship. Looking disgusted, Bischoff briefly humored his "special" nephew and asked Eugene to give he and William a few minutes alone, but Eugene was dancing and cheering and wouldn't leave until Regal finally convinced him to go get a soda. After he left, Regal praised Eugene's instincts and advised Bischoff that he had a wealth of untapped potential, but Bischoff wouldn't hear of it and reminded Regal that his mission was to make sure that Eugene gave up and went home, or else there might not be a spot on the RAW roster for William if he let him down. Regal shook his head and tried to advocate for Eugene, but Bischoff cut him off and stated that he had made himself clear, calling Eugene back into the room. Eugene bounded in the door and Uncle Eric announced that he had decided to give Eugene his very first exhibition match next week against William, with the winner receiving a spot on the active RAW roster. Regal's facial expressions depicting his inner turmoil were awesome as the oblivious Eugene hopped around, hugging both William and Eric and thanking them. (74%)
Val Venis vs. Triple H
Ric Flair & Batista flanked Triple H as he marched out for this match-up, which was a solid encounter dominated mostly by the Game, although Val Venis did get some offense in. Lawler suggested that HHH was taking out his recent frustration and embarrassment on Val as the Cerebral Assassin planted him with the Pedigree for the three-count. (73%)
After the match, Batista tossed Val Venis over the top rope as Ric Flair retrieved the microphone for Triple H, who explained that he had been trying to focus on mowing through the competition and regaining the World Heavyweight Championship, but something had been eating away at him that he couldn't ignore anymore: the "arrogance" of Shelton Benjamin. The Game ranted about Shelton's 2-0 record against him, blaming it on "fluke wins", and claimed that the RAW newcomer needed to be taught some respect. Benjamin emerged on the ramp and headed down to the ring as the Nature Boy charged out and tried to attack him at ringside, but Shelton back-bodydropped him on the floor and continued into the squared circle. HHH subtly moved behind Batista, who slugged it out with Benjamin until the Cerebral Assassin blindsided the former two-time co-WWE Tag Team Champion and helped the Beast obliterate Shelton with a spike Demon Bomb. The three Evolution members left Benjamin laid out in the ring as the fans booed. (84%)
Following the commercial break, WWE Intercontinental Champion Randy Orton sauntered down to the ring alone, where he picked up the microphone and congratulated his fellow Evolution members "on a job well done" before bringing up his undefeated record in his "Legend Killer Challenge" matches, naming off Cactus Jack, Terry Funk, Road Warrior Animal, "Superstar" Billy Graham, and Shawn Michaels as victims of the "2004 Legend Killer Tour". The third-generation superstar expressed doubt that anyone, legend or otherwise, could ever defeat him and wondered if anybody was up to the challenge this week. After a few moments of silence, a familiar theme played as none other than Dude Love appeared on the TitanTron and claimed that he was in San Jose on behalf of Mick Foley and would be on his way out to win the Intercontinental Championship. The Legend Killer looked surprised but welcomed the challenge and vowed to knock Dude Love right back to 1997 where he belonged. When the Dude did not come out, Orton headed backstage to look for him, again showing a very aggressive side of his cocky personality that even Ross mentioned. As Orton was roaming the hallways, the boiler room door flew open and Mick Foley, in full 1996 old-school Mankind gear, burst out and assaulted the WWE Intercontinental Champion, battering him in the hall before hurling him into the boiler room. Mankind continued to punish Orton, who tried to fight back, but the sheer ferocity of the screeching Mankind was too overwhelming and beat him down until several WWE officials along with Ric Flair & Batista intervened. Mankind sat and rocked in the shadows as the officials and Evolution attended to Orton, but suddenly Mankind leapt up and applied the Mandible Claw on the Nature Boy, triggering another riot as Batista and the suits dragged Mankind off of the partially-paralyzed Flair. (77%)
Elsewhere backstage, World Heavyweight Champion Chris Benoit was having his neck worked on by a medic in preparation for his main event title defense against Kane when Shawn Michaels arrived late, carrying his bags. The Heartbreak Kid explained that he had vehicle trouble on the way to the arena, but the Canadian Crippler asked where he was when Evolution assaulted he and Shelton Benjamin in the locker room last week, and wondered why he hadn't been able to get a hold of him throughout the week. HBK replied that last week he was warming up for his match against Randy Orton, questioning the Rabid Wolverine's whereabouts during that bout when Evolution had the ring surrounded. Benoit answered that he was receiving medical attention from the previous Evolution attack at the time, but Michaels told his World Tag Team Championship partner that if he had something to say, he should just say it. The World Champion got nose-to-nose with HBK and warned him that if he was planning on stabbing him in the back, he would regret it for the rest of his life, then grabbed his belts and walked out. Shawn looked dismayed and picked up his bags, muttering that he didn't need this crap and exited the room on his way back out of the building. (88%)
World Heavyweight Title Match: Kane vs. Chris Benoit [champion]
As promised, Christian & Trish Stratus seconded Kane as footage was shown from earlier of the Big Red Machine burying Chris Benoit with the Tombstone, which Ross and Lawler agreed had to still be affecting the World Heavyweight Champion's surgically-repaired neck. The opening minutes of this very good championship main event were back-and-forth, as J.R. announced that two more matches had been signed for next week: Shelton Benjamin facing Batista, and Mankind taking on Ric Flair. After some interference from Christian, Kane took the advantage and worked over the Rabid Wolverine's neck with a neckvice and a hangman neckbreaker that Benoit eventually escaped from and mounted his comeback. The Canadian Crippler unleashed vicious chops to the massive chest of Kane and focused his attack on the arm to soften up his challenger for the Crippler Crossface, but with Trish distracting referee Earl Hebner, Christian snuck into the ring and drilled Benoit with the Unprettier. Chris Jericho raced out, clutching his head and neck from the Chokeslam To Hell earlier, and went right after Christian, driving his former tag team partner out of the squared circle as they brawled up the ramp. Meanwhile, Kane covered Benoit for a very close near-fall, but the Crippler kicked-out and rallied back to slam the Big Red Machine with the Rolling Germans before locking in the Crossface, forcing Kane to finally tap out. Afterwards, the Wolverine celebrated his successful World Heavyweight Championship defense while Ross and Lawler signed off. (77%)
Overall: 77%
Rating: 5.68
Attendance: 10,032
Ticket Sales: $401,280
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WWE SMACKDOWN! -- THURSDAY, MAY 13, 2004
Joey Styles and Tazz opened the UPN broadcast in Reno, Nevada, by hyping this Sunday's Judgment Day and going through the lineup for this evening: Charlie Haas & Brock Lesnar facing WWE Tag Team Champions Scotty 2 Hotty & Rikishi in a non-title bout, the Basham Brothers taking on Rey Mysterio & WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero, John Bradshaw Layfield & Booker T meeting the Dudley Boyz, and much more.
"Latino Heat" Eddie Guerrero & Rey Mysterio vs. The Basham Brothers (Doug & Danny Basham)
Dawn Marie escorted the Basham Brothers as footage was shown from last week of Rey Mysterio, Eddie Guerrero, Booker T, and John Layfield brawling in the office of SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long, who booked this match as punishment. This was a hot opener, as Latino Heat & Rey Rey functioned well as a unit against the precision teamwork and skullduggery of the Bashams, who held their own against the veterans. During the bout, JBL & Booker T appeared on the stage to scout their Judgment Day opponents, distracting Eddie long enough for the Bashams to take the advantage. However, the WWE Champion eventually battled back and squashed Doug with the Frog Splash from the top turnbuckle following the 619 from Rey. Afterwards, Rey & Eddie motioned for the Book & Bradshaw to come down and fight, but the heels just walked away as Guerrero & Mysterio gave chase up the ramp. (82%)
Backstage, Billy Kidman was preparing for his one-on-one encounter with Johnny The Bull as Paul London encouraged him and promised that he would accompany him to even the odds somewhat against the Full Blooded Italians. Nunzio entered the room and put down the Shooting Star Express as "generic pretty boys", continuing to insult them until the Express chased him out into the hallway, where London & Kidman were ambushed by Chuck Palumbo & Johnny Stamboli. The FBI beat down the SSE, focusing on London, before heading out for the match. (64%)
Johnny "The Bull" Stamboli vs. Billy Kidman
Nunzio & Chuck Palumbo seconded Johnny Stamboli while Billy Kidman limped out all by himself, as Styles wondered why the Full Blooded Italians had to resort to such underhanded tactics even though they were world-class athletes. Solid singles bout as the Bull took advantage of Kidman's weakened condition early on, with some hope spots that popped the crowd for the Shooting Star Express member. Kidman managed to score a couple of near-falls, but the pre-match ambush took its toll and the Bull covered Kidman following an Arn Anderson spinebuster. Afterwards, the FBI stomped Kidman until Paul London staggered out to make the save, only to be beaten down as well. (72%)
Michael Cole interviewed Scotty 2 Hotty & Rikishi in the dressing room, asking the WWE Tag Team Champions how they felt about taking on a dangerous combination like Brock Lesnar & Charlie Haas only three days before defending their gold against a mystery team at Judgment Day. Scotty admitted they had butterflies but they would prove their worth as the titlists, while Rikishi stated that it didn't matter who Paul Heyman put in front of them on Sunday because they would "put a little ass on it" and leave with the belts. (69%)
Non-Title Match: Rikishi & Scotty 2 Hotty vs. Brock Lesnar & Charlie Haas
Paul Heyman accompanied Charlie Haas & Brock Lesnar to the ring as the commentators discussed the various match-ups involving each party at Judgment Day this Sunday. Good non-title bout here, as the Agency members displayed some good teamwork and isolated Scotty 2 Hotty after a back-and-forth opening few minutes, cutting the ring in half and utilizing quick tags and double-teams. Scotty eventually broke free and made the hot tag to Rikishi, who cleaned house until Brock hauled him up across his shoulders and let loose with the F5. With the 375-pound Samoan laid out, Haas cinched in the Haas Of Pain on his massive legs and forced the co-WWE Tag Team Champion to submit. (80%)
Afterwards, on the orders of Paul Heyman, Charlie Haas refused to release the Haas Of Pain on Rikishi while Brock Lesnar slammed Scotty 2 Hotty with the F5 before applying the Brock Lock. Heyman directed traffic as the WWE Tag Team Champions were tortured until Rob Van Dam and John Cena rushed out to make the save, chasing off Heyman and his Agency. As they retreated up the ramp, Haas threatened Mr. Thursday Night and Lesnar motioned to his waist, vowing to capture the WWE United States Championship from the Doctor Of Thuganomics this Sunday at Judgment Day. (84%)
Following a commercial break, Kurt Angle made his way down to the ring to a loud heel pop and took the microphone, hyping his match against the Undertaker at Judgment Day this Sunday by declaring that he and the Dead Man were the two most recognizable and well-known superstars on SmackDown. The Olympic Champion explained that they were the "top dogs" scrapping over ownership of "the yard" and that there was room for only one of them at the top, promising to throw everything he could muster at the Phenom to end his era of dominance in WWE. The former four-time WWE Champion brought up the assault by he and the Big Show on the Reaper last week and claimed that that was only a small sampling of the lengths he was willing to go to destroy the legend of the Undertaker, adding that next time, he would make sure that there was no way that 'Taker would be able to sit up afterwards. Angle continued to cut his promo until the arena lights went out and the TitanTron lit up with an image of Paul Bearer. (93%)
On the big screen, Paul Bearer was shrouded in darkness and smoke as he wailed about Kurt Angle and the Big Show trying to shatter his Undertaker's ankle last week, stating that their efforts were futile because the Dead Man was no ordinary man. Bearer claimed that the Phenom was an unstoppable supernatural force and that any physical injuries he suffered were only temporary, while the power of his soul was eternal. The Undertaker appeared behind Paul and reiterated his statements, declaring that what didn't destroy him only made him stronger. The Dead Man finished by warning Angle that this Sunday would truly be the Olympic Champion's Judgment Day and that he would "rest... in... peace." The TitanTron shut off as smoke began to billow out from underneath the ring, sending Angle running up the ramp. (96%)
Jamie Noble vs. Spike Dudley
The commentators discussed Spike Dudley's shot at WWE Cruiserweight Champion Chavo Guerrero this Sunday, as well as some of the other Judgment Day match-ups, throughout this solid back-and-forth contest that featured some good action. In the end, Spike blocked the Tiger Driver and countered with a catapult into the turnbuckles before putting Jamie Noble away with the Dudley Dog. (69%)
Backstage, the Dudley Boyz were getting ready for their main event match-up against John Layfield & Booker T when Spike Dudley returned to the locker room after his victory. D-Von & Bubba Ray congratulated their half-brother on his impressive performance against Jamie Noble and winning the Cruiserweight Battle Royal, but Spike replied that he didn't deserve the WWE Cruiserweight Championship shot at Judgment Day because his battle royal victory was tainted. Bubba told Spike that it wasn't his fault and to focus on bringing the belt home to the family, while D-Von added that if there was anything they could do for him, to let them know. Before the Dudleyz headed out, Spike stopped them and said that they could do something for him tonight: make Booker T pay for interfering in the Cruiserweight Battle Royal and costing him a clean victory. The Dudleyz smiled and assured Spike they would take care of it. (82%)
The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley) vs. Booker T & John Bradshaw Layfield
This was a surprisingly good main event as the heated action went back-and-forth until the Dudley Boyz lived up to their promise to Spike Dudley, isolating Booker T from his corner and working him over with frequent tags and double-teams. The Book eventually returned fire and made the tag to John Bradshaw Layfield as all hell broke loose with all four men slugging it out at once. Amidst the chaos, JBL caught D-Von with a stiff Clothesline From Hell and covered him for the 1-2-3 while Booker managed to dump Bubba Ray out to ringside. Afterwards, JBL & Booker celebrated their victory until the fans' boos turned to cheers as WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero & Rey Mysterio raced down to the squared circle and went toe-to-toe with the two heels, driving them out of the ring. Latino Heat & Rey Rey stood tall and the crowd cheered as Styles and Tazz closed the broadcast with some final hype for this Sunday's Judgment Day. (82%)
Overall: 79%
Rating: 6.10
Attendance: 10,008
Ticket Sales: $400,320
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WWE HEAT -- SATURDAY, MAY 8, 2004
* Hosts: Jonathan Coachman and Jim Cornette, who explained that SmackDown would be hosting a live edition of Velocity tomorrow night in Sunday Night Heat's timeslot due to the Judgment Day PPV, so RAW's Heat got the Velocity timeslot this week. Apparently this will be the new practice for months that have a SmackDown PPV.
* The Hurricane & Rosey vs. The Backseat Boys (Johnny Kashmere & Trent Acid): This was a very competitive opener as the Backseat Boys showed potential, scoring a handful of near-falls before the Super Heroes regained control and put the Boys away when Hurricane covered Johnny Kashmere following the Eye Of The Hurricane. (78%)
* Jeff Johnson came to ringside to interview Rosey & Hurricane, who mentioned the Matt Hardy video that aired last week on Heat. The Super Heroes were unhappy with the World Television Champion stealing their belongings as trophies and pledged to retrieve them somehow. (69%)
* A video aired showing an exasperated William Regal shepherding Eugene through an airport as they discussed their upcoming "exhibition" match this Monday night on RAW. Regal was trying to explain how important their bout would be, since the winner would receive an active spot on the RAW roster, and that since wrestling was his livelihood, he wouldn't be able to go easy on Eugene. Eugene wasn't fazed and happily replied how excited he was about getting to wrestle William, naively promising to do his best. William looked conflicted as he advised Eugene that it still wasn't too late to board a plane to Louisville and go home rather than catching their flight to San Diego for RAW, but Eugene firmly answered that he didn't want to go home and told Regal that he had always wanted to be not just a wrestler, but a WWE superstar. Regal sighed and shrugged, almost showing compassion as he patted Eugene on the back and they headed off to catch their plane to California. (79%)
* Non-Title Match: Matt Hardy vs. Jack Evans: Lita escorted the World Television Champion for this competitive little squash that ended when Matt Hardy slammed Jack Evans with the Side Effect. (66%)
* Afterwards, Lita retrieved the microphone for Matt Hardy, who stated that he had heard the Hurricane & Rosey earlier and offered them a chance to win back their possessions. With Lita by his side, the World Television Champion claimed that he had his "partner" and would meet the Super Heroes in tag team action this Monday on RAW. (82%)
* Jeff Johnson interviewed Test & Scott Steiner, who were comparing physiques and flexing for the camera. They should call this pair's new gimmick "Vince McMahon's Wet Dream". Big Poppa Pump claimed that they were sick of being ignored and were ready to make some noise. (77%)
* Scott Steiner & Test vs. Matt Stryker & Chad Collyer: Semi-competitive squash as Test & Scott Steiner were physically aggressive and dominant, manhandling Collyer & Stryker throughout the match-up. In the end, Test finished Collyer off with the Final Exam. (75%)
* A pre-recorded interview aired with Mankind sitting on the floor of a boiler room, rocking back and forth. Mankind discussed his brutal assault on Randy Orton on RAW and admitted that the WWE Intercontinental Champion had defeated Cactus Jack in a Hardcore Match at Backlash, but invited the Legend Killer to join Mankind in his world: a Boiler Room Brawl. The Deranged One expressed jealousy that Orton was everything he wasn't; namely young, handsome, muscular, and confident, adding that his sickest desire was to make Orton just as twisted and deformed as he was. The most psychologically-disturbing personality of Mick Foley also stated that Ric Flair would feel the brunt of his agony on RAW while Orton made his decision. (92%)
* At the arena, Jeff Johnson interviewed Shelton Benjamin, who was looking forward to trading holds with Lance Storm in the Heat main event tonight. The former SmackDown superstar also addressed his upcoming bout against Batista on RAW and explained that after growing up where he did, nothing scared him and he wouldn't back down from any challenge. (82%)
* Lance Storm vs. Shelton Benjamin: Great pure-wrestling Heat main event that began with a rare handshake between Shelton Benjamin and Lance Storm, who put on a nice clean contest with plenty of chain-wrestling and counterholds while the commentators again mentioned SmackDown's Judgment Day tomorrow night in passing. After a series of back-and-forth maneuvers, Benjamin planted Storm with the T-Bone Exploder for the three-count. (74%)
Overall: 75%
Rating: 5.74
Attendance: 10,037
Ticket Sales: $401,480
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Here is the lineup for WWE Judgment Day this Sunday...feel free to post predictions.
WWE Championship Match: Eddie Guerrero [champion] vs. John Bradshaw Layfield
WWE United States Title Match: John Cena [champion] vs. Brock Lesnar
WWE Cruiserweight Title Match: Chavo Guerrero [champion] vs. Spike Dudley
WWE Tag Team Title Match: Rikishi & Scotty 2 Hotty [champions] vs. "To Be Announced"
Number One Contender Match: Rey Mysterio vs. Booker T
The Undertaker vs. Kurt Angle
Rob Van Dam vs. Charlie Haas
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WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW -- MONDAY, MAY 3, 2004
Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler introduced the show LIVE from Phoenix, Arizona, and discussed some of tonight's match-ups: Randy Orton defending the WWE Intercontinental Championship in the "Legend Killer Challenge", Rosey challenging Matt Hardy for the World Television Championship, the Extreme Animals squaring off against Ebony & Ivory, and much more.
The Evolution theme cranked up and the fans booed loudly as WWE Intercontinental Champion Randy Orton strolled down to the squared circle and took the microphone, bragging that he was undefeated in his "Legend Killer Challenge" title defenses. The third-generation superstar proclaimed that 2004 was the "Year of the Legend Killer" and he was ready to continue his winning ways, calling out any legend in the building. The Phoenix crowd popped when the "Jesus Christ Superstar" theme began playing and "Superstar" Billy Graham shuffled down to the ring, as Orton smirked and warned the former WWWF Champion that he was an "equal-opportunity Legend Killer" and wouldn't go easy on him. The Superstar responded that he wasn't there to accept the Challenge himself, he was out there to introduce tonight's legend: Shawn Michaels, who appeared on the stage with a mic as the crowd cheered and Orton's cocky expression changed to one of surprise and dismay. The Heartbreak Kid slowly walked down the ramp as he reminded the Legend Killer that he pinned him in last week's World Tag Team Title main event and planned on doing so again this evening, only this time it would be for the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Orton backed off as HBK got closer, when suddenly the Evolution member dropped Graham with the RKO before bailing out to ringside just as Shawn hit the ring. The Intercontinental Champion retreated up the ramp with a smile on his face as Michaels checked on the Superstar and promised to exact revenge later tonight. (84%)
The Extreme Animals (Rhyno & Tajiri) vs. Ebony & Ivory (Mark Henry & Garrison Cade)
Ross announced that we would indeed see Shawn Michaels challenging Randy Orton for the WWE Intercontinental Championship in the evening's main event, as the Extreme Animals were met by a respectable pop. This was a solid and heated opener, as Tajiri & Rhyno functioned great as a unit and looked strong, while Ebony & Ivory held up their end as well. At one point, Tajiri covered Mark Henry following the impressive Gore/Buzzsaw Kick combo, but Garrison Cade came in to stop the count and distracted referee Jack Doan. Meanwhile, Steven Richards slid into the ring and whacked Tajiri with the Stevenkick, then tumbled out through the ropes with Rhyno as the World's Strongest Man stood up and splashed the Japanese Buzzsaw, covering him for the deciding pinfall. (75%)
Afterwards, Ebony & Ivory attacked Rhyno and laid him out with the Perfect Harmony while Victoria came to the ring to join Steven Richards, who grabbed the microphone and announced that Garrison Cade & Mark Henry were the newest members of "Stevie Night Heat", on the recommendation of Heat co-host Jonathan Coachman. Richards again declared that they were taking over RAW and continued to rant until he was interrupted by Shelton Benjamin, who admitted that he hadn't been a RAW superstar for very long, but if Steven wanted a RAW superstar, he'd gladly accept the challenge. Steven tried to send his goons after him but Shelton took out Cade with a picture-perfect dropkick and dodged Henry, flipping him over the top rope. Victoria charged at Shelton next but he scooped her up in a fireman's carry and dumped her out to the floor, leavng Richards alone with Benjamin as the Extreme Animals brawled up the ramp with Ebony & Ivory. (69%)
Steven Richards vs. Shelton Benjamin
Victoria stayed at ringside as Steven Richards attacked Shelton Benjamin to kick off the match-up, which turned out to be a very entertaining back-and-forth contest. The "Stevie Night Heat" General Manager put on a great performance and scored several near-falls, with some interference from Victoria, but Shelton withstood the punishment and put Steven away with the Dragon Whip. Afterwards, Richards threw a temper tantrum at ringside. (75%)
Jonathan Coachman interviewed La Resistance in the locker room as Robert Conway was getting for his one-on-one encounter with Maven. Sylvain Grenier ranted in French, while Conway promised to prove their superiority in singles action, just as they had done in tag team competition. (74%)
Robert Conway vs. Maven
Sylvain Grenier seconded Robert Conway for this well-worked bout that displayed Maven's improving skills, as the original Tough Enough Champion engaged in some excellent chain-wrestling and traded the advantage back-and-forth. In the end, Maven was mounting a comeback but Grenier tripped him up from ringside, allowing Conway to snare him in a Perfectplex for the three-count. Afterwards, La Resistance executed the Au Revoir on Maven and stomped him into the canvas before draping the Quebec flag over him and declared him another conquest. (76%)
The video from last night's Heat aired again, featuring William Regal and Eugene discussing his training in a ring at the Ohio Valley Wrestling facilities. After Eugene listed the different maneuvers he wanted to use, Regal shook his head and began the training, taking Eugene down with a Ricky Steamboat armdrag into an armbar. When it was Eugene's turn, he was very crisp and took William by surprise as Eugene cranked on the armbar. A montage followed, showing Eugene wearing Regal out with hiptosses, bodyslams, suplexes, and various other moves and holds. At the end, Regal was sore and admitted that Eugene learned fast, even going so far as to suggest that he might have potential and would have to report back to RAW GM Eric Bischoff next week. (71%)
World Television Title Match: Rosey vs. Matt Hardy [champion]
Rosey came out alone and Lita escorted Matt Hardy as Ross recollected the events of last week when Lita locked Rosey in a broom closet while Matt successfully defended the World Television Championship against the Hurricane. The Super Hero In Training was dominant at the outset as he used his weight advantage to overpower the TV Champion and score a handful of near-falls, but Lita distracted the 350-pounder, allowing Hardy to gain an advantage. Following some back-and-forth action, Matt dropped Rosey with the Twist Of Fate to pick up the 1-2-3. Afterwards, Matt celebrated with his TV Title belt while Lita took Rosey's eyemask as a trophy. (74%)
In the backstage office of the RAW General Manager, Christian & Trish Stratus were alongside Kane as they tried to convince Eric Bischoff to grant the Big Red Machine a shot at Chris Benoit's World Heavyweight Championship. Christian brought up Kane's victory over Chris Jericho last week and claimed that such a decisive win over the first-ever Undisputed Champion was worthy of a title shot, especially for a dominant former WWE Champion like Kane. Kane growled and demanded his crack at the gold next week, reminding Bischoff that he had basically been his "monster for hire" since Eric became RAW GM and he wanted his reward. When Bischoff questioned why Christian was campaigning so hard, the former three-time WWE Intercontinental Champion pulled the GM aside and informed him that Kane had been a bit angry at him the last couple of weeks, so giving him the title shot would really help him out. After thinking about it, Bischoff agreed and announced that Kane would be challenging the Rabid Wolverine for the World Title next week on RAW. Trish cheered the decision and Christian offered a high-five to the Big Red Machine, but Kane grunted and declared that he would be the next Heavyweight Champion of the World. (85%)
Elsewhere backstage, Chris Benoit was talking with Shelton Benjamin, congratulating him on his impressive win over Steven Richards earlier and his undefeated RAW record, as he reacted to the news that he would be defending the World Heavyweight Championship next week against Kane. Shelton whistled and stated that it would be a tall order to retain the belt against the Big Red Machine, but the Canadian Crippler replied that he had worked for 20 years to win the gold and he wasn't backing down from any challenge, when suddenly Triple H, Batista, & Ric Flair burst into the room and jumped both of them. The three Evolution members beat Benoit and Benjamin down and continued the assault until a bevy of WWE agents and officials flooded into the room to intervene. The Game smiled as he exited with the Nature Boy & Batista. (79%)
WWE Intercontinental Title Match: Shawn Michaels vs. Randy Orton [champion]
Shawn Michaels was greeted by a nice crowd pop upon his entrance, while the fans booed lustily when Randy Orton strutted out, accompanied by Ric Flair, as Ross put over the Heartbreak Kid's qualifications for acceptance in the "Legend Killer Challenge" and the fact that he pinned the WWE Intercontinental Champion to win last week's World Tag Team Championship main event. This was a tremendous PPV-quality main event as both competitors laid it all on the line and went at it fast and furious, trading the advantage numerous times throughout the heated championship contest. The Nature Boy got involved a couple of times to give the Legend Killer a boost, but HBK rallied back and took control as Batista and then Triple H made their way down to ringside separately to root for their fellow Evolution member. Michaels tried to remain focused as he scored several near-falls on Orton, who showed his intestinal fortitude again by holding his own against the former four-time WWF/World Heavyweight Champion. Late in the bout, HBK was building momentum as he squashed the third-generation superstar with the flying elbowdrop from the top turnbuckle and covered him, but Flair hopped up on the apron, distracting both Michaels and referee Charles Robinson. HHH and Batista both got up on the apron as HBK argued with Slick Ric and knocked him back to the floor with a right hand, then went after Batista with a flying forearm and clocked the Game with the Sweet Chin Music, clearing off the ring apron. However, when Shawn turned back to his opponent, the Legend Killer was waiting and surprised him with the RKO for the 1-2-3 to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Afterwards, Orton and Flair continued the attack, pounding and stomping Michaels as Batista and HHH joined in the assault. Evolution destroyed the Heartbreak Kid and stood triumphantly in the squared circle as the crowd booed and Ross and Lawler signed off. (89%)
Overall: 78%
Rating: 5.74
Attendance: 10,004
Ticket Sales: $400,160
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WWE SMACKDOWN! -- THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2004
Joey Styles and Tazz opened the UPN broadcast in Tucson, Arizona, and went through the lineup for this evening: co-WWE Tag Team Champion Rikishi locking horns with Brock Lesnar in one-on-one competition, Billy Gunn taking on Charlie Haas, the Shooting Star Express meeting the Full Blooded Italians, and in the main event, the Undertaker battling the Big Show.
The crowd booed as Paul Heyman made his way down to the ring and took the microphone. The former ECW owner reminded that in just 10 days at Judgment Day, his Agency would control the WWE United States Championship and the WWE Tag Team Championship, boasting that SmackDown had a new dynasty on its hands. Paul explained that he was very choosy when selecting potential clients and had gone after only the best of the best, mentioning his disappointment with one potential client in particular: Rob Van Dam. Heyman stated that he did not like to be embarrassed, especially on prime-time network television, and that he gave Mr. Thursday Night the opportunity of a lifetime, but had it thrown right back in his face. The former Paul E. Dangerously claimed that he "made" RVD in ECW and now he would destroy his creation, suggesting that the Whole Damn Show had gotten a big head and needed a reality check. Heyman proclaimed that he had signed one grateful superstar to take care of that reality check, introducing "Ice Man" Charlie Haas, who had a cold calculating glare in his eyes as he walked out in warm-ups and a hooded sweatshirt to an assortment of boos. The newly-dubbed Ice Man shook hands with Heyman and removed his warm-ups to reveal a new black-and-blue wrestling singlet as Heyman recalled that he had originally brought Haas into WWE as part of Team Angle, adding that unlike Van Dam, Haas never forgot who made him a star. Heyman described Haas as a ruthlessly-efficient submission expert who had no conscience and would rip RVD limb-from-limb, and continued to praise his newest client until the "Ass Man" music cranked up, signaling the arrival of the Ice Man's opponent. (87%)
"Ice Man" Charlie Haas vs. "Mr. Ass" Billy Gunn
Paul Heyman remained at ringside for this solid opener, as the commentators recalled that Charlie Haas helped end Rob Van Dam's SmackDown winning streak last week by interfering in RVD's match against John Bradshaw Layfield. Billy Gunn got in some offense in the beginning, but the Ice Man eventually took over and dominated the contest with his vicious suplexes and mat-based attack, giving off a strong "ECW Taz" vibe that even Tazz himself picked up on. After a brutal "head-and-arm Haasplex", the former two-time co-WWE Tag Team Champion locked in the Haas Of Pain and forced Mr. Ass to tap out. (73%)
Afterwards, Charlie Haas refused to release the Haas Of Pain, wrenching on the painful submission as Billy Gunn screamed in agony and Paul Heyman laughed and applauded. The Ice Man finally let go of the leglock when Rob Van Dam came charging down to the ring and chased off Haas and Heyman, who retreated up the ramp while Mr. Thursday Night retrieved the microphone. RVD admitted that he was usually a laid-back kind of guy, but he was "mad as hell" about what happened last week and wanted revenge, challenging Haas to meet him face-to-face at Judgment Day. The Whole Damn Show added that if the Ice Man accepted the challenge, he would show him exactly why they called him "Mr. Pay-Per-View". (79%)
Cameras backstage showed the Full Blooded Italians walking down a hallway like they owned the place, in typical "Goodfellas" style. Nunzio was trash-talking the Shooting Star Express as he tried to get his fellow FBI members worked up for their match. (61%)
The Full Blooded Italians (Johnny "The Bull" Stamboli & Chuck Palumbo) vs. The Shooting Star Express (Billy Kidman & Paul London)
Nunzio seconded Chuck Palumbo & Johnny Stamboli as footage was shown from last week of the Bull & Chuckie P attacking the Shooting Star Express after their victory over Nunzio & Jamie Noble. This was a well-worked "strength and power vs. speed and agility" tag team match-up that went back-and-forth as both squads displayed great teamwork. Nunzio tried to get involved, but his interference backfired and Paul London pinned Palumbo with a backslide while Billy Kidman kept Stamboli occupied. Afterwards, the FBI brawled with Kidman & London up the ramp. (75%)
In the backstage office of the SmackDown General Manager, John Bradshaw Layfield was bragging about ending Rob Van Dam's winning streak last week while Booker T demanded a guarantee that "when, not if" he beats Rey Mysterio at Judgment Day, he would be granted a shot at the WWE Championship. Theodore Long considered the request and decided that since both the Book and Rey Rey were deserving athletes, he would make their bout a "Number One Contender" match. Booker was pleased and declared that while he and JBL had a lot of differences on the outside, they had one thing in common: they were both superior to the rest of the SmackDown roster. The two heels continued to put themselves over, so Long challenged them to prove their claims by booking them in a tag team bout next week against the Dudley Boyz. JBL protested that it was unfair to put them in such a match just three days before Judgment Day and kept complaining until Rey Mysterio and WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero stormed into the room and started brawling with their rivals. The four superstars slugged it out all over the room, trashing the office, until an army of WWE agents and officials rushed in to break it up. The SmackDown GM ordered all four men ejected and barred from the building tonight due to fighting in his office, and angrily informed Eddie & Rey that they would also be in tag team action next week against the Basham Brothers as security dragged both squads away. (76%)
Elsewhere backstage, Rikishi was getting ready to go one-on-one with Brock Lesnar. His WWE Tag Team Championship partner Scotty 2 Hotty wished him luck and slapped him on the shoulder, assuring Rikishi that he had his back. (74%)
Rikishi vs. Brock Lesnar
Paul Heyman accompanied Brock Lesnar to the ring as Styles mentioned the stipulation applied to this match-up last week that if Rikishi was victorious, Heyman would identify his mystery tag team for the WWE Tag Team Championship bout at Judgment Day. The crowd was totally into this bout, billed as Lesnar's in-ring return to SmackDown, as Rikishi looked strong and took control early on, which Tazz attributed to ring rust since Lesnar had been out of action for two months. After a trip-up from Heyman at ringside, Brock asserted himself and got back into his old form, showcasing his superhuman strength by slamming and suplexing the co-WWE Tag Team Champion. Rikishi tried to mount a comeback, but Brock stifled him and hauled the 360-pound Samoan across his shoulders, planting him with the F5 for the 1-2-3. (79%)
Following the bell, Brock Lesnar continued to assault Rikishi with stomps and kicks as Paul Heyman held referee Brian Hebner at bay. Scotty 2 Hotty quickly raced out to make the save and had Lesnar reeling until Brock dodged another right hand and scooped Scotty up, laying him out with the F5 right beside his massive partner. The former three-time WWE Champion stood triumphantly over the WWE Tag Team Champions until John Cena charged out to a huge crowd pop and sent Lesnar and Heyman running for the hills. The WWE United States Champion mocked and taunted Brock from the squared circle as Lesnar shouted threats from the ramp, vowing to F5 Cena's ass at Judgment Day. (92%)
Backstage, Kurt Angle was giving a pep talk to the Big Show as he was preparing for the main event against the Undertaker. The Olympic Champion reminded the 7-foot 500-pounder that he was a former two-time WWE Champion and hyped him up to become the superstar that would end the career of the Dead Man. The Show seemed to grow more confident with each word and growled that he would annihilate the Phenom...NEXT! (89%)
The Big Show vs. The Undertaker
Paul Bearer led his Undertaker down the ramp as footage was shown from two weeks ago of Kurt Angle and the Big Show double-teaming the Dead Man, which Styles pointed out was all to weaken the Undertaker for the match against Angle at Judgment Day. The Big Show looked very impressive here, going toe-to-toe with the Phenom and trading the advantage a few times. The 7-foot 500-pounder applied a bearhug and worked over the Undertaker's ankle, which Tazz recalled was the focus of the double-team assault two weeks ago, stepping on it and dropping elbows and legdrops across the ankle. The Dead Man rallied back as Bearer held up the urn and the fans cheered, opening up with lefts, rights, and big boots on the Show. The Phenom was on a roll until Kurt Angle ran into the ring from behind and clipped his leg, drawing a disqualification. The Olympic Champion tossed referee Jim Cordaris aside and continued to attack the Undertaker's ankle as Big Show got up and joined in the assault, lifting 'Taker and planting him with the Show Stopper. Angle cranked on the Angle Lock for several moments until several WWE officials came out to stop the attack, at which point Angle and Show headed up the ramp and celebrated to a round of boos. However, their smiles disappeared when Paul Bearer raised the urn and the Undertaker slowly sat up, still selling the effects of the beating but also showing that he might be unstoppable, while Styles and Tazz closed the broadcast. (73%)
Overall: 77%
Rating: 6.10
Attendance: 10,022
Ticket Sales: $400,880
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WWE VELOCITY -- SATURDAY, MAY 8, 2004
* Hosts: Michael Cole and Josh Matthews.
* John Bradshaw Layfield kicked things off by coming out, dressed to wrestle, and took the microphone, talking about how he used to be a "Velocity regular", but now he was an elite superstar and was too good for Velocity. Nonetheless, JBL claimed that he was feeling generous tonight and was ready for some Saturday night action to show WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero what he had in store for him at Judgment Day. (77%)
* John Bradshaw Layfield vs. Scorpio Sky: Total squash for JBL as he toyed with Scorpio Sky before putting the masked luchador away with the Clothesline From Hell. (60%)
* Backstage, Jamie Noble was talking to Dawn Marie, explaining how lonely he had been since breaking up with Nidia and that he realized his mistakes too late. Dawn flirted with him and claimed that her motto was "the more, the merrier" when the Basham Brothers appeared with perverted grins on their faces. Noble backed off and shook his head, stating that he'd "been there before" (a cute reference to the Noble/Nidia/Billy Gunn/Torrie Wilson angle from last year), while Dawn shrugged and walked off with Danny & Doug. (72%)
* The Basham Brothers (Doug & Danny Basham) vs. Jimmy Jacobs & Alex Shelley: Dawn Marie escorted the Bashams out for this semi-competitive squash that ended when Danny covered Shelley following the Ball & Gag from he and Doug. (70%)
* Marissa Mazzola interviewed Rey Mysterio, who was excited about the opportunity to defeat Booker T in their Number One Contender match at Judgment Day and promised to get revenge for losing the Cruiserweight Battle Royal. (82%)
* Rey Mysterio vs. Angel Dust: Competitive little squash here as the combatants traded aerial maneuvers until Rey Rey finished off Angel Dust with the West Coast Pop. (61%)
* Backstage, WWE Cruiserweight Champion Chavo Guerrero was joking with Chavo Classic about defending his title against Spike Dudley at Judgment Day. Chavo Jr. claimed that he was more worried about tonight's non-title main event against Scotty 2 Hotty, then Los Chavos laughed as they headed out. (72%)
* Marissa Mazzola interviewed Scotty 2 Hotty, who stated that he was focused on being one-half of the WWE Tag Team Champions but that a non-title victory over the WWE Cruiserweight Champion could help him to add another belt to his resume. (75%)
* Non-Title Match: Scotty 2 Hotty vs. Chavo Guerrero: Chavo Classic accompanied the WWE Cruiserweight Champion for this solid non-title bout that went back-and-forth, as Matthews recalled that Scotty was a former WWE Light Heavyweight Champion. After some good action, Chavo Jr. scored the pin on Scotty using his feet on the ropes for leverage, then fled the ring to celebrate his win. (74%)
Overall: 69%
Rating: 6.04
Attendance: 10,020
Ticket Sales: $400,800
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WWE SUNDAY NIGHT HEAT -- SUNDAY, MAY 9, 2004
* Hosts: Jonathan Coachman and Jim Cornette.
* La Resistance (Robert Conway & Sylvain Grenier) vs. John Walters & Jack Evans: Semi-competitive squash to kick off Heat, ending when Grenier covered Evans following the Au Revoir from he and Conway. (58%)
* La Resistance were shown returning to the locker room after their match when they came across Maven and started to tease him about losing the singles match to Robert Conway on RAW. Maven pointed out that they talked tough in 2-on-1 situations, but wondered how they would react if he brought a partner to RAW tomorrow night. Grenier claimed they had a message for his partner, then proceeded to double-team Maven and beat him down. (68%)
* Jeff Johnson interviewed Ric Flair & Batista, who stated that they were making a rare Heat appearance to spread the message of Evolution and demonstrate how dominant they were. "WHOOOOO!" (79%)
* Evolution (Batista & "Nature Boy" Ric Flair) vs. Chris Swan & Mark Wolf: Squash city that showcased Evolution's flawless teamwork and the frightening power of Batista, who planted Swan with the Demon Bomb before the Nature Boy applied the Figure Four Leglock to earn the submission. (65%)
* The video from RAW featuring Eugene displaying his surprising wrestling prowess against William Regal in a training ring was replayed. Good stuff. (76%)
* Backstage, Chris Jericho was shown heading out for his match when he came across a confrontation between Stacy Keibler and Trish Stratus, who called Stacy a "scarecrow" and accused her of being jealous of Trish's relationship with Christian because she didn't have anybody. Stacy denied the charge and warned Trish to back off and go "suck face" with her honey bunny, but Trish threatened to kick Stacy's head off. Y2J watched from a few feet away, smirking, so Trish turned her attention to him and asked him what was so funny. Jericho made fun of Stratus' height compared to Keibler and insulted his former flame until Christian arrived on the scene and started arguing with Y2J, who again demanded a singles rematch. The situation had to be diffused by some WWE road agents. (79%)
* Chris Jericho vs. Joey Matthews: The commentators discussed Jericho's repeated challenges to Christian throughout this semi-competitive contest, which ended when Y2J locked in the Walls Of Jericho and forced Matthews to tap out. (74%)
* A video aired of Lita and World Television Champion Matt Hardy displaying their trophies from his successful title defenses: a feathery earring from Rico, Tommy Dreamer's ECW t-shirt, the Hurricane's cape, and the eyemask stolen from Rosey on RAW. The conniving couple seemed very happy with their collection and predicted that it would continue to grow. (84%)
* Jeff Johnson interviewed Kane, who planned on making an example out of the Hurricane tonight and vowed to begin his "reign of terror" by capturing the World Heavyweight Championship from Chris Benoit tomorrow night on RAW. (78%)
* The Hurricane vs. Kane: Cornette reminded viewers that Kane and Hurricane had held the World Tag Team Championship together in happier times, but a new fan would never guess from the way that the Big Red Machine abused the Super Hero from bell-to-bell. The Hurricane did get some brief offense in, but Kane eventually stopped the punishment and buried his former partner with the Chokeslam To Hell. (79%)
Overall: 72%
Rating: 5.74
Attendance: 10,024
Ticket Sales: $400,960
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As always, feedback in any form is welcomed and encouraged. Here is the updated lineup for WWE Judgment Day on Sunday, May 16...
WWE Championship Match: Eddie Guerrero [champion] vs. John Bradshaw Layfield
WWE United States Title Match: John Cena [champion] vs. Brock Lesnar
WWE Cruiserweight Title Match: Chavo Guerrero [champion] vs. Spike Dudley
WWE Tag Team Title Match: Rikishi & Scotty 2 Hotty [champions] vs. "To Be Announced"
Number One Contender Match: Rey Mysterio vs. Booker T
The Undertaker vs. Kurt Angle
Rob Van Dam vs. Charlie Haas
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WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW -- MONDAY, APRIL 26, 2004
Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler introduced the show LIVE from Topeka, Kansas, and announced some of tonight's events: the main event rematch for the World Tag Team Championship featuring Batista & Ric Flair challenging Shawn Michaels & World Heavyweight Champion Chris Benoit for the gold, Matt Hardy defending the World Television Championship against the Hurricane, Edge meeting Steven Richards, and much more.
Christian & Trish Stratus were already in the ring, which was set up very similarly to Chris Jericho's "Highlight Reel", as Trish welcomed fans to "The Peep Show" and introduced the host, her "honey bunny" Christian. The former nine-time co-World Tag Team Champion thanked RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff for giving him his own interview segment and called out his guest, Chris Jericho, who walked out to a nice pop and went face-to-face with his former friend, criticizing Christian's hosting abilities and demanding a one-on-one rematch due to the tag team victory last week. Christian responded that Y2J didn't pin him and blamed the loss on "that big oaf" Kane, who shortly thereafter made his presence known as his pyro went off and he marched down to the ring. The Big Red Monster looked very menacing and angry as he towered over Christian, who changed his tune and developed a slight limp, accusing Jericho & Edge of taking advantage of a two-on-one situation against Kane after Christian had "injured" himself and stepped off the apron for a moment. While Christian begged off from Kane, Jericho jumped on Christian and pummeled him with lefts and rights before rebounding off the ropes with a flying forearm. However, Trish pulled Christian out of the way and Jericho cracked Kane, who fired back with punches of his own as a slugfest developed. Meanwhile, Trish & Christian ducked out to ringside and retreated up the ramp, leaving Y2J and the Big Red Monster trading fists in the squared circle until a horde of WWE officials and agents had to intervene and pull them apart. Jericho got hold of the microphone and issued a challenge for a match against the brother of the Undertaker, which Kane accepted, as Ross announced that Y2J vs. Kane would take place tonight. (88%)
Ebony & Ivory (Mark Henry & Garrison Cade) vs. Val Venis & Lance Storm
A solid opener due to the increased work ethic of Lance Storm & Val Venis and the gradual improvements of Garrison Cade & Mark Henry, as all four worked harder than usual lately to put on a watchable match-up. The action went back-and-forth as Ross announced that Ebony & Ivory would square off with the Extreme Animals next week, ending when the World's Strongest Man covered Val following the bearhug/missile dropkick double-team from he and Garrison, which Lawler dubbed the "Perfect Harmony". (74%)
There was a commotion with all four members of Evolution in the backstage office of the RAW GM as Triple H claimed that Ric Flair, who was on crutches, had injured himself at a "live event" over the weekend and would be unable to compete in the main event this evening. Eric Bischoff furrowed his brow and pretended to be strict, offering Randy Orton the opportunity to replace the Nature Boy and team with Batista, but the WWE Intercontinental Champion protested that he had to fulfill his "Legend Killer Challenge" obligations. Bischoff responded that the "Legend Killer Challenge" would have to wait until next week, insulting Topeka for not even knowing what a legend was anyway, and ordered Orton to team with Batista against World Tag Team Champions Chris Benoit & Shawn Michaels later tonight. The Legend Killer agreed, while Bischoff granted HHH permission to accompany his fellow Evolution members to ringside since Shelton Benjamin would be seconding their opponents. Evolution smiled and laughed as they left the room. (90%)
Elsewhere backstage, Jonathan Coachman interviewed Victoria & Steven Richards, who was all worked up over the fact that he was back on RAW for the first time in months. Richards claimed that he and Victoria represented "Stevie Night Heat" and had three words for Edge: "WE'RE... TAKING... OVER!" Steven & Victoria cackled maniacally and stated that they were invading RAW as they headed out. (76%)
Steven Richards vs. Edge
Victoria escorted Steven Richards to the ring as the commentators joked about a Heat/RAW rivalry and the chances of "Stevie Night Heat" taking over RAW. Ross pointed out that Edge was undefeated on RAW since returning from a neck injury, as Richards held his own and scored a few near-falls, looking more determined than ever. Victoria also got involved, clotheslining Edge at ringside, but Edge rebounded with the Spear and the Edgecutioner to put Steven away. Afterwards, Steven had a fit over his loss and freaked out until Victoria slapped him across the face and dragged him out by the hair. (81%)
Lita was shown backstage running down a hallway with the Hurricane's cape and pretending to duck into a custodians' room, but instead of going in the room, she hid around the corner and slammed the door as Rosey ran down the hallway in pursuit. Hearing the door slam, the Super Hero In Training went into the room. However, as soon as he entered, Lita pulled the door closed from the outside and quickly locked it up with a chain. Rosey pounded on the door from the inside as a smirking Lita joined World Television Champion Matt Hardy on his way out for his TV Title defense. (74%)
World Television Title Match: Matt Hardy [champion] vs. The Hurricane
Lawler laughed about Lita & Matt Hardy outsmarting Rosey to prevent him from interfering, as Lita strutted out arm-in-arm with the World Television Champion, who was wearing the Hurricane's cape, as well as Tommy Dreamer's ECW t-shirt from last week, which Ross described as "trophies". The Hurricane came out fast and furious on the offensive in retaliation, scoring a number of near-falls as they put on a great championship contest, with some occasional interference from the troublemaking Lita. Ross urged somebody backstage to release Rosey (or, as Lawler put it, "Free Willy") while Hardy battled back and planted Hurricane with the Side Effect to retain the TV Championship. (83%)
The video that appeared on Heat last night of William Regal and Eugene visiting Jim Cornette at Ohio Valley Wrestling was replayed with some additional footage of Eugene interacting with various OVW prospects such as Tank Toland, Orlando Jordan, Mark Magnus, Chris Masters, and Johnny Jeter. At the end, Eugene exuberantly proclaimed that his lifelong goal was to be a RAW superstar, so William reluctantly agreed to teach him the basics next week. (77%)
Kane vs. Chris Jericho
During the ring introductions of these two veteran superstars, Ross announced that Rosey had been released from the custodians' room and requested a shot at Matt Hardy's World Television Championship next week. This was a very heated, well-worked encounter as both Chris Jericho and Kane showed a lot of fire, slugging it out and trading the advantage back-and-forth several times. The Big Red Monster used his size and strength, earning a number of near-falls, to combat the speed, agility, and tenacity of Y2J, as Ross mentioned that they had wrestled each other numerous times over the years. Late in the bout, Jericho escaped from a backbreaker submission and mounted a comeback that kept Kane reeling, while Trish Stratus strode down the ramp and distracted referee Mike Chioda. Meanwhile, Jericho went for a springboard moonsault in the corner, but Christian appeared at ringside and grabbed Y2J by the head, snapping his neck down across the top rope. Jericho staggered back into the waiting arms of Kane, who buried the former Undisputed Champion with the Chokeslam To Hell for the three-count. Afterwards, when Kane exited to the floor, Christian congratulated the Big Red Monster and offered a high-five, but the former WWF Champion just glared at him before leaving. (86%)
Backstage, Evolution was on the move as Batista & WWE Intercontinental Champion Randy Orton were headed out for the main event, flanked by Triple H and Ric Flair on crutches. When the Nature Boy was stopped by RAW GM Eric Bischoff, Slick Ric reminded him that he had a valid manager's license and had the right to be at ringside with Orton & Batista, even with HHH already in their corner. After thinking about it for a few moments, Bischoff agreed and allowed Evolution to continue on their way, wishing them luck. (80%)
World Tag Team Title Match: Evolution (Randy Orton & Batista) vs. Chris Benoit & Shawn Michaels [champions]
Triple H and Ric Flair, on crutches, accompanied Batista & Randy Orton to the ring, while World Tag Team Champions Shawn Michaels & Chris Benoit entered separately, which backfired when the World Heavyweight Champion came out first alongside cornerman Shelton Benjamin and was double-teamed by the two legal Evolution members, as the Game attacked Shelton at ringside and rammed him head-first against the ringpost. The Heartbreak Kid soon charged out to even the odds and assist the Canadian Crippler, fighting off the Beast and the WWE Intercontinental Champion to kick off the main event proper. Good, hot championship contest with plenty of fast-paced action, save for an extended bearhug by Batista on the Rabid Wolverine to wear him down, as both squads displayed great teamwork and traded near-falls throughout the match-up. Late in the bout, the crowd rallied behind Benoit as he mounted a comeback, when the Nature Boy suddenly made a miraculous recovery and tried to use his crutch to whack the Crippler, but Shelton popped up from behind and grabbed the crutch away, distracting referee Earl Hebner. Behind the official's back, HHH entered the ring and aimed a high knee at Benoit, but the Wolverine dodged the attack and the Cerebral Assassin smashed into the Legend Killer. This gave Benoit the chance to make the tag to HBK, who ran in and knocked Batista off the apron with the Sweet Chin Music, then climbed to the top turnbuckle and dove off with the flying elbowdrop on Orton. The World Champion took HHH out through the ropes as Michaels hooked the leg and pinned the WWE Intercontinental Champion to retain the World Tag Team Championship. Afterwards, Evolution retreated and swore revenge as Benoit, Michaels, & Benjamin stood tall in the squared circle while Ross and Lawler signed off. (82%)
Overall: 81%
Rating: 6.11
Attendance: 9,007
Ticket Sales: $360,280
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WWE SMACKDOWN! -- THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 2004
The UPN broadcast opened with Paul Heyman and his team of lawyers stepping out of a limousine in the parking garage, grinning as he stated his intention to scout through the SmackDown locker room and sign another superstar to his Agency. The former ECW owner looked very confident as he straightened his tie and headed into the building with his legal team. (94%)
Joey Styles and Tazz introduced the show from ringside, running through this evening's lineup: WWE United States Champion John Cena battling A-Train in a non-title bout, Spike Dudley taking on Booker T, Ultimo Dragon & Funaki challenging Scotty 2 Hotty & Rikishi for the WWE Tag Team Championship, the Shooting Star Express meeting Jamie Noble & Nunzio, and John Bradshaw Layfield facing Rob Van Dam in the main event.
Nunzio & Jamie Noble vs. The Shooting Star Express (Billy Kidman & Paul London)
Styles recalled that Nunzio, flanked here by Chuck Palumbo & Johnny Stamboli, eliminated Jamie Noble from last week's 10-man Cruiserweight Battle Royal, while Paul London & Billy Kidman later eliminated Nunzio. This was a very hot opener that drew the crowd's interest as the Shooting Star Express displayed their awesome daredevil maneuvers against the more mat-based attack of Noble & Nunzio, who Tazz pointed out were "distant cousins" and had teamed together regularly last year. The advantage shifted back-and-forth until Kidman put Noble away with the Shooting Star Press. Afterwards, the Bull & Chucky P attacked the Express as they were celebrating, while Nunzio and Noble argued at ringside. (80%)
Ultimo Dragon & Funaki were shown walking down a backstage hallway, headed out for their crack at WWE Tag Team Champions Scotty 2 Hotty & Rikishi, when they were stopped by Gail Kim in a provocative schoolgirl uniform. Gail inquired whether or not the Japanese duo had decided to join Kyo Dai, but Funaki was once again speechless at the sight of her. The Dragon waved his hand and replied in Japanese, which the Korean Kim apparently understood and responded not to make her wait much longer. Ultimo shook his head and led Funaki away as she smiled sweetly and waved goodbye to the former Kaientai member. (54%)
WWE Tag Team Title Match: Funaki & Ultimo Dragon vs. Rikishi & Scotty 2 Hotty [champions]
This was a solid championship contest that went back-and-forth as Ultimo Dragon & Funaki isolated Scotty 2 Hotty from his 360-pound partner and worked him over with quick tags and double-teams. The commentators questioned Paul Heyman's mystery tag team for the WWE Tag Team Title shot at Judgment Day as Scotty mounted a comeback and made the tag to Rikishi, who came in and cleaned house. The former WWE Intercontinental Champion tossed the Dragon out to the floor and set Funaki up for the Rump Shaker, but before he could land the banzai drop, Sakoda & Akio invaded the ring and attacked Rikishi, drawing a disqualification for Funaki & Dragon. Gail Kim appeared at ringside and smiled at Funaki as Rikishi fought off Kyo Dai with Scotty's help. Ultimo tried to snap Funaki out of it while Gail left with Akio & Sakoda, having saved Funaki from the Rump Shaker. (74%)
Afterwards, WWE Tag Team Champions Rikishi & Scotty 2 Hotty were shown returning backstage when they bumped into Paul Heyman, who was trolling the locker room for superstars to sign to his Agency. Scotty asked if Heyman had been watching their match, declaring that they would have sealed the title defense with a pinfall if Kyo Dai hadn't interfered and would do the same at Judgment Day against whichever "two stooges" Heyman had in mind. Rikishi questioned the identity of Heyman's mystery team and appealed to SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long as he was walking by, but Heyman stated that that wasn't stipulated in the contract. However, being a "fair man", Heyman offered a deal: next week, if Rikishi could beat Brock Lesnar one-on-one, Heyman would reveal the identities of his Judgment Day challengers. Rikishi thought about it briefly and accepted the challenge for next week. (68%)
Elsewhere backstage, Booker T was arguing with John Bradshaw Layfield, stating that he was supposed to pin WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero during their tag team main event a couple of weeks ago, not JBL. Bradshaw responded that he did what had to be done and would capture the WWE Championship at Judgment Day, but the Book complained that it should be him challenging Latino Heat on May 16 since JBL had interrupted his last WWE Title shot in his SmackDown debut. JBL apologized for causing the no-contest and explained that he just wanted to make an impact, but promised Booker that he would get the first title shot after he won it from Eddie. The Book added that after he "ganked" Spike Dudley tonight, he was going to defeat Rey Mysterio at Judgment Day so that SmackDown GM Theodore Long wouldn't be able to deny T another title shot. (82%)
Spike Dudley vs. Booker T
Styles explained that Spike Dudley had requested this match after Booker T's interference led to Spike winning the 10-man Cruiserweight Battle Royal last week, as they put on a solid contest that saw the Book dominate most of the action, with some hope spots and comebacks from Dudley. Spike scored a couple of near-falls as Tazz stated that WWE Cruiserweight Champion Chavo Guerrero and Chavo Classic were on vacation this week, demonstrating how concerned they were about Dudley's challenge at Judgment Day. Late in the bout, Spike went for the Dudley Dog but Booker threw him off and clobbered him with the Axe Kick for the 1-2-3. Afterwards, Rey Mysterio stormed the ring and jumped Booker, knocking him out to the floor with a spinning heel kick as the crowd cheered. (73%)
Non-Title Match: A-Train vs. John Cena
The WWE United States Champion received a tremendous pop upon his entrance and lived up to the hype as he went at it tooth-and-nail with A-Train, taking the fight right to his larger opponent. Tazz claimed that A-Train was a great stand-in for Brock Lesnar as John Cena prepared for his U.S. Title defense at Judgment Day, withstanding the Train's punishment and battling back to lift the 6'7" 350-pounder across his shoulders and slam him with the F-U for the 1-2-3. (74%)
Following the bell, John Cena took the microphone and cut a great promo hyping his WWE United States Championship defense against Brock Lesnar at Judgment Day. The Doctor Of Thugonomics recalled that Brock had successfully defended the WWE Championship against him at last year's Backlash and claimed that this year, it was his turn to send the Next Big Thing home empty-handed. (84%)
Michael Cole interviewed Rob Van Dam in the dressing room as Mr. Thursday Night was warming up to face John Bradshaw Layfield in the evening's main event. The Whole Damn Show began to talk about feeling right at home on SmackDown and continuing his winning streak tonight against JBL, but he was interrupted by Paul Heyman, who showed up and told Van Dam he had a contract already written up with his name on it. RVD tried to reply but Heyman continued his pitch, praising RVD as the "greatest pure athlete" in ECW history and lamenting that he had been unable to achieve his full potential in WWE. Heyman claimed that with his guidance, the sky was the limit for Van Dam, who responded that he wasn't really interested at the time but he would definitely keep Paul's offer in mind. The former ECW owner tried to convince RVD to sign with his Agency right away, taking credit for turning him into "Mr. Monday Night" and "The Whole Damn Show" in ECW and suggesting that he could do so much more for him on the "grand stage" of WWE, but RVD retorted that it was his own skill and talent that earned him those nicknames and that he was doing fine on his own on SmackDown, bringing up his undefeated streak. Heyman kept up the sales pitch, but Van Dam cut him off and admitted that he was trying to be polite since Paul did so much for his career in the past, but flat-out turned him down and stated that he didn't need a manager or an agent. RVD added that he needed to concentrate on JBL tonight and wished Paul luck, then headed out for his match, leaving Heyman red-faced and unhappy. (83%)
John Bradshaw Layfield vs. Rob Van Dam
The commentators put over Rob Van Dam's SmackDown winning streak as he walked out to a great pop from the fans, while John Bradshaw Layfield was met by a loudly negative reaction. Tazz mentioned that a JBL victory over Mr. Thursday Night would help legitimize him as this month's top challenger to Eddie Guerrero's WWE Championship, admitting that he wasn't the most qualified contender. This was actually a very entertaining main event, as RVD bumped well for JBL's power arsenal, while Van Dam utilized his trademark style to keep Bradshaw off-balance, with both competitors scoring near-falls and trading the advantage back-and-forth. At one point, RVD had JBL covered following the Five Star Frog Splash, but Paul Heyman appeared at ringside and distracted referee Brian Hebner. Meanwhile, Charlie Haas emerged from the crowd in a warm-up suit and hooded sweatshirt and slid into the squared circle, where he pulled Van Dam off of Layfield and laid him out with a nasty head-and-arm suplex. Haas ducked out of the ring as JBL rolled over on top of RVD and the official returned to register the three-count, ending the Whole Damn Show's month-long undefeated SmackDown record. Afterwards, Heyman climbed in and held the ref back as Haas and Layfield double-teamed Van Dam, kicking and stomping him into the canvas until Eddie Guerrero hit the ring and nailed Heyman, Haas, and Layfield with punches and dropkicks to clear them out. The heels retreated up the ramp and the WWE Champion checked on RVD as Styles and Tazz closed the broadcast. (79%)
Overall: 77%
Rating: 5.91
Attendance: 9,016
Ticket Sales: $360,640
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WWE VELOCITY -- SATURDAY, MAY 1, 2004
* Hosts: Michael Cole and Josh Matthews.
* The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley) vs. Marco Jaggi & Claudio Castagnoli: Total squash here, although Castagnoli & Jaggi did get in a bit of offense, as the commentators put the Dudley Boyz over as the most dominant tag team in WWE history. The Dudleyz finished off their Swiss opponents when D-Von covered Jaggi following the 3D from he and Bubba. (73%)
* Marissa Mazzola interviewed the Full Blooded Italians. Nunzio claimed that in addition to setting their sights on SmackDown gold, the FBI were offering their services to take care of any business that might be needed. (64%)
* The Full Blooded Italians (Johnny "The Bull" Stamboli & Chuck Palumbo) vs. Petey Williams & Jerrelle Clark: Nunzio accompanied his fellow FBI members to the ring for this semi-competitive squash, which ended when the Bull covered Petey after the Kiss Of Death double-team from he and Chucky P. (66%)
* A video package aired hyping this week's SmackDown main event pitting the Undertaker against the Big Show. The video featured footage of the double-team ambush by Show and Kurt Angle on the Dead Man last week on SmackDown, along with comments from the Show that the Phenom wouldn't make it to Judgment Day, while Paul Bearer stated on behalf of his Reaper that he would make an example out of Big Show. (79%)
* Backstage at the arena, Rene Dupree was shown heading down a hallway with his poodle, Fifi, on his way out for the Velocity main event. Along the way, he came across his opponent, Hardcore Holly, who warned Dupree not to bring his "gay little dog" to the ring or he would punt it into the crowd. (63%)
* Rene Dupree vs. Hardcore Holly: Ignoring Hardcore Holly's advice, Rene Dupree brought Fifi to ringside for this solid Velocity main event that saw both competitors trade the advantage several times. Late in the contest, Holly brought Fifi into the squared circle, distracting Dupree, who was more concerned with getting his beloved poodle out of harm's way. This gave Hardcore the opportunity to plant the French Phenom with the Alabama Slam for the three-count. (74%)
Overall: 66%
Rating: 4.14
Attendance: 9,008
Ticket Sales: $360,320
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WWE SUNDAY NIGHT HEAT -- SUNDAY, MAY 2, 2004
* Hosts: Jonathan Coachman and Jim Cornette.
* Rosey vs. Colt Cabana: Singles squash for the Super Hero In Training as the commentators hyped his World Television Title shot against Matt Hardy tomorrow night on RAW. Rosey put Colt away with a spinning Samoan Drop. (67%)
* Test & Scott Steiner were shown walking backstage, flexing and arguing over who had the most impressive physique as they headed out for their match. (79%)
* Scott Steiner & Test vs. Chris Swan & Mark Wolf: Squash city, as Test & Scott Steiner improve their tag team skills and absolutely destroyed their opponents, ending the bout when Big Poppa Pump forced Swan to submit to the Steiner Recliner. (59%)
* Jeff Johnson interviewed the Extreme Animals, who were pumped up about getting their claws on Ebony & Ivory tomorrow night on RAW. Tajiri shrieked in Japanese as Rhyno vowed to Gore both Garrison Cade & Mark Henry into oblivion. (65%)
* The Extreme Animals (Rhyno & Tajiri) vs. The Backseat Boyz (Johnny Kashmere & Trent Acid): Cornette mentioned that the Backseat Boyz were one of the top up-and-coming tag teams on the independent circuit and could provide an underrated challenge for the Extreme Animals tonight, but Coachman just kept making jokes about their team name and was looking forward to Ebony & Ivory taking the Animals apart on RAW. This was a competitive little match-up that the Animals won when Rhyno covered Acid following the Gore/Buzzsaw Kick combo from he and Tajiri. (79%)
* A video aired showing William Regal, in his wrestling gear, standing in a ring with Eugene in the Ohio Valley Wrestling training facilities. Regal was trying to explain how dangerous wrestling was and how easily one could be injured, but Eugene was very excited and insisted that he could do it, naming off all the maneuvers he wanted to use: Hulk Hogan's Legdrop, the Ultimate Warrior's Gorilla Press, the Stone Cold Stunner, the Rock Bottom, and even the Regal Stretch. William sighed and promised Eugene he would teach him a lesson he wouldn't forget, teasing the continuation of the video tomorrow night on RAW. (70%)
* Backstage at the arena, a very determined Tommy Dreamer marched down a hallway en route to the Heat main event against Christian. (69%)
* Tommy Dreamer vs. Christian: Trish Stratus escorted Christian to the ring for this solid Heat main event, as Tommy Dreamer proved his toughness by repeatedly kicking out of pinfalls and mounted a comeback, but eventually fell victim to the Unprettier by Christian, who scored the 1-2-3. (74%)
Overall: 69%
Rating: 6.11
Attendance: 9,043
Ticket Sales: $361,720
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Thanks for the feedback, guys. Glad you're still reading. Here is the lineup so far for WWE Judgment Day on Sunday, May 16...
WWE Championship Match: Eddie Guerrero [champion] vs. John Bradshaw Layfield
WWE United States Title Match: John Cena [champion] vs. Brock Lesnar
WWE Cruiserweight Title Match: Chavo Guerrero [champion] vs. Spike Dudley
WWE Tag Team Title Match: Rikishi & Scotty 2 Hotty [champions] vs. "To Be Announced"
The Undertaker vs. Kurt Angle
Rey Mysterio vs. Booker T
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WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW -- MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2004
Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler introduced the show LIVE from Chicago, Illinois, and went through tonight's huge lineup: La Resistance challenging Shawn Michaels & World Heavyweight Champion Chris Benoit for their newly-won World Tag Team Championship, Randy Orton defending the WWE Intercontinental Championship in the "Legend Killer Challenge", World Television Champion Matt Hardy putting his TV Title on the line against Tommy Dreamer, and Edge & Chris Jericho battling Kane & Christian in the main event.
World Television Title Match: Tommy Dreamer vs. Matt Hardy [champion]
Lita walked out arm-in-arm with Matt Hardy as Ross informed viewers that Rico could be out of action for six months due to a ripped bicep suffered at the hands of the World Television Champion on Sunday Night Heat. This was a solid but basic by-the-numbers championship contest that saw Tommy Dreamer get in some offense and a couple of near-falls, but Hardy rebounded and dropped Dreamer with the Side Effect to retain the TV Championship. (66%)
Backstage, Christian and Trish Stratus were shown arriving at the building, paying attention only to each other and oblivious to everyone else around them as they sipped cappuccinos and entered the doors. Along the way, Trish bumped into Stacy Keibler, who was standing talking to a female worker, and spilled her drink all over herself. Trish freaked out and started hollering at Stacy, accusing her of purposely knocking her drink over in an attempt to burn and disfigure her, but Stacy responded that Trish should have been watching where she was going. The former four-time WWE Women's Champion warned Stacy not to question her judgment, prompting Stacy to crack a joke about Trish choosing a "creepy little bastard" like Christian over a "rock god" like Chris Jericho. Trish tried to lunge at Stacy but Christian caught her and held her back, advising Stratus that Keibler wasn't even worth the effort. Stacy replied, "Don't you wish you knew", getting unanimous laughs from the backstage crew as a red-faced Christian dragged the screaming Trish away. (85%)
Mark Henry vs. Rhyno
Garrison Cade seconded his "Ebony & Ivory" tag team partner Mark Henry while Tajiri walked out alongside Rhyno, a pairing that Ross dubbed the "Extreme Animals", due to their animalistic nature and history in ECW. A plodding power match here as the World's Strongest Man used his massive size to wear down the Man Beast, almost squeezing out a submission with a bearhug, but Rhyno broke free and mounted a comeback, culminating in the Gore on Henry. However, when Rhyno covered the former Olympian, Cade entered the ring and caused a disqualification for Henry by pouncing on Rhyno. After the bell, Cade punched and kicked Rhyno until Tajiri slid in and chased him off, giving Henry the opportunity to get back to his feet and scoop up the Japanese Buzzsaw, planting him with the World's Strongest Slam before bailing out to ringside. (63%)
WWE Intercontinental Champion Randy Orton made his way to the ring amidst a sea of boos and took the microphone, bringing up his impressive record so far in 2004. The Evolution member referred to himself as the MVP of RAW and claimed that he would retire as champ if he so desired, calling out another legend as part of his "Legend Killer Challenge". After a few moments, a familiar riff blared throughout the arena and the Chicago fans exploded as Road Warrior Animal marched down the ramp in leather and spikes, with the traditional facepaint, while Ross recalled that the Legion Of Doom were the only tag team in history to hold World Tag Team Championships in the AWA, WCW, and "WWE". Animal snatched the mic from the Legend Killer and looked to the ceiling as he dedicated this match to his late partner Hawk, then proceeded to unload on Orton. (81%)
WWE Intercontinental Title Match: Randy Orton [champion] vs. Road Warrior Animal
The Chicago fans were hot for this championship contest and made up for the sloppiness of Animal, who unloaded several stiff shots on Randy Orton to kick things off and utilized his impressive power to hurl the WWE Intercontinental Champion around the ring with press slams and suplexes. The Legend Killer snuck in some offense before Animal regained the advantage and scored a few near-falls, popping the crowd. After countering the electric chair, Orton surprised the Road Warrior with the RKO and picked up the 1-2-3 to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Afterwards, Orton retreated to ringside with his belt, leaving Animal to soak in the cheers of his fictitious hometown fans while Ross put the Road Warriors over as "arguably" the greatest tag team of all time and future WWE Hall Of Famers. (70%)
RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff was shown in his backstage office trying to talk on the phone while getting frustrated with his nephew Eugene, who was running in a circle around his Uncle Eric's desk and yapping about the wrestlers he wanted to face. There was a knock on the door and William Regal entered the room, informing Bischoff that he had decided to accept the position. Eugene ran to Regal, shaking his hand excitedly and trying to hug him, while Bischoff promised Regal that if all went according to plan, there could be an opening on the active RAW roster within the next 30 days. William smiled and patted Eugene on the back, leading him out of the office as he stated that Eugene had a lot to learn. (71%)
World Tag Team Title Match: La Resistance (Robert Conway & Sylvain Grenier) vs. Chris Benoit & Shawn Michaels [champions]
La Resistance carried the Quebec flag with them as Lawler reminded Ross of their impressive victory over Rosey & Hurricane last week, while Ross mentioned that this was the first title defense for new World Tag Team Champions Chris Benoit & Shawn Michaels since winning the belts last week from Ric Flair & Batista. Not a spectacular championship contest but perfectly acceptable wrestling as Sylvain Grenier & Robert Conway cut the ring in half and worked over the Heartbreak Kid with quick tags and double-teams, scoring several near-falls until Shawn finally escaped and made the hot tag to Benoit. The World Heavyweight Champion rushed in and cleaned house, unleashing vicious chops and snap suplexes as Michaels regained his feet and joined in the fray. HBK nailed Conway with the Sweet Chin Music amidst the chaos while the Rabid Wolverine took Grenier down in the Crippler Crossface and forced him to tap out, retaining the World Tag Team Championship. (69%)
Afterwards, Shawn Michaels & Chris Benoit celebrated with their World Tag Team Championship belts to loud applause as the World Heavyweight Champion still looked somewhat distrustful of his partner, but shook hands with him. As they were shaking hands, Batista, Ric Flair, & Randy Orton stormed the ring and overwhelmed Benoit & Michaels with their superior numbers as Ross pointed out that they had just completed a grueling title defense and were helpless against the three Evolution members. The WWE Intercontinental Champion floored the Heartbreak Kid with the RKO while Batista planted the Canadian Crippler with the Demon Bomb, as the Nature Boy stomped and kicked both faces. Evolution then dumped Benoit & Michaels out to the floor as Triple H's theme cranked up and the fans booed. (78%)
Triple H looked very angry as he marched down to the ring and picked up the microphone, warning Chris Benoit & Shawn Michaels that this was the result of messing with Evolution. The Game demanded that Ric Flair & Batista receive their rematch for the World Tag Team Championship next week and mentioned that he would regain the World Heavyweight Championship soon enough, but stated that he had another score to settle tonight, bringing up Shelton Benjamin's two pinfall victories over him and his interference in Evolution business last week. HHH ranted about Shelton not knowing "his place" as a RAW newcomer and claimed that he needed to beat some respect into the former SmackDown superstar, asking the Nature Boy, the Legend Killer, and the Beast to leave the ring before calling Benjamin out. Shelton strode out and cautiously stepped into the squared circle, going toe-to-toe with the Cerebral Assassin and getting the better of him until Batista, Orton, & Flair returned to the ring, at which point Benjamin jumped out to ringside, barely avoiding the ambush. By this time, Michaels & Benoit had gotten back to their feet on the floor and left with Benjamin as Ross put Shelton over as one step ahead of Evolution, who fumed and shouted threats from the ring. (89%)
Edge & Chris Jericho were shown getting ready in the locker room for their tag team main event against Christian & Kane. Y2J thanked Edge for agreeing to be his partner and put him over as the perfect partner not only due to his talent, but also because of his extensive experience as Christian's childhood friend and seven-time World Tag Team Championship partner (guess Edge and Christian aren't brothers anymore). Edge acknowledged that he knew more about Christian than "any rational person would ever want to", but reassured Jericho that he had his back and wouldn't double-cross him. (95%)
Christian & Kane vs. Chris Jericho & Edge
Both teams entered together, as Christian had Trish Stratus by his side and was frightened by Kane's pyro when it went off, while Edge & Chris Jericho were greeted by a huge pop from the crowd upon their arrival. This was an entertaining and heated main event that broke down into a four-way brawl several times when tempers boiled over, as Y2J tried desperately to get his hands on Christian, who kept running away and at one point led Jericho into an attack by Kane after a Chick Kick from Trish at ringside. This led to an extended heat segment on Jericho as Kane punished him, occasionally tagging Christian in for a few cheapshots before he tagged the Big Red Monster back in. On one occasion, Jericho finally prevented Chrstian from tagging out and Irish-whipped him off to the ropes, colliding head-to-head on the rebound and flooring both men. They both managed to crawl to their respective corners and made the tag, bringing Edge in to fire away on Kane with lefts and rights as Christian and Trish elected to retreat up the ramp, just out of the grasp of Y2J. Meanwhile, Edge tagged Jericho back in and took Kane down with the Spear, followed by the Lionsault from the former Undisputed Champion to earn the three-count. The program ended with Jericho yelling up the ramp at Christian, stating that tonight's tag team victory should net him a one-on-one showdown with his former World Tag Team Championship partner. (76%)
Overall: 76%
Rating: 6.11
Attendance: 8,031
Ticket Sales: $321,240
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WWE SMACKDOWN! -- THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2004
Joey Styles and Tazz opened the UPN broadcast by discussing tonight's events, including the Brock Lesnar contract signing, the Undertaker meeting Charlie Haas, a 10-man Cruiserweight Battle Royal, the Big Show in action against Hardcore Holly, and the Full Blooded Italians squaring off with the Dudley Boyz.
The commentators were interrupted by confetti falling from the ceiling as John Bradshaw Layfield made his way to the ring to a chorus of boos. JBL took the microphone and bragged that he had pinned WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero in their tag team match last week, which was the reason for the celebration. The former Acolyte ranted about all of his detractors that had said he would never amount to anything after so many years of mediocrity in WWE, referring to his critics as "un-American" because most of them preferred Mexican luchadors over good old-fashioned American brawling, and claimed that his pinfall on Latino Heat should earn him a shot at the WWE Championship. Eddie Guerrero appeared on the stage with a mic and pointed out that it was Booker T's Axe Kick that set up the pinfall, but Layfield responded that it didn't matter because he would do the same thing one-on-one to win the WWE Title if Guerrero had the "cajones" to put the belt on the line. Eddie stated that he had no problem defending his gold anytime, anyplace, against anybody, suggesting Sunday, May 16, at WWE Judgment Day. JBL challenged Eddie to "get it on" right now tonight, and Eddie was more than happy to oblige as he raced down to the squared circle and started swinging his WWE Title belt around, chasing Bradshaw out of the ring. Layfield retreated up the ramp and accepted his title shot for Judgment Day while Guerrero was cheered by the fans. (79%)
Hardcore Holly vs. The Big Show
Styles and Tazz expressed shock at Eddie Guerrero granting a WWE Title shot to John Bradshaw Layfield at Judgment Day during the introductions. They also pointed out the Big Show's recent losses as Hardcore Holly tried to take the fight to the 500-pounder and fired off a couple of dropkicks, getting in some offense. However, the former two-time WWE Champion shook it off and easily overpowered Hardcore, finishing him off with the Show Stopper. (64%)
Afterwards, when the Big Show returned to the backstage area, he was approached by Kurt Angle, who observed that Show had suffered from some bad luck dating back to their three-way Number One Contenders match, won by Angle, at February's WWE No Way Out. The Show growled and asked if the Olympic Champion was trying to rub it in, but Angle assured him that he just wanted to help out a fellow former WWE Champion. The 500-pounder responded that he was willing to listen, so Angle walked along with him down a hallway as they continued to talk. (99%)
The Full Blooded Italians (Johnny "The Bull" Stamboli & Chuck Palumbo) vs. The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley)
Tazz questioned what kind of deal Kurt Angle was working with the Big Show as the Full Blooded Italians came out without Nunzio, who was preparing for the 10-man Cruiserweight Battle Royal up next. This was a solid and entertaining tag team encounter that saw Chuck Palumbo & Johnny Stamboli give the Dudley Boyz a run for their money with their improving teamwork, functioning as a well-oiled machine and scoring several near-falls. Late in the match-up, Chuckie P's Whack kick misfired and inadvertently Whacked the Bull, knocking Stamboli out to the floor as the Dudleyz executed the 3D on Palumbo, giving D-Von the pinfall. (71%)
WWE Cruiserweight Champion Chavo Guerrero and Chavo Classic were shown in the locker room, sitting down in front of a TV monitor to watch the 10-man Cruiserweight Battle Royal. Chavo Jr. assured his father that it didn't matter who earned the title shot at Judgment Day because he was going to prove that he was the greatest Cruiserweight Champion of all time, which Classic agreed with and added some more encouraging words for his son. (62%)
10-Man Cruiserweight Battle Royal: Ultimo Dragon, Funaki, Akio, Jamie Noble, Spike Dudley, Nunzio, Billy Kidman, Paul London, Scotty 2 Hotty, Rey Mysterio
Gail Kim escorted Akio and stayed at ringside for this battle royal as Styles listed off the credentials of some of the participants: Rey Mysterio and Billy Kidman were both seven-time WCW/WWE Cruiserweight Champions, Ultimo Dragon was a former two-time WCW Cruiserweight Champion, Jamie Noble held the WWE Cruiserweight Title once, and current co-WWE Tag Team Champion Scotty 2 Hotty was a former WWE Light Heavyweight Champion. While these facts may have helped viewers at home, they didn't do much for the live crowd, which mostly popped for the eliminations, as battle royals don't really fit the cruiserweight style. Other than the non-existent crowd heat, this was a pretty good battle royal that started off fast and furious, as the Shooting Star Express competed as a unit, while Akio seemed to be protecting Funaki throughout the match-up. Nunzio and Noble teamed up to eliminate Scotty 2 Hotty for the first elimination, before Nunzio turned on his "cousin" and tossed Noble over the top rope for the second elimination. As one of the most experienced competitors, Mysterio took his shots where he could and engaged in a brilliant sequence with Ultimo Dragon until Akio got involved and knocked the Dragon over the top rope, marking the third elimination. This angered Funaki, who clotheslined Akio over the top for the fourth elimination, with the fifth coming when Akio reached up and grabbed Funaki by the hair, pulling him out as Spike Dudley pushed him from behind. Meanwhile, London & Kidman sent Nunzio flyng over the top as the sixth elimination with a high double dropkick, leaving the Express, Rey, and Spike as the final four. It broke down into tag team action, as Spike and Rey worked together against the Express, with Mysterio tossing Kidman over the top via spinning headscissors for the seventh elimination. Tazz recalled that it was Mysterio who Chavo Guerrero beat at No Way Out to win the WWE Cruiserweight Championship, as London wrapped himself around the ropes and refused to be eliminated. Finally, Rey & Spike managed to dump London out to the floor before squaring off as the final two, trading punches and dropkicks until Booker T appeared at ringside. When Mysterio was on the verge of winning and went to run off the ropes, the Book pulled down the top rope, causing Rey Rey to tumble out to the floor for the final elimination, giving the beaten Spike Dudley the shot at the WWE Cruiserweight Championship at Judgment Day. Meanwhile, a split-screen showed Chavo Guerrero and Chavo Classic celebrating in the dressing room as they watched the monitor, relieved that it would "only" be Dudley challenging him for the belt. (57%)
Afterwards, Booker T entered the ring and hurled Spike Dudley over the top rope before grabbing the microphone, laughing about how he had just cost Rey Mysterio a shot at the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. The Book claimed that it was payback for last week, accusing Rey Rey of trying to "embarrass" him and blamed him for John Bradshaw Layfield scoring the pinfall on WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero rather than Booker himself. The former five-time WCW Champion stated that if JBL was going to receive a WWE Title shot at Judgment Day, Booker would take out Latino Heat's "amigo" Mysterio to prove that he was the rightful Number One Contender. Booker continued to rant until Mysterio climbed up on the apron behind Booker and springboarded in with a dropkick to the back of the Book's head, sending him sailing through the ropes and out to the floor. The crowd cheered as a disappointed Rey taunted Booker from the squared circle and swore revenge. (83%)
Michael Cole interviewed Paul Bearer and the Undertaker in a dimly-lit dressing room as the Dead Man was getting ready to battle Charlie Haas. Cole admitted that Haas was an underrated superstar and would present a unique challenge tonight, but he wanted to know if the Phenom had heard Kurt Angle's challenge from last week. The Undertaker replied that he had heard the challenge and would accept it, declaring that as the top veteran on SmackDown, he deserved a WWE Title shot and would take the Olympic Champion's soul to prove his point. As Bearer raised the urn, Undertaker added that on Judgment Day, Angle would "rest...in...peace." (76%)
Charlie Haas vs. The Undertaker
Styles pointed out that Charlie Haas looked a bit scared as Paul Bearer led his Undertaker down the ramp for this interesting clash of styles. Tazz recalled that Haas was a former member of Team Angle and would be a good warm-up for the Phenom in preparation for a match against Kurt Angle due to the similar styles, as Haas tried to use his pure wrestling skill to unbalance the former four-time WWE Champion. Although the Dead Man used his size and strength advantage early on, tossing the former two-time co-WWE Tag Team Champion around like a ragdoll, Haas was eventually able to take him down and work over the leg with a spinning toehold and a leg lace before applying his Haas Of Pain leg submission. The Grim Reaper was silent and refused to submit, finally breaking the hold and kicking Haas off. The Undertaker mounted a comeback with a flying clothesline, big boot, and chokeslam before burying Haas with the Tombstone for the three-count. (69%)
Following the bell, as the Undertaker got down on one knee and saluted the urn held aloft by Paul Bearer, Kurt Angle marched down to the ring and shoved Bearer aside, getting right in the Phenom's face. After exchanging a few words, the Dead Man gripped the Olympian by the throat and lifted him up for a chokeslam, but the Big Show hit the ring and assaulted the Undertaker from behind. Angle landed on his feet and joined in the attack, punching and kicking the Undertaker before Show wrapped his massive hand around the Grim Reaper's throat and hoisted him up, planting him with the Show Stopper. The crowd booed as the 1996 Olympic Champion stomped the Undertaker and applied the Angle Lock while the Show rebounded off the ropes and dropped a huge legdrop across the back of Undertaker's head. Paul Bearer wailed and moaned but couldn't do much to help until a horde of WWE officials flooded out to stop the assault. (92%)
After a commercial break, a table was set up in the ring as SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long strutted out and shook hands with the various lawyers surrounding the table. Long announced that tonight was a big night for SmackDown as it represented another victory over RAW and introduced Brock Lesnar, who was dressed in warm-ups and a Minnesota Vikings jersey and accompanied by his fiancee Sable and agent Paul Heyman. Heyman grilled Long over the contract details they had discussed last week, including an executive position for Sable, a WWE Tag Team Title shot at Judgment Day for a duo "to be named later", the reinstatement of Heyman as an active manager, and a shot for Lesnar at John Cena's WWE United States Championship, with a guarantee that Lesnar would be granted a WWE Title bout in the near-future. Heyman grinned and read over the contract just to make sure before handing it over to Brock, who consulted with Sable. When she winked and nodded, Brock signed the contract as the fans gave him a mixed reaction. After passing the signed contract to Long, the GM announced that Brock Lesnar was officially a member of the SmackDown roster once again. As Lesnar raised his arms and celebrated with Sable and Heyman, the music of John Cena interrupted the festivities as the WWE United States Champion walked out to a great pop and took the mcrophone, bringing up Brock's sneak attack on him two weeks ago. The Doctor Of Thugonomics claimed that he didn't want to bring the party down, but he planned on ruining Brock's "homecoming" at Judgment Day by successfully defending the U.S. Title and kicking his ass right back to Minnesota. Lesnar knocked the mic out of Cena's hand and got right in his face, exchanging very heated words before they began trading punches. During the slugfest, Cena ducked a roundhouse right and clotheslined Lesnar over the top rope, then chased Heyman, Sable, Long, and the remaining lawyers out of the squared circle. While Lesnar and Heyman hollered from ringside, Cena tossed the table out at them and played to the crowd as Styles and Tazz signed off. (69%)
Overall: 74%
Rating: 5.73
Attendance: 8,018
Ticket Sales: $320,720
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WWE VELOCITY -- SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 2004
* Hosts: Michael Cole and Josh Matthews.
* Jamie Noble vs. Scorpio Sky: This was a competitive match-up that showcased Jamie Noble's skills as the commentators discussed the surprising result of the 10-man Cruiserweight Battle Royal on SmackDown. Noble put Sky away with the tiger driver into the Trailer Hitch, forcing the masked youngster to tap out. (54%)
* Marissa Mazzola interviewed the Basham Brothers and Dawn Marie, who put them over as a well-oiled machine and future WWE Tag Team Champions. When Marissa asked for details on the "pre-match ritual" mentioned a couple of weeks ago, Dawn wouldn't tell, but invited Marissa to come and find out for herself sometime. (79%)
* The Basham Brothers (Doug & Danny Basham) vs. Petey Williams & Jerrelle Clark: Dawn Marie escorted the Basham Brothers for this semi-competitive squash that ended when Doug covered Clark following the Ball & Gag from he and Danny. (60%)
* A video package aired to hype the Shooting Star Express, highlighting the death-defying high-risk maneuvers that Paul London & Billy Kidman have utilized over the past few weeks to get them over as fearless daredevils. (66%)
* Marissa Mazzola interviewed Gail Kim, who was flanked by Sakoda & Akio as she discussed her offer for Funaki & Ultimo Dragon to join Kyo Dai and take over SmackDown. Gail stated that they would be watching Dragon & Funaki's match tonight against Rene Dupree & A-Train very closely. (64%)
* A-Train & Rene Dupree vs. Funaki & Ultimo Dragon: A solid, if somewhat heatless, main event that saw Dupree & A-Train overpower their much smaller opponents throughout the contest, with Dragon & Funaki occasionally making a comeback. Late in the bout, Gail Kim came to ringside and distracted referee Charles Robinson while Akio & Sakoda raced out and dragged A-Train off the apron, keeping him occupied. Meanwhile, Funaki dove off the top turnbuckle with a flying sunset flip on Dupree for the 1-2-3. Afterwards, Dragon & Funaki seemed to disagree over the appearance of Gail and Kyo Dai, but celebrated their victory together while Kim, Sakoda, & Akio exited up the ramp, smiling and nodding. (63%)
Overall: 60%
Rating: 4.45
Attendance: 8,009
Ticket Sales: $320,360
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WWE SUNDAY NIGHT HEAT -- SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2004
* Hosts: Jonathan Coachman and Jim Cornette.
* Maven vs. Joey Matthews: Competitive little match-up here that Maven won with the flying bodypress off the top turnbuckle. (68%)
* After the match, Maven took the microphone and stated that he had signed an open contract for Heat or RAW and would be happy to face any opponent, any time, in an effort to not only move up the ladder, but also to improve his own skills. (74%)
* Backstage, Jeff Johnson interviewed Steven Richards and Victoria, who revealed that she was distraught over WWE retiring the Women's Championship and had gone back to the only person who had ever truly "understood" her for consolation. Steven added that they were both disgruntled and would take their frustrations out on everyone who got in their path. (77%)
* Steven Richards vs. Matt Stryker: Victoria escorted Steven for this competitive contest that saw Stryker score a couple of near-falls before Richards finally snapped and put him away with the Stevie-T double-underhook DDT. (67%)
* Jim Cornette introduced a video "shot this week" that showed William Regal taking Eugene to WWE's development territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling, where they met up with Cornette. It appeared to be just before a show, since the ring was set up in an empty arena, as educated fans recognized Mark Magnus working out with Orlando Jordan. Regal and Cornette tried to explain to Eugene how dangerous wrestling really was and that it wasn't all glitz and glamor like on TV, as Jordan and Magnus tossed each other around and groaned in pain, but Eugene enjoyed the close-up look and insisted that he could do it. Regal rolled his eyes and thanked Cornette, asking if they could use the OVW training facilities later on, which Cornette agreed to and wished Eugene luck. (66%)
* Jeff Johnson was in the locker room to interview Shelton Benjamin, who announced that he would be in the corner of World Tag Team Champions Shawn Michaels & World Heavyweight Champion Chris Benoit tomorrow night on RAW when they defend the belts against Ric Flair & Batista. The RAW newcomer invited Triple H to accompany his fellow Evolution members because he wasn't in awe of the Game and would take care of him once again if he interfered. (82%)
* Shelton Benjamin vs. Tony DeVito: Semi-competitive squash here that allowed the commentators to hype the World Tag Team Title rematch for tomorrow night's RAW while Shelton finished off DeVito with the T-Bone Exploder. (70%)
* Backstage, Tajiri & Rhyno were shown screaming like maniacs at each other as they got ready for the Heat main event against Rosey & Hurricane. After screaming, they laughed and butted heads before heading out. (74%)
* The Hurricane & Rosey vs. The Extreme Animals (Rhyno & Tajiri): This was a very good tag team main event, as both face squads threw everything they had at each other. The newly-formed Extreme Animals had an unorthodox chemistry and worked well as a team, while the Super Heroes pulled off some nice double-teams as well. In the end, Tajiri covered Rosey following a cool-looking simultaneous Gore/Buzzsaw Kick from he and Rhyno. (79%)
Overall: 71%
Rating: 5.98
Attendance: 8,005
Ticket Sales: $320,200
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As always, I welcome comments, suggestions, complaints, and questions. Thanks for reading. Here is the lineup so far for WWE Judgment Day on Sunday, May 16...
WWE Championship Match: Eddie Guerrero [champion] vs. John Bradshaw Layfield
WWE United States Title Match: John Cena [champion] vs. Brock Lesnar
WWE Cruiserweight Title Match: Chavo Guerrero [champion] vs. Spike Dudley
WWE Tag Team Title Match: Rikishi & Scotty 2 Hotty [champions] vs. "To Be Announced"
The Undertaker vs. Kurt Angle
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WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW -- MONDAY, APRIL 12, 2004
Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler introduced the show LIVE from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, raving about last night's WWE Backlash before the music of Shawn Michaels interrupted them as the Heartbreak Kid made his way to the ring and picked up the microphone. The former four-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion talked about the grueling Triple Threat Match at Backlash last night, mentioning that he had pinned former champ Triple H, and requested that Chris Benoit come down to the ring. The World Heavyweight Champion marched out to a deafening pop and played to the crowd before HBK asked for the Crippler's attention, because he had something to say. When Benoit walked over to him, Michaels praised him for his world-class skills and claimed that the Rabid Wolverine had the potential to become the greatest World Champion of all time, even better than HBK himself, pointing out that Benoit was the better man last night. Benoit called their one-on-one exchange last night after HHH was eliminated one of the toughest fights he'd ever had in his career and extended his hand in a sign of respect. When Shawn went to accept the handshake, they were interrupted by 3/4 of Evolution, as Triple H and World Tag Team Champions Batista & Ric Flair appeared on the stage with a mic in HHH's hand. The Game apologized for interrupting their "lovefest" but reminded them that he held his own until Shelton Benjamin came out and "distracted" him, demanding another rematch for the championship. The Wolverine recalled that he made HHH tap out at WrestleMania XX, HHH was pinned by Shelton two weeks in a row on RAW, and Shawn pinned him last night, so he would have to get back in line for another title shot, enraging the Cerebral Assassin, who declared that RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff would give him another match anyway. HBK interrupted and made an offer: he and Benoit would team up to challenge Flair & Batista for the World Tag Team Championship tonight, but if the champs could beat them, HHH would get his title shot at Benoit. The Crippler looked incredulously at Shawn as if to say, "What the hell?", but before he could voice his opinion, HHH accepted the challenge, surprising his fellow Evolution members. The fans cheered as Michaels tried to reassure Benoit while the Game did the same on the stage with the Nature Boy & Batista, setting up our RAW main event. (85%)
La Resistance (Robert Conway & Sylvain Grenier) vs. The Hurricane & Rosey
Ross mentioned that this was a rematch from Sunday Night Heat a week ago and proceeded to hype tonight's World Tag Team Title main event throughout this solid bout that saw the advantage go back-and-forth several times. The end came when Robert Conway covered Rosey after he and Sylvain Grenier lifted the 350-pounder and dropped him with the Au Revoir double-team. (72%)
RAW GM Eric Bischoff was shown in his backstage office having a very heated telephone conversation, ordering the person on the other end to "see if we can still steal him away from SmackDown, damn it!", obviously refering to Brock Lesnar. After slamming the phone down, there was a knock on the door, so Bischoff yelled to come in. The door opened to reveal William Regal in a suit and tie, making his return to WWE from a lengthy sabbatical. The former WWE Intercontinental and two-time co-World Tag Team Champion stated that he was in the best shape of his life and wanted to get back to work, even if it meant starting at the bottom of the ladder again. Bischoff informed him that he would need a "30-day medical clearance" form to place Regal back on the active roster, but the RAW GM assured him they could work something out in the meantime. In fact, Bischoff claimed to have the perfect job for Regal and patted him on the back as the camera faded out. (77%)
Maven vs. Christian
Trish Stratus escorted Christian to the ring as Lawler crowed about Trish's pinfall on Chris Jericho in the Intergender Handicap Match last night at Backlash, which Ross correctly attributed to the Unprettier from Christian. Maven took advantage of Christian's overconfidence in the early going and scored a couple of near-falls, but Christian turned things around and put the Tough Enough winner away with the Unprettier. (77%)
After the match, Christian made out with Trish Stratus in the ring and celebrated his victory until Chris Jericho appeared on the stage with a microphone and a metal folding chair, explaining that he was trying to control his temper, so rather than running down and "beating the everloving hell" out of his former World Tag Team Championship partner, he was issuing a challenge to a one-on-one rematch. Chrstian responded that he had to think about it for a minute, then made out with Trish again to some loud boos. He repeated this routine a couple of times, until Y2J had finally had enough and charged down to the squared circle. Christian & Trish ducked out just in time as Jericho grazed Christian with the chair and screamed that he wanted him one-on-one. As he retreated up the ramp, Christian informed Jericho that if he wanted a piece of him, it would be on his terms only, and offered a tag team match next week with a partner of his choice, sarcastically adding that he hoped Y2J could find a partner that wouldn't turn on him. This was the last straw, as a pissed-off Jericho raced up the aisle with the chair and chased Trish & Christian behind the curtain. (92%)
Garrison Cade vs. Rhyno
Mark Henry seconded Garrison Cade, while Rhyno had Tajiri by his side as the commentators discussed Rhyno's face turn last night at Backlash when he saved Tajiri from Henry & Cade. This was a solid, if unremarkable, contest that saw Rhyno dominate most of the action, although Garrison got some offense in after the World's Strongest Man tripped up the Man Beast from ringside. Nonetheless, Rhyno rebounded with the Gore on Cade to earn the victory. Afterwards, a four-man brawl erupted with Tajiri, Rhyno, Henry, and Cade in the ring until Tajiri & Rhyno managed to clear the heels out. (68%)
Following a commercial break, WWE Intercontinental Champion Randy Orton strode down to the ring in his wrestling gear and took the microphone, bragging about his successful championship defense against Cactus Jack in the Hardcore Match last night at Backlash. The Legend Killer explained that he had wanted to continue the "2004 Legend Killer Tour" with the "Legend Killer Challenge", offering a title shot to a different legend every week starting tonight, but admitted that he wasn't 100% tonight due to the punishment he absorbed last night, so it would have to wait until next week. The third-generation superstar claimed that Calgary didn't have any real legends anyway so it was no big loss, but when he went to leave the ring, Terry Funk emerged from the entrance curtain to a big pop carrying a mic and called Orton a "cowardly, egg-suckin' dog". The Funker told the Evolution member that he was accepting the "Legend Killer Challenge" if he had the "balls" and dedicated the match to Mick Foley and the legendary Hart Family, leaving Orton no choice but to wrestle the former NWA World Heavyweight Champion. (83%)
WWE Intercontinental Title Match: Randy Orton [champion] vs. Terry Funk
Terry Funk caught Randy Orton by surprise to kick things off, opening up on the WWE Intercontinental Champion with lefts and rights as Ross informed viewers that the veteran Funker was visiting backstage last night at Backlash and today at RAW. Funk looked strong and registered a few near-falls, which Lawler attributed to the Legend Killer's weakened condition, as Orton sold like a champ until taking the advantage and dishing out some punishment. Following some good back-and-forth action late in the championship contest, Orton drilled Funk with the RKO for the 1-2-3. Afterwards, the WWE Intercontinental Champion kicked the former ECW and NWA World Heavyweight Champion out of the ring and celebrated his successful title defense. (77%)
Backstage, RAW GM Eric Bischoff led William Regal to a room and told him this was the important task he had, opening the door to reveal a bearded man in a ring jacket and wrestling trunks, looking very excited. Bischoff introduced Regal to his nephew Eugene, his sister's "special" son who had been a wrestling fan his entire life. Eugene hugged his "Uncle Eric" and enthusiastically shook Regal's hand, recalling in true "Rain Man" fashion the British superstar's four WCW Television Championships, four WWE European Championships, one WWE Intercontinental Championship, and two World Tag Team Championships with Lance Storm. Bischoff rolled his eyes and asked Eugene to give he and Regal a few minutes alone, so Eugene happily bounded off elsewhere while the RAW GM explained to William that he had promised his sister that he would give Eugene an opportunity to become a wrestler. Bischoff wondered if Regal, due to his background, could "train" Eugene and show him just how difficult it was to be a wrestler, adding that if Eugene should happen to get discouraged and just give up and go home, there might be an opening on the active RAW roster for Regal. Bischoff winked and told Regal to think about it and give him an answer next week, leaving Regal to ponder his decision. (75%)
Elsewhere in a locker room, Shawn Michaels and Chris Benoit were getting ready for their main event shot at the World Tag Team Championship. The World Heavyweight Champion kept staring silently at the Heartbreak Kid until finally asking him how and why he came up with the idea to face Ric Flair & Batista tonight, with the opportunity for Triple H to get another title shot in the balance. HBK responded that he knew RAW GM Eric Bischoff would grant HHH another rematch sooner or later anyway, so he thought they could "nip it in the bud" right away, and in the process take the World Tag Team Title from Evolution. The Rabid Wolverine nodded as Shawn added that if it all worked out tonight, maybe Benoit could give him a one-on-one shot at the big gold belt in the future. Michaels slapped Benoit on the back and told him he would see him out there before exiting the room as the Canadian Crippler still looked suspicious. (80%)
World Tag Team Title Match: Evolution (Batista & "Nature Boy" Ric Flair) [champions] vs. Chris Benoit & Shawn Michaels
During the introductions, Ross announced that next week's RAW main event had just been signed, pitting Christian & Kane against Chris Jericho & Edge. As expected, Chris Benoit received a massive pop from the Calgary crowd, while Shawn Michaels was booed loudly, leading to a very heated main event with some great back-and-forth tag team action. The World Tag Team Champions used their superior experience as a unit to their advantage, as they made frequent tags to wear down the World Heavyweight Champion, putting the Canadian fans in the unusual position of rooting for the Heartbreak Kid to get the tag. Mid-way through the championship contest, just when the Wolverine was mounting a comeback, Triple H appeared on the ramp to watch the match, distracting Benoit long enough for Evolution to regain the advantage. The Canadian Crippler took a hellacious beating but refused to be pinned as the fans rallied behind him and he made the hot tag to HBK, who rushed in and cleaned house. In the ensuing chaos, HHH tried to get involved but was once again foiled by Shelton Benjamin, who raced out and jumped on the Game at ringside, brawling with him up the ramp. Meanwhile, Benoit tumbled out to the floor with Batista as HBK nailed Ric Flair with the Sweet Chin Music and pinned the Nature Boy to capture the World Tag Team Championship. Afterwards, Michaels & Benoit celebrated with their new title belts and Flair & Batista fumed at ringside while Ross and Lawler signed off. (84%)
Overall: 79%
Rating: 5.74
Attendance: 8,004
Ticket Sales: $320,160
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WWE SMACKDOWN! -- THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2004
Joey Styles and Tazz opened the UPN broadcast and announced the evening's lineup: Rey Mysterio & WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero battling John Bradshaw Layfield & Booker T in the main event, Ultimo Dragon taking on Kurt Angle, Rob Van Dam facing A-Train, and much more.
Cameras outside the arena showed a white limousine with bull horns on the hood pulling up. The door opened and John Bradshaw Layfield emerged in a suit and tie along with Booker T, who told JBL that he was glad to find somebody else on SmackDown who knew how to "ride in style". The duo were met by Michael Cole, who asked when Bradshaw started riding in a limo. JBL replied that if he wanted to be a "main event player", he had to look and act like one, just like his partner tonight, the "5-time, 5-time, 5-time, 5-time, 5-time" WCW Champion. The Book stated that he only wanted to associate with the top talent SmackDown had to offer since he was a superior RAW superstar and promised to prove it by pinning the WWE Champion tonight. (82%)
The Shooting Star Express (Billy Kidman & Paul London) vs. Hardcore Holly & "Mr. Ass" Billy Gunn
Styles and Tazz put the Shooting Star Express over as SmackDown's premiere up-and-coming young tag team as Paul London & Billy Kidman were greeted by a respectable pop from the crowd, including a large female contingent. This was a solid opening contest that went back-and-forth, pitting strength against speed, until London covered Mr. Ass following the 450 Splash from the top turnbuckle while Kidman slammed Hardcore Holly with the BK Bomb. (74%)
Backstage, Michael Cole announced that a 10-man Cruiserweight Battle Royal would take place next week with the winner receiving a WWE Cruiserweight Championship shot against Chavo Guerrero on Sunday, May 16, at WWE Judgment Day, featuring Rey Mysterio, Akio, Ultimo Dragon, Spike Dudley, Funaki, Billy Kidman, Paul London, Jamie Noble, co-WWE Tag Team Champion Scotty 2 Hotty, and his guest, Nunzio, who was flanked by Chuck Palumbo & Johnny The Bull. Nunzio was preparing to meet Funaki one-on-one tonight and claimed that he would do to Funaki what he would do to the other competitors in next week's battle royal. (74%)
Funaki vs. Nunzio
Funaki came out alone, while Johnny "The Bull" Stamboli & Chuck Palumbo walked out alongside Nunzio as Styles recalled that Palumbo & Stamboli defeated Funaki & Ultimo Dragon over the weekend on Velocity. The crowd was drawn into this well-worked bout as they exchanged matholds and near-falls while the commentators hyped next week's 10-man Cruiserweight Battle Royal. During the match-up, Gail Kim appeared on the stage, flanked by Sakoda & Akio, and took notes on a clipboard. Her presence seemed to distract Funaki, who fell victim to the Sicilian Slice to give Nunzio the pinfall. Afterwards, Kyo Dai raced down the ramp and began brawling with the Full Blooded Italians as Funaki's partner, Ultimo Dragon, ran out to join the fray. Before long, Spike Dudley, the Shooting Star Express, and Jamie Noble filled the ring to get involved in the donnybrook, which had to be broken up by numerous WWE officials. (71%)
In the backstage office of the SmackDown General Manager, Theodore Long was meeting with Paul Heyman, who asked if last week's appearance of Brock Lesnar was enough proof that the former three-time WWE Champion was considering a return to SmackDown. The SmackDown GM was bothered by the "evidence" and informed Heyman that WWE United States Champion John Cena was irate over the assault and had urged Long to do whatever it took to re-sign Brock, putting Long in a tough spot. Heyman grinned like the Cheshire Cat and stated that they had better discuss terms of the deal, so Long inquired what he wanted. Heyman responded that since Cena was so angry, he shouldn't mind putting his WWE U.S. Championship on the line against Lesnar at WWE Judgment Day. Long told Heyman he would get in touch with the Doctor Of Thugonomics, but Heyman added that he also wanted a WWE Tag Team Title shot on May 16 for a tandem of his choice, an "executive position" for Brock's fiancee Sable, and to regain his Manager's License to negotiate with SmackDown superstars. Long shook his head and replied that he wasn't sure, but Heyman mentioned that he had received hundreds of messages from RAW GM Eric Bischoff and could start to negotiate with him at any time. The SmackDown GM gave in and said that he would have the contract drawn up and ready to be signed next week if Heyman brought Lesnar to SmackDown. The two men shook hands as Heyman smiled and claimed that it was nice doing business with Long. (79%)
A-Train vs. "Mr. Thursday Night" Rob Van Dam
The commentators hyped next week's Brock Lesnar contract signing during this surprisingly good match-up that saw Rob Van Dam take some nice bumps for the monstrous A-Train, while also getting in some of his unique offense. Tazz pointed out that RVD was undefeated on SmackDown since being drafted from RAW, as Mr. Thursday Night managed to fell the Train and land the Five Star Frog Splash for the three-count. (77%)
Following a commercial break, Kurt Angle was stepping through the ropes, dressed to wrestle, and took the microphone, bringing up the personal chokeslam he received from the Undertaker two weeks ago. The 1996 Olympic Champion recited his achievements, including his gold medal and four WWE Championship reigns, declaring that he deserved a WWE Title shot more than anybody else on the SmackDown roster. Angle added that he would be more than happy to prove it to the Undertaker, face-to-face without any "cheap parlor tricks" if the Phenom was up for the challenge, and advised the Dead Man to watch his match tonight before making his decision, calling out Ultimo Dragon. (95%)
Kurt Angle vs. Ultimo Dragon
Ultimo Dragon made his entrance to polite applause and proceeded to engage in a great match-up with Kurt Angle, who gave the former two-time WCW Cruiserweight Champion quite a bit of offense and sold for him like he was a heavyweight as Tazz complained about the Undertaker attacking Angle "in the dark" a couple of weeks ago. The Dragon scored a handful of near-falls but the Olympian regained the advantage and planted Ultimo with the Angle Slam followed by the Angle Lock, forcing Dragon to tap out. Afterwards, the former four-time WWE Champion celebrated his submission victory until the arena lights began to flicker, sending the Olympic Champion retreating up the ramp in classic Angle fashion. (80%)
Backstage, Rey Mysterio & WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero were shown warming up for their main event tag team encounter with John Layfield & Booker T. Rey Rey was looking forward to getting revenge on Bradshaw for sneak-attacking him two weeks ago, while Latino Heat had a score to settle with both of their opponents and could hardly wait to get his hands on them. (92%)
Booker T & John Bradshaw Layfield vs. "Latino Heat" Eddie Guerrero & Rey Mysterio
John Bradshaw Layfield and Booker T had separate entrances, while WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero gave Rey Mysterio a ride in his lowrider together to a great pop from the fans as the commentators explained that Rey & Eddie had been friends throughout their careers and described how they recently started to watch each other's backs after sneak-attacks from the Book & JBL. A heated tag team main event here, as Latino Heat & Rey Rey used their superior skills as a team to combat the size, strength, and skullduggery of Booker & Bradshaw, who actually worked well in tandem as Styles recalled that both heels had extensive tag team experience with different partners. Both squads traded near-falls throughout the back-and-forth action until Booker T waylayed Mysterio at ringside with a metal folding chair behind referee Brian Hebner's back, then helped Layfield to double-team the WWE Champion relentlessly. Latino Heat fought valiantly but eventually succumbed to the numbers game as JBL covered Guerrero following the Axe Kick from Booker. (83%)
After the bell, Booker T & John Layfield celebrated their victory by continuing to punish Eddie Guerrero, as Bradshaw hammered the WWE Champion with the Clothesline From Hell, followed by the Book End from the former five-time WCW Champion. When Rey Mysterio crawled back into the ring to help his partner, Booker clobbered him with the Axe Kick across the back of the head. The Book stood over Rey Rey & Latino Heat and proclaimed his dominance over the SmackDown roster as JBL smiled and raised his arms victoriously, while Styles and Tazz closed the show. (88%)
Overall: 81%
Rating: 5.73
Attendance: 8,022
Ticket Sales: $320,880
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WWE VELOCITY -- SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2004
* Hosts: Michael Cole and Josh Matthews.
* Spike Dudley vs. Angel Dust: Competitive little match-up here that gave the commentators an opportunity to hype the 10-man Cruiserweight Battle Royal for this Thursday's SmackDown before Spike finished off Angel Dust with the Dudley Dog. (55%)
* Marissa Mazzola interviewed Chavo Classic and Chavo Guerrero, who was preparing to defend the WWE Cruiserweight Championship against Shannon Moore later tonight. Chavo Sr. stated that this would be his son's final title defense until WWE Judgment Day on Sunday, May 16, and claimed that Chavo Jr. could beat all ten battle royal participants at the same time, but the champ interrupted and warned his father not to give SmackDown GM Theodore Long any ideas. (66%)
* Elsewhere backstage, the Big Show was shown lumbering down the hallway, looking meaner and nastier than ever as he headed out for his Handicap Match. (75%)
* Handicap Match: The Big Show vs. Petey Williams & Jerrelle Clark: Total squash, as the Big Show brushed off an attempted double dropkick and proceeded to demolish his opponents, ending the match by standing on both Clark & Williams after planting them with a simultaneous double Show Stopper. (60%)
* Shannon Moore was shown in the locker room warming up for his shot at the WWE Cruiserweight Championship before heading out for the Velocity main event. (50%)
* WWE Cruiserweight Title Match: Shannon Moore vs. Chavo Guerrero [champion]: Chavo Classic accompanied the WWE Cruiserweight Champion for this entertaining championship contest, which featured some nice highspots from Shannon Moore while Chavo Guerrero tried to slow the pace with matholds and chain-wrestling. Although Shannon scored a couple of close near-falls, Chavo slammed him with the Gory Bomb for the 1-2-3 to retain his belt. (73%)
Overall: 61%
Rating: 4.36
Attendance: 8,046
Ticket Sales: $321,840
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WWE SUNDAY NIGHT HEAT -- SUNDAY, APRIL 18, 2004
* Hosts: Jonathan Coachman and Jim Cornette.
* After running through the evening's lineup, Jonathan Coachman introduced the tag team of Mark Henry & Garrison Cade from the announcers' position, referring to them as "Ebony & Ivory" and predicting that they would set the world on fire, starting with Tajiri & Rhyno soon enough. (67%)
* Ebony & Ivory (Mark Henry & Garrison Cade) vs. Chris Swan & Mark Wolf: Squash city to get Ebony & Ivory over as a tag team while Coachman praised them and insulted Rhyno & Tajiri. The World's Strongest Man covered Swan following a double-team maneuver in which Henry held Swan up in a bearhug as Cade came off the top turnbuckle with a missile dropkick. (58%)
* Tommy Dreamer vs. Diablo Santiago: Semi-competitive squash that saw the former ECW Champion put Santiago away with the "Dreamtime" DDT. (53%)
* Jeff Johnson interviewed Chris Jericho in the dressing room and asked him about tomorrow night's RAW main event pitting Y2J & Edge against Kane & Christian. The former Undisputed Champion was fired up as he stated that he was foaming at the mouth to lay a beating on Christian after last Sunday's WWE Backlash and planned on taking some of his anger out on his opponent tonight. (100%)
* Chris Jericho vs. Pablo Marquez: Total squash as Jericho thrashed Marquez from bell-to-bell, unleashing his pent-up frustration, before locking in the Walls Of Jericho and forcing Pablo to tap out. (70%)
* Following a commercial break, brand-new World Television Champion Matt Hardy made his way to the ring arm-in-arm with Lita and took the microphone, bragging about winning the tournament and having Lita back by his side. The Mattitude founder claimed that fans had always wanted to see Matt & Lita back together and added that he was happy to give them what they wanted...by giving Lita what she needed. The happy couple made out until being interrupted by Rico, who stormed the ring looking very unhappy and informed them that Miss Jackie needed stitches after being whacked with the TV belt at Backlash. Rico went after Hardy and started to unload on him, but Lita snuck in from behind and lowblowed the bizarre superstar. Matt pounded Rico to the canvas as Lita retrieved a chair from ringside and brought it into the squared circle, where they wrapped it around Rico's arm. Hardy then climbed to the top turnbuckle and leapt off, stomping on the chair and snapping Rico's arm in the process. Lita & Matt stomped and kicked Rico, reminding him that Hardy was now "officially the best wrestler on television", before exiting to a loud chorus of boos as several medical attendants rushed out to help Rico. (78%)
* Backstage, Val Venis & Lance Storm were talking to each other as they headed out for the Heat main event, but they accidentally bumped into their opponents, Test & Scott Steiner, who were coming out of their locker room. The four superstars exchanged words and almost came to blows until a group of WWE agents and officials intervened. (77%)
* Lance Storm & Val Venis vs. Scott Steiner & Test: This was a solid, hard-hitting match-up that went back-and-forth, with Test & Big Poppa Pump utilizing their power advantage to offset the technique and agility of Val Venis & Lance Storm. During the bout, Cornette announced that preliminary medical reports said Rico had suffered a torn bicep and could be out of action for several months. Good finishing sequence as Steiner clotheslined Storm over the top rope while Test blasted Venis with the Final Exam (running boot to the head) and covered him for the three-count. (76%)
Overall: 70%
Rating: 5.62
Attendance: 8,014
Ticket Sales: $320,560
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Thanks for the honest comments. It's a definite possiblity that I'll bring back the Women's Title in the future, but I'd rather concentrate on the underutilized male talent that RAW has for now. As for JBL, I'll be using him because I have grown to like him as a character (and I have been a Bradshaw mark since his Justin Hawk Bradshaw days) but it's highly unlikely you'll see him with the WWE Title in my universe, so don't worry. Thanks for reading.
SUNDAY, APRIL 11, 2004 -- WWE BACKLASH
The pre-PPV Sunday Night Heat was hosted by Todd Grisham and Jim Cornette, and featured the semi-finals of the World TV Championship tournament...
* World Television Title Tournament - Semi-Final: Steven Richards vs. Rico: Victoria escorted Steven Richards, while Miss Jackie strutted out with Rico, as Cornette celebrated the reunion of Steven and Victoria by stating that they were "made for each other". This was a solid match that saw Rico keep Richards off-balance with his bizarre behavior, and when Victoria tried to interfere, Jackie tackled her and engaged in a catfight at ringside. Meanwhile, Rico ducked the Stevenkick, slapped Stevie on the ass from behind, and rolled him up for the 1-2-3 to advance to the finals. (71%)
* World Television Title Tournament - Semi-Final: Matt Hardy vs. Lance Storm: Definitely one of the greatest matches in the history of Heat, as Lance Storm and Matt Hardy traded fast-paced maneuvers and chain-wrestling holds, both competitors scoring several near-falls before Hardy dropped Storm with the Twist Of Fate for the three-count, advancing to the finals to meet Rico. (84%)
Following Heat, Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler welcomed viewers to WWE Backlash LIVE from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and hyped the exciting lineup for this evening's pay-per-view before sending it up to ring announcer Howard "The Fink" Finkel in the squared circle.
"Nature Boy" Ric Flair vs. Shelton Benjamin
Ric Flair came out alone, flashing his World Tag Team Championship belt, while Shelton Benjamin was also solo as the commentators discussed his condition for his match against Triple H last week on RAW due to the pre-match assault by the Nature Boy & Batista, and the effect it would have on him tonight. The former 16-time World's Champion took advantage of this and spent a good part of the match-up working over the RAW newcomer's leg to wear him down for the Figure Four Leglock, which Shelton struggled to reverse and mounted a comeback as the fans rallied behind him. Slick Ric went through his usual routines to get Shelton over as the bout turned into a great re-enactment of a Flair/Sting classic from 1988, with Benjamin even using the Stinger Splash in the corner before whacking Flair with the Dragon Whip kick to earn the three-count. Afterwards, Benjamin celebrated while Batista marched down to ringside and dragged his World Tag Team Championship partner out to the floor and shouted threats at the former SmackDown superstar. (83%)
Tajri vs. Mark Henry
Tajiri entered first by himself, while Jonathan Coachman seconded Mark Henry as Ross and Lawler looked forward to the Japanese Buzzsaw winning so that he would get five minutes with the Coach, but wondered how he could overcome the 350-pounder. The World's Strongest Man dominated the early going with his obvious size and strength advantage, but Tajiri rallied back and they engaged in some back-and-forth action. The former three-time WWE Cruiserweight Champion began to build momentum and wore out the massive Henry, finally whalloping him with the Buzzsaw Kick to the back of the head before covering him for the pin. However, the Coach distracted referee Jack Doan until Doan finally shoved Coachman off the apron and returned to register the pinfall for Tajiri. Immediately after the bell, Coachman slid into the ring and began stomping Tajiri, which Lawler praised since it counted as part of their five minutes. When Tajiri fought back, Garrison Cade hit the ring and jumped the Japanese Buzzsaw from behind, helping the Coach beat him back down to the mat until Rhyno made an apparent face turn by charging down to the squared circle and clotheslining Cade, then tossing Coach over the top rope. When Henry finally rose, Rhyno knocked him through the ropes and out to the floor with a wicked Gore. The Man Beast checked on Tajiri as Ross claimed that they had a mutual respect datng back to their days in ECW and was glad to see Rhyno "be a stand-up guy" and make the save. (76%)
Kane vs. Edge
Ross reminded viewers that this was Edge's wrestling return to RAW from a serious neck injury after being drafted from SmackDown, while Lawler predicted it could also be his last match against a sadistic monster like Kane. The Big Red Machine focused his attack on Edge's neck after an early spurt of offense from the former four-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, trying to extract a submission with an agonizing hangman's neckbreaker, but Edge battled back and caught Kane with the Spear before drilling him with the Edgecution DDT for the 1-2-3. Afterwards, Kane yelled at himself at ringside and tossed the ring steps, expressing his unhappiness at his recent losing streak, while Edge soaked in the cheers of his fellow Canadians. (82%)
World Television Title Tournament - Final: Matt Hardy vs. Rico
Miss Jackie escorted Rico to ringside as Ross recalled the roads both men took to get to the tournament final: Rico had beaten Tommy Dreamer and Steven Richards, while Matt Hardy handled Maven and Lance Storm. This turned out to be a pretty good match-up as Rico abadoned his mannerisms after Hardy dominated the early moments, and they put on a fast-paced wrestling clinic, exchanging holds and scoring near-falls on each other until Rico accidentally bumped referee Chad Patton with a roundhouse kick when Matt ducked. The former WWE Cruiserweight Champion went out to the floor and snatched the revived World Television Championship belt from the timekeeper's table, but Jackie came over and tried to stop him. In the ensuing tug-of-war, Matt shoved Jackie into the ringside barrier and took the strap into the ring, preparing to hit Rico with it. However, Lita raced out to a great pop and slid in behind Matt, yanking the belt out of her former boyfriend's hands. Matt turned around and couldn't believe his eyes as Lita swore that she wouldn't let Matt use the belt. Suddenly, Lita turned and smashed Rico with the gold, drawing a huge negative reaction, before retreating to ringside while Hardy smiled and covered Rico for the slow three-count from the groggy official to become the brand-new World Television Champion, the first-ever in WWE. Afterwards, Matt and Lita embraced and shared a kiss over the TV belt, which was interrupted by Miss Jackie. An angry Lita bashed Jackie in the face with the belt and grinned, then returned to kissing Matt as the fans booed loudly. (90%)
WWE Intercontinental Title/Hardcore Match: Randy Orton [champion] vs. Cactus Jack
Randy Orton drew some good heel heat when he walked out first pushing a shopping cart with a garbage can and a few weapons inside, looking very cocky and prepared, until Cactus Jack wheeled out a steel dumpster full of weapons, scaring the crap out of the Legend Killer and getting a loud pop from the fans. Great start to a great Hardcore Match that saw both gladiators bleed and brawl all over the arena, through the crowd, near the commentators' desk, and up to the stage where the dumpster was situated. Cactus scored a close near-fall after climbing on top of the dumpster and dropping the Suicide Elbow onto the WWE Intercontinental Champion. Orton scored a few near-falls of his own and set up a table beside the dumpster, then laid Cactus on the table and got up on the dumpster. However, before Orton could leap off, Cactus got up and joined the third-generation superstar on top of the dumpster, where they slugged it out and Jack kicked out of a DDT. The finish came when the Legend Killer grabbed Cactus by the head and leapt off the dumpster, bringing Foley crashing down through the table with the RKO in a "holy shit" spot. Orton threw his arm across Jack's chest and referee Mike Chioda administered the 1-2-3, retaining the WWE Intercontinental Championship for the Evolution member. Afterwards, Orton had to be helped to the back by a bevy of WWE officials, while Mick was assisted only by long-time friend and mentor Terry Funk, who Ross explained was recently visiting members of the Hart family in Calgary and was visiting backstage. (83%)
Intergender Handicap Match: Christian & Trish Stratus vs. Chris Jericho
The commentators discussed the history between these three, including Trish Stratus double-crossing Chris Jericho at WrestleMania XX which allowed Christian to pin the former Undisputed Champion. This was a well-worked match-up with plenty of crowd heat as Y2J alternated between serious, when taking the fight to Christian, and playfully sadistic, such as when he repeatedly spanked Trish hard after tying Christian in the ropes. Trish & Christian even pulled off a couple of nice double-teams, but when they went for the Poetry In Motion on Jericho in the corner, Y2J caught Trish and dumped her over the top rope to the floor, leaving the two former World Tag Team Championship partners to duke it out. They exchanged rapid-fre moves and countermoves before Y2J managed to apply the Walls Of Jericho on Christian, but before the former three-time WWE Intercontinental Champion could tap out, Trish returned to the ring and broke it up. Jericho immediately grabbed Trish in the Walls, but Christian got to his feet and locked up Jericho, drilling him with the Unprettier. Christian then rolled Trish on top of Jericho to give her the deciding pinfall to win the Intergender Handicap Match. Afterwards, Christian held Jericho on his knees with his arms out to his sides so that Trish could slap him across the face, then they stomped Y2J and left to a heavy negatve reaction. (84%)
World Heavyweight Title/Triple Threat Match: Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H vs. Chris Benoit [champion]
Ric Flair seconded Triple H, while Chris Benoit and Shawn Michaels entered solo, as Ross praised their classic Triple Threat Match at WrestleMania XX in which the Rabid Wolverine captured the World Heavyweight Championship, and explained that tonight's contest would be held under elimination rules. While not quite at the level of their WrestleMania three-way, this was a tremendous main event that had the crowd excited from start to finish as they were 100% behind hometown hero Benoit, who looked strong as he chopped away at both challengers. The Nature Boy tried to interfere, but Shelton Benjamin rushed out and dragged Flair up the aisle, distracting the Game, who then fell victim to Sweet Chin Music and was pinned by the Heartbreak Kid for the first elimination to a loud pop. Meanwhile, Batista charged out and attacked Benjamin on the ramp before several WWE officials intervened. HBK and the Canadian Crippler stood face-to-face and engaged in a hard-hitting match-up of their own with numerous near-falls and awesome chain-wrestling sequences, as Benoit targeted the arm that HHH had worked on earlier. Shawn refused to stay down, kicking out of the Swandive Headbutt and even escaping from the Crippler Crossface on two occasions, but after unloading eight Rolling Germans in a row, Benoit locked in the Crossface one more time and forced Michaels to tap out to retain the World Heavyweight Championship. Afterwards, Benoit celebrated with his big gold belt and soaked in the adulation of his hometown crowd as Ross and Lawler signed off. (86%)
Overall: 83%
Buyrate: 1.54
Paid Attendance: 16,137
PPV Revenue: $3,850,000
Ticket Sales: $968,220
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Hope you enjoyed it...feedback as always is welcome.
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WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW -- MONDAY, APRIL 5, 2004
Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler introduced the show from their usual position near the entrance area, hyping this Sunday's WWE Backlash and running down this evening's program: Ric Flair & Batista defending the World Tag Team Championship against Rosey & Hurricane, the remainder of the opening-round bouts in the World Television Championship tournament, Edge on Chris Jericho's "Highlight Reel", Tajiri facing Garrison Cade, and in the main event, a rematch from last week between Triple H and Shelton Benjamin.
WWE Intercontinental Champion Randy Orton kicked things off by striding out in a suit and tie, carrying his title belt, to a loud round of boos and took the microphone. The cocky third-generation superstar insulted the crowd and bragged about scoring the winning pinfall at WrestleMania XX, stating that the next stop on the "2004 Legend Killer Tour" would be this Sunday in Edmonton at WWE Backlash, where he promised to once and for all end the legend of Mick Foley in his own kind of warfare: a Hardcore Match. The Legend Killer continued to rip on Foley until the Hardcore Legend's disembodied voice echoed throughout the arena, surprising Orton. The former WWF Champion claimed that he wouldn't be facing Orton at Backlash, confusing the Intercontinental Champion, who demanded that Foley show himself. Foley reiterated he wouldn't be wrestling Orton on Sunday, then stepped through the curtain in his Cactus Jack gear and stated the obvious: that Orton would be meeting Cactus Jack in the Hardcore Match at Backlash! Cactus quickly charged into the ring and began brawling with Orton, ripping off his expensive jacket and tossing him over the top rope by the tie. The two gladiators slugged it out around ringside, busting Orton open in the process, before they spilled into the crowd as the Legend Killer tried to escape, but Jack brought the fight right to him and they disappeared through a doorway. (83%)
World Television Title Tournament - First Round: Tommy Dreamer vs. Rico
The bizarre Rico was escorted by Miss Jackie for this solid opener that was an interesting contrast in styles between Tommy Dreamer's no-nonsense hardcore mindset and the antics of Rico. Ross mentioned that the winner would meet Steven Richards in the semi-finals on the pre-PPV Sunday Night Heat, as Rico was able to score the three-count on Dreamer following a roundhouse kick to the head. (70%)
Between the commercial break, cameras in the concession stands showed Cactus Jack and Randy Orton, his bloodstained shirt in tatters and missing his tie, still battling as security and WWE agents tried in vain to separate them.
World Television Title Tournament - First Round: Rhyno vs. Lance Storm
No mention was made of Christopher Nowinski, who was originally supposed to wrestle Lance Storm but was released from WWE over the weekend due to his history of concussions and injuries. Good back-and-forth action here as Rhyno used his power while Storm countered with his mastery of scientific grappling and put the Man Beast away with a nicely-executed springboard clothesline to advance to the semi-finals. (74%)
Cameras showed the Randy Orton/Cactus Jack brawl had spilled out into the parking lot, with the WWE Intercontinental Champion now shirtless.
World Television Title Tournament - First Round: Matt Hardy vs. Maven
Basic but solid match-up here as Ross pointed out that the winner would face Lance Storm in the semi-finals on Sunday. The commentators also mentioned that RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff was away on business this week, trying to figure out how to negotiate with Paul Heyman regarding Brock Lesnar returning to SmackDown. Maven scored a few near-falls but Matt Hardy took the victory with the Twist Of Fate to move on to the next round. (72%)
In the parking lot, cameras showed that Cactus Jack and Randy Orton had finally been separated, as the Intercontinental Champion collapsed on the hood of a car and the Hardcore Legend shouted out his trademark "Bang Bang!"
World Tag Team Title Match: The Hurricane & Rosey vs. Evolution (Batista & Ric Flair) [champions]
Lawler bemoaned the fact that Randy Orton had been massacred by Cactus Jack without any back-up because the other members of Evolution were preparing for their own matches tonight. Ross recalled that Rosey & Hurricane earned this title shot with their impressive victory over La Resistance last night on Heat, as the Super Heroes looked good and engaged in an entertaining, competitive bout against the World Tag Team Champions, scoring a handful of near-falls on the Nature Boy. In the end, Evolution isolated Rosey and worked him over before Batista displayed his immense strength and planted the 350-pounder with the Demon Bomb for the 1-2-3. (78%)
After a commercial break, the "Highlight Reel" set was set-up in the ring with Chris Jericho in the center, talking about what a huge event this Sunday's Backlash would be. Y2J briefly discussed his Intergender Handicap Match against Christian & Trish Stratus, but added that it would also be a big night for his guest since it would be his return from a serious neck injury, introducing Edge, who was greeted by a nice pop from the fans. Edge claimed that he was tired of seeing Kane bully people smaller than himself, which was why he made the save for Tajiri last week, and looked forward to dealing out some justice this Sunday at Backlash. Jericho and Edge exchanged insults about their respective Backlash opponents until Trish & Christian appeared on the stage with a microphone and accused Y2J of jealousy because Trish chose Christian. While Edge and Jericho were distracted, Kane emerged from the audience and assaulted Edge from behind. When Jericho attempted to help his guest, Christian ran in and blindsided Y2J. With Trish cheerleading from ringside, Christian spiked Jericho with the Unprettier while Kane buried Edge with the Chokeslam To Hell. They both left, although not together, as the fans booed. (88%)
Tajiri vs. Garrison Cade
Ross and Lawler shared a laugh over Jonathan Coachman being sprayed with green mist last week as the Coach seconded Garrison Cade, apparently his choice to exact revenge on the Japanese Buzzsaw. A solid, if slightly heatless, match-up that saw Tajiri unleash his nasty kicks, while Coachman interfered to help give Cade the advantage at one point. After some back-and-forth action, Tajiri blasted Cade with the Buzzsaw Kick for the 1-2-3. (70%)
Immediately following the bell, Jonathan Coachman began waving his arms and signaling to the back, bringing Mark Henry barreling out and sliding into the ring. The World's Strongest Man attacked Tajiri and hammered him, then scooped him up and flattened him with the World's Strongest Slam while the Coach entered the squared circle, laughing and applauding. Garrison Cade joined in, as he and Henry peeled the Japanese Buzzsaw off the mat and held him up, allowing the Coach to land a kick to the groin. Tajiri crumpled to the canvas as Coachman, Cade, and Henry exited the ring, very pleased with their work. (66%)
Backstage, Shelton Benjamin was shown walking as he headed out for his match against Triple H, but was stopped by Ric Flair. The Nature Boy advised Shelton that he could still have a healthy career if he stopped messing with Evolution, but the former two-time co-WWE Tag Team Champion replied that he wasn't too worried, because he "played the Game and won" last week, and would do so again tonight. Benjamin went to keep walking, but Slick Ric grabbed him by the arm and asked him if he knew who he was talking to. Benjamin shoved Flair away and responded defiantly, "Yeah, I know", before continuing on his way. Suddenly, Batista came out of nowhere and decapitated Shelton with a stiff lariat, then stomped him on the floor. Flair joined in the attack as the World Tag Team Champions put the boots to the RAW newcomer until Shawn Michaels and World Heavyweight Champion Chris Benoit arrived on the scene to make the save and chase off Batista & Flair. The Canadian Crippler and the Heartbreak Kid attended to the fallen Shelton as RAW went to commercial. (81%)
Triple H vs. Shelton Benjamin
When RAW came back from commercial, Triple H was standing in the ring with his music playing as Ross wondered if Shelton Benjamin would be able to make it out for the evening's main event. Lawler responded that the former SmackDown superstar got exactly what he deserved for being so flippant with Evolution, while Ross was agitated at the "lawlessness" of RAW tonight and announced that Tajiri vs. Mark Henry had been added to the Backlash card this Sunday, with the stipulation that if the Japanese Buzzsaw wins, he would get 5 minutes alone with Jonathan Coachman. They discussed the lineup for Backlash as the Game smiled in the squared circle and pretended to check his watch, telling referee Earl Hebner to give the decision to him via forfeit. However, Shelton Benjamin finally appeared and staggered down the ramp, flanked by Chris Benoit and Shawn Michaels, to a great pop from the fans. Although Shelton enjoyed a brief spurt of offense at the outset, HHH took control due to his opponent's weakened condition and dominated the majority of the match, but Shelton refused to give up and kept kicking out of each pinfall attempt, while the Heartbreak Kid and the World Heavyweight Champion watched from the ramp. The fans rallied behind Benjamin as he mounted a comeback and scored several near-falls of his own, building momentum. Batista & Ric Flair attempted to come out to interfere but were stopped by Benoit and Michaels, getting into a scuffle on the ramp that spilled down to ringside. This distracted HHH and allowed Benjamin to slam him with the T-Bone Exploder to earn the three-count and remain undefeated against the Cerebral Assassin. (80%)
After the match, the slugfest between Chris Benoit, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, and Batista flooded into the ring as it turned into a six-man brawl featuring Shelton Benjamin and an embarrassed Triple H. Amidst the chaos, the Heartbreak Kid aimed his Sweet Chin Music at HHH but the Game had the presence of mind to duck, so Shawn inadvertently nailed the World Heavyweight Champion with the Superkick. Michaels immediately regretted his error and stopped to check on the Crippler, giving HHH the opportunity to blindside HBK and plant him with the Pedigree. Meanwhile, with the help of the Nature Boy, Batista laid Benjamin out with a spike Demon Bomb. The three Evolution members stood over their fallen enemies and the crowd booed loudly as Ross and Lawler closed the show by hyping this Sunday's WWE Backlash. (81%)
Overall: 77%
Rating: 5.80
Attendance: 7,538
Ticket Sales: $301,520
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WWE SMACKDOWN! -- THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2004
Joey Styles and Tazz opened the UPN broadcast, wondering if Paul Heyman would really be able to bring Brock Lesnar back to SmackDown, before going through the rest of tonight's events: the WrestleMania XX rematch featuring the Big Show challenging John Cena for the WWE United States Championship, Scotty 2 Hotty & Rikishi defending the WWE Tag Team Championship against the Basham Brothers, Rob Van Dam facing Jamie Noble, and much more.
Michael Cole interviewed the flirtatious Dawn Marie backstage while the Basham Brothers got ready for their title shot tonight against WWE Tag Team Champions Rikishi & Scotty 2 Hotty. Dawn reminded Cole that Doug had pinned Scotty on Velocity over the weekend to earn the title shot, but Cole pointed out that they pulled "the old switcheroo" to win that match, angering the Bashams. Dawn advised Cole to watch his mouth and claimed it didn't matter because their "pre-match ritual" ensured that the three of them functioned as one. When Cole asked for details on this "ritual", Dawn smiled and responded that "a girl never tells", then giggled and headed out with Danny & Doug. (76%)
WWE Tag Team Title Match: The Basham Brothers (Doug & Danny Basham) vs. Rikishi & Scotty 2 Hotty [champions]
Dawn Marie escorted the Basham Brothers as Tazz cracked jokes about the challengers' "pre-match ritual" with Dawn. This was a solid championship contest as the Bashams got in quite a bit of offense against the WWE Tag Team Champions, bending the rules, using Dawn as a distraction, and switching places a couple of times. However, near the end, referee Charles Robinson caught the Brothers trying to switch places and ordered Doug back to the apron, leaving Danny to fall victim to the Worm from Scotty 2 Hotty, followed by the Rump Shaker from Rikishi for the 1-2-3 to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship. Afterwards, Dawn Marie protested the decision and threw a tantrum. (73%)
Paul Heyman was shown arriving outside the door of the backstage office of the SmackDown General Manager, but before he could knock, Theodore Long opened the door and impatiently asked if Heyman had the proof that Brock Lesnar was really considering returning to SmackDown. Heyman began to explain himself, but Long cut him off and again asked for the proof, "not ya' life story, playa." Nervously, Heyman reached into his jacket and pulled out a non-personalized autographed "Here Comes The Pain" Brock Lesnar t-shirt, handing it over to the SmackDown GM. After inspecting the evidence, Long made a classic "whatchyou talkin' 'bout, Willis?" face at Heyman and threw the shirt back at him, stating that an autographed t-shirt only proved that Brock knew how to spell his name. Long informed Heyman that he had until the end of SmackDown tonight to produce some solid evidence that Lesnar wanted to come back to SmackDown or else he would go to the WWE Board of Directors and have Heyman barred from every WWE arena across the globe indefinitely. Long said that Lesnar would be a vital addition to his brand, but he wasn't going to let Heyman play him like a fool, adding that Heyman would not be welcome in the arena tonight until he had the proof. Security guards emerged from the GM's office and dragged Heyman down the hallway kicking and screaming while Long just shook his head with disappointment. (75%)
Elsewhere backstage, Michael Cole interviewed Gail Kim and Kyo Dai, who were preparing to take on Billy Gunn & Hardcore Holly. Gail repeated her claims from last week that Asian superstars needed to band together to fight the oppressive WWE brass, and promised that Sakoda & Akio would be difficult to ignore if they took out every tag team that SmackDown had to offer. (77%)
Kyo Dai (Akio & Sakoda) vs. Hardcore Holly & "Mr. Ass" Billy Gunn
Gail Kim accompanied Kyo Dai to the ring for this match-up, which showcased the awesome tag team skills of Sakoda & Akio as they are really gelling as a duo. Billy Gunn & Hardcore Holly combated their lightning-quick speed and agility with power and good old-fashioned American brawling, but in the end, Sakoda covered Holly following the Double STO by he and Akio. (66%)
Cameras showed a red-faced Paul Heyman on a cellphone in the parking garage. The former Paul E. Dangerously looked very frustrated as he left a message, asking an unknown person on the other end where his proof was.
In the arena, John Bradshaw Layfield was making his way down the ramp dressed in a suit and tie with a cowboy hat on his head, smiling wide as he soaked in the hatred of the fans. Once in the ring, JBL took the microphone and bragged about destroying Rey Mysterio last week and WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero the week before, mentioning that he took Paul Heyman's advice from a couple of weeks ago to heart and was determined to make an impact on SmackDown. The former APA member compared himself to the average American worker in that both were overlooked in favor of cheap labor from illegal immigrants, claiming that it was people like Guerrero and Mysterio who held Bradshaw back from realizing his full potential. JBL added that he differed from the average American worker in that, unlike the fans in attendance and watching on UPN, he was smart enough to invest his money to make something out of himself. The crowd booed as Layfield continued to put himself over until the WWE Champion appeared on the stage with a mic of his own, responding that people such as himself and Rey Rey worked hard and earned what they had, unlike people like JBL and Booker T. Latino Heat brought up the sneak attack by the Book last week and accused both of them of taking shortcuts by assaulting people from behind like cowards. Eddie pulled off his t-shirt and started to walk down the ramp, but Booker ran out behind him and floored him with a clothesline to the back of the head. JBL joined Booker in stomping Guerrero on the ramp until Rey Mysterio charged out and ran the heels off by swinging a metal folding chair around. (85%)
Michael Cole interviewed WWE United States Champion John Cena as he was warming up for his main event title defense later. Rather than rapping, the Doctor Of Thuganomics cut a great promo about the strength it took to lift the 500-pound Big Show into the F-U, not just once but twice, at WrestleMania XX to win his first championship in WWE. The U.S. Champion promised to do it again tonight in their rematch and stated that, with his "Chain Gang" behind him, he would mow through every challenger that SmackDown GM Theodore Long could put in front of him. (88%)
Jamie Noble vs. Rob Van Dam
Styles and Tazz put Rob Van Dam over heavily as the new "Mr. Thursday Night" and mentioned his impressive SmackDown debut victory over Charlie Haas two weeks ago, while also giving Jamie Noble his due as a tremendous athlete and former WWE Cruiserweight Champion. These two worked great together and put on an exciting, fast-paced match-up, with RVD utilizing his trademark agility while Noble worked over his knee and managed to lock in the Trailer Hitch leglock. However, Van Dam escaped the submission and mounted a comeback that culminated in the Five Star Frog Splash for the 1-2-3. (81%)
The Big Show was shown lumbering down a backstage hallway, on his way out for the main event WWE U.S. Championship rematch from WrestleMania XX...NEXT! (88%)
WWE United States Title Match: The Big Show vs. John Cena [champion]
Durng the introductions, Styles announced that next week's main event would be a tag team affair pitting Booker T & John Bradshaw Layfield against Rey Mysterio & WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero. John Cena received a massive pop from the fans upon his entrance and showed no fear as he stepped right up to the 7-foot, 500-pound Big Show in the middle of the ring and trash-talked him. While not a Flair/Steamboat classic by any means, this was a well-worked and heated championship contest similar to their WrestleMania XX match that saw Show try to slow the pace and wear down the new WWE United States Champion with headbutts, chokeholds, and bearhugs. Eventually, the former two-time WWE Champion went for the Show Stopper chokeslam, but the Doctor Of Thuganomics broke it with a swift kick to the lower extremities and, in a scene reminiscent of Hulk Hogan and Andre The Giant at WrestleMania III, scooped up the massive giant and bodyslammed him to the canvas. When the Show pulled himself back up, Cena hoisted him up for a few seconds and dropped him throat-first with a hotshot across the top rope, then hauled the behemoth across his shoulders and carried him around the ring before driving him to the mat with the F-U. Cena hooked the Show's huge leg for the three-count to retain the WWE U.S. Title. Afterwards, Cena clotheslined Show over the top rope and celebrated with his championship belt. (79%)
Backstage, flanked by the security guards, Paul Heyman knocked on the door of the SmackDown General Manager. Theodore Long answered the door and asked Heyman if he had the proof, or if he should just have him escorted right back out of the building. Heyman responded that he had the evidence and would show it to the GM if he let him in the office, so Long stepped back and excused the security guards. Heyman entered the room and when Long impatiently requested the evidence, Heyman smiled devilishly and motioned to the monitor, which showed John Cena still celebrating in the ring with the WWE United States Championship belt. Suddenly, Brock Lesnar in street clothes emerged from the crowd and stormed the squared circle, assaulting Cena from behind as Heyman laughed gleefully in Long's office and told him there was his proof right there. The former three-time WWE Champion effortlessly lifted the Doctor Of Thuganomics across his shoulders and slammed him face-first on the U.S. Title belt with the F-5 as Styles screamed his first WWE "OH MY GOD!" Brock stood triumphantly over Cena and hollered like a wild beast as Styles and Tazz signed off. (84%)
Overall: 79%
Rating: 5.73
Attendance: 7,541
Ticket Sales: $301,640
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WWE VELOCITY -- SATURDAY, APRIL 10, 2004
* Hosts: Michael Cole and Josh Matthews.
* Hardcore Holly & "Mr. Ass" Billy Gunn vs. Marco Jaggi & Claudio Castagnoli: Competitive squash here that ended when Hardcore covered Castagnoli following the double-team Sidewinder, the old finisher of the Smoking Gunns. (66%)
* In the locker room, Marissa Mazzola interviewed the Full Blooded Italians. Nunzio was getting ready for his match, and said tonight would be a clean sweep for the FBI when Chuck Palumbo & Johnny The Bull "knocked off" Ultimo Dragon & Funaki later. (61%)
* Nunzio vs. Petey Williams: Johnny Stamboli & Chuck Palumbo accompanied Nunzio for this surprisingly competitive match-up, as Petey showed some potential before Nunzio put him away with the Sicilian Slice. (58%)
* A video package aired to hype the tag team main event of next week's SmackDown, featuring WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero & Rey Mysterio battling Booker T & John Bradshaw Layfield. (82%)
* Backstage, Funaki & Ultimo Dragon were preparing for their bout against the FBI when Gail Kim entered the room, dressed in a provocative schoolgirl uniform with her hair in pigtails. Funaki stopped cold and his jaw dropped as Gail asked sweetly if they had heard her recent offer. Funaki nodded and Gail informed him that she wasn't always as angry as she appeared on TV, then handed Funaki a piece of paper with a phone number on it and told him to call her once they made up their minds. After Gail exited, Funaki was still in shock until the Dragon patted him on the back and spoke in Japanese, leading him out for their match. (59%)
* Funaki & Ultimo Dragon vs. The Full Blooded Italians (Johnny "The Bull" Stamboli & Chuck Palumbo): Nunzio escorted his fellow FBI members for this entertaining, back-and-forth tag team main event. Funaki seemed distracted, which the commentators attributed to Gail Kim's surprise appearance. This was the Japanese tandem's downfall, as the Bull pinned Funaki following the Whack from Chuckie P. Afterwards, Dragon shook his head with disappointment as he helped Funaki to his feet. (73%)
Overall: 63%
Rating: 4.27
Attendance: 7,546
Ticket Sales: $301,840
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Comments, suggestions, complaints? Bring it on. Here's the lineup for WWE Backlash this Sunday...
World Heavyweight Title/Triple Threat Match: Chris Benoit [champion] vs. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels
WWE Intercontinental Title/Hardcore Match: Randy Orton [champion] vs. Cactus Jack
Intergender Handicap Match: Chris Jericho vs. Christian & Trish Stratus
Edge vs. Kane
Shelton Benjamin vs. Ric Flair
Tajiri vs. Mark Henry
World Television Title Tournament - Final: Steven Richards OR Rico vs. Lance Storm OR Matt Hardy
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WWE SMACKDOWN! -- THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 2004
The UPN broadcast opened with a video package hyping tonight's WWE Championship main event pitting Eddie Guerrero against his nephew, Chavo Guerrero. The video ran through their history all the way back to their feud in WCW, to their WWE Tag Team Championship run last year as Los Guerreros, to their violent break-up earlier this year. Great way to build up the history of the match. (81%)
After the opening, Tazz introduced his new broadcast partner, Joey Styles, mentioning their past in ECW before running through tonight's lineup: WWE Cruiserweight Champion Chavo Guerrero challenging Eddie Guerrero for the WWE Championship in the main event, Rey Mysterio meeting A-Train, Billy Gunn facing Rene Dupree, the Dudley Boyz squaring off against Kyo Dai, and more.
Kurt Angle made his way down to the ring to a chorus of boos and took the microphone, complaining about how he was screwed out of the WWE Title at WrestleMania XX. The Olympic Champion stated that Eddie Guerrero was a disgrace as WWE Champion and pledged his support for Chavo Guerrero tonight so that the belt would no longer be tarnished by Latino Heat. Nonetheless, Angle protested that he would not leave the squared circle until new SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long came out and granted him another shot at the WWE Championship in the near-future, claiming that he was the best choice to represent SmackDown as the WWE Champion. Angle continued to rant until suddenly the arena lights went out, and when they came back on moments later, the Undertaker was standing in the ring with his hand gripped tightly around Angle's throat. As Paul Bearer held the urn and wailed at ringside, the Phenom buried the Olympian with a vicious chokeslam. Angle rolled out to the floor and crawled up the ramp as Styles referred to the Grim Reaper as the "conscience of the WWE" while the fans cheered him. (89%)
Rene Dupree vs. "Mr. Ass" Billy Gunn
Billy Gunn pranced out to his "Ass Man" theme song and was referred to sparingly as "Mr. Ass" throughout this battle of the pretty boys, as Tazz put it. Pretty lifeless back-and-forth contest that finally ended when Dupree planted Gunn with the Paris (Michinoku) Driver. (64%)
Michael Cole was backstage to interview Akio & Sakoda, who were joined by their new manager Gail Kim, a recent castoff of RAW's defunct Women's Division. Gail explained that she came to SmackDown to make sure that Kyo Dai got a fair shake and wouldn't be overlooked as she had been on RAW, complaining that WWE had a bias against Asian competitors. For evidence, she pointed out the treatment of Funaki and Ultimo Dragon, wondering why they rarely appeared on Thursday nights. Gail extended an offer to the Dragon and Funaki to join forces with Kyo Dai, and promised that Sakoda & Akio would prove that they were worthy of a title shot tonight against the Dudley Boyz. (68%)
Kyo Dai (Akio & Sakoda) vs. The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley)
Gail Kim was dressed in a business skirt and jacket when she escorted Kyo Dai as Styles and Tazz discussed her SmackDown debut and comments, while the Dudley Boyz were greeted by a nice pop from the fans. This was a surprisingly long and competitive match-up, showing the determination of Akio & Sakoda, who scored several near-falls and executed some sweet double-teams, such as a double STO and "Total Elimination" (called by Styles) on D-Von. They also bumped well for the Dudleyz, who eventually ended it when Bubba Ray covered Akio following the 3D. Afterwards, the commentators put Kyo Dai over heavily for their impressive performance against the former multi-time WWE, ECW, and WCW Tag Team Champions. (66%)
In the backstage office of the SmackDown General Manager, Theodore Long was remarking to WWE official Dave "Fit" Finlay that Kyo Dai looked strong tonight, when there was a knock at the door. Fit opened the door for the GM, revealing none other than a grinning Paul Heyman, who walked in while Long protested that Heyman had quit WWE after being drafted to RAW and had no business on SmackDown or RAW. Heyman advised Long to hold his tongue because he had an earth-shattering offer for SmackDown that he could just as easily offer to RAW if Long wanted to snub him. When Long expressed doubt, Heyman responded that he had two words for the SmackDown GM: "Brock Lesnar." Long raised his eyebrows and replied that he was listening, and Heyman claimed that Lesnar had several million-dollar deals on the table from NFL teams over the last couple of weeks but was considering returning to WWE instead since that was where he made his name. Long asked how he could be sure that Heyman wasn't just "playing" him, but Heyman replied that it all depended on how Long treated him, since he was Brock's agent and could make or break the deal. Long was still skeptical, so Heyman promised to bring him proof next week. Heyman grinned and shook a reluctant Long's hand before leaving the room. Speechless, Long and Finlay just looked at each other as the camera faded out. (72%)
A-Train vs. Rey Mysterio
This was an entertaining "David vs. Goliath" match-up featuring Rey Mysterio taking some impressive bumps for the massive A-Train, while the commentators discussed the potential of Paul Heyman bringing Brock Lesnar back to SmackDown. Styles apologized for not paying full attention to the bout at hand, clearly sounding conflicted over the WWE announcing style as opposed to the ECW protocol of calling the action in the ring. Late in the match, Rey slipped out of the Train Wreck and rolled up the former WWF Intercontinental Champion with a sunset flip for the 1-2-3. (73%)
Following the bell, as Rey Mysterio celebrated his victory in the ring, he was blindsided by John Bradshaw Layfield, who was dressed in a suit and tie as he took Mysterio off the turnbuckles and spiked him with a brutal powerbomb in mid-ring. Tazz recalled how JBL had shocked the world and brutalized WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero last week, as Layfield took off his belt and began mercilessly whipping Rey across the chest and back. Bradshaw dragged Rey to his feet, only to knock him back down with a stiff Clothesline From Hell and retrieve the microphone. JBL ranted about how he had laid out Latino Heat last week and destroyed Mysterio tonight to send a message to "your people" that they weren't welcome in "JBL's WWE". Layfield continued to verbally and physically assault Mysterio until Eddie Guerrero ran down to the ring, bootless since he was getting ready for his title defense tonight, and chased Bradshaw off by swinging a metal folding chair at him. JBL ducked the chair and retreated up the ramp, raising his arms and smiling to a loud round of boos while Guerrero attended to Mysterio. (78%)
A video package aired advertising next week's SmackDown main event, a WrestleMania XX rematch featuring John Cena defending the WWE United States Championship against the Big Show. The video showed clips from their bout at WrestleMania of Cena hauling Show up for the F-U, and followed with brief soundbites from both superstars regarding their rematch next week. (86%)
Backstage at the arena, cameras showed WWE Cruiserweight Champion Chavo Guerrero warming up for his main event shot at WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero while his father, Chavo "Classic" Guerrero Sr., patted him on the back and provided words of encouragement. Chavo Classic told his son that he was "the original Latino Heat" and knew Eddie better than Eddie knew himself, which would result in Chavo Jr. becoming the first superstar ever to hold the WWE Heavyweight and Cruiserweight Titles. (73%)
WWE Championship Match: Chavo Guerrero vs. Eddie Guerrero [champion]
Chavo Classic accompanied the WWE Cruiserweight Champion to the ring, while Tazz suggested that Eddie Guerrero saving Rey Mysterio from John Bradshaw Layfield would have a psychological effect on the WWE Champion since it threw off his concentration. This was a tremendous athletic main event featuring heated back-and-forth action and numerous close near-falls as Chavo took the fight right to Uncle Eddie, who did seem a bit distracted in the early going but got his head back in the game and exchanged fast-paced maneuvers and holds with his nephew. Late in the championship contest, Chavo Classic grabbed the WWE Cruiserweight Title belt and hopped up in the apron, but was stopped by referee Nick Patrick, causing him to drop the belt in the ring. Chavo Jr. managed to pick up the strap and swung it at Eddie, but Latino Heat ducked and kicked Chavo in the gut, forcing him to drop the gold. Eddie then drilled Chavo with a DDT on the belt, discarded the gold, and knocked Classic off the apron en route to climbing to the top turnbuckle and diving off with the Frog Splash to earn the three-count and retain the WWE Championship. Afterwards, Eddie fended off a poorly-executed sneak attack by Chavo Classic and put him down with the "Three Amigos" rolling vertical suplexes before squashing him with the Frog Splash. After disposing of Los Chavos, Latino Heat celebrated with his WWE Title belt until Booker T, in street clothes, charged into the squared circle and attacked Eddie from behind. Booker pounded Guerrero and planted him with the Book End, then trash-talked him as the commentators recalled how Booker went to a no-contest with the WWE Champion last week. The Book stood over Latino Heat and claimed that he was the most talented superstar on SmackDown as the crowd booed and Styles and Tazz signed off. (89%)
Overall: 77%
Rating: 6.23
Attendance: 7,529
Ticket Sales: $301,160
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WWE VELOCITY -- SATURDAY, APRIL 3, 2004
* Hosts: Michael Cole and Josh Matthews.
* The Shooting Star Express (Billy Kidman & Paul London) vs. Oman Turtoga & Diablo Santiago: Competitive squash here for the newly-christened Shooting Star Express, ending when London covered Turtoga following the jaw-dropping Double SSP, in which both London & Kidman soared off opposite turnbuckles with simultaneous Shooting Star Presses. (51%)
* At ringside, Marissa Mazzola interviewed the Shooting Star Express, who talked about taking on all comers and earning their way to the top of the SmackDown tag team rankings. (65%)
* A Full Blooded Italians vignette aired, featuring Nunzio, Johnny "The Bull" Stamboli, and Chuck Palumbo in a dark smoky room, surrounded by men in suits and ties. In the style of "George Steinbrenner's" appearances on Seinfeld, a man with greying hair in a finely tailored suit was sitting behind a desk, his back to the camera, with the FBI in front of him. The man mumbled some unintelligible words, Godfather-style, which Nunzio apparently understood and responded that the FBI wouldn't let him down, promising to add SmackDown to the empire. (55%)
* Ultimo Dragon vs. Pablo Marquez: The commentators discussed Gail Kim's appearance on SmackDown and her offer to Ultimo Dragon and Funaki during this competitive squash. In the end, Ultimo forced Pablo to tap out to the Dragon Sleeper. (53%)
* In the dressing room, Marissa Mazzola interviewed Dawn Marie, who was dressed in tight leather as she stated that she enjoyed "doubling her pleasure", revealing that she was the new manager of the Basham Brothers. Doug & Danny appeared on either side of her with perverted grins on their faces as Dawn explained that she was taking them to the WWE Tag Team Championship, starting tonight with Doug's one-on-one match-up against Scotty 2 Hotty. (66%)
* Doug Basham vs. Scotty 2 Hotty: Dawn Marie and Danny Basham escorted Doug, while Scotty 2 Hotty brought his co-WWE Tag Team Championship partner Rikishi to ringside with him. Solid, if uninspired, Velocity main event that went back-and-forth until the end, when Scotty built momentum and dropped the Worm on Doug. However, referee Brian Hebner was distracted when Dawn got up on the apron and flirted with Scotty & Rikishi, allowing Danny to switch places with Doug. When the official returned to the action, Danny wrapped up Scotty in a small package for the 1-2-3. (63%)
Overall: 55%
Rating: 4.05
Attendance: 7,529
Ticket Sales: $301,160
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WWE SUNDAY NIGHT HEAT -- SUNDAY, APRIL 4, 2004
* Hosts: Todd Grisham (sitting in for Jonathan Coachman, still suffering the effects of Tajiri's mist on RAW) and Jim Cornette, replacing Al Snow who chose to leave WWE when the majority of his Tough Enough "graduates" were cut.
* Maven vs. Chris Bosh: Ironic. Semi-competitive squash to open up Heat, ending when Maven hit a beautiful Ricky Steamboat-style flying bodypress off the top turnbuckle. (62%)
* Jeff Johnson, a new addition to the WWE broadcast team, interviewed Maven at ringside. The first Tough Enough winner cut a good babyface promo saying that he had a bright future ahead of him. (79%)
* A pre-recorded promo aired featuring Christian and Trish Stratus laughing about double-crossing Chris Jericho at WrestleMania XX. Trish insulted Y2J's manhood and claimed that she was with a real man now. Christian added that they would show Jericho how well they worked together in their Handicap Match at WWE Backlash, then made out with Trish as the camera faded out. (84%)
* In the ring, Steven Richards had the microphone and claimed that, as General Manager of "Stevie Night Heat", he had collaborated with RAW GM Eric Bischoff on a new project: the introduction of the World Television Championship! Richards announced that the tournament, which would feature underrated superstars that had been overlooked on RAW with the semi-finals on next week's pre-PPV Heat and final at WWE Backlash, would begin tonight as a graphic displayed the brackets: Maven vs. Matt Hardy, Lance Storm vs. Chris Harvard, Tommy Dreamer vs. Rico, and Val Venis vs. Steven Richards. Stevie ordered Val to come out and "take his beating like a man" so that he could move on and be crowned the brand-new World Television Champion next week. (69%)
* World Television Title Tournament - First Round: Steven Richards vs. Val Venis: Val Venis came out like a house-on-fire and dominated the early going, but Steven Richards fought back with his wily ways. Late in the match-up, Venis slammed Richards and went to the top turnbuckle for the Money Shot, but suddenly Victoria appeared at ringside and turned heel by pulling Val's feet out from under him, crotching the former Intercontinental Champion on the turnbuckles. Richards quickly joined Venis up on top and took him down with a sweet "FrankenStevie" for the three-count to advance to the semi-finals. Afterwards, Stevie and Victoria shared a deranged embrace and celebrated the victory. (78%)
* A video aired to hype the main event of tomorrow night's RAW, a rematch from last week pitting Shelton Benjamin against Triple H. In the brief soundbites that followed, HHH vowed to get even for last week's upset, while Shelton confidently promised to make it two in a row. (75%)
* Backstage at the arena, Jeff Johnson interviewed the La Resistance combination of Sylvain Grenier & Rob Conway, who insisted on being called "Robert", pronounced "Ro-bair". La Resistance planned on beating Rosey & Hurricane tonight to earn a shot at the World Tag Team Championship tomorrow night on RAW. (59%)
* La Resistance (Robert Conway & Sylvain Grenier) vs. The Hurricane & Rosey: Perfectly acceptable tag team action in the evening's main event, as the commentators reiterated that the winners would challenge World Tag Team Champions Ric Flair & Batista tomorrow night on RAW. In the end, while Rosey and Conway brawled at ringside, the Hurricane covered Grenier following the Overcast from the top turnbuckle. (71%)
Overall: 69%
Rating: 4.96
Attendance: 7,534
Ticket Sales: $301,360
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Since for some reason in RXEWR25 (the update I used for this scenario) Backlash 2004 is scheduled for April 11, rather than April 18 when it actually happened, and I didn't notice until it was too late to change it, I'm going to have to use the card that actually happened with some changes. Here's the lineup so far...
World Heavyweight Title/Triple Threat Match: Chris Benoit [champion] vs. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels
WWE Intercontinental Title/Hardcore Match: Randy Orton [champion] vs. Mick Foley
Intergender Handicap Match: Chris Jericho vs. Christian & Trish Stratus
Edge vs. Kane
World Television Title Tournament - Final
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So much for the WCW diary. I thought I had something, but I couldn't get into it, so we go to WWE 2004, post-WrestleMania XX and post-draft lottery. I enjoyed this era on RAW, Smackdown sucked, but I thought of ideas throughout the year that would have made both shows even better, so here's my chance to use them while some of the events are still fresh in my memory. The only differences here are that the RAW-to-Smackdown trade of Rico/Miss Jackie for Chuck Palumbo/A-Train did not take place, and rather than naming Kurt Angle as new SD GM on 3/23, Mr. McMahon awarded the job to Theodore Long, who pledged to earn the fans' trust by not playing favorites, black or white. I'm not going to post the business side since it doesn't really factor into the diary, nor am I going to post my roster changes. I think they will be obvious when my shows start rolling. Also, say goodbye to the Women's Division. I've never been into it and I'm not going to waste time with it. Here are the current WWE titleholders...
World Heavyweight Championship (Image: 88)
- Chris Benoit (March 14, 2004 - present)
WWE Intercontinental Championship (Image: 80)
- Randy Orton (December 14, 2003 - present)
World Tag Team Championship (Image: 70)
- Batista & Ric Flair (March 22, 2004 - present)
WWE Heavyweight Championship (Image: 90)
- Eddie Guerrero (February 15, 2004 - present)
WWE United States Championship (Image: 75)
- John Cena (March 14, 2004 - present)
WWE Tag Team Championship (Image: 75)
- Rikishi & Scotty 2 Hotty (February 3, 2004 - present)
WWE Cruiserweight Championship (Image: 70)
- Chavo Guerrero (February 15, 2004 - present)
One pretty major staff change hit the sheets at the end of March: unhappy with the fake emotions of Michael Cole, WWE hired former ECW announcer Joey Styles to replace him on SmackDown. Cole will be demoted to backstage interviewer on SD and co-host of Velocity with Josh Matthews.
More to come. Thanks for sticking with me.
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There is 1992 so far. I have ideas for the rest of the year, but I don't have the urge to write that I once did. I have considered starting a current-day WWE diary because RAW has been so good lately, but I'm not sure. I still might get back into this, but I thought I would at least repost it for now. If anyone would possibly be interested in continuing this diary, PM me. If not, I can post some storyline summaries of what I was planning over the next few months.
Above all, thanks to all my loyal readers. You guys have helped to keep me going, and I am glad you're digging my diary.
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SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 1992 -- WWF MARCH TO WRESTLEMANIA
The Preview Show prior to the pay-per-view was hosted by Mean Gene Okerlund and "The Man" Ric Flair, who thoroughly discussed the lineup for tonight's WWF March To WrestleMania, putting over each match as a major event on the road to WrestleMania VIII next month. Near the end of the half-hour, Mean Gene announced the three bouts that had already been confirmed for WrestleMania on Sunday, April 26: Randy Savage defending the WWF Championship against 1992 Royal Rumble winner Mr. Perfect, Rick Rude challenging Ricky Steamboat for the WWF Intercontinental Title, and Roddy Piper clashing one-on-one with Hulk Hogan. However, the Man pointed out that "anything can happen in the WWF" and admitted that even the biggest card of the year was subject to change, suggesting that this evening could have a huge impact on WrestleMania. Great job of selling the importance of tonight's PPV.
Gorilla Monsoon, Jesse "The Body" Ventura, and "The Professor" Mike Tenay welcomed viewers to WWF March To WrestleMania LIVE from the broadcast position at the back of the arena and hyped the exciting lineup for this evening's pay-per-view before sending it up to ring announcer Howard "The Fink" Finkel in the squared circle.
WWF Television Tag Team Title Match: The Rockers (Shawn Michaels & Marty Jannetty) [champions] vs. The Hart Foundation (Bret "Hit Man" Hart & Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart)
Interesting choice for an opener, as both the Hart Foundation and the Rockers were greeted with babyface pops while the commentators mentioned the issues of respect and disrespect between the WWF's two most popular tag teams. The match-up began with a tentative handshake between Marty Jannetty and Bret Hart before they locked up collar-and-elbow, kicking off an excellent athletic contest that had the crowd on their feet many times as the WWF Television Tag Team Champions and their challengers traded the advantage back-and-forth in the early going. Shawn Michaels displayed a cocky side when he was in control, which ended up costing him when the Hit Man caught him with a lowblow in mid-strut while Jim Neidhart distracted referee Joey Marella. The former two-time WWF Tag Team Champions proceeded to cut the ring in half and utilized quick tags and precision double-teams to wear Michaels down, scoring several near-falls and showing a heelish edge of their own as they repeatedly stifled Shawn's attempted comebacks and cut off his escapes from their corner. Ventura hoped to see more rulebreaking as the Anvil tried to intimidate the official during the frequent double-team maneuvers, which eventually gave Michaels the opportunity to recuperate enough to break out of Neidhart's military press and roll him up for a near-fall. Michaels made the hot tag to Jannetty, who rushed in as a pier-six brawl erupted with all four men slugging it out in the ring at once. Amidst the chaos, Paul Ellering led his WWF Tag Team Champions Powers Of Pain down the aisle while the ref was busy trying to usher Bret out to the apron. Behind the ref's back, Barbarian & Warlord slid into the ring and blasted the Anvil with a double boot that snapped his head back before hopping out to the floor and heading up the aisle with Precious Paul. Meanwhile, at the behest of Michaels, Jannetty somewhat reluctantly covered Neidhart and hooked the leg to retain the WWF Television Tag Team Championship. Afterwards, the Hit Man chased the Rockers from the squared circle, but they couldn't go up the aisle because the Powers Of Pain were blocking the way, so the Masters Of Motion took off through the audience with their title belts while Hart checked on Neidhart. (90%)
"The Natural" Dustin Rhodes vs. Honky Tonk Man
Colonel Robert Lee Fuller sauntered out alongside Dustin Rhodes as Tenay discussed the backstory of the Colonel dumping the Honky Tonk Man for the Lone Star Stud last fall. This was a pretty entertaining match-up, as the fans solidly supported the Honk against the cocky Natural, who seemed surprised when Honky Tonk dodged his ambush and answered back with lefts and rights of his own. Adding insult to injury, Honky floored Dustin with his version of Dusty Rhodes' "Flip Flop & Fly" for an early near-fall. The former WWF Intercontinental Champion remained in control with his old-school offense until Rhodes reversed an Irish-whip into the turnbuckles and followed in with a running lariat. The Natural choked the Honk in the corner and held onto the advantage with a mixture of heel tactics and leverage maneuvers, making good use of his lanky frame as he scored several near-falls. After shutting down a brief comeback attempt by Honky, the Lone Star Stud clamped on a tight sleeperhold with bodyscissors that Ventura identified as the "American Dream", squeezing as the Honk began to fade. Referee John Finnegan dropped Honky Tonk's arm twice, but on the third try, the Honk held his arm in the air and elbowed his way out of the hold to escape and make it back to his feet. The Honk rallied back and unloaded on Dustin with closed fists, elbowsmashes, and kneelifts to keep the young Texan reeling and disoriented, setting him up for the Shake Rattle & Roll. However, Rhodes swung through the maneuver and dropped Honky with a modified reverse DDT, then yanked him back up and planted the Memphis native with the American Nightmare to earn the clean pinfall. Afterwards, the Lone Star Stud continued to assault Honky Tonk with kicks and stomps, and was soon joined by the Colonel and Terry Funk. The three Stud Stable members viciously pounded the Honk into the mat until the crowd popped loud as Shane Douglas sprinted down the aisle in a suit without a tie and hit the ring carrying a metal folding chair. The Nature Boy's face was bandaged but he managed to chase off Rhodes, Funk, & Fuller as Monsoon recalled the number that the Natural and the Outlaw did on Douglas last month at WWF Battle Lines. The Stud Stable retreated up the aisle while Douglas shouted threats from the squared circle. (82%)
The Gangsters Of Style ("Sweet" Stan Lane & Paul "Romeo" Roma) vs. Fire & Ice (Doug "The Tank" Furnas & Al "Ice Man" Snow)
Slick, along with his personal bodyguard Bad News Brown, escorted his Gangsters Of Style to ringside as Ventura claimed that the Doctor Of Style was still embarrassed over their loss to Fire & Ice several weeks ago and predicted that he would redeem himself tonight. Al Snow & Doug Furnas received a nice pop when they came out, but as they were entering the ring, they fell victim to a sneak attack by Paul Roma & Stan Lane. The Tank & Ice Man absorbed the ambush and fought back with a vengeance, clearing Sweet Stan & Romeo Roma out of the squared circle. The Gangsters returned to the ring after conferring with the Slickster and put on a very solid tag team bout with the WWF newcomers, whom Tenay put over for their recent string of victories. The story of the match-up was the Gangsters pulling out all the stops to gain control, but Fire & Ice kept one-upping their veteran opponents and stealing back the advantage. Both squads scored a number of near-falls as the tide shifted back-and-forth throughout the contest, drawing in the fans. Late in the contest, referee Mark Johnson was bumped when he got in the way of a Rocket Launcher intended for Romeo that resulted in Snow crashing into the official. While Lane charged in and tackled Furnas out through the ropes to the floor, Slick saw his opportunity and tossed a slapjack from his pocket to Roma, but overshot his target, allowing Snow to catch the weapon and clobber the former co-WWF Television Tag Team Champion across the skull with it. The Ice Man swiftly discarded the slapjack to ringside and covered Romeo as the ref awoke and administered the three-count to extend Fire & Ice's winning streak in the WWF. (77%)
After the bell, Stan Lane stormed back into the ring and clotheslined Al Snow over the top rope to the floor, giving the Sweet One a chance to check on the fallen Paul Roma. As Romeo regained consciousness and was being helped to his feet by Sweet Stan, Slick stepped into the squared circle and began to berate his Gangsters Of Style for yet another loss. Bad News Brown stood menacingly behind his employer, who continued to insult the Gangsters and proceeded to publicly fire them for embarrassing him and ruining his reputation. The Doctor Of Style verbally abused Sweet Stan & Romeo Roma for a few more moments until Roma finally grabbed the Slickster by the throat while Lane pounced on Bad News and wrestled him down to the canvas as the crowd popped big-time, indicating a successful face turn. (85%)
Suddenly, Fire & Ice returned to the ring and assaulted Paul Roma from behind, freeing Slick, before jumping on Stan Lane and dragging him off of Bad News Brown. The crowd seemed confused as Al Snow & Doug Furnas coldly stomped the Gangsters Of Style into the canvas, sneering down at their battered foes. The Tank then pressed Sweet Stan over his head and dumped him over the top rope to the floor before doing the same to Romeo Roma while the Ice Man grinned and shook hands with the shaken Doctor Of Style. The Slickster also patted Furnas on his muscular back and raised Fire & Ice's arms, declaring that he was the final ingredient to take them to the top of the WWF's tag team scene. The crowd booed as Slick led Fire & Ice and Bad News out of the squared circle and up the aisle, while Ventura praised Snow & Furnas for their heel turn. Shades of the 1988 Survivor Series double-turn where the Powers Of Pain turned heel and joined Mr. Fuji, turning Demolition face at the same time, but it seemed to connect with the fans very well and could lead to great things for both squads. (81%)
No Disqualification Match: The Million Dollar Bounty Hunters (Bam Bam Bigelow & Cactus Jack Manson) vs. Hawk & Big Boss Man
The commentators talked up the double-turn involving Fire & Ice and the Gangsters Of Style and discussed the "roughneck rivalry" between the Big Boss Man & Hawk and the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters as Cactus Jack Manson & Bam Bam Bigelow marched down the aisle to the heavy-metal "Money, Money, Money" riff. Monsoon explained the No Disqualification stipulation as Hawk & Boss Man rushed out to a loud pop and took the fight right to the Bounty Hunters, unloading with punches, forearms, headbutts, kicks, and chops. Cactus Jack turned the tables when he reached into the Boss Man's pocket and pulled out a pair of handcuffs, which the New Mexican Wildman used to bust open the big Georgian with a roundhouse right. Hawk managed to retrieve the Boss Man's nightstick and return the favor by cracking the club across Manson's face and drawing blood. The match was a wild, very physical brawl with all four bruisers slugging it out in and around the ring, as they utilized metal folding chairs, television cables, and Irish-whips into the ringpost and ringsteps to punish each other. The Bounty Hunters intelligently focused their attack on the Boss Man's lower back as Tenay recalled that that was the former corrections officer's "Achilles Heel". Although he battled valiantly and scored some near-falls on both Bigelow & Manson, Boss Man succumbed to his back injuries on the floor and left Hawk at a two-on-one disadvantage in the squared circle, as the Bounty Hunters relentlessly maimed and double-teamed the former Legion Of Doom member. The Beast From The East busted Hawk open hardway with a diving headbutt from the middle turnbuckle for a near-fall, but the former Road Warrior continued to kick out and would not stay down, struggling to mount a comeback. The Big Boss Man climbed back into the ring and helped out his partner, firing off lefts and rights on Bam Bam & Cactus Jack as Hawk got to his feet and joined in the action. However, when Boss Man scooped up Bigelow for a bodyslam, his back gave out and he collapsed with Bigelow on top of him for a near-fall. Bam Bam wasted no time in hurling Boss Man out to the floor while Cactus drilled Hawk with the Bang Bang for a very close near-fall that had the crowd on their feet. The Bounty Hunters headed out to ringside and picked up the Boss Man, brutally dropping him with a spiking double powerbomb (referred to as the "Problem Solver" by Monsoon) across the steel stairs that further wrenched his lower back. Boss Man hollered in agony as the Bounty Hunters returned to the ring and fought off a comeback attempt by Hawk before Bam Bam crunched him with the Jersey Devil to pick up the deciding pinfall. Afterwards, the Bounty Hunters stumbled up the aisle in victory while a group of WWF agents and medics came out and attended to the Boss Man, eventually carrying him out on a stretcher. (86%)
Michael "Wall Street" Rotunda vs. Razor Ramon
Prior to the introductions, the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters were shown arriving backstage and crossing paths with Ted DiBiase, Miss Elizabeth, and Virgil, who were all heading out with Michael Rotunda; the Million Dollar Man congratulated Bam Bam Bigelow & Cactus Jack Manson on their No Disqualification win before accompanying Wall Street to the ring along with Virgil and Elizabeth. Wall Street debuted a new look, wearing a tearaway suit-and-tie which tore away to reveal trunks, boots, and kneepads with dollar signs on them, similar to DiBiase's wrestling attire. Razor Ramon was met with a great pop when he swaggered down the aisle as Ventura claimed that the Bad Guy should have accepted the Million Dollar Man's offer way back at the 1991 Survivor Series and saved himself the beating he would receive this evening. The Cuban immigrant seemed distracted by the presence of DiBiase and his mistreatment of Elizabeth at ringside, but still forced Wall Street to his knees during a test of strength and proceeded to dominate the early going. The Bad Guy manhandled the former Irwin R. Schyster until the slugfest spilled out to the floor, where Rotunda took the lead by blindsiding Ramon as he was arguing with DiBiase. Rotunda battered Ramon around ringside, ramming him into the ringsteps and hotshotting him on the iron guardrail, before continuing the punishment in the squared circle with mat wrestling and skullduggery. The Million Dollar Man applauded his financial advisor as Wall Street cinched in a tight front-facelock to end a brief comeback and wrestle Razor down to the canvas, where he nearly squeezed out a submission, but the Bad Guy powered out of the front-facelock as the fans rallied behind him. Razor unloaded with big lefts and rights as Rotunda bumped for each fist several times, before the Cuban immigrant scooped up the former Syracuse grappler and floored him with the overhead fallaway slam. Virgil hopped up on the apron, distracting referee Tim White while a teary-eyed Elizabeth climbed up on the other side of the ring and half-heartedly attracted the attention of Razor Ramon. When the Bad Guy approached her, the First Lady Of Wrestling reluctantly tried to slap him in the face, but Razor caught her hand and held her by the wrist. Ted DiBiase swiftly slid into the ring and tried to blindside Ramon, but Ramon released Elizabeth and grabbed hold of the former WWF Champion, hurling him into Virgil on the apron. Both DiBiase and Virgil tumbled out to the floor as Ramon thwarted Rotunda's attempted ambush by booting him in the midsection and hauling him across his shoulders, dropping him with the Razor's Edge for the 1-2-3. Afterwards, Razor celebrated in the squared circle while the Million Dollar Man berated Elizabeth and Virgil helped Wall Street up the aisle. (84%)
"The Immortal" Hulk Hogan & Bob Backlund vs. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper & The Undertaker
The commentators put this over as a monumental tag team collision as Hulk Hogan & Bob Backlund made their way out together to "Real American", drawing an enormous ovation from the fans. The two former WWF Champions stood in the ring awaiting their opponents when the arena suddenly went completely dark and a funeral bell tolled. When the lights came back on several moments later, Paul Bearer was at ringside while the Undertaker had the Immortal One in a chokehold and Roddy Piper was flailing away on the All American with lefts and rights. However, Backlund & Hogan swiftly turned the tables as Backlund blocked Hot Rod's punches while the Hulkster scored with a low kick to break the Grim Reaper's death grip. Backlund sent the Rowdy Scot sailing out to ringside with the Running Atomic Drop and joined the Hulkster in double-clotheslining the Dead Man over the top rope, landing on his feet on the floor. The heels regrouped at ringside before Piper stepped back through the ropes and managed to blindside Hogan, who was being distracted by Bearer. Piper quickly tried to drag Hogan toward the heel corner, but the Hulkster put on the brakes and asserted himself with a succession of right hands. Tenay pointed out that Hogan kept coughing and rubbing his neck as the former two-time WWF Champion exchanged frequent tags with Backlund to wear down Piper, who bounced around the ring like a pinball as he sold his ass off and kicked out of several pinfall attempts. The tide shifted after a cheapshot from the Undertaker on the apron stopped Backlund in his tracks and allowed the Rowdy One to take him down and tag out to the Pale Destroyer. Monsoon mentioned that the Undertaker was just announced as Piper's partner last night on "The Funeral Parlor" as the Dead Man singlehandedly dominated the All American with his smothering offense, displaying a frightening killer instinct. The Grim Reaper tagged out on only a few occasions as he and Hot Rod controlled the flow until Piper and Backlund cracked heads and collapsed to the canvas. They both crawled to their respective corners and each made the tag, the crowd exploding as the Hulkster charged in and back-bodydropped the Scotsman over the top rope before slugging it out with the Undertaker. Referee Shane McMahon lost control as Paul Bearer climbed up on the apron and was confronted by Backlund, who threatened to hit the rotund mortician. Meanwhile, Rowdy Roddy returned to the ring with a metal folding chair and plastered the Immortal One across the back with it before laying the chair on the mat. The Undertaker wasted no time in scooping up the Hulkster and burying him with the Tombstone on the chair, then covered the legendary former two-time WWF Champion for the upset pin while Hot Rod disposed of the chair and held Backlund at bay. Afterwards, Bearer led his Undertaker away from the ring along with Piper, who rubbed in the victory and promised to repeat the performance himself one-on-one with Hogan next month at WrestleMania VIII. (88%)
Mr. Perfect & "Ravishing" Rick Rude vs. "Macho Man" Randy Savage & Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan accompanied Mr. Perfect & Rick Rude to the ring as Tenay went through the history between the two squads, including the main event of last year's WWF March To WrestleMania pitting Perfect & Randy Savage against Ricky Steamboat & Ultimate Warrior. Ventura questioned how Steamboat & Savage would function as a unit in the heat of battle and if there might be any bad blood left between the Macho Man and the Dragon, as the WWF Intercontinental Champion made his solo entrance and was ambushed by the Heenan Family members when he was stepping through the ropes. The Ravishing One and the Flawless One swarmed the Dragon like vultures, stifling his attempted defense, and hammered him mercilessly until "Pomp & Circumstance" kicked in and the WWF Champion raced down the aisle and hit the ring to make the save. The Macho Man went after both Perfect & Rude to free Steamboat, reeling off fists and elbows while the Dragon got back to his feet and joined in the melee. The chaos continued until Savage inadvertently decked Steamboat with a back-elbow to the mouth, knocking the two-time WWF Intercontinental Champion out to the floor through the ropes and allowing Rude & Perfect to double-team Savage and drag him back to their corner. The Heenan Family members utilized quick tags and sharp double-teams to control the Macho Man and score a handful of near-falls as Monsoon and Ventura argued about how tonight's beating would affect the three-time WWF Champion for his title defense against the Flawless One next month at WrestleMania VIII. Ventura suggested that Savage should just give up and sacrifice a tag team loss this evening, but Monsoon retorted that Savage was too proud to do that, as the WWF Champion rallied back after avoiding a flying elbowsmash from the top turnbuckle by Rude that accidentally floored Perfect. Savage swiftly tossed Perfect over the top rope before pouncing on Rude, taking him down to the mat and unfurling a furious flurry of fists. Referee Earl Hebner managed to pry Savage off of Rude, but the Macho Man whipped the Ravishing One into the face corner and made the hot tag to Steamboat, who sprang into the ring and fired off a series of blistering chops across Rude's muscular chest. The fans popped like mad as the Dragon held the advantage against Rude, garnering a couple of near-falls, and even unloaded on Perfect when the former two-time WWF Intercontinental Champion charged in to help out his boyhood friend, chopping away and hiptossing the Flawless One over the top rope to the floor. When the Macho Man had recovered enough on the apron, he and Steamboat tagged in-and-out a few times to work Rude over, cutting him off each time he tried to escape from the face corner. Bobby Heenan had several near-heart attacks at ringside and was constantly doing his best to annoy and bother Savage & Steamboat throughout this tremendous main event. The Brain ended up getting involved when he climbed up on the apron and began hollering at Savage, who wandered over after catching Rude with a nice flying double-axhandle from the top turnbuckle. The savvy Ravishing One immediately used this opportunity to lunge toward his corner and tag Mr. Perfect, who rushed in and went toe-to-toe with the Macho Man while Steamboat charged in and took Rude over the top rope with a high-crossbody. Both men crashed to the floor, distracting the official momentarily as Heenan reached under the bottom rope and held onto Savage's ankle to give Perfect the chance to viciously knee Savage in the midsection. The 1992 Royal Rumble winner quickly snared the WWF Champion in the Perfectplex as the ref turned back to the in-ring action and administered the three-count to give the victory to the Perfectly Ravishing combination. After the bell, the fans booed loudly as the Heenan Family regrouped and retreated up the aisle, the Brain smiling and raising the thick arms of Perfect & Rude. The WWF Intercontinental Champion stepped into the squared circle to attend to the Macho Man while Monsoon, Ventura, and Tenay hyped tonight's developments and invited viewers to order WrestleMania VIII on Sunday, April 26, before signing off. (94%)
Overall: 87%
Buyrate: 1.66
Paid Attendance: 18,542
PPV Revenue: $4,150,000
Ticket Sales: $1,112,520
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MONDAY, MARCH 23, 1992 -- WWF PRIME TIME WRESTLING
Vince McMahon and Jesse "The Body" Ventura opened the program LIVE from ringside as they hyped WWF March To WrestleMania this Sunday and introduced tonight's lineup, featuring the Powers Of Pain defending the WWF Tag Team Championship against the Big Boss Man & Hawk in the main event, Terry Funk opposing the Honky Tonk Man, the Hellraisers taking on the Bushwhackers, the Undertaker in a handicap bout, and in the studio: Hulk Hogan & Bob Backlund, Rick Rude & Mr. Perfect, and the Hart Foundation.
Handicap Match: The Undertaker vs. Duane Gill & Barry Hardy
Paul Bearer led his Undertaker down the aisle with the urn as Ventura put the Dead Man over as an unstoppable force. The commentators also discussed this Sunday's WWF March To WrestleMania while the Grim Reaper laid waste to his outmatched opponents and brutally manhandled them. The Pale Destroyer buried both Hardy & Gill with Tombstones before covering them for the simultaneous 1-2-3. Afterwards, Bearer performed last rites and dropped a handful of dirt on each man. (58%)
In the Prime Time Wrestling studio, Gorilla Monsoon and "The Man" Ric Flair talked about the WWF Television Tag Team Title defense this Sunday at WWF March To WrestleMania featuring the Rockers defending the championship against their first guests, the Hart Foundation. The former two-time WWF Tag Team Champions entered the room as Monsoon congratulated Bret Hart for standing up to Rick Rude last month and giving him a great one-on-one match-up at WWF Battle Lines. The Hit Man was typically modest when he accepted the recognition, but commented that he had suffered a couple of nasty bumps on the head in that bout and the subsequent tag team encounter with Ricky Steamboat as his partner, at which point Jim Neidhart sighed impatiently and reminded Bret that they had to focus on their shot at the TV belts this Sunday. Hart assured the Anvil that he had not forgotten about the Rockers, bringing up Shawn Michaels' cheapshot superkick from a few weeks ago and vowing to get even. Neidhart cackled sadistically and warned Michaels & Marty Jannetty that the Foundation would do whatever they had to do to become the first-ever former WWF Tag Team Champions to hold the WWF Television Tag Team Championship and prove why they were the 1991 Tag Team Of The Year. When Flair mentioned Paul Ellering's comments on "The Funeral Parlor", Bret looked insulted and claimed that the Foundation would gladly put their new belts on the line against the Powers Of Pain after winning the TV gold from the Masters Of Motion at WWF March To WrestleMania. (88%)
Mean Gene Okerlund was backstage at the arena to interview Colonel Robert Fuller and the Hellraisers, who were gearing up to tackle the Bushwhackers. The Greatest Promoter Of All Time admitted that Butch & Luke were a couple of tough cookies, but predicted that the Bruiser & Dr. Death would crunch through them tonight and show the world why they were "theeee roughest, toughest tag team in professional wrasslin' today!" (77%)
The Bushwhackers (Luke & Butch) vs. The Hellraisers ("Dr. Death" Steve Williams & Terry "Bruiser" Gordy)
The Bushwhackers were greeted by a warm reaction from the fans, while Colonel Robert Lee Fuller swaggered out behind his Hellraisers to an assortment of boos. As expected, this was a very stiff, smashmouth-style tag team contest as the New Zealanders harked back to their days in the NWA and elsewhere as "The Sheepherders" and took the fight right to Terry Gordy & Steve Williams, who responded with their own roughhousing tactics such as sharp forearms and dangerous suplexes. Even McMahon was somewhat surprised at the intensity and tenacity of Luke & Butch as they tagged in-and-out frequently to wear down the Bruiser until Gordy turned the tables and the Hellraisers gained control. After some more back-and-forth brawling, the Hellraisers put the Bushwhackers away when Dr. Death covered Butch following the Death Dealer from he and Bruiser. (77%)
In the Prime Time studio, Gorilla Monsoon and Ric Flair discussed some of the other bouts on the card this Sunday at WWF March To WrestleMania including Razor Ramon taking on Michael Rotunda, Dustin Rhodes facing the Honky Tonk Man, and the combination of WWF Intercontinental Champion Ricky Steamboat & WWF Champion Randy Savage squaring off against their next guests, Mr. Perfect & Rick Rude, who were accompanied by Bobby Heenan. Monsoon announced that Rude & Perfect would first have to contend with the New British Bulldogs on Saturday Night's Main Event and pointed that both Chris Benoit & Davey Boy Smith came close to scoring singles wins over the Heenan Family members over the past week. The Brain disagreed and protested the match-up for Saturday evening since it was the night before WWF March To WrestleMania, accusing WWF President Andre The Giant of trying to weaken his "Perfectly Ravishing" duo by making them wrestle the Bulldogs. The Ravishing One assured his manager that he had nothing to worry about because they were going to muzzle the Bulldogs without even breaking a sweat, while the Flawless One promised a "sneak peek at WrestleMania VIII" this Sunday when Perfect pins the Macho Man and Rude pins the Dragon, just like they did this past weekend on Saturday Night's Main Event. The Brain added that next month at WrestleMania it would be for the titles and begin a renaissance for the Heenan Family dynasty. (95%)
"The Professor" Mike Tenay was at the arena in the locker room to interview Terry Funk and Colonel Robert Fuller, who predicted another Stud Stable victory this evening for the Outlaw over the Honky Tonk Man. The Funker growled that he would make sure the Honk would never put his hands on the Colonel again, and looked forward to softening up the former WWF Intercontinental Champion for Dustin Rhodes at WWF March To WrestleMania this Sunday. (78%)
"The Outlaw" Terry Funk vs. Honky Tonk Man
Colonel Robert Lee Fuller seconded Terry Funk as Ventura recalled that when they locked up last fall one-on-one, the Outlaw defeated the Honky Tonk Man. The Honk got a nice reception from the fans as he and the Funker engaged in an entertaining old-school Memphis-style slugfest, with Funk abusing Honky Tonk inside the ring and out. The Colonel occasionally got involved behind referee Mark Johnson's back until a mistimed clothesline at ringside from Funk accidentally floored the Greatest Promoter Of All Time. The fans rallied behind the Honk as he took advantage of this opportunity to mount a comeback against the Outlaw, tossing him back into the squared circle and unloading with lefts, rights, elbowsmashes, and kneelifts. Although Funk briefly regained control, Honky fought back and dropped the former NWA World Heavyweight Champion with the Shake Rattle & Roll for the 1-2-3. Afterwards, the Colonel tried to blindside Honky Tonk, but the former WWF Intercontinental Champion blocked the attack and cinched him up for the Shake Rattle & Roll. However, before Honky could execute the move, the Hellraisers stormed the ring and pounced on the Honk, pounding him to the canvas. The Bruiser & Dr. Death continued to hammer the Honk long after the Colonel was freed, until Crush, Smash, & Ax of Demolition charged down the aisle and scared off the Stud Stable. Fuller, Funk, Gordy, & Williams retreated as McMahon questioned Honky Tonk's condition for his bout this Sunday at WWF March To WrestleMania with Dustin Rhodes. (77%)
In the Prime Time studio, Gorilla Monsoon and Ric Flair went through the remainder of the card for WWF March To WrestleMania this Sunday, featuring the Gangsters Of Style meeting Fire & Ice, the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters battling the Big Boss Man & Hawk in a No Disqualification contest, and a tag team war pitting Roddy Piper and a partner "To Be Announced" against their next guests, Bob Backlund & Hulk Hogan. The two former WWF Champions walked in and shook hands with Gorilla as the Man announced that Hot Rod would be introducing his partner this weekend on "The Funeral Parlor", pointing out that that would give Hogan & Backlund only 24 hours to prepare. The Hulkster claimed that it didn't matter who the Rowdy One chose because he and Backlund had the combined WWF Championship experience of 10 years, as well as the millions upon millions of Hulkamaniacs around the world supporting them. The All American admitted that the Scotsman had a vast pool of superstars from which to select his teammate, speculating that it could be one of Hogan's many rivals from the past, and stated that he was training accordingly on his own in addition to his training with the Hulkster. The Immortal One mentioned that he and the All American would be on-hand during Saturday Night's Main Event for the big announcement and roared that they would obliterate Piper and partner at WWF March To WrestleMania. (100%)
At the arena in the locker room, Mean Gene Okerlund interviewed the Big Boss Man & Hawk as they were preparing to challenge WWF Tag Team Champions Powers Of Pain in the main event. Hawk growled that they were planning to add another title bout to this Sunday's WWF March To WrestleMania lineup by winning the WWF Tag Team Championship tonight and defending the belts on Sunday against the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters in the No Disqualification match. The Boss Man suggested that it was about time for the law to confiscate the gold from Warlord & Barbarian, adding that if Paul Ellering tried to interfere, he would serve some hard time as well. (79%)
WWF Tag Team Title Match: Powers Of Pain (Barbarian & Warlord) [champions] vs. Hawk & Big Boss Man
Paul Ellering led his WWF Tag Team Champions down the aisle as Ventura reminded McMahon that the Powers Of Pain beat Hawk's Legion Of Doom last year at WrestleMania VII and predicted a similar result this evening. This was a great power match main event that saw the Big Boss Man & Hawk take the early lead until Warlord & Barbarian managed to isolate Boss Man and cut the ring in half, utilizing quick tags and boneshaking double-teams. The Powers wore down the Boss Man and scored several near-falls, but the former corrections officer kept kicking out and eventually mowed down the WWF Tag Team Champions with a double-clothesline of his own before making the hot tag to Hawk, who rushed in and cleaned house. The former Road Warrior opened up on the Powers with punches, clotheslines, shoulderblocks, and powerslams, and garnered some near-falls on the Barbarian after back-bodydropping the Warlord over the top rope. Hawk continued to dominate Barbarian for the next few minutes and tagged Boss Man, who stepped through the ropes and began to haul the Barbarian up for the Doomsday Device as Hawk climbed to the top turnbuckle. At this point, Precious Paul hopped up on the apron to distract referee Dave Hebner while the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters lumbered down to ringside and dragged Hawk off the turnbuckles down to the floor. Meanwhile, Warlord entered the ring and ripped into Boss Man from behind with a spearing tackle to the lower back, causing the big Georgian to collapse to the canvas with Barbarian on top of him. The Warlord swiftly and impressively hoisted the 340-pound Boss Man up on his shoulders as Barbarian ascended to the top turnbuckle and soared with a flying shoulderblock, triggering the Apocalypse. The Barbarian then hooked the Boss Man's leg for the three-count to retain the WWF Tag Team Championship. (84%)
Following the bell, Paul Ellering quickly retrieved the WWF Tag Team Title belts and led his Powers Of Pain up the aisle as the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters tossed Hawk into the ring to continue the punishment. Inside the squared circle, Cactus Jack Manson & Bam Bam Bigelow prevented the Big Boss Man from crawling to his corner, where his nightstick and handcuffs were set. The Bounty Hunters yanked the Boss Man away from the corner and picked up the nightstick and handcuffs themselves as the crowd booed. The Beast From The East and the New Mexican Wildman planned to use the objects on Hawk & Boss Man, but Razor Ramon sprinted out in his street clothes to make the save. The Bad Guy used the element of surprise to his advantage and teed off on Bam Bam & Cactus Jack with lefts and rights until Michael Rotunda raced out in suit and tie to join the fray. Wall Street blasted Razor across the back of the head with the briefcase and stomped him on the mat as the Bounty Hunters did the same to Hawk & Boss Man. The Million Dollar Empire members finally exited triumphantly to a round of boos while McMahon and Ventura closed the show and hyped this Sunday's WWF March To WrestleMania. (71%)
Overall: 79%
Rating: 5.73
Attendance: 10,043
Ticket Sales: $602,580
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SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 1992 -- NBC/WWF PRESENT: SATURDAY NIGHT'S MAIN EVENT
Marv Albert, "The Professor" Mike Tenay, and "The Man" Ric Flair introduced the LIVE network broadcast and hyped tomorrow night's WWF March To WrestleMania before getting into this evening's program, featuring a six-man encounter pitting the Honky Tonk Man & Demolition against the Stud Stable, the Big Boss Man battling Bam Bam Bigelow one-on-one, Fire & Ice taking on the Great Muta & Abdullah The Butcher, Michael Rotunda facing Tito Santana, Roddy Piper on "The Funeral Parlor", and in the main event, the New British Bulldogs meeting Rick Rude & Mr. Perfect.
Tito Santana vs. Michael "Wall Street" Rotunda
After Tito Santana made his entrance to a respectable pop, Michael Rotunda walked out by himself to the strains of "Money, Money, Money" as the commentators talked about the show-ending beatdown on Prime Time Wrestling as well as Wall Street's match tomorrow night at WWF March To WrestleMania against Razor Ramon. This was a mat-based bout that drew in the fans as Rotunda and Santana traded holds and counterholds, displaying some crisp old-school chain-wrestling. As the pace quickened, Santana built momentum but missed the Flying Forearm off the ropes when Wall Street ducked out of the way. Rotunda quickly lifted Santana across his shoulders and slammed him with the Write Off for the pinfall. (77%)
Afterwards, Michael Rotunda tossed Tito Santana out to the floor and retrieved the microphone. Wall Street claimed that he wrestled a Mexican immigrant tonight to prepare for a Cuban immigrant tomorrow night, predicting a similar result against Razor Ramon at WWF March To WrestleMania because even if Ramon and Santana were from different countries, they were both still "wetbacks". Rotunda warned Razor that he wouldn't be able to bring down the Million Dollar Empire, pointing out that many had tried and failed over the past year. The Bad Guy emerged from the entrance curtain and swaggered down the aisle, offering to step through the ropes and eliminate Rotunda a night early. Wall Street backed off and informed Razor that if he attacked him before their match tomorrow night, that was all the cause his friends in Washington needed to ship Ramon "back to Castro" for good. Rotunda dared Ramon to call his bluff and bailed out to the floor when the Bad Guy charged into the squared circle. Razor vowed to carve up the Million Dollar Empire member at WWF March To WrestleMania as Rotunda retreated. (92%)
In the locker room, Mean Gene Okerlund interviewed Fire & Ice, who were lacing up their boots and adjusting their kneepads in preparation for tonight's bout against Abdullah The Butcher & The Great Muta. Okerlund pointed out that Mr. Fuji's Dojo members were lethal competitors, but Al Snow claimed that nothing could slow down the Tank & Ice Man, not Muta & Abdullah this evening nor the Gangsters Of Style at WWF March To WrestleMania tomorrow night. Doug Furnas stated that he was looking forward to testing his strength against the 350-pound Butcher, and predicted that the winning streak for Fire & Ice would continue for months to come. (82%)
The Great Muta & Abdullah The Butcher vs. Fire & Ice (Doug "The Tank" Furnas & Al "Ice Man" Snow)
The blinded Mr. Fuji waddled out alongside his Great Muta as the starved Abdullah The Butcher wandered out ahead of them, apparently in search of food as Tenay mentioned that the Madman Of The Sudan had lost over 30 pounds in the last few months. Fire & Ice received a surprisingly average pop from the fans when they walked out and put on a very well-worked tag team contest with the Devious One's Dojo members. After a strong start by Fire & Ice, Muta trapped Al Snow in the Dojo corner and cut the ring in half, channeling Abdullah's hunger into physical torture on the Ice Man as they tagged in-and-out. Eventually, Abdullah slowed down from lack of food and Snow had his second wind, unleashing a succession of dropkicks and spinning heel kicks before making the hot tag to Doug Furnas, who charged in as the Butcher stumbled back to his corner and the Asian Sensation tagged himself in. The Tank & Ice Man cleaned house on both Muta & Abdullah until Furnas displayed his immense strength, somehow scooping up Abby and hurling him over the top rope to the floor. Fire & Ice held onto the advantage until Muta mounted a comeback, as the "vision-impaired" Fuji ordered Abdullah to help his partner. Muta tried to make the best of it, but Furnas ducked and the Butcher inadvertently nailed the Great One with the Meat Cleaver. Furnas knocked Abdullah through the ropes and tagged Snow, who climbed to the top turnbuckle as Fire & Ice executed the Force Of Nature on the Asian Sensation. The Ice Man covered Muta for the three-count and the Tank held Abdullah at bay as cameras showed Slick and Bad News Brown watching from the aisleway, scouting out Fire & Ice for his Gangsters Of Style tomorrow night at WWF March To WrestleMania. (79%)
Jesse "The Body" Ventura was in the dressing room to interview Colonel Robert Fuller, who was flanked by Terry Funk, Terry Gordy, & Steve Williams as they were ready for their six-man match-up against Demolition & Honky Tonk Man. The Outlaw suggested that the Honk was a glutton for punishment and claimed that if beatings were fluffernutter sandwiches, Honky Tonk would look "even more like Fat Elvis". The Colonel informed the Body that Dustin Rhodes was taking a private flight late tonight from the Double Cross Ranch in Amarillo, Texas, to dish out yet another thrashing to the Honk tomorrow evening at WWF March To WrestleMania. (84%)
Six-Man Tag Team Match: Honky Tonk Man & Demolition (Smash & Crush) vs. "The Outlaw" Terry Funk & The Hellraisers ("Dr. Death" Steve Williams & Terry "Bruiser" Gordy)
Ax marched out alongside his Demolition brothers-in-paint, followed by the Honky Tonk Man, while Colonel Robert Lee Fuller strode out with his Stud Stable members. As soon as the Hellraisers & Terry Funk hit the ring, they were swarmed by Crush, Smash, & Honky Tonk, kicking off a wild brawl that became the theme of the match-up. Tempers flared and all six superstars slugged it out at once in the squared circle several times, keeping referee John Finnegan very busy. The tide shifted both ways until the Stud Stable trapped Smash in their corner and worked him over with frequent tags and double-and-triple-teams. Smash eventually broke free and made the hot tag to the Honk while Terry Gordy tagged Terry Funk, setting off yet another six-way donnybrook. Amidst the chaos, Dustin Rhodes raced down the aisle carrying a guitar and hopped up on the apron as the Funker blindsided Honky and held him for the Natural. However, Honky dodged the shot and the Lone Star Stud accidentally busted the guitar over Funk's skull. The Honk swiftly knocked the shocked Dustin off the apron and covered the Funker for the 1-2-3 while Demolition and the Hellraisers traded fists and forearms at ringside. Afterwards, the Honk exited the ring and celebrated in the aisleway, leaving Rhodes, Funk, & Fuller to fume in the squared circle as the commentators pushed the Dustin/Honky match-up at WWF March To WrestleMania tomorrow night. (76%)
After a "WWF March To WrestleMania Report" hosted by Sean Mooney in an NBC studio, ring announcer Howard "The Fink" Finkel introduced Bam Bam Bigelow, who was seconded by Cactus Jack Manson, as Albert mentioned that the Big Boss Man had demanded this evening's singles bout after Bigelow & Manson cost them their shot at the WWF Tag Team Championship on Prime Time Wrestling. When the Boss Man was introduced, the former corrections officer rushed out along with Hawk and cleared the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters from the ring. The Bounty Hunters called for Hawk to be sent back to the locker room, so referee Tim White ejected Hawk, as well as Cactus Jack. Despite his protests, the New Mexican Wildman headed up the aisle, soon followed by the former Legion Of Doom member. (79%)
Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Big Boss Man
Tenay recalled that the Big Boss Man eliminated Bam Bam Bigelow from the Macho Madness/Million Dollar Team match-up at the 1991 Survivor Series, as the Beast From The East and the former corrections officer tore into each other fiercely. The Boss Man assumed control early on when he avoided an avalanche in the corner and took the advantage, battering Bam Bam around the ring with lefts, rights, and boots to the head. Leaning on the ropes, Bigelow was eventually able to duck a clothesline and back-bodydrop Boss Man over the top rope, hitting his lower back against the apron on his way to the floor. The Beast focused his attack on the Boss Man's lower back in the squared circle, vicious slamming him to the canvas and dropping headbutts to the lower back. The end seemed near when Bigelow cinched the big Georgian in a Jesse Ventura style backbreaker over the shoulder, trying to squeeze out a submission as Flair pointed out that this was a brilliant maneuver and referred to Bam Bam as the "brains" of the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters. The fans rallied behind the Boss Man as he struggled to escape and finally broke free from the backbreaker, opening up on Bam Bam with straight right hands to the jaw. Boss Man scored a couple of near-falls before attempting to Irish-whip Bigelow off to the ropes, but the New Jersey native reversed the whip and sent Boss Man hard into the turnbuckles, damaging his back again. As Bigelow advanced on his foe, cameras showed a scuffle behind the entrance curtain as Cactus Jack Manson emerged and staggered down the aisle. Before the New Mexican Wildman could get too far, Hawk charged out carrying a metal folding chair and blasted Cactus across the back with a chairshot. Manson collapsed to the floor and kept crawling, as the Boss Man took advantage of the distraction to roll Bam Bam up from behind and grab a handful of tights to eke out the three-count. Afterwards, the Boss Man rolled out to the floor clutching his lower back, but still managed to mow down Cactus Jack with a clothesline at ringside. Hawk & Boss Man exited up the aisle triumphantly while the Bounty Hunters pulled themselves to their feet and vowed revenge in the No Disqualification match tomorrow night at WWF March To WrestleMania. (85%)
Backstage, Mean Gene Okerlund interviewed the New British Bulldogs, who were warming up for the evening's main event against Mr. Perfect & Rick Rude. Davey Boy Smith admitted that he and Chris Benoit suffered singles losses to the two Heenan Family members last week, but pointed out that tonight they were in their element: tag team competition. Benoit kept it short and gruff, threatening to chop down the "Perfectly Ravishing" combination...NEXT! (73%)
Mr. Perfect & "Ravishing" Rick Rude vs. The New British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith & Chris Benoit)
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan accompanied Rick Rude & Mr. Perfect to ringside as the commentators shilled their WWF March To WrestleMania main event tomorrow night against WWF Champion Randy Savage & WWF Intercontinental Champion Ricky Steamboat. This was an excellent, if somewhat overbooked, tag team contest featuring plenty of athleticism and fast-paced action, as the New British Bulldogs utilized textbook teamwork to control the Flawless One at one point. Chris Benoit & Davey Boy Smith exchanged quick tags and scored several near-falls on Perfect, getting the fans into the match-up as Benoit scampered to the top turnbuckle but missed the Swandive Headbutt. The Perfect One dragged Benoit to the Heenan Family corner, where he and the Ravishing One tagged in-and-out frequently as they worked over the young "Englishman", displaying some impressive tag team skills of their own. Flair mentioned that Perfect & Rude were boyhood friends in Minnesota and had a much stronger bond than either the New Bulldogs or Steamboat & Savage, as the "Perfectly Ravishing" combination scored numerous near-falls, but the tenacious Benoit refused to stay down and mounted a comeback. Benoit floored Perfect after a chop-for-chop contest and knocked Rude off the apron with a clothesline, but Heenan climbed up on the apron and distracted referee Joey Marella just as Benoit made the hot tag to Davey Boy. Unfortunately, the official detained Smith and ushered him back to his corner, while Perfect caught Benoit with a lowblow from behind as Rude slid into the ring. Rude & Perfect put the boots to Benoit, attracting the ref's attention while the Commonwealth Connection snuck down to ringside, dragged Davey Boy off the apron, and dropped him throat-first on the iron guardrail. Suddenly, the fans erupted when the Macho Man and the Dragon hit the ring in their street clothes and stopped Perfect & Rude from abusing Benoit further, earning the Heenan Family members a disqualification victory. After the bell, Savage & Steamboat drove Perfect & Rude out of the squared circle with chops and elbowsmashes as the Heenan Family retreated up the aisle while the WWF Intercontinental Champion and WWF Champion made threats regarding tomorrow night's WWF March To WrestleMania. (87%)
Following a commercial break, Paul Bearer was on the set of "The Funeral Parlor" as he introduced his guest this week, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, dressed in a kilt and "HOT ROD!" t-shirt. The crowd booed heavily as Hot Rod glared at Bearer upon his arrival and insulted the fans for their negative reaction to him nowadays, suggesting that they couldn't handle the truth about their "hero" Hulk Hogan. The Scotsman stated that the Immortal One was "slime" and advised Bob Backlund to reconsider joining forces with the Hulkster tomorrow night at WWF March To WrestleMania. A few more choice words brought the All American out to the stage to confront the Rowdy One, who mocked Backlund's walk and accused Backlund of being Hogan's "messenger pigeon", questioning why the Hulkster didn't come out. Backlund claimed that it was his own decision to come out and demanded that Piper introduce his tag team partner for tomorrow evening as promised, but Piper informed the former WWF Champion that he would only make that announcement with Hogan in the Parlor. The All American started to protest but was cut off by "Real American" cranking up as the Hulkster marched onto the set and pushed Backlund aside, pointing his finger at the Rowdy Scot. The Hulkster was enraged at Piper's recent slander and ordered Hot Rod to introduce his partner so that he could kick their butts tonight, as Backlund held Hogan back from assaulting his longtime rival. Piper taunted Hogan as he claimed that there were many candidates for his partner, hinting that some of them were Hogan's supposed allies who were "chomping at the bit" to turn on the former two-time WWF Champion. The Rowdy Scot glanced at Backlund after that statement and announced that his partner was just coming off of a suspension... "The King" Jerry Lawler! The Undisputed 1991 WWF King Of The Ring's royal music began to play, but nobody emerged from the curtains as Hogan & Backlund looked on from the stage. Suddenly, the Undertaker burst out of one of the upright coffins and pounced on the Hulkster from behind, wrapping his gloved hands around Hogan's neck and choking him to his knees while Piper bashed Backlund in the head with a nearby brass urn. The fans booed as Piper clobbered the defenseless Hogan across the skull with the urn, knocking him out cold. Hot Rod grabbed the microphone from Paul Bearer and explained that while the King would have been a great choice, he already had enough problems with WWF President Andre The Giant and didn't need anymore headaches. The Scotsman announced that the Undertaker would indeed be his partner tomorrow night at WWF March To WrestleMania and would help him bury the Hulkster six feet under. Bearer led his Grim Reaper off the stage and Piper soon followed, raising his arms and smirking, as the show faded out while Albert, Tenay, and Flair got in some last-second hype for WWF March To WrestleMania tomorrow evening. (90%)
Overall: 82%
Rating: 6.78
Attendance: 10,021
Ticket Sales: $602,260
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Here is the final card for tomorrow night's WWF March To WrestleMania... as always, predictions and feedback are encouraged and appreciated.
Randy Savage & Ricky Steamboat vs. Mr. Perfect & Rick Rude
Hulk Hogan & Bob Backlund vs. Roddy Piper & The Undertaker
WWF Television Tag Team Title Match: The Rockers [champions] vs. The Hart Foundation
No Disqualification Match: Hawk & Big Boss Man vs. The Million Dollar Bounty Hunters
Razor Ramon vs. Michael Rotunda
Honky Tonk Man vs. Dustin Rhodes
Fire & Ice vs. The Gangsters Of Style
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MONDAY, MARCH 16, 1992 -- WWF PRIME TIME WRESTLING
Vince McMahon and Jesse "The Body" Ventura kicked off the show LIVE from ringside and ran through the lineup for tonight, featuring Davey Boy Smith meeting Mr. Perfect in the main event, the Big Boss Man & Hawk taking on the Orient Express, Dustin Rhodes facing the Texas Twister, the Bushwhackers in tag team action, and in the studio: WWF Champion Randy Savage & WWF Intercontinental Champion Ricky Steamboat, the Honky Tonk Man, and the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters.
The Bushwhackers (Luke & Butch) vs. The Southern Kids (Brian Christopher & Bob Holly)
Great way to kick things off, as the fans enjoyed the unorthodox antics of the Bushwhackers throughout this competitive opener. McMahon welcomed the return of the zany New Zealanders as they finished off the Southern Kids when Butch covered Bob Holly following the Bushwhacker Battering Ram from he and Luke. (72%)
Afterwards, "The Professor" Mike Tenay appeared at ringside to interview the Bushwhackers, who were as wild and rowdy as ever as they celebrated their victory. Butch issued an open challenge for next week's Prime Time Wrestling to any tag team in the WWF that wanted to make a name for themselves. Luke realized that Tenay had never been given a "proper Bushwhacker welcome" to the WWF. The Bushwhackers then licked the Professor's head before marching up the aisle. (75%)
In the Prime Time Wrestling studio, Gorilla Monsoon and "The Man" Ric Flair introduced their first guest, the Honky Tonk Man, decked out in blue jeans and "Fonzie"-style leather jacket. The Honk was irate as he brought up the double-team assault by Dustin Rhodes & Terry Funk on Saturday Night's Main Event over the weekend, but the Man responded that it was payback for Honky Tonk getting involved in the Stud Stable's WWF Television Tag Team Title shot last week against the Rockers. The former WWF Intercontinental Champion disregarded the comment and explained that it all started last fall when Colonel Robert Lee Fuller made the Natural the "franchise player" of the Stud Stable and dumped the Honk. Honky vowed to make the Greatest Promoter Of All Time regret his decision by adding the Lone Star Stud to his "Greatest Hits" list at WWF March To WrestleMania, but claimed that he wanted to ensure that it would be a one-on-one encounter and challenged Terry Funk to a match next week on Prime Time Wrestling. The Honk promised that he would be dancing all over the Outlaw next week as a message to Dustin. (88%)
Backstage at the arena, Mean Gene Okerlund interviewed Colonel Robert Lee Fuller and Dustin Rhodes, who was getting ready for his bout tonight with Kevin Von Erich. The Colonel informed Mean Gene that Terry Funk was back home at the Double Cross Ranch grappling with bulls, but added that the Outlaw would accept the Honky Tonk Man's challenge for next week. The Lone Star Stud smirked when asked about the Honk's comments and claimed that at WWF March To WrestleMania, he would prove that the Colonel made the right decision. (78%)
"Texas Twister" Kevin Von Erich vs. "The Natural" Dustin Rhodes
Colonel Robert Lee Fuller swaggered out alongside Dustin Rhodes as McMahon and Ventura argued about next week's Honky Tonk Man/Terry Funk match-up. Solid old-school contest with the Lone Star Stud playing the cocky heel as he used his height advantage to overpower the Texas Twister, who rallied back with the fans behind him and disoriented the Natural by utilizing his superior speed and agility. Kevin almost squeezed a submission out of Dustin with the Von Erich Claw, but Dustin made it to the ropes and managed to sidestep the Twister Punch that followed. Rhodes swiftly planted Von Erich with the American Nightmare and hooked the leg for the 1-2-3. (78%)
In the Prime Time studio, Gorilla Monsoon and Ric Flair brought in the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters as their next guests and mentioned the singles bout on Saturday Night's Main Event this weekend pitting Cactus Jack Manson against Razor Ramon. The New Mexican Wildman explained that it would be more money in his pocket if he managed to "bag" the Bad Guy before the Cuban's match-up at WWF March To WrestleMania against Michael Rotunda, but the Man pointed out that the Bounty Hunters would be facing the Big Boss Man & Hawk in less than two weeks and needed to be at 100%. Bam Bam Bigelow responded that the last time they squared off with Hawk & Boss Man in the eight-man encounter, it ended in a double-disqualification because of the beating he and Jack were giving their opponents. The Beast From The East stated that at WWF March To WrestleMania, they wanted to add a stipulation to their match with Hawk & Boss Man: No Disqualification. Cactus shot off a "bang-bang!" in celebration and smiled a sick grin as he challenged the "Legion Of Shopping Mall Security" to accept the No Disqualification stipulation. (90%)
Mean Gene Okerlund was at the arena in the locker room to interview the Big Boss Man & Hawk as they were warming up to meet the Orient Express. Boss Man admitted that it was difficult to prepare for the Express because it could be any combination of the three members, but Hawk growled that it didn't matter since they could demolish Kato, Sato, & Tanaka all at once. When Mean Gene inquired about the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters' challenge for WWF March To WrestleMania, the Boss Man said that the last thing he remembered from that eight-man match-up was Cactus Jack Manson & Bam Bam Bigelow running up the aisle "with ya tails between ya legs, boys!" Hawk officially accepted the No Disqualification stipulation as Okerlund informed him that if they manage to defeat the Orient Express tonight, they would earn a WWF Tag Team Title shot next week against the Powers Of Pain. The former Legion Of Doom member roared his trademark "AHHHHH, WWWWHHHHAAATTTT AAAA RRRRRUUUUUSSSHHHHHH!!" before heading out with the Boss Man. (78%)
The Orient Express (Sato & Tanaka) vs. Hawk & Big Boss Man
Kato seconded Tanaka & Sato, substituting for Mr. Fuji as McMahon explained that the Devious One was still experiencing difficulties with his vision after being misted by the Great Muta on Saturday Night's Main Event. Ventura claimed that the Big Boss Man & Hawk did not deserve a shot at the Powers Of Pain's WWF Tag Team Championship and suggested that it was a favor from WWF President Andre The Giant, but Hawk & Boss Man got a great pop when they came out, and put on a solid tag team affair. The Orient Express got in some double-team offense on the Boss Man, but the faces dominated most of the action and put their Asian foes away when Hawk covered Sato following the Doomsday Device from he and Boss Man. Afterwards, Kato tried to interrupt the victory celebration but Boss Man squashed him with the Boss Man Slam while Hawk press-slammed Tanaka out to the floor. (75%)
In the Prime Time studio, Gorilla Monsoon and Ric Flair announced that the main event this weekend on Saturday Night's Main Event would pit the Gangsters Of Style against their next guests, WWF Intercontinental Champion Ricky Steamboat & WWF Champion Randy Savage. Monsoon welcomed the two titlists, but the Man mentioned that the Macho Man and the Dragon were on opposing sides of the tag team main event at last year's WWF March To WrestleMania, and recalled that Savage's partner was none other than Mr. Perfect. The WWF Champion was quick to point out that they would have won that match if the Flawless One hadn't accidentally whacked him with a metal folding chair, drawing an inquisitive look from Steamboat. Flair added that Savage defeated Steamboat in a Steel Cage match at last year's WWF Battle Lines, but the Dragon cut the Man off and told him to hold his tongue. The WWF Intercontinental Champion explained that that was all in the past, just like his victory over Savage at WrestleMania III, and they were focused on their common enemies on March 29: Rick Rude & Mr. Perfect. The Macho Man raised an eyebrow at Steamboat's WrestleMania comment and muttered that that was five years ago, but Monsoon defused the situation by reminding the two champions about this weekend's bout with the Gangsters Of Style. The Dragon claimed that they would successfully work together to tune up for WWF March To WrestleMania, to which the Macho Man added, "OOOOHHHHHHHH YYEEEEEAAAAAHHHHHH...DIG IT!" (98%)
Mike Tenay was in the backstage hallway of the arena to interview the New British Bulldogs as Davey Boy Smith was preparing for tonight's one-on-one main event against Mr. Perfect. Chris Benoit assured his cousin that he would be watching his back in case the Heenan Family tried to interfere, at which point Bobby Heenan arrived on the scene, flanked by Mr. Perfect & Rick Rude. The Brain had a big grin on his face as he smirked at the New Bulldogs and wished Davey Boy luck tonight, while the Ravishing One invited Benoit to accompany Smith to ringside. The Flawless One shrugged his shoulders and claimed that it didn't matter, because he was going to keep his 1992 undefeated streak intact... "Perfectly." The Heenan Family headed out and told the Bulldogs they would see them out there. (82%)
Mr. Perfect vs. "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan and "Ravishing" Rick Rude, wearing a tracksuit, accompanied Mr. Perfect to ringside, while Chris Benoit seconded Davey Boy Smith as the commentators discussed the match-up at WWF March To WrestleMania featuring Perfect & Rude against Randy Savage & Ricky Steamboat. This was a great main event, as the Flawless One carried the British Bulldog to one of the more stellar bouts in Davey Boy's singles career. The Bulldog started off strong and easily outmuscled the former two-time WWF Intercontinental Champion with hiptosses, back-bodydrops, bodyslams, and press slams, tossing Perfect around like a ragdoll. Perfect bumped like crazy for the Englishman until Rick Rude managed to interfere and trip Smith when he was scooping Perfect up over his shoulder for an early attempt at the Running Powerslam. Perfect crashed down on top of Smith for a near-fall, but referee Joey Marella became distracted by Chris Benoit, who had raced around the ring to confront the Ravishing One and the Brain. This gave Perfect the opportunity to catch Davey Boy with a lowblow from behind and dominate him for the next several minutes with an assortment of scientific holds and maneuvers while Heenan and Rude cheered on their Family member from his corner. The fans rallied behind Davey Boy as he struggled to escape from a camel clutch and finally powered his way to his feet with Perfect sitting on top of his shoulders. Davey Boy fell backwards and slammed Perfect to the canvas before flooring him with a succession of hard clotheslines and headbutts. The Bulldog was on a roll as he dropped Perfect with the delayed vertical suplex and scooped him up for the Running Powerslam, but Rude and Heenan climbed up on the apron to attract the ref's attention. On the other side of the ring, Benoit hopped up on the apron to defend his cousin, but Perfect wiggled out of the Powerslam, landed behind Davey Boy, and then shoved the Bulldog into his own partner. Benoit crashed to the floor as Perfect snared Smith in the Perfectplex for the three-count when the ref returned to the action. Afterwards, the Flawless One joined the Brain and the Ravishing One in the aisleway, as the Heenan Family taunted the booing fans while McMahon and Ventura signed off. (86%)
Overall: 82%
Rating: 5.44
Attendance: 10,004
Ticket Sales: $600,240
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SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 1992 -- NBC/WWF PRESENT: SATURDAY NIGHT'S MAIN EVENT
Marv Albert, "The Professor" Mike Tenay, and "The Man" Ric Flair introduced the LIVE network broadcast and announced the scheduled events for the evening: Cactus Jack Manson going one-on-one with Razor Ramon, Chris Benoit taking on Rick Rude, Roddy Piper in action, WWF Tag Team Champions Powers Of Pain and Paul Ellering on "The Funeral Parlor", and in the main event, WWF Champion Randy Savage & WWF Intercontinental Champion Ricky Steamboat meeting the Gangsters Of Style.
The familiar bagpipes blared as ring announcer Howard "The Fink" Finkel introduced "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, who was greeted with resounding boos from the fans when he made his way down the aisle. Hot Rod happily soaked in the hatred as he took the microphone and talked about his sneak attack last week on Hulk Hogan & Bob Backlund, explaining that if the Hulkster had not tried to drag the All American into his "egomaniacal" posedown routine, they wouldn't have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Scotsman claimed that he wanted some competition tonight to tune up for his tag team clash at WWF March To WrestleMania and challenged anyone in the locker room who had a grudge against him. Flair joked that that could be absolutely anybody, as young Rob Zakowski emerged from the curtains carrying a metal folding chair and pointing to the Rowdy One. Tenay recalled that Piper had pulverized Zakowski with a nasty chairshot two weeks ago as the veteran superstar scoffed at his young opponent. (92%)
"Rowdy" Roddy Piper vs. Rob Zakowski
Rob Zakowski dropped the chair at ringside and springboarded into the squared circle off the top rope with a high bodypress on Roddy Piper for a near-fall right off the bat. Tenay accused Piper of totally underestimating Zakowski and hyped a possible upset as Robbie Z disoriented the Rowdy One with a series of rudimentary martial arts kicks and flips. Eventually, Hot Rod gained the advantage and proceeded to thrash Zakowski from pillar to post before clamping on the Sleeperhold, as referee Danny Marsh dropped Zakowski's arm three times to award the submission to Piper. Afterwards, Piper retrieved the chair from the floor, then pushed the official aside and hammered the unconscious Zakowski across the skull with a brutal chairshot. (70%)
A video aired that showed Dustin Rhodes and Terry Funk at the Double Cross Ranch in Amarillo, Texas, working out during the day and partying at night. The Lone Star Stud complained that the local women were not quite up to par, but the Funker replied that the most important thing was that he and Dustin were ready to tear the Honky Tonk Man and every other WWF superstar limb from limb. Included in the work-out scenes was the appearance of Dory "Hoss" Funk Jr. in jeans and cowboy hat as he helped his brother and Dustin train. As an inside joke to long-time WWF fans, there was a "Lone Ranger" style mask hanging on the wall in the family room, apparently a tribute to Jimmy Jack Funk. The Outlaw claimed that after he massacres Honky Tonk on Prime Time Wrestling this Monday, there would be nothing left of the Honk for the Natural at WWF March To WrestleMania. (82%)
In the dressing room, Mean Gene Okerlund was standing by with Bobby Heenan, Mr. Perfect, and Rick Rude, who was tying up his robe as he prepared to face Chris Benoit. The Brain explained that Benoit had requested tonight's match-up after Perfect "destroyed" Davey Boy Smith on Prime Time Wrestling, and the Ravishing One claimed that it would be his pleasure to accomodate the New British Bulldog. The Flawless One started to say that he would be accompanying Rude and Heenan in case Smith, Ricky Steamboat, or Randy Savage decided to show up, but WWF President Andre The Giant arrived on the scene and informed Perfect that he was barred from ringside. When the Heenan Family protested, Andre responded that the same applied to Davey Boy, the WWF Champion, and the WWF Intercontinental Champion, and stated that the Brain was lucky that he was letting him go to ringside. The WWF President added that Perfect & Rude were also banned from ringside during the main event tonight, threatening an immediate suspension. Unhappy, Rude and Heenan stormed out of the room, leaving Perfect and the Giant to stare each other down. (95%)
Chris Benoit vs. "Ravishing" Rick Rude
Chris Benoit was already warming up in the ring, while Bobby "The Brain" Heenan accompanied Rick Rude as Flair and Tenay argued over WWF President Andre The Giant's "bias" against the Heenan Family. The New British Bulldog was somewhat tentative when he locked up with the Ravishing One, but put on a good performance against the former WWF Intercontinental Champion, exchanging vicious chops and suplexes as Rude continues to really come into his own as a worker. Benoit scored a handful of near-falls, including a beautiful german suplex with a bridge, and looked strong until Rude grinded him down to the mat with a reverse chinlock. The fans rallied behind Benoit as he broke free with a succession of elbows to the midsection and followed up with a series of snap suplexes, causing Tenay to compare Benoit to the Dynamite Kid. Albert predicted an upset as Benoit unleashed a flurry of chops and kicks on Rude, at which point Heenan climbed up on the apron. While referee Randy Anderson admonished the Brain, Davey Boy Smith emerged from the entrance curtain surrounded by several WWF agents who were trying to hold back the British Bulldog. This distracted Benoit long enough for the veteran Ravishing One to blindside the youngster and snap on the Rude Awakening for the three-count. Afterwards, Davey Boy escaped from the officials in the aisleway and chased Rude and Heenan out of the squared circle. (78%)
Following a commercial break, Paul Bearer was on the set of "The Funeral Parlor" and introduced this week's guests: WWF Tag Team Champions Powers Of Pain, led to the stage by Paul Ellering. While Warlord & Barbarian stood behind him grunting and snorting like wild beasts, Precious Paul discussed the depth of the WWF's tag team division, but claimed that all of the tandems currently competing were afraid to challenge his Powers Of Pain. The Precious One pointed out that his Powers had held the title for 10 months and showed no signs of slowing down, explaining that the Hart Foundation had decided to go after the Rockers' WWF Television Tag Team Championship at WWF March To WrestleMania because they realized that they could not defeat the Powers. Ellering advised both the Rockers and the Foundation to concentrate on the TV gold and forget about the WWF Tag Team Title, insinuating that the Powers' belts were more prestigious and out-of-reach. Bearer brought up Prime Time Wrestling this Monday and announced that the Big Boss Man & Hawk would be challenging the WWF Tag Team Champions, but Ellering was confident that Barbarian & Warlord would leave Hawk & Boss Man in a crumpled mess on the canvas like all of their previous opponents. (82%)
Jesse "The Body" Ventura was in the Million Dollar Empire dressing room to interview Ted DiBiase, who was flanked by Michael Rotunda, Virgil, the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters, and the forlorn Miss Elizabeth. The Million Dollar Man was readying Cactus Jack Manson for tonight's solo encounter with Razor Ramon, reminding him that the future of the Empire was resting on his shoulders. The former WWF Champion explained that if the New Mexican Wildman could knock off the Bad Guy this evening, it would save Wall Street some trouble at WWF March To WrestleMania and end the threat of the Cuban immigrant. Cactus promised that he wouldn't let his boss down and headed out the door as DiBiase glared at Elizabeth and shook his head. (89%)
Cactus Jack Manson vs. Razor Ramon
Cactus Jack Manson marched out on his own to an assortments of boos, while Razor Ramon was greeted by a loud pop when he swaggered down the aisle as Tenay mentioned that both competitors would be involved in vital Million Dollar Empire match-ups at WWF March To WrestleMania. This was a somewhat sloppy, roughhouse-style contest that started off with the New Mexican Wildman and the Bad Guy trash-talking each other until Razor hauled off and slapped Jack, who responded with a big right hand. They slugged it out tooth-and-nail as the brawl eventually spilled out to ringside when Manson took Ramon over the top rope with the Cactus Clothesline and dropped the Suicide Plunge from the apron to the floor. The Cuban immigrant displayed his street-fighting skills and gained the advantage when he reversed an Irish-whip and sent Cactus head-first to the ringpost. Flair questioned the effects of such a physical bout on their pay-per-view encounters next week, as Razor and Cactus traded the advantage and went at it toe-to-toe until the Bad Guy caught Jack trying to climb the turnbuckles and brought him down with the Razor's Edge for the 1-2-3. Afterwards, Razor avoided Jack's post-match attack and tossed him out to the floor as the Million Dollar Empire appeared in the aisleway to threaten the Cuban immigrant. (75%)
Mean Gene Okerlund was in the locker room to interview the Gangsters Of Style, who were warming up for the evening's main event against Ricky Steamboat & Randy Savage as Slick was laid out on a bench with Bad News Brown standing over him. The Doctor Of Style had a thermometer in his mouth as he claimed that he was "deathly ill" and unable to be at ringside for Paul Roma & Stan Lane tonight. As the Slickster moaned and groaned, Bobby Heenan walked into the room and offered to manage the Gangsters for one night only. Slick thanked the Brain and told the Gangsters to make him proud as they headed out with Heenan. (79%)
The Gangsters Of Style ("Sweet" Stan Lane & Paul "Romeo" Roma) vs. "Macho Man" Randy Savage & Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan accompanied the Gangsters Of Style as Flair hoped that Slick would feel better soon, while Tenay suggested that the Doctor Of Style wasn't really sick. WWF Intercontinental Champion Ricky Steamboat got a great reaction when he walked out and waited at ringside as "Pomp & Circumstance" cranked up, bringing out WWF Champion Randy Savage to a thunderous ovation. The two superfaces charged into the squared circle and kicked off a four-way brouhaha that resulted in the Macho Man and the Dragon clearing Paul Roma & Stan Lane out to the floor, where they huddled with the Brain. A hot tag team main event ensued that saw the Gangsters utilize their superior tag team abilities to isolate the Dragon and work him over in their corner, exploiting Steamboat's damaged arm as Heenan shouted out directions. Albert hyped the Gangsters' scheduled rematch at WWF March To WrestleMania against Fire & Ice as Sweet Stan & Romeo Roma used quick tags and crisp double-teams to score several near-falls on the WWF Intercontinental Champion. When Steamboat tried to mount a comeback, Heenan interfered and tripped him up, at which point WWF President Andre The Giant lumbered out and dragged the Brain up the aisle. This gave Steamboat the opening he needed to counter an attempted double-team and make the hot tag to the Macho Man, who rushed in and cleaned house on both Gangsters. The WWF Champion dumped Romeo out to ringside and climbed to the top turnbuckle, diving all the way down to the floor with the flying double-axhandle on Roma. Meanwhile in the ring, Steamboat knocked Lane down with the Reign Of Fire from the top turnbuckle, laying the Sweet One out long enough for Savage to drop the Flying Elbowdrop and hook the leg to earn the win. (77%)
After the match, Randy Savage & Ricky Steamboat celebrated their victory and soaked in the cheers of the crowd until Mr. Perfect & Rick Rude raced out and hit the ring, assaulting the Dragon and the Macho Man from behind. The WWF Intercontinental Champion and the WWF Champion tried to fight off their attackers, but were too worn out from their match and fell victim to the Heenan Family members. The fans booed loudly as the Ravishing One snapped the Rude Awakening on the Dragon while the Flawless One snared the Macho Man in the Perfectplex. Perfect & Rude stood over Savage & Steamboat and raised their arms triumphantly as the commentators hyped WWF March To WrestleMania and the program faded to black. (97%)
Overall: 84%
Rating: 6.51
Attendance: 10,038
Ticket Sales: $602,280
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SUNDAY, MARCH 22, 1992 -- WWF SUPERSTARS OF WRESTLING
* Hosts: Gorilla Monsoon and "The Man" Ric Flair.
* The Hellraisers ("Dr. Death" Steve Williams & Terry "Bruiser" Gordy) vs. Louie Spicolli & Scott Taylor: Complete tag team massacre to kick things off as the Hellraisers demolished their opponents and finished them off when the Bruiser covered Louie Spicolli following the Death Dealer from he and Dr. Death. (74%)
* Sean Mooney came to ringside afterwards to interview Colonel Robert Lee Fuller, who accepted the Bushwhackers' open challenge on behalf of the Hellraisers for tomorrow evening's Prime Time Wrestling. (75%)
* A video aired that recapped the string of victories that Fire & Ice had amassed since making their WWF debut one month ago, over the Gangsters Of Style, the Southern Kids, the Conquistadors, the Enforcers, and the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers. The video hyped their rematch with the Gangsters at WWF March To WrestleMania and announced that Al Snow & Doug Furnas would be meeting the Great Muta & Abdullah The Butcher next weekend on Saturday Night's Main Event. (84%)
* Fire & Ice (Doug "The Tank" Furnas & Al "Ice Man" Snow) vs. State Patrol (Sgt. Buddy Ray Parker & Lt. James Earl Wright): Basic competitive bout that ended when the Ice Man pinned Lt. Wright after the Force Of Nature by he and the Tank. (68%)
* Lord Alfred Hayes interviewed Michael Rotunda, who claimed that he would personally deport Razor Ramon from the WWF next week at WWF March To WrestleMania. (76%)
* Michael "Wall Street" Rotunda vs. Al Perez: Another float in the squash parade, as Rotunda put Perez away with the Write Off. (69%)
* Following Mean Gene Okerlund's "WWF Update" segment, Sean Mooney interviewed Bob Backlund, who talked about the tag team bout at WWF March To WrestleMania pitting he and Hulk Hogan against Roddy Piper and a mystery partner. (88%)
* Bob Backlund vs. "Dangerous" Danny Davis: Entertaining match-up in which the All American easily wrestled circles around the Dangerous One and forced him to submit to the Cross Face Chicken Wing. (76%)
* Sean Mooney interviewed Mr. Fuji, the Great Muta, & Abdullah The Butcher as they were preparing to face the Nasty Boys. The Devious One claimed that he was still blinded and informed Muta that he had better make it up to him by winning tonight's main event. (74%)
* Lord Alfred Hayes interviewed the Nasty Boys, who roared about toppling Abdullah The Butcher & The Great Muta this evening and harrassed Lord Alfred before heading out. (78%)
* The Great Muta & Abdullah The Butcher vs. The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs & Jerry Saggs): Solid slugfest of a main event, as the Nasty Boys controlled the Dojo members with their superior tag team skills. Abdullah & Muta did not get along very well but their savagery allowed them to take the advantage a few times. In the end, Knobbs collapsed to the canvas when he tried to scoop up Muta, clutching his side and coughing. The Asian Sensation swiftly ascended to the top turnbuckle and flattened Knobbs with the Rising Sun for the 1-2-3 while the Butcher attacked Saggs on the floor. (80%)
Overall: 76%
Rating: 5.34
Attendance: 10,040
Ticket Sales: $602,400
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During the WWF Update on Superstars Of Wrestling, Mean Gene Okerlund ran through the card for WWF March To WrestleMania on Sunday, March 29...
Randy Savage & Ricky Steamboat vs. Mr. Perfect & Rick Rude
WWF Television Tag Team Title Match: The Rockers [champions] vs. The Hart Foundation
Hulk Hogan & Bob Backlund vs. Roddy Piper & TBA
Razor Ramon vs. Michael Rotunda
No Disqualification Match: Hawk & Big Boss Man vs. The Million Dollar Bounty Hunters
Honky Tonk Man vs. Dustin Rhodes
Fire & Ice vs. The Gangsters Of Style
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MONDAY, MARCH 9, 1992 -- WWF PRIME TIME WRESTLING
Vince McMahon and Jesse "The Body" Ventura kicked off the program LIVE from ringside and hyped the evening's lineup, featuring Dustin Rhodes & Terry Funk challenging the Rockers for the WWF Television Tag Team Championship in the main event, the Nasty Boys meeting the Destruction Crew, Matt Borne taking on Michael Rotunda (?), the Undertaker facing the Conquistadors in a handicap match-up, and in the studio: Razor Ramon, the Commonwealth Connection, and Fire & Ice.
"Maniac" Matt Borne vs. Michael "Wall Street" Rotunda
Matt Borne was already in the ring when the former Irwin R. Schyster was introduced, still dressed in tie and suspenders, flanked by Ted DiBiase and Virgil, as McMahon wondered where Miss Elizabeth was. The commentators glossed over Michael Rotunda's name change, but the dirt sheets reported this week that the Internal Revenue Service had threatened a lawsuit against the WWF if they didn't drop the IRS character. Ventura put over Wall Street's financial acumen and his victory over Jake Roberts last week, as Rotunda and the Maniac put on a nice wrestling clinic, exchanging holds and counterholds while McMahon brought up the Million Dollar Empire's recent issues with Razor Ramon. After a back-and-forth match-up, Wall Street put the Maniac away with the Necktie. (78%)
After the match, Michael Rotunda tossed Matt Borne out to the floor while Vince McMahon left the broadcast position and stepped into the ring with the microphone to interview Ted DiBiase. The Million Dollar Man blamed Miss Elizabeth for the "public humiliation" suffered by the Million Dollar Empire last week when Razor Ramon ran out and chased them off, and explained that he had left her at one of his many mansions under the care of Bam Bam Bigelow & Cactus Jack Manson. The former WWF Champion called Razor out and claimed that he was ready to meet him face-to-face, but McMahon pointed out that the Bad Guy was in the Prime Time Wrestling studio for an interview. DiBiase insulted Ramon's machismo and declared that if the Cuban immigrant wanted him one-on-one, he would first have to "take a stroll down Wall Street" at WWF March To WrestleMania. Wall Street grinned deviously and warned Razor that he was still in contact with his friends in Washington about the Cuban's immigrant status, threatening to dismantle the Bad Guy inside the ring and out. DiBiase laughed heartily and shook hands with Rotunda as "Money, Money, Money" cranked up and they exited the squared circle with Virgil. (81%)
In the Prime Time Wrestling studio, Gorilla Monsoon and "The Man" Ric Flair briefly discussed Ted DiBiase's challenge before introducing Razor Ramon as their first guest. The Cuban immigrant's Latino temper was already flaring up as he stated that if the studio in Connecticut wasn't so far from the arena in California, he would have stormed out and "carved up" the Million Dollar Man, Michael Rotunda, Virgil, and anybody else who wanted a piece of the Bad Guy. Monsoon inquired whether Ramon was interested in DiBiase's offer for WWF March To WrestleMania, to which Razor responded that he would slice through the entire Million Dollar Empire to get to DiBiase, accepting the challenge. Razor mentioned that he couldn't wait until March 29 to get his hands on a member of the Empire and criticized DiBiase for leaving Miss Elizabeth at home with the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters. When the Man advised the Bad Guy to mind his own business, Razor claimed that the Million Dollar Man didn't know how to treat a lady and expressed remorse at inadvertently punching the First Lady Of Wrestling a few months ago, adding that he wanted to make it up to her somehow. Ramon promised that when he and Wall Street tangle at WWF March To WrestleMania, the Bad Guy would be the sole survivor when the dust settled. (90%)
Handicap Match: The Conquistadors (Conquistador #1 & Conquistador #2) vs. The Undertaker
Paul Bearer led his Undertaker down the aisle, holding the urn in front of him, as Ventura suggested that the Dead Man had to start competing in handicap bouts because the other WWF superstars were too scared to lock up with him one-on-one. Basic semi-competitive 2-on-1 contest, as the Pale Destroyer dominated most of the match-up with his supernatural strength, although the masked men got in some double-team offense. However, they were unable to knock him off of his feet, and the Grim Reaper finished them off when he buried #1 with the Tombstone. Afterwards, the Undertaker caught #2 when he dove from the top turnbuckle and chokeslammed him on top of his fellow Conquistador. (74%)
In the Prime Time studio, Gorilla Monsoon and Ric Flair announced that this weekend on Saturday Night's Main Event, the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers would be meeting their next guests, Fire & Ice, who both wore WWF t-shirts and track pants, looking very serious. Monsoon congratulated Fire & Ice on their string of success thus far in the WWF, including the win over the Enforcers yesterday on Superstars, but Doug Furnas replied that they couldn't rest on their laurels quite yet since they had to deal with the Rougeaus on the weekend. Al Snow brought up the Gangsters Of Style's ambush on "The Funeral Parlor" and referred to the Tank and himself as a "tag team machine", similar to Arnold Schwarzenegger's "Terminator" in that they would keep getting back up and coming after Paul Roma & Stan Lane at WWF March To WrestleMania. The Ice Man vowed to put the other tag teams in the WWF in a "deep freeze" en route to chasing the WWF Tag Team Championship. (74%)
Backstage at the arena, Mean Gene Okerlund interviewed Bobby Heenan and the Destruction Crew, who were getting ready to square off against the Nasty Boys tonight. The Brain admitted that Jerry Saggs & Brian Knobbs were a couple of "bad apples" but claimed that Mike Enos & Wayne Bloom were tuning up for a run at the WWF Television Tag Team Championship and could not be stopped. (89%)
The Destruction Crew (Wayne "The Train" Bloom & Mike "The Machine" Enos) vs. The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs & Jerry Saggs)
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan accompanied his Destruction Crew, while the Nasty Boys got a nice pop when they came out, as the commentators talked about how both squads would be watching tonight's WWF Television Tag Team Title main event very closely. This was a well-worked, roughhouse-style tag team contest, as the Nasties and the Crew traded the advantage several times and displayed great double-team skills. Wayne Bloom & Mike Enos utilized quick tags to control Jerry Saggs and score a number of near-falls, but Saggs mounted a comeback and made the hot tag to Brian Knobbs, who charged in and cleaned house. Saggs knocked the Machine out to the floor and brawled with him at ringside while on the inside, Knobbs unloaded on the Train with punches and clotheslines. However, as Enos reversed an Irish-whip at ringside and sent Saggs sailing into the ringpost, Knobbs was scooping up Bloom over his shoulder for a powerslam, but suddenly collapsed and clutched his side, hollering in pain. At the directions of the Brain, the Crew took advantage of the situation as the Machine returned to the ring and helped to spike Knobbs with the Wrecking Ball, giving the deciding pinfall to the Train. Afterwards, a happy Heenan left with Enos & Bloom, while Saggs checked on his fellow Nasty Boy as McMahon wondered what happened. (78%)
In the Prime Time studio, Gorilla Monsoon and Ric Flair hyped the main event for Saturday Night's Main Event this weekend pitting Hulk Hogan & Bob Backlund against their next guests, the Commonwealth Connection. Monsoon referred to the match-up as the biggest test to date in Owen Hart's young career, which the second-generation grappler agreed with and stated that it would be an honor to step into the ring against two of the greatest WWF Champions of all time. The Dynamite Kid cut his partner off and admitted that while Backlund & Hogan were two of the most successful and popular superstars in the history of the WWF, the Connection were going to lay them both out, just like they did to the All American. When Gorilla asked why Dynamite prevented Owen from accepting Backlund's handshake last week, the Kid sneered and replied that he was teaching his more inexperienced partner that respect means nothing in the WWF. Dynamite explained how he had the respect of the entire locker room for his innovative offense during his first stint in the WWF, but all he had to show for it now was chronic back pain and the jeers of the fans. The Kid warned Hart not to make the same mistakes and promised that they would put down Hogan & Backlund on Saturday evening. (80%)
Mean Gene Okerlund was at the arena in the locker room to interview Colonel Robert Fuller along with Terry Funk & Dustin Rhodes as they were gearing up for the main event against WWF Television Tag Team Champions the Rockers. The Outlaw claimed that they had some unfinished business with Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels for sticking their noses where they didn't belong at WWF Battle Lines, while the Greatest Promoter Of All Time rambled about how good his Stud Stable would look draped in gold. The Lone Star Stud predicted that the TV belts would be the first of many titles to come his way before they all headed out together. (73%)
WWF Television Tag Team Title Match: The Rockers (Shawn Michaels & Marty Jannetty) [champions] vs. "The Natural" Dustin Rhodes & "The Outlaw" Terry Funk
Colonel Robert Lee Fuller swaggered out alongside Dustin Rhodes & Terry Funk, while the WWF Television Tag Team Champions received a mostly female pop upon their entrance. The Stud Stable went on the offensive right off the hop, ambushing the Rockers when they slid in under the bottom rope and dumping Shawn Michaels back out to the floor. The Outlaw and the Natural isolated Marty Jannetty early on and used classic tag team skills to control him, as they frequently tagged in and out, taking turns working him over and scoring near-falls until Marty floored the Funker with a high cross-bodyblock off the ropes and made the tag to Shawn. Michaels sprang into the ring and unleashed a beautiful series of dropkicks to knock down both Funk & Rhodes numerous times before sending the Lone Star Stud out through the ropes with a sweet flying forearm. Once Jannetty had recovered enough on the apron, the Rockers utilized quick tags to wear down Funk and score a handful of near-falls, as the former NWA World Heavyweight Champion sold his ass off and made the Masters Of Motion look like a million bucks. Eventually, the Colonel interfered and grabbed Shawn's leg behind referee Tim White's back, holding Michaels long enough for Funk to strike with a kneelift and drag the Rocker back to the Stud Stable corner. The Natural and Michaels had some great exchanges, as Rhodes & Funk held onto the advantage and dominated Michaels with Fuller occasionally interfering, until the Honky Tonk Man finally raced down to ringside and blindsided the Greatest Promoter Of All Time. This distracted Funk and allowed Michaels to make the hot tag, as the Rockers surprised the Outlaw with a picture-perfect double superkick that McMahon called "Sweet Chin Music". While Dustin and the Honk scuffled on the floor, Jannetty covered Funk for the three-count to retain the WWF Television Tag Team Championship. (86%)
Following the bell, a groggy Terry Funk rolled out to the floor and assisted Dustin Rhodes in brawling with the Honky Tonk Man up the aisle as Colonel Robert Fuller and a swarm of WWF officials tried to get involved. Meanwhile in the ring, Shawn Michaels snatched the WWF Television Tag Team Title belts from the referee and passed one to Marty Jannetty as the Rockers celebrated another successful championship defense. Unexpectedly, the Hart Foundation made their way down the aisle, nonchalantly passing by the situation with the Stud Stable and the Honk as Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart stepped into the squared circle while Vince McMahon joined them with a microphone. The WWF Television Tag Team Champions demanded to know what the Foundation wanted, so the Hit Man pointed at the USA Network video wall, which lit up with footage from the February 29 Saturday Night's Main Event of Michaels cheapshotting Hart with a superkick to the side of the face as Hart was turning to leave the ring. Shawn blamed Bret and recalled his anger at the fact that the Foundation had just gotten them disqualified against the Powers Of Pain, but the Anvil accused the Rockers of jealousy since the Foundation were named 1991's Tag Team Of The Year, adding that they were also former two-time WWF Tag Team Champions and successful singles wrestlers as well, unlike the Rockers. In an "ooohh" moment, Michaels smirked at Neidhart and responded that only one of the two Foundation members had any hope of a solo career, and pointed out which tag team was currently holding a championship. Jannetty interrupted Michaels and stated that if they really wanted to find out who the better tag team was, the Masters Of Motion would be eager to put the WWF Television Tag Team Title on the line at WWF March To WrestleMania against the Hart Foundation. This seemed to shock Michaels a bit, but Hart quickly accepted the offer and commented that they would be looking forward to the opportunity to prove why the Foundation were "the best there is, the best there was, and the best...there ever will be." Neidhart & Hart then exited to the floor and headed up the aisle as the Rockers stood in the ring with their TV belts while Ventura signed off. (80%)
Overall: 80%
Rating: 5.44
Attendance: 10,017
Ticket Sales: $601,020
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SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 1992 -- NBC/WWF PRESENT: SATURDAY NIGHT'S MAIN EVENT
Marv Albert, "The Professor" Mike Tenay, and "The Man" Ric Flair opened the LIVE network broadcast with a rundown of the evening's scheduled events, including the Honky Tonk Man taking on the Great Muta, the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers facing Fire & Ice, the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters in tag team action, WWF Intercontinental Champion Ricky Steamboat on "The Funeral Parlor", and in the main event, Hulk Hogan & Bob Backlund meeting the Commonwealth Connection.
In the locker room, Jesse "The Body" Ventura did his part to hype tonight's show and interviewed Jimmy Hart and the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers, who were preparing for their match-up against Fire & Ice. The Mouth Of The South expressed his disappointment that the Enforcers could not defeat Al Snow & Doug Furnas last week on Superstars, but Raymond & Jacques assured their manager that they would end the newcomers' winning streak...NEXT! (73%)
Fire & Ice (Doug "The Tank" Furnas & Al "Ice Man" Snow) vs. The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers (Jacques & Raymond Rougeau)
Jimmy Hart escorted his Fabulous Rougeau Brothers while Flair pondered what effect Fire & Ice's hectic schedule would have on their rematch with the Gangsters Of Style at WWF March To WrestleMania. Energetic fast-paced opener, as the Rougeaus attempted to prove that they could still hang with the younger tag teams and did so, controlling Al Snow until he broke free and made the hot tag to Doug Furnas. After singlehandedly cleaning house, the Tank tagged the Ice Man back in and they executed the Force Of Nature on Jacques, giving Snow the pinfall. (77%)
Mean Gene Okerlund was in the dressing room to interview the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters. When Mean Gene tried to ask them about their upcoming match at WWF March To WrestleMania against the Big Boss Man & Hawk, Cactus Jack Manson interrupted him and brought up Razor Ramon's comments from Prime Time Wrestling about getting his hands on a member of the Million Dollar Empire. The New Mexican Wildman stated that he would accept that challenge, but Bam Bam Bigelow claimed that he wanted to collect the bounty. They decided to settle it with a pretty funny best-out-of-three "Rock, Paper, Scissors" contest that the Beast From The East lost. Bam Bam congratulated Cactus Jack, who celebrated with a "BANG BANG!" before they headed out. (86%)
The Million Dollar Bounty Hunters (Bam Bam Bigelow & Cactus Jack Manson) vs. Louie Spicolli & Scott Taylor
The Million Dollar Bounty Hunters marched out to the heavy-metal "Money, Money, Money" riff as Albert received word that the bout between Cactus Jack Manson and Razor Ramon would take place next week on Saturday Night's Main Event. Complete tag team massacre, as the Bounty Hunters dominated their opponents and finished them off when Bam Bam Bigelow covered Scott Taylor following the Jersey Devil while Cactus Jack drilled Louie Spicolli with the Bang Bang on the floor. (73%)
Backstage, cameras showed a meeting amongst Mr. Fuji and his Dojo. The Devious One scolded his three Orient Express members for losing to the Bushwhackers & Koko B. Ware last week and ordered the Great Muta to make the Honky Tonk Man suffer tonight, but Muta pointed at the starved-looking Abdullah The Butcher and uttered something in Japanese. Fuji hissed back in his broken English that the Madman Of The Sudan would eat when he said so and added that food made Abdullah weak, but hunger made him strong. Muta shook his head and walked away, while Fuji directed Kato, Tanaka, & Sato to keep the Butcher backstage and waddled after the Asian Sensation. (81%)
The Great Muta vs. Honky Tonk Man
Mr. Fuji waddled out behind his Great Muta, who was actually given a mixed reception from the fans as Flair put over the Asian Sensation's world-class talent. The Honky Tonk Man got a good reaction when he danced down the aisle while the commentators hyped his bout with Dustin Rhodes at WWF March To WrestleMania, and engaged in a very good match-up with the Great One, selling like crazy for Muta's lethal combination of martial arts and fast-paced aerial artistry. The Honk fought back with his own offense and used his edge in experience to take advantage of Muta's mistakes, scoring a few near-falls with a backslide, a small package, and a sunset flip, as Tenay reminded viewers that Honky Tonk was the longest-reigning WWF Intercontinental Champion of all time. Muta regained control and looked great until Honky rolled out of the way of the Rising Sun from the top turnbuckle. The fans rallied behind the Honk as he struck Muta with lefts and rights and set him up for the Shake Rattle & Roll, but Fuji climbed up on the apron and began waving his cane. This allowed Muta to escape from Honky and spew the yellow mist, but the Honk ducked and Muta accidentally sprayed Fuji in the face, causing him to crash to the floor. The Honk swiftly took Muta down with the Shake Rattle & Roll and hooked the leg for the 1-2-3. (82%)
Afterwards, the Great Muta stumbled out to the floor and checked on Mr. Fuji, helping him up and apologizing in Japanese as they headed up the aisle. Meanwhile, the Honky Tonk Man began to celebrate his victory, but Dustin Rhodes and Colonel Robert Lee Fuller swaggered into the ring and interrupted him. The Honk went nose-to-nose with the Natural and exchanged words until Terry Funk stormed the squared circle and attempted to blindside the former WWF Intercontinental Champion. However, Honky Tonk turned in time and blocked the Outlaw's assault, firing back with his own lefts and rights. Honky fought valiantly but the Lone Star Stud and the Colonel helped the Funker batter the Honk, before Funk & Rhodes planted the Memphis native with a spike Double Cross Driver similar to the one used on Shane Douglas at WWF Battle Lines. The crowd booed as the Stud Stable left the Honk laid out flat on his back. (76%)
Following a commercial break, Paul Bearer was on the set of "The Funeral Parlor" and introduced this week's guest, WWF Intercontinental Champion Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, dressed conservatively with the title belt over his shoulder. Bearer welcomed Steamboat back to the WWF from his injury, but the Dragon recalled that the last time he visited the Parlor was when Rick Rude and Bobby Heenan double-crossed him and put him out of action by slamming his arm in one of the caskets. Steamboat thanked Bret Hart for coming to his defense and brought up last week's tag team main event, after which the Ravishing One & Mr. Perfect mercilessly hammered him 2-on-1. The WWF Intercontinental Champion admitted that Rude pinned his shoulders to the mat last week, but dared the Heenan Family members to come out and meet him face-to-face. The Brain finally walked out onto the stage along with Perfect & Rude, who talked trash to Steamboat and went to lunge at him but "Pomp And Circumstance" fired up and the fans erupted as WWF Champion "Macho Man" Randy Savage made his way out. The Macho Man stood beside the Dragon and stuck his hand out for a cautious handshake with the Flawless One, congratulating him for winning the 30-man 1992 Royal Rumble and earning the WWF Title shot at WrestleMania VIII. Perfect responded that Savage was shaking hands with the next WWF Champion and bragged that he was undefeated thus far in 1992, at which point Steamboat challenged the former two-time WWF Intercontinental Champion to "put up or shut up" and suggested a tag team match-up at WWF March To WrestleMania pitting Steamboat & Savage against Rude & Perfect. Rude accepted the offer and claimed that it would be his pleasure to pin the WWF Intercontinental Champion again. Suddenly, Perfect tried to attack Savage, but the WWF Champion blocked it and opened up on the Flawless One with fists and elbows while Steamboat and Rude struggled with each other. A sea of WWF agents and officials eventually flooded out to separate the superstars as Albert hyped the tag team war between Perfect & Rude and Savage & Steamboat for WWF March To WrestleMania. (87%)
Mean Gene Okerlund was in the locker room to interview Bob Backlund & Hulk Hogan as they were warming up for the evening's main event against the Commonwealth Connection. The Hulkster kicked things off with "Well ya know, Mean Gene..." as always, and proceeded to rant about the upcoming tag team contest at WWF March To WrestleMania against Roddy Piper and a partner to be determined. The All American mentioned the attack on him by the Dynamite Kid & Owen Hart following a singles win over Owen, and predicted that it would be a different story tonight with the odds evened. The Immortal One advised the Rowdy Scot and any potential partners to watch the match this evening, and finished by asking the Connection: "WHATCHA GONNA DO WHEN THE HULKSTER, THE MILLIONS OF HULKAMANIACS WATCHING ON NBC, AND THE ALL AMERICAN RUN WILD ON YOU?!?!" (88%)
The Commonwealth Connection (Dynamite Kid & Owen Hart) vs. "The Immortal" Hulk Hogan & Bob Backlund
While the Commonwealth Connection made their entrance, footage was shown from the March 2 Prime Time Wrestling of Owen Hart submitting to Bob Backlund's Cross Face Chicken Wing, then about to shake hands with the All American afterwards until the Dynamite Kid intervened and helped drill the former WWF Champion with the Union Spike. "Real American" cranked up and the fans exploded as Hulk Hogan marched down the aisle followed by Bob Backlund, greeting little Hulkamaniacs around ringside. This heated main event got underway when the Hulkster and the Dynamite Kid stared each other down and exchanged pleasantries before locking up collar-and-elbow. The Immortal One started off strong, outmuscling the Kid several times and tagging out to the All American, who came in like a man possessed but eventually succumbed to the treachery of the Commonwealth Connection, as Hart caught Backlund with a knee from the apron. Dynamite & Owen held onto the advantage and utilized quick tags and smooth teamwork to wear down the former WWF Champion's back, as Tenay recalled that Hart punished Backlund's spine during their previous one-on-one encounter. Both the Kid & Hart scored several near-falls, while Flair questioned whom Roddy Piper would select as his partner for WWF March To WrestleMania and suggested either member of the Connection due to their impressive showing tonight. Backlund mounted a comeback when he avoided a missile dropkick from the top turnbuckle by Hart and grabbed Owen's legs, catapulting him toward the face corner, where Hogan clobbered him with a roundhouse right. The All American made the hot tag to the Hulkster, who rushed in as Dynamite raced in from his corner, kicking off a pier-six brawl. Amidst the chaos, Hogan Irish-whipped Hart into the ropes and dropped him with the big foot to the face on the rebound before squashing him with the Hulkster Legdrop to earn the three-count. (84%)
After the match, the Dynamite Kid scolded Owen Hart as they headed up the aisle, while Hulk Hogan performed his famous posedown routine and tried to get Bob Backlund to join him. The fans cheered as the All American resisted and informed the Immortal One that he didn't like to show off. While Hogan & Backlund were having their discussion, Roddy Piper ran in out of nowhere and pasted the Hulkster with a chairshot across the back of the skull. Before Backlund could do anything, Hot Rod whacked him over the head with the chair and stated that he was only trying to help Backlund realize what a monster Hogan was. The Rowdy One quickly bailed out and taunted the audience from the aisleway as Albert, Tenay, and Flair closed the program. (90%)
Overall: 82%
Rating: 6.78
Attendance: 10,033
Ticket Sales: $601,980
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SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 1992 -- WWF SUPERSTARS OF WRESTLING
* Hosts: Gorilla Monsoon and "The Man" Ric Flair.
* Non-Title Match: Powers Of Pain (Barbarian & Warlord) vs. Duane Gill & Barry Hardy: Squash city for the WWF Tag Team Champions, who finished off their opponents when the Barbarian covered Duane Gill following the Apocalypse by he and the Warlord. (65%)
* Lord Alfred Hayes interviewed Abdullah The Butcher and Mr. Fuji, who claimed that he could not see anything since the Great Muta inadvertently spewed yellow mist in his eyes on Saturday Night's Main Event last night. (73%)
* Abdullah The Butcher vs. Jamie Dundee: Jamie Dundee tried to knock Abdullah off-balance early on, but the ravenous Butcher shrugged it off and massacred the youngster before ending his misery with the Meat Cleaver. (69%)
* A video aired that recapped the recent events between Razor Ramon and the Million Dollar Empire, specifically Michael "Wall Street" Rotunda. Wall Street was shown (as Irwin R. Schyster, but with all references to the name edited out) bashing the Bad Guy with the briefcase and busting him wide open, as the Rotunda/Ramon match-up for WWF March To WrestleMania was hyped. The video ended by reminding viewers that Razor would be facing Bam Bam Bigelow next weekend on Saturday Night's Main Event. (87%)
* Sean Mooney interviewed Ax, Smash, & Crush of Demolition, who declared that they still had unfinished business with the Hellraisers and looked forward to settling the score. (84%)
* Demolition (Smash & Crush) vs. Brooklyn Brawler & Iron Mike Sharpe: A plodding, semi-competitive bout with some entertaining crowd heat that ended when Crush pinned the Brawler following the Decapitation Kneedrop by he and Smash. (68%)
* Backstage, the Great Muta was shown expressing remorse and apologizing in Japanese to the blinded Mr. Fuji. The Devious One informed the Asian Sensation that Muta "owed" him for what happened last night and that Muta would have to atone for his sins as long as Fuji was sightless. (75%)
* The Great Muta vs. Bill Dundee: Solid little encounter between the veteran and the Asian Sensation, who kept bowing to Mr. Fuji when he was in control. Muta took the three-count after flattening Dundee with the Rising Sun. (74%)
* Following Mean Gene Okerlund's "WWF Update" segment, Lord Alfred Hayes interviewed Superfly Snuka & Papa Shango, who vowed to put a hex on all the other tag teams in the WWF, including the Hart Foundation this evening. (70%)
* Sean Mooney interviewed the Hart Foundation, who were anticipating their WWF Television Tag Team Championship bout at WWF March To WrestleMania against the Rockers, but assured Mooney that they were not looking past tonight's encounter with Papa Shango & Superfly Snuka, putting them over as a very dangerous combination. (85%)
* Papa Shango & "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka vs. The Hart Foundation (Bret "Hit Man" Hart & Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart): Surprisingly energetic tag team affair, as Papa Shango kept up with the Hart Foundation and used the zombified Jimmy Snuka to punish Bret Hart for a great heat segment. The Hit Man eventually escaped and the former two-time WWF Tag Team Champions wrapped things up when the Anvil covered the Superfly following the Hart Attack from he and Bret. (85%)
Overall: 76%
Rating: 5.12
Attendance: 10,003
Ticket Sales: $600,180
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During the WWF Update on Superstars Of Wrestling, Mean Gene Okerlund ran through the updated card for WWF March To WrestleMania on Sunday, March 29...
Randy Savage & Ricky Steamboat vs. Mr. Perfect & Rick Rude
WWF Television Tag Team Title Match: The Rockers [champions] vs. The Hart Foundation
Hulk Hogan & Bob Backlund vs. Roddy Piper & TBA
Razor Ramon vs. Michael Rotunda
Hawk & Big Boss Man vs. The Million Dollar Bounty Hunters
Honky Tonk Man vs. Dustin Rhodes
Fire & Ice vs. The Gangsters Of Style
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MONDAY, MARCH 2, 1992 -- WWF PRIME TIME WRESTLING
Vince McMahon and Jesse "The Body" Ventura began the show LIVE from ringside and ran down tonight's program, including Irwin R. Schyster taking on Jake Roberts in the main event, Bob Backlund locking up with Owen Hart, the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters meeting the Texas Twister & Matt Borne, the Birdwhackers facing the Orient Express, and much more.
The Birdwhackers (Luke & Koko) vs. The Orient Express (Kato & Tanaka)
McMahon announced that WWF President Andre The Giant had barred Tanaka & Sato from wearing Kato-style masks, as Mr. Fuji waddled out with all three members of his Orient Express and chose Tanaka & Kato to compete while he and Sato stood at ringside. This was a very solid opening contest that went back-and-forth as all four competitors put on an inspired performance and traded the advantage with traditional tag team tactics. In the end, Sato tripped up Luke, who fell victim to the Banzai Drop from Kato & Tanaka and was pinned by the masked man. Afterwards, the Orient Express triad thrashed the Birdwhackers 3-on-2 until Bushwhacker Butch charged down the aisle to make the save. Returning from a neck injury, Butch assisted Luke & Koko in driving the Orient Express out through the ropes with the Battering Ram and marched around the squared circle for the cheering fans. (74%)
In the Prime Time Wrestling studio, Gorilla Monsoon and "The Man" Ric Flair announced that there would be an eight-man tag team match-up this weekend on Saturday Night's Main Event pitting the Hellraisers & Million Dollar Bounty Hunters against their first guests, the combination of Demolition, the Big Boss Man, & Hawk. When Monsoon brought up the recent tensions among the four tag teams, Ax barked that the upcoming eight-man encounter might be the only way to settle their issues and commented that he never thought he would be on the same side as Hawk. The Big Boss Man admitted that he and Hawk weren't "best friends" with Smash & Crush but explained that they all shared a common goal: to make Bam Bam Bigelow, Cactus Jack Manson, Terry Gordy, & Steve Williams serve "hard time" this Saturday evening. Smash roared that he couldn't wait to "kick their stinkin' teeth down their stinkin' throats" before Hawk hollered out some violent threats of his own and added, "OOHHHHHH WWWWWHHHHHAAAATTTT A RRRRUUUUUSSSSSHHHHHHH!" (81%)
Backstage at the arena, Mean Gene Okerlund interviewed the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters, who predicted that they would tear through Matt Borne & Kevin Von Erich tonight in preparation for the eight-man tag team contest on Saturday Night's Main Event this weekend. Bam Bam Bigelow warned that he and Cactus Jack Manson still hadn't forgotten their 1992 Royal Rumble eliminations at the hands of the Big Boss Man & Hawk, while the New Mexican Wildman explained that he and the Beast From The East were aiming to eliminate Hawk & Boss Man... "permanently. BANG BANG!" (85%)
"Texas Twister" Kevin Von Erich & "Maniac" Matt Borne vs. The Million Dollar Bounty Hunters (Bam Bam Bigelow & Cactus Jack Manson)
The Million Dollar Bounty Hunters marched out to a pretty cool new heavy-metal version of "Money, Money, Money" made exclusively for them and snarled at the fans as McMahon plugged the eight-man tag team encounter on Saturday Night's Main Event. This was a solid physical match-up that Cactus Jack Manson & Bam Bam Bigelow controlled throughout with their roughhouse brawling and ever-improving tag team skills, although Matt Borne & Kevin Von Erich rallied back on a few occasions. Late in the bout, a four-way brouhaha broke out in the ring that resulted in the New Mexican Wildman drilling the Texas Twister with the Bang Bang while the Beast From The East covered the Maniac following the Jersey Devil. (78%)
In the Prime Time studio, Gorilla Monsoon and Ric Flair announced that next week on Prime Time Wrestling, the Rockers would be defending the WWF Television Tag Team Championship against their next guests, Dustin Rhodes & Terry Funk, along with Colonel Robert Lee Fuller. The Natural gloated over the injuries suffered by Shane Douglas at WWF Battle Lines, but the Outlaw was enraged because Shawn Michaels & Marty Jannetty made the save before they could make sure that they finished the job. The Lone Star Stud tried to assure the Funker that the Nature Boy had "learned his lesson" and would not return to the WWF, but Funk shook Rhodes and advised him never to underestimate a rival and not to get too cocky. This seemed to fire up Dustin, who threatened to make an example out of the Honky Tonk Man at WWF March To WrestleMania as a warning for Douglas not to attempt a comeback. The Colonel stated that Rhodes & Funk would build on their momentum next week by capturing the TV belts and claimed that that was the price the Rockers had to pay for "bahhhhhkin' up the wrong tree" and interfering in the Stud Stable's affairs. (86%)
Mean Gene Okerlund was at the arena in the locker room to interview Bob Backlund as he was warming up for tonight's match-up against Owen Hart. The All American put his young opponent over and acknowledged that Owen was from a legendary wrestling background as the former WWF Champion prognosticated a top-notch grappling exhibition. When Okerlund brought up Roddy Piper's challenge from last week to a tag team bout at WWF March To WrestleMania, Backlund responded that it would be his honor to join forces with Hulk Hogan on March 29, but "as always" the final decision rested with the Hulkster. (87%)
Owen Hart vs. Bob Backlund
Owen Hart was already waiting in the ring alone, stretching near the ropes, as Ventura suggested that the Dynamite Kid was having "tea time" in the dressing room, while Bob Backlund walked out to a very nice reaction from the crowd. As the All American predicted, this was a tremendous display of scientific wrestling that featured some smooth old-school chain-wrestling on the mat before progressing to suplexes and submission holds. Backlund focused on the shoulder to soften him up for the Cross Face Chicken Wing, while Hart zeroed in on the former WWF Champion's spine with backbreakers, vertical suplexes, and a boston crab. Owen tried to squeeze out a submission using the boston crab and almost succeeded, but Backlund used his amazing leg strength to kick free and scrambled to a corner. When Hart charged at Backlund in the corner, the former WWF Champion dodged out of the way and Owen rammed his shoulder against the turnbuckles. Hart staggered back and was swiftly taken down by Backlund, who hooked in the Cross Face Chicken Wing to earn the submission from Hart. Afterwards, Backlund helped a cautious Hart to his feet and offered a handshake of respect, but before Hart could accept, the Dynamite Kid darted down the aisle and assaulted Backlund from behind. Although he was reluctant at first, Owen followed Dynamite's lead and began to batter the All American. The Commonwealth Connection ended up planting Backlund with the Union Spike before a bevy of WWF officials arrived on the scene. (83%)
In the Prime Time studio, Gorilla Monsoon and Ric Flair announced that the tag team main event of this weekend's Saturday Night's Main Event would pit Bret Hart & WWF Intercontinental Champion Ricky Steamboat against their final guests, Mr. Perfect & Rick Rude, accompanied by Bobby Heenan. When Monsoon started to tease the Brain about the surprise return of the Dragon to rescue the Hit Man on the weekend, the Ravishing One became angry and complained about Bret being a thorn in his side lately. Rude stated that he had been embarrassed enough by Steamboat and planned to "kill two birds with one stone" this Saturday evening, while the Flawless One claimed that he was also looking forward to getting his hands on the WWF Intercontinental Champion again, reminding fans that he still had eight months remaining until he could go one-on-one with Steamboat in the WWF. The Brain expressed his confidence in his Heenan Family members by promising that come WrestleMania VIII, Perfect would be the WWF Champion and Rude would hold the WWF Intercontinental Title. (95%)
Mean Gene Okerlund was in the dressing room at the arena along with Jake Roberts, who was getting his python Damian ready for the evening's main event against Irwin R. Schyster. The Snake mentioned his "fair-and-square" loss to Mr. Perfect at WWF Battle Lines and cut a cool promo warning what a man who had just had his dreams shattered was capable of. Mean Gene suggested that IRS could be looking for revenge since Jake eliminated him from the 1992 Royal Rumble, but Roberts claimed that he was on "the edge of an abyss" and had nothing left to lose, which would make his venom that much more dangerous. (85%)
Jake "The Snake" Roberts vs. Irwin R. Schyster
Jake Roberts had the sack containing Damian slung over his shoulder on his way out, while Irwin R. Schyster made his entrance to "Money, Money, Money" flanked by Virgil, Miss Elizabeth, and Ted DiBiase. The Million Dollar Man alternated between ignoring and scolding the First Lady Of Wrestling at ringside throughout the match-up, which was a heated and solid main event that established Jake as a more desperate competitor, willing to take shortcuts when necessary to gain the advantage. Ventura pointed the rulebreaking out and McMahon admitted that he hadn't always condoned the Snake's ethics, while IRS battled back with his own underhanded tactics. After trading the advantage back-and-forth several times, Roberts beheaded Schyster with the short-arm clothesline and signaled for the DDT. However, at the orders of the Million Dollar Man, Virgil grabbed Jake's snake bag and attracted the attention of referee Randy Anderson and Jake himself. Meanwhile, DiBiase slid the steel briefcase into the ring to Irwin, who picked it up and whalloped Jake across the back of the skull before tossing it back to the floor. When the dazed Snake stumbled back, IRS quickly scooped him up across his shoulders and slammed him with the Write Off for the 1-2-3. (82%)
After the bell, Ted DiBiase and Virgil stepped into the squared circle and joined Irwin R. Schyster in assaulting Jake Roberts, as the three Million Dollar Empire members stomped and kicked the Snake. Following the Million Dollar Man's directions, Virgil brought Miss Elizabeth into the ring as DiBiase & Schyster held Roberts up with his arms out at his sides. DiBiase commanded Elizabeth to slap the semi-conscious Jake across the face as humiliation and as a warning not to mess with the Empire, but the First Lady Of Wrestling appeared to be somewhat reluctant. Suddenly, she ducked out to the apron as Razor Ramon hit the ring to a massive pop and drove off IRS, the Million Dollar Man, and Virgil with big right hands, gaining a measure of revenge from last week's ambush on the Bad Guy. The Million Dollar Empire retreated up the aisle and Razor dared them to return to the ring as McMahon and Ventura ended the broadcast. (98%)
Overall: 86%
Rating: 5.85
Attendance: 10,028
Ticket Sales: $601,680
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SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 1992 -- NBC/WWF PRESENT: SATURDAY NIGHT'S MAIN EVENT
The LIVE network broadcast started abruptly with the bagpipes blaring throughout the arena as "Rowdy" Roddy Piper entered the squared circle with a metal folding chair and snatched the microphone from ring announcer Howard "The Fink" Finkel, who tried to explain that they had a match scheduled. Hot Rod looked over at Rob Zakowski, who was already in the ring, and wasted him with a vicious chairshot to the head, declaring that they didn't have a match anymore. Zakowski rolled out to the floor as the Scotsman set up the chair in mid-ring and sat down with the mic to rant about Hulk Hogan. The Rowdy One complained that he got no respect in the WWF and stated that Bob Backlund's response to his WWF March To WrestleMania tag team challenge wasn't good enough, arguing that the All American shouldn't need the Hulkster's "permission" to accept a challenge. Piper accused the Immortal One of trying to ignore him and insisted that Saturday Night's Main Event wouldn't continue until he got the answer he was looking for, at which point "Real American" cranked up and Hogan charged down the aisle to a thunderous ovation. The Hulkster hit the ring and no-sold Hot Rod's attempted ambush, opening up on his long-time rival with a series of roundhouse rights before knocking Piper out to ringside with the big foot to the face. While a posse of WWF officials flooded out to hold Piper back, Hogan picked up the microphone and accepted Piper's challenge, vowing that he and Backlund would "run wild" over the Rowdy One and a partner of his choice at WWF March To WrestleMania. The fans cheered like crazy as the Hulkster tossed the mic down on Hot Rod and ripped off his shirt, going through his popular posedown routine while the referees dragged Piper away. (95%)
Marv Albert, "The Professor" Mike Tenay, and "The Man" Ric Flair introduced the show from the broadcast booth and announced the lineup: the Big Boss Man, Hawk, & Demolition locking horns with the Hellraisers & Million Dollar Bounty Hunters in an eight-man encounter, the Orient Express meeting the Bushwhackers & Koko B. Ware in a six-man match-up, the Honky Tonk Man in action against the Genius, Fire & Ice on "The Funeral Parlor", and in the main event, Rick Rude & Mr. Perfect battling Bret Hart & WWF Intercontinental Champion Ricky Steamboat.
In the locker room, Mean Gene Okerlund interviewed Mr. Fuji and the Orient Express, who were preparing for the six-man tag team bout tonight against the Bushwhackers & Koko. The Devious One claimed that nobody could defeat Tanaka, Kato, & Sato in three-on-three action and stated that the Express would put Bushwhacker Butch back on the shelf to teach him a lesson. (72%)
Six-Man Tag Team Match: The Bushwhackers (Luke & Butch) & Birdwhacker Koko vs. The Orient Express (Kato & Tanaka & Sato)
The Bushwhackers got a nice pop when they made their way down the aisle with Koko B. Ware, who was wearing his Birdwhacker attire, as Albert put over the return of Butch last Monday night on Prime Time Wrestling, while Mr. Fuji waddled out with the three members of his Orient Express. Solid six-man opener that saw the fans get into the Bushwhackers' antics again, as they kept their Japanese opponents off-balance with their traditional unorthodox tactics. The Orient Express utilized their superior teamwork to isolate the Bird Man and work him over until Koko escaped and made the hot tag to Butch, who charged in and cleaned house before tagging in Luke. The Bushwhackers then floored Sato with the Battering Ram and Luke covered him for the 1-2-3. (70%)
Following a commercial break, Paul Bearer was on the set of "The Funeral Parlor" and introduced his guests this week, the undefeated tag team known as Fire & Ice, who were clad in their wrestling tights and boots. Bearer commented that Fire & Ice had looked impressive since their WWF debut two weeks ago and inquired how they would fare tomorrow evening on Superstars Of Wrestling against the Enforcers, but Doug Furnas was confident that their smooth combination of speed, strength, and scientific skill would be enough to overcome the experience of Greg Valentine & Dino Bravo. Al Snow began to explain that their keys to success were to do their homework and not take any opponent lightly, when Slick swaggered out with his personal bodyguard Bad News Brown by his side. The Doctor Of Style claimed that Fire & Ice's debut victory over his Gangsters Of Style was a fluke and demanded that they give the Gangsters a rematch to redeem themselves, which the Ice Man replied they would gladly do. When the Tank stated that they could defeat the Gangsters on any given night, Slick suggested that tonight was as good a night as any, when Paul Roma & Stan Lane appeared suddenly and jumped Fire & Ice from behind. Sweet Stan & Romeo Roma battered Snow & Furnas down to the floor and promised to get their win back, but the Tank & Ice Man surprised the commentators by getting back up and shrugging off the beating. Fire & Ice shouted threats from the stage while the Gangsters fled with Slick and Bad News. (79%)
The Genius vs. Honky Tonk Man
Prior to the match, the Genius recited a poem that referred to the Honky Tonk Man as "washed-up" and suggested that his best days were far behind him. The Honky Tonk Man made the World's Smartest Man pay for his comments as they engaged in a basic competitive bout while Tenay commended Honky Tonk for stepping up to substitute for the injured Shane Douglas at WWF March To WrestleMania against Dustin Rhodes. The Honk finished off the Genius with the Shake Rattle & Roll. (78%)
Mean Gene Okerlund was in the dressing room to interview Colonel Robert Lee Fuller along with the Hellraisers & Million Dollar Bounty Hunters as they were getting ready for tonight's eight-man contest against Demolition, Hawk, & Big Boss Man. The Colonel stated that he had heard their opponents' interview on Prime Time Wrestling and warned that when the smoke cleared this evening, the only survivors would be Dr. Death, the Bruiser, Cactus Jack Manson, & Bam Bam Bigelow. (81%)
Eight-Man Tag Team Match: The Million Dollar Bounty Hunters (Bam Bam Bigelow & Cactus Jack Manson) & The Hellraisers ("Dr. Death" Steve Williams & Terry "Bruiser" Gordy) vs. Hawk & Big Boss Man & Demolition (Smash & Crush)
Colonel Robert Lee Fuller strolled out with his Hellraisers when they walked out with the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters, while Ax marched down the aisle alongside his Demolition brothers-in-paint, the Big Boss Man, & Hawk. Tenay mentioned that Terry Gordy had also been known as "Bamm Bamm" in his career as the Bruiser locked up with Crush to begin this very physical, smashmouth-style eight-man encounter. The tide shifted back-and-forth early on until the heels captured the Boss Man and punished him in their corner using frequent tags, as they took turns working over the former corrections officer's lower back with stiff shots and double, triple, and quadruple-teams. Eventually, a ringside confrontation between Ax and the Colonel distracted Steve Williams and allowed the Boss Man to make the hot tag to Hawk while Dr. Death tagged in Bam Bam Bigelow, triggering a wild slugfest involving all eight titans. They traded fists and forearms until the brawl between Demolition and the Hellraisers spilled out to the floor and up the aisle, while Hawk & Boss Man slugged it out with the Bounty Hunters in the squared circle. After dropping the Beast From The East with a big foot to the face, the Boss Man attempted to lift Cactus Jack Manson on his shoulders for the Doomsday Device as Hawk climbed to the top turnbuckle. However, Boss Man's back gave out and he collapsed to the canvas, but Hawk still soared from above and beheaded Cactus with the Bird Of Prey. Hawk covered Jack, but referee John Finnegan refused to count the pin because the New Mexican Wildman was not the legal man for his squad. When Hawk got up and confronted the official, Bam Bam nailed the former Road Warrior from behind with a vicious headbutt, as the four behemoths continued to go at it tooth-and-nail until the ref called for the bell and ruled the match a double-disqualification. (78%)
After the bell, the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters tossed the injured Big Boss Man aside and overwhelmed Hawk, beating the former Legion Of Doom member back into a corner. Cactus Jack & Bam Bam set Hawk up for the Problem Solver, but before they could execute the double-team, the Boss Man rushed over with his nightstick and whacked Bigelow & Manson, rescuing Hawk. The Bounty Hunters bailed out and departed up the aisle while Hawk got back to his feet and Boss Man swung his nightstick. (90%)
Backstage, Mean Gene Okerlund interviewed WWF Intercontinental Champion Ricky Steamboat & Bret Hart while they were warming up for the evening's main event against Rick Rude & Mr. Perfect. The Dragon thanked the Hit Man for rescuing him and defending his honor against the Ravishing One last month at WWF Battle Lines, commending him for being brave enough to step up to the challenge. The Excellence Of Execution acted modest, but Steamboat advised Bret that he had the talent to become a successful singles competitor if he chose to go solo full-time. Hart thanked Steamboat for the kind words and stated that it would be his honor to join forces with the WWF Intercontinental Champion...NEXT! (84%)
Mr. Perfect & "Ravishing" Rick Rude vs. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat & Bret "Hit Man" Hart
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan accompanied his "Perfectly Ravishing" combination to the ring as Flair argued with Albert about Ricky Steamboat returning from injury last week and "blindsiding" Rick Rude. The WWF Intercontinental Champion was greeted with a huge pop when he walked out alongside Bret Hart, while Tenay suggested that Hart & Steamboat could be the most technically-sound duo in WWF history if they were to pool their energies as a full-time tag team. This hot main event got underway when Mr. Perfect started for his squad against the Dragon, but Steamboat pointed at the Ravishing One and demanded that he be tagged in. The Flawless One reluctantly went to make the tag, but suddenly turned back and cheapshotted Steamboat before actually tagging out to Rude, who traded chops with Steamboat until the Brain interfered. The Heenan Family members dominated Steamboat with frequent tags and crisp maneuvers, combined with some skullduggery, as Flair wondered if ring rust was a factor, since the Dragon had been out of action for over a month with the arm injury. Perfect & Rude took turns punishing Steamboat's damaged arm to reaggravate the injury, until the two-time WWF Intercontinental Champion rallied back and made the hot tag to the Hit Man, who came in like a house afire and unloaded on both Heenan Family members with punches and kicks. Bret scored a few near-falls before Rude & Perfect used their experience working together to regain the advantage and pound Hart in their corner for another heat segment. The Excellence Of Execution finally escaped after kicking out of several pinfalls and hot-tagged Steamboat, who swooped in from the top turnbuckle with the Reign Of Fire on both Rude & Perfect. Things got chaotic as all four competitors slugged it out in the ring, which led to Heenan pulling down the top rope just as Hart went to run off the ropes. The Hit Man tumbled out to the floor and appeared to land on his head, distracting referee Dave Hebner long enough for the Ravishing One and the Flawless One to drop the Dragon with an awesome double Rude Awakening from the top turnbuckle. When the official returned to the action, Rude hooked Steamboat's leg for the deciding three-count. (93%)
Afterwards, while Bret Hart was still laid out barely conscious at ringside, Rick Rude & Mr. Perfect continued to punish Ricky Steamboat in the squared circle. Bobby Heenan encouraged his men to finish off the WWF Intercontinental Champion once and for all as the Flawless One and the Ravishing One mercilessly hammered the Dragon. The fans' boos turned to an enormous cheer when WWF Champion Randy Savage roared down the aisle and hit the ring, firing off fists and elbowsmashes for both Perfect & Rude. The Macho Man managed to drive the Heenan Family members out to the floor and check on the Dragon as Tenay reminded viewers that Savage would be defending the WWF Championship against Perfect in April at WrestleMania VIII. Perfect & Rude backed up the aisle with the Brain, motioning to their waists and threatening to capture the WWF Title as well as the WWF Intercontinental Title, while the show finished. (96%)
Overall: 84%
Rating: 6.51
Attendance: 10,043
Ticket Sales: $602,580
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SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 1992 -- WWF SUPERSTARS OF WRESTLING
* Hosts: Gorilla Monsoon and "The Man" Ric Flair.
* Lord Alfred Hayes interviewed the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers and Jimmy Hart, who claimed that if there was anything left of Fire & Ice after tonight's main event against the Enforcers, then Raymond & Jacques would "pick up the pieces" and wipe them out. (74%)
* The Conquistadors (Conquistador #1 & Conquistador #2) vs. The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers (Jacques & Raymond Rougeau): A good, competitive little tag team opener that featured plenty of fast-paced action. Although they came close to pulling off the upset, the Conquistadors lost when #2 was pinned by Raymond following Le Bombe De Rougeau from he and Jacques. (76%)
* A video aired that recapped the end of the tag team match last week on Saturday Night's Main Event between the Nasty Boys and Jimmy Snuka & Papa Shango, which saw Jerry Saggs pin the Superfly after the Pit Stop Drop, followed by the Voodoo Master stealing one of the Nasties' leather coats. The video switched to the dimly-lit inside of a black magic temple, as the zombified Snuka laid on a concrete slab while Shango uttered some bizarre chants and set fire to the jacket. Shango's eyes rolled back in his head and he stuck out his tongue as the jacket suddenly burst into a huge fireball and disintegrated. The video ended with Shango cackling maniacally. (75%)
* Sean Mooney interviewed Dustin Rhodes, Terry Funk, & Colonel Robert Lee Fuller, who "guar-an-teed" that his Stud Stable would win the WWF Television Tag Team Title from the Rockers tomorrow night on Prime Time Wrestling. (78%)
* "The Natural" Dustin Rhodes & "The Outlaw" Terry Funk vs. Duane Gill & Barry Hardy: One-sided tag team squash that ended when the Lone Star Stud covered Duane Gill after the American Nightmare. (64%)
* A video package aired on the tension between Roddy Piper and Hulk Hogan & Bob Backlund. The footage recapped the Piper/Backlund bout at WWF Battle Lines and the Hulkster making the save on his motorcycle, as well as the Immortal One chasing Hot Rod from the ring last night on Saturday Night's Main Event. It hyped the tag team match now set for WWF March To WrestleMania and posed the question of who the Rowdy Scot would select as his partner to meet Hogan & Backlund on March 29. The video ended with the announcement that Hogan & Backlund would be squaring off with the Commonwealth Connection next week on Saturday Night's Main Event. (89%)
* Lord Alfred Hayes interviewed the New British Bulldogs, who had harsh words for the Commonwealth Connection and stated that they would be watching their match against Bob Backlund & Hulk Hogan next Saturday night. (76%)
* The New British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith & Chris Benoit) vs. The Southern Kids (Brian Christopher & Bob Holly): A pretty solid, semi-competitive contest that showcased the New Bulldogs' classic teamwork en route to their victory, when Benoit nailed Christopher with the Swandive Headbutt from the top turnbuckle following the Running Powerslam from Davey Boy. (74%)
* Following Mean Gene Okerlund's "WWF Update" segment, Sean Mooney interviewed Fire & Ice, who tried to keep their cool but were obviously angry about the ambush by the Gangsters Of Style on "The Funeral Parlor" last night. Al Snow claimed that they were more than willing to face the Gangsters again and suggested that the rematch could take place in front of the entire world at WWF March To WrestleMania. Doug Furnas agreed and looked forward to locking up with the Enforcers this evening as a true test of their tag team skills. (79%)
* Lord Alfred Hayes interviewed Jimmy Hart and the Enforcers, who looked very mean as they prepared to teach Fire & Ice a lesson that all rookies needed to learn: respect the veterans. (74%)
* The Enforcers (Greg "The Hammer" Valentine & Dino Bravo) vs. Fire & Ice (Doug "The Tank" Furnas & Al "Ice Man" Snow): This was a very solid main event that kicked off with Dino Bravo challenging Doug Furnas to a test of strength and actually losing, which got a big pop. The hard-hitting and sometimes slow-paced action went back-and-forth until Al Snow pinned the Canadian Strongman after the Force Of Nature from he and the Tank. (75%)
Overall: 75%
Rating: 5.07
Attendance: 10,023
Ticket Sales: $601,380
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During the WWF Update on Superstars Of Wrestling, Mean Gene Okerlund announced some new matches on the card for WWF March To WrestleMania on Sunday, March 29...
Hulk Hogan & Bob Backlund vs. Roddy Piper & TBA
Hawk & Big Boss Man vs. The Million Dollar Bounty Hunters
Honky Tonk Man vs. Dustin Rhodes
Fire & Ice vs. The Gangsters Of Style
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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1992 -- WWF PRIME TIME WRESTLING
Vince McMahon and Jesse "The Body" Ventura kicked off the program LIVE from ringside, raving about last night's WWF Battle Lines and announcing tonight's lineup, featuring the Great Muta meeting Razor Ramon in the main event, the Big Boss Man & Hawk squaring off with the Hellraisers, the Birdwhackers taking on the Commonwealth Connection, Fire & Ice making their WWF debut against the Gangsters Of Style, and much more.
The Birdwhackers (Luke & Koko) vs. The Commonwealth Connection (Dynamite Kid & Owen Hart)
Surprisingly good little opener, as both Koko & Luke had their working boots on and tried their best to keep up with the Commonwealth Connection, while the commentators occasionally turned the discussion to WWF Battle Lines last night. Although the Birdwhackers came close to victory on several occasions, the end came when Owen Hart covered the Bird Man following the Union Spike from he and the Dynamite Kid. (77%)
In the Prime Time Wrestling studio, Gorilla Monsoon and "The Man" Ric Flair recapped the major happenings at WWF Battle Lines last night and hyped the WWF Television Tag Team Championship match-up on Saturday Night's Main Event this weekend featuring the Rockers defending against their first guests, WWF Tag Team Champions Powers Of Pain, along with Paul Ellering. Barbarian & Warlord stood behind Precious Paul, who sat down and proudly recounted the details of his Powers' successful title defense against Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels last night, predicting a similar result on Saturday evening. Ellering boasted how the Powers would make history by becoming the only squad to hold both of the WWF's tag team titles, until Monsoon brought up Bret Hart and accused Warlord & Barbarian of sabotaging the Hit Man for his bout with Rick Rude by assaulting him backstage at WWF Battle Lines. The Precious One responded that the Excellence Of Execution had mouthed off to his warpainted monsters and got exactly what he deserved, advising Bret to "get over" the Hart Foundation losing the WWF Tag Team Championship to his "vastly superior" Powers last year. Ellering asserted that the Powers Of Pain would prove to be the most dominant tag team in the history of the WWF and dared anybody, including the Rockers and the Foundation, to try to stop them. (80%)
Backstage at the arena, Mean Gene Okerlund interviewed Slick and the Gangsters Of Style, who were preparing to meet Fire & Ice in their WWF debut. The Doctor Of Style admitted that his Gangsters had a less-than-impressive record since losing the Double Chain match to WWF Television Tag Team Champions the Rockers in December at WWF No Holds Barred, suggesting that the loss had them rattled. Stan Lane interrupted and denied the claims, while Paul Roma promised that they would turn things around tonight and ruin the WWF debut of Al Snow & Doug Furnas. (79%)
The Gangsters Of Style ("Sweet" Stan Lane & Paul "Romeo" Roma) vs. Fire & Ice (Doug "The Tank" Furnas & Al "Ice Man" Snow)
Slick, along with his personal bodyguard Bad News Brown, escorted his Gangsters Of Style to ringside as Ventura mentioned their victory over the New British Bulldogs on Saturday Night's Main Event, although McMahon argued that the Commonwealth Connection had a lot to do with it. Fire & Ice received a mild pop upon their entrance but got the fans behind them when they hit the ring and managed to drive Paul Roma & Stan Lane out to the floor. Very solid debut for Al Snow & Doug Furnas, who held onto the lead with a great combination of speed and strength, utilizing innovative double-teams until Sweet Stan took the advantage through underhanded means. The Gangsters cut the ring in half and worked over the Ice Man with quick tags and classic double-team maneuvers, creating a nice heat segment that got the fans rooting for Snow as he rallied back after some miscommunication resulted in Romeo Roma accidentally flooring the Sweet One with a missile dropkick from the top turnbuckle. Snow made the hot tag to Furnas, triggering a four-way brawl as the two squads slugged it out. Fire & Ice cleaned house and disposed of Lane before Furnas propped Roma on the top turnbuckle and tagged Snow back in. The Ice Man climbed to the top and landed a flying legdrop on Romeo following a belly-to-belly superplex from the Tank, a double-team maneuver that McMahon referred to as the "Force Of Nature". Snow hooked Roma's leg for the 1-2-3 while Furnas held Lane at bay, giving Fire & Ice a big win in their WWF debut. Afterwards, Fire & Ice tossed both Gangsters out to the floor and celebrated their victory while Romeo Roma & Sweet Stan were scolded by the Doctor Of Style. (73%)
In the Prime Time studio, Gorilla Monsoon and Ric Flair talked about Hulk Hogan riding in on his red-and-yellow Harley last night at WWF Battle Lines to make the save for Bob Backlund, before introducing "Rowdy" Roddy Piper as their next guest. The Rowdy One looked miserable and explained that the Immortal One had "crapped in my cornflakes" last night, complaining that the Hulkster interrupted the lesson he was trying to teach Backlund. Hot Rod began to rant about the Hulkster stepping over himself and the All American in the mid-1980s until Monsoon pointed out that Hogan saved Backlund from Piper's lethal Sleeperhold last night. The Scotsman claimed that the only reason Hogan rescued Backlund was to make himself look good, mentioning that Hogan could have made the save a lot quicker if he hadn't roared in on his motorcycle. Flair agreed with that point, but Monsoon dismissed it and argued that the Hulkster had "a heart bigger than Hulkamania", bringing up his various work with charities around the world. Hot Rod became irate and informed Gorilla that every good thing the Hulkster had ever done was a selfish act designed to make himself look good, but stated that if Backlund wanted to believe in Hulkamania, he had an idea: Piper promised to find himself a partner and take on Hogan & Backlund in a tag team match-up on Sunday, March 29, at WWF March To WrestleMania. The Rowdy Scot ranted about "beating some sense" into Backlund and vowed that he wouldn't stop until Backlund, Monsoon, and the millions of Hulkamaniacs across the globe realized what a "creep" the Hulkster really was. (95%)
Mean Gene Okerlund was at the arena in the locker room to interview Colonel Robert Fuller and the Hellraisers, who were getting ready to face the Big Boss Man & Hawk. While Terry Gordy & Steve Williams warmed up behind him, the Greatest Promoter Of All Time crowed about their victory over Demolition at WWF Battle Lines last night and promised that the Hellraisers would make it "2-for-2" tonight by squashing Hawk & Boss Man. (80%)
The Hellraisers ("Dr. Death" Steve Williams & Terry "Bruiser" Gordy) vs. Hawk & Big Boss Man
Colonel Robert Lee Fuller strode out behind Terry Gordy & Steve Williams, stopping by the broadcast table at ringside to present Ventura with a Cuban cigar in celebration of his Hellraisers' win over Demolition last night at WWF Battle Lines, although McMahon pointed out that the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters had something to do with the victory. The Big Boss Man & Hawk received a great pop when they rushed out and went toe-to-toe with Dr. Death & Bruiser, trading heavy fists until the Colonel interfered behind referee Mark Johnson's back, allowing the Hellraisers to dump Hawk out to the floor and focus on the Boss Man. The Hellraisers kept Boss Man isolated in their corner, utilizing frequent tags and stiff double-teams, slams, and suplexes to control the former corrections officer and work over his lower back throughout the contest. The Boss Man eventually mounted a successful comeback and made the hot tag, but the official missed it and ushered Hawk out to the apron, leaving Dr. Death to drag Boss Man back to the Hellraisers' corner and continue the punishment until Boss Man managed to break free and make a lunging tag to Hawk. The former Legion Of Doom member charged in like a one man gang and unloaded on Williams & Gordy with lefts, rights, chops, kicks, and bodyslams before knocking the Bruiser through the ropes with an impressive standing dropkick. Hawk was on a roll, mowing down Williams with a series of clotheslines and shoulderblocks while Boss Man recovered on the apron. When Hawk tagged in Boss Man, Bam Bam Bigelow & Cactus Jack Manson sprinted down to ringside and dragged the former Road Warrior out of the squared circle. Although the Boss Man scored a couple of near-falls on his own, his back soon gave out and he was overwhelmed by the Hellraisers, who crunched the big Georgian with the Death Dealer, giving Bruiser the deciding pinfall. (80%)
After the match, the Hellraisers joined the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters at ringside to assist in beating on the lone Hawk while the Big Boss Man clutched his lower back on the canvas. The four-on-one assault didn't last long, as Demolition came charging down the aisle to even the odds. Ax, Smash, & Crush fought Terry Gordy, Steve Williams, & Bam Bam Bigelow into the squared circle while Hawk battled back against Cactus Jack Manson on the floor. The Boss Man got involved in the wild brawl, slugging it out with the Beast From The East as Demolition traded fists with the Hellraisers, until a horde of WWF agents and officials flooded out to break up the violent donnybrook. (74%)
In the Prime Time studio, Gorilla Monsoon and Ric Flair discussed the brutal Last Man Standing main event of last night's WWF Battle Lines that saw WWF Champion Randy Savage outlast their next guest, Ted DiBiase. The Million Dollar Man was not a happy man as he entered the room, wearing an expensive Armani suit with a bandage on his forehead, accompanied by Virgil and Miss Elizabeth, who was dressed in a gaudy evening gown with diamonds all over, but looked very remorseful. The First Lady Of Wrestling apologized to DiBiase profusely, begging forgiveness for accidentally busting him wide open with a chairshot last night, but the former WWF Champion pointed to his bandaged forehead and complained about the pricey plastic surgery he would need to cover the scar. Monsoon tried to steer the conversation by suggesting that it wasn't just Elizabeth's inadvertent chairshot that led to the Macho Man's victory, which DiBiase agreed with, bringing up the involvement of Razor Ramon. Monsoon explained that the Bad Guy only came out to counteract the interference of Irwin R. Schyster, but DiBiase declared that "that Cuban wetback" had stuck his nose in Million Dollar Empire business for the last time. The former WWF Champion informed Gorilla that IRS was currently "burning the midnight oil" contacting some of his old friends in Washington regarding Razor's immigrant status. When Monsoon acted dismayed, DiBiase smiled and threatened that with the snap of his fingers, he could completely ruin the life of anyone who dared to cross the Million Dollar Empire, warning Ramon to watch his step. The Million Dollar Man laughed until his face turned red and blood began to leak into the bandage on his forehead, at which point he shouted that it was time to go and ordered Elizabeth to walk several paces behind him as they exited the studio. (88%)
At the arena in the dressing room, "The Professor" Mike Tenay was standing by with Razor Ramon, who had obviously just watched the previous interview on a backstage monitor. The Bad Guy shook his head and stated that nobody was going to tell "El Jefe" to watch his step, explaining that many people had tried to take him out, in Cuba and in America, but none had succeeded, daring Ted DiBiase to try to bring him down. When Tenay warned that the Million Dollar Man had unlimited resources, Ramon responded that there was nothing that DiBiase could do that he wouldn't be able to handle himself. The Professor wondered if the DiBiase issue might distract Ramon from this evening's main event against the Great Muta, but Razor assured him that he was ready to beat down the Asian Sensation...NEXT! (92%)
The Great Muta vs. Razor Ramon
Mr. Fuji waddled out several feet behind his Great Muta, who seemed to be trying not to associate with the Devious One as he raced to the squared circle and slid in under the bottom rope. The fans cheered like mad for Razor Ramon when he swaggered down the aisle and removed his vest and gold chains before locking up with the Great One. This was actually a tremendous athletic main event as the Bad Guy and the Asian Sensation (a nickname that McMahon tried repeatedly to get over during the match-up) traded the advantage back-and-forth with mostly clean wrestling, since Muta ignored any help that Fuji offered. Muta eventually assumed control with his martial arts expertise and Japanese-style offense, finally grinding Ramon down to the mat using a dragon sleeper, called the "Shanghai Sleeper" by Ventura, although Muta added a tight bodyscissor to increase the pressure. The Cubano faded and referee Shane McMahon dropped his arm twice, but on the third try, Razor held his hand in the air as the crowd rallied behind him. The Bad Guy muscled his way to his feet with Muta on his back and backed up into a corner, sitting Muta on the top turnbuckle before turning around and slapping the Asian Sensation across his painted face. Razor swiftly scooped Muta up off the turnbuckles and tossed him to the canvas with his trademark fallaway overhead slam, then fired away with lefts and rights, dominating the Great One while Fuji pounded the apron with his cane. Muta managed to regain the lead with a spinning roundhouse kick off the ropes and climbed to the top turnbuckle in preparation for the Rising Sun, but Razor got to his feet and scaled the turnbuckles with Muta, bringing him crashing to the mat with a belly-to-back superplex. Moments later, Ramon dropped Muta with the Razor's Edge for the 1-2-3. Afterwards, Fuji pointed his cane at Muta and cursed him in Japanese, but Muta just headed up the aisle, where he was met by the starving Abdullah The Butcher. The Madman Of The Sudan was quite crazed, apparently from hunger, as he attacked Muta and traded chops and throat shots with his fellow Dojo member. Meanwhile in the ring, Razor was celebrating his victory and watching Muta and Abdullah brawl in the aisleway, when suddenly Irwin R. Schyster emerged from the audience in a suit and tie and slid into the squared circle. The Bad Guy turned around just in time for IRS to bash him across the face with his steel briefcase, dropping Razor like a rock. As Ramon began to bleed slightly and tried to get back up, Schyster kept waffling him with the briefcase to the head until the Cuban immigrant stayed down. IRS kicked and stomped the bloody, barely-conscious Razor before "Money, Money, Money" cranked up and Irwin exited the ring to a round of boos, while McMahon and Ventura signed off. (86%)
Overall: 82%
Rating: 6.11
Attendance: 10,009
Ticket Sales: $600,540
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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 1992 -- NBC/WWF PRESENT: SATURDAY NIGHT'S MAIN EVENT
Marv Albert, "The Professor" Mike Tenay, and "The Man" Ric Flair introduced the LIVE network broadcast and listed the lineup for this evening as follows: Irwin R. Schyster taking on Hacksaw Duggan, Superfly Snuka & Papa Shango meeting the Nasty Boys, Fire & Ice making their NBC debut in tag team action, the Stud Stable on "The Funeral Parlor", and in the main event, WWF Tag Team Champions Powers Of Pain challenging the Rockers for the WWF Television Tag Team Championship.
Behind the entrance curtain, Mean Gene Okerlund interviewed Fire & Ice as they prepared themselves for their NBC debut on Saturday Night's Main Event. Doug Furnas admitted to Okerlund that they were still "feeling the rush" of defeating the Gangsters Of Style in their very first WWF match on Prime Time Wrestling this past Monday, a victory that Al Snow put over as a huge accomplishment, explaining the tag team prowess of Stan Lane & Paul Roma. Mean Gene wished the new duo well in their future endeavors as the Tank & Ice Man high-fived and headed through the curtain. (80%)
Fire & Ice (Doug "The Tank" Furnas & Al "Ice Man" Snow) vs. The Southern Kids (Brian Christopher & Bob Holly)
Fire & Ice were greeted warmly by the crowd, moreso than in their Prime Time Wrestling debut, while Flair explained to Albert that it would take a lot more than a "fluke win" over the Gangsters Of Style to impress the Man. Good fast-paced competitive squash that showcased the polished skills and talent of Al Snow & Doug Furnas, ending when the Ice Man covered Bob Holly following the Force Of Nature from he and the Tank. (69%)
Cameras backstage showed Papa Shango leading the zombified Jimmy Snuka out of their shadowy dressing room, lit only by ceremonial candles, into the hallway. The Voodoo Master uttered bizarre chants and made odd hand gestures as he led the expressionless Superfly down the hall, headed out for their tag team match against the Nasty Boys...NEXT! (80%)
Papa Shango & "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka vs. The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs & Jerry Saggs)
After Papa Shango led the zombified Jimmy Snuka down the aisle, the Nasty Boys made their entrance and got a nice pop from the fans. This was a hard-hitting tag team bout that saw the fearsome Superfly do most of the work for his squad, as the Voodoo Master occasionally tagged in and out to help punish Brian Knobbs. Late in the contest, Knobbs ducked an elbow from Shango and responded with a stiff clothesline before making the hot tag to Jerry Saggs, who charged in and helped Knobbs clean house after Shango tagged out to Snuka. The Nasties hurled Shango over the top rope to the floor and flattened Snuka with the Pit Stop Drop, allowing Saggs to score the three-count on the Superfly. Afterwards, Shango grabbed one of the Nasty Boys' jackets from their corner and took off with it, followed shortly by the staggering Snuka, while Saggs & Knobbs celebrated the victory. (78%)
A superb video package aired that documented Randy Savage's three WWF Title victories: against Ted DiBiase in the final round of the championship tournament at WrestleMania IV; from the Ultimate Warrior in a hard-fought contest at WrestleMania VII; and from the Million Dollar Man in the vicious I Quit match at the 1992 Royal Rumble. The video package then focused on the Last Man Standing WWF Championship main event from last Sunday's WWF Battle Lines, showing some of the high spots, such as Ted DiBiase zeroing in on the Macho Man's damaged midsection with a variety of offensive maneuvers, including the awesome superplex from the top turnbuckle through a table in the ring. The clips demonstrated the will, determination, and stamina of both superstars as both the Macho Man and the Million Dollar Man were shown getting to their feet to stop various 10-counts. The video also briefly touched on the interference of Irwin R. Schyster and Razor Ramon, and showed Savage squashing DiBiase with the Flying Elbowdrop from the top turnbuckle to the floor, as well as the match-ending chair-assisted Flying Elbowdrop in the squared circle that earned the final 10-count to retain the WWF Title. The video closed by hyping the next major challenger for the Macho Man's WWF Championship: Mr. Perfect at WrestleMania VIII on Sunday, April 26. (100%)
In the arena, Paul Bearer was on the set of "The Funeral Parlor" and creeped everybody out with his comments about death before introducing his guests this week: Dustin Rhodes, Terry Funk, & Colonel Robert Lee Fuller. The Stud Stable strode out onto the stage while Albert announced that Shane Douglas had suffered severe facial damage at the hands of Rhodes & Funk last Sunday at WWF Battle Lines. When Bearer mentioned the Nature Boy, the Natural laughed and bragged about how he and the Outlaw made sure that Shane would always be the ugliest guy at the party by pounding his "horse face" into a bloody pulp. The Funker mentioned that they would have finished the job if not for WWF Television Tag Team Champions the Rockers running in and making the save, while the Lone Star Stud mocked the Nature Boy's strut and wondered how Douglas would be able to collect on the one-on-one encounter he had earned by defeating Funk. The Colonel suggested that they could have a "Hospital Bed" match, or maybe even a "Plastic Surgery" match, but Rhodes & Funk stopped laughing when the Honky Tonk Man walked onto the Parlor with a serious look on his face. When Dustin asked what he wanted, the Honk replied that he was there to make sure Dustin lived up to his end of the deal, but admitted that Douglas would be unable to compete on Sunday, March 29. Rhodes had a puzzled look on his face and assumed that meant he would win by forfeit, but Honky Tonk informed him that he would be substituting for the Nature Boy at WWF March To WrestleMania and promised to "Shake Rattle & Roll" all over the Lone Star Stud. When the Colonel objected, Honky floored him with a big right hand, kicking off a scuffle with Rhodes & Funk on the stage. The Honk held his own but was outnumbered and overwhelmed until Marty Jannetty, followed shortly by Shawn Michaels, raced out to even the odds. The Rockers and Honky managed to drive off the Stud Stable, who retreated as the Honk made some more threats regarding WWF March To WrestleMania. (80%)
Jesse "The Body" Ventura was in the dressing room to interview Irwin R. Schyster, who was quite proud of his assault on Razor Ramon at the end of last Monday's Prime Time Wrestling. IRS revealed that he had uncovered some "interesting information" about the Bad Guy through his government connections, but refused to go into detail and assured the Body that he was "doing the right thing" by trying to take out Razor. When Ventura brought up tonight's match-up with Jim Duggan, Schyster was confident that this would be a simple audit, and warned that it was going to hurt Hacksaw a lot more than it was going to hurt him. (82%)
Irwin R. Schyster vs. "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan
Irwin R. Schyster walked out alone to the strains of "Money, Money, Money", while Jim Duggan got a nice pop when he marched down the aisle toting his 2x4 and the American flag. A pretty basic, straightforward match-up with some good crowd heat, cheering when Hacksaw was on the offensive with closed fists and booing when IRS took over and wrapped him up in an abdominal stretch for a submission attempt. Duggan hiptossed Schyster to break the hold and mounted a comeback, mowing down the Tax Man with a barrage of clotheslines, shoulderblocks, and roundhouse rights. Eventually, Schyster ducked a big punch and rebounded off the opposite ropes with the leaping Necktie Clothesline, knocking the wind out of Hacksaw long enough to hook the leg for the three-count. Afterwards, Hacksaw tried to exact some revenge, but it backfired when IRS grabbed his briefcase and used it as a shield when Duggan charged with the Three Point Stance. Duggan collapsed to the canvas, holding his head, while Schyster exited with the briefcase. (75%)
Mean Gene Okerlund was in the locker room to interview WWF Television Tag Team Champions the Rockers as they prepared to defend their gold against WWF Tag Team Champions Powers Of Pain in the evening's main event. Mean Gene questioned if the brief tangle with the Stud Stable earlier would affect their performance tonight, but Marty Jannetty responded that if Dustin Rhodes & Terry Funk wanted a piece of the Masters Of Motion, they were willing to wrestle "anyone, anytime, anywhere". Shawn Michaels interrupted Marty and agreed with his thought, but suggested that they needed to focus on retaining their TV belts against Warlord & Barbarian to make up for their loss last Sunday at WWF Battle Lines. (81%)
WWF Television Tag Team Title Match: The Rockers (Shawn Michaels & Marty Jannetty) [champions] vs. Powers Of Pain (Barbarian & Warlord)
Paul Ellering led his WWF Tag Team Champions to the ring, while the WWF Television Tag Team Champions sprinted out to a loud pop, as the commentators discussed the Powers Of Pain/Rockers WWF Tag Team Title bout at WWF Battle Lines last Sunday. This hot main event was better than their pay-per-view encounter, as the Rockers were more aggressive, leading to a quicker tempo, which Flair suggested was due to Shawn Michaels & Marty Jannetty having something to prove after WWF Battle Lines. The advantage shifted both ways numerous times as several near-falls were exchanged throughout the championship contest, until the Powers assumed control after the Barbarian countered the Double Flying Fistdrop by sticking both feet in the air, catching both Rockers under the jaw with his boots. The Powers tossed Jannetty out to the floor after Barbarian tagged Warlord, allowing them to mercilessly double-team Michaels while Precious Paul distracted referee Joey Marella. Suddenly, the Hart Foundation rushed down the aisle and hit the ring to assault the WWF Tag Team Champions, who were awarded the disqualification win when the official saw what was happening and called for the bell. (88%)
After the bell, the Hart Foundation continued to unload on the Powers Of Pain and managed to knock Warlord & Barbarian out to the floor, as Tenay recalled Paul Ellering's comments from Prime Time Wrestling advising Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart to "get over" losing the WWF Tag Team Championship to the Powers last year. While the Anvil & Hit Man challenged the WWF Tag Team Champions to step back in the ring, the Rockers turned the Foundation around and confronted them about ruining their WWF Television Tag Team Title defense. As the two fan-favorite squads' squabble became more and more heated, the Powers reached in and grabbed Neidhart's leg, dragging him out to ringside. When Bret turned to help his long-time tag team partner, Shawn Michaels cheapshotted him with a superkick to the side of the head, laying Hart out cold on the canvas. Marty Jannetty protested the underhanded behavior, but Shawn convinced him to forget it as the WWF Television Tag Team Champions dove through the ropes onto the Powers on the floor. The Rockers, the Powers, and the Anvil brawled up the aisle, leaving the Hit Man on his back in the ring. Hart wasn't alone for long, as "Ravishing" Rick Rude sprinted out in his workout gear with Bobby "The Brain" Heenan close behind. The Ravishing One stomped and kicked the barely-conscious Bret before grabbing his legs and locking him in the Sharpshooter, as Flair recalled Hart trapping Rude in the Sharpshooter briefly after their singles match-up at WWF Battle Lines. Rude wrenched back on the Sharpshooter until the fans' boos turned to cheers when Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat made his return from injury, racing down the aisle in his street clothes and unleashing a stinging salvo of nasty chops. Rude quickly released Hart and bailed out to ringside, retreating with the Brain while the crowd erupted for the Dragon. The WWF Intercontinental Champion checked on the Hit Man as the program faded to black. (84%)
Overall: 81%
Rating: 6.91
Attendance: 10,035
Ticket Sales: $602,100
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Celebrating birthdays in February were...
Miss Elizabeth (32)
Marty Jannetty (30)
Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart (36)
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat (39)
"Texas Tornado" Kerry Von Erich (32)
Warlord (32)
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SUNDAY, MARCH 1, 1992 -- WWF SUPERSTARS OF WRESTLING
* Hosts: Gorilla Monsoon and "The Man" Ric Flair.
* The Enforcers (Greg "The Hammer" Valentine & Dino Bravo) vs. Duane Gill & Barry Hardy: Squash city here, as the Enforcers made short work of their veteran opponents and finished them off when the Hammer covered Hardy following the Hardliner from he and the Canadian Strongman. (61%)
* Sean Mooney came out after the match to interview the Enforcers and Jimmy Hart, who announced that he had signed Dino Bravo & Greg Valentine to meet Fire & Ice next week on Superstars Of Wrestling. (82%)
* Lord Alfred Hayes interviewed the Honky Tonk Man, who talked about how much he was looking forward to substituting for the injured Shane Douglas at WWF March To WrestleMania against Dustin Rhodes one-on-one. (77%)
* Honky Tonk Man vs. Sgt. Buddy Ray Parker: Semi-competitive babyface squash that ended when the Honk dropped the State Patrol member with the Shake Rattle & Roll. (68%)
* A video package aired that documented the WWF debut of Fire & Ice last Monday on Prime Time Wrestling, where they scored the upset victory over the Gangsters Of Style, and hyped their FOX debut tonight against the Conquistadors. (82%)
* Fire & Ice (Doug "The Tank" Furnas & Al "Ice Man" Snow) vs. The Conquistadors (Conquistador #1 & Conquistador #2): A very entertaining and competitive little tag team match-up between two face squads that went back-and-forth with some nice double-team maneuvers from both sides. Fire & Ice put the Conquistadors away when the Ice Man pinned #1 following the Force Of Nature from he and the Tank. (72%)
* Following the match, Jimmy Hart stepped into the ring and yammered through his megaphone about his Enforcers ending Fire & Ice's WWF career next week before it could even get started. Al Snow & Doug Furnas grabbed the Mouth Of The South by his jacket and threatened him until Greg Valentine & Dino Bravo hit the ring and kicked off a brawl with the Tank & Ice Man. (74%)
* The Undertaker vs. Louie Spicolli: Paul Bearer accompanied his Grim Reaper for this total squash that came to an end when the Undertaker buried Spicolli with the Tombstone. (70%)
* After Mean Gene Okerlund's "WWF Update" segment, Lord Alfred Hayes interviewed Rob Zakowski, who gave a very nervous promo about returning from a serious knee injury to achieve his dreams in the WWF. Robbie Z explained that Ricky Steamboat had taken him under his wing, so he was ready for Rick Rude tonight. (59%)
* Sean Mooney interviewed Bobby Heenan and Rick Rude, who ranted about Ricky Steamboat returning from injury on Saturday Night's Main Event and promised to make Rob Zakowski pay for the sins of his mentor. (92%)
* Rob Zakowski vs. "Ravishing" Rick Rude: A surprisingly good main event, as Rob Zakowski bumped all over for Rick Rude, who also made Robbie Z look good by selling his martial arts offense. In the end, the Ravishing One snapped on the Rude Awakening to pick up the three-count. (82%)
Overall: 75%
Rating: 5.23
Attendance: 10,041
Ticket Sales: $602,460
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During the WWF Update on Superstars Of Wrestling, Mean Gene Okerlund could confirm only one match so far for WWF March To WrestleMania on Sunday, March 29...
Honky Tonk Man vs. Dustin Rhodes
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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1992 -- WWF BATTLE LINES
The Preview Show prior to the pay-per-view was hosted by Mean Gene Okerlund and "The Man" Ric Flair, who thoroughly dissected and discussed each match on the card for tonight's WWF Battle Lines. The half-hour infomercial ended with a tremendous video package highlighting the various twists and turns that have occured in the bitter feud between "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase and WWF Champion "Macho Man" Randy Savage, including: Savage's face turn a week after winning his second WWF Title from the Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania VII when he refused DiBiase's offer of "protection"; the million dollar bounty placed on Savage's head and belt, leading to the appearance of Bam Bam Bigelow & Cactus Jack Manson as DiBiase's Million Dollar Bounty Hunters, brutally mauling Savage during WWF Title shots at WWF War Zone and Wrestlefest 1991, respectively; the "fake kidnapping" angle involving Miss Elizabeth, who then shocked the world and turned heel at SummerSlam '91 by slapping Savage, who fell victim to the Million Dollar Dream and lost the WWF Title; Savage's mental anguish at losing both his fiancee and the WWF Title putting him on the edge as he pursued new WWF Champion DiBiase throughout the fall; the incident in December where Razor Ramon accidentally punched Elizabeth when DiBiase used her as a human shield, which led to tension between Savage and Ramon, and showed that Savage still had feelings for Liz; Savage regaining the WWF Title from DiBiase under controversial circumstances in the I Quit match at the 1992 Royal Rumble, and the subsequent announcement of the Last Man Standing match for WWF Battle Lines; and clips of Elizabeth in the hot tub promising to return tonight, adding an extra level of intrigue to an already gripping struggle. A bit much maybe, but the video really put the DiBiase/Savage feud over as a classic epic. (90%)
Gorilla Monsoon, Jesse "The Body" Ventura, and "The Professor" Mike Tenay welcomed viewers to WWF Battle Lines LIVE from the broadcast position at the back of the arena and hyped the exciting lineup for this evening's pay-per-view before sending it up to ring announcer Howard "The Fink" Finkel in the squared circle.
"The Outlaw" Terry Funk vs. "Nature Boy" Shane Douglas
Colonel Robert Lee Fuller swaggered down the aisle behind Terry Funk, who was carrying his branding iron and a hangman's noose, as Ventura claimed that Dustin Rhodes was watching on pay-per-view from his luxurious ranch in Texas. Shane Douglas strutted out in a magnificent black-and-orange robe with two hot women at his side and stopped at ringside to remove his robe and hand it off to his escorts, whom he sent back to the dressing room as Monsoon recalled the stipulations: if Douglas won, he would get a one-on-one encounter with Rhodes next month at WWF March To WrestleMania, but if Funk won, Douglas would have to face the Stud Stable in a handicap match. The Nature Boy slid into the ring underneath the bottom rope and paid for his mistake as the Outlaw was all over him right off the bat with kicks and stomps. The Funker bombarded the former Top Gun with closed fists, facerakes, and various illegal maneuvers until Shane battled back and chased the Texan out to the floor. During a footrace around the ring, Funk managed to surprise Douglas with a drop-toehold that caused Douglas to smack face-first against the ringpost, inflicting a facial injury that Funk proceeded to exploit throughout the contest. Funk mercilessly worked over his face with punches, fistdrops, forearms, kneedrops, and stomps, but Douglas exhibited a never-say-die attitude as he absorbed the punishment until finally mounting a comeback, unleashing a series of loud chops across Funk's chest, bringing back memories of Flair/Funk in the NWA a couple of years ago. The Nature Boy focused on Funk's knee and pounded the joint with kneebreakers and a spinning toehold, which Tenay pointed out was a Funk Family trademark. The Outlaw struggled to fight back after some interference from the Colonel, but Douglas reversed an attempted Irish-whip and caught Funk with the Ace In The Hole on the rebound, slamming the legendary former NWA World Heavyweight Champion to the mat for the three-count. (72%)
After the bell, Shane Douglas grabbed Terry Funk's bad leg and warned that he was going to make sure the Outlaw didn't get in the way of his quest for Dustin Rhodes anymore, preparing to apply the Figure Four Leglock. Before the Nature Boy could perform the hold, the Natural sprinted out in expensive jeans, designer cowboy boots, and a slick shirt and hit the ring, plastering Douglas right across the face with a metal folding chair. Douglas collapsed to the canvas as Funk crawled away and stumbled back to his feet while the Lone Star Stud kicked and stomped Douglas, raking the spurs from his cowboy boots across Shane's face. The Nature Boy began to bleed heavily as the Natural yanked him up and dropped him with the American Nightmare, face-first across the chair. The Funker ignored Shane's screams of pain and dragged him off the mat, hoisted him up in a piledriver position, and drilled him with a Dustin-assisted spike Double Cross Driver, planting Douglas face-first on the metal chair again. Funk gripped Douglas' leg and started to apply the Spinning Toehold as Rhodes once again dug his spurs into the mangled face of the Nature Boy, until WWF Television Tag Team Champions the Rockers finally raced out to make the save. Rhodes & Funk bailed out and headed up the aisle triumphantly with Colonel Robert Fuller while Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels called for medical attention for the unconscious, bloody Douglas. After the Nature Boy was stretchered out, the Rockers remained in the squared circle for their match. (80%)
WWF Tag Team Title Match: Powers Of Pain (Barbarian & Warlord) [champions] vs. The Rockers (Shawn Michaels & Marty Jannetty)
Paul Ellering led his WWF Tag Team Champions down the aisle as the WWF Television Tag Team Champions set their TV belts in their corner, while Tenay and Monsoon speculated on the possible facial injuries suffered by Shane Douglas. Although this championship contest started off slow with the fans somewhat down after the stretcher angle, the match-up was a great contrast of styles that eventually drew the crowd and got them into the action as the Rockers blitzed their much larger opponents with picture-perfect double dropkicks. The Powers Of Pain turned the tables when they managed to isolate Marty Jannetty and brutally punish him, tagging in-and-out frequently and scoring several near-falls. The fans rallied behind Marty as he continued to kick-out and made the hot tag to Shawn Michaels after ducking a big boot off the ropes from the Barbarian, who inadvertently nailed the Warlord. The Rockers unloaded on both Powers with a variety of lightning-like double-team maneuvers and controlled the Barbarian utilizing quick tags and aerial tactics. Late in the bout, a four-way brawl erupted after Barbarian was able to tag in Warlord, bringing in both Jannetty & Michaels to slug it out with the massive warpainted monsters. Amidst the chaos, Shawn grabbed one of the WWF Television Tag Team Title belts from their corner and tried to use it, but referee Joey Marella stopped him and tried to usher him out to the apron. Meanwhile, Marty was overwhelmed by the Powers and fell victim to the Apocalypse. The Barbarian rushed across the ring and caught Michaels with a big boot to the side of the head, knocking him out to the floor, while the Warlord covered Jannetty to retain the WWF Tag Team Championship for the Powers Of Pain. Afterwards, Michaels threw a temper tantrum over the downed Jannetty as Monsoon reminded viewers that the Rockers would have to defend their WWF Television Tag Team Championship against the Powers next weekend on Saturday Night's Main Event. (77%)
Bret "Hit Man" Hart vs. "Ravishing" Rick Rude
Prior to the match, there was a backstage altercation between Bret Hart and WWF Tag Team Champions Powers Of Pain when they crossed paths in the hallway and Warlord & Barbarian purposely bumped into the Hit Man. Bret took it personally and warned the Powers that they might not have the belts much longer if they weren't careful, which led to the Powers attacking Bret until several WWF road agents broke it up and sent the disheveled Hart out to the ring. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan accompanied Rick Rude to ringside as the commentators discussed the Ravishing One's recent issues with Bret Hart related to his feud with WWF Intercontinental Champion Ricky Steamboat. Tenay recalled that Bret scored a pinfall over Ravishing Rick last year on Prime Time Wrestling as Hart and Rude locked up collar-and-elbow, starting the contest off slowly and building the pace. Ventura questioned what effect the Powers Of Pain's brief assault might have on Bret, who worked through any damage and focused on Rude's legs and lower back in preparation for the Sharpshooter. Rude held his own and looked very impressive, engaging in an entertaining athletic match-up as he and the Hit Man traded the advantage numerous times. While Monsoon and Tenay suggested that Rude was afraid of the Sharpshooter, Hart almost squeezed a submission out of Rude using an indian deathlock, but the former WWF Intercontinental Champion got to the ropes to force a break. Moments later, when Hart went to apply the Sharpshooter, Rude scrambled away and bailed out to confer with Heenan at ringside. Rude lured Hart out to the floor, where the Ravishing One took the advantage and battered Bret around ringside before continuing the punishment in the squared circle. After kicking-out of several near-falls, Hart managed to mount a comeback and ended up clotheslining Rude over the top rope to the floor. As Rude got to his feet on the floor, Bret rebounded off the opposite ropes and soared through the ropes with a suicide dive; however, Rude dodged the dive and sent Hart crashing into the iron guardrail with the top of his head. The Hit Man clutched his neck as Rude tossed him back into the ring and snapped on the Rude Awakening to score the deciding pinfall. Afterwards, Rude gyrated his hips over the fallen Hart and made threats about taking the WWF Intercontinental Title from the Dragon, but Bret grabbed Rude by the legs and surprised him, flipping him onto the mat and into the Sharpshooter. The fans cheered, but the Ravishing One slithered out of the groggy Hit Man's grasp and retreated with the Brain, looking embarrassed. (82%)
The Hellraisers ("Dr. Death" Steve Williams & Terry "Bruiser" Gordy) vs. Demolition (Smash & Crush)
Colonel Robert Lee Fuller followed his Hellraisers down the aisle, while Ax marched out with his Demolition brothers-in-paint as Monsoon recounted how Terry Gordy & Steve Williams had made their first WWF appearance last month at the 1992 Royal Rumble by costing Crush & Smash their match against WWF Tag Team Champions Powers Of Pain. As expected, this was a straight-ahead, no-nonsense, hard-hitting, smashmouth-style contest as the two massive squads slugged it out with lefts and rights amidst frequent tags on both sides. Not a great match by any means, but interesting as a physical spectacle to see Demolition unload with their traditional onslaught, while the Hellraisers half-sold and answered back with sharp forearms, clotheslines, punches, and suplexes. There were no pinfall attempts throughout the contest as all four ruffians were more interested in proving their toughness, absorbing the stiffest shots and dishing out their own offense. Tenay discussed the Hellraisers' incredible success in Japan and compared it to Demolition's three WWF Tag Team Championship reigns as yet another brouhaha broke out amongst all four competitors around ringside, trading fists on the floor. The Bruiser & Dr. Death made it back into the ring before Crush & Smash and inadvertently distracted referee Randy Anderson by trying to return to ringside, where Demolition were pulling themselves together. While the official's attention was diverted by the Hellraisers, the Million Dollar Bounty Hunters charged down the aisle and blindsided Smash & Crush, knocking them over and mercilessly stomping them as Ventura mentioned Demolition's victory over Cactus Jack Manson & Bam Bam Bigelow last Monday night on Prime Time Wrestling. The beating didn't last long, as the Big Boss Man & Hawk rushed down the aisle and brawled with the Bounty Hunters, dragging them away from ringside. Meanwhile, Smash crawled back into the squared circle, where the Hellraisers hauled him up and crunched him with the Death Dealer before Gordy hooked the leg for the 1-2-3. Afterwards, Gordy & Williams plodded up the aisleway and assaulted Hawk & Boss Man from behind, joining forces with Bigelow & Manson to hammer the faces until a groggy Crush & Smash entered themselves into the fray. The eight behemoths brawled back through the curtains and disappeared. (69%)
"Rowdy" Roddy Piper vs. Bob Backlund
Roddy Piper strolled down to the squared circle first and mocked Bob Backlund's warm-up routines, until the All American was introduced and charged out to the ring as the Rowdy One taunted him. The former WWF Champion blocked Hot Rod's shots and unloaded on him with stiff lefts and rights to the head while Monsoon and Ventura argued about the Scotsman's allegations that Hulk Hogan had "held down" Backlund and Piper. Backlund remained in control and pummeled Piper, who eventually bailed out to ringside and fled up the aisle, followed by a persistent Backlund. Referee Shane McMahon was extremely lenient with his 10-count as Backlund continued his attack on Piper in the aisleway until Hot Rod managed to trip the All American and bash his head against the iron guardrail, busting him wide open. Piper dragged the former WWF Champion by his shaggy, blood-soaked hair and tossed him into the ring, where Piper worked over the wound with stomps, punches, kneedrops, chokeholds, and even some ravenous biting as Ventura applauded the Rowdy Scot's bloodlust. Backlund rallied back, escaping from a tight rear-chinlock and snapping off a number of double-arm, vertical, side, and back suplexes on Piper as the fans cheered. The All American scored a few near-falls using some amateur takedowns and started to focus on Piper's right arm and shoulder in preparation for the Cross Face Chicken Wing, while the Scotsman was able to remove the turnbuckle pad after several trips to the corner. Piper caught Backlund with a vicious shot to the throat and slammed him head-first against the exposed steel bolt, wrapping him up in the Sleeperhold when the dazed former WWF Champion staggered back out of the corner. Shortly thereafter, the official slowly dropped Backlund's arm three times and declared Piper the winner via submission, which Monsoon attributed to the blood loss suffered by Backlund. Afterwards, Piper refused to release the Sleeper and only did so momentarily in order to slug the referee with a roundhouse right when he tried to pull him off of Backlund. Hot Rod mercilessly squeezed the crimson-faced Backlund in the Sleeper until the entrance curtains parted and Hulk Hogan roared out on his red-and-yellow Harley to a huge pop. The Hulkster sped to ringside and slid into the squared circle, where he blocked Piper's punches and fired back with some closed fists of his own before hurling the Rowdy One over the top rope to the floor. The Immortal One pointed at Piper and waved his finger as a warning while Piper held his head and backed up the aisle, swearing revenge on Hogan. (79%)
Jake "The Snake" Roberts vs. Mr. Perfect
Following a promo for next month's WWF March To WrestleMania on Sunday, March 29, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan accompanied Mr. Perfect to the ring while Jake Roberts sat in his corner, as Monsoon reminded viewers that the Flawless One's shot at the WWF Championship on Sunday, April 26, at WrestleMania VIII was on the line this evening. Ventura put Perfect over for winning the 1992 Royal Rumble and being a former two-time WWF Intercontinental Champion as these two heated rivals clashed together and put on an excellent contest. Perfect spent a majority of the match-up trying to avoid and counter the DDT, while Roberts took advantage of his insecurities and kept him off-balance with an unorthodox strategy of strikes and takedowns as Tenay referred to the Snake as "the original master of mind games". Mid-way through the back-and-forth bout, Perfect battled back and began to direct his assault on Jake's arm in order to neutralize the DDT, a very effective gameplan that Perfect put into action using a series of armwringers and a short-arm scissor submission. Jake refused to surrender and swallowed the pain as he staged a comeback, teeing off on Perfect with a rapid-fire string of left jabs before flooring him with a big-time kneelift. The Snake continued to unload on the Flawless One as Monsoon fantasized about seeing Roberts challenge either Randy Savage or Ted DiBiase for the WWF Title at WrestleMania, culminating in Roberts dropping Perfect with a short-arm clothesline, but injuring his own arm in the process. When the Snake went to hook the DDT, Perfect held onto the ropes to block it and Jake crashed to the canvas, landing on the bad arm. The Perfect One swiftly dragged the Snake into a front-facelock and snared him in the Perfectplex to earn the three-count and retain his WWF Title shot at WrestleMania. Afterwards, Perfect was toweled off by Heenan and rubbed his win into the fans' faces by celebrating on the turnbuckles while Roberts clutched his arm and rolled out to the floor with a look of extreme disappointment on his grimacing face. (84%)
WWF Championship/Last Man Standing Match: "Macho Man" Randy Savage [champion] vs. "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase
After a brief teaser for March 29's WrestleMania VIII, Ted DiBiase made his entrance first, seconded by Virgil, and took the microphone from ring announcer Howard Finkel, introducing Miss Elizabeth. The First Lady Of Wrestling strutted down to ringside, wearing a diamond-covered evening gown, and sat in a chair by the Million Dollar Man's corner with Virgil standing guard beside her, while Randy Savage marched out with the WWF Championship belt and received a deafening pop from the fans. Monsoon explained that the participant who could no longer answer a 10-count from referee Earl Hebner would be declared the loser, as the Macho Man slid into the ring and was immediately besieged by DiBiase with kicks and stomps, kicking off this long-awaited blow-off match-up. The Million Dollar Man zeroed in on the WWF Champion's midsection right off the bat as Tenay recounted the various internal injuries that Savage had suffered during his lengthy feud with the Million Dollar Empire. DiBiase was relentless but Savage fought him off and engaged in a back-and-forth life-and-death struggle, each competitor pulling out all the stops in the quest for victory. The battle spilled out to ringside when Savage ducked a running elbowsmash and back-bodydropped DiBiase over the top rope. The Macho Man quickly scampered up to the top turnbuckle and dove all the way to the floor with the flying double-axhandle on DiBiase, who dragged himself back to his feet at the count of 5. The archenemies continued to tear into one another around ringside, Irish-whipping each other into the ringsteps and guardrail, before the slugfest headed up the aisle. DiBiase stayed down for a 7-count after Savage hotshotted him throat-first across the iron railing and absorbed more punishment as the three-time WWF Champion battered him near the entrance curtain. Savage grabbed two big handfuls of DiBiase's hair and returned him to the ring, tossing him back in under the bottom rope, but Virgil gripped Savage in a waistlock to prevent him from re-entering the squared circle himself. While the Macho Man grappled with Virgil at ringside, Irwin R. Schyster sprinted out and slammed his briefcase into Savage's midsection, doubling him over and clobbering him across the back of the head with the briefcase. IRS and Virgil stomped and kicked Savage's ribs on the floor until Razor Ramon charged out to a loud pop and grabbed Schyster by the tie, pulling him up the aisle and punching him along the way. After the Bad Guy and Irwin disappeared, the Million Dollar Man slid out to the floor and took advantage of Savage's weakened condition by lifting him up in a vertical suplex, but dropping him stomach-first across the railing, which earned a 5-count as the Macho Man clutched his midsection and strained to get to his feet. DiBiase worked over the ribs at ringside and in the squared circle with high-impact moves, each time attempting to put Savage down for the 10-count as Monsoon compared the Last Man Standing match to an extraordinarily brutal boxing match. At one point, DiBiase ordered Virgil to retrieve a spare announcers table from under the ring and set it up in the squared circle, which the loyal lackey obediently did. The Million Dollar Man propped Savage up on the turnbuckles and climbed up there with him, superplexing Savage right through the table in an awesome spot. The WWF Champion showed incredible determination as he fought the pain and regained his vertical base at the count of 9, so Virgil retrieved a metal folding chair for DiBiase, who drilled it into Savage's ribs and side several times. Elizabeth cheered for the former Million Dollar Champion from her seat as DiBiase whacked Savage with a loud chairshot and cinched in the Million Dollar Dream. However, Savage escaped from the lethal hold and mounted a heated comeback, with the fans exploding as the Macho Man bombarded DiBiase with punches and elbowsmashes. DiBiase bailed out to ringside as Savage picked up the chair and followed his challenger to the floor, where the current WWF Champion chased the former WWF Champion. The Million Dollar Man used Elizabeth as a shield, pulling Liz in front of him as Savage raised the chair. Instead, Savage turned and pasted Virgil, who was sneaking up behind the Macho Man. This gave DiBiase the opportunity to swiftly blindside Savage and knock the chair out of his hands, landing at Elizabeth's feet. The First Lady picked up the chair as the Million Dollar Man held Savage's arms at his sides, encouraging Elizabeth to hit Randy with the weapon. Elizabeth swung the chair, but Savage ducked and she accidentally whalloped DiBiase, who began to bleed. Liz was mortified and tried to pounce on Randy, but he gently dumped her on the ring apron and pushed her away before ascending to the top turnbuckle. The Macho Man soared the 10 feet down to the floor with the Flying Elbowdrop on the Million Dollar Man, but instead of waiting for the 10-count, the vengeful Savage tossed DiBiase into the ring and climbed to the top turnbuckle with the chair in hand. Savage came crashing down on top of DiBiase with the chair-assisted Flying Elbowdrop and allowed the official to administer the 10-count, making Savage the "Last Man Standing" and the undisputed WWF Champion. Afterwards, the crowd went wild as DiBiase collapsed out to ringside and Savage soaked in the fans' cheers, standing on the turnbuckles and holding his WWF Championship belt high. While the Macho Man celebrated his resounding victory, Monsoon, Tenay, and Ventura invited viewers to order WWF March To WrestleMania next month and signed off. (85%)
Overall: 79%
Buyrate: 1.70
Paid Attendance: 18,360
PPV Revenue: $4,250,000
Ticket Sales: $1,101,600
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World Wrestling Entertainment: 2004
in The Dome Retro Room
Posted
WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW -- MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2004
Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler introduced the show LIVE from Dayton, Ohio, and discussed last night's Bad Blood before mentioning some of tonight's events: brand-new World Heavyweight Champion Shawn Michaels on "The Highlight Reel", Triple H facing Rhyno one-on-one, Steven Richards challenging Jeff Hardy for his newly-won World Television Championship, and much more.
WWE Intercontinental Champion Randy Orton kicked things off by gingerly walking down to the ring, looking cocky in his finest suit and tie with his forehead bandaged as the fans booed, and picked up the microphone to talk about the Boiler Room Brawl last night at Bad Blood. The Legend Killer admitted that he had learned a lot over the past year by feuding with Mick Foley, but hoped that Foley and the fans had learned something from him as well, which was not to judge a book by its cover. Orton boasted that in addition to being the best-looking superstar in the entire WWE, he was also the toughest, and advised anybody who disagreed with his statement to check out his Hardcore Match at Backlash against Cactus Jack and last night's Boiler Room Brawl against Mankind, not to mention the various victims of his "2004 Legend Killer Tour". The third-generation superstar claimed that he was well on his way to establishing his legacy as the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time and wouldn't let anyone stand in his path, promising to live up to the potential that Triple H saw in him when he brought him into Evolution. Orton continued to brag until he was interrupted by none other than Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, who appeared on the stage in street clothes to a nice crowd pop. The former Intercontinental Champion carried a briefcase in one hand and a mic in the other as he thanked the fans for the ovation and put Randy over as a world-class athlete with a number of big wins already in his brief career. The Dragon regretted that he wasn't able to enjoy an extended reign as Intercontinental Champion in his prime, but suggested that he had one more match in him, adding that he had just happened to bring his wrestling gear with him tonight. Orton responded that he would love to add Steamboat's name to the list of his Legend Killer Tour victims, but explained that he wasn't yet 100% after last night. Steamboat opened the briefcase he was carrying to reveal a replica of the classic Intercontinental Championship belt that he had once held and offered to put it on the line this evening if Orton accepted the challenge, recalling how he and Ric Flair used to wrestle over the World Heavyweight Title for an hour every night and twice on Sundays whether they were 100% or not. The Legend Killer's eyes lit up as he accepted the challenge for tonight, vowing to prove to the Dragon that he could do anything the "old-timers" could do, only he could do it better. The Dragon nodded and replied that he would see Randy in the ring later as J.R. hyped Orton/Steamboat as the main event of the evening. (79%)
Backstage, Stacy Keibler was walking down a hallway, with a light bruise on her face as a result of Trish Stratus' Chick Kick in the Ultimate Diva Match at Bad Blood, when she was confronted by Test, who claimed that if Stacy was still with him, she would be the "Alpha Female" of RAW right now. Keibler referred to him as "Andrew" and told him to get lost, so Test responded that maybe the right woman won last night, explaining that he had "had" both Stacy and Trish, and Trish was "better" than her. Stacy turned to slap Test, but he caught her by the wrist and menaced her until Chris Jericho arrived on the scene and shoved the former Intercontinental Champion away. Test and Y2J tussled as several WWE officials intervened to separate the two Canadian superstars. They hollered at each other as the referees held them apart, while RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff showed up and booked a match pitting Jericho against Test for later tonight. The "ooohh" line came when Stacy, alongside Jericho, informed Test that "size doesn't matter... at least, not in wrestling", as she smirked at the thought of Andrew's "tiny Testicles" and left with Chris. (86%)
World Television Title Match: Steven Richards vs. Jeff Hardy [champion]
Victoria escorted Steven Richards, while Jeff Hardy had Miss Jackie by his side as still photos were shown of the Enigmatic One winning the World Television Championship from Matt Hardy last night at Bad Blood. J.R. explained that Richards planned on being a "spoiler" and capturing the TV Title for Stevie Night Heat as he worked hard and dished out quite a bit of offense, scoring several near-falls. Late in the bout, Victoria tried to get involved but Jackie dropped her with a reverse DDT on the floor, while Hardy mounted a comeback against Steven, culminating in the Twist Of Fate followed by the Swanton Bomb from the top turnbuckle for the 1-2-3 at 8:49. (75%)
Afterwards, Miss Jackie presented Jeff Hardy with the World Television Title belt as they celebrated his first successful championship defense. The crowd's cheers turned to boos when Matt Hardy walked out alongside Lita, who had a microphone and claimed that she still had some unfinished business with Jackie. Lita sneered as she stated that Jackie should have stayed with Rico in the hospital and vowed to rip her eyes out, while Matt took the mic and threatened to come down and destroy the new TV Champion. Jeff held the ropes open and motioned for his brother to enter the ring, but Matt had a better idea and issued a challenge to Jeff & Jackie for a Mixed Tag Team Match next week against Matt & Lita. The Enigmatic One nodded in agreement as Shannon Moore came out of nowhere and blindsided Jeff, who fought back and traded fists with the Mattitude Follower before Matt stormed the squared circle and clipped Jeff's leg from behind, capitalizing on the damaged limb from their bout at Bad Blood last night. Lita slid into the ring as well and spiked Jackie with a DDT as the three Mattitude members beat down Jeff & Jackie. Matt stood triumphantly over his brother holding the TV belt over his head as the crowd booed. (77%)
The Extreme Animals were shown backstage as Tajiri was psyching Rhyno up for his singles bout tonight against Triple H by butting heads and screeching at him in Japanese while the Man Beast snorted and growled, replying in English that he had pinned the Game in the six-man match-up last night at Bad Blood and planned on "Goring the hell" out of HHH...NEXT! (68%)
Rhyno vs. Triple H
Rhyno marched out alone while Ric Flair, in a suit and tie, accompanied Triple H as J.R. talked about the Man Beast's Gore and pinfall on the Game at Bad Blood. Lawler explained that the PPV loss was embarrassing to the Cerebral Assassin as he dominated the early going by focusing his methodical attack on the surgically-repaired neck of Rhyno, who groaned in pain but refused to be pinned. Rhyno battled back and knocked HHH around with clotheslines, shoulderblocks, and powerslams, scoring a pair of near-falls from a belly-to-belly suplex and an Arn Anderson spinebuster. The Nature Boy managed to trip-up Rhyno from ringside behind the back of referee Charles Robinson, bringing Tajiri out to stand in his fellow Extreme Animal's corner and allowing HHH to regain control and lock the Man Beast in a cool half-nelson/neck-wrench submission hold. The fans rallied behind Rhyno as he broke the hold and mounted a comeback, which was interrupted when Flair stepped into the ring, distracting the official and the Man Beast. Tajiri entered the squared circle and cracked Slick Ric with the Buzzsaw Kick, but before he could complete the famous face-first Flair Flop, Rhyno swooped in and took down the former 16-time World Heavyweight Champion with the Gore. However, when Rhyno turned back to his opponent, the Game was waiting and snared him in the Pedigree for the three-count at 12:53. (79%)
Following the bell, Tajiri unleashed a series of his lethal kicks on Triple H until Batista stormed the ring and assaulted the Japanese Buzzsaw from behind. The Evolution Demon hammered Tajiri with the help of the Cerebral Assassin until Shelton Benjamin charged out and ran the two Evolution members off. HHH & Batista dragged Ric Flair up the ramp while Shelton attended to the Extreme Animals, who got back to their feet and shouted at Evolution as they retreated. (87%)
After a commercial break, the ring was set up for "The Highlight Reel" as Chris Jericho had a microphone and discussed the "controversial circumstances" surrounding the finish of the World Heavyweight Title bout at Bad Blood, explaining that many were saying that Chris Benoit did not submit and was screwed out of the gold. Y2J wanted to get to the bottom of the situation and introduced his guest, the new World Heavyweight Champion Shawn Michaels, who marched out to a mostly-negative mixed reaction and looked visibly bothered by the fans. The Heartbreak Kid carried the belt and informed Jericho that he didn't know what the hell happened last night, describing how he wasn't sure if Benoit had tapped out, but accepted the championship anyway. Jericho rolled his eyes as Michaels demanded an explanation himself and called out RAW GM Eric Bischoff, who was booed on his way to the ring and stated that for HBK's safety, Benoit would not be in the arena tonight. Shawn frowned and told Eric that he didn't need any "special treatment", but the RAW GM reminded him how dangerous the Canadian Crippler could be when he was angry. HBK replied that he could take care of himself and flat-out asked Bischoff if he had anything to do with the ending of last night's main event, but Bischoff claimed that he was innocent and was just as surprised as anybody else when Johnny Nitro raced out to replace the downed Earl Hebner as referee. Michaels scoffed and inquired who gave Nitro a referee's license, so Bischoff revealed that he had given Nitro a license several months ago, but hadn't seen his former "apprentice" in at least three months and had forgotten about it. Michaels admitted that it felt great to be a five-time World Champion, but doubted Bischoff's story and argued with him until Jericho interrupted and accused them both of being "full of crap", suggesting that they worked together to steal the gold from Benoit and were trying to pull the wool over the fans' eyes. Y2J brought up both of their track records, including Shawn's involvement in the 1997 Survivor Series screwjob and Bischoff's treatment of talent such as Jericho and Benoit in WCW, and declared that they were both masters of BS. Shawn was offended by the remarks and walked off to a corner to contemplate Y2J's comments while Bischoff berated Jericho, who finally had enough and dropped the mic to grab the former WCW President in the Walls Of Jericho, but before he could get it locked in, HBK blasted Y2J with the Sweet Chin Music. Bischoff retreated while Michaels partly blamed Jericho for the loss of the World Tag Team Championship in the Triple Threat Match last night and warned him that nobody talked to HBK that way, offering to prove his worth as the World Heavyweight Champion by defending the title against Jericho next week. Michaels exited the squared circle and headed up the ramp, keeping his distance from Bischoff, while Test rushed out with referee Jack Doan for his match-up against Jericho. (79%)
Chris Jericho vs. Test
The ring still had the "Highlight Reel" set-up, but Test wasted no time in ordering referee Jack Doan to call for the opening bell to kick off the match. Chris Jericho was groggy from the Sweet Chin Music, but managed to nod to the official as the bell rang and Test was all over Y2J with body punches, clotheslines, and impressive power maneuvers. The action spilled out to ringside, where Test and Jericho slugged it out back-and-forth as several members of the RAW road crew came out to disassemble "The Highlight Reel" and clear out the squared circle. The end came when Test charged with the Final Exam, but Jericho dodged the running boot and Test's leg got caught up on the top rope, possibly injuring his hamstring. Test limped back and Y2J took his larger opponent down in the Walls Of Jericho, forcing Test to tap out at 9:23. Afterwards, Stacy Keibler came out and hugged Jericho, who celebrated with her and retrieved the microphone to accept Shawn Michaels' offer of a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship next week. (82%)
Backstage, Ricky Steamboat carried the briefcase from earlier and had his martial arts robe covering his wrestling attire as he was heading out for the WWE Intercontinental Championship main event against Randy Orton. The Dragon was stopped by Ric Flair, who was holding an icepack on his jaw (a result of the Buzzsaw Kick from Tajiri earlier) and advised his long-time rival that it wasn't too late to cancel the bout tonight so that Steamboat could go home to "Little Ricky" in one piece. Steamboat just smirked and claimed that wrestling the Legend Killer wasn't just something he had to do for himself, it was something he had to do for Orton and the future of the business. The Nature Boy responded that Orton was already a member of Evolution and the hottest rising young superstar in the industry, but Steamboat paraphrased one of Slick Ric's catchphrases and promised to "take Randy to school" this evening before continuing on his way. (73%)
WWE Intercontinental Title Match: Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat vs. Randy Orton [champion]
Ricky Steamboat got a great ovation from the fans as J.R. went over his accomplishments, capturing the Intercontinental Title and the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, while Randy Orton was seconded by Ric Flair, who still had the icepack on his jaw. The Dragon looked to be in good shape, but was understandably a few steps slower than in his prime as he exchanged armdrags and even a couple of high dropkicks with the reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion, who had a number of bandages on his torso and forehead to cover the wounds suffered in last night's Boiler Room Brawl. Steamboat turned Orton's chest bright red with a vicious series of loud chops across the chest that echoed throughout the building and scored a couple of near-falls before the Legend Killer gained control and worked over Steamboat's back, which Ross explained was the cause of Ricky's retirement. The Dragon rallied back as the Nature Boy climbed up to the top turnbuckle, but Steamboat caught him and tossed Flair into Orton. Slick Ric rolled out to the floor as Steamboat ascended to the top turnbuckle himself and dove off with the Flying Bodypress, but Orton rolled through with it and grabbed a handful of tights for a very close near-fall. When both competitors got back to their feet, Orton was a few seconds quicker and drilled Steamboat with the RKO for the 1-2-3 at 12:38 to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Afterwards, Orton helped the winded Steamboat off the canvas and seemed genuinely impressed with the Dragon's effort, but when Steamboat offered a handshake, the Legend Killer cheapshotted him with a big right hand and dropped him with another RKO. Orton retrieved Steamboat's briefcase and took ownership of the "classic" Intercontinental Title belt, dumping the newer design out to ringside and celebrating with his new gold while J.R. and the King signed off. (69%)
Overall: 76%
Rating: 5.92
Attendance: 10,043
Ticket Sales: $401,720
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WWE SMACKDOWN! -- THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2004
Joey Styles and Tazz opened the UPN broadcast in Chicago, Illinois, and announced the lineup for this evening: Brock Lesnar defending the WWE United States Championship against Funaki, Juventud Guerrera meeting Rey Mysterio in a Strap On A Pole match, the Basham Brothers squaring off against the Shooting Star Express, and a huge tag team main event pitting the Big Show & Booker T against the Undertaker & WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero.
The Basham Brothers (Doug & Danny Basham) vs. The Shooting Star Express (Billy Kidman & Paul London)
Dawn Marie escorted her Basham Brothers, while the Shooting Star Express received a nice pop upon their entrance as the commentators put the two squads over as the future of SmackDown's tag team division. Tazz mentioned the Basham Brothers' victory over Ultimo Dragon & Funaki on Velocity over the weekend as Danny & Doug put on a great exhibition of tag team wrestling, trading the advantage back-and-forth with Paul London & Billy Kidman, who used their speed and agility to counter the superior size and strength of the Bashams. Late in the match-up, Doug covered Kidman following the Ball & Gag from he and Danny, but Paul Heyman appeared at ringside and distracted referee Jim Cordaris. Meanwhile, London capitalized on the distraction by going to the top turnbuckle and flying off with the 450 Splash across Doug's back as he covered Billy, sandwiching the Basham between London & Kidman. London rolled Kidman on top of Doug and hit Danny with the Dropsault as the official returned to the action and registered the three-count for the Express at 11:47. (81%)
Afterwards, Paul London helped Billy Kidman off the mat and the Basham Brothers protested the decision at ringside while Paul Heyman retrieved a microphone and entered the ring, bringing up his offer last week to split up the Shooting Star Express and manage one of them to the WWE Cruiserweight Championship as a member of his Agency. The former ECW owner pointed to his involvement tonight as a turning point in the match and used it as an example of one of the many benefits of having Heyman in their corner. Heyman stated that he had given Kidman & London a week to think about it and asked for their decision, questioning which of them had the drive and determination to break their tag team apart and go on to greater heights as a singles superstar under his tutelage. However, Heyman was interrupted by the "YO...YO...YO!" of John Cena, who appeared on the stage with a mic of his own, alongside Rob Van Dam. The Doctor Of Thuganomics advised Heyman not to worry about the Shooting Star Express because he and RVD had a special guest with a few announcements concerning the Agency: SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long, who praised the action and athleticism of last week's main event and claimed that the victory by Cena & RVD over Brock Lesnar & Charlie Haas had some ramifications on the Agency. When Heyman asked what he meant, Long replied that the win had earned Cena & RVD a shot at the Thrill Kill's WWE Tag Team Championship next week, and announced two new matches he had just booked for the Great American Bash on Sunday, July 4: Mr. Thursday Night's pinfall on Lesnar netted him a crack at Brock's WWE United States Championship, and Cena would be gunning for revenge against Haas one-on-one. Heyman threw down the mic and stormed up the ramp, leaving the Express looking confused, while RVD & Cena mocked Heyman. (81%)
SmackDown GM Theodore Long was returning to his backstage office when he was confronted by Nunzio, who was flanked by Johnny Stamboli & Chuck Palumbo as he complained about Long foiling his plans to interfere in the Full Blooded Italians' match last week. Nunzio warned the SmackDown GM that it wasn't wise to cross "the Family" and wondered if Long really wanted to be on their bad side, but Long informed the Italian Piranha that he didn't respond well to threats and asked if Nunzio was ready to wrestle. Nunzio acted surprised and replied that he wasn't on the card tonight, but Long announced that he had just booked him against Rikishi, with the FBI barred from ringside. Long told Nunzio to "belie'e dat, playa" and walked off to his office as Nunzio fumed. (76%)
Rikishi vs. Nunzio
Nunzio looked very angry when he marched out alone, still wearing his slacks and shoes since he didn't have time to change into his wrestling gear, and tried to gain an early advantage by jumping on Rikishi's back and applying a sleeperhold, but the 360-pounder countered with a Samoan Drop and proceeded to manhandle his much smaller opponent. The fans oooh'ed and aahh'ed as Rikishi flattened the Full Blooded Italian with legdrops, elbowdrops, avalanches in the corner, and belly-to-belly suplexes before setting him up for the Rump Shaker. However, before Rikishi could complete the banzai drop, Nunzio retreated to another corner and tried to remove a turnbuckle pad. While referee Chad Patton was busy fixing the pad, Nunzio produced a can of pepper spray from his pocket and sprayed Rikishi in the eyes, then hit him with a lowblow, all behind the official's back. Nunzio followed up with the Sicilian Slice from the middle turnbuckle and covered Rikishi for the upset pin at 6:59. Afterwards, Nunzio bailed out quickly and met up with Chuck Palumbo & Johnny Stamboli on the rampway to celebrate. (74%)
The newly-formed group of La Raza were shown in the locker room, all wearing matching bandanas, as Chavo Guerrero, Chavo Classic, & Essa Rios were getting Juventud Guerrera ready for his Strap On A Pole encounter against Rey Mysterio. Los Chavos encouraged Juvi Juice to snatch the leather strap off the pole first, then let his "Latin fire" erupt and whip Rey Rey until he was covered in welts to make a statement to the rest of the SmackDown roster on behalf of La Raza. (76%)
Strap On A Pole Match: Juventud "The Juice" Guerrera vs. Rey Mysterio
Chavo Classic seconded Juventud Guerrera as Styles explained that a leather strap was suspended from a pole set up on a neutral corner's ringpost, and whichever man got to it first would get to use the strap legally. The commentators brought up the storied history between Rey Mysterio and Juventud going back to WCW and Mexico, as the Juice put on a strong showing against Rey Rey, but every time he went to climb the post, Rey would spring up and pull him down. Juvi also blocked Rey from reaching the strap a couple of times, and finally Classic tried to climb up and retrieve it, but Mysterio stopped him and took him down into the ring with an awesome huracanrana off the top turnbuckle. This gave Guerrera the opportunity to ascend the turnbuckles to go after the strap, but Mysterio joined the Juice up on top and knocked him down to the canvas with a pole-assisted 619 before unsnapping the leather strap from the pole and taking it down into the ring as the fans cheered. Rey Rey begin whipping Juventud with the strap, slowly at first but going faster as he became more and more intense, which Tazz suggested was in response to the comments made last week by John Bradshaw Layfield. Juvi screamed and writhed around, trying to escape Rey's vicious assault with the leather that left numerous welts and a couple of bleeding cuts across his torso. Finally, Mysterio wrapped the strap around Guerrera's neck and tied him to the bottom rope, then stepped out to the apron and springboarded back in, Dropping The Dime on the Juice for the 1-2-3 at 13:49. Afterwards, Mysterio fended off an attack from Essa Rios & Chavo Guerrero and held his own against La Raza until JBL stormed the ring and jumped Rey with a leather strap of his own. The opportunistic La Raza members joined forces with JBL to hammer Rey Rey to the mat and began to whip him with the strap until Bubba Ray, D-Von, & WWE Cruiserweight Champion Spike Dudley ran out to make the save. JBL and La Raza fled the scene as Spike helped Rey to his feet while the Dudley Boyz stood guard. (85%)
Backstage, Gail Kim was reassuring Funaki that she was fine after what happened on Velocity, reminding him that she was a former WWE Women's Champion on RAW, and that she wanted to accompany him for his WWE United States Title shot against Brock Lesnar. Funaki blushed and they headed out arm-in-arm as Ultimo Dragon could be seen in the background with his arms crossed, shaking his head. Suddenly, Akio & Sakoda came out of nowhere and blindsided the masked superstar, beating him down and laying him out with the Sayonara (double STO) on the hard floor. The Dragon was unconscious as Kyo Dai straightened their suits and walked off. (77%)
WWE United States Title Match: Funaki vs. Brock Lesnar [champion]
Gail Kim strutted out arm-in-arm with Funaki to a mixed reaction, while Brock Lesnar had Paul Heyman by his side for his first televised title defense since winning the gold at Judgment Day last month. Although Funaki got in some respectable offense and even nabbed a pair of near-falls off of a roll-up and a reverse cradle, the WWE United States Champion was dominant throughout the contest and finished off the Japanese superstar with the F5 at 5:26. (82%)
Following the bell, Brock Lesnar continued to punish Funaki, slamming him with another F5 and shoving Gail Kim aside when she tried to intervene. The WWE United States Champion hauled Funaki over his shoulders again and threatened a third F5, but Rob Van Dam & John Cena charged out to drive off Brock and Paul Heyman, who retreated up the ramp as the Doctor Of Thuganomics & Mr. Thursday Night pointed to their waists and promised to take all of the Agency's gold. (81%)
Michael Cole was backstage to interview Booker T, who boasted about his non-title pinfall over Eddie Guerrero two weeks ago. The Book claimed that the WWE Champion was a desperate man that resorted to cheapshots last week because he knew that Booker would repeat his performance at the Great American Bash and win the WWE Title. The former five-time WCW Champion suggested that the truth hurt and that his momentum would continue tonight, predicting that he would score the deciding pinfall in the tag team main event...NEXT! (83%)
Booker T & The Big Show vs. Eddie Guerrero & The Undertaker
Paul Bearer led his Undertaker down the ramp for this unusual tag team collision, but was missing the urn as the commentators recalled that Kurt Angle had stolen the urn last week with the help of the Big Show. Heated main event here that went back-and-forth in the early going until the Show & Booker T managed to isolate Eddie Guerrero and exchange frequent tags as they worked over the WWE Champion, who kicked out of every pinfall attempt and mounted a comeback, culminating in the hot tag to the Undertaker. The Dead Man stormed in and cleaned house, flooring the Book with a big boot and opening up on Show with lefts and rights as Kurt Angle appeared at ringside, still wearing a neckbrace and carrying the urn. While 'Taker was distracted by the urn, Booker sidestepped a dropkick from Latino Heat that inadvertently hit the Phenom square in the back and allowed Show to grip 'Taker by the throat and plant him with the Show Stopper. The 7-foot 500-pounder tossed Eddie over the top rope and followed him out to the floor as Undertaker slowly sat up and staggered to his feet before Booker slammed him with the Book End for a very close near-fall. Referee Nick Patrick then tried to get Guerrero and Show back to their separate corners, giving Angle the opportunity to bash the Grim Reaper's skull with the urn. The Undertaker stumbled back as Booker nailed him with the Axe Kick across the back of the head and covered him for the deciding pinfall at 14:06. Afterwards, Booker celebrated the victory on the ramp with Angle & Show after the Dead Man struggled to sit up, but collapsed as Paul Bearer wailed in sorrow. The Book smiled and raised his arms while Styles and Tazz closed the broadcast. (86%)
Overall: 80%
Rating: 5.91
Attendance: 10,045
Ticket Sales: $401,800
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WWE VELOCITY -- SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2004
* Hosts: Michael Cole and Josh Matthews.
* Scotty 2 Hotty vs. Jamie Noble: Good well-worked opening bout to kick off Velocity, as the competitors traded the advantage back-and-forth. Noble worked over Scotty's knee throughout the contest and finally locked him in the Trailer Hitch for the submission at 8:33. (83%)
* Jamie Noble was shown returning backstage and asking Torrie Wilson if she had seen his match tonight. Torrie replied that she had watched it on the monitor and congratulated Noble on an impressive victory. When Jamie informed her that he had dedicated the win to her, Torrie blushed and told Jamie that he was cute and could be sweet when he wanted to be. (77%)
* Elsewhere backstage, Chavo Classic was walking down a hallway alongside Essa Rios, giving him a peptalk in Spanish. (72%)
* Essa Rios vs. Chris Sabin: Chavo Classic accompanied Essa Rios for this competitive fast-paced match-up. In the end, Essa landed a beautiful corkscrew moonsault from the top turnbuckle for the 1-2-3 at 6:31. (76%)
* A video aired to hype a tag team encounter for this Thursday's SmackDown pitting John Bradshaw Layfield & Chavo Guerrero against Rey Mysterio & WWE Cruiserweight Champion Spike Dudley. (84%)
* Marissa Mazzola interviewed Rob Van Dam, who gave one of his laid-back promos about he and John Cena capturing the WWE Tag Team Championship from the Thrill Kill on SmackDown this Thursday, then him going on to once again pin Brock Lesnar at the Great American Bash and win the WWE United States Title. RVD added that he had decided to give Velocity fans a treat and become "Mr. Saturday Night" for this evening. (85%)
* Rob Van Dam vs. Angel Dust: Semi-competitive squash that ended when RVD flattened Angel Dust with the Five Star Frog Splash from the top turnbuckle at 4:29. (63%)
* Ultimo Dragon was shown warming up backstage for his shot at Spike Dudley's WWE Cruiserweight Championship in the Velocity main event. (54%)
* Marissa Mazzola interviewed Spike Dudley, who talked about how being WWE Cruiserweight Champion was a dream come true and promised to uphold the integrity of the title by defending it against all contenders. (76%)
* WWE Cruiserweight Title Match: Ultimo Dragon vs. Spike Dudley [champion]: This was a solid Velocity main event that featured plenty of mat-wrestling as the commentators questioned Ultimo Dragon's condition after the backstage assault by Kyo Dai on SmackDown. After some good back-and-forth action, Spike Dudley managed to counter the Dragon Sleeper with the Dudley Dog and retain the WWE Cruiserweight Championship at 8:19. (66%)
Overall: 71%
Rating: 5.74
Attendance: 10,047
Ticket Sales: $401,880
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WWE SUNDAY NIGHT HEAT -- SUNDAY, JUNE 20, 2004
* Hosts: Jonathan Coachman and Jim Cornette.
* Edge vs. Joey Matthews: Entertaining squash to kick off Heat as Edge put Joey Matthews away with the Edgecution implant DDT at 3:54. (69%)
* Eugene & William Regal were shown interacting backstage as they headed out for their tag team match tonight. Eugene was still excited about their PPV victory over Test & Scott Steiner at last week's Bad Blood, but William advised him to focus on the future and prove to "Uncle Eric" that they were worthy of a crack at the World Tag Team Championship. (76%)
* William Regal & Eugene vs. The Backseat Boys (Johnny Kashmere & Trent Acid): This was a very good, competitive tag team contest that went back-and-forth, showing the improving teamwork of William & Eugene, as well as the potential of the Backseat Boys. In the end, Eugene pinned Kashmere at 7:31 following the Stone Cold Stunner for a big crowd pop. (80%)
* Jeff Johnson interviewed Rosey, who stated that while he hadn't seen or talked to the Hurricane in a few weeks, he had received a message from the Super Hero telling him to show up for a tag team match tonight against Mattitude. The Super Hero In Training hoped that this was Hurricane's way of reconciling and looked forward to getting back on the same page with his mentor. (68%)
* Mattitude (Matt Hardy & Shannon Moore) vs. The Hurricane & Rosey: Lita escorted the Mattitude faction, while Rosey came out alone and had to wrestle on his own as there was no sign of the Hurricane. Although the 350-pounder fought bravely, Shannon Moore & Matt Hardy used their superior numbers to tag in-and-out as they wore down the Super Hero In Training. Late in the bout, Rosey mounted a comeback as the Hurricane raced out to a good pop and entered the ring to help his protege, but instead he ended up nailing Rosey with the Shining Wizard and turned heel. The crowd booed as the Hurricane exited the squared circle and headed up the ramp, leaving Rosey to fall victim to the Mooregasm from the top turnbuckle for the pinfall at 6:57. Afterwards, Rosey held his head as the commentators were shocked at the turn of events. (84%)
* A video aired to hype the main event of RAW tomorrow night, featuring Shawn Michaels defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Chris Jericho. (75%)
* Backstage, Lance Storm looked somewhat depressed as he informed Val Venis that he was contemplating retirement due to his recent lack of success in singles and tag team competition. Val tried to cheer him up, but Storm stated that if they lost tonight's non-title main event against new World Tag Team Champions Kane & Christian, he would have to seriously consider hanging up his boots for good. (74%)
* Jeff Johnson interviewed Christian, who was flanked by Trish Stratus and Kane as he laughed about the Hurricane turning on Rosey and Lance Storm considering retirement. Christian claimed that these things were happening because all the other tag teams on RAW knew that he and the Big Red Machine would be the most unstoppable World Tag Team Champions of all time. (79%)
* Non-Title Match: Val Venis & Lance Storm vs. Christian & Kane: Trish Stratus accompanied the new World Tag Team Champions for this solid non-title Heat main event that went back-and-forth as Lance Storm worked hard to pull off a win, scoring a couple of near-falls on Christian. Unfortunately, the champs finished them off when Christian covered Val Venis at 9:12 following the Chokeslam To Hell from Kane. (78%)
Overall: 75%
Rating: 5.92
Attendance: 10,024
Ticket Sales: $400,960
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The updated lineup for the Great American Bash: Independence Day on Sunday, July 4...
WWE Championship/No Disqualification Match: Eddie Guerrero [champion] vs. Booker T
WWE United States Title Match: Brock Lesnar [champion] vs. Rob Van Dam
WWE Cruiserweight Title Match: Spike Dudley [champion] vs. Chavo Guerrero
Mexican Strap Match: Rey Mysterio vs. John Bradshaw Layfield
John Cena vs. Charlie Haas