ZJ Penn

Even though I've only just started I'm afraid this diary, like many others I'm sure, is off on a month-long World Cup hiatus. Basically, I write the shows at the time of the games usually, so I doubt many will get done. This doesnt mean that it definetly won't get updated till July, just the updates wont be as frequent as they were before. . Sorry, and thanks for reading so far

Booker T’s role/Chavo Guerrero

- Not much news to report today except that Chavo Guerrero has been revealed as Smackdowns second draft lottery pick. The move has no doubt been used as a method of furthering the angle that has been main eventing Smackdown lately. With both sides now at four superstars a piece, Vengeance appears to be building up very nicely for the Smackdown brand already.

- Also, Booker T was involved in a promo on Smackdown where he stated he will have nothing to do with The Boogeyman nor Smackdown till Vengeance. However, the Saturday house show has seen Booker appear in action, thus fuelling the rumour that the WWE are trying to limit The Boogeymans on-screen exposure due to his below par wrestling skills for this level of sports entertainment. If this is the case, then it is almost 100% definite that The Boogeymans deal will not be renewed at the end of August when it expires.

Before Smackdown tonight, it was assumed that it would have been Armageddon in the ring when the six man tag team match took place, and save for the Smackdown General Manager Theodore Long, it without doubt would have been. The contest was perhaps the most ill-tempered and high tempo match Smackdown has seen in its history. The match pitted Mark Henry and Doug Basham of Daivari’s Army along with their associate and former WWE Champion John Bradshaw Layfield, against the seemingly unstoppable collection of former World Champions, including The Undertaker, Chris Benoit and current World Heavyweight Champion Rey Mysterio. The match was full of twists and turns with Daivari getting involved from the off, until a Chokeslam from the Deadman through the Spanish announce table soon decommissioned him. With such a spectacular array of superstars on show, it was going to take something special to win this one, which duly arrived on the forty minute mark. With Henry seemingly dominating Chris Benoit with a variety of slams and bear hugs crushing the Canadians ribs, the match looked beyond doubt when he scored with a Worlds Strongest Slam, however instead of looking for a pin, he decided to rather ironically, cripple the crippler with another Worlds Strongest Slam. With his confidence came complacency as Benoit slipped out of the back though and locked on the Crossface!!! The juggernaut forced his way to the corner and tagged in Basham nonetheless who then pounded down on Benoit almost scoring the three count with a Second Rope Spine buster. Benoit kicked out though and reversed an Irish whip into Henry allowing Benoit to tag in Mysterio who then used his speed to outfox Basham and nail the 619! His springboard was unlucky though as JBL pulled down on the ropes, crotching Rey, and letting Basham stumble across the ring and bring Layfield into the game. JBL made an instant impact coming off of the ropes and hitting a high impact Clothesline From Hell for unbelievably, only a two count as Mysterio found huge determination to kick out. With JBL experiencing a mixture of anger and shock, he decided to try and end the match and possibly Rey’s career with another Clothesline From Hell. This time Mysterio showed why he was the champion to duck the manoeuvre and tag in The Undertaker!!! Taker wasted no time laying into all three men, with every member of Daivari’s team taking a big time Chokeslam. The Deadman then looked to score with a Tombstone Piledriver as he made the cut throat motion to the delight of the millions watching around the world. However, at this point The Great Khali hit ringside going toe-to-toe with Undertaker as referee Nick Patrick called for the disqualification to end the match on Khali’s behalf. With all seven men in the ring brawling as Daivari watched on bleary eyed, Taker, Mysterio and Benoit were somehow able to clear them from the ring in a flurry of right hands. As Daivari and company regrouped for another assault on their opponents, Theodore Longs music hit the arena and the General Manager came out onto the stage! He began by saying that the next person to throw a punch on this show will be fired! With order restored in and around the ring, he proceeded that he has simply had enough. He said he’s sick of the backstage brawls, the cross brand attacks and the outside interference, furthermore, even RAW has more order on their show and they don’t even have a General Manager! He went on to announce that next week, he is going to get everything back on track when he announces the official matches for the Vengeance PPV later this month. Long finished his shocking announcement by telling Daivari that he has noticed that they outnumber their opponents by four men to three, but that’s alright because he knows the second draft lottery pick, which he assures you will even the odds. He then motioned to the back and its Chavo Guerrero!!! As Smackdown went off the air we were treated to the welcome sight of Daivari looking particularly worried now that he knows the odds have been evened and his Army have lost their numerical advantage.

In other news tonight, Shelton Benjamin was finally able to live up to his own ability when he ended his undefeated streak with a big win over Psychosis. Benjamin claimed to be able to beat any type of superstar and showed that he can wrestle a high flying match with the best of them after grabbing the win. Psychosis nearly had the match won with a Corkscrew Splash although Benjamin grabbed the ropes. Eventually the former Intercontinental Champion got the pin after a T-Bone Suplex, however the win was tainted as Benjamin utilised a mule kick to the ‘lower regions’ while the referees back was turned to get the advantage Booker T made an unscheduled announcement tonight. He told Josh Matthews that he had frankly had enough of The Boogeyman following him and his wife Sharmell around Smackdown which is why he will not be appearing again till Vengeance, when he is going to put that sick weirdo out of his misery once and for all. Also, after tonight’s women’s match, it can officially be confirmed that Melina will now play no part in the WWE Tag Team Championship match at Vengeance after she lost her singles match at this weeks show. Melina arrived at the ring to find out the opponent found by Londrick for her was none other than Strictly Come Dancing star Stacy Keibler in a rare WWE appearance. Despite having the clear wrestling advantage, Melina lost the match-up when Stacy followed through with a Melina roll-up and got the pinfall. After the match, MNM came down to the ring and looked to be about to nail Stacy with the Snapshot, but Londrick came to her rescue as they celebrated her success. In a good old fashioned British style bout, Finlay and William Regal were able to hold a fantastic match, which Finlay won after nailing Regal with his infamous stick and hitting the Muscle Buster for an indefinite three count. Contrary to expectation, neither Paul Burchill nor Lashley showed up during the match. However, once Finlay won, he was about to exit behind the curtain when Lashley exploded from behind it to Spear Finlay right out of his boots! The 2006 King Of The Ring winner looked pleased with his work as he returned to the back with Regal. The first match of the evening saw new superstar Chris Hero take on legendary superstar Tatanka. It was youth versus experience and this time youth won out with Hero dodging a Tomahawk Chop before coming off of the ropes with his Charging STO for the victory. Hero has only been on the roster a short period of time, but looks very impressive indeed so far, undefeated to date. Finally tonight, Gregory Helms introduced his collaborator of last week to the world. He announced him to be Texas Lewis, his new found bodyguard who will put his life on the line to protect him and his title! He also announced that next week he will show everyone how effective a pair they can be when they team for the first time to go up against his Vengeance opponents, Super Crazy and Kid Kash! With this being Texas Lewis’ first official match inside a WWE ring, be sure not to miss it, exclusive next week on Friday Night Smackdown!!!

Confirmed Results:

- The Undertaker, Rey Mysterio & Chris Benoit beat JBL, Mark Henry & Doug Basham by DQ after Khali interfered

- Shelton Benjamin pinned Psychosis with the T-Bone Suplex

- Melina’s surprise opponent was Stacy Keibler, who defeated her with a follow through on a roll-up

- Finlay pinned William Regal after a shot from his stick and the Muscle Buster

- Chris Hero beat Tatanka with the Charging STO

The following results were taken from the Velocity web cast:

- Animal pinned Orlando Jordan with a power bomb. After the match he issued an unanswered challenge to Matt Hardy for a match at Vengeance

- Gunner Scott defeated Sylvan with the Top Gun

- The Gymini beat Nunzio & Vito with an illegal roll-up

- Jamie Noble beat Funaki by submission with his Dragon Sleeper modification

Smackdown Preview For Friday 7th July 2006

In recent weeks we’ve seen Daivari fulfil his promise to make his enemies friends and family pay for their audacity to stand up to him and his collection of superstars, with numerous attacks on The Undertakers brother Kane who has yet to be seen since thrown into the fire at Bad Blood last month, Chris Benoits life long friend Dean Malenko was brutally assaulted last week on Smackdown and is still recovering in hospital, finishing with Mark Henrys attempted mugging on Eddie Guerrero’s nephew, Chavo, however he was saved by former Smackdown superstar, Batista. Whilst Chavo escaped with only minor injuries, the attack will no doubt have struck a nerve with World Heavyweight Champion Rey Mysterio, close friend of the Guerrero family. Tonight, all of the anger and frustration that has built up inside six of the superstars involved will be unleashed, in a huge six man tag team match. The main event sees three of Daivari’s associates; John Bradshaw Layfield, Mark Henry and Doug Basham, take on a team made up of their rivals of recent weeks, Mysterio, Benoit and The Undertaker. With both sides having major scores to settle with each other, this is not going to be for the weak of heart that’s for sure. Also, Mysterio’s team would be wise not to forget that Daivari himself will no doubt be at ringside, whilst the monstrous Khali is scheduled to be at the arena in addition to the others. With potentially eight superstars involved in this brawl, it could very well mean that Armageddon has arrived early this year!

Also tonight, last weeks draft lottery pick from RAW, Shelton Benjamin, takes on Psychosis. Benjamin claimed that he could beat anyone at any style. Well tonight he is going to have to prove that when he faces one of the most experienced high flyers in the industry in the Mexican superstar. With Benjamin still on his defeated streak that began over a month ago on RAW, can his first match on Smackdown be the beginning of a new chapter in the former Intercontinental Champions career? Find out tonight! Additionally, the draft continues when Smackdown gets hold of its second superstar from RAW. After losing young prodigy Ken Kennedy to the alternative brand on Monday, can Smackdown bring across an equally talented superstar to the blue half of the WWE? Smackdown General Manager Theodore Long will definitely be hoping so. Long also last week commissioned a match up between MNM’s Melina and a female competitor of Londricks choosing. With MNM’s big advantage in the WWE Tag Team Championship match this month at Vengeance riding on the match, Londrick will have to find someone who they have full faith in to try and win this match for them. Another big match tonight is a ‘Battle of Britain’, between Finlay and William Regal. With Finlay set to take on Lashley at Vengeance for the King Of The Ring title opportunity, he’ll no doubt be looking to send a message to Lashley when he squares off against Lashleys friend Regal. Whilst Lashley isn’t scheduled to be involved in the match, if Finlay takes is a step too far with Regal, then expect Lashley to come to his aid. Lets not forget Paul Burchill who has been backing up Finlay in recent weeks, who could also be a factor in the match. In other news, Gregory Helms has claimed that tonight he will introduce us all to the man who destroyed his Cruiserweight title opponents Kid Kash and Super Crazy last week. The powerhouse, who decimated Kash and Crazy with his unique finishing manoeuvre, definitely looks dangerous and it’ll be interesting to see just who he is tonight. Finally, Chris Hero makes his Smackdown debut today against legendary native American, Tatanka. Hero has been in fine form on the Velocity web casts so far, also undefeated in his short term in the WWE to date. It certainly isn’t going to be a walkover though, as Tatanka has proved time and time again that age hasn’t slowed him down one bit since his return to a WWE ring.

Will anyone survive the hellacious six man tag affair? Who is Smackdowns second draft lottery pick? Can Shelton Benjamin break his so defeated streak in his first match on Smackdown? What will Melina’s role be in the tag team match at this months PPV, Vengeance? Find out tonight, only Smackdown!

Confirmed Matches:

- Rey Mysterio, Undertaker & Chris Benoit Vs JBL, Mark Henry & Doug Basham

- Shelton Benjamin Vs Psychosis

- Melina Vs ?????

- Finlay Vs William Regal

- Chris Hero Vs Tatanka

Friday Night Smackdown! Television that’s changing Friday nights!!!

RAW draft pick/Rene Dupree injury/Trevor Murdoch worry/HBK interview/WWE contract renewals and releases

- The first big piece of news is that of RAWs second draft lottery pick, which was revealed this Monday to be Mr Ken Kennedy. The charismatic new superstar as previously told is held in high regard at the WWE and the move whilst not only gives him a change of scenery, it is also hoped that he will now be able to work with the companies megastars, including; Shawn Michaels, Triple H, John Cena, Edge and Rob Van Dam. The worker is already most likely to be involved in a program with Carlito, with a possible Intercontinental title run on the horizon.

- Unfortunate news now and it appears that French Canadian superstar Rene Dupree will be out of action for up to 9 months with a torn neck muscle. The news will come as a blow to both him and newly reformed tag team partner Rob Conway, with the pair allegedly set for a push in the near future, although this is obviously now impossible. Dupree should hopefully be back in time for WrestleMania 23 next year. As for Conway, looks like Heat has found a new superstar for the rest of the year. Sorry, but that’s life.

- You may remember a few weeks ago Wrestling Heat exclusively broke that Trevor Murdoch was being watched very carefully after not selling his opponents moves during his matches. However, this has continued into his match last week on RAW against two of the biggest names in the WWE today, Flair and Big Show. After complaints to the management, it appeared that Murdoch was on his way out of World Wrestling Entertainment. However, both Goldust and Dusty Rhodes, blood relatives of Murdoch’s, have asked to be more lenient on him and so he has been given a one month suspension instead. Expect him to return to WWE programming in August.

- On RAW, Shawn Michaels gave an interview which has given support to the rumour that he plans to take at least a few weeks out of wrestling. Although, with one of the biggest WWE PPV’s coming up in August in the form of Summerslam, fans of HBK shouldn’t worry, he’ll probably be back sooner than you think.

- In final news today, more contract negotiations have been ongoing. John Bradshaw Layfield has extended his contract. The millionaire Texan was thought to be hanging up his boots at the end of his previous contract, however this extension shows otherwise, albeit only a six month extension. The contract roughly pays him around $117,000 per month and so should run to around WrestleMania time in 2007. Another extension is that of fiery Italian Nunzio, who has been handed a 12 month contract after being involved in nearly every Smackdown or Velocity program since the new management took over. However, he hasn’t been given a pay increase, and is still paid just $30,000 per month, paltry compared to JBL’s salary. Another superstar who has been given a new contract but not a salary increase is Johnny Parisi. His deal was set to expire this month and WWE were said to be 50-50 as to whether they should offer him a new deal or not. However, after showing his ability to put on strong displays even with new, rookie talent, he has been given a 6 month agreement worth around $37,000 a month. However, not every superstar on the roster has got a new deal, with both Sharmell and Matt Striker expected to part ways with WWE in 2 months time. Sharmell, wife of Booker T, has largely failed to get over with the fans and is believed to be dragging Booker down as well. However, with Booker T far from leaving the company as his contract still has 18 months left to run, Sharmell is still expected to travel with the company, but have no on-screen involvement with his character. With Booker still raking in upwards of $80,000 per month, they’re hardly strapped for cash though. Striker on the other hand is expected to cut all ties with the business. WWE have given him numerous shots at cracking RAW, with every attempt failing to get him over. Even pairing him with highly impressive new worker Mark Copani failed to do anything for his character and WWE are going to cut their losses. Whilst not making it as a megastar, he has shown good in-ring skills so it is doubtful that he will be in the unemployment line for long.

Having said that, I wasn't sure about Batista single handedly demolishing the Spirit Squad. Stables I think are quite hard to write without making them look weak but I understand that they served a purpose to get Batista put over as an unstoppable monster so I don't have too many gripes with that.

Tonight’s RAW was able about settling old scores as well as new beginnings as not only was the second draft lottery pick announced, but last weeks pick, Batista, came face-to-face with the man who put him out of action months ago. However, Mark Henry wasn’t the Smackdown superstar who permanently joint RAWs ranks. Prior to the main event of when Batista took on two members of the Spirit Squad in a handicap match, Chavo Guerrero was granted a rematch against his opponent last week, Umaga. Again Umaga was able to get the victory over Chavo after ambushing him in the ring during Guerrero’s entrance, and never allowed him back into the match, grabbing the pin with the taped up ‘Thumb of Doom’. After the match, not only did the recurring video that has been haunting Umaga play once again, but Smackdown superstar Henry ran down to the ring and began beating down Guerrero. This was no doubt on Daivari’s orders, as it appeared to be Rey Mysterio’s turn for one of his friends to feel Daivari’s Armies wrath. However, this time it didn’t go quite to plan. After hitting the Worlds Strongest Slam on Chavo, Henry headed to the second rope and looked like he was trying to score with a career ending Banzai Drop. Yet out of the blue, the music of Batista hit the arena and The Animal charged to the ring, trading blows with Henry. He eventually gained the upper hand as Henry began to reel, before walking into a high impact spine buster. As a defeated and embarrassed Henry retreated back to Smackdown, Chavo thanked Batista, who had finally gotten revenge for Henry costing him his World Heavyweight Championship all those months ago. With Henry off back to his own show and Batista already in the ring, it was time for the main event as he faced the World Tag Team Champions, The Spirit Squads Kenny and Mikey. With the other three members of the squad at ringside, and the ever present threat of John Cena and Triple H hanging over his head, Batista had to be on his toes at all times, knowing he could end up fighting SEVEN other superstars. Fortunately, Cena and The Game stayed in the back and Batista was able to pick up the win, despite having to deliver spine busters to all five members of the Squad, after nailing Kenny with the Batista Bomb. After the match Batista remained at ringside to celebrate with the fans, when both HHH and the Champ appeared on the Titantron. They told Batista that he looked good tonight in the handicap match, how does he fancy another one next week against both of them? As the crowd went wild at the thought of this match next week, The Animal grabbed a microphone and told them, “You’re on!!!”, as Monday Night RAW went off the air.

Also tonight, Rob Van Dam had a chance to reclaim his Intercontinental Championship from Carlito, who won it last week under ‘questionable’ circumstances. Early on in the match, Edge came down to ringside and despite numerous attempts to distract RVD couldn’t stop him taking the clear advantage in the match, eventually coming off of the ropes and hitting the Rolling Thunder. Van Dam then looked for the win by climbing to the top rope, but again Edge attempted to grab his attention and this time Van Dam had had enough, coming off the top with Five Star Frog Splash, but not onto Carlito. Instead he went all the way to the outside towards Edge! However, the Rated R Superstar was able to get out of the way at the last second, sending Van Dam crashing and burning to the arena floor. Van Dam looked hurt in a bad way, holding onto his knee which had kept him out of action for the majority of 2005, as the replay showed it looked to have blown out as he hit the concrete floor. With RVD clearly incapacitated for now, the referee had no other option than to count him out and award the victory to Carlito, as the EMT’s came down to ringside. Edge had other ideas though, stomping down on his knee and even hitting a brutal chair shot across it, until the backstage staff could pull him away. After the match, Carlito remained in the ring, ready for his Cabana segment. He began by saying that its unfortunate that the draft pick has to come out now and try and top a sensational performance from him, ‘dominating’ RVD like he just did. However, they might as well get it over with and the crowd should be prepared to be under whelmed for the second draft lottery pick for RAW. It was in fact quite the opposite as it turned out to be the unmistakable theme music of Smackdowns Ken Kennedy!!! The newly found fan favourite came to down to the ring amidst a mass of cheers, before telling Carlito that for the number one superstar in the world, that was a very poor introduction and told him to stand back as the lights went out and the microphone descended for Kennedy to introduce himself like only he can. Carlito, clearly humiliated from his antics, took severe exception to him hijacking his show, and as the lights returned, planted Kennedy right between the eyes with his Intercontinental title belt. The Caribbean superstar then laughed right in Kennedy’s face before telling the crowd that they shouldn’t be cheering this ‘piece of crap’, they should be applauding their Intercontinental champion, Carlito. Now that, he said, that is cool, as the crowd continued to boo the coward.

In other news, Shawn Michaels gave an exclusive interview tonight to Josh Matthews with the sole question being, ‘Now that you can pick and choose your own retirement after your victory at Bad Blood over Kane, just what is next for the legendary Showstopper?’. HBK, stopped and thought, before telling Matthews and everyone watching that to be honest, he just doesn’t know. However, what he does know, is that the Inferno match took more out of him than anything in the past, and for now, he is just going to kick back and have a relaxing recovery, whilst watching Batista kick John Cena and Triple H’s asses like only The Animal can. Another big match tonight saw 16-time World Champion Ric Flair team up with The Big Show to face Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch. After they tried to unsuccessfully double team The Nature Boy last week on Sunday Night Heat, tonight was about teaching them respect, which they no doubt did, dominating from start to finish. They eventually got the win when Murdoch tapped out to the Figure Four Leg Lock. Lance Cade tried to interfere with the manoeuvre, but was met with a hellacious Showstopper from the 7 foot, 500 pound monster. The final match of the night saw Chuck Palumbo look for his first Monday Night RAW victory since returning to the WWE just over a week ago at Bad Blood, when he faced the grizzled veteran that is Val Venis. Venis was a tough cookie to crack for Palumbo, almost hitting the Money Shot for a three count at one point, however, Palumbo pulled through, coming off the ropes with a high impact Yakuza Kick to get the pin. He’s only been back a matter of days, but already Chuck looks to have completely outgrown his blue chipper status in the WWE, looking as dangerous as any other superstar on the roster.

Confirmed Results:

- Batista defeated The Spirit Squad with a Batista Bomb on Kenny

- Umaga pinned Chavo Guerrero with the Thumb of Doom

- Carlito beat Rob Van Dam by count out to retain his Intercontinental Championship

- Ric Flair & The Big Show beat Cade & Murdoch by submission after Flair applied the Figure Four on Murdoch

- Chuck Palumbo pinned Val Venis with a Yakuza Kick

Be sure to tune in next week as Batista takes on both Triple H and WWE Champion John Cena in a handicap match!!!

The following results were taken from the Sunday Night Heat web cast:

- Chris Masters beat Eugene by submission after applying the Masterlock

- La Résistance pinned Goldust & Snitsky after hitting Goldust with the Bonsoir

- Mark Copani defeated local wrestler Loc with his Running Death Valley Driver

- Danny Basham defeated Johnny Parisi after nailing the Brain Damage

RAW Preview For Monday 3rd July 2006

The annual draft lottery kicked off with a bang this time last week as former World Heavyweight Champion Dave Batista returned to Monday Night RAW and instantly commanded a place in the main event at Summerslam for John Cenas WWE Championship alongside Cena and Triple H in a triple threat match, thanks to WWE CEO Linda McMahon. Not only does the draft lottery continue tonight when another Smackdown employee will permanently jump ship to RAW, but Batista also makes his first in-ring performance since January in what is definitely a must-see match. The big man wont have it so easy though as he has been handed a short straw in that he faces the World Tag Team Champions Kenny and Mikey in a handicap match. With both Cena and The Game clearly concerned at the inclusion of The Animal in the PPV encounter in August, can they put their past differences behind them for now and try and decommission Batista from action yet again? Another big match taking place tonight is when Rob Van Dam gets a rematch at his Intercontinental Championship which he lost to Carlito last week after interference from Edge and Lita. In less than two weeks Edge has cost Van Dam both the IC belt and the WWE Championship and will no doubt be looking to make it three on tonight’s show. Speaking of Carlito, he has promised to welcome tonight’s draft pick personally, when Carlito’s Cabana returns. If its anything like last year when he ‘welcomed’ RVD, then the newcomer had better be on their twos.

In other matches for tonight, Chavo Guerrero has got a rematch against the monster Umaga. After almost ending Umagas streak last week before Armando Allejandro Estrada got involved, surely Chavo will fancy his chances tonight, particularly with the recurring video which has played consistently now after Umagas matches, stating simply the date of Summerslam, playing mind games with him. Also tonight, Ric Flair has asked his friend The Big Show to team up with him again tonight to face Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch. After the duo tried to double team Flair last week on Heat, they’ll be out to teach them a lesson in respect tonight. The final match tonight is when Chuck Palumbo returns to Monday Night RAW to face Val Venis. Palumbo claims to have risen above his blue chipper status in the WWE and no doubt a win over Venis tonight would go someway towards proving that. Shawn Michaels has also agreed to be interviewed tonight, with some concerned as to the direction that his career is headed.

Can Batista seal his return to the squared circle with a victory? Is Edge intent on ruining Van Dams chances at glory in the WWE? Who is the second draft lottery pick? What is on HBK’s mind? All these questions will be answered tonight, live, only on Monday Night RAW!!!

Confirmed Matches:

- Batista Vs The Spirit Squad

- Umaga Vs Chavo Guerrero

- Carlito Vs Rob Van Dam (Intercontinental Championship)

- Ric Flair & The Big Show Vs Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch

- Chuck Palumbo Vs Val Venis

A new month always leads to hot news in the wrestling world and today is no different:

- First item of news is that Shelton Benjamin was the first pick for Smackdown and made no bones about mentioning Taker, Mysterio and Benoit in his first promo for the brand. Benjamin is said to be held in high regard by the backstage staff and its said that a big push is not far away. Other news from this weeks Smackdown is that of a new debuting character helping out Gregory Helms. The man can be confirmed as being Harley Lewis, recently signed up to OVW by the scouting staff, yet is considered to be up there with Kurt Angle and The Undertaker is one of the best brawlers on the brand. Last night also saw the beginning of an unlikely face turn for Ken Kennedy. Like Benjamin, the new WWE upper management are said to be big fans of Kennedy and see him fitting the hole that The Rock left, of a charismatic arrogant youngster who’s still loved by the fans. Whilst the charisma aspect is unquestionable, the jury is still out on his wrestling skills. Looks like crunch time for Mr Kennedy’s career. Finally, Smackdown is said to have gotten both its highest rating in terms of quality, but also television ratings this week since the new management got involved.

- Rumours are abounding that The Bogeyman’s contract is on the verge of expiry. For his decidedly small fan base out there, don’t hold your breath for a new deal anytime soon. Another contract said to be on the verge of expiry includes that of Johnny from the Spirit Squad. However, with the Spirit Squad now regulars on WWE programming, it is likely that negotiations between Johnny and the promotion are on the verge of complete already.

- In other promotion news now and it can be officially confirmed that WWE have bought out Shimmer Women’s Athletes. In a cut throat business move to increase the fan base of their Women’s division, they got rid of the main competitor. Notably, they also hung onto the contracts of Lacey and Rain, the promotions most popular workers, who also wrestle as a tag team. They are expected to tune up at OVW next week. The Relatively small promotion CMLL have been granted a new TV show. The imaginatively titled, CMLL Thursdays, will be shown in the early hours of the morning on MTV. With only TNA iMPACT as the other show on the day, but at a different time, CMLL can hope to tap into a new audience. Speaking of smaller promotions, WXW have released a whole host of workers after fans quit the business in the droves, opting for the refreshed WWE product and to some extent, the innovative TNA shows. They are now recognised as a small promotion and were even forced to cancel their previous show.

- Every month that passes signals not only the start of some rookies careers, but also the end of others. Largely Indy scene worker in recent times Canek has announced that his career is more or less over after his final Indy booking in July. Biggest retirement from all sports entertainment this month belongs to Dan ‘The Beast’ Severn. The Beast never really cut it in professional wrestling and whilst the door was always open for another shot at a big company, he has decided to call it quits. At 53, he isn’t getting any younger and has decided that this months PRIDE tour will be his last.

- Sticking with the Japan theme, Pro Wrestling NOAH have announced this years scheduled touring workers. The list notably includes TNA stars AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels and Samoa Joe, as well as regulars such as Johnny Smith, Abdullah the Butcher and Ken Shamrock. The tour also features Ultimo Dragon, who has now cut all ties with any North American promotions. For further roster listings and tour dates, see their website for full details.

- As broken exclusively by Wrestling Heat earlier in the month, Hulk Hogan’s WWE suspension has been ended. Whilst there are still no plans to use the Hulkster on television, it is hoped he has learnt his lesson from the experience. This has also quashed any rumours that he was planning on ending his WWE contract prematurely, as close sources say he is keen to improve peoples perception of him by being a model employee.

- Finally, WWE have cut all ties with Chris the Bambikiller. The worker who has been highly impressive in OVW performances recently with his all round style, was said to be ready for a WWE call-up after he declared that he had nothing more to learn from the training camp. However, after allegedly refusing to change his questionable gimmick, the WWE had no other choice but to cut their losses in a lose - lose situation. Expect him to be snapped up by a smaller promotion very quickly.

In one of the most shocking and disrespectful moments in Smackdown history, Daivari showed his true cunning when he made it Chris Benoits turn to pay for his actions. The main event saw The Undertaker take on John Bradshaw Layfield in a match which saw JBL nearly short change the Deadman on several occasions with his underhand tactics, including the use of an exposed turnbuckle and grabbing the tights. Nonetheless, the result was never in doubt once Taker was able to duck a Clothesline From Hell and plant a big time Chokeslam on the ‘Wrestling God’, finishing him off with a Tombstone Piledriver. After the match, both Benoit and World Heavyweight Champion Rey Mysterio headed out to the ring in the event of another attempted ambush by Daivari and his accomplices, but were instead treated to a link to the back on the Titantron. The big screen showed Daivari, Mark Henry, Doug Basham and The Great Khali, as the camera panned out though, we were able to see another man in the picture, former Radicalz member and Benoits life long friend Dean Malenko. As Benoit looked on in pure anger, they proceeded to put the beat down on Malenko, with the colossal Khali leading the vicious attack. Immediately, they headed to the back to help, but were just too late as the group disappeared into the distance in JBL’s personalised limo. The damage had been done though, and Malenko was carried away in an ambulance by the EMT’s. as the show went off the air, the people at home and in the arena were left with the sorrow image of Benoit holding his head in his hands as Michael Cole and Tazz lambasted the cowardly Daivari and his thugs, claiming that they cannot wait till they get what’s coming to them.

Also in action tonight was Lashley and Ken Kennedy. As seemingly everyone watching knew, Finlay interference was inevitable and when Lashley hit the Dominator on Kennedy, both Finlay and Paul Burchill poured out of the back to ringside. With Finlay drawing the referees attention, Burchill climbed into the ring, only to be met with a Spear. This was long enough for Kennedy to obtain a steel chair from outside the ring and connect across Lashleys back and roll him up for the three, also getting his feet on the ropes for good measure. After the match, both Burchill and Finlay got some cheap shots in on the King Of The Ring winner before William Regal finally made it down to the ring to break it up and force the other two British superstars to the back. Bizarrely, once everyone else had returned to the locker-room and despite his win through nefarious means just a couple of minutes previously, Kennedy was given an ovation worthy of Rey Mysterio as he headed to the back. Even more strangely, instead of his usual response of ignoring them and heading to the back, Kennedy remained in the aisle and shook hands with some sections of the fans and signed autographs. It appears he’s enjoying this new found respect from the as ever unpredictable WWE fans. Another match scheduled for tonight was between Matt Hardy and Animal, who have no doubt had bad blood between them since Hardy blamed him for their tag team failure. The tension boiled over into tonight’s match as neither man refused to back down or break it up when told by the referee and as a result Nick Patrick was forced to throw the match out as a double disqualification early on. The fracas didn’t finish there though, as both men continued to brawl out of the ring and up the aisle, eventually disappearing backstage. Speaking of tension, it was raised even further tonight between both Booker T and The Boogeyman. Sharmell, Bookers wife, was supposed to be wrestling Jillian Hall tonight, however before the Sharmell and the five-time WCW champion could reach the ring, red smoke cascaded out from everywhere and The Boogeyman appeared from under the ring! With no intention of meeting The Boogeyman in a physical confrontation till their ‘Loser Leaves Smackdown’ match next month at Vengeance, they both headed back to the curtain as the weird voodoo man followed them, whilst Jillian Hall was left in the ring, as stunned as everyone else at what just transpired. In addition, as Sharmell never actually reached the ring, the match up never officially began. The final match held tonight also contained a surprise when Gregory Helms, Super Crazy and Kid Kash squared off in a triple threat warm-up match to their WWE Cruiserweight title match next month. Before the match, Helms announced to the audience that it was time to unveil his secret weapon. Helms then proceeded to get the win tonight, but not without the help of an unknown superstar who we have yet to see in the WWE as of yet. The muscular man mountain came down to ringside accompanying Helms sporting a pair of jeans, a black tank top and some shades. With no rules to a triple threat match, the unknown was involved from the off. The ripped superstar shrugged off all offence from Kash and Crazy, eventually hitting both men with a potentially career-ending vertical suplex into a backbreaker, allowing Helms to pin Kid Kash. Who is this new superstar? No doubt he will return next week and hopefully Helms will explain it to us. Teddy Long was indeed a busy man tonight, having also explained the Londrick and MNM scenario. He has came to the ring and told both parties that seen as they couldn’t settle it, Melina’s role in the match will be determined by…Melina! He then proceeded to tell Londrick to find a female wrestler for next weeks final to face Melina to find a winner of the series.

The final part of the show tonight featured Smackdowns first draft lottery pick. After RAW was able to draft former World Heavyweight Champion Batista to their brand last Monday, the pressure was on for Smackdown to bring in a high profile superstar and General Manager Theodore Long will be relatively happy with tonight’s result. The superstar had been claiming on RAW for the past few weeks that he was sick of the brand and wanted a draft to Smackdown, his alleged lack of passion for RAW being his reason as to why he hasn’t won a single match in recent weeks. The superstar in question was of course Shelton Benjamin, who was introduced to the fans by Teddy Long prior to the main event and instantly created bad karma between him and Long by questioning his decision not to include him in it. He finished by announcing that no matter, as next week, Benjamin begins his renovation of Smackdown, showing that no matter who he wrestles, be it a powerhouse like The Undertaker, a technical expert such as Chris Benoit or a speed demon like Rey Mysterio, followed by a snide comment at how bad the brand must be for him to be World Champion, he will come out on top. Benjamin then exited to the back, having already made an impact on the Smackdown brand after only a few minutes.

Quick Results:

- The Undertaker pinned JBL after a Tombstone

- Ken Kennedy defeated Lashley with an illegal roll-up, a chair shot and interference from two other superstars

- Matt Hardy and Animal fought to a double disqualification

- Sharmell Vs Jillian Hall never took place

- Gregory Helms beat Kid Kash & Super Crazy after interference from an unknown superstar

The following results are taken from the Velocity web cast:

- Doug Basham beat Tatanka with the Second Rope Spine buster after Daivari interfered

- Gunner Scott defeated Orlando Jordan with the Top Gun despite Orlando nearly getting the pin after grabbing the tights

- Psychosis pinned Sylvan with a Dragonrana

- Paul Burchill used the Royal Mutilation arm bar to beat Scotty 2 Hotty by submission

Smackdown Preview For Friday 30th June 2006

Its been only a week since Daivari issued a warning to Rey Mysterio, Chris Benoit and The Undertaker that due to their interference with him and his associates last week in the World Heavyweight Championship match, their friends and family would pay the price. The Deadman was the first to experience this as his brother Kane was first hand attacked by the five strong party five nights ago at Bad Blood when the merciless groups launched him into the searing flames during his Inferno match with Shawn Michaels. Daivari has promised it will continue tonight meaning that a nasty surprise is in store for someone, who Daivari has described as the casualties of war. One man who will be out to wage a war tonight is The Undertaker who will be looking for a chance at revenge when he squares off against John Bradshaw Layfield. The two former world champions will no doubt create a hellacious affair with these two men unlikely to be the only superstars involved.

Also tonight is the turn of Smackdown to find out their first draft lottery pick of 2006. After losing arguably the most popular fan favourite on the roster four days ago on Monday Night Raw less than a year after his arrival in Batista, General Manager Theodore Long will 100% be hoping to get as highly rated superstar back in return tonight. Long has made no secret of his desire to gain a big superstar such as John Cena, Triple H or Rob Van Dam, and will be hoping his fantasy can become a reality here tonight. Speaking of Theodore Long, he has claimed to have decided on the best way to determine the role of Melina in the forthcoming WWE Tag Team Championship match next month at Vengeance. After the series between Londrick and MNM was tied at one apiece when Joey Mercury got the pinfall over Brian Kendrick last week. Just what has Teddy Long got in mind for the two teams? Tune in tonight to find out. Another confirmed match tonight is that of when Booker T’s wife Sharmell goes one-on-one with former assistant to JBL, Jillian Hall. Sharmell is hardly known for her in-ring abilities so it will be interesting to see if she can adapt to a wrestling style or not. With her husband currently feuding with The Boogeyman, its highly likely that Booker will be there to protect her. Kid Kash will get a chance to feel out his opponents tonight in a dress rehearsal for the triple threat, Cruiserweight Championship match next month at Vengeance. In addition to this, Ken Kennedy hit’s a potential bump in the road as he continues his return to the ring since an injury put him out of action with a match against King Of The Ring 2006 winner Lashley. Kennedy has been given a very positive crowd reception since he returned and is seeming to be warming to them. Will this continue tonight? Lashley on the other hand, has problems of his own. After granting Finlay the opportunity to win his KOTR title match at Vengeance, Finlay and new partner Paul Burchill will be looking to gain a very early advantage ahead of July 30th. The final match to be confirmed is one that has been coming for weeks now when Matt Hardy finally goes up against the former Road Warrior, Animal. The pair have endured some brutal clashes in recent weeks and the general feeling seems to be that this match will only exacerbate the situation further.

Confirmed Matches:

- John Bradshaw Layfield Vs The Undertaker

- Lashley Vs Ken Kennedy

- Matt Hardy Vs Animal

- Sharmell Vs Jillian Hall

- Kid Kash Vs Super Crazy Vs Gregory Helms (Non-title)

Who will be the next victim of Daivari’s campaign of terror? Can JBL upset The Undertaker? Which cruiserweight will send out the strongest message of intent in the triple threat match?

Find out tonight, only on Friday Night Smackdown! TV that’s changing Friday nights!!!

Some of the hottest information to come out of sports entertainment today:

- The biggest piece of news today is that Terry Bollea, AKA Hulk Hogan, has been suspended from travelling with the company for at least a month. The most convincing theory to date is that Hogan has been persistently pushing to be involved in the main event scene of the WWE for some time now. Allegedly, the new members of the WWE management biggest gripe with wrestling today is the backstage politics and were said to have had no hesitation in setting an example, and where better to start than with the most well known wrestler of all time. The move will no doubt have embarrassed the Hulkster, with early rumours being he’ll quit his contract before too long.

- Another bombshell dropped was that of the first RAW draft lottery pick. The draft has a history of the first pick being a big one, and the tradition continued this year as Batista returned to action last night. The main event for Summerslam has also been confirmed as Triple H and Batista look to de-throne John Cena of his WWE title. It also looks like they’re going down the Edge - Rob Van Dam route for the PPV which should be interesting to say the least. Another puzzling piece is the Umaga scenario, with everyone unsure as to who the video is referring. Surely its not Rosey, is it?

- Being a good jobber in the WWE is like being a good estate agent. You have to be able to sell brilliantly, to fool someone else into thinking what you’re promoting is better than it actually is. One person who is alleged to not believing in this theory is Trevor Murdoch, relative of Goldust and Dusty Rhodes. Internal sources at the WWE are said to have heard that unless he begins to know his role in the organisation at this moment in time, his time in the company might be getting shorter by the week. The same source has also indicated that the WWE are unsure as to why he isn’t giving his matches 100%, with him going over a lot of opponents in recent weeks, even being handed a World Tag Team Championship match against the Spirit Squad along with Lance Cade.

The following results are taken from the Heat web casts:

- In the main event, a rare Heat appearance from The Big Show saw him defeat former ECW superstar Roadkill by count out after nailing a ferocious Showstopper onto the steel ramp, giving the extremist no chance of recovery.

- Ric Flair beat Trevor Murdoch after he tapped out to the Figure Four. After the match, Lance Cade rushed the ring but ended up in the Figure Four as well.

- After almost ending Umagas undefeated streak at Bad Blood, Chuck Palumbo defeated Eugene with the Yakuza Kick

- Mark Copani in his first tag team match with Matt Striker, pinned Goldust & Snitsky after delivering a Running Death Valley Driver to Goldust whilst Striker distracted Snitsky

Preview For Monday 26th June 2006

One of the biggest Monday Night RAWs in WWE history takes place tonight when not only does the fallout from last nights Bad Blood PPV begin, but it is also the first night of the annual draft lottery. Firstly, Edge has promised to open the show with the intent of trying to make some sense of what happened at last nights WWE Championship match between John Cena and Rob Van Dam that he co-refereed along with Triple H. After costing RVD the top prize in the business last night, accidentally or not, Edge is no doubt going to have to talk his way out of this one, or risk the consequences. Van Dam has most definitely drawn the short straw for the show, having to defend his Intercontinental title against the newly victorious Carlito less than 24 hours since the aforementioned title match with Cena. Speaking of the champ, both him and HHH have been given the night off yet will still be at the arena with The Game no doubt looking for Cena to return the favour since he helped him to retain his belt with the aid of a sledgehammer. With two of the most hated figures on the RAW roster looking to organise a title match between them for Summerslam, the fans will be hoping that anyone else can stop them from doing so. The final major point tonight is that the draft lottery between both of the RAW and Smackdown brands begins today. With anyone from the Smackdown roster available for a move to RAW, we could see anyone from The Undertaker, to Tazz, even Smackdown General Manager Theodore Long could be on his way to RAW.

Another superstar who will be feeling the effects of last night is Shawn Michaels. The Showstopper won his retirement Inferno match against Kane last night after some unexpected interference from the Smackdown brands Daivari, Mark Henry, The Great Khali, Doug Basham and John Bradshaw Layfield. Whilst Kane has yet to be seen since then, HBK is still expected to show tonight when he goes up against Chris Masters. Also tonight, Umaga faces Chavo Guerrero in singles competition. After beating three superstars in consecutive matches last night, Umaga should be on a roll. However, after an ominous video rolled on the Titantron soon after the match, will the savage superstar have something else playing on his mind, allowing Chavo to upset the streak? Find out tonight. In other news, Mickie James has to defend her Women’s again on RAW against former champion Victoria. James looked impressive against Trish Stratus last night and will be hoping to continue that run today. Finally, Danny Basham returns to in-ring action after a series of niggling injuries and hoping to score a win over arrogant French sympathiser Rob Conway.

Confirmed Matches:

- Rob Van Dam Vs Carlito (Intercontinental Championship)

- Shawn Michaels Vs Chris Masters

- Umaga Vs Chavo Guerrero

- Mickie James Vs Victoria (Women’s Championship)

- Rob Conway Vs Danny Basham

Yeah the Umaga match was tough for me because there are three big stars I want to introduce and one of them was supposed to come through here. However, I decided to push that back through to Summerslam so all three didnt happen together.

The Inferno match was, as much as I didnt want to, added as a necessity for moving a certain angle forward.

Obviously last night WWE held their Bad Blood PPV which was interesting at the least. Here’s what I made of it:

- The show opened with a performance from Saliva who performed the PPV’s theme tune as well as other songs from their extensive WWE library. Live bands, good way to get the crowd pumped up, even if it is a little expensive. However, this usually isn’t a good sign, as it often means a promotion is trying to hide a poor PPV with this, which isn’t good, obviously.

- The dark match of the evening to really warm the crowd up saw recent debutant Mark Copani team with Matt Striker to face the newly reformed La Resistance. As much as I hate to see quality workers such as Dupree and Conway reduced to jobbing for workers with less than 10 Velocity wins between them, that’s life and the team of Copani/Striker was actually quite good with Copani getting the push with a running DVD on Conway about 10 minutes in. I’d say the crowd were into it about 67% which is quite good considering the winner is hardly Stone Cold and the match quality around 68% with no real botches, although nothing particularly tough or innovative was attempted here. Overall, a solid **½ match to begin. Onwards and upwards, hopefully.

- Next up we were treated to Benjamin against Chavo and what a way to kick off the show! This was almost as good as last weeks Kid Kash - Helms match on Smackdown in terms of wrestling. Pretty much a rubber match to keep fans guessing with either man getting the win a good result. WWE opted to go down the keep Chavo looking strong whilst Shelton couldn’t pin someone if they were asleep in the middle of the ring route as Guerrero got the win with a dusty DQ finish. The match went a good 20 minutes which was nice to see in this day and age. The quality was as mentioned superb, I with no regret am talking 99% match quality here with a variety of styles used. Unfortunately, I’d only say that it gathered around 71% crowd interest, just four per cent above the un-televised dark match and its Shelton Benjamin versus fucking Chavo Guerrero! Honestly, if its not Hogan, Austin, The Rock, Taker or Sting, people just don’t give a crap these days. If the crowd had been more appreciative this would have been a Match of the Year candidate but the only slightly perky atmosphere killed that opportunity to be honest. Hopefully, they’ll both go to Smackdown or stay on RAW and we get a rematch, with some proper fans in the audience for once. Overall, I am gonna give it ****¼. Seriously, if you didn’t see this live, get the DVD for this match alone, a great bout.

- From one of the highs of the evening, to one of the lows now as we move onto the World Tag Team Championship match. This one was wrong on so many levels. Firstly, Flair doing the job…to Mikey…after a leg drop, is just not right. The Spirit Squad are good workers for the future and are giving this cheerleading thing a great effort but, at the moment, no-one cares. Obviously they were going to go over, which is going to piss some people off, apparently this included The Big Show, who took the very unprofessional liberty of no-selling everything thrown at him. Thus making Flair look a complete pansy when he got pinned. With a leg drop. The fans couldn’t give a crap really for a championship match on a global promotions PPV at 66%. Granted it had only had a weeks build-up but to put on a match with quality of no more than 56% is inexcusable with the mix of talent between the 7, yes SEVEN workers on show. To summarise, a disappointment. Would have been better off making this the dark match instead. *½, and that’s being generous.

- A pleasant surprise next in the Women’s title match. Granted it wasn’t a classic but considering the shit that went on backstage with Aja Kong and the drugs scandal, they did well to pull a performance out of nothing more than a few days build-up. Obviously Trish Stratus was never gonna win but the match was booked in such a way as to keep both strong. The match, considering women’s wrestling is often duff, was interesting at 58% match quality, which for women is solid. For Flair, Big Show and the supposed stars of the future, is a piss-take. Sorry. Whilst Trish might have lost face by losing cleanly, it will have done Mickie James’ stock the world of good and established her as a good rival to Stratus as the top women’s worker in North America. Also, kudos to the fans with an 82% crowd reaction. I say this because whilst it would have been easy to say ‘Boring! Seen it twice before!’ They realised the mess here and rallied behind them. However, hate to drone on but, 11% more crowd interest for a women’s match than Chavo - Shelton, that really leaves a sour taste. Still at least this two star rating (**) wont have hurt the titles image at all, in fact, it probably improved it.

- Personal shock of the night next. Not the match result at all. Carlito goes over, Masters goes crazy and so on. Hell, even Masters put on a half decent performance. The shock was that the crowd seemed to be too busy discussing the freaking Trish - Mickie match than watching one of the WWE’s brightest talents grab a big PPV victory. The match quality was as expected at around 71%, but the crowd were only around 40% interested, dragging it down to a lowly ** rating through no fault of the workers. This crowd was messed up tonight.

The Umaga invitational was, in essence, alright. The first two matches were pretty seamless so they get judged together. Bradley and Roadkill sold like mad to give it a nice match rating of 74% whilst the crowd mainly didn’t know who they were, and couldn’t give a damn about Umaga, lowering their interest to just 50%. Overall, these get **½ for being average with the hand that they were dealt. Unbelievably, the third match got worse. I think that the crowd assumed that the third entrant would be Angle or someone who’d come and hand Umagas ass to him, instead they got Palumbo, so I kinda understand the 45% crowd interest. The match was more or less the same at a 74% rating bringing an overall ** rating. Still, they wanted to get Umaga over, and what better way to do it than to have him beat three debuting guys in one night. This PPV is becoming decidedly average, hopefully HBK can save it.

- And indeed he can! Obviously the fact that the ring is surrounded by fire reduces the list of spots available and so it was never gonna get more than 70% match quality and **¾ overall. Don’t expect another of these soon. However, the crowd was well into it at 89% particularly with the finishing spots, the moonsault, the Irish whip into the fire and the Chokeslam onto the concrete. Very 2001. The finish was unexpected completely as Smackdown arrived unannounced (and the crowd including me were on the edge of our seats just waiting for The Undertaker to arrive, which never happened), which in this day and age is like Goldust (not the wrestler) and can really get the crowd interested. Obviously, with HBK not retiring it leaves a number of avenues available, interesting to see where RAWs creative run with this ball.

- Final match of the night, and by far the best. The WWE Championship match. Good quality throughout at 80% and obvious crowd interest at 85%, particularly with the finish. Some brutal sledgehammer shots here, I swear the one Edge took looked real. Everyone wanted to see the title change hands, but I think they were right not to, just didn’t seem right. Cenas heel turn has gone down well and hopefully he can carry the ball till Summerslam at least. What does that leave of the main event scene? Well considering Edges part in RVD’s loss and HHH’s warning to Cena, the two feud routes seem more or less sorted for now. Overall the match is a ***¼ for a good performance. I‘d rate the PPV at around the 70 -75% mark taking into account the piss poor matches as well as the good ones. Worth getting for Shelton, Shawn and Triple H’s matches alone. Just remember to skip the tag team match.

Early figures indicate a buy rate of 1.58 and an attendance of 18,000 people. Thus buffing the WWE coffers by over $5,000,000 already. Roll on Vengeance.

Earlier this evening, the WWE’s RAW brand held its now annual June PPV. The event was one of the most hotly anticipated in recent history and sure as ever did not disappoint the fans. The event was the culmination of numerous attacks and disputes between superstars, some with devastating consequences. Perhaps the most important match on the card was when the then WWE Champion John Cena took on the winner of the WrestleMania 22 Money In The Bank ladder match, Rob Van Dam. With RVD already having a PPV victory over Cena at One Night Stand II, the odds were stacked firmly against the champ. However, the introduction of Triple H and Edge as the special guest referees changed everything, especially when they aligned themselves in Cena’s and Van Dams corners respectively. Could Cena pull off another successful title defence, or was it indeed time for a change? Also, a match that had the potential to create professional wrestling’s biggest shock perhaps of all time was held tonight, when Shawn Michaels faced Kane in not only an Inferno match, but if HBK lost, he had to retire. One thing’s for sure, there certainly was a shock in store if nothing else. With the loser of the bout being the first person to touch the searing flames, was it time that the Showstoppers twenty year show stopped? Or was there something much more sinister afoot?

Chavo Guerrero Vs Shelton Benjamin

The opening match of the show was a truly dazzling display of athleticism, toughness and technique. With Chavos Mexican style and Shelton’s amateur wrestling history, the two superstars put on a seamless bout to show everyone what RAW is all about. Both men showed the signature manoeuvres that had gotten them where they are today, Chavo landing the Three Amigos and a Frog Splash for a near fall, whilst a Shelton Super-kick and a T-Bone Suplex both forced Guerrero to exert energy with only a split second to go. Ultimately, Benjamin wanted to sign off with a win and end his RAW career with a bang and the former Intercontinental Champions determination really showed as he countered Chavos second Frog Splash and set up the Super-kick. However Chavo read the move and avoided it meaning that the referee took it instead. Chavo then used tactics his late uncle Eddie would have been proud of, hitting an audacious low blow, before grabbing a chair from outside and then feigning to have been hit with by Benjamin. The tactic fooled referee Jack Doane who had no hesitation in calling for the bell for a disqualification. After the match, Shelton was understandably furious that his RAW career has possibly ended with a loss and took it out on Chavo with no less than three consecutive T-Bone suplexes before heading to the back.

World Tag Team Championships

The Spirit Squad © Vs Ric Flair & The Big Show

The first title match of the night was for the World Tag Team belts and looked on paper to be simply a title change. However, they didn’t account for the three other members of the Squad, who from the word go had an involvement with the proceedings. As Flair struggled to fight off Kenny and Mikey inside the ring, Johnny, Mitch and Nick ambushed The Big Show with a huge array of attacks. Despite having the early advantage, the challengers fought back into the match and came close to grabbing the victory when after Show hit the Showstopper on Mikey, Flair locked on the Figure-Four leg lock. Nevertheless, Mitch and company outside the ring distracted the referee so that he couldn’t see Mikey tapping, as Kenny came off of the top with the Guillotine leg drop onto an engaged Flair. This allowed Mikey to score the pinfall to retain the titles as the other four members held back The Big Show with one on each of his arms and legs.

WWE Women’s Championship

Mickie James © Vs Trish Stratus

Since losing the belt to Mickie at WrestleMania 22, this was the second time Stratus had been given the opportunity to win the title back. After putting on a determined display to record the first ever WWE victory against the monstrous Aja Kong last Monday, Stratus was looking to show some of the same here tonight. Unfortunately, the crazy champion was able to show why she is recognised as the best women’s wrestler in the world and retained the belt here at Bad Blood. Despite Trish unleashing her full repertoire of moves on the champion, every pin attempt was unluckily ruined as the referee was either out of position or for example, when James foot fortunately landed on the ropes after a Chick Kick. Eventually, James scored the pinfall after utilising Stratus’ own ‘Stratusfaction’ against her after catching Trish atop the turnbuckles attempting a high flying manoeuvre.

Carlito Vs Chris Masters

One of the longest running feuds on the card came to a culmination here tonight when the ‘coolest’ superstar on the roster squared off against the self proclaimed ‘Masterpiece’, Chris Masters. The two had been at each others throats ever since Carlito eliminated him from both the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber and the January 2006 Royal Rumble as well as when Chris Masters “accidentally” caught Carlito with a top rope double axe handle smash to cost them the World Tag Team titles at WrestleMania 22 in April. The match was essentially a bout of one-upmanship with both superstars trying to embarrass the other one whenever possible, be it a paint-brush slap to the back of the head, or tossing the other to the outside. In spite of this, it was obvious that the winner of this match between two youngsters would have taken the next step towards becoming a big hit in the WWE, let alone the RAW brand. Masters nearly stole it early on after blindsiding Carlito and half locking on the Masterlock. However, Carlito had prepared for this and was able to slip out of the back door before it could be fully applied. The winner was eventually decided after Masters hoisted Carlito up for a Military Press and Carlito positioned himself onto Masters shoulders before going to the eyes, then rolling through with a victory roll and grabbing the ropes whilst the referee counted three. As Carlito celebrated up the ramp his career boosting victory, Masters argued with the referee about how he couldn’t have not seen the blatant cheating from Carlito. Eventually the Masterpiece snapped and applied the Masterlock on the referee! Staff eventually broke the hold, but the damage had clearly been done as medics carried the referee out of the ring on a stretcher and no doubt to a nearby hospital.

Umaga Open Invitational

Umaga w/Allejandro Armando Estrada Vs ?????

With the crowd eager to know who he was facing Umaga wasted no time and Estrada called out a challenger. The answer came in the form of who was announced as a local wrestler, Bradley Jay. For the limited amount of offence he got in, the newcomer looked eager and dangerous, however, Umaga is red-hot at the moment and shrugged off his Lariat signature manoeuvre to body slam the youngster before landing a top rope body splash for three. After the match Armando Estrada grabbed a microphone and said surely that’s not it. Umaga came here for a fight and he’s not leaving this ring till he gets one. He then went on to say that the last guy was a rookie, surely there are more experienced guys in the back who can put up a fight at least. Familiar music to ECW fans then roused the crowd as Roadkill came down to the ring. The former extremist took the fight straight to Umaga and knocked him down with a DDT and looked to follow up with a Flying Elbow Drop. However, he hadn’t counted on Estrada at ringside who with a stealthy shove, crotched him on the ropes. Umaga only needed this opening to dominate and did exactly that, grabbing a three count after nailing his Thumb of Doom. Again Estrada grabbed a microphone and again said that he wanted another challenger after declaring that Roadkill wasn’t fit to wrestle in the same ring as Umaga, as he had just shown and asked if there was anyone talented in the back with the nerve to step into the ring with the unstoppable Umaga and add their name to the ever-increasing best undefeated streak in sports entertainment. For the third time some theme music played. This time it belonged to former Tag Team Champion and recognised former blue chipper Chuck Palumbo. Palumbo marked his return to the WWE by coming to within a second of defeating Umaga after scoring with a sickening Yakuza Kick. Yet Umaga showed top resilience to kick out and with the help of some more Estrada interference, get the win with another top rope splash, crushing the chest of Palumbo into the mat. After the match, for the third time, Estrada got a microphone and announced that tonight, tonight three more people were added to the list and tomorrow, so will another as Umaga continues the greatest undefeated streak in sports entertainment history! The crowd exploded as the lights dimmed and a video played on the Titantron, despite it being very ambiguous. All the video showed was the words ‘August 27th’ over and over again. As the lights returned, the crowd were in a stunned silence as was Umaga and Allejandro as people began to realise that this was the date of Augusts PPV, Summerslam. Why is this so relevant to Umaga though? I guess we’ll find out in just over two months time.

Retirement Inferno Match

Shawn Michaels Vs Kane

The penultimate match on the card saw HBK put his career, and life, on the line against Kane. Whilst everyone was expecting twists and turns tonight as the Showstopper looked to pull out all of the stops, no-one in the arena saw what eventually transpired coming. The two competitors entered the ring and the flames emerged all around the ring, trapping the two men. With Michaels in a confined area, he was obviously at a disadvantage not being able to use his quickness and Kane took full advantage of this, beating on HBK with throat thrusts and power slams, determined to get rid of Michaels breathing capabilities. After working on the throat for what seemed like an age, no doubt twice as long to HBK, and also fighting of a number of resurgences from Michaels, the Big Red Monster hit a Chokeslam. Realising that the only way to win is to scorch your opponent, Kane pushed Michaels head closer and closer to the flames. Here the Showstopper caught second wind, fighting him off and nailing a string of big time moves, culminating in an almost impossible body slam. Recognising that the top rope elbow was impossible, Michaels started up the band, which Kane scouted and ducked successfully, before walking straight into another Sweet Chin Music that sent him backwards over the top ropes whilst the fire receded and to the outside! Kane being the force that he is landed on his feet though and began to laugh at HBK realising that he would have to touch the flames to escape the ring, resulting in an early retirement for Shawn Michaels. However, neither competitor saw what came next. Out of nowhere, Smackdowns Daivari came down the aisle, along with his army of Mark Henry, Doug Basham and associate John Bradshaw Layfield!!! The foursome began to take Kane apart, despite his valiant efforts to fight them off. As Henry prepared a potentially career ending Body Splash, Michaels did something courageous that very few others would have even considered. Timing it to perfection to avoid the flames, he ascended the turnbuckle and rolled back the years before becoming the Showstopper once more and scoring a moonsault all the way to the concrete floor onto all involved. Realising that his plan was falling to pieces, Daivari as usual called in the reinforcements in the shape of The Great Khali, who literally chopped Kane and HBK down to size. As JBL and Doug Basham held back Michaels, everyone could only watch as the 7 foot 3 colossus and the worlds strongest man utilised a massive double Irish whip to send Kane face first into the flames!!! As Kane rolled around holding his face which would have been in unimaginable pain, the Smackdown invaders retreated up the ramp having achieved their goal. They warned earlier that family members and loved ones weren’t safe anymore, it appears that The Undertakers brother has found this out first hand here tonight. Amidst the chaos, the referee called for the bell declaring HBK to be the winner, as Kane was the first to be damaged by the inferno. In spite of the rivalry between the two, HBK tried to help an injured Kane to the back but received a one-handed Chokeslam to the arena floor for his troubles as Kane continued to hide his burnt face from the crowd as he disappeared to the back. In any event, a few minutes later, the fans gave Michaels a standing ovation for his performance and everyone appeared happy that this wasn’t the last time we’ll see him in action in the WWE.

WWE Championship Match

John Cena © Vs Rob Van Dam

Special Guest Referees: Triple H & Edge

With all of the fire inducing equipment gone, it was time for the main event. With four of RAWs hottest superstars involved, it was always going to be dramatic. Especially with two of them looking to leave with the WWE title, and the other two trying to book themselves in a WWE Championship match by being biased. The crowd clearly were on RVD’s side throughout with chants of R…V…D and E…C…W commonplace the whole time in match whilst Cena was essentially booed right the way through the bout. In addition to both referees aligning themselves with one of the competitors, the clash was fundamentally a tornado tag team match of Van Dam and Edge up against Cena and The Game. Both men came close to sneaking the pinfall throughout with a numerous amount of roll-ups and cradles giving each one of the referees the incentive to bring out a quick three count that was actually closer to a one count. The standout point in the match came when HHH saw fit to enter a sledgehammer into the fray which RVD avoided and Cena took the accidental blow followed by Edge. The two men left stared each other down before The Game tossed the hammer out of the ring and then they went at it with extreme intensity from both parties. Van Dam became the last man standing in the ring with a Van Daminator into the WWE title which sent the King of Kings crashing to the canvas. A Five Star Frog Splash followed to Cena, but no refs meant no count and the match continued even though RVD was rightfully the new WWE Champion. Regardless of his best efforts to revive Edge, the Rated R Superstar stayed down and John Cena capitalised to hit the F-U!!! This time HHH was able to make a quick count but Van Dam somehow kicked out to both HHH and Cenas disgust! Audibly, Cena shouted to HHH to get the hammer, they were going to finish this once and for all. What he hadn’t counted on as HHH exited the ring to find the hammer was that Edge was back up and coiled in the corner! As Cena turned, it almost seemed to be slow motion as he exploded out of the corner to the fans delight, which quickly turned to horror and despair as Cena was dragged out of the way by Triple H and RVD took the full on Spear instead!!! As Edge looked down at his fallen ‘friend’, a quick sledgehammer shot later and he joined him unconscious on the mat, as Cena got the cover for Triple H to count for the three, ironically, with no ridiculous speed increase on it. Cena then celebrated with his title in the ring to unanimous boos from the crowd as HHH told him in no uncertain terms not to forget their deal, as the beaten duo recovered from their blows. As the show drew to a close, a distraught for himself Edge was at the stage looking back at the ring as Van Dam stared at him, looking really, really angry.

Quick Results:

- John Cena pinned Rob Van Dam to retain the WWE Championship

- Shawn Michaels beat Kane in an Inferno match after Smackdown interference

- Umaga pinned Bradley Jay, Roadkill and Chuck Palumbo in separate open invitational challenges

- Carlito defeated Chris Masters after using the ropes for leverage

- Mickie James retained her WWE Women’s title against Trish Stratus

- The Spirit Squad beat Ric Flair & The Big Show to retain the World Tag Team Championships

- Chavo Guerrero defeated Shelton Benjamin

Sunday June 25th 2006, RAW Presents...Bad Blood!!! Live On PPV!!!

WWE Championship

John Cena © Vs Rob Van Dam

Special Guest Referees: Triple H & Edge

Retirement Inferno Match

Shawn Michaels Vs Kane

Umaga Open Invitational

Umaga w/Armando Allejandro Estrada vs ?????

Carlito Vs Chris Masters

WWE Women's Championship

Mickie James © Vs Trish Stratus

World Tag Team Championships

The Spirit Squad © Vs Ric Flair & The Big Show

Also, Shelton Benjamin Takes On Chavo Guerrero!!!

Breaking News:

After last nights Friday Night Smackdown, WWE.com caught up with Daivari, whose collection of superstars were fought from the arena last night, also ruining JBL's chance of winning the title. Daivari told us that what those three men did last night was very foolish because now, Daivari and his friends are going to get them indirectly, through their friends, their loved ones, even their family aren't safe anymore. He finished by telling them that one way or the other, someone is going to pay for their mistakes.

OOC: Thanks, always nice to get positive feedback so I know there are people who appreciate the diary

Hopefully I can check out yours sometime

Anyways, these results didn't take as long as I thought they would, so enjoy

Hopefully, Bad Blood will be up quicksmart.

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Tonight was the night that Daivari and company almost achieved their goal when John Bradshaw Layfield almost pinned Rey Mysterio to become World Heavyweight Champion. However in WWE, almost just doesn’t cut it as he found out tonight. Earlier on in the show, Mark Henry and The Great Khali played their part to perfection, as did Doug Basham. Basham faced former Cruiserweight champion Jamie Noble. Noble, despite putting up a commendable performance against Doug, didn’t have eyes in the back of his head to watch Daivari and a well-timed distraction when Noble was on the turnbuckle cost him the match, as Basham was able to hit the Second Rope Spine buster for victory. Henry and Khali were in action against Nunzio and Vito in a match up that’s result was never in any doubt once Khali chopped down Nunzio and covered for three. After the bell rung, the two mammoth competitors saw it fit to beat down their competitors. With backstage staff too intimidated to get close, Henry landed a Big Splash onto Vito through the Spanish announce table as Nunzio received a Giant Bomb from the Indian powerhouse inside the ring. With two victories for Daivari’s Army already, the stage was set for a main event to change the face of professional wrestling as JBL took on Rey Mysterio for the World Heavyweight Championship. Mysterio had been beaten down time and time again in recent weeks and it showed early on tonight when Mysterio found it difficult to run and so found it tough to avoid JBL’s powerful strikes. With his usually clear speed advantage out of the way, Mysterio looked for a technical advantage, almost forcing JBL to tap out to a Triangle Choke late on. However, both of Basham and Henry came to ringside to join with Daivari in distracting Mysterio to break up the hold. With the constant interference from outside the ring, JBL took the advantage and scored a near fall with the Last Call Fallaway Slam, which Rey showed true courage and sheer determination to power out of. With the match reaching the twenty five - thirty minute mark, JBL became increasingly infuriated and looked to end it with a Clothesline From Hell, which Mysterio dodged and instead nailed the referee. Before, Nick Patrick’s head had even hit the canvas the three outside competitors entered the fray and beat down Mysterio with hard punches and kicks. Just as it looked to be all over for Mysterio, his loyal friend Chris Benoit, sporting a taped up ribcage came down the aisle and begun to go toe-to-toe with Daivari and the others sending them running. As Rey and the Wolverine recouped inside the squared circle, Daivari motioned to the back and The Great Khali emerged from the locker-room and headed to ringside. Barely before he had reached the ring though, a familiar gong was heard and Khali looked back to where he came from, expecting his rival to appear. Instead, The Undertaker made his way through the crowd, ambushing Khali from behind and sending him into the steel steps, toppling the monster! Taker then tossed Daivari into the ring and planted a big-time Chokeslam as Benoit locked the Sharpshooter in on JBL. At some point in this chaos, referee Nick Patrick was able to recover and call for the bell, throwing the match out as a no contest. It would seem, at least for now, that the cavalry have arrived and Daivari and company are on the ropes. Can they hit the knockout blow next week, and just what will Daivari have in retaliation for this humiliation? Whatever it is, no doubt it will be brutal.

As mentioned on WWE.com before the show, Lashley confirmed that he would have some words for Finlay tonight, and he duly delivered. The 2006 King Of The Ring was interviewed in the back by Todd Grisham and along with his partner in recent weeks William Regal, told Finlay that in no uncertain terms, he is going to get what’s coming to him. He said that last month at Judgement Day, he had his chance to win the KOTR title opportunity and he blew it. However, it seems that Finlay and his partner in crime Paul Burchill aren’t going to leave him or Regal alone till he gets it. Which is why he is going to give him that chance next month at Vengeance. He warned Finlay though, that this is more than just about a title opportunity, he took it to the next level with his cowardly ambushes, which is why next month at Vengeance, he doesn’t care about the title opportunity, all he cares about is making sure that if Finlay gets it, he is in no fit state to challenge for the title for the next few years! In other news, MNM and Londricks title match next month seems to have hit a snag when Mercury scored a pinfall victory over Kendrick after Nitro and Melina double teamed him with shots from the WWE Tag Team title belts. This has left their singles matches at 1 -1 and so Melina’s role at Vengeance next month is still unclear. Hopefully, Smackdown General Manager Theodore Long will be able to clear the situation up next week. The tie in the series will come as a bitter blow to Londrick as Kendrick would have had the match won after he rolled up Mercury. However, Nitro distracted the referee for long enough for Melina to break up the count before Paul London could help out his tag team partner. When it rains, it pours, that seems to be the message to WWE Cruiserweight Champion Gregory Helms after Kid Kash grabbed a crafty pinfall with the aid of an exposed turnbuckle to force a triple threat match for his title at Vengeance. Helms was on top for the majority of the bout and so was perhaps understandably angry that the referee missed Kash removing the padding before getting out of the way for Helms to Avalanche himself into the steel and into the Dead Level for three. With Helms past record of victories slightly tainted to say the least, it could be considered to be that what goes around, comes around for the champion. Finally, Ken Kennedy seems to be developing a positive reaction from the crowd. Despite winning his match against Orlando Jordan tonight after low blowing the former United States Champion and then hitting the Green Bay Plunge, fans still gave the superstar a standing ovation, leaving Kennedy bewildered to say the least. Teddy Long did announce that whilst both Booker T and The Boogeyman were not in action tonight, Bookers wife Sharmell will be next week when she faces Jillian Hall.

Quick Results:

- Rey Mysterio V JBL was ruled a no contest

- Mark Henry & The Great Khali pinned Nunzio & Vito with Khalis devastating chop - kick combo

- Doug Basham defeated Jamie Noble with the Second Rope Spinebuster

- Joey Mercury beat Brian Kendrick after interference from Melina and Nitro

- Kid Kash defeated Gregory Helms by pinfall with the exposed turnbuckle

- Ken Kennedy pinned Orlando Jordan after the Greenbay Plunge

The following are the results of the Velocity web casts:

- Paul Burchill beat Psychosis in a match of the year candidate with the C4 after Finlay interfered

- Chris Hero defeated Animal with the Charging STO after Matt Hardy distracted him at ringside

- Scotty 2 Hotty & Funaki pinned The Gymini after The Worm on Todd Shane

- Gunner Scott hit the Top Gun on Steven Richards in a rematch from last weeks Velocity for the three count

Smackdown Preview for Friday 23rd June 2006

Last weeks Smackdown saw Daivari and his cohorts put all three of Smackdowns top three stars at the moment on the shelve in The Undertaker, Chris Benoit and World Heavyweight Champion Rey Mysterio. Smackdown General Manager Theodore Long confirmed the seriousness of the situation by earlier declaring that of the three; Benoit is struggling with several broken ribs at the hands of Mark Henry and The Undertaker hasn’t been seen for weeks, leaving Rey as the only one half-fit. However, as champion, he needs Rey to compete week in, week out for the brand otherwise he may be forced to vacate the title, similar to Batista’s situation earlier in the year. Because of this, he needs to know Rey is in good health and so is putting him in a requested title defence tonight against John Bradshaw Layfield. With JBL having the support of Daivari and his army of thugs, and Mysterio fighting alone, is a title change going to occur here tonight? Find out live on Smackdown! Also with Taker and Benoit missing from action, Mark Henry, Khali and Doug Basham will be competing tonight. Henry and The Great Khali take on Nunzio and Vito in tag team competition whilst Doug Basham has a tough test in Jamie Noble also. Could this be the memorable night that one of the most dominant forces in Smackdown history completes a clean sweep of matches and also captures the top gold in the industry? Or can Rey overcome the odds and prove his worth as World Heavyweight Champion?

The second of the matches concerning MNM and Londrick are tonight when Joey Mercury faces Brian Kendrick. With Londrick having won the first round last week after Paul London pinned Johnny Nitro, it could be argued that MNM took them far too lightly. Its unlikely that they will do the same this week. With Melina’s position in next months title match on the line, don’t expect it to be one-on-one affair like last week either. In recent weeks both Finlay and his new partner Paul Burchill have been terrorising King Of The Ring winner Lashley and his friend William Regal, with Finlay insisting that Lashley faces him in a rematch for the KOTR opportunity. Lashley has announced that he will be here tonight with some words for Finlay regarding the situation. Last week, Super Crazy booked himself into the Cruiserweight Championship match at Vengeance next month with a disqualification victory over the current champion Gregory Helms. Tonight, Kid Kash has the opportunity to do the same when he faces off against Helms with his place in the title match also on the line and Helms’ last chance to ensure that he is not fighting in a triple threat match in July. Finally, Ken Kennedy will be looking to keep his impressive streak to date going, when goes up against Orlando Jordan in singles competition. Since returning to action, Kennedy has been given an unexpectedly positive reaction from the Smackdown fans which he seems to be taken aback by. Will it continue tonight? Find out exclusively on Friday Night Smackdown!!!

Confirmed Matches:

- Rey Mysterio V John Bradshaw Layfield (World Heavyweight Championship)

- Mark Henry & The Great Khali V Nunzio & Vito

- Doug Basham w/Daivari V Jamie Noble

- Brian Kendrick V Joey Mercury

- Gregory Helms V Kid Kash

- Ken Kennedy V Orlando Jordan

Friday Night Smackdown - TV that’s changing Friday nights!