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The Official Wrestling Thread (now with more news and stuff)

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Arcademan:
WWE Superstars Results: 4-23-09

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results.

1 -- IC champion REY MYSTERIO & C.M. PUNK vs. BIG SHOW & KANE (taped 4/20)

Match quickly moved to the floor in the opening minute after Rey cleared out Kane. Rey then hit a running splash off the apron leading to the first break.

They returned from break with Kane working on Punk. Rey and Punk looking very pink tonight. The lighting in the arena seemed to have a pinkish hue as well. Kane then ran over Rey, who took a tag, and the heel giants began working on little Rey Rey. Show dropped a big leg on Rey, but Rey kicked out. Kane went to work on Rey as Cole reminded us of the psychological torture Kane put Rey through last year. He should have added the WWE Universe experienced psychological torture watching it unfold. Cole plugged Cena on Stars again.

Rey came back with an enziguiri kick and Punk took the hot tag for a springboard splash on Kane. Punk fired off kicks, ducked a big boot, and nailed a spinning back fist. Punk landed consecutive high knees in the corner, then he went up top, but Show knocked him off the top. Clunky spill. Kane then followed with a chokeslam on Punk and that's it.

WINNERS: Show & Kane in 10:00. Fine set-up for Kane vs. Punk at Backlash, although that match isn't going to sell PPVs. Focus was more on establishing the giants in WWE. Kane is upset about Punk one-upping him on Raw last week and Show is upset about everything. (*1/2)

2 -- FINLAY & HORNSWOGGLE vs. TYSON KIDD & NATALYA

Finlay and Kidd started things off. Hornswoggle then took a tag and put Kidd in a flying head scissors. Kidd was rather upset, so he bailed to the outside for a breather. Hornswoggle then juggled some tennis balls and chucked them at Kidd, who gave chase on the floor. Finlay made sure Kidd took a beating as balls bounced back into the ring. Suddenly, Finlay smashed Kidd with a Shillelagh behind the ref's back and Horny came off the top with a tadpole splash on Kidd for the win.

WINNER: Finlay & Hornswoggle in 2:00. Well, there's your ECW showcase match. Jus a chance to make fools of Kidd and Natalya, which hopefully won't become a regular theme on ECW TV going forward. (n/a)

3 -- EDGE vs. KOFI KINGSTON

Kofi took the early advantage and the announcers went the route of saying Edge might be looking ahead to Backlash and not focused on Kofi tonight. Kofi nailed Edge out of the corner with an uppercut, then settled into an armbar on Edge. Edge broke the hold, though, with a forearm smash to the face to begin a brief attack. Kofi went back to the left shoulder, then he went up top, but Edge crotched him and Kofi fell to the apron. Cut to break with Kofi in jeopardy.

Edge was in control out of the break as Grisham told us some stories about Edge being a walking scandal. Ross said Kofi's star is growing and he'll be a major player soon enough. Kofi then came back with a leaping frog splash/cross-body block on Edge for a two count. Ross referenced it as a Ricky Steamboat-like splash to plug Steamboat vs. Chris Jericho on Sunday. Kofi and Edge recovered to their feet and Kofi nailed a forward-rolling Russian legsweep for a two count. Edge came to his feet first and he wanted the Spear, but Kofi moved and nailed the Jamaican Buzzsaw kick. Edge rolled to the floor, though, and Kofi was forced to follow him to the outside.

Back in the ring, Kofi made a cover, but Edge grabbed the bottom rope. Edge giving Kofi a lot tonight. Edge tried to surprise Kofi with a roll-up, but Kofi slipped out. Kofi then faked out Edge, who blocked a sunset flip. He wanted a Sharpshooter, but Kofi countered with a roll-up for a two count. Both men came to their feet and Edge surprised Kofi with an emphatic spear for the pin and the win. Post-match: Ross plugged an ol' time brawl between Cena and Edge on Sunday. Grisham gave us the final word for tonight.

WINNER: Edge in 13:00. Really nice TV match. Kofi was given plenty of offense to take a loss, but still come out looking good. Edge, as usual, was strong in the ring as the heel setting the tone for the match. If WWE can continue to feature 10-15 minute TV matches on Superstars featuring top stars, the show will provide a good hour of wrestling TV during the week that won't blow anyone away, but make sure viewers get their hour's worth. (***)

Arcademan:
TNA Impact! Results: 4-23-09

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Wilkenfeld's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

(1) BEER MONEY INC. vs. LETHAL CONSEQUENCES

Storm starts things off with a couple of strikes to Lethal, but gets dropped by a Hurricanrana and a Leg Lariat. Creed tags in, and after a couple of charges in the corner hits a Slingshot Bulldog for two. Storm catches him with a right hand and tags in Roode; Creed keeps the advantage over him till Storm nails the illegal kick from the outside. Lethal doesn't like that any, so he takes Storm down with a (almost blown) Suicide Dive. Creed tosses Roode to the outside and follows him out with an Inverted Sommersault Plancha. Creed brings Roode back in and nails a Neck Breaker for two, but misses a blind tag. Storm comes in with a Back Stabber, and Beer Money take control. They trade a couple of quick tags and the Beer Money Suplex before Storm decides to work the Chin Lock. Creed powers out, but both he and Storm look for Cross Body Blocks at the same time. They both tag out, and Lethal comes in with extra momentum. He hits some chops before Roode Back Body Drops him out to the apron. He comes in with a Missile Dropkick, which Storm tries to break up at two, only to accidentally nail Roode. They hit a cool double-team Suplex/Cross Body Block on Storm, but The Lethal Combo on Roode only gets two. Beer Money respond with their double-team Suplex/Neck Breaker, which is apparently now called the "DUI". That's enough for the win.

WINNER: Beer Money in 5 minutes. This was about as good a showcase for the teams as one could hope for in a five minute match. *

(2) SOJOURER BOLT vs. TAYLOR WILDE

Maybe I was unfair earlier when I said that they weren't taking the division seriously. There's a ladder set up in the ring, which both women immediately try to climb. Wilde knocks Bolt off, so Bolt shoves down the ladder. Wilde lands on her feet, but Bolt knocks her down anyway. She sets up the ladder in the corner, but when she tries to whip Wilde into it Wilde reverses and she ends up eating the steel herself. Wilde sets up the ladder and tries to climb, but Bolt cuts her off with a big Belly-to-Back Suplex. Bolt tries to climb next, but gets cut off herself by an Electric Chair Drop. Both women crawl to the ladder, with Bolt pulling out some brass knuckles on the way. They brawl on the top of the ladder, but it's really hard to win a brawl against someone wearing brass knuckles. Bolt connects and grabs the contract for the win.

WINNER: SOJOURNER BOLT in 3 minutes. I should have stood by my first appraisal of their opinion of the women's division. DUD.

(3) AJ STYLES vs. KEVIN NASH (w/JENNA MORASCA)

I think they remixed AJ's music. Nash lays in with some knees to start. He hits a couple of elbows and chokes AJ in the corner. He goes for an Irish Whip, but AJ comes back with a dropkick to the knee and a jump-kick. With Nash down, AJ starts pounding on his left knee. AJ goes to the top rope, but Nash meets him with an elbow that knocks him all the way out to the floor. Nash follows AJ out with some offense, then rolls him back in for a Side Slam for two. A Decapitator Clothesline gets two more. AJ fights back from his knees, rolls out to the apron, and comes back in with the patented Flying Forearm. As Nash tries to get to his feet AJ dropkicks him in the face. Nash gets up and goozles AJ, but Styles slips out and hits a Pele for two. He tries to finish Nash off with—I think that was a Springboard 450 Splash! I'm not sure why the crowd isn't more impressed. Nash rolls out of the way. Booker T and Sharmell run down to the ring. Sharmell distracts the ref on the apron while Booker nails AJ with an Axe Kick. Nash is about to hit a Jackknife, but referee Rudy Charles lets him know that he saw the Axe Kick. He calls for the DQ.

WINNER: AJ Styles by DQ in 6 minutes. Eh. 3/4*

(4) NO LIMIT (w/KIYOSHI & SHEIK ABDUL BASHIR) vs. JETRHO HOLLIDAY & ERIC YOUNG

Yep, it's Trevor Murdoch. Yujiro starts things off with EY, who slips between his legs and comes back with a dropkick. He tags in Holliday, who at least seems to be a smidge faster than I remembered him. He hits a big Full Nelson Slam for two, so Yujiro rakes the eyes and makes the tag. Naito comes in with a dropkick off the top rope, then No Limit proceed to work the double team. Apparently Kurt Angle had to pull apart Kevin Nash and Booker T during the break—I somehow missed it. Yujiro has tagged back in, but when he tries to come off the top rope Holliday gets up a leg and creates enough distance to make the tag. EY tosses Naito and slams Yujiro. Bashir tries to distract the referee while Kiyoshi holds EY, but there's a miscommunication, EY slips away, and nails a Crucifix Roll Up on Yujiro for the win.

WINNER: Eric Young and Jethro Holliday in five minutes. Holliday was a bit better than I expected.

(5) SCOTT STEINER vs. JEFF JARRETT

Jarrett starts things off with a quick Inverted Atomic Drop and some shots with a kendo stick. One of the sides of the ring has seen the ropes replaced by barbed wire. Jarrett clotheslines Steiner out of the ring, hits him with a walker (the device—not a person who walks), then follows up with a fan's poster conveniently made over a road sign. Steiner dodges a charge and Body Slams Jarrett against the concrete. He grabs a pogo stick, which he whacks Jarrett with a couple of times before deciding to do some bouncing. Awesome. Jarrett tries to knock him back, but Steiner responds with what appears to be an inflatable Santa Clause. For some reason, Jarrett sells it like a chair shot. Steiner Suplexes him onto a trash can.

We get back just in time to see Jarrett take control and toss Steiner into a chair set up in the corner. He blasts Steiner a couple of times with a trash can lid, before hitting a sort-of Double Armed DDT onto a trash can for two. Jarrett signals that he wants to toss Steiner into the barbed wire, but gets taken over with a Do-Se-Do Suplex instead. Steiner gets in a shot with the garbage can lid, then cinches in a Steiner Recliner. Jarrett gets to the ropes, and when Steiner tries to reapply it Jarrett hits him with the lid from the mat, then rolls him into a Small Package for two. Jarrett sets up a chair in the middle of the ring, but when he goes for The Stroke Steiner drives his head into it. The crowd informs him that he still sucks (though I think some people might be saying that they both suck). He puts a trash can over Jarrett's torso and whacks it with a crutch, but when he looks for the Steiner Recliner again Jarrett hits a Low Blow and The Stroke for two. Jarrett goes to the top rope, but Steiner cuts him off with a Samoan Drop for what looked a lot like three but supposedly wasn't. Steiner cinches in The Recliner again, but Jarrett walks him over to the ropes, which he uses for leverage in reversing into an Electric Chair Drop. Jarrett grabs a guitar, with which he blasts Steiner over the head. He follows up with The Stroke for the win.

Winner: Jeff Jarrett in 12 minutes. It had some nice moments, but no real flow. *1/4

Arcademan:
WWE Smackdown Results: 4-24-09

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Park's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1- MATT HARDY & KANE vs. CM PUNK & JEFF HARDY

I’ve got to be honest, I wasn’t sure that Matt could pull off being a heel, but he’s done a nice job thus far. Jeff and Matt began the match, but before they could make contact, Matt tagged out. Punk then came in to face his opponent for Backlash, Kane. Punk got the better of the big man and tagged in Jeff. Kane with an uppercut, then a tag in to Matt. That brought Jeff back off the mat for some punishment for his brother. Jeff jumped over the top and landed a cross-body onto Matt at ringside. The two men were down outside the ring as the show went to break.

A little double-teaming by Jeff and Punk, followed by a cover by Punk is what viewers saw upon return from break. More double-teaming on The Big Red Machine. Jeff, clearly not being able to focus with his brother standing on the apron, was the recipient of a boot to the back by Kane that sent him to the outside. The brothers were both in and they had a brief brawl, but Matt ended up getting the best of him for the time being. More legdrops from Matt. Neck vice applied by Matt. Both men found the mat, but only the eldest Hardy was able to make the tag to his partner. Jeff broke out of another rest-hold from Matt and hit Whisper in the Wind for two, broken up by Kane. Punk dove through the ropes onto Kane to take him out of the equation. Mule kick and a beauty by Jeff. Jeff tried a Twist of Fate, but Matt pushed him off, into Kane (who was on the apron). Matt then rolled up Jeff and used a handful of tights to secure the victory.

WINNERS: Kane & Matt Hardy, at 10:41. Fine tag match that did the job of hyping two of the PPV matches at once.

2- THE BIG SHOW vs. THE UNDERTAKER

JR referred to this as the “main event” tonight. Body blows right off the bat by Show on Taker. Taker returned fire and even traded hedbutts with the giant. Show’s had a bit more behind them. Show missed a running boot and got hung up in the ropes. Taker booted him over the top and to the outside.

Show had the advantage out of break. More clubbing blows from Show. Taker choked Show on the top rope to get away from an offensive attempt by The Big Show. Taker struck back with right hands. A reversal and Show caught Taker coming off the ropes with a clothesline. Taker tried another comeback here, but couldn’t get Show up for a chokeslam, as Show dodged it with a back elbow. Chokeslam by Show that got only a two-count. You could see the frustration on Show’s face. Dragon-sleeper by Show, with both men on their feet. Taker countered it with a DDT. He rolled over and got an arm across Show for a two-count. In the center of the ring, the men slugged it out, with fans booing on Show’s punches and yay-ing on Taker’s, much like Cena and Jericho on Raw. Clothesline from Taker took Show off his feet. Taker went Old School (much more believable late in a match like this), but Show socked him with a right hand as Taker jumped. Taker didn’t get knocked out, but staggered around the ring a bit. Show lined up Taker to hit him with another one, and he hit Taker in the back of the head. Referee Charles Robinson checked in on Taker and, determining Taker couldn’t continue, awarded the match to Big Show.

WINNER: Big Show via ref stoppage, at 14:21. Surprising result there. I guess Taker got to kick out of the chokeslam since he was going to be on the losing end.

3- MARYSE vs. GAIL KIM- DIVAS CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

Kim got things started with some rights to the face of Maryse. Roll-up by Kim for one. Springboard cross body for two followed that up. Maryse got in some hair-based offense, which drew the ire of referee John Cone. Kim made a comeback, but the crowd wasn’t really behind her. Hurricanrana off the top by Kim for a near-fall. Maryse tried to leave, but Kim came out and brought her back into the ring. As Gail tried to come in, Maryse dropped her throat-first across the middle rope. The French Kiss (DDT) by Maryse finished things off.

WINNER: Maryse, at 2:51. Entertaining match without the small hiccups their last match had.

4- MVP vs. CHAVO GUERRERO

Next week, at Madison Square Garden, MVP faces Dolph Ziggler with the United States Title on the line. Chavo with a double-knee to the back of MVP as he was briefly distracted. Chavo worked over the left arm of the US Champ. MVP worked out of it and bodyslammed Chavo. Guerrero came back with a dropkick and a baseball slide that sent MVP to the arena floor. Montel Vontavious Porter caught Chavo with a knee-lift as he attempted to come back into the ring. MVP with his trademark “Ballin’!” elbowdrop. Overhead throw by MVP, then he finished Chavo off with the Playmaker.

WINNER: MVP, at 2:44.

5- BATISTA & SHANE MCMAHON vs. CODY RHODES & TED DIBIASE

Dibiase pummeled Shane in the corner, but Shane fought back with some jabs of his own. Jumping back elbow, then a few arm-drags. Batista tagged in and Rhodes made a blind tag. Batista caught Rhodes with a clothesline, then dropped him to the mat for a two-count. McMahon came in and was promptly double-teamed by Team Priceless. Batista saved him with a double-clothesline, and the faces each clotheslined a heel over the top rope and to the outside.

The faces were in control of Cody Rhodes out of break, with Batista entering the match. Shane elbowdropped Cody off the second rope while he was draped across the knee of Batista. Dibiase came in and broke up the pin. Shane was distracted, allowing Rhodes to nail him in the back with a dropkick. Dibiase then tagged in and went right to work. Shane tried to fight out of the heel corner, but Cody took him down with a Russian leg sweep. Shane kept trying to make a tag, but Dibiase kept holding him back. Shane came back with a DDT on Rhodes and Batista tried to get the crowd behind McMahon. Dibiase got the tag first and Shane rolled Ted up for two. He kicked out and in the process sent Shane into Batista on the apron. Batista didn’t look happy, shoved Shane out of the way and landed a spinebuster on Rhodes. Shane picked up the win.

WINNERS: McMahon & Batista, at 11:20. Well, we got some more hints of dissension, even though Batista and Shane hugged after the match.

Arcademan:
WWE Backlash PPV Results: 4-26-09

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's real-time report).

1 -- ECW champion JACK SWAGGER vs. CHRISTIAN -- ECW Title match

Christian scored with a brief amount of offense early, then Swagger slowed own the pace with some mat-based offense before applying a lengthy bear hug. Christian broke free, but Swagger put him up in the air. Christian avoided a backbreaker, but Swagger wrapped him up with a gutbuster for a two count. Christian tried another comeback with the lean-back leg kick in the corner, but Swagger kneed him in the gut. Christian then blocked a Vader bomb and Christian prepped a comeback. He hit a DDT in center ring, but Swagger kicked out just before three. Match moved to the ring apron where Swagger teased a German suplex, but Christian blocked and flipped Swagger back into the ring. Swagger crotched him, though, and flipped him to the mat. Swagger then went all the way up top for a top rope Vader Bomb, but Christian kicked out before three.

At 10:00, Christian scored a real close nearfall when he blocked a running powerslam into a victory roll. Swagger became frustrated with his inability to put away Christian, so he went to the top rope and loosened the pad. Meanwhile, Christian did the same on the other side. Christian then rammed Swagger head-first into the exposed steel and grappled a stunned Swagger for the Killswitch in center ring. Christian made the cover to win the ECW Title.

WINNER: Christian at 10:55 to capture the ECW Title. Nice match. Would have liked to have seen 15 minutes, but it was still a very good opening singles match. Crowd needed some time to get warmed up, but they bought into the nearfalls at the end. (**3/4)

2 -- CHRIS JERICHO vs. RICKY STEAMBOAT

Steamboat played cat and mouse early on as Ross talked about calling some of Ricky's best matches of his career against Ric Flair. Steamboat nailed a plancha on the floor, then took Jericho back into the ring for a round of chops and a deep arm drag. "You still got it" was the chant from the crowd as Steamboat continued on the advantage. Steamboat pulled out another deep arm drag, prompting "Vintage Steamboat!" from Cole. Ah yes, vintage Cole. Jericho then reversed a whip to the ropes and tried to chuck Ricky to the floor, but Ricky skinned the cat back into the ring. Jericho then clotheslined him right back over the top rope to begin his offensive attack at 3:30.

Jericho tried to work over Steamboat on the mat, then Steamboat shoved Jericho into the corner to block a running bulldog. They went up top together and Steamboat executed a textbook backdrop suplex for a two count. Steamboat then fired off a series of martial arts chops and thrusts, but Jericho kicked out. Steamboat nailed a powerslam out of the corner that Cole called a scoop slam. Okay, I'll let the "superplex" instead of a "backdrop suplex" go, but not the second botched move call. Jericho then came back with a bulldog and he wanted a Lionsault, but Steamboat grappled him for the electric chair. Jericho rolled through, though, and slapped on the Walls of Jericho in center ring.

Steamboat reversed at 10:00 and went for a figure four. Took him a second to lock it in, then Jericho sold the hold to make it clear Steamboat had the figure four locked in. Jericho then rolled to the ropes to get a break. Steamboat went up top, Jericho tried to charge, but Steamboat moved and went up top for a crossbody block and a close two count. Steamboat went to the second rope for a dive, but Jericho caught him in mid-air for the codebreaker. Jericho didn't make an immediate cover, then he did, and Steamboat draped his foot across the bottom rope. Jericho argued that it was a three count, then Steamboat rolled him up out of nowhere for a close two count.

Jericho went back to the Walls of Jericho and he slapped it on center ring. Jericho locked it in and squeezed and Steamboat had no choice but to tap out. Jericho locked it in an extra few seconds to make his point, then he released and left the ring. Post-match: Jericho walked to the back and Steamboat took a curtain call in center ring. He pointed to the announce table and clapped toward Ross and Lawler.

WINNER: Jericho at 12:32. Great singles match. Steamboat looked great and Jericho worked a very smart heel match. I don't think Jericho lost anything by giving Steamboat a lot of offense and Steamboat had a fitting send-off, assuming it's a send-off. (***1/4)

3 -- C.M. PUNK vs. KANE

They went to the floor early on and Kane teased a chokeslam, but Punk landed on the apron in mid-air to kick Kane. Back in the ring, they had a battle for control. Kane shoved Punk across the ring into the corner, then he dropkicked Punk's back into the base of the ringpost. Punk wanted to make a comeback, but Kane blasted him with a clothesline. Kane wanted a chokeslam, but Punk countered with a single-arm DDT. Punk then executed the high knee lift/running bulldog for a nearfall. Punk went up top and Kane met him with an uppercut for a nearfall. Punk then came back with a cross-arm breaker, but Kane powered to his feet for a sidewalk slam. Punk then tried to come back with a round of kicks, but Kane blocked a kick and lifted Punk up for a chokeslam while Punk had one leg in the air. Kane made the cover for the win.

WINNER: Kane at 9:25. Above-expectations singles match. They laid out a good match to break up the monotony and focus on Kane's power. Shows WWE still has confidence in Kane as a top act, and now he'll be on Smackdown to see what he can do in that role after exhausting potential feuds on Raw. As for Punk, well, there goes the Mania momentum. (**1/2)

4 -- JEFF HARDY vs. MATT HARDY -- I Quit match

Sign on the front row: "I want Hardy to win." So subtle. Jeff knocked Matt to the floor early on and landed a plancha. Back in the ring, Jeff landed a top rope leg drop and asked Matt if he wants to give it up. Matt whispered, "No" and Jeff went back to work. Jeff wanted a top rope move, but Matt shoved him off the top rope into the guardrail on the floor. Matt then scooped up Jeff off the floor and wrapped his left knee around the ringpost. Jeff refused to quit, though. Back in the ring, Matt slapped on a figure four and Jeff shouted, "Forget it!" Matt went back to work on the left knee as the crowd chanted for tables. Matt then went back to the figure four, but Jeff refused to quit. Crowd came to life in the middle of a resthold as something was going on in the arena. Seemed like a fight on the hard camera side. Perhaps Patriots fans fighting over the fifth round NFL Draft pick.

At 10:00, Matt continued to tear Jeff apart, but Jeff wouldn't quit. Jeff flung Matt off the top rope, then hit a Whisper in the Wind that knocked both men down. Jeff tried to follow with a Texas Cloverleaf, but Matt refused to quit after crying about it. Jeff released the hold then nailed the Twist of Fate. Jeff went up top and connected with the Swanton Bomb in center ring. Matt wouldn't quit, though. Jeff then nailed another Swanton Bomb. After the second one, Jeff went under the ring and he grabbed the table the fans wanted. Matt took the table into the ring, then Matt rolled to the outside to avoid wood. Jeff followed, blocked a ToF, and nailed a Twist of Fate of his own on the floor.

Back in the ring, Jeff placed Matt on the table and went back under the ring to retrieve some duct tape. Uh-oh. Jeff tied Matt's ankles together, then he tied Matt's arms together as Matt remained out cold on the table. Jeff had another survival tool: a rope. Jeff tied up Matt to the table, apparently showing off his Boy Scouts training, and he yanked the rope tight to put Matt in the straightjacket. Waterboarding, anyone? Sorry, too soon?

Jeff then pulled out a ladder and told Matt what he would do if Matt didn't say I Quit. Matt pleaded with Jeff, then Jeff set up the ladder. "I'm sorry, Jeff, I'm sorry, Jeff!!!" Matt shouted as Jeff climbed one rung at a time up the ladder. "Jeff, I'm sorry about everything," Matt said to boos. Matt said he loves him and told him to listen. "We're brothers, Jeff." Matt talked about the strongest bond being brothers. He told him not to listen to the fans, who only get him in trouble. Jeff stood on the ladder as Matt played the "mom's in Heaven and wouldn't like this" card. He said dad wouldn't like this either. Jeff then stood on top of the ladder ready to fly and Matt said, "I Quit." Fans popped, then booed because they wanted to see Matt eat wood. Jeff climbed down one rung, then he surprised everyone with his split-legged splash over the ladder through the table on Matt anyways. Jeff posed over Matt to put the finishing touches on the feud.

WINNER: Jeff Hardy at 19:01. Good integration of the storyline into the match after a slow first-half of the match. I liked this one better than their WrestleMania match, where they jumped into the weapon use way too early. They built to the weapon use at the end and delivered a strong conclusion to the feud, presuming this was the blow-off. As for where they go from here, Jeff gets the final word and is in position for a strong singles push on Smackdown with this possibly being a negotiations tactic from WWE to get him to re-sign a long-term deal. Matt probably shifts to the mid-card on Raw, but that remains to be seen. (***)

Continued in next post...

Arcademan:
Continued from previous post...

5 -- SANTINA MARELLA vs. BETH PHOENIX

Santina made the cover for the win. Post-match: Khali cornered Santina and ripped off "her" clothes. Santina sold a wardrobe malfunction trying to cover his/her/whatever nipples. He/she/it ran off as Cole tried to keep the gig going with Ross on commentary.

WINNER: Santina at 0:03. I'd almost take Big Dick Johnson over this any day of the week. Almost. Worst PPV segment ever...other than Ross's line to Cole about who fed him that line. That was classic. (n/a)

6 -- TEAM MCMAHON (WWE champion TRIPLE H & SHANE MCMAHON & BATISTA) vs. TEAM LEGACY (RANDY ORTON & CODY RHODES & TED DIBIASE) -- Hunter's WWE Title on the line

Before the opening bell, all six men brawled in the ring until Hunter dragged Orton to the floor and chucked him backstage. Hunter then ran back down to the ring and the ref started the match with a three-on-two set-up. Cole made the point that Orton could win the WWE Title without even being ringside if his team were to win or if McMahons are DQ'ed or counted out. Apparently Orton really needed to go the bathroom, as this dragged on for a while with the McMahons working over Ted and Cody pretty easily to start things off. Batista teased the Batistabomb at 5:30, but DiBiase scampered to the outside to escape Batista.

Suddenly, Orton ran down the ramp at 5:45 and cracked Batista into the ringpost while Batista was giving chase on DiBiase. Crowd came to life as Orton tagged himself in and went to work on Batista. The announcers played up a possible concussion for Batista with the idea that Batista is just returning from that Punt from Orton. Orton went to work on Batista and gave him the big horizontal DDT off the second rope for a two count. Batista teased a hot tag to Hunter, but Orton cut him off. Batista then fired back with a flying headbutt/shoulder out of nowhere and Shane took the hot tag to start firing off on Cody, who tagged in for Orton.

Shane chucked Cody to the outside, then he followed to the floor and ripped off the announce table cover. Shane pummeled DiBiase on the floor, then Shane saw Cody back in the ring, so he went up top and nailed an elbow drop. Ted yanked Shane to the outside to prevent a cover, then Orton tossed Shane knees-first into the ring steps. Legacy then isolated Shane in their corner to begin another round of attacks. Hunter with some great facial expressions of concern that his brother-in-law is going to cost him the WWE Title with every close nearfall. Shane teased a close hot tag at 18:45, but DiBiase tagged in and pulled Shane back to center ring.

Shane countered the Dream Street cobra clutch/sweep, then he tried to crawl over to his corner for the hot tag to Hunter. Orton tagged in too, setting up a mid-ring collision between Hunter and Orton. Hunter absolutely beat the crap out of Orton with right hands, teasing a DQ, then he shot Orton off to the corner for a knock-down clothesline. He then dumped Ted and Cody over the top rope and caught Orton with a spinebuster mid-ring. Action broke down all over the place as the ref tried to restore order. Shane then took Cody to the floor and into the front row. Cody grabbed a chair while he was on the ground, though, and he cracked the chair into Shane's shoulder/head area. Ref was occupied with Orton and Hunter, though. Orton teased the RKO, but Hunter blocked. He then spotted Batista with a chair in hand ready to strike DiBiase, so Hunter yanked the chair away from inside the ring. He reprimanded Batista for thinking about the chair shot, then Orton smashed Hunter with the RKO. Orton made the cover for a nearfall, but the bell rang accidentally. Ref waved it off as a two count in stride. Orton didn't worry about the miscue and he positioned himself to nail The Punt on Hunter to make the cover for the win to capture the WWE Title.

Post-match: Orton grabbed the title and ran away with Cody and Ted to get out of there with the WWE Title. Meanwhile, Batista was on his knees facing Hunter with a combo of frustration and disappointment. They did an injury angle with Hunter KO'ed on the mat. Hunter wasn't moving, then medics appeared to strap Hunter down. Batista and Shane checked on Hunter as medics positioned him. Shane tried talking to Hunter as Batista wiped his head in frustration. They replayed The Punt, which Hunter did a great job of selling to give the announcers some talking points to describe it as a legit injury.

WINNER: Orton at 22:50 to capture the WWE Title. Great conclusion to the match with the incorporation of all the storyline elements leading to Orton's WWE Title. Apparently this will keep Hunter off TV for a while Batista probably chases Orton for a little while. Very heavy on storyline, very slow middle portion building to Hunter's hot tag, and a strong post-match segment leading to Raw's spring storylines. (***1/4)

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