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The Official Wrestling Thread (now with more news and stuff)
Arcademan:
TNA Impact! Results: 7-30-09
Results courtesy of ProWrestling.net (direct link to Twilling's complete report).. Condensed here to in-ring results only.
1. Hernandez defeated Samoa Joe (with Taz) in 4:31. Hernandez impressed early with a delayed vertical suplex. Both men traded power moves and before Hernandez grabbed the advantage. Joe fought back and attempted a superplex. Hernandez pushed him off and hit a top rope splash for the clean win...
After the match, Taz and Joe were steaming as JB interviewed Hernandez on the floor. Hernandez said he was back, he was healthy, and he would become the first Latino TNA World Heavyweight Champion...
Twill's Two Cents: Wow; surprising finish. I wasn't thrilled with Joe losing an opening match on Impact, but I love that Hernandez got this win. That is the thing; Joe is not any less important because of Hernandez defeating him and Hernandez is elevated severely.
2. A.J. Styles defeated Matt Morgan in the first match of a best of three series in 5:46. Tenay announced a Steel Asylum match at Hard Justice to determine the number one contender for the X Division Championship. Morgan dominated with his power in the first few minutes. Morgan applied what looked like a reverse chokeslam and threw him into the corner for a two count.
Morgan crotched himself on the top rope. Styles hit two dropkicks to take Morgan off his feet. He hit the springboard flying forearm for a two count. Styles countered a side suplex with the Pele. He hit a springboard 450 halfway across the ring for the win...
Twill's Two Cents: Typical power vs. speed match between these two. The finish with Styles was amazing. As good as he is, he always seems to impress.
3. Awesome Kong (with Raisha Saeed), ODB (with Cody Deaner) and Tara defeated The Beautiful People (Velvet Sky, Madison Rayne, and TNA Knockout Champion Angelina Love) in 10:06. Tara and Angelina began the match. Angelina enjoyed an early advantage but Tara hit a powerslam for a nearfall. TBP broke up the pinfall and chaos ensued. ODB tagged in and dominated Madison Rayne...
Back from commercial, Kong tagged in and Tara gave her a dirty look. Kong decided to beat the shit out of Tara and they fought to the back. A shot of the Motor City Machine Guns in the crowd was shown. They had signs that said, "Conspiracy Theory" and "Yes, we work here." ...
Twill's Two Cents: Glad to see the Guns again and I hope this leads to big things for them.
4. The British Invasion defeated Team 3D in a tables match to win the New Japan Tag Team Titles in 9:35. The match started with Team 3D hitting the ring and beating up all five guys...
Back from commercial, Doug Williams was working on Brother Ray outside of the ring and Brutus Magnus and Brother Devon fought into the crowd. Ray finally got Williams back into the ring. Everyone tried to interfere but Ray hit bionic elbows on all of them.
Devon grabbed a table and rolled it into the ring. The Invasion came back and suplexed Ray, but Devon moved the table out of the way. Dave Hebner took a ref bump. Rob Terry came in and took out Team 3D. Devon powerbombed Magnus through a table, but Young hit Devon with a belt and set up him as if he went through the table. The referee saw it and rang the bell...
Twill's Two Cents: Ugh. What was that? Six on two? Anyway, fun brawl I guess that ended predictably after the ref bump. With a six on two advantage, the Invasion should not have needed a ref bump and screwy finish to get the win.
5. Mick Foley and Bobby Lashley defeated Kurt Angle and Kevin Nash when Foley pinned Nash to win the TNA Legends Title in 6:31. The match started as a handicapped match as Foley gutted out the attack and took what Nash and Angle had to offer.
The extra fifteen minutes began with Foley hitting a double arm DDT on Angle and following up with a mandible claw. Nash hit a big boot and Angle locked in the ankle lock. The lights went out and Sting's music hit. When the lights came back on, Sting was in the crowd pointing at Angle and Nash with his bat.
The lights went out again and when they came back on, Lashley was in the ring with a wrap around his head. Lashley took out Angle and Nash at the same time. He hit a spear on Nash and Foley pinned him to win the Legends Title.
Twill's Two Cents: When the lights went out, Angle was the legal man and Foley pinned Nash, so don't be surprised to see that pointed out next week. Average match on an average show. Hernandez beating Joe was the highlight of the show for me.
Arcademan:
WWE Smackdown Results: 7-31-09
Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.
1 -- CRYME TYME (SHAD GASPAR & JTG) vs. HART DYNASTY (TYSON KIDD & D.H. SMITH w/Natalya) -- #1 contender match to Unified tag titles
Shad ran over Smith in the early going and Smith sold a head injury. Kidd then blind-tagged himself into the match and chop-blocked Shad from behind to take his knee out. Kidd started screaming as he worked over Shad's left knee. Kidd then knocked Shad to the outside and Smith did some heavy lifting behind the ref's back leading to a break. CT in trouble...so it seems.
Hart Dynasty continued to work over Shad, then JTG took a red-hot tag and cleaned house. JTG hit a leaping leg lariat from the second rope on Kidd, the legal man, but Kidd kicked out. Kidd then cut JTG off and nailed a springboard blockbuster for a close count. JTG tried to come back with a sunset flip, but Kidd kicked out. Nice exchange, then the action broke down. Men everywhere as Shad, the big man, took out Smith, the big man. Back in the ring, JTG tried to steal a win with a hook of the tights on Kidd, but Kidd kicked out. JTG then hit a wrap-his-forearms-around-the-neck-and-slam-the-opponent Shout-Out for the pin and the win. JTG and Shad then celebrated the win with JTG as they realized their good fortune of a title match.,
WINNERS: Cryme Tyme in 8:00. Good tag match with a very nice finish focused on JTG vs. Tyson Kidd. I'd like to see a one-on-one between them down the road. Nice, high-energy tag match with something on the line. (**)
2 -- Women's champion MICHELLE McCOOL & LAYLA vs. MELINA & EVE TORRES
McCool and Melina had a solid singles match at the PPV, so they picked up the feud with the supporting cast in the Women's division. Back and forth action to start, then Melina took a hot tag and the action broke down. McCool then blasted the crap out of Melina with a kick to the face. She took a legal tag, then slid into the ring and wanted a Widow's Peak-like "Faith Breaker" on Melina, but Melina countered in mid-air with the Canadian Destroyer for the pin and the win. Great counter.
WINNERS: Melina & Eve in 4:00. Story here was Melina scoring a pin over the champ to continue the feud. Fine, high-energy match that carried over from the Melina-McCool singles match at the PPV. (*)
3 -- IC champ REY MYSTERIO & FINLAY vs. DOLPH ZIGGLER & MIKE KNOX
Knox tried to show off his power early on with a powerbomb on Rey, but Rey blocked and teased the 619. Knox avoided it, but Rey landed an enziguiri kick instead. Finlay then tagged in and gave Knox the Rolling Hills drop for a two count. Why doesn't anyone just pull his beard into submission? Is there a code of honor against using facial hair as a weapon? Anyways, Knox took out Finlay's knee and began working him over. Dolph then tagged in and got some of Finlay's knee and leg. Knox then knocked Rey off the apron, rekindling those warm and fuzzy ... and perhaps gassy feelings from the Rey-Knox feud on Raw. Finlay continued to tease a hot tag to Rey, but Knox kept cutting him off. Dolph took a tag, then missed with a corner splash on Finlay allowing Rey to get a tag.
Rey quickly dialed up 619 for a smash on Dolph. He followed with the trademark springboard splash for the apparent pin, but Knox yanked Rey to the floor to break up the pin. Finlay took Knox out, then Dolph tried to take Finlay out, but Rey snuck in the back door and grappled Dolph from behind. He rolled him up and scored a pin with Dolph nearly in the ropes. Looked like Dolph "broke the plane" of the bottom rope, but ref allowed the pin to be counted for the win.
WINNERS: Mysterio & Finlay in 10:00. Another good, high-energy tag match on the show. Would have liked to have seen Dolph get a chance to stand tall and not take "The Miz treatment" from Miz's program against John Cena, but this was about giving the fans a "feel good" moment with Rey and Finlay winning. (*1/2)
4 -- GREAT KHALI (w/Runjin Singh) vs. CHARLIE HAAS
A little buffer match action before the main event tonight. Khali methodically picked apart Haas before telling Haas to get up on his feet. Haas obliged and took The Chop to the head. Khali told Haas to get up again. Haas was ready to be finished, but Kane suddenly showed up in the ring, then ran away when Khali approached him. Kane took Singh hostage on the floor and dragged him up the rampway. Khali "gave chase" as only Khali can do, then Kane dropped Singh and walked away. Khali leaned down to check on Singh while staring back at Kane. End segment.
WINNER: No Decision in 2:00. Just a continuation of the Khali vs. Kane feud. Looks like a Summerslam match is on the horizon, or perhaps just a Smackdown TV "main event" leading to Summerslam. WWE should book a sumo wrestling match or test-of-strength or arm-wrestling contest or some gimmick match that takes advantage of their size as a spectacle without having to wrestle a long, drawn-out regular wrestling match. (n/a)
5 -- World Hvt. champion JEFF HARDY vs. JOHN MORRISON -- World Hvt. Title match
Jim Ross referenced "Superstar" Billy Graham's famous 1977 WWWF Title victory over Bruno Sammartino in Baltimore that ended Bruno's three-and-a-half-year reign to set the stage for tonight's match. Morrison started aggressively with a flurry of offense to take it to the champ. He then slingshot Hardy over the top rope to the floor. Nice move. Morrison teased a springboard dive on the floor, but Hardy moved out of the way. Morrison waited, then nailed a sweet springboard moonsault onto Hardy on the floor. Awesome move. They cut to break with Morrison in control.
They returned with Morrison still in control. This time, he was in the ring with a headlock on Hardy to work him over on the mat. On cue, WWE replayed the sweet moonsault leading into the commercial break. Hardy broke free of the headlock and teased a Twist of Fate, but Morrison countered by sling shotting Hardy throat-first across the top rope. Morrison teased the Starship Pain finisher, but Hardy moved and hit the Whisper in the Wind for a two count. Nice exchange. Both men recovered on the mat, then Hardy settled into a reverse chinlock. Ross told us some stories about two-out-of-three fall matches back in the day that gave some wiggle room to make a mistake. He nicely contrasted that to there being no room for error in a one-fall match with a major title on the line, meaning every move is important. Morrison made a comeback and nailed a standing moonsault for a two count. Morrison and Hardy then punched each other simultaneously in the corner and both men crashed down to the floor. Both men in jeopardy going to break.
At 15:00, they returned with Morrison and Hardy exchanging control. Hardy landed a signature double-foot dropkick for a two count, then he wiped his hair back and thought about his next move. Hardy took Morrison to the floor and whipped him back-first into the guardrail. Hardy then ran off the ring steps and nailed a leg lariat that left both men KO'ed on the floor. Back in the ring, Hardy wanted the Whisper in the Wind, but Morrison ducked and smashed Hardy in the face with a running knee strike. He only scored a close two count, though. Morrison then wanted a springboard smash, but Hardy ducked. Morrison followed with a leaping leg lariat for another two count. Morrison so athletic. It's just ridiculous. Morrison then crotched Hardy across the top rope and landed a springboard enziguiri kick. The flying chuck had Hardy KO'ed, but Hardy kicked out just before three.
At 20:00, Hardy came back with a faceplant suplex. He then went up top and teased the Swanton Bomb and connected. Hardy needed some extra time to make the cover, though, and Morrison kicked out in a shock to the crowd. "Oh my!" Ross exclaimed. Grisham hyped Morrison's resilience in the biggest match of his career. Hardy then tried his lift-up dropkick out of the corner, but Morrison kicked him in the gut to block. Morrison wanted to follow with the Starship Pain, but Hardy got the knees up to block. Hardy hit the Twist of Fate, then went up top. He wanted the Swanton Bomb and connected again. Hardy didn't hesitate and made the cover for the win.
WINNER: Hardy in 24:00 to retain the World Hvt. Title. What a match. Dang, that was awesome. What stood out? Morrison's athleticism, Hardy scoring the win, and the crowd almost itching for a title change, but still very satisfied with Hardy winning. Roles reversed from when the crowd was itching for Hardy to win over Punk. Overall, match was a clear contender for Match of the Month. Just great athleticism from two of WWE's top stars. Morrison has arrived as a main eventer if he hadn't already. (****)
Arcademan:
WWE RAW Results: 8-3-09
Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.
1 -- EVAN BOURNE vs. JACK SWAGGER
Bourne used his quickness to avoid Swagger's power offense early on, but Swagger blocked a standing moonsault with knees to the gut. He then followed up with a gut wrench powerbomb for the decisive pin and the win. After the match, Swagger delivered two running Vader Bombs out of the corner. He was going to give Bourne another gutwrench, but MVP hit the ring in street clothes to clear out Swagger. MVP stood over Bourne as Swagger quietly left the ring confident in his work tonight.
WINNER: Swagger at 2:10. Pretty much a wash after last week. Just doesn't make any sense. Bourne with an upset last week, now a chump this week. Swagger a chump last week, now a big bully this week. Self-defeating booking. And with no pre-match build for a second "Raw dream match" between Bourne and Swagger, the program doesn't have any steam. Incompetent booking. (*)
2 -- Divas champion MICKIE JAMES & GAIL KIM vs. JILLIAN HALL & BETH PHOENIX
Gail started things off, but Mickie quickly tagged in and took a beating from Beth. Beth and Jillian worked Mickie over for a while, then Mickie escaped with a head scissors and hot-tagged Gail. Beth then blind-sided Gail after taking a tag that Gail didn't see. Beth then delivered the double chickenwing facebuster on Gail and scored a pin for the win as Mickie was apparently occupied elsewhere.
WINNERS: Beth & Jillian at 3:25. Just a re-building effort for Beth after being off TV for a while. They didn't tease any dissension between Gail and Mickie after they seemed to be going there last week. (*)
3 -- TRIPLE H vs. CODY RHODES & TED DIBIASE, JR. -- handicap match
Match started with Cody and Hunter going at it with Hunter taking the upperhand. DiBiase tagged in, nearly took the Pedigree, then was clotheslined over the top rope to the floor. On cue, DiBiase took a clothesline to the floor. Imagine that, Hunter standing tall going to break. This has been such a bad show thus far that I'm not in the mood for SuperHunter tonight.
Cody had Hunter in a headlock coming out of the break. During the break, DiBiase slingshot Hunter across the top rope to get the advantage for Legacy. Cody and Ted continued to work over Hunter heading into the second hour. Cody attempted a top rope moonsault at 8:30, but Hunter rolled out of the way and Cody ate the mat. Cody tried to make a tag to DiBiase, but Hunter reached his feet and smashed DiBiase off the apron. Hunter then ran DiBiase into the guardrail. Back in the ring, Hunter with a "vintage" high knee on Rhodes. He landed a facebuster across the knee before running Rhodes into DiBiase off the ropes. Hunter with the Double A spinebuster, then he measured Rhodes for the Pedigree. Suddenly, DiBiase snuck in the back door and hit the Dream Street finisher. All three men were down in the ring. Rhodes then made the cover, but Hunter kicked out at two. Cody sold shock over the pin escape. He then hit the Cross Rhodes spinning facebuster in center ring. (I didn't even realize Cody had a finisher since he never wins matches.) Rhodes with the pin and...the win. Wow, Hunter didn't kick out.
WINNERS: DiBiase & Rhodes at 11:13. It was quite shocking to see Legacy win this clean, but the post-match set-up for Shawn Michaels to return made sense of this so people will actually pay money to see the probable Hunter & HBK vs. Legacy match at Summerslam with Legacy having the slightest edge on Hunter in the TV build-up. Match itself was good with the crowd hot for the nearfalls and Hunter in jeopardy. (**)
4 -- PRIMO COLON vs. CARLITO COLON
Match spilled to the outside early on and Primo landed a plancha splash. Lawler said their father, Carlos Colon, is probably torn about his sons facing each other. Carlito kicked out of Primo's attempted finisher, then Carlito nailed the backstabber for the decisive pin and the win.
WINNER: Carlito at 2:58. They have the big brother vs. brother match after the split and they give them three minutes to have a match the audience didn't care about because there wasn't any pre-match hype or reason to care about the issues that WWE hasn't established? More inane booking. Primo didn't benefit from this at all. (*)
5 -- CHAVO GUERRERO vs. MARK "SWOGGLE" HENRY
Henry played around early, then Chavo irritated Henry by trying to land offense, so Henry chased him to the outside. Henry then scooped up Chavo and teased the World's Strongest Slam all across the arena. He finally delivered the move, then scored the pin for the easy win.
WINNER: Henry at 1:07. At least this keeps Chavo employed with a paycheck coming on a regular basis. These extended family hour segments should be reserved for the house shows, not taking up TV time when WWE can't build up any stars because they throw out matches like Swagger-Bourne and Colon-Colon without any hype. (n/a)
6 -- U.S. champion KOFI KINGSTON vs. Unified tag champion BIG SHOW -- U.S. Title match
Show beat up Kofi all around the ring early on as Jericho hyped his tag team and himself. Jericho got tongue-tied trying to say he was the most-trending topic on Twitter yesterday. Talking takes its toll on the tongue. Torch Talk with Tom Tom. Anyways, Show had a pin on Kofi, but Kofi put his foot on the bottom rope to escape a pin. Jericho ripped Lawler for not having any WWE titles to his name to hype how many titles Show and Jericho have between them. Show wanted the Vader Bomb, but Kofi kicked Show in the back of the leg to knock Show down. He then smashed Show with the Trouble in Paradise buzzsaw kick. Kofi didn't make a cover, but opted to hit a top rope Boom Boom leg drop. Kofi with the pin, but Show bench-pressed Kofi out of the pin. Show suddenly speared Kofi in mid-ring to cut him off. Show then punched Kofi several times in the corner. Ref reached a five count after they foreshadowed a near-DQ earlier in the match. Show was DQ'ed, but he went back to beating up Kofi. Jericho entered the ring to trash-talk Kofi, who tried to catch his breath. Show then posed over Jericho, who smugly looked into the audience to close the segment.
WINNER: Kofi via DQ at 5:08. Good segment thanks to Jericho on commentary and the conflict between whether Show would win the title vs. how he would get DQ'ed or counted out so Kofi would keep the title. There was no way Kofi was winning this match via pin or submission, so the "angst in the arena" was Show winning or Kofi escaping. Not sure where this leads to, but something needs to be built-up for Kofi (if he's even going to be on the PPV) with only two more weeks of Raw remaining before Summerslam and Show/Jericho in a tag title match. (*1/4)
7 -- JOHN CENA vs. THE MIZ -- Lumberjack match
Cena dumped Miz to the outside early on, then Chavo and Dr. Ken checked on Miz before helping him back up to his feet. Miz, fully recovered, slid into the ring, but Cena cut him off. The heel jacks then distracted Cena allowing Miz to bump Cena to the outside. Masters slapped on the Masterlock and Cena sold breaking free, but Masters re-locked the hold and KO'ed Cena. Jacks then rolled Cena into the ring and Miz made a cover, but Cena grabbed the bottom rope. Miz then covered Cena center-ring, but Cena kicked out. Cena made a comeback, but Orton pulled Cena to the floor and the heel jacks stomped and pounded and kicked away on Cena. Legacy then rolled Cena into the ring and Dr. Ken handed Miz his pimp cane. Cena ducked the shot, though, and scooped up Miz for the FU. Just like that. Cena made the cover for the win.
WINNER: Cena at 5:10. Well, there goes Miz just like that. Three things come to mind: he's moving to a different brand, Wellness, or WWE gave up on him for some inane reason, which would be consistent with the inane booking on this show. SuperCena wins again. (*)
Arcademan:
ECW on SyFy Results: 8-4-09
Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.
1 -- EZEKIEL JACKSON vs. DANNY DANGER
Danger with zero face time as Jackson destroyed him, then hit the lift-up Rock Bottom for the pin and the win. After the match, Kozlov's music hit and he stomped out to the ring for another Ivan Drago vs. Mr. T confrontation. Kozlov stared down Jackson as they tried to build tension for this Rocky villain deal. Kozlov then gave DD a lift-up Rock Bottom and cracked his neck to say that was no big deal. Jackson then gave DD a lift-up Rock Bottom and stomped out of the ring. Kozlov was left in the ring staring down Jackson.
WINNER: Jackson in 1:00. Week 3 of the program. Just keep building layers. Crowd was at least into the tease of a villain vs. villain confrontation. (n/a)
2 -- SHEAMUS vs. GOLDUST
Sheamus started landing boots on Goldust early on. Suddenly, Goldust sold a shoulder injury with the ref checking on him. Sheamus licked his lips and started attacking the shoulder. He landed a single arm DDT for a two count, then wore Goldust down with more mat holds focused on the shoulder. Goldust tried to sneak in a small package for a pin, but Sheamus kicked out and went back to working over the shoulder. Goldust made a comeback at 3:00 with a series of clotheslines, then the drop-down uppercut. He executed a powerslam for a two count, then sold the shoulder. Goldust tried a move from the second rope, but Sheamus cut his legs out from under him and Goldust crashed to the mat. Sheamus made the cover for the win.
Post-match: Sheamus took the mic ringside and said he came in search for gold, but all they gave him was dust. Goldust then jumped Sheamus from behind and blasted him into the guardrail. Striker said it's the renewed aggression they need to see from Goldust for him to be successful. Sheamus then bailed up the ramp as Goldust was held back by the ref. Goldust, half-way out of character with half of his paint left on, screamed at Sheamus to come get some. Sheamus opted to back away up the entrance ramp to end the segment.
WINNER: Sheamus in 4:00. Okay singles match. Post-match from Goldust was good to keep the programming going. As long as Goldust isn't playing with rats backstage with RELLIK, I'll take a program from Goldust with some purpose. (1/2*)
3 -- ECW champion CHRISTIAN vs. TOMMY DREAMER -- ECW Title match -- Extreme Rules
Bell sounded and they started with some basic mat holds. Crowd wasn't in the mood for basic wrestling, instead chanting for tables. Do they think they're watching a Team 3D match? Dreamer retrieved a Kendo stick and Christian grabbed a trashcan lid. Extreme Sword-fighting ensued with Christian blocking with the lid. On the floor, Dreamer blasted Christian with a stick shot before landing a move from The Sandman's playbook, a Russian legsweep using the cane around the throat. Christian recovered and baseball slid-kicked a trashcan into Dreamer on the floor. Christian followed with a splash off the top rope before smashing him with the can. Christian then broke a crutch over Dreamer's back in front of the hot dog stand. Christian tried to get a running start on a splash, but Dreamer moved and Christian ate the hot dog...stand. Dreamer with a condiment dispenser shot to the head before shoving some hot dogs down Christian's throat. Dreamer in control as they cut the mustard to the break.
They returned to the match with Dreamer and Christian bashing each other with weapons in the ring. Match moved to the floor where Dreamer back dropped Christian onto the floor padding. Dreamer then clotheslined Christian over the guardrail to the front row. He tried a can shot, but Christian ducked and hit a textbook dropkick sending the can into Dreamer's chest. Crowd with a dueling chant. Back in the ring, Dreamer sent Christian head-first into a trashcan in the corner. Dreamer then hit a Pumphandle slam with the Singapore cane beneath the crotch for a two count. On cue, Christian regained control with a neckbreaker across the top rope.
At the top of the hour, Christian went up top and chucked a t-can down at Dreamer's head for a two count. Christian tried a Tornado DDT off the top into two cans, but Dreamer blocked and threw Christian into the stack of cans for a two count. Dreamer then hung Christian upside down in the corner and put a can over his head. Dreamer with the E-pound the chest-C-pound the chest-W running crutch shot to the can into Christian's face. Christian, on cue, recovered after another more no-selling and started smashing Dreamer with weapon shots. Christian then grabbed the car door that hadn't come into play yet and sent it into the ring. Dreamer blocked a running car door shot with a trashcan lid shot to the head through the open car door window. LOL. Dreamer then wanted a piledriver onto the car door, but Christian countered, of course, with the Killswitch into the car door for the pin and the win. After they replayed the highspots of the match, Christian was shown celebrating with the title belt to close the show.
WINNER: Christian in 16:00 to retain the ECW Title. Good gimmick match, but the lack of long-term selling - or any selling of moves at all - was annoying after the fifteenth instance. Seemed like a write-off for Dreamer in the main event picture since this was his title re-match after losing the belt at Night of Champions. If I had to take a guess, Kozlov and Jackson are going to be inserted into the title picture now. (**1/4)
Arcademan:
WWE Superstars Results: 8-6-09
Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.
1 -- CHRIS MASTERS vs. SANTINO MARELLA
Santino had a big smile as they danced around the ring before locking up. Masters shoved Santino to the mat, then Santino did a back roll and came up saluting himself "ta da!" Santino did it again after Masters shoved him down, expecting Santino to sell the shove. So great. Even beter was Santino surprising Masters with the Masterlock at 2:00, but Masters was like "oh heck no," so he broke the hold and started pounding Santino. Something went flying as Santino tried a chinbreaker. Looked like Masters lost a tooth. Referee picked up the object moments later and tossed it out of the ring. Santino started to Hulk Up as Masters taunted him. Santino: "You ah make me ah so anger." Santino started no-selling, then did a Ron Killings leg split to duck a clothesline, and wanted to make Masters pay with his finisher, but Masters blocked and slapped on the Masterlock. Santino had no choice but to tap to the Masterpiece. Afterward, Santino sold dizziness as Masters celebrated the win.
WINNER: Masters in 4:00, fans with Santino. Santino was great enhancing his character before taking the scripted loss. Masters looked dominant at the end, but Santino was the takeaway. (*)
2 -- TYLER REKS & YOSHI TATSU vs. WILLIAM REGAL & PAUL BURCHILL (w/Katie Lea)
Yoshi started off against Regal to pick up their current feud locked at one victory apiece. Reks then tagged in and Mathews let fly with the surfer-related puns. Actually just watched the Blue Crush surfer movie last week. Nice little flick. The Englishmen had enough of Reks and his surfing, so they dumped him to the floor and stood tall going to break.
Back from break, Reks was working over Regal's shoulder. Who says WWE doesn't change it up every once in a while when the babyfaces are usually in control going to break and the heels are in control working a body part back from break. Right on cue, Yoshi lost control of the match. Burchill tagged in, then Yoshi blasted him with a round of kicks and body blows. He landed a kick to the face out of the corner, but Regal distracted Yoshi allowing Burchill to kick Yoshi in the left knee/ankle area. Burchill and Regal then targeted the body part to cut off Yoshi from his corner.
Reks took a hot tag at 10:00 and fired off a series of dropkicks on Regal, who was the legal man. Reks executed a nice suplex for a two count, then hit a clothesline off the ropes. Yoshi cleared Burchill to the floor to clear them out of the picture. Reks then came off the top with a splash on Regal, but Regal rolled through and trapped Reks's leg for a pin and the win.
WINNERS: Regal & Burchill in 11:00. Fine tag match, but not memorable. Work a body part, get the hot tag, set up the finish, and who see who comes out on top. Burchill was actually on the winning side of things for the first time in forever, but he still couldn't get a pinfall. (*1/4)
3 -- Intercontinental champion REY MYSTERIO vs. MIKE KNOX -- non-title match
Match started with Knox aggressively beating Rey into the mat. Dolph sounded a little unsure of himself on commentary to start with. Maybe not the right environment for him compared to having a mic in his hand to cut a promo. We'll see as the match goes on. Rey eventually regained control with a seated sentaun splash that knocked Knox to the floor. Rey in control, Dolph on his feet staring down Rey, and let's grab a break.
Back from break, Knox was blasting Rey in the corner as Dolph watched intently from ringside. Rey suddenly snapped off a head scissors from the top rope that knocked Knox to the ring apron. Knox shoved Rey down, then blasted Rey with a clothesline from his knees to cut off Rey's momentum. Knox then landed a big bicycle kick that knocked Rey over the ropes to the floor. Rey teased being counted out, but he made it back in the ring at nine. Knox picked up his attack and slapped on a bear hug to wear down Rey. Grisham tried to involve Dolph in the proceedings by asking him where he got his swagger from. Dolph said it's just natural. Dolph selling focus on the match to scout his potential Summerslam opponent.
Rey made a comeback at 12:00 with the double-foot dropkick and a kick strike to the head, but Knox kicked out of a pin attempt. Knox then cut Rey off again with a power move as the fans chanted "6-1-9." Knox wanted a sidewalk slam, but Rey countered with a DDT for a two count. Rey then wanted to dial up the 619 and he connected. He tried to follow with the springboard splash for the win, but Dolph yanked Rey off the apron to cause a DQ. Post-match: Dolph tried to assault Rey, then feed him to Knox, but Rey escaped Dolph and Knox to head for safer ground on the floor. Grisham sold Smackdown tomorrow night for the #1 contender match to the IC Title, then the show ended with Rey safe on stage.
WINNER: Rey via DQ in 14:00. One of those TV singles matches that was just there. Everything was fine and followed the right script to continue the Rey vs. Dolph feud, but viewers just don't have information on Knox to emotionally invest in his character for nearly 15 minutes. He has a beard, his teeth look weird, and he beats up people. Well, that might pass for the "squash match" stage, but it doesn't mean much of anything over a period of time. (*1/2)
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