Before we start the review this week I’d like to first use this opportunity to give my year end awards
Worker of the year – Shawn Michaels. Shawn has been the best all around worker this year so far in my opinion. He started off the year with a good program with Edge which produced two really good matches and led into his program with Kurt Angle which produced 2 bona fide classics and a damn good 30 minute iron man match. On top of that he pulled off two minor miracles by getting both Chris Masters and Hulk Hogan above *** and then ended up having a very exciting match with Rey Mysterio on the Eddie Guerrero tribute show. Overall I think you’d be hard pushed to find a better worker this year
Other great workers this year who deserve a mention are
Samoa Joe
Christopher Daniels
Rey Mysterio
Kurt Angle
AJ Styles
Chris Benoit
Tag Team of the year – MNM. Come on this team have dominated tag wrestling this year and have had great matches all year round with pretty much every team put in front of them including weird mish mash teams such as Batista/Mysterio and Hass/Holly. AMW had a good year too but I think MNM were better this year overall.
Show of the year – WWE Judgement Day. I think the term “Pleasantly and shockingly surprised” would be the best way to describe this show. Going in I expected little and in the end I came away feeling fully satisfied that I had paid my money on not just a solid show but something special. You started out with a *** tag match with MNM against Holly/Hass then hit ***3/4 with Paul London Vs Chavo Guerrero and from that you had Kurt Angle carrying Booker to ***1/2 in one of Booker’s best matches in years. After that you had Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio putting on an emotional classic that served for great promise in their feud that was never really fulfilled. I’d say it was **** and was one of the most intense matches this year with the two really making you believe the story they were telling. And then John Cena and JBL tore the house down in a ****1/2 blood fest. Cena’s reign has been fraught with bad crowd reactions and fans turning on him but, at least for one night, everything worked perfectly. The fans robustly cheered Cena throughout as he sold like a champion and beat JBL into a bloody and putrid mess. They pulled every stunt in the book out and after 10 minutes you felt you were watching a big match that would be remembered like Steve Austin’s wars with Dude Love in spring 98. For one night everything worked, the crowd reactions, the action, everything. The sad thing is that Cena hasn’t been able to recreate this with any of his other heel challengers such as Chris Jericho or Kurt Angle. Even worse is that this match and this entire show seems to have been forgotten and swept under the rug in that no one felt inclined to even mention it in the show of the year poll. That’s always the way with small shows like this. It wasn’t in a big arena or given lots of hype like Wrestlemania, One Night Stand or Bound For Glory so no one really saw it. If you see the video or DVD in the shops pick it up. Trust me it’s worth your money
Match of the year – Samoa Joe Vs Christopher Daniels Vs AJ Styles, TNA Unbreakable. Let’s see, you out 3 of the best workers in the world in the main event, make the title they’re fighting for seem important and give them a lot of time to really craft a story. What do you get? Match of the year baby! Enough has been said about this f*cking corker since it happened so all I can say is it’s an EASY ***** and the best match I’ve ever seen in TNA.
Best Company in North America and Europe – TNA. They’ve had some great shows this year and I have a lot of time for their product
Best Puro Company – NOAH. This was the year that I finally turned my back on New Japan and became pretty much strictly NOAH. I used to hate NOAH but a lot of factors, New Japan’s fall from grace, my love of All Japan and Kenta Kobashi, made me turn to them. I really want New Japan to get back on track but when they f*cked up Tenzan’s push I knew they were done. Hopefully they will switch gears and not arse f*ck their new generation of guys as the way Tenzan was treated was shocking.
Most Promising Company – Future Shock Wrestling. Don’t know who this company is? Neither did I until last year when I discovered them. They are a small British fed that run the small Stockport Guildhall and no matter what the size of the audience they perform in you ALWAYS get 110% from the guys performing. I’ve seen WCW and WWE live and I can honestly say I had just as much fun, if not more, in a room full of something like 50 people watching these kids put their hearts and souls into entertaining the fans than I did watching guys like Chris Benoit, Shawn Michaels and Eddie Guerrero. I don’t expect this company to ever make it out of the Guildhall but a large part of me doesn’t want to. It’s like my own little company and I call out to all of you in the Stockport and Manchester area to get your arses down to the Guildhall in February and support FSW.
Anyway that’s all just my opinion. Lets get to the show
We’re in Wilkes-Daare in Pennsylvania
Hosts are Tazz and Cole
Falls Count Anywhere
JBL W/ Jillian Hall Vs Matt Hardy
JBL does a promo before the match where he goes around the arena bragging about how he’s going beat Matt up. www.ohmygodjblissmashingmyfacein.com is pretty funny. Matt joins JBL in the crowd and the fight is on! JBL chokes Matt with his jacket thing. Matt goes over the barricade and gets smashed face first into the table. They fight on the table and Matt gets a lame looking Spine Buster through it for two. Matt eats the steps and JBL smashes him in the spine with a chair and he gets two from that. Matt attacks JBL’s boot with his forehead but that doesn’t seem to work and JBL hammers him down. Matt counters a Power Bomb and sends JBL outside and gets a plancha for two. JBL gets sent face first into the steps and Matt brings out a ladder because ladders are to a Hardy brother what a sledgehammer is to HHH. Matt hits JBL in the ribs with the ladder but JBL fights back and sends Matt into the barricade. They fight near JBL’s limo and a trash can lid just happens to be there which leaves JBL flat out on the limos bonnet. Matt tries to come off the ladder but Jillian provides a distraction and JBL throws him off the ladder onto the limo for the win.
WINNER – JBL
**1/2 – Quite the fun little brawl actually. The Boogeyman comes out to continue this sure fire money feud. JBL and Jillian run but Jillian ends up with worms down her panties. My friend watching this with me so much he exclaims “that’s ridiculous” Man those WWE writers just aren’t getting paid enough
3 on 1 gauntlet match
Mark Henry w/ Melina Vs the Jobber connection
Splat, Splat and Splat. I can’t stand Mark Henry so you’ll receive little from me. This only existed for Vince McMahon to sneak into a nearby toilet to do nasty things. I wonder if him and Linda sit together watching this like porn? Yuck sorry for that image guys. Anyway to the match
First Jobber is gone by Torture Rack
Second Jobber is gone by some sloppy face first slam
Third Jobber is gone by Front Slam (THAT’S his finisher?)
Post match Michael Cole comes into the ring to ask Melina about this whole Mark Henry deal. She says she’s hired Mark Henry for her personal “Protection”
Booker, Sharmel and Randy Orton are backstage and Randy says that he thinks Sharmel cost him the match last week. Him and Sharmel have a little spat
MMMMRRRR KENNEDY KENNEDY RETURNS!!!!!!!!!!!!! It’s so nice to see the catchphrase back! Kennedy is now doing commentary so both shows have 3 person announce teams. All I can say to that is excellent
WWE Cruiser Weight Title
(C) Kid Kash Vs Juvi
lock up and they go at it with Juvi gaining the advantage with a tilt a whirl and sends Kash outside. Juvi gets a beauty of a flip onto Kash on the outside and gets a flying elbow inside for two. Kash gets a big face first slam thing from the top rope but misses a moonsault. Kash goes for Dead Level but Juvi breaks out of it. I’m not really fully following this one due to a conversation with my friend but it’s looking good. Juvi fights out of a single leg Boston Crab and they end up on the top rope and Juvi gets a flying top rope Rana for two. Juvi gets a killer of a kick to the back of the head on Kash and heads up top but Kash fights him up there. Juvi misses a 450 from the top and Kash gets the Dead Level for the win
WINNER – KID KASH
** – Pretty good match which is a trademark of Kash so far in his WWE run
Krystal is with Booker and Sharmel and Orlando Jordan comes over for an argument. Booker saying “Damn Skippy” really doesn’t play up his tough guy persona. Anyway Jordan says Booker should have come to him and promises to show him why.
Batista “Meets the press”. He says he is innocent of the charges and Mark Henry comes in to retort and I’m too busy laughing at my friends comment of how big Henry’s head is. Batista tells him to piss off and he does so with little complaint so he can do a run in later in the main event
Match 6 in US Title Best of Seven
Chris Fucking Benoit (2) Vs Randy Orton (3) (Subbing for Booker T)
Booker T and Sharmel come down for commentary again and neither guys look too pleased to see him. Lock up to start and Orton clubs away with some right hands but Benoit comes back with some choppage and a running forearm. Elbow drop and snap suplex gets two for Benoit. Benoit goes to town in the corner but Sharmel trips him up with a crutch. Orton yells at Sharmel and actually gets the ref to send her to the back. Orton gets a dropkick inside and clubs away with some forearms on Benoit’s chest and gets a knee drop for two before settling on a rear chin lock. Great intensity by Orton here. Benoit elbows out of the chin lock but takes a suplex and gets locked in it again. It should be noted that Kennedy has left now so I’m not sure whether his placement as a commentator will be full time. Benoit German’s Orton but is knocked outside and we go to a commercial
Commercial
We’re back with Orton controlling the match with another chin lock. Benoit arm drags out of the move and gets some right hands. Benoit goes to the Three Amigos and heads up top with a head butt for two. Benoit goes for a Sharpshooter and Orton fights it but Benoit eventually turns him and as Orton starts to crawl to the ropes he slaps on a cross face. That was glorious. Orton makes the ropes and tries an RKO but Benoit shoves him off. Orlando Jordan runs out and nails Benoit with a crutch for a DQ.
WINNER BY DQ – BENOIT
**1/2 – Come on it’s Chris Benoit/Randy Orton it’s hardly going to be bad. Another shit ending though
Another Fit Finlay promo. I’m honestly looking forward to see if he can still go in there. If he can than this debut is something to look forward to
Simon Dean, he’s still hired by this company?, comes out for some “competition” so he wants two guys to fight so London and Spanky looking like a gay Demolition, come out. Dean says they have to wrestle his new team The Gymini
The Gymini Vs The team sponsored by God
TTSBG get squashed in short order by Gymini, who are another lame “twins” team. They look like two chubby Goldberg’s and use the T-Gimmick. After a severe beat down they walk away. It’s like they come up with this stuff to annoy me
Bobby Lashley is backstage and he says he wants to win the Royal Rumble. They then show a promo video for him.
Cage Match
WWE Tag Team Titles
(C) MNM w/ Melina Vs Batista and Rey Mysterio
You can only win this one by pin or submission and not by escape. The grin on Batista’s face that he knows that MNM can’t run away is really funny. This is tornado rules so I’m guessing my play by play will be a little limited here. The faces dominate to start but MNM block a double throw into the cage and try to run away but they are dragged down as we go to a commercial.
Commercial
We’re back with Batista hammering away on both members of MNM as they keep trying to run away. Cool spot as Rey gets a bulldog on Nitro and lands a leg drop on Mercury. It’s stereo 10 punches in the corner but Rey ends up tasting some cage and Nitro gets a missile dropkick on Batista. Mercury gets two from a DDT as MNM stay on the offence with a bonsoir on Rey Mysterio for two. MNM baseball slide Batista into the cage wall and get a double team on Rey for two. Rey gets tossed into the cage face first for two. Come on guys this match needs some claret, one of you blade. MNM get a double Russian Leg Sweep on Batista but Rey mounts a comeback and gets a crucifix on Nitro for two. Rey heads up to the top of the cage and gets a beauty of a cross body on Mercury but Nitro saves at two. That was a breathtaking spot, I love Rey. MNM get a f*cking awesome face crusher move and send Rey into the cage but turn around into a Batista double lariat. Nitro climbs up the cage and Batista goes for a Power Bomb but Mercury stops that so Batista double crotches them. Batista Spine Busts Mercury as Mark Henry waddles down and rips the lock off the door and then throws the door inside. Henry comes in and throws Batista into the cage. Damn u hate Mark Henry. Henry then crushes Batista between the cage and door as Melina rejoices. Rey then takes the door to the face and Nitro gets the pin
WINNERS – MNM
*** – it was heading for **** before the stupid Mark Henry run in. MNM prove again why they are the top tag team in the business right now and I think it’s hard to dispute that.
Well this week provided some good fun but I’m already sick of Mark Henry’s push and he’s only been back two weeks. I hope he gets eaten by Batista at the Royal Rumble and that ends his push
