Thanks to Hamid Arain for sending in the following WWE house show results. If you attend a house show or TV taping, please feel free to send in results by clicking my name, above…
Just got back from the show here in Newcastle, Australia. Newcastle Entertainent Centre was packed to the rafters, no tarped off sections at all. Mind you, the place only holds around 5000-6000 people. A mostly “mark” crowd, though a few smark chants were audible.
Show opens with Howard Finkel coming down to the tune of Guns N Roses: “Welcome to the Jungle”.
Matches:
Match 1: Matt Striker v Harry Smith
Typical curtain jerking match. Striker got on the mic and did his usual shtick to some solid heel heat – “wanker” chant (doesn’t take much for the Aussie crowd to whip up one of these, and they started early here if I do say so myself). Mostly mat wrestling with the 2 playing to the crowd. Harry wins with the running powerslam (ala Davey Boy Smith).
Harry Smith got a solid reaction once Striker mentioned he was son of the Bulldog, several “Harry” and “Bulldog” chants broke out through the match. Harry must be atleast 6’4″ in real life, he’s much bigger than his old man.
Match 2: Shelton v Charlie Haas
Shelton gets strong face heat while Charlie got the proverbial sound of cicada’s and crickets, ie nothing. Poor Charlie. He’s a solid wrestler, but just didn’t have much going for him in terms of crowd reaction. Match never really got going. Very stop-start. Shelton wins with the Exploder. Charlie finally gets a reaction by being booed to the back (only coz he was facing Shelton as an over face).
Match 3: Umaga v Snitsky
Fat monger is much more portly in real life than on the tele. Initially got a face reaction but quickly turned to heel heat once Arrrrrmando got on the stick. He was over big as a heel. Snitsky got a nice warm welcome that even he seemed to appreciate. Again, typical FU-maga match, getting in most of the offence, Snitcky started getting the upper hand when Estrada interferes and the fat man gets the cheap win. Notably huge cheer when Snitsky evaded the world’s fattest 2nd rope headbutt though. Snitsky gets a nice applause on his way to the back.
Match 4: Nitro & Melina v Trish & Carlito
Pop of the night so far to Trish. Seriously, it’s like someone kicked her arse up into her chest.. their GINORMOUS… and she has no arse. Melina is ragged on BIG for not doing the split-legged entrance. Carlito playing Ricky Morton for most of the match till Trish tags in, some offence, hits the chick kick for the win.
Match 5: Womens championship – Torrie v Mickie
Torrie = DAMN! Absolutely stunning when seen in person. A bit taller than what you’d think but DAMN!. Mickie must have had an off night cause Torrie was running rings around her in the wrestling department. Seriously! She was over BIG with the crowd too; they genuinely wanted to see her win the gold. Solid women’s match with Torrie doing the carrying of Mickie (no, you didn’t read that wrong, clothesline’s, suplexes, submission moves, she had the lot) but Mickie getting the cheap win. Torrie still leaves to a big pop.
Match 6: Orton v Kane
Positive pop for da Randy one. They soon disappeared once the big red machine’s pyro hit. He is very popular down here, and larger than life too. Those shoulders are BIG. Decent match without blowing you away. Randy gets the low blow and R(Diamond)K(Cutter)O for the win. Big pop for Kane holding Randy in the sidewalk slam position and walking around the ring for like a minute. He seemed to hold him forever, showing incredible strength for someone who just hopped off a 20hr plane ride. Randy did his usual shtick of popping in and out of the ring before the start of the match, leading to our loudest wanker chant… so far.
Match 7: Spirit Squad v Michales and special guest/honorary DX member for a day……. WOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! Who else?
“Are you ready” lifts the roof right off the place and it lands somewhere outside in the car park. BIIIGGG face heat for Michaels as he runs his mouth, commenting on 5 guys who are having trouble with their sexuality, among other things. Crowd knew Flair was coming long before Michaels even mentioned who his partner would be. Nice tag match with the most innovative piece coming from Michaels. He floored Kenny with 3 or 4 shoulder blocks. Kenny gets back up, stares down Shawn, irish whip on Shawn has him heading straight to the referee, Shawn reverses the irish whip on the ref, ref bounces off the ropes and floors Kenny with a shoulder block. FUNNY SHIT! DX with the win after some sweet chin music. Match was good but cannot be graded to absence of one Flair flop. Been waiting 15 years to see one live, will have to wait a little longer I guess. (First time I saw a Flair flop was in a tag match, ironically, he was tagging with Shawn, against WWF champion Bret Hart and Randy Savage. This was when Sherri was Shawn’s valet, back in the days of “Prime Time Wrestling” in 1991.)
Match 8: WWE Heavyweight Championship – WEdge v Cena
Big heel heat for Edge, mostly coz he was facing Cena, who was MEGA OVER. Some boos were kinda audible, but you really had to be listening for them. 1/2 the crowd were kids probably no taller than Snitsky’s beard. Cena’s offence really has to be seen live for you to notice how CONTRIVED it really is. The setup to his “moves” is soooooo sloooowwww. But the women and kids love it, I guess. Plenty of wnaker chants directed at Edge, to which he gets quite frustrated (did a pretty good job acting the part actually, if he was, I’m sure he would have heard wanker chants last couple of times he was here).
Belt shot from Edge gives Cena the win via DQ. Cena on the mic doing the Hogan thing, getting the crowd reactions from each side of the ring. Finally proclaims: “Ladies & Gentleman, the wanker has left the building”. Nice touch if I do say so myself.
Fink thanks the crowd to end the show.
Biggest Cheers:
5) Kane
4) Trish & Torrie on par
3) Ref bump in SS v DX match
2) DX/ Shawn Michaels
1) John Cena
Biggest Jeers:
5) Melina (for not doing the split legged entrance)
4) Matt Striker
3) Estrada (once he started ragging on “this stupid country”)
2) Spirit Squad / Randy (doing his usual “I ain’t gettin in the ring shtick”)
1) Edge
