Well I finally did it. Last Sunday I handed in my notice at PC World and as of the 20th of May I will be a free man! Free at last, Free at last! Anyway this will give me much more time to get some actual work done here on the site and with my band. It will also allow me to actually have the summer off this year two considering I had literally no time to get anything done last year. Who knows maybe I might start doing Smackdown again? One of the main reasons I stopped was because I used to work Friday and Saturdays, meaning I couldn’t get the reviews in on time. However, that would involve me actually having to watch Smackdown and that could be a problem
I’ll just give some quick thoughts on my recent TV viewing. I’m with Scott Keith as far as the new season of 24 goes. I’ve never been huge on 24 but I always liked watching it. The problem is that I’d always miss an episode and, due to the nature of the show, it would be really hard to get back in to the story. This season I’ve pretty much followed it all from start to finish and now I don’t even think I want to see the finale. More to the point is there even going to be one? What started out as being an interesting series has just got more tedious and confusing with every episode and I doubt I’ll stick with it.
On the other hand, House is still ruling it hard, although not as much as last season. We lowly Brits are only as far in as episode 7 here where as I think you yanks and Canadians are about up to 20 or something. So far I’ve enjoyed most of the series but I hope they finish off this Tritter storyline around episode 15 and go in a different position because this whole “House meets someone who’s similar to him and wants to take him out†storyline really isn’t doing it for me. Plus, House was completely in the right for doing what he did to him. I mean Tritter tripped a cripple. I’ll say that again HE TRIPPED A CRIPPLE!!!!!!! Forget a thermometer; House should have shoved a small Eastern European Country up his rectum for such behaviour. So far, the best series has been 2, which I watched all the way through in about 4 days on DVD and man was it awesome. I just hope they end this current part of the storyline here because if it goes to the end then either House goes to prison or Tritter comes down with something only House can cure, which House cures, but he still goes to prison. Anyway, if I go on any longer I’ll be rolling into gimmick infringement. TO THE REVIEW!
After the last review I did I got bombarded with emails about whether there was a Raw version of “Best of†matches and whether you could buy them in America. Sadly, Silvervision only operate in Europe but I’m sure there’s a company in America that will sell these things too. Just check out the distributor of WWE DVD’s in the US and see if they sell them on their website. That’s my best advice for now.
1st July 2002
Ladder Match for Undisputed Championship
(C) The Undertaker Vs Jeff Hardy
This was the pay off to a storyline where Undertaker continuously beat up Jeff Hardy and Jeff was too stupid not to give up. Jeff messes around on Taker’s bike to start, and while Taker goes to inspect, Hardy dropkicks a ladder in his face. Jeff nails Taker with a chair and hits him with the ladder again but a clothesline soon ends that. Jeff eats some barricade as Undertaker very slowly beats him up. Taker looks like he was seriously hitting the twinkies at the time compared to his current ripped physique. Jeff knocks Taker down and leg drops a ladder on him. Taker catapults the ladder in Jeff’s face and then kicks it into him. Jeff gets sent off the apron onto the commentary table and Undertaker starts to climb. Undertaker gets half way up the ladder but changes his mind and chooses to beat him up some more. Right on cue, Jeff gets sent onto the table again and gets sent into the timekeepers table. Taker sends Jeff back inside and beats him up some more, slowly of course. God what a pedestrian match this has been so far. Jeff gets slammed on the ladder a few times but manages to fight back with some punches but Undertaker basically swats him away with ease.
Jeff gets sandwiched in the ladder and then gets leg dropped on the apron while inside it. Nice spot, in theory, but in practice the ladder was propped on the bottom rope so it didn’t even look like the move hit. Jeff takes another clothesline in the corner and eats some more ladder. Jeff dodges a charge in the corner but heaven forbid he actually do any damage himself. Jeff gets the Whisper in the Wind to stun Taker for awhile but business as usual soon returns as Undertaker knocks him outside. Jeff finally gets an offensive flurry in by getting a low blow and a pescado to the outside. Jeff gets the big ladder out from under the ring and sets it up inside. How does that get there? I mean does the guy in charge of setting up these ladder matches go “You know what I’ll put a ridiculously big ladder down there too, just in caseâ€Â?
Anyway, Jeff starts climbing but Undertaker stops him with a Last Ride attempt but ends up doing a forward roll, which is think was meant to be a rana but it was so sloppy I might have been mistaken. Jeff starts climbing but Undertaker stops that with a chair. Undertaker goes for the Last Ride again but Jeff hits him with the chair to counter and climbs again. Jeff seems to be suffering from a mild case of cramp though because he stops for a few seconds so Undertaker can conveniently stop him with a chair and Choke Slam him off the Ladder to get the academic win. That was lucky for Taker that Jeff got muscle cramp and all.
WINNER – UNDERTAKER
*1/2 – Basically a very slow and boring Undertaker squash and you never really thought Jeff could win. Jeff takes a beating after the match too, which somehow earns Undertaker’s respect. You know if you wanted to put Jeff over an easier way would have been to LET HIM WIN THE FUCKING MATCH! Or at least let him get more offence. If you want to have Taker kill him then fine do it but don’t try to insult the intelligence of your audience by making out that Jeff got some sort of rub here, because he didn’t
19th May 2003
World Championship
(C) Triple H Vs Ric Flair
This match came about when Steve Austin told HHH he could face any former World Champion in a match. HHH chose his current flunky Ric Flair, expecting an easy match, but Shawn Michaels got in Flairs ear and convinced him to try and win. HHH has taped ribs courtesy of Kevin Nash here and the match is in Flairs hometown so you’d think the odds would be in Flairs favour but remember he’s facing HHH, a man who survived getting dropped off a crain in a car. HHH tries to convince Flair to lie down to start but Flair opts to strut instead. Lock up leads to a clean break in the corner but HHH gets cocky and Flair pokes him in the eye and unloads with some chops. HHH tries a suplex but his ribs are too hurt so Flair counters and sends him outside with a Flair Flip.
Irony is a cruel mistress is it not? HHH takes a suplex on the floor and another one back in for two. Flair chops some more but ends up on the wrong side of a Spine Buster. HHH stomps the old fashioned mud hole in Flair and chokes him out too but Flair chops his way back in and actually manages to come off the top on HHH. Flair unloads with some punches and the crowd is very pro Flair. Flair gets a chopblock and it’s time to go to school! HHH, to his credit, sells the Figure Four like death but manages to make the ropes and the fans don’t like that. HHH catches Flair with a sucker punch but Flair just keeps chopping. HHH goes for a sleeper but Flair bags him into the corner, knocking out the ref. HHH tries a belt shot but Flair gets a low blow and nails him flush in the face ..for two. Aint I a stinker? Flair seems surprisingly upbeat about the kick out and goes for another Figure Four but gets kicked into the corner. Flair blocks the Pegidree but HHH gets it on attempt number two to get the pin and kill the crowd.
WINNER – HHH
*** – For Ric Flair Vs HHH in 2003 it wasn’t have bad. 2003 had to be HHH’s worst year as a worker and it’s amazing he was able to rebound in 2004 and have some really great matches. Kevin Nash chases HHH off post match, just to make sure that it’s all about him and HHH, and Flair was back to being HHH’s bitch the next week anyway so the whole point of the match was for HHH to beat Flair clean in his hometown. Ah 2003, what a year eh?
June 23rd 2003
Title Vs Mask
(C) Triple H w/ Ric Flair Vs Kane
HHH was one week removed from being in a Hell in a Cell match and Kane was putting it all on the line here for the title so logically Kane would be the favourite here wouldn’t he? Ah yes but remember this is HHH, in 2003. Slugfest to start, which Kane wins handily, and it spills outside where HHH gets sent into the steps. They fight into the crowd and Fair distracts the ref allowing HHH to hit him with a chair and its commercial time! Back from the break, HHH gets a Spine Buster but Kane sits up and starts slugging back. HHH stops that with a DDT but Kane sits up again, so HHH drills him with a messy looking Neck Breaker. Kane just won’t sell and he fires off some right hands before getting a running powerslam for two. Kane gets a Side Slam and heads up top with the flying clothesline but HHH dodges a big boot, bumping the ref in the process. Flair tries to nail Kane with the belt but Kane grabs hold of it and hits HHH with it .for two. Yup, did it again, sorry. Kane throw the replacement ref out of the ring allowing HHH to get a low blow and the Pedigree for two. HHH goes for another but Kane back drops out of it. Flair comes in for a Choke Slam and HHH gets tossed into him for good measure. Kane goes for the Choke Slam on HHH but Randy Orton runs in with a low blow and R-K-O. HHH finishes it with the usual to retain.
WINNER – HHH
** – Sub standard match but at least you could count it as memorable I guess. Evolution attack Kane post match but Rob Van Dam makes the save. Kane eventually un-masks, and attacks Rob afterward.
July 21st 2003
Chris Jericho Vs Shawn Michaels
This was the big rematch of their excellent Wrestlemania XIX match earlier that year. Coach is on commentary here and it’s funny hearing him slag off Eric Bischoff, considering he was kissing his backside a month later. They fight over the arm to start and Michaels uses a leverage move to send Jericho outside. Jericho comes back in and tenaciously holds onto a headlock. Michaels breaks out and that leads to a pin reversal sequence. Michaels gets two from a backslide and then slaps on a headlock of his own. Michaels a few near falls from the headlock but Jericho is able to push out, only for Michaels to lock the hold on again. Jericho gets the elbow to the jaw off the ropes and then gets some right hands on the floor.
Jericho nails a back breaker and drops some elbows for two. Jericho sends Michaels over the top to the outside and mocks the crowd. Jericho suplexes Michaels back in and talks some smack. Michaels gets thrown over the top but skins a cat this time. Jericho tries to dive onto Michaels on the apron but Michaels dodges and follows him with a plancha to the outside. Michaels nails a top rope cross body inside for two and the match turns into a slugfest, as Ric Flair joins us. Michaels nails Flair with a right hand but Jericho reverses a rana into the Walls of Jericho and it’s commercial time
Commercial
After the break, Jericho is riding Shawn in a chin lock but Michaels fights up and goes for the 10 punch in the corner but Jericho counters. Michaels charges Jericho but gets back dropped over the top, where Flair chokes him with his coat. Still outside, Jericho drives Michaels back into the ring post. That’s just cruel. Back inside, Jericho gets a flying elbow to a standing Michaels for two. Jericho heads up again but Michaels sees him this time and catches him in the chin with a big dropkick. That looked really good. Michaels counters a tilt a whirl back breaker with one of his own and it’s Kip Up Time!. Michaels gets some clotheslines and goes for the Walls of Jesus but Jericho is able to fight out. Jericho gets the Bulldog but Michaels dodges the Lion Sault. Jericho gets it on attempt number two but Michaels kicks out. Michaels counters an Irish Whip and gets a power slam for two.
Shawn flips onto the top turnbuckle and Jericho goes for a super back drop but Michaels knocks him off and comes all the way down with an elbow drop. TIME TO TUNE UP THE BAND! Jericho dodges the Sweet Chin Music and nails a low blow, which I guess could be called rap music. HA. See what I did there? Ah never mind. Jericho decides he’s had enough of this wrestling nonsense and brings in a chair but Michaels kicks it right in his face. Irony yada yada yada. Flair yells at the referee and gets shoved off the apron. During the distraction, Randy Orton runs in with an R-K-O to Michaels on the chair. Jericho only gets two from the cover however but he recovers quickly and locks in the Walls of Jericho. Michaels tries to make the ropes but gets pulled back and taps out, giving Jericho the quasi-clean win.
WINNER – CHRIS JERICHO
***3/4 – Not as good as Wrestlemania but it was still a good match. Even though Jericho won this did much more for Orton and Michaels and it did for him. I really miss Jericho, come back Chris we need you!
2nd May 2005
Shawn Michaels Vs Shelton Benjamin
This was a quarter final match in the “Gold Rush†tournament and took place on probably one of the best Raw’s in modern history. They do some good technical wrestling to start and the crowd seems to be pretty pro HBK. They do some good amateur style grappling and Michaels makes the ropes to cause a break. Michaels goes to the headlock but Shelton breaks out and gets some arm drags leading to a face off. Lock up leads to Shelton getting the headlock this time but Michaels breaks out and gets some knife edge chops. Shelton gets a clothesline over the top and both men tumble to the floor, with Michaels taking the worst of it
Commercial
Back from the break, both men are fighting on the top and Michaels tries a super back drop but Shelton shifts his weight causing himself to land on top. They do a really hot series of moves now that go by faster than I can call and it ends up with Michaels getting the running forearm, followed by a double kip up, which is awesome. Michaels gets some chops in the corner but Shelton whips him to the other corner and gets The Stinger Splash. Michaels fights off the T-Bone attempt but Shelton ducks the Sweet Chin Music and nails the Dragon Whip for a really tight near fall. Shelton sets Michaels up on the top rope but Michaels fights him off and nails the flying elbow. Michaels TUNES UP THE BAND! But Shelton blocks it and gets a front kick for another close two. Shelton gets a breathtaking shoulder block off the top, literally leaping onto the top rope like Spiderman, but goes up one time too many and ends up eating a Super Kick. Shawn, not surprisingly, gets three after that.
WINNER – SHAWN MICHAELS
****1/4 – Great match. See that’s how you put someone over. Shelton didn’t win but there were many instances where he could which made him look like a better man after it. Shelton was buried in the mid card from this point on anyway but the thought was there at least.
The Inside Pulse
Well Shawn Michaels saves the day here with two excellent matches. There were about 10 matches that it would class as more “memorable†than the ones they put on here, such as Michaels Vs Edge in the street fight from January 2005 and the Chris Benoit/Edge/HHH 3 way from 2004, and this only highlighted how much better Smackdown used to be than Raw. The fact that they completely cut out the whole of 2004, which was Raw’s best year, really points out on how much they missed the boat on this one. Get it if you don’t happen to have either of the Michaels matches but that’s about it.
