– Well, I suppose it would only be fitting to start out with an explanation. That is, of course, since this is my first published article on Inside Pulse since September of 2006. So, some of you may know me, for others, here’s a brief intro. I was probably most well known for two things: my patented “NeelDown” (yes, an incredibly cheesy pun on the last name) video reviews (of all kinds of varieties, from WWE to TNA to ROH to NJPW), and my long-running weekly controversial TNA rant The NeelDown Impact Zone. Here is an example of the first and here is an example of the latter. Additionally, I used to write a joint column with fellow friend and former Pulse writer Jed Shaffer. It was called The View From The Cheap Seats. Try it, you might like it. Aside from that, I might even know you from my old blog (which features a now-defunct archive of all of my work). That was last updated about the same time as my last column.
Anyway, that’s just a little background on me. Unfortunately, life got the best of me around about September and I had way too much going on to focus on my writing, but now I am glad to be back. And it’s quite different. Only a handful of the current wrestling zone writers ring a bell. I’m taking over the live TNA coverage spot (no, this is not a return of the Impact Zone rant) and will still be doing these VRs just like old times. I had revamped my review style before I was last writing, so we will continue that here. I decided to start with this one since, well, we have a big NoC coming up Sunday so we not see how they stack up together from a year ago? This was when it was still called Vengeance and “Night of Champions” was just a subtitle as all of the champions were on the line.
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The NeelDown: WWE Vengeance (Night of Champions) 2007
– From Houston, TX
– Your hosts are JR, King, JBL, Cole, Tazz & Styles
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Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch v. The Hardy Boys – WWE Tag Team Championship
Mike Rotunda and Barry Windham are with us at ringside who are brother-in-laws, as we get either a video clip or special guests throughout the entire night of former champs. Kind of interesting how here, a year later, we just had a brief tease at the Hardys reuniting on the big RAW draft that just took place. Cade overpowers Matt to start but he comes back with a press. Jeff comes in and they double him down for two. Tag to Murdoch who gets a swinging neckbreaker on Jeff. Matt in with an axe handle, then back to Jeff who gets the dropkick in the corner. I’m kind of surprised they haven’t came up with a name for that yet, considering there’s the just wonderful “whisper in the wind” for another move that happens at about this point in his matches. Also, what ever happened to poetry in motion? I can’t even remember what that one was, but it stuck in my memory for some reason.
The heels decide to walk, but they get attacked and hauled back in. EVIL HEEL TAG TEAM TACTICS allow Cade to take control of Matt back inside. They take turns working on Matt’s leg and Murdoch locks in a half Boston Crab. Matt is able to kick out of it and gets the hot tag to Jeff who cleans house. Whisper in the wind gets two. Jeff goes up for the swanton bomb but Murdoch knocks him off while Matt accidentially distracts the ref, allowing Cade to hit a sitout powerbomb for the pin. Didn’t have any real flow to it nor did the Hardys hit any big spots which was the only purpose it serves, to get the crowd fired up as the opener. (**1/4)
Winners: Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch
– In their locker room, Sharmell has her doubts about her King’s chances tonight, but he charms her by reminding her that he is a WCW, World Heavyweight, United States, European, and Tag champion. Fair enough.
– Recap of Eddie Guerrero’s title win as we head to Chavo’s match next.
Chavo Guerrero v. Jimmy Wang Yang – Cruiserweight Championship
As the champion backstory for this one, we get video of Dean Malenko, and he’s actually watching on a monitor backstage. Admittedly, they had some good stuff going in their exchanges at GAB (cheap plug — watch for that VR soon). Back and fourth to start and they exchange rollups. Wang gets a dropkick and a suplex for two, but Chavo dumps him and follows with a baseball slide. Wang goes in control inside and hits an enziguiri sending him to the floor, where he follows with a plancha. Back inside Chavo goes in control via a hiptoss to the turnbuckle, and a back suplex gets two meanwhile JBL asks Cole is he’s ever attended a Guerrero family reunion. Scoop slam by Chavo and locks in a bow and arrow stretch. Wang fights out, so he switches to a chinlock. Yang fights out of it with a back suplex and nails a missile dropkick and high crossbody for two. Moonsault misses, and the Gory Bomb is countered into a small package for a CLOSE two. JBL says that Jimmy must have watched video footage of Chavo to pull that off. Frog Splash (while Wang’s on his stomach) finishes it for the pin and retaining of the title. This was disappointing even as a CW title match and just seemed to be “there”, but then again they would just blindly can the belt altogether in the not-so distant future. (**)
Winner: Chavo Guerrero
– Opinions on who blew up Vince’s limo. Yay.
– Recap of Tazz’s ECW title reign.
CM Punk v. Johnny Nitro – ECW Championship (vacant)
“We want Benoit” chant starts up as due to personal issues Benoit was replaced by Nitro, who was just recently “drafted” to the brand. I have an original copy, but I’m oing to go ahead and guess that future ones have the bit edited out and this might has well been the match as a result of a feud or something. Punk kicks him to the floor early, and slingshots back inside onto him. Nitro hits a PRETTY enziguiri-like kick from the second rope for two, then grounds him with a choking vice. He continues working on the arm for a while as the Benoit chants start up again. Bet those people felt like assholes afterward. Well, maybe. Modified backbreaker and an Impaler DDT by Nitro and back to the choke. Punk fights back with an enziguiri of his own for a double KO spot, and a dropkick gets two. Tazz has enlightened us that his pick for this match is Punk. Nitro tries pinning with his rope leverage but the referee catches it. GTS is countered into a sunset flip but Punk scouts it and pins himself in that position for a close two. They keep showing a camera angle where you can see the belt on the table while also showing the ring, and it’s getting a little overboard. Punk gets a bulldog but his springboard misses and Nitro nails a swinging neckbreaker while Punk’s legs were in the ropes for the clean pin and the ECW title. Well, that finish was completely weird and unexpected with Nitro pulling off the totally clean win. This would also be nearing the last time we’ll see the name “Johnny Nitro” as he would soon get a “lizard king” makeover if you will. For the record, LA Woman is my favorite record of theirs. (**1/2)
Winner: Johnny Nitro
– Recap of the Shawn Michaels-Bret Hart IC title match and Shawn’s title-infested career in general.
Santino Marella v. Umaga – Intercontinental Championship
Let’s just get this over with. Marella tries a bunch of stuff that doesn’t work to start, like a rollup and jumping on his back. Umaga fights back with a slam and a kick, then locks in the nerve submission for a while. Santino fights out but he applies it again, then continues pummeling him and in the corner and he won’t stop pounding on him and there’s your DQ. A joke. As if it’s any condolence, he beats the hell out of him some more after the bell and Maria comes out to check on him. (-*)
Winner: Umaga (DQ)
MVP v. Ric Flair – US Title
MVP mocks Magnum TA on his way to the ring beforehand who is in the first row. MVP taunts Flair to start but soon decides to bail. Flair outwrestles him to start but MVP boots him to the floor for two, then locks in a rear choke, but Flair makes the ropes. Punch-chop-punch-chop-punch pattern follows and MVP gets a backdrop, then stops to unzip his suit to see if he has any chest welts. I thought it was pretty comical. The announcers argue over the importance of the United States belt. Back to the rear choke we go, which Flair fights out of but MVP drops him off from a fireman’s carry for two, and Flair fights back with chops and a back suplex, then takes him to the corner for the ten punches, but MVP drops him down face-first. The running boot misses and a pair of chop blocks by Flair set up the Figure Four mid-ring, but MVP makes the ropes them POKES THE EYE and gets the Playmaker for the pin to retain the US belt. These guys just had zero chemistry together, and it was more just an attempt to put MVP over even more as he also had recently defeated Benoit in the two out of three falls match. (**)
Winner: MVP
Deuce ‘n Domino v. Jimmy Snuka & Sgt. Slaughter – Tag Team Championship
And the years just keep adding on as D ‘n D tell Tony Garea and Rick Martel that this is what real tag champs look like. And hey, speaking of years piling on, here’s there mysterious opponents. Of course this is father-son with Snuka and Deuce, but they never acknowledge it. Snuka outsmarts Domino to start and chops away. Slaughters comes in to continue working him over and he snapmares him … for two. Backdrop gets two. Cobra Clutch is applied, but Domino makes the ropes. “There you go, big guy” adds the ref, very verbally. Cobra Clutch is locked in again, but Slaughter, showing his veteran experience, backs up into the heels corner allowing Deuce to take over. They take turns for isolating him for a while. Deuce eventually tries hitting the Superfly Splash Jr edition on Slaughter, who dodges it and gets the slightly warm tag to daddy who slowly cleans house and tires the real Splash, but his soon rolls through and gets the pin. Horrible “match” and more of a PPV time filler than anything, and that just shows you the importance of the SmackDown tag belts. And that’s of course besides the fact that the number one contenders here are the “Aging Hall of Famers for hire to do a quick job and act like the crowd cares”. Afterward the heels attack, but Garea and Martel make the save. (-*)
Winners: Deuce ‘n Domino
– Harley Race video package, and he’s at ringside.
Edge v. Batista – World Heavy Championship
The stipulation here is that if Batista loses, he doesn’t get another title shot as long as Edge is champ. And again like I touched on in the first match, it’s funny to see how things are so similar a year later. Funny sequence sees Edge going around ringside trying to find Race because he doesn’t know where he is, but finally does. Dave the gentlemen shakes his hand. Batista overpowers him to the corner to start and shoulders him down then goes to an armlock. Yeah. Edge fights back but runs into a side slam. Edge pulls down the ropes to send Batista to the floor, where he follows him out and shoves him to the post to try to get a countout. No avail, and he feeds it to him again from the apron to work on the shoulder, then follows with a baseball slide. Back in and Edge locks in an armbar, and yet again Dave eats the post for a third time after Edge dodges a charge to the corner. They slug it out and Edge gets a drop toe hold and goes back to working on the shoulder.
Dave counters with a samoan drop but can’t finish and he falls right back into the shoulder lock that Edge is hanging onto. Batista’s finally able to break it and he gets a lariat for a double KO spot. That allows Batista to go in control for really the first time and he gets a backdrop and a Bossman slam for two. Demon Bomb is countered to the Impaler DDT by Edge for two. They exchange rollups and Edge counters another slam with the Edge-O-Matic for two. Edge sets up for the Spear, but Dave is summoned with the POWER OF THE ANIMALS and counters it with his own Spear. He sets up for the Demon Bomb but Edge goes low for the DQ. However, Teddy Long comes out and tells him to get back to the ring because he’s restarting the match, and another DQ means he loses the belt. It’s pretty funny to hear Bradshaw say how the low blow was “brilliant” and restarting the match is “ridiculous”. Edge goes back in and hits the Spear, but only for two. He goes out to get a chair but remembers the stip. Back inside, Dave dumps him and Edge tries a Spear out there, but Batista kicks him and nails the Demon Bomb on the floor. However, by the time he gets Edge rolled in he gets counted out, and Edge retains the title. And thus, no more title shots for Dave. The match was okay, nothing special but nothing bad. The ending with the restarting the match only for it to go two more minutes and Batista getting counted out at his own will kind of just made it look stupid. (**3/4)
Winner: Edge
– JBL of course gets his Champion due. Good stuff.
Melina v. Candice Michelle – Women’s Championship
Candice’s attire is pants that go up to her ass and then cut off where she’s wearing … underwear. Melina wants a test of strength to start but kicks her instead. Candice gets here Tarantula-esque rope submission but ends up falling to the outside, where Melina chokes her out via leg scissors on the apron. Inside Melina stays in control and headscissors her out of the corner for two. Candice pulls down the ropes to dump her and skins the cat, then gets a snap slam and the “Go Daddy elbow” for two. Bulldog gets two. Melina rakes the eyes but runs into a spinning heel kick by Candice and gets the pin and the title. I like Melina more as a wrestler every match I see, but Candice trying to look legitimate in there just looks terrible. ( * )
Winner: Candice Michelle
John Cena v. Randy Orton v. Mick Foley v. King Booker v. Lashley – WWE Championship
First fall wins. Booker bails to start and everyone takes turns beating Orton, ending with Foley taking him to the floor. Booker comes back in to toss Cena and he goes after Lashley but gets slammed and clotheslined out for his troubles. Lashley then springs out with a plancha to everybody on the floor, and he actually got some pretty damn good elevation. Seriously, check that out. Back inside Lashley adds a backbreaker but Cena breaks up the pin. Now Cena and Lashley have a stare off and slug it out, won by Lashley who pulls off a spinebuster with the POWER OF BOBBY. They brawl to the outside where Lashley feeds Cena to the steps and uncovers the announce table, but he’s cut off by Orton, who’s cut off by Foley. Booker goes after him and sends him to the steps while Orton giets his inverted backbreaker on Lashley.
RKO misses and out of nowhere Cena FUs Lashley through the announce table. See, that’s what happens you make an amateur mistake like good excited and undo the announce table early on. Back inside, Booker gets a heel kick on Cena for two, then gets the Scissors Kick but Orton makes the save to break up the pin. That allows Cena to fight back on Booker with the five moves of death on Booker, but the People’s Elbow Rip-off is cut short after Orton sneaks in with an RKO out of nowhere. AWESOME spot. Foley breaks up the pin (barely) and DDTs Orton, then brings out Socko. Oh come on, he’s wearing a Cactus Jack shirt. That just throws it all off. That goes nowhere though as Booker kicks him to the floor. Out there, Foley gets a chair and wacks the returning from the table mess Lashley with it, then one for Booker, and one for the champ too. Orton blocks his and gets the running kick on Foley. I guess everyone has recovered from their chair shots, as now Cena tries to FU Booker but he blocks it with the ropes and gets dumped, but the FU on Foley finishes it. This was surprisingly pretty good and also surprisingly pretty short, and the finish kind of came out of nowhere, but I guess we should start expecting that with Cena matches. (***1/4)
Winner: John Cena
End of show.
The NeelDown — Nothing particularly good on this show, almost the entire undercard seemed “rushed” for lack of a better term (and hell, so did the whole card) but I guess that’s what happens when you squeeze all of the belts into one show. The big title matches were decent and worth watching, but I would skip everything else. Stalemate recommendation.
