– I’ll start with a mini-review of SummerSlam as many of you know I was there (and just got home from Indy a few hours ago – such dedication). Had a good time as I normally do going to shows, but overall it was probably my second favorite I’ve been to (after WrestleMania 22). I had kind of planned on doing a “live” review today but the Pulse already has the show covered by the likes of Murray, Daniels, Glazer and of course Scott Keith’s still to come. I’m sure I’ll do an actual review later on, but here’s what I thought from my upper level seats at Conseco Filedhouse …
– Dark match: The Big Show def. Bam Neely (no relation) (-/-) – It was set up to be Show-Chavo but Chavo got on the mic and said he would face Bam instead. Pretty much a Show squash, and afterward Chavo ran up and gave Show a sleeper on the stage. A dark match is a dark match, but I don’t see why they would throw this in there instead of say, DiBiase & Rhodes v. Cryme Tyme or the like since the tag champs are not on the card.
– MVP def. Jeff Hardy (**) – Good enough opener, as expected from these two. Hardy is going to be one of the biggest players on SmackDown just by being there, so MVP needed this win as he hasn’t really done anything since losing the US belt. I predicted he’d win by DQ in the Roundtable with interference, which we got from Shelton Benjamin, but no DQ and it provided MVP with the win.
– Santino Phoenix def. Kofi & Mickie to win IC & Women’s Championship (*3/4) – Half decent stuff in the ring, half comedy match. Either way, the Santino/Beth thing is growing on me and I’m sure this feud will continue.
– Shawn Michaels announcement: Good stuff from this feud to give it an even more “personal” touch. The crowd loved Shawn and hated the announcement, but heavily applauded the stuff like Shawn forming DX and it was pretty evident that Jericho’s music was going to hit at any second. I imagine this will continue on RAW tonight with Jericho saying that Shawn is even more pathetic for using his wife as a shield ect, causing Shawn to come out and reverse his decision to walk away. Only problem is something was wrong with their mics so we couldn’t hear very well in the nosebleeds.
– Matt Hardy def. Mark Henry by DQ, Mizark retains ECW title (-*) – As if ECW title matches haven’t already been a joke, the WrestleMania and now SummerSlam ones have yet to break the 1 minute mark. Just a joke, but the crowd obviously loved the Hardyz reunion after Jeff’s earlier loss.
– CM Punk def. JBL, retains World Heavyweight title (**3/4) – Pretty much went just as I anticipated. Punk continues to look like the comeback kid kind of in the same vein as Cena used to be. This was easily JBL’s best match in a while and he dominated the whole match until the surprise GTS ended things. Not too bad, and it provided the clean title win that Punk has been needing, JBL being the best person to give it to him, playing the mega-heel role as he continues to job just like he has to Dave, Cena, ect.
– HHH def. The Great Khali, retains WWE title (*1/2) – It wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but didn’t really surpass any expectations. Entire thing was built around Khali pummeling HHH until he could eventually pull off the Pedigree.
– Dave Batista def. John Cena (***1/2) – Really fun live match due to the crowd split 50/50, and the match itself delivered as expected. They both brought their A game, the kick out to the FU was a nice touch as was the long STFU stretch. Dave catching him off the top with the powerbomb looked really sloppy live, but I’ve yet to see it on screen. I predicted a Dave win in the Roundtable and I thought they did it well, so huzzah. Won’t be the first time we see this match.
– The Undertaker def. Edge in the Hell In A Cell (****1/4) – This was my first HIAC live and I had pretty high expectations coming in, considering my MOTY so far was their WrestleMania main event and have pretty much thought this has been the feud of the year and every match has delivered. This did BIG TIME live, and I imagine it will do the same when I watch it. The spots all looked great, from the Spear through the announce table on the outside to the Chokeslam through the stacked tables to the constant stiff weapon shots, just loved every bit of it. Easily my favorite HIAC since Michaels-Taker, and the post-match beatdown with the Chokeslam off the ladder through the ring and the fire that followed was a nice touch. Another MOTYC for me, the second from these two. Great main event, great cap to the show, and just tremendous fun live (I was cheering for Edge of course). Not to mention it gives new hope to what was a lacking HIAC (I’m talking to you, HHH-Nash).
– Okay, now, Cyber Sunday. This is another example of a show I attended and am now watching the show of for the first time since, however this time around I rarely even remember it, which should probably tell you something about the general entertainment value that it held, although to be fair I went to a lot of shows that year including WrestleMania 22 back in April. But a PPV (hey, anything has to beat Souled Out 2000 right?) being in the hometown is one I couldn’t pass up. But don’t worry, I won’t bore you with the “live updates”, we’ll just do the usual format.
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The NeelDown: Cyber Sunday 2006
– From Cincinnati, OH
– Your hosts are Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler
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Umaga v. Kane
Kane beat out Chris Benoit and Sandman quite handily. Umaga was still undefeated at this point so I guess that made it semi-interesting. Umaga tries jumping him to start but gets overpowered to the corner for some choking. Blind charge meets elbow but Umaga snaps off a belly to belly and adds a headbutt. Slugfest but Kane runs into the rolling kick and Umaga chokes him in the ropes. Big boot won’t take Kane down but a single-arm DDT does, and he cops away in the corner and rakes the eyes. A scoop slam sets up the top rope headbut for two. And now we’re back to more corner offense, yay. ASS CLOBBER connects and things spill to the outside where the beloved thumb hits the post and Kane capitalizes by sending him to the steps. Back in and we’re in the corner again, this time for the ten count. Kane adds a pair of corner lariats but runs into a Samoan drop. Umaga calls for the thumb but nearly gets Chokeslammed instead, he blocks it with another eye rake. Kane dodges a corner splash and adds a back suplex, but Umaga catches him coming off the top and THUMBS HIM TO HELL for the pin. Really slow and prodding which made for the most boring possible way to start the show. (3/4*)
Winner: Umaga
– Meanwhile Sharmell tries to get Big Show on Booker’s side. He disagrees.
Cryme Tyme v. The Highlanders v. Charlie Haas & Viscera v. Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch – Texas Tornado
If I recall correctly this wasn’t all too long after Cryme Tyme debuted so it wasn’t really much of a question on what the purpose of this was. Though still kind of amazing that even for that they have that many useless tag teams laying around on RAW, and without even the champs in it. Anyway, Texas Tornado gets voted in over the other hugely exciting choices: tag turmoil and fatal fourway. Cryme Tyme and Haas and Viscera do battle in the ring while everyone else spills to the floor. Haas gets dumped and Cryme Tyme debut their wheel barrel splash move on the fallen Viscera for two. The hillbillys sneak in and Cade gets a neckbreaker on JTG, but the Highlanders follow them in and thanks to a couple of clotheslines they’re out just as quick. They follow them out with awkward dueling splashes and Haas comes in to go in control of JTG until he runs into a dropkick, but Haas fires back by snapping off a German. Shad doesn’t like that though so he levels him with a big boot. He stupidly tries firing away on Vis, but that just gets him slammed down. Vis accidentally corner splashes his partner along with JTG and a pair of double dropkicks by the Highlanders send him to the floor. Cade and Murdoch come in to deliver the Sweet & Sour on Rory, but Cryme Tyme come in to dump them and steal the pin. Not bad since it never got slow, but short and to the point. (**)
Winners: Cryme Tyme
– Post-match while JR tries to learn ebonics and hand pounds, Cryme Tyme steal King’s laptop. Probably a blessing in disguise, really.
– Evil DX Shawn Michaels superkicks various backstage workers. Oh, it actually is pretty comical.
Jeff Hardy v. Carlito – Intercontinental Championship
Carlito is voted in over Shelton Benjmain and Johnny Nitro, and again it’s not even close, because Carlito was still pretty over as a face here and his gimmick was still fairly fresh. And because of so, they shake hands to start. They exchange snapmares and cradles to start and Carlito gets a backslide for two. Hardy blocks a leapfrog and rams him into the ropes for a clean break in an odd spot. Carlito blindsides him with a low dropkick and goes to work with elbows and a suplex for two, but Jeff fights back with his own dropkick for two. Jeff tosses him and follows him out with an awkward-looking baseball slide. It looks like he couldn’t decide if he wanted to make it a suicide dive or stick with the ball slide, and decided to switch in mid-air. He tries following by jumping off the barricade but Carlito catches him with a dropkick which gets two back inside. Carlito goes to a rear choke but Hardy thankfully fights out quick. He tries the fancy stomp in the corner but Carlito blocks it with a kick for two. Jeff fights out of a bearhug with a jawbreaker but the Twist of Fate is blocked and he gets rolled up for two. Carlito goes back to the rest holds as JR predicts which signature moves Jeff will win to get the win. Seriously. Carlito snapmares him over and drops the legs for two, then back to the abdomen stretch. Hardy fights back briefly but runs into a flapjack that gets two. Carlito adds a backbreaker and it’s back to the rear choke yet again. Hardy fights out by getting a piece of an Impaler DDT and a pair of clotheslines for two. Modified facebuster thing gets two for Jeff and that sets up the Swanton Bomb, but Carlito gets the knees up for two. He follows up with a springboard moonsault for a CLOSE two. Jeff evades another springboard attempt and tries the Twist of Fate again, but Carlito shoves him off, so he hits the whisper in the wind instead for two. Hardy goes up to but Carlito crotches him and tries a rana, but Jeff shoves him off and lands the Swanton Bomb for the pin to retain the IC belt. The final stretch was fine, but this went on WAY too long including all of the slow rest holds in the beginning. (**1/2)
Winner: Jeff Hardy
– Pretty good video recap of the following feud, and he nicely done formation or Rated RKO which I had kind of forgotten about.
Edge & Randy Orton v. The New D-Generation X
Fans got to vote for the evil special guest heel ref, and Bischoff wins that over Coach and Vince 60/20/20. Okay. Anyway, a fun fact is that a couple of my buddys who went to show brought a NWO blanket that got inspected and taken out by a worker DURING this match. Talk about them being paranoid. Paper rock scissors puts Shawn in first against Edge, who gains the upper hand to start but gets chopped down. Michaels blocks a sunsetflip and pulls Edge’s tights down, sparking a funny spot where Orton looks disgusted and looks away on the apron. He gets his own sunset flip out of the corner then slaps on an armbar. HHH tags in to deliver an ORLANDO SHUFFLE but Edge pokes the eye and tags in Orton, but even blurred vision doesn’t phase the cerebral assassin, and he gets a sloppy suplex and drops a knee. Shawn comes back in as they continue to isolate Orton, and back in comes HHH and Edge blind tags himself in and gets the Edge-o-Matic for two. Orton comes in and slugs away in the corner. Cocky tag to Edge and the crowd erupts in hatred. HHH counters Edge coming off the top with a DDT for a double KO spot, but Michaels gets the hot tag and cleans house. Scoop slam sets Edge up for the flying elbow, but Orton blocks the superkick attempt by crotching him on the post. HHH wonders why Bischoff didn’t see it. Shouldn’t he have learned by now after all those years on RAW? That gets two for Edge and Orton comes in and drops some knees. The heels use some evil tactics to double team Shawn while HHH argues with Eric. Edge locks in a front face lock to prevent the hot tag, Shawn fights out with a backdrop but runs into Edge’s boot for two.
Back in comes Orton and he adds the TEXTBOOK DROPKICK on Shawn for two, then applies a rear choke. I wish I could say this was the first lengthy rest hold of the match, but that was definitely ruined by the last match. Michaels shows signs of life but quickly falls victim to Orton’s backbreaker. Tag to Edge who sets up the Spear, but it accidentally hits Bischoff, and Edge stares at him in shock as in “welp, there was our only chance”. Enziguiri by Shawn sets up the hot tag to HHH (even though he had about five minutes to do so while the heels stared at the fallen Eric) and the house gets its cleaning. Facebusters and spinebusters galore, he sets up Orton for the Pedigree but Edge SPEARS HHH out of nowhere to break that up and then mocks them with his own crotch chops. Michaels sneaks in and dumps Edge then follows him out with a plancha, leaving Orton to RKO HHH in the ring. New ref, but it only gets two. HHH blocks a second one by shoving him into a returning Shawn’s superkick as he apparently appeared in mid-air. That should be the finish, but low and behold, Bischoff yanks the ref out, forcing Shawn to run after him but as he turns the ring corner Edge wacks him with a chair. He tries the same on HHH in the ring, but he nearly gets Pedigreed instead until Orton wacks him in the back with the chair, then finishes it with a RKO on the chair giving the heels the win. Could have done without the crazy finish but I guess that’s the only way they were going to save Edge and Orton any credibility, who they need to focus on being the bigger future starts. (***)
Winners: Edge & Randy Orton
– Post match Lita offers her congrats while getting ready for her match next, Rated RKO gets pissed at Todd, say they’re going to start a new era tomorrow night on RAW, and go party. JR comments that they didn’t even shower yet. Fair enough.
Lita v. Mickie James – Women’s Championship, Lumberjills Match
JR comments during the lumberjills’ entrance that they are the “modern miracle of medicine”. Oh by the way, lumberjills match is the match stipulation that won. They announce that AFTER they came down to ringside. So I guess they would have to leave if that hadn’t been the result? Lita immediately feeds her to the heel divas but Mickie comes back in and does the same with the faces. Mickie goes in control with a hip toss and low dropkick that didn’t even connect, forcing Lita to beg off to the apron where she fights off some other chicks and hairmares Mickie over the ropes. Snap suplex by Lita gets two and she chokes her in the ropes for a little bit. Sloppy slam gets two and Lita applies a sleeper which Mickie counters to an armbreaker until Lita makes the ropes. Mick Kick puts Mickie back in control but Lita blocks a rana and they both fall to the floor to get slapped and discuss which shoe stores in Cincinnati are having the best sales this weekend. Lita awkwardly blocks the tornado DDT and tries pinning with the ropes, but Candice knocks her feet off. Victoria gets revenge by tripping up Mickie allowing Lita to DDT her for the pin and the title. Good stuff for a women’s match despite the constant silliness of the lumberjills. (**)
Winner: Lita
The Spirit Squad (Kenny & Mikey) v. Ric Flair & Roddy Piper – Tag Team Championship
In another useless vote that had to have the fans reeling in excitement, Piper gets the right to be Flair’s mystery partner over Sgt. Slaughter and Dusty Rhodes. Piper acts like he has no idea what’s going on. JR says that if these two win the tag titles it may be the longest championship celebration in history. Obviously they never pay attention to HHH’s night-after-PPV RAW celebration after winning (or losing for that matter) the belt, since they don’t have to commentate. Anywho, Slaughter and Rhodes make their way down to watch the rest of the cheerleaders. Flair starts with Kenny and pummels him around to start until Kenny lands a dropkick for two and they both tag out. Piper really needs to go back to the kilt. He slaps on a sleeper but Kenny breaks it up. They do some cocky double teaming in the heel corner and Kenny locks in a rear choke mid-ring. This stuff goes on for a good five minutes until Flair gets the hot tag after the Squad missed a top rope electric chair double team. Double suplex sets up the Figure Four on Mikey but Kenny breaks it up, however Flair locks it in again and Piper takes care of Kenny’s break up attempt so Mikey taps giving Flair and Piper the tag straps. Big brawl ensues won by the old timers. This just looked stupid. (3/4*)
Winners: Ric Flair & Roddy Piper
King Booker v. John Cena v. The Big Show – World Heavyweight Championship
The stipulation here was that the fans voted for who’s title would be on the line, as Booker held the World Heavyweight, Cena had the WWE, and Show the ECW. Booker is the heel of the bunch so his title wins with 67%, nearly bringing him to tears. Booker tries to reason with Cena to go after Show to start but gets slugged down. Show then takes out Cena with a scoop slam as Booker takes a breather on the steps. Show continues to dismantle Cena for a while as if flashing a warning to Booker. The opportunist Booker nails an axe kick while Show is reaching over the ropes for Cena to go in control but Show fights back with headbutts and slaps. Show stops to knock Cena off the apron allowing Booker a side kick, but he quickly gets slammed back down. Show sweeps him down but Cena makes his return to save the pin. Booker and Cena then decide it might be wise to work together and they’re able to double clothesline him to the floor. Booker chops away on Cena but he snaps off a suplex for two, then gets yanked out by Show, who SLOWLY retrieves the steps but he eats them after a Cena drop toe hold. Back inside Cena walks straight into the Book End for two. Has that move actually ever got a pin? Spin kick gets two. Cena fights back briefly but Booker hotshots him and gets the jumping kick for two. Side slam by Booker gets two. Cena is able to scout out a backdrop and get a belly-to-side suplex for two. Short chain sequence leads to Booker applying a sleeper, but Cena fights out of it with a back suplex after channeling the Dr. of Thugamonics for two. Cena goes for a … top rope splash which Booker evades and gets two out of. Cena counters the axe kick with a FU attempt, but Booker slips out and DDTs him for two. Cena pulls out a Russian leg sweep for two. Booker quickly gets the ropes to break up a STFU then pokes the eyes but Cena ducks a kick and gets another suplex for two.
Booker goes up top but Cena meets him to try a superplex, but Show finally returns and puts Cena on his shoulders allowing Booker to nail the missile dropkick. Show suplexes them both then cleans house via headbutts and a double corner splash. Chokeslam for Booker, half-assed Spear for Cena. The Show-Cena brawl spills to the floor where Show goes for the announce table, much to the dismay of JR who keeps yelling “we have to work here!” Ah, but you’d think he would have learned over the years. Cena ends up feeding him to the post and gets the five moves of death on Booker back in the ring. During the People’s Elbow rip off, Show is apparently trying to sneak in with a chair, so he gets that booted in his face. Sharmell interrupts the FU attempt by trying to clock Cena with the belt, so she gets the FU instead. Booker then tries a sneak attack but falls victim to the STFU. Booker is about to tap, but AMERICA’S MOST HATED KEVIN FEDERLINE hits the ring and lightly brushes Cena’s back with the belt, then bails. That bides Booker enough time to clock Cena with the belt for the pin to retain his title. This went about just like any triple threat involving Big Show, he dominates to start but the other two double team to get him to the outside and hit him with some kind of weapon to keep him knocked out a while before he finally makes a return and somehow gets knocked out again. The stuff between Booker and Cena was a lot better than expected, but the stupid finish was enough to ruin it and I’ll be damned if this stupid Cena-Federline feud didn’t look abysmal in retrospect. On the plus side for K-Fed, he got the exposure he wanted because surely there were more people who bought this PPV, which wasn’t much at all mind you, than bought his album (or even downloaded the torrent for free for that matter). Due to the good stuff between Booker and Cena it was looking at at least *** but then came the stupid finish. (**3/4)
Winner: King Booker
End of show.
The NeelDown – I hold a general amount of apathy for this annual event, be it Taboo Tuesday or this or whatever, as I just find the whole concept lame because everyone and their step sister knows the results of the voting and there’s never anything close for obvious reasons. The main event was a fairly interesting idea at the time and wasn’t terrible but the finish was dumb enough to give the whole show a sour taste. The DX-Rated RKO tag match is worth checking out, but really nothing more. Not recommended.
