We get a recap of what happened at Unforgiven, ending with the Hardy title win.
Pulse Wrestling had it’s fair share of Unforgiven coverage:
Pulse Wrestling’s LIVE Coverage: WWE Unforgiven
10 Thoughts On Unforgiven – 09.08.2008
The SmarK Rant for WWE Unforgiven 2008
Unsolicited Unsactioned Reviews: WWE Unforgiven 2008
Show starts with Hardy being introduced as the new champion and he gets to address the crowd holding his first ever WWE heavyweight championship of any variety. I don’t think that anyone would have put their money on Matt to be the first Hardy with WWE heavyweight gold. Hardy starts yammering about how thankful he is for his fans. That belt is HUGE on Hardy. It was appropriately sized for Mark Henry, but it’s downright huge for Matt Hardy. He also thanks the skeptics because they made him work extra hard. He’s no going to be happy being the ECW champion, he wants to be the best ECW champion of all time. Shame that he can’t fight Taz in his prime to try and prove he’s the best. We’d see Taz kick the ever loving shit out of Hardy and love every second of it.
Mark Henry is upset that he lost the belt and interrupts the festivities with Tony Atlas. Idle threats are exchanged and then Mark Henry levels Hardy. Hardy gets up because Matt Hardy doesn’t die. Henry charges, Hardy pulls down the ropes and Henry is splattered outside the ring and Tony Atlas feels the Twist of Fate.
John Morrison over Evan Bourne
Evan Bourne, as I’ve said before, changes the dynamic of most of the roster of ECW because while they are used to being the smaller guys or at least the same size as their opponents, Bourne forces them to wrestle a slightly different style.
They go back and forth with submissions and reversals to start, with Bourne getting the advantage there. Morrison overpowers Bourne to take control. Bourne doesn’t let this fast, turning it back around using his speed. More back and forth, but Bourne pulls out the springboard over the top rope hurricanrana and we head to commercial.
We’re back and both men are slugging it out in the ring. Bourne goes tot he second rope and the Miz pulls out his foot and Bourne lands on his back and head, giving Morrison the advantage. Morrison takes Bourne outside to inflict some damage, dropping him on the barrier, a boot to the chest and we head back into the ring. Morrison slaps on a headlock on the ground and we go stereotypically into the face fights out, face gets hit, back to the submission set. That’s one for the night. We go RIGHT into another one, making it two for the night. Bourne fights out again and this time is thrown out of the ring.
We go back into the submissions again. Why can’t the heels of the WWE wrestle as heels in a fashion that doesn’t necessitate a match full of submission moves? We head BACK INTO THE SAME FAMILIAR SEQUENCE and they have effectively killed the crowd for the match. By the time Bourne has the 6th grounded headlock on him, the crowd doesn’t chant or clap any longer. Bourne comes back, throwing kicks, a back elbow and ranas leading up to a two count. TWO!
Bourne hits a standing Frankensteiner for another two, TWO!
Bourne goes for a standing moonsault and is met with a pair of boots. Morrison hits a knee and missing the “Starship Pain”. Bourne goes up top and the Miz hops up to the apron and gets knocked down. Morrison hits a springboard enziguiri and turns Bourne inside out on the apron. One three count later, it’s over.
You could argue that Morrison was trying to ground Bourne with all those headlocks and bullshit on the mat, but to me that’s a way to slow down your opponent temporarily. If you want to ground someone, work their legs. If you want to slow down the match, throw on a headlock until you get control. That didn’t seem like a good match as much as it seemed like a good way to kill time between Bourne’s high spots.
Jack Swaggar over Josh Daniels
Jack Swagger is a part of the new superstar initiative. He doesn’t get to introduce himself outside of walking to the ring and having a big ol’ smile on this face. From what I remember of Chris Nowinski, he has the look and feel that Nowinski did while he was wrestling. Daniels is smaller than Swagger, so he plays the part of the big meathead heel throwing his opponent around. He wins with a blue thunder powerbomb? Did I hear that right?
Swagger was also as Jack Hagar and won a dark match last night ago against D-Lo Brown.
Matt Hardy and Finlay over Mark Henry and Mike Knox
Henry and Hardy start. Hardy gets a few punches, but Henry throws Hardy to the corner. Hardy gets out, throws a few clotheslines but doesn’t knock Henry down. Hardy charges, but runs into the brick wall. Henry takes the opportunity to throw some clubbering blows at Hardy. Henry goes for a cover and gets a two, TWO!
Hardy goes to the apron and hits a jawbreaker on Henry and tries a cross body. Instead Hardy wiggles out and goes for the Twist of Fate, but that’s reversed into a throw, Henry hits a running elbow on Hardy. Henry stands on Hardy’s chest and line Hardy up in the corner and hits a running.. umm… splash? Henry tries another elbow but misses.
We go to and from commercial and Hardy is in a rear naked choke from Knox. Hardy hits a jawbreaker and here comes Finlay. Finlay goes to work right away on Knox, hitting the sit down for a two. TWO!
Finlay hit the shoulder in the corner and lifts Knox in a fireman’s carry and rolls forward. Knox hits a european uppercut and Finlay turns it around with a clothesline to the floor. Finlay tosses Knox back in, but eats boot trying to get back into the ring. Knox tags in Henry and Henry throws boots to Finlay. Henry tries to twist Finlay’s head off, Finlay fights out, Henry hits back. you know the drill. Henry tags in Knox, they dual shoulder block Finlay and Knox throws punches on a downed Finlay. Knox hits a knee to the back of Finlay’s head for a two. TWO!
Knox has a reverse nelson of and Finlay fights back and throws punches at both Knox and Henry. Knox goes back to the well, as we expected and Finlay tries to reverse the front chancery, but it’s reversed too. Knox misses a knee to a downed Finlay and both men go for a tag. Only Finlay gets it and Knox eats a forearm. Hardy hits an elbow in the corner and follows with a bulldog for a two. TWO!
Hardy gets Knox to the canvas and hits a moonsault. things get crazy for a moment, Hornswoggle distracts the ref, Finlay gets the shelaylee and does the deed to Henry. Hardy hits the Twist of Fate on Knox for the three count.
