The Official Wrestling Thread (now with more news and stuff)

[Arcademan]

TNA Impact! Results: 12-11-08

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results because as we all know, TNA does a hell of a lot of talking and backstage crap than actual wrestling action these days.

1 -- SHEIK ABDUL BASHIR vs. ERIC YOUNG -- X Division Title tournament match quarterfinal match

With ref Shane Sewell suspended for two weeks...with pay... in the storyline, ref Earl Hebner has the assignment for this re-match of the re-match of the recent X Division Title matches. With pay? Shoot, Hebner should attack Bashir and get suspended to take two weeks off to spend Christmas at home with the family. Right on cue, Hebner got into it with Bashir, then Bashir backed away and Young bridge pinned Bashir for the pin and the win. Bashir then chased Hebner out of the ring before Hebner smiled and raised Young's hand on the ramp. They're all corrupt. Young now gets the winner of Shelley vs. Lethal.

WINNER: Young in 3:00. Just a rapid-paced X Division match without enough time to tell a complete story. Completely fine, but completely forgettable. (*)

2 -- ALEX SHELLEY (w/Chris Sabin) vs. JAY LETHAL -- X Division Title tournament match quarterfinal match

Lethal came to the ring holding the briefcase he took from Shelley at the PPV just to rub it in Shelley's face a little bit more. Shelley had enough and attacked Lethal from behind. Sabin tried to get involved early, but Lethal shoved him to the floor and landed a sudden suicide dive on the floor. Lethal then tried to get back in the ring, but Shelley kicked the middle rope, crotching Lethal. He followed with an over the shoulder belly to back piledriver and scored the pin for the win.

WINNER: Shelley in 2:00. Another super-fast X Division match without any time to develop. (3/4*)

3 -- JAMES STORM (w/Miss Jacqueline) vs. ABYSS -- Beer on a Pole match

Storm nailed the Last Call superkick at 3:00, then he grabbed the beer bottle hanging from the pole. Storm tried to smash Abyss with the bottle, but Abyss went right into a Black Hole Slam. He could have scored the pin, but Abyss opted to pick up the beer bottle and point at Storm to ask the crowd whether he should nail him. Suddenly, Jackie stole the beer bottle out of Abyss's hand and ran right into Matt Morgan, who came out on stage. Morgan then lifted up Jackie to tease violence on a woman, but Robert Roode ran to ringside and low-blowed Morgan. He got what was coming to him. Roode then smashed Abyss with a steel chair and Storm pinned Abyss for the win.

Post-match: Storm and Roode tried a post-match beating on Abyss, but Morgan made the save. He then wanted to give Roode a ride to the mile high club, but Storm smashed him from behind with the beer bottle. Abyss re-entered with a chair in hand, then Roode and Storm bailed. A medic then covered Morgan's head with a towel to stop the bleeding from the beer shot.

WINNER: Storm in 4:00. Morgan somehow finds a way to be less and less endearing as a babyface each week, threatening to hit a woman before getting his with a low blow. Feud continues with Abyss & Morgan chasing the tag champs. (*)

4 -- CHRISTY HEMME vs. SOJOURNER BOLT

Random Knockouts match here with a show of mutual respect between the two to start things off. Hemme won in a few minutes with a roll-up to impress management for a potential re-match with Awesome Kong for the Knockouts Title. After the match, Hemme went for a handshake, but Bolt slapped her across the face. Hemme snapped and attacked Bolt, who escaped through the throng of referees that stormed the ring. Bolt screamed back at Hemme as refs stood in between them.

WINNER: Hemme in 4:00. Quick Knockouts match and a nice, but sudden post-match

5 -- BROTHER RAY vs. KURT ANGLE

Brother Ray came to the ring for the main event, then he waited for Kurt Angle, who suddenly snuck up behind him to get a jump-start on Ray. The match spilled to the floor, then Angle squatted near the PPV poster wall and Ray charged him, but Angle easily moved and Ray crashed through the base of the wall like a bowling ball. Let's get a break.

Still brawling back from break. Apparently during the commercial break, ref Slick Johnson did everything in his power to get the action back in the ring, but he declared a count-out. Count-out? How many other countless TNA matches have followed the same formula and been given a 20, 40, 120 count? Such a cop-out finish. The brawl continued to the trailer area on the outskirts of the arena. Ray was bleeding heavily, then Ray threw Angle into the side of the trailer. Security tried to intervene as they reached catering, but Ray shoved Angle into a structure.

Ray told Angle that if he didn't have a wife or kids, he would end Angle's life right now. Ray called him a piece of crap as Angle stared back with a glassy look of disbelief. Angle told him to hold on and talk this out. From behind, the Mafia jumped Ray and beat him down to draw more blood. Sting was in a suit while the others were dressed for a fight. Sting stood by watching the action as the Mafia dumped various weapons on Ray's head.

Sting was then shown walking away down the long walk back to the arena area. Ray then tried to run away toward Nash, but Steiner and Angle cut him off and threw him into a dumpster. Booker surveyed the scene while Steiner talked trash while Ray was in the trash. Ray was shown out cold on a pile of trash as they closed the show. Angle said nobody messed with the Main Event Mafia.

WINNER: Double count-out in 6:00. Intense show-closing angle to re-establish Mafia's dominance after a big tease throughout the show. Sting remains the question mark in this, creating intrigue. It's good, but the inconsistency on the application of in-ring rules was ridiculous, as usual. (n/a)

And as no major surprise, Curry Man opened his briefcase and found out he was FIRED!!!

[Arcademan]

WWE Smackdown Results: 12-12-08

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Park's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1- MVP vs. R-TRUTH

Truth is coming off a loss to Dolph Ziggler on Monday, and MVP lost to Charlie Haas the same night. Hard to say which is worse. MVP got a overhead throw, then tripped Truth up and sent him face-first into the mat. Chin-lock less than two minutes in, so this one isn’t going long. There were some light “MVP” chants from the crowd as Montel Vontavious Porter continued his offensive onslaught. Camel Clutch by MVP. Truth worked himself out of it and fought out of the corner. MVP slammed Truth down after Porter looked confused about what he was going to do when he caught Truth on a cross-body attempt. MVP made several re-adjustments before turning it into a kind-of side slam. Truth, out of nowhere, rolled MVP up for the win.

WINNER: Truth, at 3:41. Most of the wins coming against MVP now are fluky types, like roll-up, as opposed to early in his losing streak when he was losing clean. So it looks like the bulk of his punishment is over.

2- PRIMO COLON vs. THE BRIAN KENDRICK

Quick take-down by Primo. Kendrick came back with an arm-drag, but took too much time celebrating and Primo got in an arm-drag of his own. High-energy offense from Primo as Kendrick got into the ropes to break his momentum. Kendrick ran around ringside and hid behind Zeke. Back-heel kick by Kendrick and Primo was sent out of the ring. Zeke was about to put his hands on Primo when Carlito appeared around the other side to even things up. Tazz kept talking about how “bizarre” Kendrick is. The Brian choked Primo in the ropes. Modified Camel Clutch applied by Kendrick for the second time. Kendrick missed a high knee in the corner and Primo started his comeback with some left hands. Crowd was really behind Colon in this match. Springboard cross-body from Primo got two. Primo went to the top, but Zeke got on the apron. Carlito put a stop to that but Zeke pushed him right into the steel steps. Primo was distracted by this entire sequence, and was kicked by Kendrick as soon as he came through the ropes and back into the ring, then was rolled up by Kendrick for the pinfall.

WINNER: Kendrick, at 7:30. Surprised they got this much time. Not a bad match, with some unique moves used.

3- HURRICANE HELMS vs. SHELTON BENJAMIN

Hurricane was “already in the ring.” Not a good development for his second week back. Shelton and Hurricane traded offense, with Helms hitting a Blockbuster on Shelton, but Benjamin dropkicked Helms out of the air as Hurricane came off the top rope. Outside the ring, Shelton threw Helms into the guardrail. Benjamin worked over the recently repaired neck of Helms. Swinging neckbreaker by Benjamin for two. Benjamin put Helms in a cross arm-breaker, putting his foot right in the throat of Helms. Kind of like the Hell’s Gate. Couple clotheslines by Helms, but he missed the Shining Wizard. Inverted back-breaker by Shelton for two. A Gerald Brisco roll-up, as called by JR, got Helms a two-count. Helms to the top, he hit a relatively ugly cross-body for three.

WINNER: Helms, at 4:49. Well, Helms won in the Battle of the Carolinas. As expected, he was a little better this week. Why they didn’t show vignettes or do a story of him recovering from his long neck injury, I’ll never understand, especially since the demographics of those viewing have changed (or at least, those that WWE is catering to).

4- GREAT KHALI vs. ZACK RYDER & CURT HAWKINS

Ryder & Hawkins have generic tights now. Hawkins tried to distract Khali, then both men went after him. Naturally, that had little effect. Hawkins was thrown over the top rope while Khali slaughtered Ryder in the corner. Khali caught Ryder coming off the top with a choke, then brain-chopped Hawkins. He then chokeslammed Ryder onto Hawkins and registered the pin.

WINNER: Khali, at 1:19. Well, it was what it was.

5- THE BELLA TWINS vs. MARYSE & NATALYA

I guess Natalya found a new partner to fight the juggernaut that is the Bella Twins. Nikki and Maryse traded waist-locks, then Maryse slapped Nikki. Nikki got aggressive and Maryse found her way into the ropes. Tag made to Natalya, who ran right into drop toe-hold. Natalya just threw Brie over her head in a nice power move. Back-breaker by Maryse after a tag got two. She just toyed with Brie in the ring. Natalya tagged herself in but missed an elbow that led to Nikki coming back in. Maryse got kicked off the apron by Brie when she went for interference, and Nikki got caught by Natalya coming off the middle rope. Brie came in and dropkicked her sister in the back, knocking Natalya on her back and allowing the Bellas to pick up the win.

WINNERS: Bellas, at 4:49. The finish totally buried Natalya, as she had to sell Nikki falling on her for way longer than she should’ve. Not a very entertaining match.

6- TRIPLE H vs. JEFF HARDY

No face-paint for Jeff here. He does have a pink belt that matches his hair though. The match immediately went to the outside, where Jeff took Trips head-first into the barricade. Back in the ring, HHH went back on the attack. Jeff hit a low dropkick and HHH was sent to the outside. Then he went off the apron and barely got The Game. Both men sold it. Jeff threw Triple H into the steel steps. Jeff flung himself off the steps and onto Trips, who fell back and hit the barricade. Both men were down again. Apparently, Scott Armstrong is giving a slow ten-count on the outside. Back in the ring, Triple H clotheslined Hardy and again both men were on the mat.

Hardy got whipped into the buckle out of break. Another hard whip into the buckle and The Game got two on a pin attempt. Jeff came back and clotheslined Trips over the top rope. Hardy flew over the top rope and onto HHH. Trips pinned down Jeff’s arms with his knees and pounded on Jeff’s face. Good move. British Bulldog-like vertical suplex by HHH. Kneedrop for two. The match has slowed beyond a crawl to.....well, whatever is slower than a crawl. Face-buster by The Game for two. Hardy dodged some Trips offense and did register a near-fall. Hardy barely nicked Trips with his reverse mule kick. Hardy snuck out of a Pedigree and Hardy hit Whisper in the Wind. After a short delay, Hardy went for a cover and got two. Front suplex by Hardy. He went to the top for a Swanton, but Triple H made it to his feet. Hardy missed a shoulder to the gut and Trips went for a Pedigree, but Hardy got out of it again. Hardy put him on his back but missed a Swanton. Edge then interfered and speared both Hardy and Triple H.

WINNER: Double DQ, at 16:52. Well, you knew they wouldn’t give much away with the triple-threat match coming up Sunday, but this match was especially slow and boring. Nothing we haven’t seen before from these two.

[Arcademan]

WWE Armageddon PPV Results: 12-14-08

Real-time results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's ongoing report). To avoid pop-ups and view match results only, go to Neo-Geo Forum: Official WWE Thread Post #8463 and posts thereafter. If you wish to view the entire in-ring reports in one place, go to TOKYOPOP: Arcademan Blog (direct link to WWE Armageddon PPV results)

1 -- ECW champion MATT HARDY vs. VLADIMIR KOSLOV -- non-title match
WINNER: Koslov in 10:00. Well, it was better than Hunter vs. Koslov last month. Rough start, but a good finish, actually. ECW champion being pinned on PPV isn't good for the brand, but WWE is definitely more behind Koslov for Smackdown purposes. (**)

2 -- REY MYSTERIO vs. C.M. PUNK -- Finals of #1 contender to IC Title tournament
WINNER: Punk in 12:00. That was a heck of an undercard match. Just great action. One of those matches that could have gone another five or six minutes and been perfectly fine extending out the nearfalls. Excellent. (***1/2)

3 -- MARK HENRY (w/Tony Atlas) vs. FINLAY -- Belfast Brawl
WINNER: Finlay in 10:00. Nice brawl. Wasn't particularly memorable, but told a good story and featured enough brawling for fans who are interested in that type of match. (**)

4 -- BATISTA vs. RANDY ORTON (w/Cody Rhodes and Manu)
WINNER: Batista in 17:00. Slow match with some sloppy moments. Never really moved out of second gear, but I wouldn't take that away from the match. It was still a good effort in the ring from a psychological standpoint. I'm not buying this as the right finish. Orton is the hotter character right now and could have used a signature singles victory. (**1/2)

5 -- MICKIE JAMES & MARIA & Divas champion MICHELLE McCOOL & KELLY KELLY vs. MARYSE & NATALYA & VICTORIA & JILLIAN HALL
WINNERS: Team McCool in 5:00. Just a chance to get T&A on the PPV with some tight outfits and the announcers getting Vince McMahon's sophomoric humor out of their collective systems. (1/2*)

6 -- WWE World Hvt. champion JOHN CENA vs. CHRIS JERICHO -- World Hvt. Title match
WINNER: Cena in 13:00 to retain the World Hvt. Title. Exciting 13-minute match. Really wish they would have been given more time to test Cena in the ring as champion and have a showcase PPV match, but this was good for the time given. Jericho was great, as expected. (***1/2)

7 -- WWE champion EDGE vs. TRIPLE H vs. JEFF HARDY -- WWE World Title match
WINNER: Hardy in 18:00 to capture the WWE Title. That was pretty dang similar to the Chris Benoit match storyline at WrestleMania 20 for Benoit's first title victory. Heck of a main event match and great drama culminating with WWE putting the belt on Hardy after years and years of false starts. Pressure is on now, but it was a great night for Hardy tonight. (****)

[Arcademan]

WWE RAW Results: 12-15-08

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). To view condensed in-ring results, go to Neo-Geo Forum: Official WWE Thread Post #8489.

1 -- KELLY KELLY & MELINA vs. Women's champion BETH PHOENIX & JILLIAN HALL
WINNERS: Kelly & Melina in 2:00. Melina was apparently flown into Pittsburgh for her entrance only, as she saw zero action tonight. Post-match was um...wait for a follow-up. (1/2*)

2 -- REY MYSTERIO vs. SIM SNUKA
WINNER: Rey via DQ in 3:00. Good development with Knox actually being physical to advance the storyline attack on the not-yet-named Cruiserweight division. Deuce...er...Hijo del Snuka looked impressive for a few moments without the Greasers gimmick holding him back. (*)

3 -- World tag team champions THE MIZ & JOHN MORRISON vs. C.M. PUNK & KOFI KINGSTON
WINNERS: Miz & Morrison in 12:00 to retain the World tag team titles. Heck of a tag team match. When WWE rarely features those independent style tag matches where they inevitably break down into Texas Tornado action for no rhyme or reason, it actually means something to enhance the drama of a tag match. Miz & Morrison were great, as expected, and Kofi looked better than he has in months. (***)

4 -- DOLPH ZIGGLER vs. SANTA CLAAS
WINNER: Dolph in 4:00. Dolph remained impressive despite having to drag Santa around the ring for four minutes. In all seriousness, if that's possible, Haas worked pretty well in the suit during the "WWE Kids Rulz" portion of the show.

5 -- World Hvt. champion JOHN CENA & BATISTA vs. LEGACY (RANDY ORTON & MANU & CODY RHODES)
WINNERS: No Contest in 18:00. Really intense finish and post-match activity, re-establishing Randy Orton as a main event player after he lost last night. That's called getting your heat back. Cena played his role well as the Star Babyface and Batista worked his style through his limitations in the ring. They created a good TV main event with 20 minutes of overall time and set the stage for next week. Good conclusion to a strong show. (***)

[Arcademan]

ECW on SciFi Results: 12-16-08

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete results).

1 -- ECW champion MATT HARDY vs. CHAVO GUERRERO -- ECW Title match

The match started with an exchange of control, then a quick break.

Back from break, they showed us what happened during the break with Chavo slamming Matt's arm across the top rope to gain the advantage. Hardy accepted suplexes, but Hardy came back with the side effect for a nearfall. Chavo went for the Three Amigos suplexes, but Hardy countered the third with the Twist of Fate in center. Hardy then made the cover for the pin and the win.

WINNER: Hardy in 10:00 to retain the ECW Title. Fine match from what I saw. I mentally missed a portion until the finish, which was really good. (**)

2 -- FINLAY (w/Hornswoggle) vs. GAVIN SPEARS

Finlay took it to young Spears early, but Spears is part of the on-again, off-again ECW talent initiative, so he wasn't getting squashed. As Finlay and Gavin fought on the floor, Striker cut a promo on "The Wrestler" (without saying it by name, but referencing Randy "the Ram" Robinson), saying you can make all kinds of movies about wrestling, but Finlay is what it's all about. Hm... I wonder if McMahon got his movie screening and didn't like it. Finlay eventually settled things down and finished off Gavin with the Celtic Cross for the pin and the win. Afterward, Hornswoggle taunted Striker and Grisham with the Slammy in the ring.

WINNER: Finlay in 4:00. Just a fun match for the kids with Hornswoggle ringside. It was good to keep Finlay short and sweet in the filler spot on the card to begin rebuilding him after the Henry program apparently concluded. (*)

3 -- JACK SWAGGER & World tag team champions THE MIZ & JOHN MORRISON vs. KOFI KINGSTON & C.M. PUNK & RICKY ORTIZ

Typical opening with the heels briefly on the advantage, then Team Kofi helped clear out the heels to the floor with Ricky O clotheslining Swagger to the floor. Babyface stood tall in the ring as they cut to break.

Back from break, Kofi was being worked over by the heels. Grisham posed the question of whether Miz is Kelly Kelly's boyfriend. Striker said it's amazing he's even in the ring one night after being dropped on his head by Kane. This really does hurt last night's storyline that it was largely ignored until that moment. Kingston finally escaped the heels and hot-tagged to...Ortiz...ugh. Ortiz, in his yellow pants, flew around the ring working on the heels, then he sprang up top and landed a dropkick on Swagger. Ortiz made the cover, but Morrison broke up the pin. Action broke down, then Miz yanked Punk to the floor and Kofi kinda did a suicide dive onto Miz. Back in the ring, Ortiz tried a springboard move on Swagger, but Swagger thankfully kicked him in the gut. Swagger with the gutwrench powerbomb and that's all she wrote with Swagger getting the pin.

Post-match: Punk tried to fight Miz & Morrison, but Swagger stood in between them. Punk then checked on Ortiz as the heels stood tall in the ring. Striker noted Jack Swagger is still undefeated.

WINNERS: Team Swagger in 11:00. Didn't have quite the same energy level as last night's tag title match with the addition of Swagger and Ortiz to the equation. Swagger certainly added to the action, but Ortiz subtracted. With Swagger as #1 contender to the ECW Title, Hardy vs. Swagger hype needs to happen soon. (**)

[Arcademan]

TNA Impact! Results: 12-18-08

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1 -- RHINO vs. LANCE ROCK

Tenay and West quickly discussed the end of last week's show when Brother Ray took a vicious beating and the Frontline would have a chance at revenge against the Mafia with Nash and Sting locked in a steel cage against Joe & Styles. I like that transition from last week. Match was a basic squash, with Rhino scoring the Gore in 2:00 for the easy win.

WINNER: Rhino in 2:00. Just happened. (n/a)

2 -- CHRIS SABIN (w/Alex Shelley) vs. SONJAY DUTT (w/So Cal Val) -- X Division Title first round tournament match

Former X Division champion Sheik Abdul Bashir came out on stage a minute into the action to sit down on a chair and get a closer look. He had the towel with ref Shane's blood draped over his face from last week. In the heel vs. heel match-up, Dutt worked in control for the first three minutes before Sabin tried a come back with Cradle Shock, but Dutt countered into a DDT for a two count. Dutt followed with a step-up kick, but Sabin blocked a huracanrana into the Cradle Shock in center ring. Sabin scored the pin, Bashir was non-reactional, and Val might need a new source of money with Dutt's losses piling up. Sabin gets Kiyoshi or Creed in the second round.

WINNER: Sabin in 5:00. Nice match for only five minutes of time allotted. At least it wasn't a three-minute quick-and-over match, but here's to hoping some of these second round matches get at least 10-15 minutes. (*1/2)

3 -- Legends champion BOOKER T (w/Sharmell) & SCOTT STEINER vs. ABYSS & MATT MORGAN

Basic tag match to start things off with the babyface Morgan & Abyss team in control, then we got a break.

Back from break, Abyss broke free of the inevitable post-commercial break double-team work before making the hot tag to Blueprint. Morgan cleaned house and talked trash in the process, then he landed the bicycle kick on Steiner for a two count. Action broke down, as expected, then Abyss clotheslined Booker to the floor. On the floor, Sharmell tried to get involved, then Abyss nearly slapped her on accident. The ol' "did he or did he not?" slap angle with Sting and Booker from a while ago. In the confusion with the ref checking on Sharmell, who was complaining about an injury, Booker smashed Morgan with a pipe then he hit the axe kick for the win. Sharmell was suddenly recovered and she jumped up and down. Abyss nearly broke down into tears realizing he had one put over on him and he let Morgan down.

WINNERS: Mafia in 7:00. Going-through-the-motions TNA tag match. Nothing that will be remembered by next week. (*)

4 -- KIYOSHI vs. CONSEQUENCES CREED -- X Division Title first round tournament match

Tenay informed us Borash has the scoop on TNA Mobile. Don't worry about what the story is; just know he has the scoop. Creed was on the defensive from the beginning. He didn't get a scouting report on the newcomer making his in-ring debut. Creed finally made a comeback when Kiyoshi missed with a diving headbutt from the top rope, then Kiyoshi kinda slumped to the mat following a kick to the head. Not a natural reaction. Kiyoshi then blocked a CreeDDT and kicked Creed in the back of the knees in the corner. Kiyoshi followed with a top rope moonsault for the pin and the win.

WINNER: Kiyoshi in 5:00. I'll take Kwang for $100, Alex. Semi-finals are Young vs. Shelley and Kiyoshi vs. Sabin. (*)

5 -- CHRISTY HEMME & ODB vs. RHAKA KHAN & RAISHA SAEED

Didn't take long for the brawl to begin on the floor with Hemme paired off against Saeed. Hemme then slipped into the ring to help ODB against Khan, but Khan drove her big leg into ODB. Hemme then tackled Khan before ODB tried to rip her head off or give her a neck massage. Couldn't tell and Khan wasn't co-operating. Hemme then went up top and knocked Raisha off the top rope, and ODB set up Khan to take the firecrotch leg drop for the pin and the win.

WINNERS: Hemme & ODB in 2:00. Well, that was rather decisive and short. (n/a)

6 -- SAMOA JOE & A.J. STYLES vs. TNA World Hvt. champion STING & KEVIN NASH -- Six Sides of Steel Tornado Cage match

Back and forth, then a break.

Odd camera shot back from break with Sting trying to work over Styles in the corner, but Styles's head was right in Sting's crotch. Meanwhile, Nash pounded away on Joe until Joe came back with trademark offense. Sting then broke up a pin and worked on Joe, but Styles nailed Sting with a dropkick. Styles then jumped off Nash's shoulders and hopped onto the cage wall and quickly climbed down the cage. He jumped to the floor and we have a winner.

WINNERS: Styles & Joe in 6:00. That's it? Post-match that followed was pretty good use of the cage, but the actual bell-to-bell use was a total waste. (*)

[Arcademan]

WWE Smackdown Results: 12-19-08

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results.

1 -- U.S. champion SHELTON BENJAMIN & MVP vs. R-TRUTH & HURRICANE HELMS

Jim Ross went a little low calling MVP the Detroit Lions of the WWE based on his inability to win a match in well-documented fashion. Of note: the Lions were the only undefeated team in the NFL pre-season. Practice? We're talking about practice? MVP was in there first, but Shelton blind-tagged himself when he was unsatisfied with MVP's work on Helms. Truth then worked himself into the ring and suplexed Benjamin for a one count. MVP demanded a tag, but Shelton refused to let him back in. MVP was beside himself looking for a tag at 4:00, then Shelton eye-balled him and turned his attention toward Helms, who looks like Tyler Black now.

Helms went up top for a big move, and he connected with a cross body block, but MVP broke up the pin. Truth then entered the ring and knocked MVP to the floor. Shelton dumped Truth to the floor, then Helms and Shelton battled in backslide position until MVP accidentally smashed Shelton with the Chono Boot. Truth then finished off MVP with a corkscrew elbow and Helms grappled Shelton for a turn-out neckbreakerish for the pin and the win.

WINNERS: Truth & Helms in 6:00. Finish was a little off with them trying to co-ordinate the choreography, but it looked a little forced. Good hype for Helms vs. Benjamin for the belt next week, though. Purpose served. (*)

2 -- FESTUS (w/Jesse) vs. JOHN MORRISON (w/The Miz)

Festus knee'd Morrison in the head early on, then Festus smashed him with a shoulderblock. Festus vs. Koslov in a headbutt or shoulderblock contest will happen one day, I'm sure of it. Miz tried to interfere at 2:00, but Festus avoided him. Jesse then tried to smash Miz with the bell, but Miz ducked and Jesse hit the ringbell into the ringpost on accident. Festus stopped dead in his tracks and went dumb, so Morrison easily took advantage with the Moonlight Drive corkscrew neckbreaker for the pin and the win. Afterward, Morrison hopped on Festus and surfed him while Jesse remained KO'ed on the floor.

WINNER: Morrison in 3:00. Fine singles win for Morrison while Jesse & Festus continue to take up space on Smackdown. (*)

3 -- ECW champion MATT HARDY vs. EDGE -- non-title match

Ross and Tazz continued to talk about the pre-Survivor Series beating on Jeff Hardy in the hotel and Matt believing it was Edge, while Edge maintains he had nothing to do with it despite the sheer coincidence of Edge returning at SS. Early going had Hardy dominating things, which frustrated Edge. Ross referenced their personal issues back in the day that he thinks neither one will ever get over. Edge then was hung up to dry on the top rope and Hardy dumped him to the floor. Hardy laughed at Edge, who was frustrated as they cut to break.

Back from break, Edge missed with a corner smash to continue the frustration against Hardy. Hardy then settled into an arm bar before sitting down on the shoulder to wrench it. Edge finally found sustained offense at 8:00 and started working on Hardy's left arm, which was bleeding a touch after the initial work.

The match continued at 10:00 with Edge continuing to work on Hardy's left arm. Hardy then made his comeback and nailed the side effect, but Edge stretched his leg out to touch the bottom rope to break up a pin. Hardy then missed with a sledge from the second rope and Edge tried to roll him up with a handful of tights, but Hardy rolled through into a two count. Both men popped up, then double clothesline and both men went into recovery mode.

At 15:00, Hardy nailed a drop toe hold to block the spear, the Edge blocked Twist of Fate and shoved him into the ringpost. Edge waited for Hardy to turn around, then Edge nailed a "slobberknocking" spear for the pin and the win.

WINNER: Edge in 16:00. Nice match. Good story from start to finish, and a surprising (in a good way) clean finish with Edge needing the victory more than Matt to set up a probable Jeff vs. Edge re-match for the title at the Rumble. Unless they go triple threat for the umpteenth time. (**1/2)

4 -- EZEKIEL JACKSON (w/The Brian Kendrick) vs. WWE tag team champion CARLITO (w/Primo)

Carlito avoided Jackson's power offense early on, then Carlito slapped him. Jackson knocked Carlito the floor and TBK wanted Sliced Bread on the floor, but Carlito easily avoided the move. Back in the ring, Carlito wanted a springboard move on Jackson, but Jackson smashed him in the back with a forearm. He followed with a modified chokeslam for the pin and the win.

WINNER: Jackson in 3:00. There was a time when Carlito had a certain edge to him. It's not there with him on Smackdown. Jackson just needs time to connect with the audience before he can do anything of substance on the show. (3/4*)

5 -- MARIA vs. MARYSE -- #1 Contender match to Divas Title

Maryse arrogantly brushed against the top rope before wanting to lock up, so Maria slapped her across the face and pounced on her with right hand blows. Maryse then slipped to the outside to take a breather. Maria tried to give chase on the floor, but Maryse dropped her with a clothesline. Back in the ring, Maryse went to work on Maria and took control of the action. She landed a hair-whipping DDT at 4:00 and scored the pin for the win. So, it's McCool vs. Maryse in a future title match. Afterward, Maryse slowly made her way to the floor to pose in front of McCool, who was not impressed. Maryse showed herself off to McCool, who eventually stood up and slapped Maryse's hand away. The security guards got a kick out of that.

WINNER: Maryse in 4:00. Basic divas match. McCool continues to develop her character with subtle mannerisms and a calculating demeanor. Maryse was a bit awkward approaching McCool, but that's her thing. (*)

6 -- WWE champion JEFF HARDY vs. VLADIMIR KOSLOV -- non-title match

Koslov walked into the match with a little cut below his right eye and Hardy quickly opened it up with a backhand slap that didn't faze Koslov. Koslov, over-aggressive, tried to hit Hardy near the ropes, but he fell to the floor and Hardy stood tall in the ring as they cut to break.

Back from break, Koslov went to work on Hardy with some mat work. Crowd tried to rally for the champ, but Koslov cut off Hardy's comeback. Back to the left arm. Throw in some grunts to really sell the arm bar. Koslov then missed with a corner shoulder thrust and Hardy came off the top out of nowhere with the Whisper in the Wind.

Suddenly at 10:00, Edge stormed the ring and attacked Hardy to earn a DQ on Koslov. Edge and Koslov then doubled up on Jeff and beat him up a little. Suddenly, Triple H was shown walking backstage with a scowl on his face. Did Matt already leave the building? Sure gives evidence to Matt being the Survivor Series hotel beat-down-er. Edge saw Hunter on the screen, so he grabbed a chair and readied himself for Hunter, who stormed the ring in street clothes.

Hunter ducked the chair shot and kicked Edge in the gut before delivering a Pedigree. He then tackled Koslov and beat on him before rolling to the floor and tackling Koslov onto the padding. Hunter then sent Koslov into the ringpost as Tazz pointed out Hunter had the WWE Title won at Armageddon until Koslov's interference. Hunter pulled out a sledgehammer, then Koslov went running for high ground. Hunter slowly stalked him on the floor. Back in the ring, Hardy put an exclamation point on things with a Swanton Bomb on Edge. Hardy then grabbed his WWE Title belt as Hunter stared back into the ring from the stage area. Hardy celebrated as they closed the show.

WINNER: Hardy via DQ in 10:00. There goes Koslov's undefeated streak, but now it will be a never-been-pinned type deal. Always a loophole to find. Hopefully the Hunter vs. Koslov feud simply strings itself out to the Royal Rumble PPV where they can pick it up inside the Rumble match and not force us to watch another one-on-one encounter. Hardy with a nice cap to a show that is desperately struggling to fill the mid-card. (*1/2)

[Arcademan]

WWE Tribute to the Troops: 12-20-08

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (link to Caldwell's report). Reprinted in its full form here...

Prez prepared speech: President George W. Bush was shown on camera welcoming us to WWE's tribute to the finest fighting troops in the world. He said the troops are the heroes to every American and he supports WWE for their commitment to the men and women fighting overseas. WWE stars have boosted morale and WWE offers free tickets to military personnel because WWE knows the troops are America's finest citizens. Surreal seeing the President on a WWE show.

In-ring: Jeff Hardy kicked off the show coming to the ring for an opening tag match. C.M. Punk then came out as his tag partner. R-Truth was then shown standing on a tank in the crowd for his ring entrance. Truth rapped his way through the makeshift arena to the ring and asked Baghdad what's up. Miz and Morrison came out next and they were sporting cool Army hats. JBL's music hit and he came out in a military tank rather than the traditional limo. JBL was sporting a giant combat facemask to protect himself in the military zone, with a cowboy hat situated on top.

1 -- R-TRUTH & WWE champion JEFF HARDY & C.M. PUNK vs. R-TRUTH & THE MIZ & JOHN MORRISON

Quick TV six-man tag opening with the babyfaces clearing Team JBL to the floor and landing planchas to get a roar from the military men and women ringside. Babyfaces stood tall as they went to the first break.

They returned to Camp Victory with Miz nailing Punk in the corner with a splash to continue working over Punk, who lost control of things during the commercial. Hardy then took a hot tag at 5:00 and worked on Miz as the fans chanted his name. Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler calling this one, and they referenced Hardy as the new WWE champion, so voice-overs from Stamford were recorded this week. JBL snuck into the ring at 7:00 and gave Hardy a big clothesline. Truth then snuck into the ring and clotheslined Miz to the floor.

JBL wanted the Clothesline from Hell on JBL, but Hardy ducked and nailed the Twist of Fate. Hardy then went up top for the Swanton Bomb and he connected square on JBL's gut for the pin and the win. Afterward, Hardy kinda collapsed on the mat until his partners picked him up and helped him celebrate.

WINNERS: Team Hardy in 8:00. Basic TV match to get as many top stars in one match. Totally fine. (*1/2)

Ringside: Art Myers, who is in charge of Armed Forces Entertainment, was shown ringside clapping it up for Hardy. ... They went to a video package on the WWE wrestlers talking about the experience in Iraq, with clips of wrestlers interacting with the troops. Lots of clips of the divas giving the troops a thrill. Shad Gaspar military pressing one troop. Rey Mysterio shaking hands with troops. JBL smiling and grinning. Soldiers holding up pics of their kids. Tons of "You Can't See Me" from Cena and the troops. A few seconds of Cena's post-show promo thanking the troops was shown.

In-ring: Lilian Garcia said it's time for Santa Claus to come visit the troops. Cue up Santa Shad and JTG, who came to the ring in Santa suits while Cole and Lawler talked about Cryme Tyme trying to "borrow" a lot of things during their visit to Iraq. Cryme Tyme did their rap, then they asked for Santa's helpers to come out to the ring. Out came Kelly Kelly, Maria, Mickie James, Alicia Fox, and Eve to hand out Christmas gifts to the troops. One troop got a Christmas kiss from Maria. Lawler said that's the best Christmas present he's ever been given. Kelly tossed t-shirts into the crowd, then Cole transitioned into a serious video package on their tribute.

Video package: A group of children did voice-over readings of their letters to the troops while an action video package aired on the troops doing their thing in Iraq.

Video package: The seeds of liberty have grown into a bond between U.S. and Iraqi soldiers. They showed clips of the two different country's soldiers walking together in a secure Iraq. Chris Jericho, ever the rockstar, solemnly pointed out this place was being bombed just a few years ago. They showed pro-U.S. clips of Iraqi life improved with the help of the U.S. soldier's work in Baghdad.

In-ring: Big Show, then Chris Jericho came out for another six-man tag match. Randy Orton then came out to round out the heel trio. Manu and Cody apparently didn't get to make the trip.

In-ring: Batista came out first for the babyface team. Cole informed us it's his first trip Tribute tour and he came out sporting camo pants rather than traditional wrestling trunks. Batista waited on the apron, then Rey Mysterio came out and body-surfed into the crowd before entering the ringside area. And finally, World Hvt. champion John Cena, who was sporting a #4 jersey. Cole said it reps the fourth infantry division. Sweet overhead shots of the makeshift arena, by the way.

2 -- BIG SHOW & CHRIS JERICHO & RANDY ORTON vs. World Hvt. champion JOHN CENA & REY MYSTERIO & BATISTA

Batista wanted the Batistabomb on Orton early on, but Orton went to the knee and Jericho tagged in to continue working on the knee. Jericho yelled at the troops, then Batista caught him with a Black Hole Slam before tagging in Rey. Jericho reversed a whip, but Rey caught Jericho with a head scissors that sent him onto the middle rope. Rey wanted the 619 on Jericho, but Show stepped off the apron to catch Rey by the legs and whip him into the guardrail. Break time.

Before returning to the ring, a slideshow of the trip was shown with pictures of the wrestlers interacting with the troops. Back to the ring where Jericho was stomping on Rey, who wanted to make that hot tag, but Jericho pulled him back into a neutral control to paint brush Rey. Jericho and Show then started to have an argument about taking out Rey, so Jericho shoved him in the chest.

Show slowly stepped into the ring and went right up to Jericho before giving him a chokeslam. Orton then took a headbutt for good measure and Show decided to leave the ring. Show went AWOL (there's an Orton military joke in there, but I'll pass), then Rey was able to make his hot tag to Cena, who cleaned house on Orton and set him up for the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Cena took his time and told Orton "You Can't See Me" before brushing that dirt off his shoulder to deliver the Knuckle smash. Cena wanted to put Orton away with the FU, but Jericho broke it up.

Action broke down and Orton wanted the RKO on Cena, but Cena shoved him off into Jericho and the heels butted heads. Rey was then in position to hit a double 619. And finally, Batista with a Batistabomb on Jericho and Cena with the FU on Orton simultaneously. Batista and Cena pinned the respective opponents for a double three count for the pin and the win.

WINNERS: Team Cena in 10:00. Fine house show-style send-'em-home-happy match for the troops. (*1/2)

Closing video: They showed another highlight video of the wrestlers flying to Iraq, then touching down to meet up with the troops. More of the "You Can't See Me" from Cena and troops. Nice recap video, including more mileage out of Prez Bush's show-opening speech to the troops.

A fine show. Just what WWE was supposed to do, which was put their best foot forward on prime time network TV and try to class up pro wrestling.

[Arcademan]

WWE RAW Results: 12-22-08

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). To avoid pop-ups and view condensed in-ring results only, go to Neo-Geo Forum: Official WWE Thread Post #8506.

1 -- SHAWN MICHAELS vs. KANE (w/Kelly Kelly) -- Winner advances to four-way #1 contender match next week

WINNER: Michaels in 6:00. Fine singles match. The crowd booing both men made for a strange "Summerslam 2004 bizarro-world" dynamic, but Michaels created movement to keep the viewer's interest for six minutes. (*1/4)

2 -- KOFI KINGSTON vs. MANU (w/Cody Rhodes)

WINNER: Kofi Kingston in 3:00. Eh. People will remember Kofi nearly stumbling onto his keyster before the boom-boom leg drop, but this match had no chance without a back-story for why it was taking place. Match action should be protected and made valuable, not just thrown out without a purpose. (3/4*)

3 -- MICKIE JAMES & MELINA vs. LAYLA & JILLIAN HALL

WINNERS: Melina & Mickie in 4:00. Rough patches in this one, but Melina's finisher is just plain sick. Again, no real purpose to this one. No reason to spend four minutes on in-ring action unless there's a purpose or pre-match storyline. This was merely Regal promoting himself, but yet, Punk is the #1 contender after the tournament and we have no idea when his IC Title match against Regal is taking place. (1/2*)

4 -- REY MYSTERIO vs. JBL -- Winner advances to four-way #1 contender match next week

WINNER: JBL via DQ in 13:00. The finish was unique and certainly advances the JBL/Michaels program, while setting up Rey to either snap on Michaels or just be passive-aggressive Rey and let it slide off his back. Match was something. Had a different vibe to it, then really picked up at the end with the nearfalls. (**1/4)

5 -- C.M. PUNK vs. CHRIS JERICHO -- Winner advances to four-way #1 contender match next week

WINNER: Jericho in 15:00. Heck of a TV match. Punk showed great grit fighting off the Walls of Jericho, while Jericho was great as the in-ring heel technician carrying and calling the match. That was a great display, with a hot crowd involved in the action. (***1/2)

6 -- World Hvt. champion JOHN CENA & TRISH STRATUS vs. SANTINO MARELLA & Women's champion BETH PHOENIX

WINNERS: Cena & Stratus in 5:00. A feel-good way to close the show featuring a newsworthy return and Santino doing his thing of bouncing around the ring. They obviously put Stratus with Cena to deflect the expected boos against Cena, so it was a good mask for their once-in-a-blue-moon appearance in front of an "insider-type" audience that would boo Cena. (*)

[Arcademan]

ECW on SciFi Results: 12-23-08

Tonight's ECW on SciFi was a  'Best of 2008' show highlighting the past year in ECW so no results will be posted.

[Arcademan]

TNA Impact! Results: 12-25-08

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1 -- CHRIS SABIN (w/Alex Shelley) vs. KIYOSHI -- X Division Title semi-final tournament match

West was solid in the pre-match reminding the viewer of Consequences Creed having trouble with Kiyoshi in the first round because he didn't have a scouting report on Kiyoshi. Will Sabin learn from watching Kiyoshi in his first TNA match? Of note, ref Shane is back in the ring refereeing. Sheik Bashir walked out on stage with a towel wrapped around his head a minute into the action and sat down on a chair. Kiyoshi is pretty rough around the edges in his execution of moves, further underlying the point that he's a student of Great Muta. Kiyoshi missed with a top rope moonsault, then Sabin nailed the Cradle Shock for the pin and the win. Bashir had a non-reaction. Shelley celebrated with Sabin. He gets Shelley or Young in the finals.

WINNER: Sabin in 5:00. Match was irrelevant, which was unfortunate for Sabin, as the real X Division storyline of Bashir vs. Referee followed. (*)

2 -- SCOTT STEINER & BOOKER T (w/Sharmell) vs. A.J. STYLES & BROTHER DEVON

This started as a closed-fist punch-out brawl between Booker and Devon, then Styles and Steiner battled. Devon then tagged in and shoved a boot into Steiner's throat. Styles back in at 3:00 to work on Steiner, but Steiner shoved Styles into the corner. Styles broke free and pushed Steiner to the floor, then nailed a baseball slide kick. Action broke down on the floor with the Frontline in control as they cut to break.

The action spilled to outside of the Impact Zone during the commercial break where Devon and Booker were brawling by a trailer. West reminded us it wasn't about a pin or getting a win. Is anything wrestling-related in TNA about actually winning a match? I don't even know why they have a ring. Styles and Steiner were brawling in the crowd with a split-screen of the action. Suddenly, the Mafia jumped Devon where Brother Ray was jumped two weeks ago. Nash and Angle pounded on Devon before hand-cuffing him to the wall. Booker followed with huge knee smashes.

Oh, we're back in the ring with Steiner working on Styles. After Styles re-gained control, Kurt Angle showed up in the ring. Styles fought him off, then knocked Nash off the ring apron. Angle was dumped to the floor. Booker then showed up and attempted an axe kick, but Styles hit the Pele kick. Mafia then jumped Styles after regrouping to beat down Styles. Steiner brought a chair into the ring. West was ridiculously over-the-top narrating this, then Frontline finally showed up to help prevent Styles taking the same fate as Joe last week. Mafia eventually beat down the weaker Frontline before Rhino stormed the ring to go after Angle. Rhino cleaned house, but Angle subdued him for Steiner to nail a series of chair shot blows to the back.

Mick Foley had enough and he stormed the ring to knock around the Mafia, who fed him for the big house-cleaning. Goodness, the washed-up executive shareholder > entire Frontline. That's going to help the younger stars in the credibility department. In any event, Foley cleared the entire Mafia with the help of Socko, then Angle talked trash from ringside. Foley wanted a mic. As if we haven't had enough talking on this show. We'll find out his thoughts after the break.

WINNERS: Who knows in who knows. Was there a match? What is a match? Is this a wrestling show? Foley being the one to clean the entire ring of the Mafia after everyone from the Frontline failed was just inexplicable booking. I know you have to hype Foley's return to the ring, but at the expense of the credibility of the entire Frontline roster after they failed to clean the ring just once in two months? Not worth it.

3 -- ODB & ROXXI & TAYLOR WILDE & CHRISTY HEMME vs. Knockouts champion AWESOME KONG & RAISHA SAEED & SOJOURNER BOLT & RHAKA KHAN -- Santa's Workshop Knockouts street fight

Some creative outfits you might see at a tacky Christmas party. Except for Bolt, who apparently missed the memo and sported a leopard-print outfit. Roxxi was an elf. Hemme was an aerobics instructor with candy-cane-striped socks. Kong entered the ring and over-powered Hemme, but Hemme hopped on her back and everything completely broke down. Ref Rudy Charles threw his hands in the air like he just don't care. Kong vs. Hemme is at the PPV in a lumberjill match, by the way. Taylor knocked Raisha off the apron into a mosh pit below on the floor that looked more like a corporate event where someone falls backwards to test the trust of his or her co-workers. Taylor then came off the top with a cross body block into the mosh pit. Back in the ring, Khan grappled Taylor and gave her a step-over kick before licking her hand. Taylor then rolled up Khan, who freaked out at the thought of being part of a wrestling move, and scored the pin for the win.

WINNERS: Team Taylor in 6:00. Just an excuse to get several Knockouts in the ring at the same time. Better-than-average build up for Hemme vs. Kong at the PPV. (*)

4 -- RHINO (w/Jeff Jarrett) vs. KURT ANGLE (w/TNA World Hvt. champion Sting)

Rhino had plenty of offense early on with Angle distracted by Jarrett ringside. Angle then came back at 2:00 with a smashing elbow smash. Angle then spit on Jarrett, who stormed into the ring. Refs were suddenly on the scene to hold back Jarrett, who we are reminded is talent and not office anymore. Let's let the cooler heads prevail during the break.

Rhino made a comeback from an Angle waistlock and landed multiple right hand blows before nailing a forearm to spring free. But, both men knocked each other down with a clothesline. Rhino then came up with a clothesline and a shoulder tackle in the corner before landing a suplex. Angle teased the Olympic Slam, but Rhino countered with a spinebuster. Angle then slapped on an Anklelock, but Rhino kicked him through the ropes to the floor. Jarrett talked trash, then Angle slapped him and side-stepped Jarrett, who crashed into the guardrail.

Back in the ring, Angle re-applied the anklelock, which has no credibility anymore because no one taps out to the move. Jarrett had enough and took off his shirt before storming the ring to attack Angle. Ref Hebner threw the match out. A brawl broke out until security intervened to set up a pull-apart brawl. Terry Taylor and B.G. James tried to enter the scene as Angle slowly reached out and grabbed Jarrett's golden locks. B.G. got the camera time to tell Angle to control himself. Angle then decked B.G., who was laid out to close the show with the focus on him.

WINNER: Angle via DQ in 10:00. Okay match, but just standard Impact TV fare with Rhino in there. He's a roleplayer who shouldn't be asked to carry a main event match, and he's fine when put into the roleplayer slot. Finish was inevitable. For starters, it's a TNA TV main event where a match can't just end. There must be a post-match to take precedence over the contemptuous in-ring action, and now the sympathetic figure is a TNA agent not booked for the PPV. Awesome. (*1/2)

[Arcademan]

WWE Smackdown Results: 12-26-08

Results courtesy of ProWrestling.net (direct link to Hermanstyne's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1. Triple H defeated Chavo Guerrero in 2:08. The match began with Hunter getting very aggressive with Chavo. Chavo applied a baseball slide and a nice heel kick. Chavo tried to fool Hunter by throwing a chair and impersonate Eddie but Hunter didn't fall for it. Hunter spine busted and Pedigreed Chavo for the quick win. After the match, Hunter grabbed the sledgehammer and clobbered Chavo in the mid-section.

Mind of Marv: Decent segment. Triple H's charisma is what makes him entertaining. Chavo has turned into Gopher? Ooh, was that a shot at University of Minnesota? Just some friendly Illini humor, haha.

2. Shelton Benjamin defeated Hurricane Helms to retain United States Title in 11:02. The match began back and forth and Helms said what's up with that. Helms knocked out Shelton and applied a cross body to him outside the ring for three nearfalls. Shelton threw Helms into the ropes for a nearfall.

The match returned with Shelton dominating Helms by working on his neck. Shelton applied a neck breaker for a nearfall and he put Helms in a body scissors. Helms hit Shelton with a nice uppercut and clothesline. Helms attempted the Shining Wizard but Shelton countered. Helms gave Shelton the Shining Wizard but Shelton kicked out. Shelton gave Helms Paydirt to retain his belt.

Mind of Marv: This was a great TV match. Nice action throughout. Shelton did make Helms's finisher look weak by kicking out, but I'm glad they are moving Benjamin forward instead of burying him. I would like for them to have a U.S. Title tournament like they did with the IC title, it would be interesting because of all the mid-carders that can make the tournament fun.

3. Carlito defeated The Brian Kendrick in 2:17. The match was back and forth with a series of kicks and punches. Kendrick kicked Carlito off the top rope for a nearfall. Carlito gave Kendrick a high knee, clothesline and springboard. Zeke tried to get involved by pushing Primo. Kendrick kicked Carlito and missed The Kendrick which led to Carlito applying the Backstabber for the quick win.

Mind of Marv: Pretty quick match which builds up to the future title match between these teams. But come on...seriously the Bella Twins are OVERRATED. I'm just saying.

4. Maryse defeated Michelle McCool to become new Divas Champion with Maria as special guest referee in 4:35. McCool started the match with a lot of athleticism which was somewhat impressive (in my opinion). McCool hit Maryse with a nice dropkick for the nearfall. Maryse applied an inverted leg sweep to a cobra clutch which McCool countered with a nice kick. McCool applied a series of dropkicks and a spinning neck breaker. McCool got the hell kicked out of head by Maryse to win the title. She received a standing ovation from the crowd.

After the match McCool beat the hell out of Maria, which was lead to a ton of "You Suck" chants.

Mind of Marv: Maryse's Ooh Oui entrance music, sounds tight with the bass. But anyway, the heel turn is official of McCool and seeing Maria getting beaten was quite entertaining.

5. The Great Khali squashed MVP in 2:35. MVP rolled out of the ring and almost got counted out. MVP took some cheap shots at Khali but he was basically destroyed. MVP tried to get some offense and applied the Drive By Kick to Khali. Khali ended the misery with the Punjabi Plunge.

Mind of Marv: Watching MVP job every week is sad as hell.

6. Vladimir Kozlov squashed Jimmy Wang Yang in :57. Why bother wasting time? Battering Ram, choke slam, total squash.

Kozlov cut a promo saying everyone on each brand should look out because he will win the Royal Rumble and become champion.

Mind of Marv: Yawn. He's running out of people to squash.

7. WWE Champion Jeff Hardy defeated Big show in a non-title match by count out in 11:00. The match began with Show destroying Hardy with knife edge chops and punches. Hardy attempted a Twist of Fate on Show, but was countered by getting thrown out of the ring.

The show returned with Show still destroying Hardy. Show got some nearfalls with a hammerlock slam, and chops to the chest. Show missed an elbow, and Hardy got a couple of seconds of offense before Show applied a bear hug. Hardy gave Show two Whisper In The Winds and a Swanton Bomb for a nearfall. Show attempted a choke slam but was countered by Hardy for a DDT, a mule kick and a kick to the announce table.

Both entertainers were getting counted outside of the ring and Hardy got back in the ring to get the count out victory. Matt Hardy ran out and celebrated with Jeff.

Edge thought he got away with murder by not facing the Big Show next week but Vickie told Edge that The Hardys seem to be reunited and will face Edge and the Big Show in a tag match for next week.

Mind of Marv: This main event was boring as hell. The first eight minutes was basically a Big Show squash match. What a way to make your WWE champion look weak as hell. Then Show kicks out of two of Hardy's finishers? What's with the WWE make their wrestlers (I mean entertainers) finishers look useless? But overall, this was a wrestling heavy show that I appreciate, but it started to slump within the last 40 minutes which sucked.

[Arcademan]

WWE RAW Results: 12-29-08

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). To view condensed  in-ring results only, go to Neo-Geo Forum: Official WWE Thread Post #8520.

1 -- CODY RHODES vs. C.M. PUNK

WINNER: Cody Rhodes in 4:00. That was pretty predictable, but the only "out" to keep Cody in the group and make sure Punk didn't have a clean loss prior to an IC Title match next week. (*)

2 -- DIVAS BATTLE ROYALE of KELLY KELLY vs. MELINA vs. MICKIE JAMES vs. JILLIAN HALL vs. CANDICE MICHELLE vs. KATIE LEA -- Winner faces Women's champion Beth Phoenix at the Royal Rumble

WINNER: Melina in 3:00. Terribly short battle royale. Candice must have upset someone, as she had no ring entrance on TV - her calling card - and about 20 seconds in the ring. Or it's part of a long-term storyline involving the women's division that will play out in epic fashion in a credible TV match. Okay, not happening. (1/2*)

3 -- SIM SNUKA vs. SUPER HAAS CHARLIE SNUKA

WINNER: Sim Snuka in 4:00. Nice effort from Sim, who continues to show more than when he was a Greaser. Haas had a pretty good impression of Superfly, but his gimmick isn't leading anywhere. Just a mere TV filler role, which will keep him on TV, and that's half the battle. (*)

4 -- World Hvt. champion JOHN CENA & REY MYSTERIO & KOFI KINGSTON & CRYME TYME (JTG & SHAD GASPAR) vs. KANE & MIKE KNOX & DOLPH ZIGGLER & World tag team champions THE MIZ & JOHN MORRISON

WINNERS: Team Chain Gang in 12:00. Fun match with an exciting ending to send-'em-home-happy if the fans want to beat traffic out of the building. The heels didn't get too much time to work in offense, but Dolph continues to stand out a few matches into his WWE run. (**1/2)

5 -- ECW champion MATT HARDY vs. MANU -- non-title match

WINNER: Matt Hardy in 8:00. Slow, plodding match. Manu is better off in tag matches and short singles matches right now. The same Hardy story of the champ being on the defensive forever before hitting the Twist of Fate out of nowhere for the win. (*)

6 -- RANDY ORTON vs. JBL vs. SHAWN MICHAELS vs. CHRIS JERICHO -- #1 Contender match to the World Hvt. Title -- elimination match -- Winner gets Cena at the Royal Rumble

WINNER: JBL in 25:00 to become #1 contender to the World Title. Michaels managed to take a completely dead crowd and have them eating out of the palm of his hand milking five minutes worth of MVP-caliber wrestling storytelling. Match was slow prior to the finish, then Michaels really told a story leading to a stick-it-on-the-Rumble main event with Cena vs. JBL when the Rumble itself will sell the PPV. (***)

[Arcademan]

ECW on Sci-Fi Results: 12-30-08

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (link to Park's complete report)

1- MARK HENRY vs. MATT HARDY

Henry overpowered Hardy in the opening minute. Hardy goaded Henry into a test of strength, only to get a kick to the gut to go on offense. Good thinking there. But Henry went back on offense soon after. The fans got behind Hardy as Henry's methodical offense started to wear down the ECW Champ. Tony Atlas caused a distraction as Hardy was about to get things going, which allowed Henry to splash him in the corner. Hardy barely got his foot on the rope on a pin attempt by Henry, and the show went to break with Matt in peril.

Henry continued his offensive onslaught, giving Matt some shots to the ribs then stepping on his throat. Matt got off the ropes as Mark was going to sit down on him as he had his throat across the ropes in a 619 position. Henry found away to choke Matt on the ropes anyway. Henry missed a sit-down splash and Hardy started his comeback. Side Effect for two from Matt. He knocked Atlas off the apron and Henry pushed Hardy off on a Twist of Fate attempt. But he pushed him right into Jack Swagger, who had come out and entered the ring. Swagger slammed him to the mat, drawing the DQ and the ire of Henry.

WINNER: Hardy, by DQ at 10:05. Well, they sure made Henry look good as he owned that match. I'm surprised they're not putting him on the back-burner with Swagger ready to take over as top heel challenger.

2- PAUL BURCHILL vs. DJ GABRIEL

Burchill was seconded by Katie Lea, and of course Alicia Fox was with Gabriel. I kinda thought Gabriel was a heel. Two Brits going at it here. Couple arm-drags by Gabriel, but Burchill got some shots in himself. Matt Striker gave full background on Burchill, who was making his first ECW appearance. A slight "DJ Gabriel" chant from the crowd. Burchill settled into a chin-lock. Gabriel got a couple elbows in to the chin of Burchill, but Paul came back with some knee drops. Striker even mentioned Burchill was a descendant of Blackbeard the Pirate. Another chin-lock from Paul. Gabriel fought back with a monkey flip but a clothesline to the back of the head by Burchill ended that sequence. Gabriel countered a powerslam with a gutbuster. Gabriel went to the second rope, presumably for his finisher, but Burchill pulled his foot off the rope. Gabriel got the win by rolling over on Burchill and hooking the legs behind him for the three.

WINNER: Gabriel, at 5:32. WWE has shown a penchant for starting someone new off against jobbers, then moving them on to lower card guys. Gabriel has passed the jobber test, so he got Burchill tonight. Still, Burchill got in more offense than I expected.

3- FINLAY & BOOGEYMAN vs. JOHN MORRISON & THE MIZ- NO DISQUALIFICATION MATCH

Early on, Hornswoggle got down behind Miz and Finlay pushed Miz over the little guy. Morrison got involved and the two ended up getting clotheslined outside the ring by Boogeyman. Miz almost got pulled under the ring on the other side by Boogey, then Hornswoggle dove onto the duo. Morrison took out Finlay's leg on the apron and Miz kicked him to ringside. Miz applied a chin-lock to Finlay in the ring. Morrison tagged in and battled Finlay. Shouldn't this be a Tornado Tag match, since it's no-DQ? What's the point of waiting for a tag? Boogeyman was literally foaming at the mouth to get in the ring as Finlay continued to be beaten down. Boogey finally broke up a pin attempt by Morrison and nailed Miz to boot. That gave Finlay time to re-energize and clean house. As Finlay clothesline Miz over the top rope, the legal man Morrison rolled him up for the win.

WINNERS: Miz & Morrison, at 5:54. Finlay wisely did all the work for the faces.

After the match, Finlay did his finisher on Miz after Boogeyman attacked him. The heels made their way up the ramp as Finlay picked some kids from ringside to dance and run around the ring with Hornswoggle. A feel-good way for WWE to end 2008.

[Arcademan]

WWE Smackdown Results: 1-2-09

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Park's complete results)

1- CURT HAWKINS & ZACK RYDER vs. FINLAY & THE GREAT KHALI

Khali immediately took out both men and did the double noggin-knocker. With the ref distracted, Hornswoggle got involved too. Finlay tagged in and dished out some punishment to Hawkins. He then clotheslined Ryder on the outside. That distraction led to some yelling from Hawkins and he took over on offense as well. It's hard to believe how far these two have fallen in the last year; I thought for sure they were destined to be something worth investing in as the EdgeHeads. They're in desperate need of some character advancement though. Finlay came back to make a tag and Khali did some more attacking of both. Punjabi Plunge on Ryder for three.

WINNER: Finlay & Khali, at 4:06. I could see Finlay & Khali becoming a semi-permanent "odd couple" face team.

2- JESSE & FESTUS vs. EZEKIEL JACKSON & THE BRIAN KENDRICK

Oh c'mon, now Ezekiel has the red tights; now he's inviting MORE comparisons to Ahmed Johnson. Some teamwork by the faces cleaned house on the heels. Jesse worked over Kendrick and tagged in Festus. Festus missed a charge but caught Kendrick on a cross-body attempt. But Festus tweaked his knee and Kendrick, then Ezekiel after a tag, honed in on that body part. Festus recovered enough to tag Jesse, who was all over Kendrick. Not much crowd heat for the faces. Eventually, Festus and Zeke got involved. Zeke made a blind tag when Jesse was on offense and surprised the country boy with a uranage to finish them off.

WINNERS: Jackson & Kendrick, at 4:42. And the heels are back on track. This was a bit more energetic than I expected.

3- VLADIMIR KOZLOV vs. HURRICANE HELMS

Kozlov dodged a few Hurri-kicks and went to work on Helms' left arm. Jeez, right off the bat he went for a mat-hold. Helms tried to fight out and came back until Kozlov locked his arms and gave some headbutts to the chest of Helms. Kozlov took Helms down again with the arm. Helms slammed Helms across the top rope, then hit the fallaway slam. Helms got Kozlov down to one knee and attempted the Shining Wizard, but Vlad met him with a headbutt, then his finisher for the win.

WINNER: Kozlov, at 4:18. Got Kozlov more over as a machine, but it wasn't particularly entertaining.

-Coming up next, the Royal Rumble entrants from Smackdown will be announced. I wonder why they decided to forego qualifying matches this year?

-Jim Ross was in the ring to present the Smackdown Royal Rumble participants. Oh, it's only "some" of them. First is Triple H. The Big Show, Vladimir Kozlov and Shelton Benjamin. As JR was going to announce something (or someone) else, Shelton and his music interrupted. He took umbrage with JR simply introducing him as a "participant," rather than the odds-on-favorite he should've been announced as. He told JR to get out of the ring then showed off his US Title and bragged about his title reign thus far. He said no one in the Rumble match can compare with his talents. The Undertaker's voice came over the PA system, the lights went out, and when they came on, he was in the ring. He then chokeslammed Shelton. He was the other participant JR was about to mention.

4- MVP vs. KIZARNY

Before the match, MVP was so down-trodden he just wanted them to bring out whoever his opponent is and to get it over with. No bragging, no nothing. Crowd was chanting for "MVP" at the start, but Kizarny did get a decent pop coming out. Kizarny got some offense then baseball slid MVP to the outside. He dove through the ropes and onto MVP. Cross-body from the second rope got one. MVP headbutted Kizarny in the gut and threw Kizarny to the outside. He hung Kizarny out to dry on the barricade. In the ring, he got a two-count. Waist-lock applied by MVP. MVP stayed on the offense and face-planted him into the mat. Back to the waist-lock. Belly-to-belly throw by MVP, but Kizarny came back with a jaw-breaker. Dropkick to MVP's leg, then a running seated dropkick. Kizarny bounced MVP's head off the three turnbuckles in the corner then made a unique cover on MVP. It only got two. Playmaker was countered with a double-arm roll-up for the pin.

WINNER: Kizarny, at 6:29. I don't know if the finisher was botched or what, but it looked weak. Didn't seem to me to be an impressive debut from the carny.

5- EDGE & BIG SHOW vs. MATT & JEFF HARDY

Edge and Matt Hardy started the match off and then Jeff tagged in and the brothers took out Edge and Show. They tried to throw Edge onto Show,but the big man simply caught him. The heels tried to re-group going into break.

Edge was in control of the WWE Champion out of break. Jeff hit a Whisper in the Wind then Matt came in and missed a moonsault. Edge tagged Big Show who did some damage to Matt. Edge tagged in as the match slowed a bit. He worked the arm and rib area of Matt. Show lifted Matt by the arm and slammed him down. JR compared Show's fingers to railroad spikes and Tazz said they were as thick as sausages. Show and Edge cut off the ring as they worked Matt over. Matt back-dropped Edge but couldn't make the tag as Edge rolled him up for two. Show, unprovoked, walked away from the match and went backstage, just like on the Tribute to the Troops show (only he was provoked by Jericho then). Edge looked confused, but set up to spear Matt. Matt got the boot up then hit a Side Effect and both men were down. Tag was made to Jeff, who hit his usual offense on Edge. Poetry in Motion was hit by the brothers and Matt hit a bulldog. Then he landed the Twist of Fate and tagged Jeff, who hit the Swanton and made the pin.

WINNERS: Matt & Jeff Hardy, at 14:06. Solid main event that set up some things with Edge and Big Show but I hope they don't turn Show face again already.

[Arcademan]

WWE RAW Results: 1-5-09

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). To avoid pop-ups and view condensed in-ring results only, go to Neo-Geo Forum: Official WWE Thread Post #8536.

1 -- SANTINO MARELLA & Women's champion BETH PHOENIX vs. GOLDUST & MELINA

WINNERS: Melina & Goldust in 4:00. Decent set-up for Beth vs. Melina for the belt at the Rumble. Goldust's involvement? Apparently they need to justify having him on the roster. Just fine, though. (3/4*)

2 -- Intercontinental champion WILLIAM REGAL (w/Layla) vs. C.M. PUNK -- IC Title match

WINNER: Punk via DQ in 4:00; Regal retained the IC Title. Well that sucked. At least there's a follow-up re-match, but will anyone care about another IC Title match with a false-start on the first title match of the year? (n/a)

3 -- World tag team champions THE MIZ & JOHN MORRISON vs. REY MYSTERIO & KOFI KINGSTON -- non-title match

WINNERS: Miz & Morrison in 13:00. Nice finish to the match, although we might need a health check on Kofi. Miz & Morrison continue to be a great tandem and Morrison continues to show why the latter part of 2009 should be his break-out time as a singles wrestler. (**1/2)

4 -- JILLIAN HALL vs. KELLY KELLY

WINNER: Kelly in 4:00. Fine. Jillian was able to work in some heel tactics - like screaming - to keep the action intriguing leading to Kelly's comeback. Good set-up for Kane vs. Orton next week. (3/4*)

5 -- CRYME TYME (JTG & SHAD GASPAR) vs. SIM SNUKA & CODY RHODES

WINNERS: Legacy in 6:00. Legacy picks up a predictable win here to apparently remain in the group, but the follow-up after the commercial was pretty interesting... (*)

6 -- WWE World Hvt. champion JOHN CENA & SHAWN MICHAELS vs. RANDY ORTON & CHRIS JERICHO

WINNERS: Cena & Michaels in 16:00. Excellent WWE main event style match that was heavy on storyline to carry the tag team portion of the match. Crowd was red-hot and Cena and Michaels effectively milked those hot tags. Orton was nearly lost in the shuffle while Jericho was great on the heel end of things. Well done to set up next week's blockbuster Raw. (***1/4)

[Arcademan]

ECW on SciFi Results: 1-6-09

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1 -- JACK SWAGGER vs. FINLAY (w/Hornswoggle)

Swagger went to the mat early on, utilizing his amateur acumen, then Finlay got one up on Swagger before making a mock smiley face toward Finlay to mock his Cheshire cat grin. Swagger took exception and grounded Finlay on the mat. Matt Striker said he really likes the name Swagger, as it embodies what he's about. Finlay landed some European uppercuts with a thud as Todd Grisham reminded us that Swagger is the #1 contender to Matt Hardy's ECW Title. Finlay clotheslined Swagger over the top rope at 4:00, then Hornswoggle showed up and attacked Swagger with a splash from the apron. Kids popped. Swagger took exception and chucked Hornswoggle hard into the guardrail. Kids cried and booed. Finlay then came over to Swagger and smashed him into the ringpost before checking on his son. Kids cheered. Let's grab a break.

Back from break, Swagger was in control inside the ring. Excellent belly-to-back suplex from Swagger, who then went to the arm with an arm bar. Finlay tried to fight back, but Swagger came up with a hard clothesline. BTW, Finlay is bleeding from the mouth here. In any event, Swagger stomped away on Finlay in the corner before landing a single-arm DDT. He then landed a high knee square in the face for a two count. Ref asked Finlay if he wanted to quit on another armbar, but Finlay shot back that he ain't quitting.

Match continued at 12:00 with Finlay struggling to escape the arm bar before landed three forearm blows. Swagger scooped him up, though, and nailed a shoulder breaker for another two count. Finlay then avoided a sit-down splash and rallied with a burst of momentum that included a seated butt bomb for a two count. Finlay then landed the rolling rock slam for another two count. Finlay then tried a shoulder tackle, but he smashed his shoulder into the ringpost. Swagger wanted the gut wrench, but Finlay countered into a roll-up for a two count. Swagger was the first one up, but Finlay used a headbutt to subdue Swagger. Swagger then caught Finlay with two knees to the head out of the corner before following right up with a gut wrench powerbomb for the win.

WINNER: Swagger in 15:00. Some people might not have liked this one due to the slow-down nature of the match, but I thought this was an excellent match. Swagger continues to take advantage of every opportunity he's given and advances in the ring every time out. He has "star" written all over him. Good piece of business here to have Swagger pick up a "respectable" victory over Finlay. (**3/4)

2 -- KATIE LEA (w/Paul Burchill) vs. ALICIA FOX (w/D.J. "Colt McCoy" Gabriel)

Alicia was impressive early on, snapping off some nifty aerial moves. She kicked Katie in the gut before landing a "splits-like" leg drop for a two count. Katie then slingshot Alicia throat-first across the middle rope before slamming her to the mat with a backbreaker across her knee for the win.

WINNER: Katie Lea in 3:00. Decent match. Alicia looked impressive in the limited amount of time she had in the ring on offensive. (3/4*)

3 -- THE BOOGEYMAN vs. BRETT IDOL

Boogeyman quickly went to work on Brett and finished him off with a pumphandle slam for the win. Not much here. Squash to re-introduce Boogeyman onto TV. Afterward, Boogeyman grabbed the bag of worms and took a bite of worms before regurgitating onto Brett.

WINNER: Boogeyman in 2:00. Well, it's Boogeyman. (n/a)

4 -- ECW champion MATT HARDY vs. MARK HENRY (w/Tony Atlas) -- non-title match

Henry quickly went to work on Hardy, who's developed a bit of a gut while trying to heal his knee and unable to do as much cardio recently. Before they cut to a mid-match commercial, Hardy knocked Henry to the floor and came off the top with a splash sending both men crashing into the guardrail.

Let's get back to the action with Henry landing a big elevated hanging suplex for a two count. Henry was favoring his left knee while Atlas shouted instructions to continue punishing Hardy into buying the product. Henry out Hardy on the mat and twisted his neck to open up, but Hardy refused to take the product. He then chop-blocked Henry's left knee twice to force him onto the mat.

Hardy teased the Twist of Fate, but Henry blocked, only to take a bulldog from the second rope. Hardy was feeling it and wanted the TofF again, but Henry shoved him down to the mat. He missed with the Big Splash, though, and Hardy got the Twist on the third attempt to score the pin and the win. They replayed the finish, then Grisham and Striker gave a big plug for the Hardy vs. Swagger match next week.

WINNER: Hardy in 11:00. Nice match. One of the better ones in their series. And a good set-up for Hardy vs. Swagger for the strap on next week's show. Good conclusion to a book-end strong show. (**)

[Arcademan]

TNA Impact! Results: 1-8-09

Results courtesy of ProWrestling.net (direct link to Powell's complete report). To view condensed version, go to Neo-Geo Forum: Official WWE Thread Post #8539.

1. Alex Shelley (w/Chris Sabin) defeated Eric Young in an X Division Title tournament match in 4:35.

Powell's POV: It seemed silly that Bashir was allowed to taunt and beat up Sewell whenever he felt like it, but the payoff to this storyline should be fun. I'm also looking forward to the Sabin vs. Shelley finals for the X Division Title on Sunday. The pay-per-view suddenly looks better on paper.

2. Awesome Kong (w/Raisha Saeed, Rhaka Khan, Sojourner Bolt) pinned Madison Rayne in 2:00.

3. Matt Morgan (w/Abyss) defeated Robert Roode (w/James Storm, Jacqueline) via referee stoppage in 4:45.

4. Jay Lethal and Consequences Creed beat Beer Money (w/Jackie) to win the TNA Tag Titles.

Powell's POV: Good match with all three guys working hard, but it took two guys and a briefcase to beat Storm. Tenay talked about how "opportunistic" it was of Lethal and Creed. If they're going to rip off WWE gimmicks, the least they could do is come up with their own adjectives.

5. Kurt Angle defeated B.G. James in a No DQ match in 10:00.

Powell's POV: Kurt should have looked dominant heading into the pay-per-view against a guy that the fans see as a part-time wrestler. At least Angle finished him off clean, which doesn't happen enough in TNA.

[Arcademan]

Source: prowrestling.net

The WWE website features a story that claims Jeff Hardy and his girlfriend Beth were in a car accident in Cameron, N.C. early Friday morning. "Both Jeff and Beth were injured during the accident, but no ambulance was called to the scene." To read the full item, visit WWE.com.

Powell's POV: This is a storyline that will be featured on tonight's Smackdown. Hardy states during an interview that airs on the show that he will appear on next week's show and will defend the WWE Title at the Royal Rumble. The segment actually aired in most overseas markets yesterday. As one of our correspondents noted, there was no story posted on the WWE website for those viewers, and the date that they listed in the police video during the show was a day early.

[Arcademan]

WWE Smackdown Results: 1-9-09

Results courtesy of ProWresting.net (direct link to Shore's complete report) To view condensed version, go to Neo-Geo Forum: Official WWE Thread Post #8544

1. Triple H defeated John Morrison in a Tables Match at 4:23.
Shore’s Slant: So-so table match. I hate gimmick matches on free TV. They always leave something to be desired. Kind of like a $50 whore. It gets the job done, but…eh, it wasn’t as exciting as it should have been.

2. Undertaker defeated Shelton Benjamin at 12:34.
Shore’s Slant: Solid match from these two. Benjamin doesn’t look all that weak in the ring, and Taker builds momentum for the Rumble. I can see now that the Hardy angle is going to irritate the shit out of me. Lovely.

3. The Bella Twins defeated Michelle McCool and Victoria at 3:22.
Shore’s Slant: My wife has figured out how to tell the twins apart. Brie has a tattoo and Not Brie…well…does not. That’s why she’s Not Brie. I have to admit, Michelle McCool has made me care about her more than for the three minutes I’m alone in the bathroom. I mean, I think a lot in the bathroom. You know? I’m just sayin.

4. Triple H defeated Chavo Guerrero and The Miz at 4:18.
Shore’s Slant: Another Smackdown where Triple H is God and the rest of you will bow before him. Ugh.

5. Carlito and Primo Colon defeated The Brian Kendrick and Ezekiel Jackson to retain the World Tag Team Championship at 6:07.
Shore’s Slant: Well color me surprised, I had Zeke and TBK winning that one. I guess it really doesn’t matter as tag belts are bottom rung titles in WWE. Fun match, maybe the best of the night.

6. The Big Show defeated Triple H in a Last Man Standing match at 16:25.
Shore’s Slant: About what I expected from these two on free TV. Not terrible, but not all that good either. I’m still waiting for the sledgehammer to come out. I have to say, I am truly stunned that it never made an appearance. This was a weird show in that it was wrestling heavy, but still annoyed me. Taker/Benjamin was fun, as was the Tag Title match. The main event was OK, but I was tired of Triple H by then. Let’s recap: he ate a table, a couple of stair shots, went through four guys, and still took 16 minutes to be put down. Where does he hide the big *** “S”? The road to the Royal Rumble continues next week. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you then.