1 -- REY MYSTERIO & BRIAN KENDRICK vs. MATT HARDY & SHANNON MOORE
Good start to the show by featuring Rey's energy. Nice to hear the announcers hype his title match and remark that it's Rey's first WrestleMania. "Mattitude will make WrestleMania a success" and "Matt is very humble" were the Mattitude Factoids of the Week. Timely, funny in a Matt Hardy way. They earn a 7 out of 10 this week. In a cool move, Kendrick swung Moore by his legs around and around and then Rey dropkicked Moore's head. Moore tagged in Matt at 1:10. Rey nailed Matt with a dropkick as Matt sat on the mat. Rey and Kendrick looked like the High Flyers with their double-teaming coming off tags to each other. At 2:00 Moore leaped off the top rope and yanked Kendrick's head into the mat as Hardy held him in the air. Hardy powerbombed Kendrick to the Matt with devastating impact. Kendrick came back against Moore with a sweet half-neckbreaker type move into his knee, then hot-tagged Rey who went bananas on Matt. Rey hit a springboard legdrop for a two count; Moore made the save. Kendrick tagged in and nailed Matt with an awesome DDT. Rey yanked Matt over the top rope to the floor. As they brawled at ringside, Moore beat up Kendrick in the ring. As soon as Kendrick came back, Matt finished off Kendrick with his finisher. Rey went after Hardy after the match, then gave Moore his 619 and West Coast Pop. Matt, though, then hit Rey with his Twist of Fate and stood over him with building eyes.
WINNERS: Hardy & Moore at 5:12.
STAR RATING: **3/4 -- About as good as a five minute tag match can get. If anything, Matt's temporary move to the Cruiserweight division shows how much bigger he is than the real cruiserweights. Kendrick's execution looks really sharp.
-They showed Hulk Hogan arriving at the arena with his son Nicholas and Jimmy Hart (who is starting to show his age... finally).
-Roddy Piper talked about Hulk Hogan vs. Vince McMahon. WWE sure is burying hatchets in order to bring the heavy-hitters in to talk about the first Hogan-McMahon match. The only problem is it seems almost no one cares about the match and even fewer cares about those old-timers hyping the match. But, the match had to be done, and it makes sense to hype it to the moon. They key is can McMahon keep in perspective the fair amount of hype relative to the other matches. I guarantee McMahon doesn't realize that in the real world, among the demographic most likely to be ordering WM this year, there is as much potential interest in Matt Hardy vs. Rey Mysterio drawing buys. In fact, I guarantee that notion seems absolutely absurd to him. But that's how out of touch he is with his own self-perception. If Rey-Matt got half the hype that McMahon-Hogan is getting, it'd be a major selling point for the PPV because there's a huge demographic that WWE isn't catering to - those who want their own generation of wrestlers to latch on to. But if the existing new generation is treated as inconsequential mid-carders, that's what they'll be perceived as.
[commercial break]
-A video highlight package aired of what happened last week at the end of Smackdown between McMahon and Hogan. Considering the rating dropped for that segment on Smackdown last week and on Raw when it was replayed this week, it makes sense they'd show it again - this time in the middle of the show when viewers are less likely to tune out because they're bored with it.
-Hulk Hogan came out and got his usual big pop. Bigger than anything Steve Austin is getting these days. Hogan then milked it a bit too much as usual, standing there as the fans in the arena amused themselves while viewers flipped to see if something cool was on MTV or Comedy Central. Hogan said he's had a business relationship with McMahon off and on for 20 years. He said he realizes he's never really known the man. He said he's seen him do unsavory and illegal things, but "I never realized how twisted Vince McMahon really is." He said he was so upset with what McMahon did to him last week, he agreed to make it a street fight at WM. He said he is ready to "step up to the plate and reach all new highs and dig deep in the gutter and reach all new lows." He hinted that he might be making his last stand; he said he just doesn't know the future of Hulkamania.
[commercial break]
2 -- EDDIE GUERRERO (w/Chavo Guerrero) vs. CHARLIE HAAS (w/Shelton Benjamin)
Back to this millennium, another good in-ring match-up. A loud "Eddie, Eddie" chant got going early. After Guerrero favored his sore shoulder, Haas worked over the shoulder for the rest of the match. Guerrero fought back and scored a pin out of nowhere with a roll-up.
WINNER: Guerrero.
STAR RATING: *1/2 -- Okay match. More oriented toward mat work than highspots, but it set the stage for WM.
-Josh Matthews caught up with John Cena who rapped all over Brock Lesnar and said he was going to call out Lesnar. He also threw in a few vintage Karate Kid ("Wax on, wax off") references.
-A skit aired of the FBI (Chuck Palumbo, Johnny Stambolli, Nunzio) taking out someone on the street behind a building off camera, then blaming it on a "bad fall."
[commercial break]
-Lesnar, with his usual thimble full of charisma, said he didn't care if Cena called him out.
-Nathan Jones proudly showed off to Undertaker that he had attacked Palumbo backstage. Taker chuckled and then told Jones he needed to have a talk with him about what was okay and not okay about what he just did.
-They showed a Vince McMahon training video. It began with Vince and Shane McMahon arriving at the workout center. Vince beat up Tom Prichard in the ring. They made it seem as if Vince lost his temper and "beat up Tom for real." Man, that convinced me that Vince might lose his temper in the ring with Hogan and really beat him up, too. And you know what, in a real fight, I bet Vince would kick Hulk's ass.
-Backstage Jamie Noble and Nidia came across a blown up cover of Torrie Wilson on the cover of Playboy. Nidia got upset and couldn't believe Playboy chose Torrie over her. She said by the end of the night, she wouldn't be pretty anymore.
-They showed Torrie warming up backstage while sucking on an "energy sucker."
[commercial break]
-Footage aired of a press conference for the Torrie Wilson Playboy shoot (how did Ted Koppel choose between that and Iraq?). Stephanie McMahon said Torrie has the best body of anyone she's ever seen. Torrie said the no. 1 reason her fans should buy this is because nobody's ever seen her like this before. She said he is really sexy.
3 -- NIDIA (w/Jamie Noble) vs. TORRIE WILSON
Torrie dominated early until Noble tripped her running off the ropes. Torrie slammed Nidia face-first into the mat and scored the pin.
WINNER: Torrie at 2:17.
STAR RATING: 1/2* -- Fine for what it was.
-They showed A-Train and Big Show backstage. They ran into Nathan Jones. Show said the time he spent in prison brings new meaning to the term "down under." Jones seemed a bit psychotically bothered by their comments.
[commercial break]
-Sean O'Haire is back. This time he told us to eat whatever we want no matter how much fat and sugar is in it. His push has been cut back lately because his dark matches were so bad, they felt he wasn't ready for his push.
4 -- BIG SHOW & A-TRAIN vs. RHYNO & CHRIS BENOIT
Tazz said A-Train is a breakout athlete in his opinion. Train began with aggressive offensive blows against Rhyno, but Rhyno fought back and then tagged in Benoit. Benoit chopped away at Train. Show tagged in at 2:00 and flattened Benoit with a clothesline and a big beale throw. At 5:45 Benoit gave Train a German suplex and tag-tagged Rhyno at 6:10. Rhyno punched Show off the apron and then ducked a Train clothesline and took Train down with a flying clothesline. He speared Show in the corner, then belly-to-belly suplexed Train. Show then clubbed Rhyno from behind. Jones entered the ring and nailed Show from from behind prompting the DQ. Undertaker ran to the ring to help even the odds as Show and Train began to overwhelm Jones. Jones clotheslined Train over the top rope. Taker did the same to Show a few seconds later.
WINNERS: Benoit & Rhyno via DQ at 6:55.
STAR RATING: *3/4 -- Solid tag match. It told a good story. The DQ finish made sense in terms of building toward WM.
-Kurt Angle asked people backstage if they knew where Brock's dressing room was. Cole said things were about to get interesting.
[commercial break]
-The commercial break included an ad for Confidential this Saturday night featuring Jimmy Hart's version of the Hulk Hogan-Vince McMahon story.
-Angle went face-to-face with Brock in his locker room. He told him that no matter who wins at WM, it will set the bar for all of wrestling because they are both the best and both winners. "Whether you pulverize me or end my career, that's okay, because I've done it all," Angle said. He also said he might make this Brock's last WM match. He said if he has a chance to end Brock's career, he won't think twice about it. Brock replied that after what he did to him last week, some might think it took courage for him to approach him like this. He said it didn't take guts, though, because everyone knows the only times he's going after him is when it means something, and that's Sunday at WrestleMania. He said he prays that Kurt brings everything he has because that title belt means more to him than anything else in the world. He agreed they are going to raise the standard. Good, low-key promo that got across the rivalry and the prestige of the title. Brock concluded: "I'm a 292 pound big frickin' kid. That's what I am, Kurt. And this kid, come Sunday, is going to come and get the WWE Title. Know something else? Here comes the pain."
-A workout video aired on Vince McMahon. This is a living, breathing (for now) example of why promoters and bookers shouldn't put themselves on TV. As if Vince Russo and Stephanie McMahon weren't convincing enough as recent examples.
-Gene Okerlund talked about the Vince-Hogan match. He went out on a limb and said Hogan is a "slight favorite" because he doesn't have the "wrestling credentials" nor the "fan support" that Hogan has. That was just absurd. The fact that this is being treated as an even fight is ludicrous within the fictional world of WWE. I mean, Vince is a bodybuilder, not a wrestler or even a fighter. Hogan is a multi-time world champ and is 9 years younger than McMahon. I'll say it again: This is a living, breathing (for now) example of why promoters and bookers shouldn't put themselves on TV.
-Cole and Tazz previewed the entire WrestleMania line-up.
[commercial break]
5 -- CHAVO GUERRERO (w/Eddie) vs. SHELTON BENJAMIN (w/Haas)
They began with mat wrestling. When Haas attempted to interfere, Guerrero stopped him and rammed him into the ringpost. After the match, Benoit and Rhyno came to the ring. Benoit put Haas in the Crippler Crossface, but Rhyno quickly got him to release it and convinced him to wait until Sunday.
WINNER: Chavo Guerrero with a roll-up at 6:20.
STAR RATING: * -- Pretty one-dimensional with just mat wrestling.
-John Cena was shown backstage. He switched from a Philadelphia Phillies jersey to an Atlanta Hawks jersey. Hey, if nothing else, he's not trendy with his jerseys.
-Upcoming Smackdown live events were plugged.
[commercial break]
6 -- JOHN CENA vs. RIKISHI
Cole said Cena sang his own new theme song and listed several rappers whom he worked with when producing the song. It tells you what they think of Rikishi when they spend the show hyping Cena's return to the ring and don't even mention that his opponent was scheduled to be Rikishi. I'm not criticizing the move because the last thing you want to do is advertise that the TV main event is Rikishi. Cena attacked Rikishi aggressively to start. Rikishi fought back quickly. They brawled at ringside briefly, then returned to the ring where Cena applied a chinlock/armbar/leg scissors combination. To every wrestler who's every grabbed a headlock or chinlock at this place in their matches (D-Lo and Goldust come to mind), here is one of many options that won't immediately turn off the fans because it shows some innovation. Rikishi fought back with a vicious clothesline at 3:15 followed by a sidekick. Rikishi then charged Cena in the corner and rubbed his ass in Cena's face. Rikishi went for his corner splash, but Cena lifted his knees. The ref then went down. Cena grabbed a chain and KO'd Rikishi. He then covered Rikishi but only got a two count. Cena begged Rikishi to get up. Rikishi was very slow to rise, doing a good job selling the brass knuckles blow, but when he did rise, Cena gave him a Death Valley Driver for the win.
WINNER: Cena at 5:22.
STAR RATING: *1/4 -- Decent match. Cena shouldn't have needed to use brass knuckles to weaken Rikishi considering April's house shows are dependent on Cena being taken seriously as a World Title main event opponent for Brock coming out of WrestleMania.
-After the match, Cena asked if Brock now sees that he's to be taken seriously. Brock didn't come out, so Cena said he'd go looking for him.
[commercial break]
-Arnold Schwarzenegger picked Hogan to beat McMahon, again as if it is an even match-up. He said he likes McMahon more and he deserves credit for Hulkamania, though.
-Cena found Lesnar backstage and the two had a stiff brawl backstage for a few seconds. Angle then nailed Brock with a two-by-four from behind. Taz sold it as if Brock would have injured ribs at WrestleMania.
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Topic: Spoilers For SD! (Read 331 times) Share