09/28 WWE Unforgiven PPV ongoing "virtual time" detailed coverage
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WWE UNFORGIVEN
PPV
SEPTEMBER 28, 2003
LIVE FROM HERSHEY, PA
-JR and The King welcome us to the show as the usual pyros explode on stage. Ross hypes up the World Title match and Ric Flairs announcement of a new General Manager before Uncle Kracker starts to play and we´re already ready for our first match...
1--X-PAC AND JUSTIN CREDIBLE vs. BATISTA AND SUFFERING
The match start off with X-Pac, having more guts than brains says JR, facing up to Batista. The former Deacon instantly turns him inside out with a massive clothesline before shaking him up by the black shorts with purple X-Factor logo he´s wearing. Batista arrogantly kicks him up the backside sending him sprawling into the corner. X-Pac uses the ropes to help himself up and showing no fear gestures with both hands for Batista to bring it. He does just that and scoops him up, body pressing him. Batista drops him to the mat, and calls for a powerbomb, pulling up X-Pac by the head and thrusting it between his legs. Batista wastes time taunting Justin Credible and X-Pac scores with the back drop. The crowd cheer as he reachs out to make a tag to Credible, but Batista is up quick and grabs his leg. X-Pac jumps, flinging his leg
behind Batistas head - enzuguri. X-Pac crawls to Justin Credible - makes the tag. Credible explodes, going after Batista with a fury, kicking him about the midsection. Batista shows amazing fortitude however and gets up under the torant of blows. Batista goes for the clothesline again, ducked by Credible, comes around behind Batista who spins to face him, gut kick by Credible - DDT. The cover is made - one, two, no Batista powers out, throwing Credible halfway across the ring. Justin looks shocked but makes the best of it, going to the corner to stalk the rising Batista, maybe for a superkick. Thats exactly what it is as he lets fly as Batista rises - caught by monster, spins Credible around, kick to the gut, the head is placed, Justins hoisted - sitdown powerbomb. Batista rolls over him for the cover, one, two, threno
Credible somehow kicks out. Batista is enraged and takes a savage kick at Justins head before lumbering over to Suffering to make a tag. The two both pick up Credible, grabbing him around the neck and hoisting him before slamming him to the mat for what JR called a flapjack but quite clearly wasn´t. Suffering makes a cover for a sure pin, one, two, threbroken up by X-Pac. Batista has had enough of the X-Factor member and charges like a bull, sending X-Pac through the rope and his momentum sending him out with him. Batista begins to pummel at his head while meanwhile in the ring Suffering is doing the same to Justin Credible. Suffering pulls him up and gets the Irish Whip into the corner. Suffering charges at him, after a shoulder block maybe but Credible gets the foot up, sending it into Sufferings face.
Suffering staggers backwards allowing Credible to scoop him up over his shoulder, Justin looks to be going for the Thats Incredible Tombstone but as he centralizes him Suffering desperatly headbutts him in the groin and both men go down. Suffering manages to hook the leg - two count. Batista meanwhile throws X-Pac over the barrier into the crowd after a vicious beating and makes back for the ring. Suffering pulls up Credible and both men score with the double whip, Batista gets the gut kick - Depression DDT by Suffering. The leg is hooked, one, two, three. Batista and Suffering pick up the victory.
WINNERS: Batista and Suffering in 12:51
STAR RATING: **
A good opener, the team of Batista and Suffering look more impressive by the week but i don´t expect them to be a perminant team. X-Pac and Justin Credible play the underdogs well but i´d like to see them against Los Conquistadors and Los Gringos Locos as the feud with Rey Mysterio and Billy Kidman was where they first made their name as a tag team to contend with.
-We fade into the parking lot to see Vince McMahon and his stooges nervously waiting for somebody. We´ll soon find out who as a huge limo pulls up and Brisco opens the door. Massive pop as Flair gets out, looking annoyed at the welcoming party. The crowd are mixed as Triple H also steps from the limo. Helmsley gently pushs Brisco away and blocks the others from getting near Flair as he leaves with him. Vince seems angry at the brush off from Flair and JR speculates that now seems to be a fully fledged Helmsley/Flair alliance as we go ringside
2--MINISTRY OF DESTRUCTION vs. THE INSIDERS
Bar room brawl for the tag team number one contendership
The match takes place in what appears to be a genuine bar and is broadcast to the crowd via the TitanTron. Nathan locks up with Nash as Forxx tackles Hall. The Bad Guy is whipped into a table before Forxx picks up a bar stool and hits him over the head hit it. The cover results in a two count and Forxx starts to brawl with him, meanwhile Nathan is dodging Big Sexy whoÊ´s swinging a bottle at him. Nathan staggers backward and to avoid Kevin leaps onto the bar itself before leasing off - scores with a flying clothesline. Scott Hall meanwhile is winning his brawl with with Forxx and grabs his head, running toward a window with evil intentions. Nathan quickly intercepts him with a shoulder charge. He has saved his partner but it´s never wise to turn your back on Kevin Nash and with a dull thud the Insider brings down an ashtray on
the back of Nathans head. Nash drags him up, placing his head between his legs, Nathan is hoisted up in a fantastic show of strength by Big Sexy, Nash turns in midair - Jacknife through a table. Nash goes down quickly, hooking the leg, one, two, threno Forxx breaks it at the last second. Nash gets up and grabs Forxx, flinging him across the room toward a pool table stood off to one side. Forxx grabs the first thing to hand, a pool cue and thrusts it forward, landing point first into Nash´s testicles. Nash crys out, tears in his eyes before falling to the floor in agony. Scott Hall rushs to his friends aid but gets caught by Forxx´s outstreched hand, he wastes no time in hoisting him up and spinning around to plant him through the pool table with an almighty chokeslam. Forxx covers amongst the carnage - one, two, three, MoD win.
After the bell Forxx helps up Nathan and both get a Bud from behind the bar in celebration.
WINNER: MoD at 16:00 to become number one contenders
STAR RATING: ***
Typical hardcore big man action, the crowd loved it and popped for all the spots. Nathan looks to be a potential break out star this coming year and those comparisons with the Undertaker are entirely justified.
-We join The Coach in the interview area with Rey Mysterio and Juan Sanchez. He asks their feelings going into the match up, with the possibility of equalling the legendary Mare-Wolfs three World Tag Team Championships. Rey said that its a great honor to be mentioned it the same breath as such a team and went on that never dreamt when he started wrestling as a young boy in Mexico he would be on the verge of this today. Sanchez added that is a great opertunity not only for the team but for all of Mexican wrestling, they intend to go out there and put on the best match they can in the spirit of Mexico. The crowd cheer, solidly behind the team as they leave
3--LOS GRINGOS LOCOS vs. LOS CONQUISTADORS
World Tag Team Championships
Eddie and Rey start the match up fresh off their fantastic ladder match this past monday. Eddie locked up and got a side headlock, Rey pushs him away into the ropes, roll up on the rebound, bridges out, one count only. Rey comes off the ropes himself but the rising Guerrero counters it with an arm drag and a second, finally taking down Rey Rey with a dropkick. Art Barr is tagged in and we´re going to have the first high flying action of the match it would seem as he mounts the turnbuckle and comes off with an attempted Frog Splash - and scores, lateral press - one, two, broken by Sanchez with a springboard leg drop to the back of Art´s head. The ref quickly gets him out and Rey grabs Love Machine by his long hair, pulling him up, Rey jumps onto his shoulders maybe attempting a tornado DDT but Art has it well scouted and runs
backward, tipping Mysterio over to the mats below. Love Machine quickly runs to the center of the ring and then at the ropes, jumps - summosalt plancha over the ropes to the outside to a huge pop. Art gets up off Mysterio and plays to the crowd milking the reaction. Juan Sanchez can´t stand it and bounds into the ring himself, running at the ropes and flying over them - corkscrew plancha landing right on top of Art Barr to an even bigger reaction. Eddie decides to join in the acrobatics and climbs the turnbuckle, flying off and taking down Sanchez with a clothesline all the way to the outside. Guerrero help Art up and both men slide back in, maybe hoping for a countout. They´re out of luck however as both Conquistadors get back up and Rey slides into the ring. Art Barr grabs him and scoops him up after the tombstone, he´s
centered - Rey counters into the Hurrcanrana and leaps to make the hot tag to Sanchez. Juan explodes, dropkicking Art, arm drag to Guerrero as he gets in, trying to stop to momentum, arm drag to Art, DDT to Eddie, kicks Art in the gut, grabs the head after the stunner - and scores. The leg is hooked - one, two, broken up by Eddie. Rey Rey is fast off the mark to take out Guerrero, Irish Whipping him into the ropes, Rey goes down to the mat as he rebounds - monkey flip. Eddie gets right up but not for long, as he runs at him Rey Rey scores with the drop toe hold onto the ropes. He calls for the 619, runs at the ropes, swings his legs around - hits a homer. Meanwhile Art has the better of Sanchez, beating him into the corner, Irish Whip to the opposite corner, Art runs after him but Sanchez slingshots over and comes down behind
him. Love Machine spins round - superkick by Juan Sanchez. He falls on top, hooking the leg - one, two, three, the crowd explode in ovation and JR goes nuts. Los Conquistadors win it.
WINNERS: Los Conquistadors at 12:36 to win the World Tag Team Championships
STAR RATING: ****1/4
A fantastic match, pure spot fest with plenty of near falls. This match put a lot of Mexican Lucha to shame, quite possibly match of the night. A well deserved third tag team title for Los Conquistadors and i can see this feud running and running.
-The crowd roar as the drum beats start and Goldbergs theme plays. We go backstage and the camera moves slowly up to his dressing room door, it bursts open and a psyched up Goldberg bursts through in black and white shorts with his logo on the back. Da Man marchs toward the entrance, almost growling. Ring hands wisely leap aside as we goto the other side...
4--GOLDBERG vs. TRIPLE H
Should Triple H win he receives a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship, should Goldberg win then Scorpio will return to the Raw roster, no matter who wins the loser will be indefinatly suspended
Goldberg explodes onto stage to a fantastic pop and marchs to the ring. Triple H also receives quite a number of cheers as he makes his equally impressive entrance to Motorhead. Goldberg gets an early advantage, taking down Triple H with a shoulder block and a second as Helmsley tries to get up. Trips moves back to his corner to maybe rethink his game plan before he locks up with Goldberg. Trips gets in a big punch to little effect as Da Man just grins, seemingly liking it. Trips punchs him again but again its no sold and Trips goes to the ropes, bouncing off them toward Goldberg. Da Man uses his momentum against him and dodges to one side, catching The Game in the side of the head with a thrust kick. Goldberg goes for the cover but Trips us up on the one count. Goldberg backs away maybe thinking of a spear, it looks to be the
case as he takes up the three point stance. Trips is up, Da Man charges - right into the corner post as Helmsley dodges aside. Trips makes the most of the situation and as Goldberg staggers backward scores with the chop block to take Goldberg down to the mat. The Celebral Assassin starts to work on the shoulder and arm that just hit the post, locking in an armbar. Goldberg cries out but uses his famous strength to crawl to the ropes quickly and grab them. Triple H is annoyed and pulls Goldberg away and grabs his head, maybe looking for the pedigree. Triple H doesnt see Goldberg rearing back until its too late and from nowhere at close range Goldberg scores with a spear. The angry Goldberg isn´t done however and leaps up with a roar, drawing a finger across his throat as the crowd chant his name. Goldberg wants a second spear
and takes the stance again. Trips gets to his knees and then to his feet, Goldberg charges again - Trips throws the referee in the way and Teddy Long is speared out of his shoes. The Game can´t believe his luck and as Da Man calls for help for Long he gets out of the ring, producing his trusty sledgehammer. Goldberg sees him and hangs over the ropes hurling threats at Helmsley, it´s an unwise move, Triple H swings the hammer upward as if swinging at a high baseball and smashs Goldberg in the face to the shock of the announcers and crowd. Trips gets back in and as a second referee runs down turns the bloody and clearly knocked out Goldberg onto his back. The leg is hooked and the count made, one, two, three. Triple H wins to the horror of JR.
WINNER: Triple H at 10:11
STAR RATING: **
This match was never going to be pretty and it wasn´t. Goldberg hit all his power moves to huge pops from the crowd, he his well over at the moment and his taking time off is a real shame. Triple H seems to be getting back over with the crowd again after a drifting in Shawn Michaels shadow and is getting a suprising face reaction quite often, i wouldn´t be suprised at a face turn down the road. Good match and i can´t wait to see where they´re going either with Triple H as number one contender or with Goldberg indefinatly suspended...
-Backstage we find Mav, apparently briefing his six lumberjacks, they are Pat Patterson, Gerald Brisco, Sycho Sid, Chyna, Big Bossman and....no sixth man. Mav looks thoughful, then worried, he grabs Patterson and asks him why he only has five lumberjacks. Pat says thats all he could find, everybody else is booked in a match. Mav grabs him by the shirt and tells him that later tonight he´s going to become Intercontinental Champion for a second time, that´ll give him an enormous amount of power, so unless Patterson wants to be fighting Batista next week he´d better go find a sixth. The Stooge looks ready to crap himself as he furiously nods and runs off and we fade
5-- SHOWTIME vs. MAV
Intercontinental Championship, lumberjack ladder match
Mav and his five lumberjacks come out together and before we get started Mav asks Patterson if he´s found a sixth. A nervous Patterson says he has, Mav looks pleased and asks who? Jonathan Coachman replies Patterson as the man himself starts to make his way down the ailse looking smug. Mav nearly has a fit and warns Coach that he better do what hes told or he´d make sure he stays on Heat for the rest of his career, Mav tells Patterson that his entire career has been a history of cock ups, in every sense of the phrase and he´d make sure he got what was coming to him at Raw. Showtime swaggers down, belt around his waist, he inspects the ladders in the ailse. JR points out to get one Show would have to get through the lumberjacks. The gold is paraded and this unique match is underway.
Show gets an early arm drag to his challenger and after ducking a clothesline scores with a front dropkick to the chest sending Mav into the corner. Show makes his way over, dodging an attempted trip by Sid to climb up and start ten punchs into Mav´s head, the crowd count along with him but as he reachs four Mav gets a surge of adrenaline and manages to pick him up and drop him for an atomic drop. Show drops to the mat clutching his ankles as Mav quickly jumps the corner post and comes flying off with a leg drop across Shows throat. He looks up to the belt suspended high above and decides to go get a ladder. The lumberjacks part to allow him through and he picks up the first ladder in the ailse way, bringing it back to the ring. Once inside he starts to set it up by Showtimes recovering so he leaves it propped up in the corner.
Mav grabs Show with the obvious intention of whipping him into it, the whip is reversed by the champion however and Mav crashs face first into the metal and falls to the canvas. Show lays the ladder over Mav´s prone form and leaps onto the turnbuckle - Showsplash onto the ladder, drilling it into Mavs ribs and suicidelly into his own. Both men wither in pain but its Show up first, clutching his ribs he picks up the ladder - its broken. The top has cracked and can´t be stood up. Showtime thinks fast, he needs a ladder so that means getting past the lumberjacks. Show moves to the ropes and all six men follow. Show quickly throws the ladder over the top rope and it lands on four of the five, flattening The Stooges, Bossman and Sid. Show flys over the ropes with a HBK style bodypress to Chyna and as Coach comes for some he gets
taken out with a superkick. The crowd by now are cheering like mad and going nuts for the display as Show quickly runs up the ailse and grabs the next ladder, running back to the ring and sliding it in. Show quickly sets it up and starts to climb but by now Mav has recovered and he quickly starts to climb the other side. Both exchange blows at the top of the ladder and Show starts to wobble, Mav gets right to the top and flips over him, grabbing the legs - sunset flip into a powerbomb off the ladder. It looks like Showtime is done for particually as Mav didn´t take any of the move and is instantly recovered. The challenger starts to reclimb the ladder but as he gets to about halfway Showtime flips up to a great pop and pushs the ladder toward the ring barrier - Mav flys off and lands groin first on the top rope.
Showtime pulls him off violently and stands the ladder on top of him, pinning him to the mat. Show yet again begins to climb after the belt but this time the lumberjacks, seeing the danger start to distract the referee and Sid jumps onto the apron. Showtime doesn´t care however, knowing all he has do is unhook the belt, whether the referee sees it doesn´t really matter. But Sid´s intention isn´t to distract the zebra, the others are doing that well enough. As the ref´s back is turned Sid climbs into the ring and tips over the ladder sending its occupant sailing over the ropes to the outside amongst the pack of wolves. The five start to kick and punch at Showtime, including Coach who seems to be enjoying himself. Meanwhile in the ring Sid helps up Mav and the ladder is put up again, Mav begins to climb. On the outside the rest
X-Factor run down to try and help Show and succeed in getting the rabble of their leader. Show desperatly climbs back into the ring and Mav nears the top of the ladder. Show runs at it - and lands in Sycho Sids outstreched hand - Chokeslam. Mav unhooks the belt as the bell goes and referees run down the seperate The Corporation and X-Factor. Mav wins the match and his second Intercontinental Championship.
WINNER: Mav at 18:48 to win the Intercontinental Championship
STAR RATING: ****
A great match, both Showtime and Mav are perfectly built for a ladder match. The Coach as a lumberjack was an interesting move and may help to develop him a character past the bland babyface interviewer role. Mav´s altercation with Patterson also shows further division with The Corporation and i hope the angle is explored in more depth. The Intercontinental Championship was traditionally used as a stepping stone, the belt you won on your way to the World Heavyweight Championship and on recent preformances i can see both of these men reaching that summit.
"WHOOO!" Also Sprach Zaphrausa hits to a huge pop and The Nature Boy struts out onto stage. Flair makes his way down to the ailse and into the ring, taking the mic. Flair says that he witnessed two very different shows, on the one hand they had Vinces show and he has to thank Vince McMahon, not for the reason Vince wanted but because his match with Shawn Michaels gave him back his desire and proved to the world he could still go. Secondly we have Hulk Hogans Raw, a Raw designed for the fans, built around a brilliant concept called Raw roulette. So the question is does he pick a General Manager from selfish reasons or does he pick one for the fans? Before Flair can go any further No Chance In Hell hits to resounding jeers and Vince marchs out and down the ramp, swagger in tact.
Flair sighs as his old enemy from their 50/50 owners days gets in and take a second mic. Vince tells him to hold on a second and consider a few things, he just said he had proved to the world he can still go, so surely the World Title is in his mind again. He´ll get shot after shot at it with Vince as General Manager. He already has a DVD on the market, with Vince as General Manager Flair will get deal after deal, movie roles, anything he wants, he´ll have it handed to him on a plate. The Nature Boy tells Vince that he doesn´t want anything handed to him, he wants to earn it, he didnt have any of his sixteen World Titles handed to him, he got them by being the best in the world and he isn´t about to start at Seventeen. McMahon begins to panic, fearing he´s made a mistake and angerly tells Flair that if he doesn´t make him GM
Godammit heÊ´ll have the board remove him as CEO. Flair seems amused but before he can respond Voodoo Child hits to a great ovation and The Hulkster accompanied by Eric Bischoff bounds onto stage. The pair come down the ramp and join Flair and Vince in the ring. JR comments that there four men are quite possibly the four most powerful men in the history of sports entertainment at Hogan begins to say his piece. Hogan tells Flair that this will change the future not only of Raw, not only the WWE but the careers of every superstar in the back. He says that Flair must decide who is the best man to please these fans and to look after the interests of superstars like Batista, Suffering, Nathan James, Mav and Goldberg, the future of this company. Is it Hulk Hogan or is it Vince McMahon?
Flair says he´s heard convincing arguments from both, but he finds the bad outweighs the good in both cases. Vince McMahon is quite possibly the biggest bastard to ever work in business or wrestling, he´s only out for himself and how much money he can make. Hogan? Flair says he believes Hogan only has the interests of the superstars and fans at heart but that can be a bad thing, that would stop him making the hard decisions that are a vital part of being General Manager, the ideal situation would be for them to work together but that isn´t going to happen. Flair said that he said at Unforgiven he would choose a new General Manager, never did he say it would be Hulk Hogan or Vince McMahon. He has chosen a creative genius, maybe even better that Vince, a man who can offer strong leadership without being selfservant, ladies and
gentlemen the inventor of the Raw roulette - Eric Bischoff. Mixed crowd reaction but as Hogan shakes Bischoffs hand and Vince throws a mini tantrum they get more behind Bisch. King is very in favor but JR urges caution, reminding us of his last period in charge of Raw. Vince meanwhile hurls abuse at Flair, telling him that he´ll be fired. All four men exit, and as they do unseen to everybody but the camera Bischoff gives a sly grin...
6-- FIRST BLOOD: SILENT ASSASSIN vs STEVE AUSTIN
Both men lock up early with Assassin getting the best of it with a headlock takedown into the early sleeper. Austin isn´t in it long however and works his way back on to a vertical base. Before the momentum can change SA breaks away and comes off the ropes after a spear maybe but Stone Cold has it scouted, leaping and scoring with the Lou Thez Press. Austin hammers away at his opponents face before jumping off and coming off the ropes himself to score with his trademark elbow drop. Austin takes the opertunity to leave the ring, rolling under the bottom rope and going to get a chair. Before he can get back in with it however Assassin takes him down with a baseball slide, sending him into the barrier. SA climbs out himself and picks up Steve by his bald head and throwing him into the ringpost. Austin doesnt bleed however and SA
takes up the chair. He grabs Austin, placing his head on the ring steps - and brings down the chair - nobody home, Austin rolls aside. Stone Cold quickly roots under the apron as SA realises what happened and finds an extinquisher. Austin shrugs, feeling its better than nothing and sprays it at the advancing Assassin. Austin drops it, runs at SA - a spear into the ring steps. Insult and injury. Assassin cries out in pain as his back is smashed into the metal but worse is to come as Steve, now with more time to look, produces a table from under the ring to a great pop. Austin sets up the wood at ringside before grabbing SA and throwing him onto it. Austin climbs up too and picks Assassin up, looks like he´s going for a DDT but SA is struggling and manages to kick Austin in the midsection - SA scores with the DDT through the wood
Both men stay down, neither busted open. Unsuprisingly its Assassin who gets up first and after seeing Austin isnÊÊ´t busted goes back to the chair. SA places it over AustinÊÊ´s head and steps up onto the barrier - Leg Drop. The juice doesnÊÊ´t flow however and Austin begins to rise, SA steps back, stalking the rising Rattlesnake with the metal. As he gets to his feet Assassin swings - ducked by Austin, gut kick, grabs the head, spins - Stone Cold Stunner. Austin grins and instantly pulls something out from under the ring - a tool box. JR is enraged as Austin produces a screwdriver and tries to stab SA in the face. Assassin grabs his arms trying to stop him but can only deflect the blow and Stone Cold manages to scratch him, drawing blood. Jerry Lawler shouts for the bell as does Austin but the referee Jack Doan lets the match
continue, judging that Assassins wound is not sufficient. Stone Cold is enraged and goes back to the took box, this time producing a deadly looking claw hammer. He´ll kill him cries out Ross as Austin brings it down toward Assassin on the mats, SA rolls aside and scrambles up, trying to make it to safety. Austin scrambles after him and the quick thinking Assassin jumps aside and manages to score with the drop toe hold. He looks around for a weapon and sees a man with a glass of beer in the front row, SA grabs it just as Steve gets up. Assassin swings it at Austin´s face - smashing it into it in a shower of glass and blood. The bell is instantly rung as Assassin is given the victory.
WINNER: Silent Assassin in 27:02
STAR RATING: ***3/4
An excellent match to bring the feud to a close although unlike the match with Shawn Michaels at SummerSlam i expect these two´ll meet again someday. The stipulation is a good one and the crowd were into it, i expect it to be used again.
-An advert plays for the Ric Flair DVD, showing his early matchs with Ricky Steamboat, Harley Race and Dusty Rhodes right up to date with his alliance with Nightmare and matchs with RVD, WDS and HBK. The Ultimate Ric Flair Collection, in stores now.
-We join Hulk Hogan backstage with Terri (Whats happened to Mean Gene?), Terri asks Hogan his feeling on his match tonight, teaming with Ric Flair and on losing the General Managers job to Eric Bischoff. Hogan is in usual form, just swapping brothers for sisters and dudes to dudettes to humourous effect. Hogan says he´s pleased with Eric Bischoff becoming General Manager, anybody must be better than Vince McMahon and tonight he could have nobody better in his corner than Ric Flair, the dirtyest player in the game, injured or not. Tonight he´s going to put the final nail in The Corporations coffin by defeating Shawn Michaels and once again becoming World Heavyweight Champion. Whats HBK gonna do, when The Hulkster, The Nature Boy , two sets of pythons and Hulkamania run wild on him? Whats he gonna do?
7-- SHAWN MICHAELS vs. HULK HOGAN (w/Ric Flair)
World Heavyweight Championship
Hogan comes out with Flair, who´d have thought we´d ever see these two team up? to an amazing pop, reminisant of their glory days in the 80s. The fans are really marking out for Flair at the moment. There didn´t seem to be any tension between the two over Flair´s General Manager decision. Michaels was jeered big time, he makes a fantastic heel. The crowd got worse as Kevin Nash and Scott Hall came out behind him but the flashbulbs went crazy. This was eeiryly like Michaels first appearance on his return last year and the nWo era. Lawler and JR speculated that they were going to be in his corner. Earl Hebner went nuts and asked them to leave. They refused, saying that Flair is allowed. JR points out the The Nature Boy has a managers license from his time on SmackDown! but The King pointed out that so does Kevin Nash from his
time as Michaels bodyguard. Hebner seems to be being told the same thing by HBK and grudgingly The Bad Guy makes his way to the back. Nash starts trying to intimidate Flair before the bell has even started but the veteran Nature Boy takes no notice as we get under way. Michaels starts quick, maybe trying to tire out the older and bigger Hogan early. Punchs by HBK, beat Hogan into the ropes, Irish Whip into the corner. Nash instantly grabs his legs allowing Michaels to punch at Hogan unchallenged. Flair runs around pulling the big man off so Hogan can push Michaels away. HBK is up fast however as gives the Hulkster a cheeky slap as he hangs in the ropes. The crowd boo at the disrespect and Michaels hangs over the ropes to make fun of them. As he does though Hogan moves silently out of the corner and stalks HBK to a loud cheer.
Michaels thinks they´re cheering him and does his usual pose before turning around to see Hogan mocking him with the exact same pose for a big laugh from the crowd. Big Boot by Hogan takes the champion down and he looks to be going for an early Leg Drop but again Nash grabs his leg as he trys to bounce off the ropes. Hogan turns and looks about ready to get out and confront Big Sexy until Hebner holds him back. Flair also gets involved and Nash shoves him to the ground to Natichs outrage. The red faced Nature Boy jumps up and hits Nash with a chop to his chest, no sold by Nash so Flair tries again. Hebner hears it and turns before leaping out to seperate the pair. Michaels quickly rolls from the ring as the other three are distracted and grabs a chair. Hogan sees it and as HBK gets back in big boots him again before scoring
with the Leg Drop. Cover - Hebner´s still outside. Hogan bangs on the mat to attract his attention and he slides in after seeing it despite Big Sexy trying to pull him back. One, Two, Michaels kicks out. Hogan stands and pulls him up before scooping him up maybe after a bodyslam. Michaels struggles however and manages to get to Hogan´s back, sliding down to score with a school boy pin - two count only. Hogan and Michaels both get to their feet - Sweet Chin Music, completly out of nowhere by Michaels. Quick cover, one, two, Flair puts Hogans foot on the ropes. Michaels can have no complaints after Nash´s actions goes JR but he does, getting up to argue with Flair. Before The Nature Boy can react Michaels has flung himself over the ropes, scoring with his patented vaulting body press to the 16 time World Heavyweight Champion.
Michaels picks up Flair by the head and rolls him into the ring. Hebner again protests and Michaels picks the chair back up. Earl grabs it as heÊ´s about to hit Flair with it but Shawn pushs him aside with it. Flair staggers up - THWACK, the steel is smashed down on his head. Michaels starts to pull off FlairÊ´s cast on his foot and mirroring what he did on Raw puts the foot between the two parts of the metal chair. Michaels is about to stamp on it when Triple H bounds down the ramp to a suprising pop. Helmsley gets in the ring and pushs Michaels away from Flair, Michaels asks him what the hell he´s doing as Trips tends to Flair, words are exchanged and Michaels pushs Trips back. Helmsley with the gut kick, the arms are hooked - Pedigree. The crowd explode and JR goes mental as the champ´s face is driven into the mat. Nash is in
instantly and takes down Trips with a big boot to his face. The crowd cheer again as both Batista and Suffering come running down the ramp, presumably to defend Triple H and Ric Flair. Nash tells them to bring it which they do. Batista scores with massive hands to Nash as Suffering kicks away at the rising Michaels. Batista gets the whip - massive spinebuster to Kevin Nash as both Hulk Hogan and Earl Hebner begin to rise. Hogan quickly stops Batista and Suffering, fearing a disqualification and the pair exit to the outside as Hebner makes his way back in, demanding to know whats going on. Hogan offers no answers however and both Triple H and Ric Flair are helped from the ring as Kevin Nash retakes his place at ringside. Hogan meanwhile pulls up a stunned Michaels, scoring with the bodyslam. Hogan off the ropes - a second
leg drop to Michaels. Unseen by the ring members Eric Bischoff is running down the ramp. One, Two, Bischoff pulls out Hebner. JR is confused until he takes him out with a right hand. Batista and Suffering charge round but he´s too quick, sliding into the ring and taking up the chair, THWACK, Hogans taken out. Batista and Suffering try and get in but Nash gets in the way. JR is blaring about Bischoffs treachary as Lawler says Flair as screwed Hogan to Rosses disgust. Scott Hall runs in to help Nash carrying a referees jersey. Bischoff takes it and puts it on as the crowd boo. Michaels starts stamping his foot, tuning the band as Hogan rises - Sweet Chin Music. The cover, Bischoff counts as Ross pleads for Hogan to kick out - one, two, three. HBK retains.
Michaels, Bischoff and The Insiders make a quick exit as Flair and Helmsley run down after vengeance. We leave the air with Flair, Helmsley, Batista and Suffering standing next to the battered Hogan as we leave the air
WINNER: Shawn Michaels at 24:21 to retain the World Heavyweight Championship
STAR RATING: ***
A good match although possibly not up to their usual standard due to the run ins. A lot of swerves, suprising turn by Triple H, itÊÊ´ll be interesting to see where theyÊÊ´re going with it although it looks that maybe we have a new stable forming. Ric Flair looks to be being considered a major player again and maybe a feud with real life rival Eric Bischoff is in the works, on a less positive note maybe Bischoff as General Manager was a little easy to anticipate and his turn came a little quickly but it was well done and leaves a lot of questions like whether Ric Flair planned it all along. Bischoff makes a good change to the tired Mr McMahon character. Overall all another good PPV from WWE, with a strong card. Survivor Series is next for the Raw brand and if rumors of an Elimination Chamber match are true could be a classic.
