Great American Bash Preview
WWE Championship
Triple H© vs Big Show
When Triple H was drafted to Smackdown, Vickie Guerrero didn’t want HHH on the show at all. She decided that at Great American Bash, Triple H would have to put his WWE Championship on the line against the Big Show. With the weeks leading up to this, Vickie Guerrero put Triple H in matches with The Great Khali Umaga, among others. Triple H would manage to pull out all the stops and defeat these monsters, but every time after the match, he would be ambushed. Big Show would come out and save Triple H every time though, ensuring that he was 100% for their Championship Match. Two weeks before Great American Bash, Triple H was in a handicap match facing Kahli and Umaga. He won the match, but once again after the match he was ambushed. Big Show came out and saved him, but afterward when Triple H pedigreed Big Show and stood over him with the WWE Championship. On the Smackdown before the Great American Bash, Triple H and Big Show teamed up to take on the Mr. Kennedy and Umaga in a foes tag team match. They defeated them, but after the match, Big Show chokeslammed Triple H. Show grabbed the WWE Championship and held it around his waist.
World Heavyweight Championship; Triple Threat Match
CM Punk© vs John ‘Bradshaw’ Layfield vs Shawn Michaels
CM Punk cashed in his Money in the Bank after a street fight on Raw between JBL and Shawn Michaels to crown a World Heavyweight Championship, after the Championship was vacated when Edge was drafted to ECW. JBL won the street fight, but was a bloody mess and couldn’t even stand. CM Punk came out with a ref, and the briefcase, and then after the bell rang, he hit the GTS for the win. JBL was furious, and on the next week on Raw, he said he was using his mandatory rematch at the Great American Bash. Shawn Michaels confronted him and said that he deserves a World Title Shot. It was decided that, that night, Shawn Michaels would face JBL, and if he beat him, he would get into the World Title Match at the Great American Bash. Shawn Michaels defeated JBL that night to earn his way into the World Title Match. The Raw before Great American Bash, all three men were in singles matches, and they all won via DQ cause interference would happen during the matches. JBL attacked CM Punk during his match, Shawn Michaels hit sweet chin music on JBL during his match, and CM Punk hit GTS on Shawn Michaels during his match.
ECW World Championship; Six-Pack Challenge
Jeff Hardy vs Tommy Dreamer vs John Cena vs Mike Knox vs Shelton Benjamin vs Rob Van Dam
After Kane was drafted to Raw, the ECW Championship was vacated. It was announced that at the Great American Bash, there would be a Six-Pack Challenge for the ECW Championship. Over the next two weeks, there was qualifying matches. Jeff Hardy defeated Evan Bourne, Tommy Dreamer defeated MVP, John Cena defeated Chavo Guerrero, Mike Knox defeated Stevie Richards, Shelton Benjamin defeated Rey Mysterio, and RVD defeated Edge. Two of the biggest surprises were Rey Mysterio making a return to come to ECW. Also, Rob Van Dam returned to ECW to confront Edge who was calling ECW a ‘dump.’ On the ECW before the Great American Bash, there was an eight-man elimination match. Jeff Hardy, Tommy Dreamer, John Cena, and RVD Teamed up to take on Mike Knox, Shelton Benjamin, Chavo Guerrero, and Bam Neely. Jeff Hardy, Tommy Dreamer, John Cena, and RVD won the match, with Cena and RVD being the sole survivors. Afterward, RVD and Cena stared each other down.
United States Championship
Matt Hardy© vs Carlito
Carlito was drafted to Smackdown during the 2008 draft. In his first match being back on Smackdown, he defeated Matt Hardy in a non-title match. After this, he went to Vickie Guerrero and asked her for a US title match. She granted it to him and said the match would be at the Great American Bash. In the weeks leading up to the Great American Bash, Carlito would attack Matt Hardy at any chance he could, but his plans would usually backfire, and Hardy would hit the Twist of Fate. On the Smackdown before the Great American Bash, Matt Hardy and Carlito were in singles action, and Carlito won, but Matt Hardy lost due to interference from Carlito.
Steel Cage Match
Mr. Kennedy vs Umaga
Mr. Kennedy was also someone that Vickie Guerrero didn’t like. And when Vickie Guerrero doesn’t like them, she makes their life full of misery. Mr. Kennedy wanted a WWE Championship shot, but Vickie Guerrero wasn’t going to give it to him. She said that if he wanted a WWE Championship Match, he would have to beat Umaga at the Great American Bash! The next week on Smackdown, Vickie Guerrero decided to make the match a Steel Cage Match. The Smackdown before the Great American Bash, Vickie Guerrero’s office was vandalized. She figured it was Mr. Kennedy, and put him in a tag team match, with Umaga as his partner against the Big Show and Triple H. Umaga left the ring area just as the match started, leaving Mr. Kennedy to get defeated by Big Show and Triple H.
World Tag Team Championships
Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes© vs Hardcore Holly and ???
At Night of Champions, Cody Rhodes turned on Hardcore Holly, to team with Ted DiBiase, to take the World Tag Titles away from Holly. Hardcore Holly tried to get Cody Rhodes, but never could. At Great American Bash, it was announced that it would be Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes defending the World Tag Team Championships against Hardcore Holly and a partner of his choosing. With the weeks leading up to Great American Bash, Hardcore Holly always tried to attack the duo team, but DiBiase and Rhodes always ran away from Holly. On the Raw before Great American Bash, DiBiase and Rhodes ran from Hardcore Holly yet again, and he told them that this Sunday, their would be no running away from him. And that he can’t wait to get his hands on them.
Batista vs Kane
Kane was in a match with JBL, where the winner would face Shawn Michaels in a street fight later that night. Kane had just knocked out the ref by accident. JBL hit a lowblow on Kane, then grabbed a steel chair from outside of the ring, and came into the ring looking to hit Kane with it, as he did to Batista last week. Batista all of a sudden runs to the ring and clotheslines JBL. Batista grabs the chair as Kane and JBL get up, and he looks as if he is going to hit JBL with the chair, but he changes focus and hits Kane with the chair. The next week, Kane was upset about what Batista did to him, and he challenged him to a match at the Great American Bash. Batista accepted, only to then clothesline him, then Batista lands a Batista Bomb. On the Raw before the Great American Bash, as Batista was about to yet again attack Kane, Kane countered the attack and hit a chokeslam on Batista!
Return Match;
Randy Orton vs ???
Randy Orton hasn’t wrestled a match since June 1st, 2008, after he broke his collar bone. Two weeks before Great American Bash, Randy Orton returned, and said that at Great American Bash, he would wrestle in a match, he didn’t know against who, but he would wrestle. It was made official that Randy Orton would wrestle at the Great American Bash for the first time in a month and a half, but his opponent was not announced. The Raw before Great American Bash, Orton said he doesn’t care who it is, he will win the match!
Final Great American Bash Card
WWE Championship
Triple H© vs Big Show
World Heavyweight Championship; Triple Threat Match
CM Punk© vs John ‘Bradshaw’ Layfield vs Shawn Michaels
ECW World Championship; Six Pack Challenge
Jeff Hardy vs Tommy Dreamer vs John Cena vs Mike Knox vs Shelton Benjamin vs Rob Van Dam
United States Championship
Matt Hardy© vs Carlito
Steel Cage Match
Mr. Kennedy vs Umaga
World Tag Team Championships
Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes© vs Hardcore Holly and ???
Batista vs Kane
Return Match
Randy Orton vs ???
Bonus Questions
1. Who do you think will be Hardcore Holly's partner?
2. Who will Randy Orton's opponent be?
3. How many titles will change hands?
4. In the Six-Pack Challenge Match, who do you think will be eliminated first?
5. What will be the match of the night?
**If you would like, you can post predictions for who you think will win!**
