Monday Night Raw - April 14, 2008
We get a cold open as the scene opens on William Regal sitting comfortably in his office, savouring a quite lovely looking cup of English Tea, when all of a sudden John Bradshaw Layfield storms in, his pink face twisted in pure rage.
“Regal! What the hell are you going to do about that screwjob last week!?”
“Ah John”. Regal pauses and takes a sip of his tea. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“You know damn well what I’m talking about! Shawn Michaels last week! You need to do something about it!” JBL paces angrily back and forth the office.
“I recall a heartfelt speech that you interrupted and, as I recall, that ended with you laying Shawn out with a cheap shot? Is that what this is about? Did he say something to hurt your feelings?”
“This isn’t about feelings, damnit!” JBL fumes and gets right into Regal’s face. “This is about Shawn Michaels and his little buddy Triple H screwing me out of a spot in the semi-finals tonight.” He takes a step back. “I had that match won until Michaels stuck his nose where it didn’t belong.”
“It seems to be turning into something of a trend.” Regal says exasperated, looking at his tea longingly and wondering when JBL might take his leave. “Do you want to tell me what you want or do you expect me to guess, John?”
“What I want, Regal, is Shawn Michaels, in that very ring, tonight. Make it happen.”
The crowd roars their approval for that match.
“You know John, maybe it’s you spoiling my peaceful cup of tea before the show begins, or maybe it’s that I’m in my home country…” Big pop. “...but I think I’ve been too accommodating lately, and you’ve given me a great idea.”
“Awesome, make the match!”
“Yes, I will. Only…your opponent tonight won’t be Shawn Michaels, oh no. It will be ME!”
JBL is taken aback and the crowd cheers even louder than for the idea of JBL versus Shawn. Regal looks furious and it’s now his turn to get into John’s face. JBL doesn’t even know what to say for once!
“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a match to prepare for. Good day.”
And with that, Regal directs JBL out of the office and we cut to the RAW intro video package.
—
“Welcome ladies and gentlemen to Monday Night RAW. I’m Jim Ross, alongside Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler, and we are coming to you live from London, England.”
“And what a night we have ahead of us, JR! After the explosive events of last week, tensions are running high, and I can't wait to see what unfolds tonight!”
“Absolutely, King! With the King of the Ring tournament heating up, and the simmering conflict between several of our WWE superstars, tonight's action is bound to be intense!”
“At least Triple H will get a break from Randy Orton’s schemes tonight with Orton missing the flight from Germany on our WrestleMania Revenge European Tour.”
“We’ll have all the highlights later on of our wonderful European fans.”
“JR, let's not forget the bombshell announcement from General Manager William Regal earlier tonight, putting himself in a match against none other than John Bradshaw Layfield!”
“Regal versus JBL as the Blackpool native takes home advantage, right here tonight! It's shaping up to be one heck of a show!”
“So grab your popcorn, folks, and settle in for another unforgettable edition of Monday Night RAW!”
—-
John Cena’s UK Open Challenge
Cena’s music hits, “The Champ Is Here!” and he tells the stagehand to cut the music.
“What up LONDON!? How y’all doing tonight?” Big pop, obviously. “I gotta say, it feels good to be back. We got to do this more often. So listen, I got an idea, hope you’re all cool with it, but I know the talent that wrestles in the UK is some of the best in the world.
“We got Big Daddy!.. Giant Haystacks!.. Adrian Street!.. Mick McManus!.. Our own General Manager William Regal!..Well, I know there’s got to be someone here tonight that has the potential to be remembered amongst that pantheon of greats. Anyone?”
Cena looks to the entrance, waiting for someone to accept his challenge.
The familiar strains - at least to the local audience - of ‘London Bridge’ hit the PA, and it’s NIGEL MCGUINESS! Half the crowd pops, half the crowd don’t know who he is, but once he comes out in a very-clearly British inspired attire, they all get behind him.
“This is Nigel McGuiness, a heavyweight champion from the UK, and he’s answered our WWE Champions challenge.”
“He’s a fan favourite here tonight, that’s for sure JR!”
“Nigel McGuiness grew up in the south of England and he found a passion for wrestling after attending SummerSlam 1992 as a teenager. He was trained by our very own Dave Taylor, so we know he’s got a fine wrestling pedigree, and has fought all over the world!”
Non-Title Match: John Cena © vs Nigel McGuiness
The bell rings and both men circle each other right away, quick collar and elbow tie up and McGuiness quickly lands a takedown, surprising the champ. Another lock up and McGuiness reverses out with a hammerlock, forcing Cena down and moving into a side headlock. Cena is up, throws Nigel off the ropes and drops McGuiness with a shoulder block. Nigel begins to try and pick the ankle to take Cena down again but it was a ploy as he gets behind Cena and goes for the full nelson. Cena throws an elbow to the head, which connects, but a second is dodged and Nigel pulls Cena back into the dragon sleeper.
“This kid is quicker than a hiccup, King. Cena’s easily the stronger man, but everytime he fights out he gets caught in another hold!”
Nigel actually has the advantage throughout the opening, Cena kept on his toes by a style he’s perhaps less familiar with, and certainly an opponent he is less familiar with. Cena begins to adapt to the match when he battles out of a grounded sleeper attempt, throwing elbows to the gut and sending McGuiness to the ropes and then CENA GETS THE SLEEPER!
“What a role reversal, JR!”
Nigel wastes no time and immediately drops Cena up and down with a back suplex. 1…2..Kickout. Nigel gives the crowd a thumbs up and looks for his patented strong lariat, Cena ducks, sit out powerbomb! Cena is down too though and can’t capitalise. Both men get to their feet and begin to exchange strikes. Nigel hits a european uppercut but a second misses and Cena rolls him up with a backslide pin attempt. Two count. Nigel is up and a knee to the gut stops Cena in his tracks. Snap suplex gets a two for Nigel. He tells the referee to keep his count steady. Nigel looks for the irish whip, pulls him back short and throws a lariat. Cena ducks! F-U!! Cena hits the F-U out of nowhere!
1…2…3!
“Regal! What the hell are you going to do about that screwjob last week!?”
“Ah John”. Regal pauses and takes a sip of his tea. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“You know damn well what I’m talking about! Shawn Michaels last week! You need to do something about it!” JBL paces angrily back and forth the office.
“I recall a heartfelt speech that you interrupted and, as I recall, that ended with you laying Shawn out with a cheap shot? Is that what this is about? Did he say something to hurt your feelings?”
“This isn’t about feelings, damnit!” JBL fumes and gets right into Regal’s face. “This is about Shawn Michaels and his little buddy Triple H screwing me out of a spot in the semi-finals tonight.” He takes a step back. “I had that match won until Michaels stuck his nose where it didn’t belong.”
“It seems to be turning into something of a trend.” Regal says exasperated, looking at his tea longingly and wondering when JBL might take his leave. “Do you want to tell me what you want or do you expect me to guess, John?”
“What I want, Regal, is Shawn Michaels, in that very ring, tonight. Make it happen.”
The crowd roars their approval for that match.
“You know John, maybe it’s you spoiling my peaceful cup of tea before the show begins, or maybe it’s that I’m in my home country…” Big pop. “...but I think I’ve been too accommodating lately, and you’ve given me a great idea.”
“Awesome, make the match!”
“Yes, I will. Only…your opponent tonight won’t be Shawn Michaels, oh no. It will be ME!”
JBL is taken aback and the crowd cheers even louder than for the idea of JBL versus Shawn. Regal looks furious and it’s now his turn to get into John’s face. JBL doesn’t even know what to say for once!
“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a match to prepare for. Good day.”
And with that, Regal directs JBL out of the office and we cut to the RAW intro video package.
—
“Welcome ladies and gentlemen to Monday Night RAW. I’m Jim Ross, alongside Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler, and we are coming to you live from London, England.”
“And what a night we have ahead of us, JR! After the explosive events of last week, tensions are running high, and I can't wait to see what unfolds tonight!”
“Absolutely, King! With the King of the Ring tournament heating up, and the simmering conflict between several of our WWE superstars, tonight's action is bound to be intense!”
“At least Triple H will get a break from Randy Orton’s schemes tonight with Orton missing the flight from Germany on our WrestleMania Revenge European Tour.”
“We’ll have all the highlights later on of our wonderful European fans.”
“JR, let's not forget the bombshell announcement from General Manager William Regal earlier tonight, putting himself in a match against none other than John Bradshaw Layfield!”
“Regal versus JBL as the Blackpool native takes home advantage, right here tonight! It's shaping up to be one heck of a show!”
“So grab your popcorn, folks, and settle in for another unforgettable edition of Monday Night RAW!”
—-
John Cena’s UK Open Challenge
Cena’s music hits, “The Champ Is Here!” and he tells the stagehand to cut the music.
“What up LONDON!? How y’all doing tonight?” Big pop, obviously. “I gotta say, it feels good to be back. We got to do this more often. So listen, I got an idea, hope you’re all cool with it, but I know the talent that wrestles in the UK is some of the best in the world.
“We got Big Daddy!.. Giant Haystacks!.. Adrian Street!.. Mick McManus!.. Our own General Manager William Regal!..Well, I know there’s got to be someone here tonight that has the potential to be remembered amongst that pantheon of greats. Anyone?”
Cena looks to the entrance, waiting for someone to accept his challenge.
The familiar strains - at least to the local audience - of ‘London Bridge’ hit the PA, and it’s NIGEL MCGUINESS! Half the crowd pops, half the crowd don’t know who he is, but once he comes out in a very-clearly British inspired attire, they all get behind him.
“This is Nigel McGuiness, a heavyweight champion from the UK, and he’s answered our WWE Champions challenge.”
“He’s a fan favourite here tonight, that’s for sure JR!”
“Nigel McGuiness grew up in the south of England and he found a passion for wrestling after attending SummerSlam 1992 as a teenager. He was trained by our very own Dave Taylor, so we know he’s got a fine wrestling pedigree, and has fought all over the world!”
Non-Title Match: John Cena © vs Nigel McGuiness
The bell rings and both men circle each other right away, quick collar and elbow tie up and McGuiness quickly lands a takedown, surprising the champ. Another lock up and McGuiness reverses out with a hammerlock, forcing Cena down and moving into a side headlock. Cena is up, throws Nigel off the ropes and drops McGuiness with a shoulder block. Nigel begins to try and pick the ankle to take Cena down again but it was a ploy as he gets behind Cena and goes for the full nelson. Cena throws an elbow to the head, which connects, but a second is dodged and Nigel pulls Cena back into the dragon sleeper.
“This kid is quicker than a hiccup, King. Cena’s easily the stronger man, but everytime he fights out he gets caught in another hold!”
Nigel actually has the advantage throughout the opening, Cena kept on his toes by a style he’s perhaps less familiar with, and certainly an opponent he is less familiar with. Cena begins to adapt to the match when he battles out of a grounded sleeper attempt, throwing elbows to the gut and sending McGuiness to the ropes and then CENA GETS THE SLEEPER!
“What a role reversal, JR!”
Nigel wastes no time and immediately drops Cena up and down with a back suplex. 1…2..Kickout. Nigel gives the crowd a thumbs up and looks for his patented strong lariat, Cena ducks, sit out powerbomb! Cena is down too though and can’t capitalise. Both men get to their feet and begin to exchange strikes. Nigel hits a european uppercut but a second misses and Cena rolls him up with a backslide pin attempt. Two count. Nigel is up and a knee to the gut stops Cena in his tracks. Snap suplex gets a two for Nigel. He tells the referee to keep his count steady. Nigel looks for the irish whip, pulls him back short and throws a lariat. Cena ducks! F-U!! Cena hits the F-U out of nowhere!
1…2…3!
Winner: John Cena
“John Cena, ever resilient, pulls it out of the bag with a desperation F-U right when Nigel McGuiness was asserting a real show of dominance over the WWE Champion.”
“I’m so impressed by McGuiness, JR, we need to see more of this kid. He was great!”
“We’ll be back, right after these commercials.”
—
KOTR MOMENT #7
Ken Shamrock makes The Rock tap to the Ankle Lock (1998) [YouTube]
—
Stuck In A Rut
After the break we cut immediately backstage to Trevor Murdoch and Lance Cade. They are rewatching a tape of their World Tag Team Titles match two weeks ago against Cody Rhodes and Hardcore Holly. Murdoch looks frustrated.
“We’ve watched this a hundred times, man. Let it go.”
Cade shoots an equally frustrated look at his partner. “I just can’t let it go, Trev. We had them right where we wanted them, and then you…” he looks away, “you dropped the ball kid.”
Before Murdoch can respond they both turn in the direction of laughter from a group of people walking through the backstage area. Paul London is with a handful of backstage staff cracking jokes and having a great time. London glances and sees both Cade and Murdoch glaring at him.
“Uh hey guys, what’s up?”
“Are you laughing at us Paul?” Murdoch stands up and gets in his face. “Is that what you’re doing?”
“What? No, man, why? What are you boys up to?” He glances around them and notices the monitor showing their loss to Cody and Holly on repeat. “Catching up on some old matches are we?”
London cracks a smile and it’s a mistake. Murdoch dives at him and starts pummelling him before the group London was with can get in the middle of the three men and break it up. London tells them to try and get it done in the ring. Murdoch accepts and storms off with Cade looking a little awkward but then ultimately following his partner to get ready for their match. We cut back to the announcers at ringside.
“Well, Paul London just found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time with Trevor Murdoch losing his cool, King.”
“Is London going to try and take on both Cade and Murdoch, JR? They might be on somewhat of a winless streak lately but two on one isn’t bad odds for them!”
“You’re exactly right King, with London’s former partner Brian Kendrick no longer on Monday Night Raw, will London do this alone?”
—
WWE Women’s Title Match: ‘The Glamazon’ Beth Phoenix © w/ Santino vs. Mickie James w/ Ashley
Beth Phoenix’s music hits and JR and Lawler tell us that Maria was originally slated for this match but she has picked up an injury and will be out of action for several months. They wish her well. In her absence is three time Women’s Champion Mickie James. Ashley accompanies Mickie into the ring and Beth Phoenix attacks her immediately. A running boot to the face knocks Ashley out of the ring, but when Beth turns around she gets smashed to the floor with a lariat. Mickie picks her up as the referee rings the bell to officially start the match, driving her back into the corner. CHOP!
“WOO!”
Beth Phoenix regains her composure and uses her superior strength to overpower Mickie. James runs into the corner intending an avalanche but Beth catches her and takes her for a ride with an awesome running powerslam. One..Two..Kickout. Meanwhile Santino is shouting some incoherent abuse in the general direction of Ashley which the crowd enjoys. She gets in Santino’s face but the referee is on hand to break it up and send them back to their respective corners. Beth drops down and starts choking Mickie behind the referee’s back. He turns and starts counting for her to break it up, which she does at four.
“Beth Phoenix bending the rules as far as they can go.”
Beth goes to pick Mickie up but gets caught in a small package. One..Two..Kickout. Beth is up first and a flying clothesline knocks Mickie down. She pops back up. Right hand is blocked. ROUNDHOUSE KICK! Both women drop to the floor but Mickie uses the ropes to get up and then she starts to climb the turnbuckle. Santino again winds Ashley up to the point of violence which, again, the referee breaks up only to begin arguing with Ashley as she protests about Santino’s behaviour.
Meanwhile, Santino slides into the ring behind the referee’s back and so Mickie dives at him for a hurricanrana. He catches her! Powerbomb! Santino powerbombs Mickie. The referee spins around and sees Santino in the ring and immediately calls for the bell.
DING! DING! DING!
“The winner of this bout as a result of a disqualification - Mickie James!” Justin Roberts pauses. “Therefore , STILL WWE Women’s Champion, Beth Phoenix!”
Winner: Beth Phoenix
“That’s a robbery right there by Santino and Beth Phoenix, King. A damn robbery.”
“When will Santino learn?” Lawler gets up, potentially to deal some damage to Santino like he did a week before WrestleMania. As he stands up and takes off his headset, Mickie James is back up.
“Santino doesn’t see her!”
Mickie, enraged by the result, grabs Santino and drops him with a Mickie DDT. Beth looks to attack but Ashley is in the ring and Mickie James is up. The WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix decides to duck out of the ring, pulling Santino out with her by his leg and carrying him to the back. Lawler sits back down.
“Looks like the women got this one, King.”
“He definitely had it coming.”
—
A Simple Request
We cut backstage to William Regal’s office, the sound of his exertions audible before we see that he is sweating heavily and counting out squats under his breath. The door suddenly swings open and in strides Triple H, bottle of water in hand, looking around the room with a raised eyebrow. The heat; suffocating.
“Regal, man, it’s like a damn sauna in here.”
HHH smirks as he waits for Regal to respond but the General Manager barely even acknowledges his presence, continuing to count under his breath. HHH pauses, waves a hand in front of Regal jokingly checking that he’s actually there before continuing.
“Anyway, listen, once I’m done winning the King of the Ring tournament. And then once I’ve gone on to Backlash and taken the WWE title from John Cena.” He pauses as the crowd cheers that one. “I want a match with Orton.”
Regal pauses briefly to wipe the sweat from his brow before resuming his workout.
“I don’t care about the stipulation. I don’t care where or when or what, I just want a match.”
Regal pauses mid-squat, looks curiously at HHH, and then stands up. “A match?”
“Yes.”
HHH cracks his knuckles reflexively. Regal grabs a bottle of water from the nearby table.
“With Orton?”
He takes a sip.
“Yes, haven’t you been listening?” HHH asks, snatching the bottle of water as he starts to get a little bit frustrated with this back and forth. “And that’s my water.”
“I do tend to make better decisions when hydrated.” He smiles, breaking the tension, and reaches out for the bottle. His palms open showing it as a well natured request. HHH shakes his head and passes the water bottle back to him.
“So about the match?”
Regal gulps the water, pausing for a moment to savour it quenching his thirst. HHH waits. He keeps drinking until there isn’t a drop left. Regal finally lowers the bottle, pauses, and then nods at HHH.
“Fine. You can have your match.” Regal resumes his squats and HHH, slightly taken aback by everything, gives him a double take before smiling to himself. After all, he got what he wanted, and so he takes his leave.
“You had to expect that after the history between The Viper and The Game. That one will be a downright slobberknocker.”
—
Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch vs. Paul London
Cade and Murdoch are out first presenting a united front, which is far from what we’ve seen the last few weeks. Murdoch has been the fall guy, and whilst Cade has been supportive, it took a common enemy in Paul London to reunite the former tag team champions. London is out next to a decent cheer from the fans as JR and Lawler mull over whether London has gone out and got himself a partner. He climbs onto the apron and feigns getting into the ring before pausing. He holds up a hand and asks everyone to wait before pointing dramatically at the entrance ramp.
“Oooo, Oooo, Oooo Shawn!”
“It’s Shawn Michaels ladies and gentlemen!”
It sure is, JR. Shawn Michaels comes out to a massive pop, microphone in hand, strutting and smiling atop the rampway. Cade and Murdoch look horrified, exchanging confused and angry looks between themselves. Cade shouts something incoherent at the referee and he shrugs.
“Now, didn’t I train you boys better than to go around attacking people backstage?”
Cade shouts at Shawn that it wasn’t him. Murdoch shoves him to tow the party line.
“Lance, Paul, I’ve known you kids for quite a few years, and I don’t usually like to insert myself into problems between my students.” Cade bristles at that and Shawn smirks, sarcastically adding “graduates though you may be.”
“That’s down at the Texas Wrestling Academy folks, where both Paul London and Lance Cade trained under Shawn Michaels some six years ago.”
Shawn starts to walk down the ramp. “Problem is, there’s always a bigger guy, and they’ve always got a buddy hanging back, stirring the pot. JBL, he’s one of those guys. One of those snake in the grass type of guy. And you, Lance, that’s what you’ve become. So, since I didn’t have a match tonight, and Paul was looking for a partner, I was more than happy to oblige.”
The crowd cheers that and Shawn drops the mic, removes his jacket, and slides into the ring. London hops over the top rope and Cade and Murdoch charge them both as the referee rings the bell.
DING! DING! DING!
Cade and Murdoch throw their weight into some strikes on London and Michaels but get caught out. Both Paul and Shawn duck the strikes and hit a perfectly timed stereo dropkick followed up with mirror clotheslines to take their opponents up and over the top rope to the outside. Shawn poses to a great ovation and encourages London to climb to the top rope. Shawn runs the ropes and fakes the heels out with a baseball slide, only for Paul London to come careening onto both men with a somersault senton to the outside. Shawn helps London get Murdoch into the ring so that the actual tag team match can begin. Shawn takes his corner and London lifts Murdoch into the corner for a monkey flip.
Murdoch is too heavy and he blocks the attempt before slamming Paul down to the canvas. He pauses a moment to regain his composure and when London comes diving in with a double front kick, Murdoch catches him and then tosses him headfirst into the bottom buckle of the corner. Quick tag to Cade and the heels start to CUT THE RING IN HALF and isolate their man yadda yadda. Stomps, chokes, referee distractions, you name it, Cade and Murdoch tried it. London hits a double dropsault to give himself a bit of respite as he starts crawling over to Shawn. The crowd cheers him on. As he closes in on the tag, Lance Cade uses the referee to get himself up. London makes the tag! The referee doesn’t see it!!! Shawn comes in all guns blazing but the referee grabs him and says he didn’t see a tag, there was no tag! Shawn darts back to his corner but Murdoch and Cade are already onto London and drag him back to their own corner, leaving Michaels to remonstrate with the official.
“They made the tag! Referee, what are you doing? They made the tag!”
“He can’t call what he doesn’t see, JR.”
A big bodyslam followed by a double elbow drop gets a two count and London is tiring. Shawn again gets the crowd going. Cade is in and he goes for a powerbomb but London reverses it with a hurricanrana! This is his moment and he starts to crawl one more time to Michaels in the corner who is extending his reach as far as humanly possible. Cade is rocked. Murdoch tries to tag in but can’t reach and as London crawls, Murdoch decides to handle it. He grabs London by the ankle when he’s barely one foot away from making a tag, and begins to drag him back to his corner.
“Like a predator dragging his prey into his lair.”
London uses all the energy he has left and, hopping on one foot, jumps up, kicks Murdoch with it, and propels himself backwards towards his own corner.
“He makes the tag, JR!!”
Shawn is now a legal house on fire and he throws chops and right hands at Murdoch, a diving clothesline takes Cade down. Nip up! Shawn stalks Murdoch, waiting for him to get up. SUPERKICK!
“Lance Cade tried to catch him from his blindside but Shawn caught him with a beautiful superkick out of nothing. He barely had any time to react.”
“And then he kicked his head off, JR!”
Murdoch now stumbles to his feet and also turns to face the music.
“Sweet Chin Music! He got him!”
Murdoch is laid out in the middle of the ring and he looks back at his corner as London pulls himself to his feet. Shawn looks at the crowd, points at London, and they respond with a resounding cry of approval. Shawn tags him in. London climbs to the top rope as Shawn repositions Murdoch nearer their corner. Shooting Star Press!! London makes the cover.
One...Two…Three!
Winners: Paul London & Shawn Michaels
After the match Shawn grabs a microphone once more and says to JBL that a match at Backlash sounds like a fine idea. He’ll be ready.
Commercial break time.
—
KOTR MOMENT #6:
KOTR Finals: Kurt Angle vs. Edge (2001) [YouTube]
—
KOTR SF: Chris Jericho vs. Cody Rhodes w/ Hardcore Holly
“Ladies and Gentlemen, before this one gets underway we have to apologise for the confusion with the Semi-Final King of the Ring matches. Last week we announced that Chris Jericho would face Triple H, and Carlito would face Cody Rhodes. We had a mix up and the semi-finals tonight will actually be Chris Jericho taking on Cody Rhodes, and Triple H facing off against Carlito. We apologise for the mix-up and hope it doesn’t impact your viewing pleasure.”
After that apology, the World Tag Team Champions come out together and JR and Lawler reflect on how much like Cade and Murdoch, even the Tag Champions are having their own issues due to events that have occurred during the King of the Ring. Holly was on the losing end in the opening round to Carlito which came when he was distracted by his partner being down injured. However, unlike Cade and Murdoch, it looks like these two have put their issues behind them with Holly in Cody’s corner in this semi final match. Jericho is out next with both his Intercontinental Title and Money in the Bank briefcase. He hands them off at ringside as JR wonders when Jericho might use the briefcase. King says if he wins King of the Ring he may need attendants to carry it all!
The bell rings and Jericho wastes no time asserting his dominance through his veteran experience. He dictates the pace of the match as Cody tries to get a head of steam by running the ropes but Jericho dodges, ducks, dips, dives, and dodges again, catching Cody in a sleeper hold. Jericho ditches the more athletic aspects of his repertoire, choosing to ground Cody and wear him down. Everytime Cody tries to wriggle free, Jericho clubs away at Cody’s back and locks the sleeper in again.
“Jericho has that sleeper locked in deep, looking to wear down Cody and stop him from using his aerial game.”
“Jericho is no slow-poke King, he can hang with the best of them in the air or on the ground, but right now he’s making it so Cody has to fight for every breath and he’s controlling the pace with his veteran experience.”
Bob Holly encourages Cody, telling him to fight free, so Jericho tells him to “shut the hell up, you idiot” and locks it in tighter. Cody wraps his arms around Jericho and lifts him up and then down with a back body drop! Jericho holds on! It’s less a sleeper and more a crossface come chinlock, but Jericho wrenches back and Cody is forced to roll and try and hook his foot on the bottom rope. Jericho looks to get a more solid foundation to apply pressure but it gives Cody the space he needs to reach the rope and cause the referee to force a break. Jericho relents. Lifting Cody up he tries a suplex. No! Small package! One..Two..Kickout!
“Cody almost caught Jericho there!”
“An uncharacteristic mistake from Y2J.”
Jericho gets up, furious, and unceremoniously kicks Cody in the head. He makes a cocky pin but Cody shoves him off at the count of two. Jericho looks for the Walls of Jericho but Cody kicks him away. Running clothesline from Cody misses, bulldog attempt by Jericho is blocked, and Jericho goes for a spinebuster, but Cody gets a grip around Jericho’s neck and plants him with a spiking tornado DDT. Both men are down.
“Cody Rhodes showing that genetic determination and resolve!”
The referee goes to count but Cody is up to a knee and crawling over to Jericho. Cover. One..Two..Kickout! Cody gestures to the fans who are not quite sure they want Cody to beat Jericho, but when he points to the top rope they all cheer him on. Cody goes up…AND JERICHO THROWS HIM OFF THE TOP ROPE TO THE OUTSIDE!
“By God, King, Cody Rhodes might be broken in half!”
“Did you see how his head and neck snapped back after colliding with the barrier?”
Holly is quick to check on his partner, but Jericho is equally quick to capitalise on his advantage. He jumps out of the ring, shoves Bob out of the way, and drags Cody Rhodes limp body back into the ring. Holly gets in his face but Jericho says “Do it! Cost him the match! He’s already lost”. Holly refrains, but is clearly seething with Jericho putting hands on him. Back in the ring Jericho makes the cover. One…Two…Th-NO! Kickout! Cody Rhodes kicks out despite showing no sign of fighting back after his collision outside. We get a picture-in-picture replay of that moment, with the slow-mo perfectly capturing the damage done to him.
“I don’t think Cody can take much more here. You gotta admire his spirit, you really do, but it’s not been a fair fight since that high-impact collision with the barrier.”
Jericho gets frustrated and asks the referee to count consistently. He picks Cody up, and Cody AGAIN goes for the small package, but Jericho isn’t going to get caught by that trick a second time. Cody tries to roll through but Chris holds strong, powering Cody up. Brainbuster!!! Cody sells it like he’s been murdered. Jericho considers the pin but decides to shout a bit of abuse at Holly first. Then he makes the pin. One..Two..Kickout! Jericho smiles. Cody gets up and Jericho tries a backslide pin. He gets him and immediately puts his feet on the ropes for added leverage.
One...Two…NO! Holly pushes Jericho’s feet off the ropes and breaks up the pin. The referee immediately goes to Holly to remove him from ringside. Cody rolls Jericho up but the referee doesn’t see it. The crowd chant along…One…Two…Three. Cody breaks the hold and looks up, and gets a diving elbow to the face from Jericho. Holly climbs up on the apron to inform him that Jericho was cheating and that he just didn’t see it, urging him to get back and call the match. The referee is having absolutely none of it and ejects Holly from ringside. Bob is pissed. Jericho seeing all this going on, grabs Cody and charges him face first into Holly. Holly gets knocked to the outside, Jericho pulls Cody down with a reverse rolling cradle.
One..Two..Three!
Winner: Chris Jericho
Cody looks dejected as he collapses down onto the canvas, his energy spent, and his emotions running high. Holly holds his face on the outside after his collision with Cody. Jericho grabs his title and briefcase and heads up the ramp, pausing by Holly to smirk before leaving.
“Jericho wins after Hardcore Holly’s temper got the better of him. JR, how impressive was Jericho there?”
“The experienced veteran knows all manner of ways to win, and you have to believe that Jericho’s antics here tonight were fully intended to get a rise out of Bob Holly.”
“Cast it out and reel them in, JR. Chris Jericho advances to the finals!”
“But between Triple H and Carlito, who is going to join him in the finals of the King of the Ring? That’s part one of our triple header this evening in London, up next we have JBL and William Regal.”
“I can’t wait to see the General Manager in action, JR.”
—
KOTR MOMENT #5:
Billy Gunn wins King of the Ring (1999) [YouTube]
—
William Regal vs. John Bradshaw Layfield
JBL is out first, drawing the biggest jeers of the evening so far. Regal’s entrance is the opposite as the crowd eat up the hometown hero coming to lay a beat down on the brash new yorker. JBL tries a lock up as the bell rings but Regal immediately pulls a side headlock and then a takedown, exerting side control and drawing another loud cheer from the crowd. JBL fights back to a vertical base and kicks out Regal’s knee before coming off the ropes with a boot right to Regal’s head. The GM goes down hard. Hard stomps and a measured right hand keep Regal down. Bradshaw makes the cover. The ref counts two and Regal gets the shoulder up. Another pin, this time with JBL mockingly resting his elbow over Regal’s face. Two count again. After a couple more rest holds, Regal makes a brief comeback, gets cut off by a powerslam, and Bradshaw gets another two count.
“JBL having the better of our General Manager in the opening, JR.”
“Regal hasn’t had a match in four months and that ring rust may be showing here.”
JBL gets slightly complacent and Regal catches him in a heel hook, but he’s too close to the ropes and John breaks free. The crowd start to chant for Regal and he channels their energy into mounting a comeback. HARD CHOP!
“WOOO!”
JBL gets forced back into the corner and Regal unloads with a series of body blows. He climbs to the second rope and begins the ten count punches. JBL cuts him off at seven and tries a powerbomb but Regal goes to the eyes. JBL drops him, Regal hits two heavy forearms and goes back into the corner. The punches start again! JBL cuts Regal off at nine and this time nails the powerbomb! Both men are down. JBL gets up to a knee. Regal throws a kick at him and JBL’s knee buckles, sending him sprawling backwards onto the mat in agony. The GM gets up and locks in the Regal Stretch!
“JBL is in the middle of the ring with nowhere to go! He has to tap! The way his knee gave way made me shudder JR!”
“It could be a serious injury King, I don’t think JBL has any other option but to call it and live to fight another day before irreparable damage is done to that knee.”
JBL pulls and crawls but he has nowhere to go. He aims a right hand with his free arm but barely makes contact as Regal wrenches back as hard as he can. JBL cries out. He pulls and tries to get to the ropes but he can’t. He taps.
Winner: William Regal
“The General Manager may have been out of action for four months but his cerebral approach to victory at all costs gets him the victory.”
“Possibly at the expense of a serious injury, JR!”
Medics and referee’s come to ringside and we cut to the final commercial break of the evening before the main event. Triple H versus Carlito. The winner will go on to face Chris Jericho next week in the finals. Next!
—
KOTR MOMENT #4:
Hunter Hearst Helmsley wins King of the Ring (1997) [YouTube]
—
KOTR SF: Carlito vs. Triple H
“Time to play the game!”
HHH is out first, the crowd primed after the last two matches. JR notes that Regal’s victory seems to have picked the crowd up, and their energy is carrying through to this one. HHH - with a replacement bottle! - strides confidently to the ring and poses for the fans. Carlito’s entrance is met with a chorus of jeers, as he threatens numerous fans with taking a bite of his apple. Nutrition is terrifying.
“Carlito looks confident but The Game has to have the advantage here. A former King of the Ring winner, the Game has been competing in high pressure matches for over a decade, and Carlito will need every trick in the book if he’s to pull one over on Triple H tonight.”
“I wouldn’t underestimate Carlito, King. He’s a former United States and Intercontinental champion, he’s got a good pedigree. Pardon the pun. Besides, HHH took a beating at the hands of Randy Orton last week, and that’s before he had to face a particularly mean-spirited John Bradshaw Layfield.”
“Pedigree might be his undoing tonight.”
“Oh, would you stop that.”
Carlito holds up his hands and tries to make this one a proper wrestling match by offering a tie-up. HHH debates it, looks to the crowd for an answer, and responds with a straight right to Carlito. A couple more follow and Carlito is backed against the ropes. HHH sends him with an irish whip, clothesline misses, Carlito comes back with a swinging neckbreaker. Pin. One count. Carlito throws a few right hands but all they do is annoy HHH and he fires back, again sending him off the ropes, but this time throws a knee to Carlito’s gut sending him hurtling. Running knee drop misses as Carlito rolls out of the way. HHH catches a savate kick, spins Carlito round but gets DROPPED with a brutal clothesline from the Puerto Rican native.
“Carlito with a great counter there, catching HHH by surprise.”
Carlito stomps away at the neck and upper back, trying to grab a neck crank but HHH fights out of it with his superior strength.
“Carlito needs to use technique, not power, to overcome The Game.”
A few more moves targeting the neck and Carlito goes for a surfboard, using his knee to press into HHH’s spine, but also to give him some distance to make it hard for HHH to break the hold. As Carlito wrenches back on the surfboard submission, HHH grits his teeth. His face contorted in pain giving every ounce of effort to try to break loose. Both men fight for every inch as Carlito tries to maintain the hold. HHH lifts one arm free and then the other, forcing Carlito to lose leverage on the hold. He powers his way back up. Carlito can’t hold on anymore and breaks the hold.
"What a display of strength from Triple H!"
Carlito throws a left hand. Blocked. Right hand. Blocked. HHH unloads with a series of chops and right hands. Carlito throws a clothesline, HHH ducks and runs the ropes. Running Knee! HHH picks him up, looks for another irish whip but this time Carlito reverses.
“Knee to face” shouts a guy from the crowd. HHH agrees and when Carlito drops down to body drop HHH, he gets met with a facebuster. One..Two..Kickout! HHH can’t press home the advantage though after Carlito reverses a HHH attack into a russian legsweep and then following up with a scoop suplex for a two count. After a quick glance at the referee, Carlito goes right back to the surfboard. Triple H grimaces in pain as Carlito torques his spine once again, the pressure evident on his face.
“With each agonising second, The Game's resolve is put to the test here.”
“Carlito’s got him in the middle of the ring JR, it’s a long way out of that hold!”
HHH, however, still has enough strength left in his reserves to once again fight back out of the hold as the crowd rallies behind him. With a final burst of effort HHH once again powers out and forces Carlito back. More strikes force Carlito back into the corner. HHH hits a shoulder block and winces at the pain it gives him to hit it. He shakes it off. ANOTHER shoulder block. Again, the pain shows on his face. He lifts Carlito up to the top turnbuckle and positions him properly, throwing a few chops to keep his opponent dazed.
“Triple H showing incredible determination here, folks. He refuses to give up, no matter how dire the situation!"
“If he’s going for what I think he’s going for, this might wipe him out as well as Carlito!”
HHH climbs up after him. Carlito lands a couple of body shots to try and get HHH away from him but HHH unloads with several of his own and gets the better of him. SUPERPLEX! HHH and Carlito both hit hard and, as King predicted, both men are down and out. The referee counts. Carlito is up at five and HHH is only just getting to a knee.
“Carlito is stalking him for the backstabber!”
HHH gets up, Carlito charges, but HHH knew he was coming and catches him with a SPINEBUSTER!! Got him. Now HHH plays the waiting game as Carlito gets to his feet. Kick. Wham. NO! Carlito doesn’t let HHH get the double underhook and fights out. Jawbreaker into a DDT SPIKES HHH on the canvas. Carlito falls on top of him with the cover. 1…2…Kickout! Carlito decides the surfboard has served him well and he looks to set it up but HHH counters before he can even lock it in with a BIG TIME elbow to the side of the head. Carlito staggers back. HHH gets to a knee and Carlito throws a right hand. It lands. HHH doesn’t go down. He throws his hair back and tells him to do it again.
"The tide of this match is in the balance, King! Triple H is digging deep and fighting back with everything he's got!"
Another right hand lands. HHH winces but shakes that one off too. Now he’s up to both feet. Carlito throws a third punch. Blocked. HHH throws a knee to the gut. He looks to run and hit the ropes. BACKSTABBER! Carlito got him out of nowhere! He hit the Backstabber!!!
ONE…TWO…THR-NO!
“By God, HHH kicks out at two and a half!”
Carlito can’t believe it, wondering what he has to do to win this one. HHH is struggling to his feet so Carlito decides another Backstabber will finish this one. HHH is up to a knee. Carlito is begging him to get up. He stands up. BACKSTAB-NO! HHH blocks it!!! KICK. WHAM. PEDIGREE!
One…
Two…
Three!
Winner: HHH
“HHH gets it. The Pedigree finishes this one and HHH advances to the finals against Chris Jericho in a weeks time on Monday Night Raw.”
“What a match JR, I really thought Carlito had him! I really did!”
“I think Carlito thought he had him but HHH, even at less than 100%, mustered some of his world-renowned resilience to hang on in this one and pick up the victory…Wait a minute!!”
“It’s Randy Orton!”
“I thought he missed his flight!?”
Orton is here, and as HHH is celebrating his hard-fought victory and struggling to stay on his feet, The Viper slithers into the ring unseen. The referee notices him but it’s all too late. HHH turns around. RKO! RKO!
“Damn you Randy Orton.”
HHH, despite his clear pain, struggles onto all fours. Orton notices. Glances at the crowd and begins to take a few steps back.
“No. Don’t do it Randy. Don’t do it!!”
PUNT KICK.
JR and Lawler continue to get upset about what’s just happened. Orton just stands victorious over a fallen Triple H, slumped in a heap on the canvas. A big smile spreads across his face as the show goes off the air.
—
—-
Notes
So everything was going fine, plain sailing the whole way, and then I got hit with three injuries all in the space of two days. First was Maria, who, whilst not critical to any of my plans, is an established DIVA on a roster with very few alternatives. SO, not ideal, but we can work with that. Then, someone intended to debut after Backlash was injured (I wont say who, they’ll show up in the future). Which, again, not critical, but the roster is so weak.
And then JBL got a nine month injury.
So, this is just a note to say that the JBL injury I wrote into his match was a way to explain that, and that’s not a work, that’s a shoot (brother!). In an earlier post I mentioned that HHH would be taking some time off to coincide with the birth of his and Stephanie’s second child (and to also head up Creative with the removal of Vince from the company). Initially that would have seen him leaving next month, but plans have been changed. He’ll be here until Night of Champions.
I just wanted to address that incase it causes any inconsistencies with what I had mentioned earlier about HHH taking time off. It’ll still happen, but can’t lose all our RAW star power at once!
Notes
So everything was going fine, plain sailing the whole way, and then I got hit with three injuries all in the space of two days. First was Maria, who, whilst not critical to any of my plans, is an established DIVA on a roster with very few alternatives. SO, not ideal, but we can work with that. Then, someone intended to debut after Backlash was injured (I wont say who, they’ll show up in the future). Which, again, not critical, but the roster is so weak.
And then JBL got a nine month injury.
So, this is just a note to say that the JBL injury I wrote into his match was a way to explain that, and that’s not a work, that’s a shoot (brother!). In an earlier post I mentioned that HHH would be taking some time off to coincide with the birth of his and Stephanie’s second child (and to also head up Creative with the removal of Vince from the company). Initially that would have seen him leaving next month, but plans have been changed. He’ll be here until Night of Champions.
I just wanted to address that incase it causes any inconsistencies with what I had mentioned earlier about HHH taking time off. It’ll still happen, but can’t lose all our RAW star power at once!
