Saturday Night’s Main Event
The return of Saturday Night’s Main Event begins with a video package {as all weekly shows do}, as this package highlights the massive history of SNME. The package is similar to the ones that have been shown on Raw and Smackdown in the past couple of weeks, at first showing the first ever Saturday Night’s Main Event main event, where Hulk Hogan went one on one with’ Cowboy’ Bob Orton, which ended in a disqualification win for Hulk. Various others matches in the history of Saturday Night’s Main Event are shown as well as some key happenings, including Shawn Michaels winning the Intercontinental Title off of the British Bulldog, the Boxing Match between Evander Holyfield and Matt Hardy, the last ever match of the original SNME where Bret Hart defeated Papa Shango, Randy Orton giving Hulk Hogan an RKO onto the hood of a car, Big Show and the Great Khali hitting the Undertaker with a Double Chokeslam in the middle of the ring, before the highlights of previous matches ends with the huge Street Fight at the return SNME, where Shane McMahon defeated Michaels after a Screwjob victory when he applied a Sharpshooter after a huge match, including a Superplex in the ring to the outside through a table. Flashes of the previous SNME symbols flash across the screen, before the package cuts to black.
We then head to the next video package, where we are shown Mr. Kennedy back at the Royal Rumble, where he won the huge match after entering number 1, getting the right to face a World Champion of his choosing at WrestleMania XXV, to which he chose CM Punk. Various shots of their encounters in previous weeks are shown, such as where Punk laid Kennedy out with a Pepsi Plunge onto his title belt, before showing Kennedy getting the advantage over Punk in his hometown, hitting a Mic Check. Shots are then shown of the other main event feud on the blue brand, which is between John Cena and the Undertaker over the World Title. After Kennedy chose to face Punk, Cena thought he could take WrestleMania off, which Long put instant dismissal to, booking a Battle Royal for the next Smackdown after Kennedy chose Punk, which new Smackdown Superstar the Undertaker won. Cena then introduced Nash Miller into the fray, only for the next week, Miller said that he was after Cena’s World Title, and did not want to help him. After the announcement of SNME and the Champions vs. Challengers confirmation, these two stories intertwine, where last Monday on RAW, the Champions were triumphant, however, the result was different last Friday, as the Challengers stood tall.
The rest of the video package is then dedicated to the other main happenings in the past few weeks, starting off with the war between the UKonnection and Jeff Hardy, leading to the return of RVD, as a World Tag Team Title match was announced for Mania, along with RVD and Burchill going head to head tonight. It then cuts to another tag team match at Mania; DX vs. Rated RKO. The video starts with the confrontations between HHH and Edge, whilst at the Rumble, HBK had his differences with the Two Man Dynasty, as Orton and Edge reunited along with MVP, as did the former partners in HBK and HHH, leading to MVP being demolished at the hands of DX. The video then goes to the long feud between RAW and Smackdown over Brand Supremacy, as Kane won a Triple Threat match to be RAW’s representative, as Umaga beat Kofi eight days ago, as it shows the differences Monty Brown and Kane have been having whilst this was happening. JBL and the Big Show’s feud is then recapped, where Layfield used Show for his personal gain, leading to Show getting ticked off and quitting as JBL’s manager, as a Street Fight is made for Mania. Shots are then shown of the four team in the WWE Tag Team Title match at Mania, them being the World’s Greatest Tag Team, the Mexicools, Cade and Jindrak and Jesse and Festus, before the war that has been brewing in the past weeks was shown. A recap of the feud between Noble and London is displayed where Noble returned and laid London out, before he got DQ’ed in a CW Title match, which led to a rematch at Mania with the introduction of an SD Superstar, which turned out to be Evan Bourne. A spilt screen is then shown of the eight competitors in the MITB Ladder match {Doane, Jericho, Finlay, Helms, TBK, Rey, Danielson and Hardy}, as a shot of a ladder is shown, before this video fades to black, as SNME begins.
We then go LIVE to Madison Square Garden, where JR and the King at first greet us to the show after a nice pyrotechnic display, only for the Coach to rudely interrupt them, leading to him and Tazz to run down the card for tonight, hyping the Champions vs. Challengers mostly, before also hyping the Smackdown Ten Man Tag Team match and the Steel Cage match for the United States Title between Gregory Helms and the champion Ken Doane, as well as the other Interbrand match between Noble and Bourne with London as the Guest Referee. JR and the King are then given the chance to speak after being interrupted by Coachman, as they hype RVD vs. Burchill, Jericho vs. Regal for the Intercontinental Championship, Kane vs. Monty Brown and Burke in a No Holds Barred Handicap match, and the four Money in the Bank competitors in a Tag Team match. Before they can talk anymore, they are interrupted by Coach once again, who says that the Smackdown Ten Man Tag Team match will open the show.
‘Crank It Up’ then blasts over the speakers to a big pop, as the first wrestler to make his way out down to the ring tonight is none other than the ‘Largest Athlete in the World’, the Big Show. Show makes his way down the ramp and raises one of huge arms up over his head, and once he reaches the ring, he gets to the apron via the steel steps before going into the ring over the top rope, as he repeats his previous action of raising his arm one more time. Show then steps into the middle of the ring, as he awaits not only his partners but also his challengers.
‘Ain’t No Stopping Us Now’ hits over the speakers to a slightly bigger pop than Show’s, as none other than the two members of the World’s Greatest Tag Team in Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas make their way down to the ring in their matching hoodies. Haas and Benjamin take one side each on the entrance ramp and slap hands with the fans in the first couple of rows, before they slide into the ring and pose on opposite turnbuckles. The WGGT meet one of their partners in the Big Show with a nod, as they await the arrival of their other partners for the night, who will be opponents come WrestleMania.
‘Biscuits and Gravy’ hits to another big pop from the crowd, as the lovable tandem of Jesse and Festus make their way down to the ring. Festus {as always} comes charging down the ramp, raring to get into the ring and face some competition. Jesse tries his best to refrain Festus from doing so as he tries to remind him that the three men in the ring are their partners for the night, as the camera cuts to Big Show resting in the corner, smirking at his partner trying to get into the ring. The two finally get into the ring, as Festus begins to pace around the ring, awaiting his five opponents for the night.
‘2 Z Top’ hits over the loud speakers to a fair amount of heat as the camera cuts to Jesse and Festus, before we see the newly reformed tag team of Cade and Jindrak making their way down to the ring, ready for this huge ten man tag team match. Jindrak and Cade simply smirk as Jesse once again refrains Festus from beating the living hell out of Cade and Jindrak, as the two arrogant superstars are wise enough to wait outside the ring and wait for their partners.
‘We Aren’t Mexican, We’re Mexicool’ hits over the speakers to a nice pop even though some boos are heard throughout the arena for the sheer fact the two are on the heels team for tonight, as the WWE Tag Team Champions in Super Crazy and Psicosis, otherwise known as the Mexicools, make their ways down to the ring, not bothering to ride the Juan Deere lawnmowers down to the ring. Crazy and Psicosis stay with the partners outside the ring, but there is a certain deal of reluctance, as the Mexicools have had history with Cade and Jindrak in the past weeks.
‘Longhorn’ then hits over the speakers to quite a large amount of heat, as the man that will face the Big Show in 8 days time at WrestleMania 25 in a Street Fight in John Bradshaw Layfield makes his way down to the ring via his custom limo. The chauffeur helps JBL out as Layfield then Texan Two Steps down to the ring, smirking all the way as he heads down the entrance ramp. JBL then meets up with his partners as all 5 of them roll into the ring, the Mexicools a little reluctantly.
|Match 1|
|Smackdown Ten Man Tag Team Match|
|JBL, Lance Cade, Mark Jindrak, WWE Tag Team Champion Super Crazy and WWE Tag Team Champion Psicosis vs. the Big Show, Jesse, Festus, Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin|
Charlie Haas and Lance Cade were chosen to start off what was sure to be a clusterfuck of an affair and the first match of Saturday Night’s Main Event, as the two managed to put on what was surprisingly somewhat of an entertaining stanza. The more experienced Haas managed to take the advantage over the younger Cade and worked over him with various mat holds and suplexes, nailing him with a Release German Suplex before tagging in Jesse. The face team managed to keep a hold on their advantage by utilizing quick tags, as Cade and his team found themselves in trouble early much to the delight of the crowd. However, the opening that the heel team needed came, as when Shelton went for a T- Bone Exploder, Cade hit Benjamin with a few elbows to the back of the head, followed by a thumb to the eye, a boot to the gut and then a rough looking boot to the side of the head.
The heel team then used their opponents’ strategy by using quick tags to wear Shelton down and get the fresh man into the ring, much to the dismay of all of the faces involved in this match, even Crazy and Psicosis, who were not tagged in by their partner, as it was a three way rotation between JBL, Jindrak and Cade. Due to the quick tags and Shelton being the face in peril, it proved to be a fairly boring match, as the heel team also used dirty tactics by doing such things as choking Shelton with the tag rope when the referee’s back was turned. At the 7 minute mark of the match, Jindrak went to hit Shelton with a Mark of Excellence, only for Shelton to find some new life and spring off of Jindrak’s shoulders, and when Jindrak turns back to Shelton, he is pulled in by the former Intercontinental and Tag Team Champion, before he hits the move that he could not hit on Jindrak’s partner earlier on in the match, that being the T- Bone Exploder!
Jindrak then crawls towards his corner as does Benjamin (who has been in trouble for the entire match), as Jindrak reaches his corner first and attempts to tag in Super Crazy for what would be the first time in the match, who drops down from the apron! Jindrak is shocked and goes to tag in Psicosis, only for the other Tag Team Champion to drop down from the apron, as the MEXICOOLS THEN HEAD TO THE BACK after not being let into the match by their partners! This distraction leads to Benjamin managing to tag in the Big Show, as Mark then tags in JBL! Show has a wide smirk on his face as Layfield is shocked that he now has to face Show before he goes to tag Cade in, only for Show to pull him back and hit him with a chop right to the chest. Show then used his strength and size to wear down his former boss, before throwing him across the ring and into the corner turnbuckle.
Both Cade and Jindrak simultaneously went for the save for JBL, only for their attempts to be thwarted by other interference in the form of Jesse, Festus and Haas, as Festus hit the man who hit him with a lead pipe on the last Smackdown in Cade with a Bicycle Kick, as Haas and Jesse hit Jindrak with a Double Clothesline, showing good teamwork even though they will go head to head at WrestleMania. This sent the arrogant Cade and Jindrak out of the ring, leaving JBL surrounded by all of Big Show’s partners as Shelton had now entered the fray, making Bradshaw trapped and left to succumb to the Big Show, who wrapped his giant right hand around the throat of the ‘Million Dollar Manipulator’. One Chokeslam later, and the match had ended in favour of the ‘World’s Largest Athlete’ and his four other teammates.
|Winners: Big Show, Jesse, Festus, Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin|
Show smirks as he gets to his feet and towers over the fallen JBL, as a certain measure of revenge has been dealt here tonight after the heinous assault on Show 3 weeks ago Smackdown. Crazy and Psicosis are nowhere in sight after leaving at the end of the match, and when Cade and Jindrak try and get into the ring and look to assault the others, Festus goes storming at Cade who was on the apron, and hit him with a Big Boot, knocking him off, sending him to the floor, whilst on the other side of the ring, Haas and Benjamin give Jindrak a Double Dropkick, also knocking Jindrak off of the apron. The WGGT join Show in the middle of the ring as Jesse drags Festus back, before the five partners link hands and raise their arms, before we head to a commercial break.
|Commercial Break|
Once we return from the commercial break, we head to a video package, this one highlighting the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania, which is in just 8 days time. The package highlights all of the 9 matches for WrestleMania by showing the match graphics as ‘Shoot to Thrill’ by ACDC us being played in the background, the matches being the World Title match between John Cena and the Undertaker, the WWE Title match between CM Punk and Mr. Kennedy, the fifth annual Money in the Bank Ladder match, the World Tag Team Title Match between the UKonnection and Hardy and RVD, the Street Fight between Big Show and JBL, the Brand Supremacy match featuring RAW’s Kane and Smackdown’s Umaga, the Interbrand Cruiserweight Title match with Evan Bourne, Jamie Noble and the champion Paul London, the Fatal Four Way WWE Tag Team Championship match featuring the World’s Greatest Tag Team, Cade and Jindrak, Jesse and Festus and the WWE Tag Team Champions Super Crazy and Psicosis, and lastly DX vs. Rated RKO. The package then shows various Superstars hitting their finishers, such as RVD hitting a Frog Splash, JBL hitting a Clothesline from Hell, Shawn Michaels hitting a Sweet Chin Music, Kane hitting a Tombstone Piledriver, Umaga hitting a Samoan Spike, Edge hitting a Spear, and each man in a main event hitting their finisher. The package then ends with the WrestleMania 25 logo with it simply saying ‘8 Days’ underneath it, before it fades to black.
We then head to another video package instead of going to the announcers, as we hear the familiar tune of ‘This Fire Burns’ playing in the background before CM Punk bursts into the shot with his WWE Championship which has been around his waist since No Mercy of last year, after he cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase on Jeff Hardy who had to last twenty minutes in the Scramble Match, changing brands in the process. This video highlights all of the main happenings in Punk’s short career, as it first starts off with Punk in the Money in the Bank Ladder match at WrestleMania 23 where he came so close, which is followed by Punk winning the ECW Title from John Morrison on an edition of ECW. After Punk lost the ECW Title to Chavo Guerrero on another edition of ECW {which they don’t show}, Punk wins the Money in the Bank Briefcase at WrestleMania 24, and after the roster shake up, Punk heads to Smackdown and feuds with Matt Hardy and Bryan Danielson after turning heel, before he cashed in the briefcase against Jeff Hardy, going over to RAW, as he constantly prevailed over Jeff, and 4 other opponents in the Elimination Chamber. The package ends with Punk a few weeks ago, standing tall over a busted open Mr. Kennedy, raising his WWE Title high in the air.
|Commercial Break|
Once we return from this commercial break, we go back to the action, as ‘Rocker’ begins to play to quite a large pop, as the Cruiserweight Champion and referee for tonight Paul London makes his way down to the ring in referee gear. Despite not actually competing tonight, London does his usual entrance by charging down the ramp and slides into the ring, before he gave his Cruiserweight Title to Tony Chimel. London then ascended to the top rope and posed to the crowd before he did a signature back flip off of the top rope, before he waited for the two men he would be officiating tonight.
‘Trailer Park Trash’ then hits over the speakers to quite a large amount of heat, as a scowling Jamie Noble steps out from the curtain and makes his way down to the ring. The camera cuts to London in the ring, who has a look of hate on his face after the events that took place a few weeks ago on RAW on Noble’s return, where he assaulted London backstage and left with the Cruiserweight Title, only for London to get it back the next week after a match between the two. Noble then gets into the ring and doesn’t even bother to pose in any shape or form, as he simply stares at London before he awaits Bourne’s arrival.
After the brief confrontation between the two RAW Superstars of the Cruiserweight Title Triple Threat match, ‘Axeman’ plays over the speakers to quite a large pop (especially for a youngster), as the exciting Evan Bourne makes his way out of the curtain and down to the ring. Bourne slaps hands with every fan that he could in the first couple of rows before he slid into the ring and posed on the top rope, Noble not taking his eyes off of his opponent for tonight for one second.
|Match 2|
|Special Referee Match|
|Special Referee: Paul London|
|Evan Bourne vs. Jamie Noble|
The match started off what it was expected to be; that being a very high paced affair. Bourne jumped out of the blocks early and got the advantage over the veteran Noble, who seemingly was not expecting Bourne to be this fast out of the blocks. Bourne managed to show some of his high flying ability quite early on, as he nailed Noble with a Tilt a Whirl Head Scissors followed by a Springboard Moonsault earlier on for a two count from London. Bourne was visibly excited to be on his first major show, but he showed too much excitement as this back fired on Bourne’s part, as he went for an Air Bourne much too early, as he crashed down to the mat as Noble played possum and moved out of the way. Noble then used his aggressive style to wear down the more inexperience Bourne, almost defeating him after turning a Scoop Slam into a Reverse DDT, only for Bourne to kick out.
Noble then worked over the head of Bourne, seemingly to soften it up for the Sitout Belly to Belly Piledriver, but Bourne had an answer to most of Noble’s moves through his own unique type of offense, as he managed to reverse a Northern Lights Suplex into an Elevated DDT. However, Noble held the momentum for the majority of the match as he went to finish Bourne off as he locked him in a Dragon Sleeper, only for Bourne to use his unique styles of offense again, as he ran up the turnbuckles before he back flipped over Noble’s head and got him in a School Boy Roll Up for a two count. Noble then turned around into Bourne, who hit him with a Spinning Wheel Kick right to the face, quickly followed by a High Angled Standing Moonsault for another near fall!
Bourne then stayed on the offensive and hit Noble with some forearms before whipping him across the ropes as he attempted a Back Body Drop, only for Noble to quickly pull Bourne in and drop him right on his head with a vicious Snap DDT! Noble then waited for his opponent in Bourne to get up as he then went for a Belly to Belly Sitout Piledriver, only for Bourne to roll through and hit a Head Scissors, managing to evade a signature move of Noble by using his unique style of offense yet again! Bourne then pulled Noble up before getting him in a Belly to Belly position, perhaps looking for a Standing Cyclorama, only for Noble to drive his elbow viciously right into the head of Bourne, before he laid him out with a Swinging Neckbreaker.
Noble then lifted Bourne up into a Back Suplex position but lifted him up onto the top rope so that his back is facing the ring, as Noble then goes to the apron and then up to the top rope, so that he has Bourne in position for a Sunset Flip Powerbomb. Noble is not able to hit this move, however, as Bourne retaliates with some right hands to the face, before he hops back off of the top rope. Before Noble could do any damage to Bourne from the top rope, Bourne leapt off of the second rope, before jumping up and giving Noble a Top Rope Springboard Hurricanrana! The crowd gave a big pop as even the Cruiserweight Champion looked quite impressed, as Bourne climbed over for the cover only for Noble to kick out at the last second.
Bourne stayed on the offensive but he made a mistake when he went for a Snap Hurricanrana, as Noble managed to hold onto Bourne, as he dropped Bourne back when he was in a Powerbomb position neck first right onto the ring rope. Noble then signalled that it was over as he aggressively pulled Bourne up to his feet before getting him in a Fireman’s Carry, looking for the Double Knee Gutbuster, which connects! The crowd gives big heat as Bourne looks to have suffered his first loss, only for him to somehow kick out at two! Noble then complains to London for a slow count before he slapped London, as Noble turned around with a scowl on his face. Noble then looked to hit Bourne with a Sit Out Belly to Belly Piledriver, only for a pissed off London to leap up and hit Noble with a Heel Kick to the back of the head, as Bourne then rolls through in a Victory Roll, before London does a quick count and gives Bourne the win!
|Winner: Evan Bourne|
The crowd gives a huge pop for Bourne getting the win and London costing Noble, as he has gotten a certain measure of revenge after the vicious assault from three weeks ago and the slap towards the end of the match. Noble then springs to his feet as Bourne raises his arms in the air with a smirk on his face, as Noble looks in the direction of a smirking London, before Jamie charged at the Cruiserweight Champion, only for London to dodge Noble. Noble then was running straight at Bourne, who instinctively pulled the top rope down, sending Noble hurtling over the top rope and to the outside mats. Bourne then looked at London, expecting an attack, only to see that London had maintained the smirk on his face as he lifted the CW Title over his left shoulder, before offering Bourne a handshake. Evan accepts the show of sportsmanship from Paul, before he pointed to the title that was on London’s shoulder before doing the belt signal, as we then cut to a commercial break.
|Commercial Break|
As we return from the break, we are backstage with interviewer Todd Grisham, in his first appearance on television since the attack on him by CM Punk. Grisham then talks about how coming up next is the Intercontinental Championship match, and his guest is none other than the Intercontinental Champion himself, Chris Jericho! Y2J walks in to a tremendous pop, as Grisham asks him how he feels about defending the Intercontinental Title tonight, with inevitable interference from Finlay and potentially other Money in the Bank competitors. Y2J says that he spent the last 4 months of 2008 and the first month of 2009 chasing the Intercontinental Championship, and he defied the odds at the Royal Rumble when he won the title from Finlay, and tonight would be no different as he faces Regal. Jericho said that he is ready for any interference from any Money in the Bank competitor, before the ‘Ayatollah of Rock and Rolla’ leaves the set, with the promise that he would retain his title here tonight.
After we leave the backstage area and head back to inside Madison Square Garden, ‘Rule Britannia’ hits over the speakers to a huge amount of heat, as accompanied by the 4 out of the 5 other UKonnection members, William Regal makes his way down to the ring. DH Smith and Paul Burchill (the two competitors in the World Tag Team Title match for WrestleMania as determined this past Monday on RAW) are holding the Tag Team Titles, and the ladies holding a flag each, but Finlay is nowhere in sight. Regal then hops into the ring whilst the others surround the ring, as Regal waits for Jericho.
The arena goes dark before a single light comes from the titantron, showing the number 5 before it descends to 0, as a massive shower of pyro explodes on the entrance way. ‘Break the Walls Down’ then begins to play over the speakers to a great pop, as the Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho makes his way down to the ring, all smiles even though the odds are stacked against him tonight. Jericho then heads down to the ring before he does his signature pose on the apron, as the UKonnection members stare menacingly up at Jericho. Y2J then heads into the ring and hands his title to the referee who holds it up high in the air, showing what is up for grabs here tonight.
|Match 3|
|Intercontinental Championship|
|IC Champion Chris Jericho vs. William Regal|
The two veterans put on a very good affair as Regal had the momentum in the opening moments of the match, as Jericho was unable to keep his focus entirely on the match due to the inevitable UKonnection interference. Since Jericho did not have his 100% concentration on the task at hand, Regal found it somewhat easy in the early going as he used a range of suplexes and submission manoeuvres, almost getting a win with a Release German Suplex, but the Intercontinental Champion managed to kick out after a two count. Jericho then realized that his full concentration had to be on Regal and this match, as he managed to get a hold on the match as he managed to reverse an attempted Back Suplex into a Back Suplex of his own.
The momentum and advantage changed hands various time over the next 10 minutes as it proved to be a very enjoyable affair, as both men seemed to have done their homework as there seemed to be an answer for every signature move either Jericho or Regal attempted. Regal seemed to have Jericho exactly where he wanted him at the 10 minute mark as he went for a Regal Plex, but Jericho landed on his feet, before he bounced off of the ropes and hit Regal with a signature One- Handed Running Bulldog. However, Regal returned this favour two minutes later as Jericho attempted a Lionsault, as Regal rolled out of the way, causing Jericho to smack the mat hard.
Unseen UKonnection interference proved to be very costly for Jericho, as his attempts to finish were Regal off were thwarted by interference by any UKonnection member in any shape or form. Jericho got to boiling point after he hit Regal with a Double Underhook Backbreaker as Jericho then went for the cover, only for the referee to be looking at Katie Lea Burchill who had jumped on the apron. Jericho tried to take his frustrations out on Regal as he knew that he would be on a disadvantage if he attacked any member of the UKonnection, and this seemed to be working, as he hit Regal with a wicked Step up Enziguiri, knocking him out cold for the time being. Jericho then seemed pleased with his efforts as Regal began to stir after being out of it for a couple of seconds, as Jericho then braced himself for the next move.
As Jericho bounced off the ropes to go for a dropkick to a seated Regal, his leg was grabbed by DH Smith, but this time, the referee spotted the interference from a UKonnection member, but instead of giving Jericho the disqualification victory, he EVICTED THE UKONNECTION FROM RINGSIDE! The UKonnection cannot believe it as a huge smirk spreads over the face of Jericho, before he looks at a disbelieving Regal (who had now gotten back up to his feet), who knows that now it is an even playing field. The two men start to fight once more as an incensed Regal takes the advantage through his aggressive nature, as he goes for the High Knee to Jericho, only to be tripped up as Jericho goes for the Walls of Jericho, only to be kicked off by a desperate Regal, as he wants his WrestleMania moment here tonight. Once Jericho had bounced back off the ropes after being kicked off, Regal had sprung up and Jericho went for a Clothesline, only for Regal to duck under, get the Intercontinental Champion in a Half Nelson and then hit a Release Half Nelson Suplex.
Regal then did his best to maintain the advantage but was constantly unable to put the IC Champion away, as he looked to finish it with the Regal Stretch, but Jericho had managed to get to the ropes. Regal went for the High Knee for the second time in the match, but once again Jericho managed to dodge, as he kicked Regal in the gut before he went for a Lariat, only for Regal to duck and Jericho hit the referee! Jericho then walked right into a Reverse STO by Regal who went to the mat from exhaustion before he signalled to someone in the backstage area, as we see Finlay make his way to ringside, as Regal has resorted to Plan B. However, when Finlay looks to get into the ring, none other than a man who would be competing against Finlay in the Money in the Bank Ladder match at WrestleMania in Smackdown’s Matt Hardy comes charging down, as he clubs Finlay in the back, before the two start a brawl. The referee now begins to come around as Regal has taken his eyes off of the outside and goes to hit Jericho with a Release Dragon Suplex only for Y2J to land on his feet, and when Regal turned around, he walked right into the Codebreaker! Jericho then climbed over Regal for the cover and hooked both legs, and managed to retain his Intercontinental Title.
|Winner and STILL the Intercontinental Champion: Chris Jericho|
Jericho smirks after being victorious here tonight and retaining his Intercontinental Championship against William Regal, as he turns around to see that the brawl between Matt Hardy and Finlay is still on, which ends when an enraged Finlay goes to ram Hardy head first into the steps, only for Matt to counter it with a drop toe hold onto the steel. Matt then rolls into the ring, where he sees Jericho, who has turned around from watching the brawl, raising the Intercontinental Title in jubilation thanks to Matt, who stopped Finlay from entering the ring and preventing a dirty finish. Jericho then nods at Matt and the two friends embrace, before they take a turnbuckle each, posing to the crowd. Jericho then leaves to a pop from the crowd as Matt stays in the ring to some confusion from the crowd.
However, the reason for Hardy staying back soon become apparent, as ‘Booyaka’ hits over the speakers to another fantastic pop from the crowd, as Matt’s partner for the night in Rey Mysterio begins to make his way down to the ring, as there will be back to back matches now. Mysterio bumps knuckles with Hardy before Rey goes over to the top rope and prays to the heavens and Eddie Guerrero, before he hops back down and repeats this action on the opposite turnbuckle. JR then tells us that the Interbrand Tag Team match will take place after the break.
|Commercial Break|
Once we return from the break, we see that Regal has made his way to the back but Finlay has decided to stay and watch four of his MITB opponents battle it out, but will also seemingly try and cost Matt the match after he cost Regal the IC Title. ‘The Final Countdown’ is also playing in the background, as we see that the ‘American Dragon’ Bryan Danielson is making his way to the ring, only for just like earlier on in the night with the Ten Man Tag Team match, Danielson awaits for his partner’s arrival, as Mysterio and Hardy stare Bryan down.
‘Man with a Plan’ then blasts over the speakers to a fairly large amount of heat, as the arrogant The Brian Kendrick makes his way down to the ring, doing his signature little dance as he goes. Kendrick meets with Danielson at the bottom of the entrance ramp before they both slide into the ring, as Danielson confronts Hardy, as does Kendrick with Mysterio. The referee manages to get in between the stare down between the two teams, as the two teams go to their respective corners, as they decide amongst themselves as to who would open up the match.
|Match 4|
|Interbrand Tag Team Match|
|MITB Competitors Collide|
|The Brian Kendrick and Bryan Danielson vs. Rey Mysterio and Matt Hardy|
Once all was said and done between the two teams, it was decided that RAW’s Rey Mysterio and Smackdown’s Bryan Danielson would start the match, and this match proved to be a stellar match from the get-go, as all 4 styles combined well. The heels took the advantage in the early going as Kendrick and Danielson worked over the smallest man in the match in Mysterio, as Rey was picked apart as the two arrogant Superstars used various double team moves to wear the former World Heavyweight Champion down. Danielson almost got the win very early as Rey just managed to kick out after a Butterfly Suplex, as Matt found himself angry in the early going as he saw his partner being dominated, meaning he could not get in on the action. However, after Kendrick was tagged in by Danielson, Kendrick went for a Second Rope Tornado DDT, only for Rey to push Kendrick off as Brian landed sternum first on the mat, as Rey then got the opportunity to tag in Matt.
Both Matt and Danielson were tagged in and went to battle after having a 4 month feud after Danielson cost Hardy a spot in the World Heavyweight Title Elimination Chamber, as Hardy took the early advantage over the Self Proclaimed Best in the World. Hardy worked over the upper body of Danielson, as he hit him with a Russian Leg Sweep. Matt then whipped Danielson into the corner before hitting him with a turnbuckle clothesline, quickly followed by a Bulldog out of the corner. Matt then got Rey back into the match as the two used quick tags and double team moves to wear down Danielson, but Rey lost the advantage once again, as when he went for the 619, he was kicked in the back by Kendrick, as the referee merely gave Kendrick a warning, as it gave the heels back the advantage.
Much like earlier on in the match, Kendrick and Danielson worked over the smaller Rey, as Danielson took initiative to start off with, as he threw Rey all over the ring with his wide range of Suplexes, much like his mentor Regal did to Jericho in the early part of the previous match. After multiple tag ins and outs between Danielson and Kendrick, Danielson seemed to have Rey where he wanted him and looked to finish it off with three German Suplexes, only for Rey to land on his feet for the third, and when Bryan turned around, he walked straight into a Snap Hurricanrana from Mysterio! The two then crawled to their respective corners as Kendrick got the tag once again from Danielson, but Rey managed to also get the hot tag to Hardy!
Hardy then runs into the ring and meets Kendrick with some right hands, before whipping him across the ropes and then hit Kendrick with a Back Body Drop, followed by a standing Leg Drop. Hardy then lifted Kendrick up and went for a Side Effect which connected, only for what seemed to be the inevitable three count to be broken up by an interfering Bryan Danielson! Meanwhile, Finlay has stayed waiting in the same spot patiently as he does not take his eyes off of Hardy, as Mysterio runs into the ring to save his partner, as he backs Danielson against the ropes, before he charges at Danielson with a cross body, sending both of them hurtling over the top rope and out of the ring! This leaves just Kendrick and Hardy, as Kendrick looks to take advantage, only to be hit with a Jawbreaker when he went to lift Matt up, as Matt then turns him around and connects with a Reverse DDT.
Matt then went up to the top rope with his back facing Kendrick, looking as though he would go for a Moonsault, only for Kendrick to get up and aggressively pull Matt back down from the top rope, making him land hard on his head. Kendrick then pulled Hardy into the middle of the ring and then went for a Running Shooting Star Press, only for Matt to move at the very last second! The crowd popped as Mysterio and Danielson barely even stir on the outside as Matt lifts Kendrick up and goes for the Twist of Fate, but is pushed into the ropes by TBK. Finlay then sees this as his chance, and with the referee not being able to see Finlay behind Matt, Finlay hits Matt with his shillelagh right in the back! The crowd gives thunderous heat as Matt painfully stumbles forwards, as Kendrick takes advantage of the interference, as he gets Matt in a three quarter face lock, before he hit Matt with a Sliced Bread #2! The crowd gives heat once again and TBK climbs over for the cover and gets the win!
|Winners: The Brian Kendrick and Bryan Danielson|
Kendrick celebrates as though he has just won the World Heavyweight Championship after managing to pin Hardy in this tag team match, thanks to the interference by Finlay. Kendrick looks down at Hardy before looking at Mysterio and Danielson who are out of it on the outside, as he turns around, right into a shillelagh shot from Finlay! The Irishman smirks down at the carnage and seemingly likes what he sees, as ‘Rule Britannia’ blasts over the speakers to a huge amount of heat, as Finlay is the last man standing out of 5 of the 8 Money in the Bank competitors here tonight. Finlay then hops out of the ring and heads to the back, before we go to yet another commercial break.
|Commercial Break|
Once we return from the break, we are shown Ken Doane in the backstage area, doing squats with the United States Championship on his shoulder. His bodyguards Justin LaRouche and Rycklon Stephens are simply in the background, watching Doane prepare, before we cut away from Doane’s locker room and head to the locker room of Gregory Helms, who is not working out like Doane is in his locker room, instead he (Helms) is sitting on his seat and reciting his game plan for the night, before we cut back to the live arena. The camera pans up as we see the Steel Cage suspended up above the ring, before we cut away from the cage, as it is not yet the time to witness the United States Title Steel Cage match.
‘Rule Brittania’ hits for the third time in the night and once again it is to a massive amount of heat, before none other than one quarter of the World Tag Team Champions in Paul Burchill makes his way down to the ring. Unlike his UKonnection counterpart William Regal, Burchill is only accompanied by DH Smith, who is his partner for WrestleMania against Hardy and RVD, as he has left his sister backstage for the night. Burchill then hops into the ring whilst Smith takes his spot on the outside for the second time in the night.
As the arena goes silent, ‘One of a Kind’ hits over the speakers to the biggest pop of the night so far, as accompanied by his tag team partner Jeff Hardy, Rob Van Dam makes his way down to the ring, ready for his first one on one match up since his return. Rob stops half way down the ramp with Jeff by his side, to which Rob proceeds to do his signature RVD thumb taunt to a pop from the crowd, to which some follow along with. Jeff takes his spot on the opposite of the ring as Smith whilst RVD heads into the ring before the bell rings to signify the beginning of the fifth match of the night.
|Match 5|
|RVD’s Return Singles Match|
|RVD vs. Paul Burchill|
Burchill exploded out of the blocks early as he attempted to catch RVD on the wrong foot in his first match back, and he succeeded in doing so, as he worked over all of RVD, before quickly hitting a Shoulder Breaker. Burchill then stomped all over RVD who was unable to show even glimpses of what made him one of the most loved Superstars when he was in the WWE for the first time around, only for Rob to find the opening that he needed as when Burchill went for a Rolling Fireman’s Carry Slam, RVD slid off of his shoulders and got him in a Sunset Flip Cover for a two count. Both men got up as Burchill charged at Rob but was a bit too overzealous in his attempt, as RVD easily ducked under Burchill before hitting him with a perfectly placed Standing Dropkick, gaining the advantage and some momentum for the first time in the match.
RVD then displayed his much missed high flying ability to the delight of the crowd, as he worked over Burchill from all angles and got several near falls, one example being a Modified High Angle Diving Crossbody, which Burchill was just able to kick out of. RVD then quickly bounced off of the ropes as he tried to take advantage of Burchill being grounded, as he hit Burchill with a signature Rolling Thunder, which got a big pop from the crowd. RVD then pulled Burchill closer to the ropes before Rob made his way out to the middle of the apron before he went for a Topé con Hilo, only for Burchill to lift his knees up, as RVD smacks the knees of Burchill with a sickening crunch.
From here on in, Burchill did his best to keep RVD grounded and he proved to do fairly well in this task, as he managed to maintain his advantage for a considerable amount of time, as the match took a slower pace. Burchill then looked to finish off ‘Mr. Monday Night’ after he hit RVD with an Overhead Belly to Belly Suplex, as he lifted up RVD, before he wrapped his right arm around the left shoulder of RVD, before he nailed a Standing Moonsault Side Slam, more commonly known as the C4! The crowd gave big heat as Burchill then climbed over for the cover and hooked both legs, only for Rob to kick out at the count of two! Burchill was shocked and shouted at the referee, but once he decided that the referee would not change his decision, Burchill went back on the offensive.
Burchill then lifts RVD up and goes for a kick to the gut, only for Rob to hold on, and hit Burchill with a Mule Kick out of nowhere, getting himself back in the match! RVD then quickly gets back to his feet and drags Burchill closer to a corner, as Rob then springs off of the top rope and hits Burchill with a signature Spilt Legged Moonsault! RVD then climbs over for the cover and what he hopes will be the win, only for Burchill to get a foot on the rope at the last possible moment! Rob is shocked at Burchill managing to evade the loss but remains on the offensive as he lifts Burchill up, before dropping him straight back down with a Step up Enziguiri right to the jaw to a pop from the crowd. RVD then does his pointing RVD taunt before he pounces off the ropes and goes for another Rolling Thunder, this time a Splash variation, only for Burchill to move and RVD smacks the mat hard.
Burchill then gets back the advantage that he held earlier on in the match, as he worked over RVD with power moves whilst keeping him grounded. Burchill then looked to finish RVD off by hitting the Curb Stomp, but before he could turn RVD over onto his gut, RVD kicked him in the gut before he sprang up, as he hit Burchill with some quick jabs to the face. RVD then followed this with a spin kick to the gut, before hitting Burchill with a Northern Lights Suplex, however he did not hold onto the bridge pin, instead making his way up to the top rope. Before RVD could even attempt to hit the Five Star Frog Splash, Burchill got up to his feet and also made his way up to the top rope and went for a Superplex, only to be pushed off of the top rope, and was then hit with a Top Rope Leaping Side Kick by the ‘Whole Damn Show’. RVD then leapt up to the top rope, and this time was able to hit the Five Star Frog Splash, which managed to get him the win in his first singles match back in the WWE!
|Winner: RVD|
The crowd gives a big pop as RVD holds his gut after successfully executing his signature Five Star Frog Splash, as DH Smith quickly rolls into the ring and tries to assault Rob. Smith manages to execute a few punches to the face of RVD only for Jeff to enter the ring and save his partner from any further damage, as he nails Smith with a Standing Dropkick, sending Smith back against the ropes. Jeff and his recovered partner RVD then link hands, before hitting Smith with a Double Clothesline, knocking him over the top rope. Hardy and RVD then raise each other’s hands triumphantly, knowing that they have gotten one up over their WrestleMania opponents here tonight. Hardy and RVD then head to the back, as we go to another commercial break.
|Commercial Break|
Once we return from the break, we see a recap of the events which took place moments before the break, where RVD defeated Burchill in his first singles match back, before Smith went for a post-match assault on Mr. Monday Night. This attempt backfired, however, as Jeff ran into the ring before Smith could inflict any further damage, hitting him with a Dropkick, before Jeff and RVD hit Smith with a Double Clothesline over the top rope, as the relatively new tag team of Hardy and RVD stood tall as we headed to the commercial break. We cut away from the ‘Before the Break’ package and we head to the RAW Announce Table, who say that during the break, Shane O Mac confirmed a new match for the RAW in 48 hours time, as we will see the two men who competed in the singles match tonight in RVD and Burchill’s partners go at it; Jeff Hardy vs. DH Smith. The match graphic appears on the screen to a big pop from the crowd, as JR said that it is time to move on to the second RAW match in a row, which is the No DQ Handicap match.
‘Smooth’ hits over the speakers to a fair amount of heat after we cut away from the steel structure, as none other than the tag team of Monty Brown and Elijah Burke make their way down to the ring. Burke has a large smirk on his face, knowing that they have the numbers advantage here tonight, as Brown has a very different expression to his partner Burke, as Brown simply sports a scowl on his face as he walks down to the ring. Brown and Burke then slide into the ring but do not bother to pose, instead they wait for the Big Red Monster to come down to the ring.
‘Slow Chemical’ hits over the speakers to a loud pop, as none other than ‘the Big Red Machine’ and RAW’s Representative for the Battle of the Brands WrestleMania match in Kane makes his way down to the ring. The Masked Monster menacingly walks down to the ring before entering via over the top rope, as Burke steps beside Brown so he has some protection from the menacing Big Red Machine. Kane then takes the centre of the ring before he does his fire schtick where the ‘fire’ comes out of the ring posts, as a smirk is visible through his mask as the fire emerges from the corners. Kane then steps back as Burke stays beside the side of Brown, before the bell rings to signify the start of the match!
|Match 6|
|No Disqualification Handicap Match|
|Kane vs. Monty Brown and Elijah Burke|
As the match started off, Burke and Brown exchanged quick glances before going to jump Kane, who tried his best to get the two off of him, but eventually succumbed to the two lesser experience Superstars. Burke then left Brown to wear down the Big Red Machine as Burke made his way out of the ring and looked to introduce weapons into the match, as he searched under the ring before throwing a trash can and Kendo Stick into the ring, along with a steel chair from the timekeeper. However, as Burke was on the outside, Kane managed to get the advantage from Brown, as he hit him with an Uppercut to the throat followed by a Big Boot, and even after Burke’s best efforts to get their advantage back, he was unsuccessful in doing so.
The weapons were then introduced to the delight of the crowd, as they saw Kane maintain his early advantage, as he used a stop sign that was in the trash can in the early going, as he smashed it over the head of Burke. Kane then worked over both Brown and Burke with the steel chair that Burke brought into the ring, as he left it severely dented when he hit Brown with a slam onto the chair which was on the mat. However, the numbers game soon got to the Big Red Machine, as when he went to go to Brown, he was hit with a Low Blow from behind by Burke, which was followed by a wicked chair shot to the head and an Alpha Bomb from Brown, but this was only enough to get a two count, as Burke and Brown stayed on the offensive.
As Brown leaves Kane occupied (much like earlier on in the match) at the 9 minute mark, Burke rolls to the outside and searches under the ring, before he steps back away from the ring with a table. Even though Burke has gotten the table, the crowd pop for its introduction, as on the inside, Kane has been lifted up by Brown, only to be dropped back down after being hit with a Belly to Belly Slam. Burke then slides into the ring with the table and sets it up in the middle of the ring, as Brown lifts up the chair, waiting for Kane to get up. Once the Big Red Machine does get up, the Alpha Male went to hit Kane with the steel chair, only for Kane to duck, as the chair hit the ropes and ricocheted right back into the head of Monty Brown! The crowd gave a big pop as Burke, out of desperation, lifted up the Kendo Stick and hit Kane across the back, but just like a few weeks ago with the chair shot, Kane no sold!
Kane then went after Burke, as he wrapped his hand around Burke’s throat before hoisting him up, AS KANE HIT BURKE WITH A CHOKESLAM ONTO THE TRASH CAN! The crowd gave a massive pop, as Kane was about to go for the cover, but a devilish smirk came across the face of Kane, as he pointed to Brown to another pop from the crowd. Kane the kicked Burke out of the ring before he lifted Monty up, as he then wrapped a hand around the throat of Brown and went for a Chokeslam through the table, only for the crowd to suddenly give a big mixed reaction, as we see that Umaga is right behind Kane, as he hits Kane with a Samoan Spike! The crowd gives huge heat for this as Kane drops Brown and falls to the mat as the referee cannot do anything, as Brown is shocked at the help given to him by Umaga, as he drops down and pins Kane for the three count and the win!
|Winners: Monty Brown and Elijah Burke|
Brown then gets off of Kane and stares straight at Umaga, who has not removed eye contact from the floor Big Red Machine. Brown then slides out of the ring and helps Burke up as they make they make their way to the back, victorious here tonight after major help from Umaga, as Burke holds his back from the huge Chokeslam onto the trash can towards the end of the match. Umaga’s eyes then drift off of Kane, as he looks at the table which was set up earlier on in the match, before a smirk comes over the now fully fledged heel Umaga. Umaga then drags the table into the middle of the ring which Burke brought in earlier before he lifts up Kane, before getting him in a Standing Fireman’s Carry to a very large amount of heat from the crowd. Umaga then gets the same smirk on his face, BEFORE HITTING A SAMOAN DROP THROUGH THE TABLE! The crowd pour in the heat as Umaga gives another devilish smirk in the direction of Kane before ‘Virtual Voodoo’ plays over the speakers again, as Umaga hops out of the ring and makes his way to the back.
|Commercial Break|
***
‘Metalingus/ Voices combination’ hits over the speakers to very large heat, as the former World Tag Team Champions Rated RKO make their way down to the ring, very serious ahead of the Cutting Edge here tonight with their Wrestlemania opponents.
JR: Now, I must say that these two men have been very successful in their singles and tag team career in their tenure in the WWE, but certainly under some dubious circumstances.
Coach: Hold on a tick Cowboy, you admitted that these two have had AMAZING successes, including Edge being a record Tag Team Title holder and Orton completing everything in such a short time in the WWE! Rated RKO are more dominant than any other tag team in WWE History, surpassing the Hardy Boyz, the Hart Foundation, the Dudley Boyz, and especially D Generation X!
King: Coach, do you have any idea of how those two men have got so far in this business?! Edge had to cheat to victory in almost every single match to reach those high standards, and Orton used his father’s legacy to get himself here in the WWE!
Tazz: King, I remember a line of yours a few years ago with Orton’s old team when he was with Evolution, that if you don’t get caught then it is not cheating, so shut your mouth!
King: That is true Tazz, I did recall saying those words, but like you said, that was years ago, so how about YOU just shut your pie hole and watch your partner’s boyfriends say what they have to say!
Both sets of announcers have flushed faces as it reaches boiling point, as Edge and Orton take a microphone and take the centre of the ring, ready for their Cutting Edge interview with D- Generation- X.
Edge: ...
Edge is unable to speak due to the fans in the Madison Square Garden erupting in a huge ‘You Suck!’ chant directed towards Rated RKO, as Edge and Orton have anger written all over their faces.
Coach: Listen to these fans, and what disrespect they are showing towards the greatest tag team in this history of Sports Entertainment, it is disgusting!
JR: That lack of disrespect could be said for Rated RKO as well, Coach.
Edge: Welcome to the number 1 talk show in the history of the WWE, the Cutting Edge!!
The crowd pours in the heat once again as Orton and Edge sport scowls on their faces, before it turns into a look of disgust as an amazing ‘DX’ chant arises throughout the Garden.
Orton: Shut the hell up, we’ve got something important to say!
The fans pour in even more heat for the Interbrand tandem, as Edge gets a slight smirk on his face before taking centre stage once again.
Edge: You know, that’s why we didn’t want to come here tonight, because each and every one of you New Yorkers, including the pathetic Giants and the Jets are just like DX, utterly worthless!
The crowd gives easily the biggest amount of heat of the night for Edge insulting their city, DX and their two most cherished football teams, as a big smirk comes over the face of both Orton and Edge.
Orton: As my partner was saying, tonight, we interview those wanna be degenerates DX in the best talk show in the history of the WWE, the Cutting Edge!
Edge: That’s right Randy. DX, you almost ended the career of our good friend MVP a few weeks ago on Raw...
The crowd EXPLODES at the mention of DX taking out Montel Vontavious Porter a couple of weeks ago on Raw after HBK’s elbow through the announce table, as Edge and Orton’s faces go beet red from anger of being interrupted yet again.
Edge: As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, you almost ended MVP’s career and we vowed for revenge, and tonight, we will stay true to our promise!
Orton: So, introducing our guests, and the men that will be destroyed at Wrestlemania 25, my “mentor†Triple H and Shawn Michaels, D- Generation- X!
‘Break it Down’ blasts out to a huge ovation from the crowd in the Madison Square Garden, as the veteran fan favourites in Triple H and Shawn Michaels make their way down to the ring, HBK flashing his ‘DX’ glow sticks around as HHH simply has a big, gummy smile on his face.
Coach: JR, you call Rated RKO disrespectful, but look at these two. A few years ago, they covered the Chairman of the Board in faeces, they had midgets dressed up as cheerleaders, yet you call these two veterans and everything that the WWE stands for, but me and Tazz think that, well, they are everything DISGRACEFUL and CHILDISH stands for!
JR: Just shut your mouth for one second Coach! Triple H is a 12 time World Champion and the man that unified the Intercontinental and World Championship, Shawn Michaels is the first ever winner of the Hell in a Cell match and a 4 time World Champion, so just be quiet for one second!
Tazz: Ross, go and hide yourself in your Cowboy hat, as you, the wannabe king and these fans should shut their mouths, as they know that DX is nothing but childish!
DX slide into the ring as they do their signature crotch crops in the middle of the ring, causing the cross green pyro bursts out of the ring posts, creating a giant X. HBK and HHH then also get a microphone in the centre of the ring.
Edge: Welcome to the Cutting Edge. And I’m going to cut the crap and get straight to the questions, how worried are you about Wrestlemania 25 in Shawn’s hometown, when you are going to be destroyed by Rated RKO on the Biggest Stage of them All?
Crowd gives heat as Edge and Orton have big smiles on their faces, as DX just simply look at Rated RKO with serious faces, not showing any expression whatsoever, causing Rated RKO to get angry. The crowd laughs, as Orton takes the mic.
Orton: Since you don’t seem to want to answer that question since you don’t want to face the truth (heat), Triple H, how did it feel when you lost to me 12 nights ago on Raw?
The crowd gives heat once again after the events that took place on the last Raw where Orton pinned HHH in their match, but once again, DX have expressionless faces, simply staring at their Wrestlemania 25 opponents.
Edge: Answer us God damn it!
The crowd once again laughs as Shawn and Trips look at each other, then at Rated RKO before looking at each other again. Rated RKO are at boiling point, before DX begin bursting themselves laughing at the very non humorous comments. HBK starts rolling on the floor as Triple H stops but Shawn keeps rolling around on the floor (AKA ROFL), as HHH looks at Shawn before saying ‘Stop it Shawn’, but Michaels would not listen, as he kept laughing.
HHH: Shawn, look, Mr. Fuji!
This catches Shawn’s attention as he gets up and looks around, but realises that there is no Mr. Fuji.
Edge: WHAT THE HELL IS SO FUNNY?!?!?!?!
The crowd laughs at Edge’s rage as Orton is fuming beside him, as HHH gets a mic and braces himself to speak.
HHH: Edge, I am sorry, I truly am, but something does not feel right, and I also need a question answered.
Edge rolls his eyes as the crowd pop as they know what DX will say, as HHH raises the microphone to his mic to his mouth once again.
Triple H: New York City, ARE YOU READY?!
The crowd give a big pop as Shawn taps HHH on the shoulder before pointing to his ear, signalling that he can’t hear them. HHH then ascends to the top rope and raises the microphone to his mouth once again.
HHH: No, Madison Square Garden, I said, ARE YOU READY?!?!
The crowd chants the ‘Are You Ready’ in unison, before rising to their feet and cheer. HHH hops off of the top rope and then nods towards Shawn, signalling that that was good enough. Rated RKO in the meantime have taken a back seat, shaking their heads at the crowd’s reaction.
HHH: Now then, for the thousands in attendance, for the millions watching at home right here on the NBC, and to Rated RKO, in their attempt to legalise gay marriage under the new reign of Barack Obama...
The crowd explodes with a mixture of laughs, cheers and ‘USA’ chants, as Edge kicks the bottom rope in frustration as Orton looks ready to attack.
Coach: See what I mean, blatant disrespect and childish antics...
King: SHUT UP!
HHH: (Draws an extra long breath) LET’S GET READY TO SUCK IT!!!!!
The crowd gives the biggest pop of the night so far, as Rated RKO discuss something in their corner, as HBK then says something for the first time in the night.
Michaels: And if you are not down with that, we just got two words for ya!
Shawn raises the microphone up to the crowd as the scream out ‘SUCK IT!’, but from behind, Rated RKO begin an assault on DX, as they begin to fight back.
JR: It was just a matter of time before they exploded, and here we go!
HHH trades fists with his Smackdown counterpart in Edge as Orton trades blows with the man that eliminated him from the Royal Rumble this year. Orton went for a haymaker, but it proved to be a big mistake, as HBK ducked underneath, before bouncing off of the ropes and hitting the Flying Forearm! Both Orton and Michaels were laid out, as Shawn then did his signature Kip Up!
JR: That’s vintage Shawn right there!
Tazz: Shut up Ross!
HHH and Edge continued trading blows but HHH kicked Edge in the gut before getting him in a Double Underhook, looking to hit a Pedigree, only for Edge to spin out of it and subsequently hit HHH with a kick straight to the groin! HBK went straight over to Edge, but Orton had recovered as the viper like Orton crawled and then hit Shawn with a forearm right between the legs! Shawn doubled over in pain, as Orton’s Rated RKO counterpart in Edge then bounced off of the ropes and hit Mr. Wrestlemania with a deadly Spear!
Coach: See, JR, King, Rated RKO always prevail in the end!
Orton then gets to a position where he is lying on the floor, before thumping his fists on the ground, getting ready to strike his mentor with the RKO. HHH groggily gets to his feet, as Orton then moves in for the kill! BAM! HHH is hit with the deadly RKO! Edge smirks, as he then slides out of the ring and aggressively pushes the timekeeper out of the way before sliding to chairs into the ring as Michaels started to recover, as the crowd begins to boo as they know why Edge brought not one but two chairs into the ring.
Tazz: I think Edge has evil intentions, but nonetheless they aren’t exactly evil, since they are for the greater good.
King: Shut up you fat oaf! How is this for the greater good, they are going to be destroyed!
Michaels gets to his hands and knees following the Spear, but he is caught by Orton at corner of his eye, as he begins to look at Shawn with a demonic look. Edge gets a sick grin on his face and nods at Orton, who begins to charge at full pace towards Michaels! The crowd scream for the Second Generation Superstar not to do it but Randy obviously doesn’t listen, as he Punts Michaels right in the temple!
JR: BAH GAWD! HES KILLED HIM! ORTON HAS SEVERELY DAMAGED THE TEMPLE OF SHAWN MICHAELS THE SICK BASTARD!
Orton looks down at the hapless Shawn (who coincidentally was the first ever recipient of the Punt Kick in May 2007), as Edge then drags HHH into the middle of the Cutting Edge set, before placing one of the chairs that he brought into the ring underneath HHH’s head!
Coach: And here is the exclamation point in the cancellation of the tag team match at Wrestlemania, and the end of DX!
King: These men are sick, someone needs to get out here and help them.
However, no one comes out to help DX, as Orton passes the other chair to his Rated RKO counterpart, as another sadistic smile creeps over the face of both Edge and Orton. Edge then raises the chair high above his head before bringing it straight back down onto the head of HHH, hitting Triple H with a Con Chair To!
JR: OH COME ON! THIS IS ENOUGH! DX ARE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT TO WRESTLEMANIA!
Tazz: You can’t be serious Ross, I had no idea that that was what their idea was!
Edge and Orton also finally think that this is enough, as Edge throws the chair down to the mat as he and Randy leave the ring. Medics and road agents such as Dean Malenko go rushing down past Rated RKO and slide into the ring, as they then manage to roll a severely injured DX team onto stretchers, before wheeling them out and into the backstage area as we cut away from this view and to a commercial break..
***
|Commercial Break|
As we return from the break, we are treated to the sick footage of the assault on DX by Rated RKO during the Cutting Edge, where Triple H was hit with a One Man Con Chair To by Edge, and Michaels was hit with a sickening Punt Kick to the cranium by Orton after a huge brawl took place between the two teams who will face each other WrestleMania, even though that match is now in doubt. We return live as we are at the Smackdown announce table, and Coach is all smiles after the destruction of DX. Tazz said that after all of the childish antics by DX over the years, they got what was coming to them, and now they most likely will not make it to WrestleMania in Michaels’ hometown. Coach then says that up next, we will go from one positive to another, as Ken Doane will retain his US Title in the upcoming Steel Cage match and put away Helms for good. After Coach finishes this sentence, the lights in the arena go out except for a single spotlight which is shining on the Steel Cage, which begins its descent from the rafters and down to surround the ring.
After the cage has made its successful descent, ‘Firestorm’ hits over the loud speakers to a big ovation from the New York crowd, as the Number 1 Contender for the United States Championship in Gregory Helms makes his way down to the concealed ring, all business as he knows that tonight may be his last chance to win the United States Championship from Ken Doane. Helms makes his way to the steps which are directly in front of the cage door as he runs up the steps and into the cage, as he tests out the strength of the steel mesh before awaiting his opponent.
As the crowd goes quiet, ‘Pure Control A’ hits to a huge amount of heat, as none other than the United States Champion Ken Doane makes his way down to the ring, with his bodyguards Stephens and LaRouche not far behind him. Stephens takes one side of the ring whilst LaRouche takes the other side, as Doane hands his title belt to the referee on the outside, before entering the ring and gets ready to face Helms in another encounter between the two. The cage door is then shut as Doane wheels around and looks at the door as does Helms, before the referee pad locks the door shut.
|Match 7|
|United States Championship|
|Steel Cage Match|
|US Champion Ken Doane vs. Gregory Helms|
Doane looked to jump Helms as soon as the referee had signalled for the bell to ring, only for Helms to duck a right hand from Doane and hit him with a knife edge chop, followed by another two chops which got ‘WOO!’s in the process. Helms backed Doane into the corner and unleashed with right hands and chops, as he took the early advantage over Doane. Helms worked over the entire body of Doane, as he let out all of his frustration of coming so close to winning the US Title over the past weeks into everyone once of his punches, before he whipped him across the ropes and executed a back body drop. Once Doane had gotten back up to his feet, Helms nailed him with a kick to the gut, before hitting a quick Swinging Neckbreaker to a pop from the crowd.
Helms maintained this advantage before he went for a Suplex, only for the United States Champion to hit Helms with some punches to the gut, as he got Helms up into a Suplex position, only to drop him back down sternum first onto the ropes! Helms then got to a vertical base and was trapped in between the ropes and the cage, as the champion ran back to the ropes furthest away from Doane, before sandwiching Helms in between himself and the cage. Helms then went to a seated position against the cage, as Doane caught him with a dropkick, smacking the back of Helms against the cage once again. Doane then went down to his knees and began to choke the Number 1 Contender for his title which he has held since Unforgiven of last year, and did not have to obey the 5 count due to the no disqualification nature of the Steel Cage match.
Doane held onto this advantage for the majority of the match but was constantly unable to put the resilient Helms away, as whenever he attempted one of his signature moves, Helms always had an answer for it, whether it be a kick out or a reversal. Doane managed to get Helms down long enough to go for a Sky High Sensation, however, as he nailed Helms with a well executed Suplex into a Neckbreaker. However, after Doane had reached the top rope, there was another case of Helms managing to counter one of Doane’s signature moves as he knocked the top rope, causing Doane to crotch himself on the top turnbuckle. Helms then made his way to the second rope as he nailed Doane with some punches to the forehead. Helms then went for a Super Hurricanrana, only to be viciously thrown off of the top by Doane at the 13 minute mark!
Helms smacked the mat hard but after a few seconds, he managed to regain composure and get to his feet, but Doane had enough time to recover on the top rope, as he leapt off for a Doane- Nation Flying Clothesline, only to be hit with a dropkick in mid air by the former Cruiserweight Champion! Helms and Doane stayed on the mat for quite some time, before Helms kipped up Shawn Michaels like to a big pop from the crowd. Gregory then walked back into a corner and slapped his right leg, signalling that he would go for the Shining Wizard. Conveniently, Doane got up to his knees as Helms then moved in for the kill, only to be given a Low Blow from Doane as he attempted the Shining Wizard! The crowd poured in the heat for Doane as he has resorted to dirty tactics just like the Ladder Match a few weeks ago on Smackdown, as he aggressively pulled Helms up, AND NAILED THE RK- DOANE! The crowd gave an incredible amount of heat as Doane smirked, before he climbed over for the cover, only for the resilient Helms to kick out at the count of two! Doane complained to the referee for a slow count and slapped his hands three times in the ref’s face, signalling that it should have been three, but the referee was not budging.
Doane is shocked at not being able to put down away with an RK- Doane, as it seems that Helms has an answer for every time Doane connects with or attempts to hit one of his signature moves, before an idea seems to have sprung in Ken’s head, as he looks up to the top corner of the cage, before lifting Helms up. Doane then walks Helms over to the corner which he was looking at and elevates Helms top turnbuckle, as Doane then climbs up to the same turnbuckle. Doane then goes one step further, as he puts Helms on the top of the cage! Doane is then extra careful as he climbs up to the same place that Helms is, BEFORE ATTEMPTING A SUPERPLEX OFF THE TOP OF THE CAGE! Helms senses danger here, however, as he uses everything in his power to get himself out of this predicament which Doane has gotten him into, as he knows this will put him away for good.
Helms then hammers away at the current United States Champion with right hands, before hitting him with a few headbutts. This managed to get Doane off of Helms but not get him off of the cage although he was slightly groggy, as Helms then brought Doane’s head forward and rammed it into the steel support pole, knocking Doane off the top of the cage! The crowd gave a huge pop as Doane smacked the mat from the top of the cage quite hard, as Helms took a moment to regather at the top of the cage, which gave time for Doane to recover also. Helms then got up to a standing position but waited for Doane to get to a vertical base, and once the US Champion did, HELMS LEAPT OFF OF THE TOP OF THE CAGE AND CONNECTED WITH A NIGHTMARE ON HELMS STREET FROM THE TOP! The crowd erupted into a huge ‘Holy Shit’ chant, as Helms managed to drape an arm over for the cover, and got the three count. WE HAVE A NEW UNITED STATES CHAMPION!
|Winner and NEW United States Champion: Gregory Helms|
Helms somehow manages to get up after the massive Nightmare on Helms Street from off the top of the cage, as the referee inside the cage is handed the US Title which formerly belonged to Doane by the gap in the corner of the cage. A triumphant and ecstatic Helms is handed the title which has eluded him for the past 6 months, and he ‘embraces’ with the belt, before raising it up in the air for the whole world to see. The referee opens the door, and not wanting to cause a scene, LaRouche and Stephens pull Doane out of the cage and get him to the back, but this is not the real story, as Helms has now gone up to the top rope and is celebrating with what is now his United States Championship. A replay of the huge Nightmare on Helms Street is shown various times, which stemmed from Doane attempting a Superplex off of the cage. As we return live, Helms is now on the top of the cage with the help of the support pole which was a key factor in his victory, and as we go to the commercial break, we have one last image of Helms with the United States Championship.
|Commercial Break|
Once we return from the commercial break, we are shown yet another replay of the great Helms vs. Doane Steel Cage United States Championship match, where Helms finally managed to defeat Doane and become the NEW United States Champion. Another replay of the events that lead to the Helms victory are shown, where Doane looked to finish Helms off with a top of the Cage Superplex after not being able to put Helms away for the whole match, only for this to backfire and be pushed off of the top of the cage after being rammed into the support pole, before being hit with a Nightmare on Helms Street once he had gotten up from off the top of the cage, as this package then ends with Helms standing tall up at the top of the cage ecstatic with his victory, holding up the United States Championship for the world to see. Once this has finished, we go to RAW’s JR and the King, who congratulate Helms on getting the title which he has been pursuing and has eluded him for the past six months, but that all changed tonight. Coach remains silent throughout all of this, not wanting to concede the fact that one of his favourite wrestlers lost the US Championship, and Tazz remains silent along with his new partner.
We then go backstage, where we see none other than Nash ‘Blood’ Miller walking in the backstage area, seemingly going towards the ring area. Miller has a scowl on his face and sports the same look on his face after being told 8 nights ago on Smackdown that he would not be included in the World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania 25, as he runs into the man that prevented him being in the World Title match, that man being none other than the Smackdown General Manager, Theodore Long! Teddy asks Miller what he is doing, to which Nash ‘Blood’ Miller says that he is continuing with making that statement when he destroys both Cena and Undertaker tonight, but Long put an immediate stop to this, saying that if Miller does go out there tonight and interfere in the huge main event, MILLER WOULD BE FIRED! Miller was fuming from the mouth before storming off in the other direction, as Long lets out somewhat of a sigh of relief, as he may have just saved his WrestleMania main event. JR then quickly says that after this commercial break, we will see the huge Champions vs. Challengers main event!
|Commercial Break|
As soon as we return from the commercial break, we hear the ever familiar tune of ‘Rollin’’ around the arena, which gets a massive pop from the crowd. The familiar bike roar is heard from the crowd, before out comes the Undertaker on his signature motorbike to an even bigger pop from the crowd. Undertaker does a lap of the ring on his signature Harley Davidson before parking in at the end of the entrance ramp, as he hops off and then enters the ring. Undertaker waits in a corner, as he awaits not only his opponents, but also his partner for what will be the first time ever.
‘Turn Up the Trouble’ hits over the loud speakers to what is easily the biggest pop of the night from the packed Madison Square Garden crowd, as Mr. Kennedy emerges from the back, arrogantly chewing his gum whilst sporting a large smirk on his face. Kennedy makes his way down to the ring, and once he gets into the ring, he melodramatically raises his arm, as his microphone descends from the rafters. Kennedy then does his normal entrance schtick before throwing the microphone back up, as he nods at Taker before he waits for their opponents.
‘This Fire Burns’ hits over the speakers to a PHENOMENAL amount of heat from the fans in Madison Square Garden, as none other than the WWE Champion for the past 7 months in CM Punk makes his way down to the ring, sporting an arrogant smile on his face whilst having the WWE Championship resting on his shoulder. Punk then slides into the ring and poses on the top rope, holding up the WWE Championship as he goes. Punk then makes eye contact with his Wrestlemania opponent but the two do not come to blows, as they await the last competitor in the match.
As the crowd get excited for the impending encounter between Kennedy and Punk, ‘Can’t Nobody Stop Me’ hits the speakers to an equal if not bigger amount of heat given to his partner earlier, as none other than the World Heavyweight Champion John Cena makes his way out from the back and towards the ring. Cena holds up his World Heavyweight Championship as he makes his way down the MSG entrance ramp, before he slides into the ring, as he raises the World Title with both hands. Cena then wheels around and looks Taker straight in the eye, before the referee takes the World Title off of Cena after taking the WWE Title off of Punk, as he directs both teams to their respective corners.
|Match 8|
|Main Event|
|Champions vs. Challengers|
|WWE Champion CM Punk and World Heavyweight Champion John Cena vs. Mr. Kennedy and the Undertaker|
After the teams decide who they will let open the contest, it is decided that the two men who dominated the main event scene of Smackdown in the latter part of 2008 in Mr. Kennedy and John Cena will open up the contest. The two showed great chemistry as it was a tight affair in the early going, as Kennedy took the advantage as he reversed a Fisherman’s Suplex attempt into a Suplex of his own, before he tagged in an eager Undertaker, who was desperate to get to Cena after the events that have transpired between the two these past weeks on Smackdown, including Cena hiring Nash Miller to beat down Taker, even though that didn’t go the way Cena expected it to.
The advantage soon went to the champions, however, as when Undertaker went for a Snake Eyes, Cena slid off of Taker’s shoulders and ran him right into the turnbuckle before he tagged in the fresh man in the WWE Champion CM Punk. The Straight Edge Superstar and the World Heavyweight Champion worked over the much more experienced Undertaker as they kept him isolated in their corner, much to the chagrin of the 2009 Royal Rumble winner. The Undertaker came painstakingly close on various occasions of getting Kennedy back in but what was unable to do so, most often because of interference by the illegal man on the heel team, or the legal man got to Taker in the nick of time, just before he got to tag out to a fiery Kennedy, who looked as though he would blow at any moment.
However, an opening came for the Undertaker at the 13 minute mark, as his WrestleMania opponent and the World Heavyweight Champion in Cena looked to finish off Taker and the match with an FU after hitting him with his usual 5 moves of doom, only for the man that is 16 and 0 at WrestleMania to get off of Cena’s shoulders, before he bounced off of the ropes, as he then hit Cena with a signature Tornado Desperation DDT! The crowd gave a big pop as an ‘Undertaker’ chant started up, but just when it looked like Cena would get to Punk first, Taker managed to tag in Cena, as the Smackdown main event of WrestleMania tag out for RAW’s main event for WrestleMania!
Kennedy hopped into the ring as did Punk, as Kennedy exploded with right hands to the WWE Champion, hoping to get somewhat of an advantage over his WrestleMania opponent. Kennedy backs Punk into the corner, before hitting him with a running Clothesline, as Punk stumbles out, right into a Snap DDT from Mr. Kennedy! The Green Bay Loudmouth then climbs over for the cover, but at the count of two, the World Heavyweight Champion runs in and breaks up the count! Cena then lays some boots into Kennedy, only for the Undertaker to come from behind of Cena and then throw him over the top rope and out of the ring. The Undertaker then steps out of the ring and goes to his WrestleMania opponent, leaving Kennedy and Punk in the ring, one on one.
Kennedy then lifts Punk up before going for a Mic Check to finish off this huge encounter, but much like in the first match with Cade and Benjamin, Punk elbows Kennedy in the back of the head before spinning out of this position and goes for the Go to Sleep, but Kennedy drops down from Punk’s shoulders and gets Punk in his own Fireman’s Carry, as he then goes on to hit the Steamroller! Meanwhile on the outside, Undertaker is dominating Cena as he is now bouncing Cena’s head off of the steel steps, causing the referee to get distracted and watch what was going on between Taker and Cena. Kennedy didn’t go for the pin as he instead went to pick Punk up, but with the referee not watching, Punk poked Kennedy in the eye, before he sprung to his feet and kicked Kennedy right in the groin! Before Kennedy could hit the mat, Punk pulled Kennedy in before hitting a vicious Straight Edge, as he climbed over for the cover, as the referee turned around and counted the three!
|Winners: WWE Champion CM Punk and World Heavyweight Champion John Cena|
On the outside, the Undertaker stops his assault on Cena, realising that he may have cost his team the match due to him not being there for the save for the pinfall. This gives Cena some time to recover as the camera zooms in on the hand of Cena, which is now under the ring apron. Cena then emerges with a steel chain similar to the bike chain Punk used on Taker 12 nights ago on RAW, and when Taker turns back around to Cena, he is hit with a forearm low blow! Taker holds his jewels in pain, as Cena springs back up to his feet and nails Taker with a punch with a chain-wrapped fist! Undertaker drops down to the outside mats like a sack of spuds as Cena then rolls into the ring with a smirking CM Punk, as the referee hands them their respective titles. Cena and Punk then link hands and raise their arms as they hold their World Titles in their free hands, as the champions have reigned victorious over their challengers here tonight. SNME then comes to a close, with the last vision being Punk and Cena standing tall over their WrestleMania opponents.
|END OF SHOW|
, still a good match though but it's a one sided match for JBL. It added some hypes to his match with Big Show
) generally doesn't have too many stiff workers, and it'd have to be stiff to look good. Oh, it's ripped from CC too. 
Resident Redneck, jobbah. Isn't ehw inner of this also facing Jamie Noble at SNME? You stuffed that up in the match title. 
: