The official wrestling sim topic

[loopydate]

MAY 6, 2004 - SMACKDOWN!

SmackDown! kicks off with a pair of WWE debuts! Newcomer Johnny Jeter plays the cocky heel against Aaron "The Idol" Stevens' teen idol babyface gimmick. And these two make a name for themselves quickly, tearing up their debut match. Stevens picks up the win with the Downer, but after the match, Jeter attacks him and gains a measure of revenge. These two are SmackDown! stars in the making!

Paul Heyman leads Brock Lesnar and Billy Kidman, the only remaining members of his Dangerous Alliance, to the ring. He cuts a promo about the struggles his team has had since the draft, about how losing Big Show to RAW seems to have sucked some of the life out of them. So he decided that it's time once again to expand the Alliance. But instead of adding another big body to the fold, he's going the other way. Lately, Billy Kidman has had his greatest success in tag team matches, and so Paul Heyman is proud to introduce the newest member of the Alliance, Kidman's tag team partner... the Japanese buzzsaw Tajiri!

Tajiri makes his debut as a member of the Alliance next against Rico. These two top-tier cruiserweights put on a good match with lots of aerial offense and martial arts wizardry. In the end, though, Tajiri resorts to cheating and lays out Rico with brass knuckles. Unfortunately for the buzzsaw, the official sees it and disqualifies him.

Once Rico regains his bearings, he asks for a microphone. He cuts a promo about the despicable acts perpetrated by Dave Batista last week, when he viciously assaulted the biggest icon in the industry, Ric Flair, ruining his retirement announcement. Rico and Bats have had their issues in the past, and their WrestleMania match should have put all that behind them, but Rico wants one last shot at Batista, and he wants it at Judgment Day! "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" hits the speakers, and the crowd erupts! Their cheers turn quickly to boos as - instead of Flair - they get "Nature Boy" Dave Batista, strutting out onto the ramp wearing very Flair-like attire. He accepts the challenge, and lets out a triumphant WOOOOOOO!

It's champion versus champion next as Batista takes on the Cruiserweight Champion Rey Mysterio! This match pretty much goes as you'd expect it, Batista using power, Rey going aerial. In the end, Rey's rival Christian hits the ring with a chair and takes advantage of a distracted referee to hit Rey, allowing Batista to hit the Batista Bomb and pick up the win. After the match, Christian lands two more chair shots, then hits Rey with a drop toehold across the chair. Rey is bloodied, and Christian is standing tall!

As Christian walks away, Rey manages to drag himself to ringside and grab the microphone. He issues a challenge to Christian for Judgment Day, and Captain Charisma happily accepts. It looks like the Cruiserweight Title is within his grasp!

Last week, Metro Connection pulled off a tremendous upset when they defeated the Dudley Boyz for the World Tag Team Titles. Tonight, they defend those belts for the very first time against Los Guerreros! The champions isolate Chavo for most of the early-going until Chavo manages to pull out a Steamboat-style cross body. Unfortunately, the size advantage of the Connection is just too much, as they quickly take down Eddie after a hot tag. After Chavo tags back in, he gets blindsided by Billy Kidman, wielding a chair! Gunn takes advantage with the Fame-Ass-Er for the win and the successful title defense.

The Rock is backstage, and he's got a big match against the WWE Champion John Cena tonight, but he's there to hype up his feud with Brock Lesnar. At Judgment Day, it may be a fatal fourway for the title, but Rock only has eyes for Lesnar, and he's going to show Lesnar that all the embarassments he's suffered over the last couple of months will be nothing against what he does to Lesnar at Judgment Day!

Those words must be ringing in Lesnar's ears as he heads to the ring for a tune-up match against Matt Hardy Version 2.0. Two of the three #1 contenders for the WWE Title go at it in a competitive match that again shows that Matt Hardy is so very close to the main event. In the end, though, Lesnar's power is just too much for the rebooted Hardy, and he picks up the win with the F5.

WWE Champion John Cena heads to the ring for the main event, but first he has some things he wants to say to Matt Hardy. If Hardy wants to keep pretending that he's ready to fight for the WWE Title, he's going to need to do better than he did against Lesnar. Plus, next week, when Cena and Hardy go one-on-one in their final tune-up for Judgment Day, Cena's going to again walk out with the win.

As mentioned before, tonight's main event pits WWE Champion Cena against The Rock! The crowd absolutely eats this match up! Unfortunately, they're cheated out of a clean finish as Matt Hardy hits Cena from behind with a chair allowing Rock to pick up the win with the Rock Bottom. After the match, Rock shows something of a lack of appreciation, as he lays out Hardy with the Rock Bottom as well! The Rock stands tall as SmackDown! goes off the air.

The Judgment Day card is coming together! Cena versus Rock versus Lesnar versus Hardy for the WWE Title, Batista versus Rico for the Intercontinental Title, Rey Mysterio versus Christian for the Cruiserweight Title, and Eddie Guerrero versus Tajiri! Next week, it's the last show before Judgment Day, and we know that it's going to be Cena versus Hardy and Rock versus Lesnar, plus everyone else (including the damaged Cruiserweight Title Rey Mysterio) will see their last action before Judgment Day!

[loopydate]

MAY 13, 2004 - SMACKDOWN!

It's the last show before Judgment Day, and the SmackDown! Superstars have one last night to tune up before the big show. All of SmackDown!'s biggest rivals will go head-to-head tonight, plus a new #1 contender for the Intercontinental Title will be determined. The show kicks off with one of the #1 contenders for the WWE Title, Matt Hardy Version 2.0, cutting a promo. Tonight, he's got a one-on-one match with John Cena and when he walks out with his arms raised, Cena will know he's got his number. And when he walks out of Judgment Day with the WWE Title, the whole world will know that that number... is 2.0! I can just see that "Matt Hardy is #2" will be popping up all over the country.

Sunday night, "Nature Boy" Dave Batista will defend his Intercontinental Title against Rico. The winner of that match will face the winner of the following four-corners match next week on SmackDown! It's former champion Hurricane versus John Layfield versus Paul London versus Ultimo Dragon! The cruiserweights put on a pretty exciting match while Layfield is... also there. In the end, London pulls off the upset by hitting Layfield with London Calling for the win!

Christian cuts a promo next about his Cruiserweight Title match against Rey Mysterio that's coming up on Sunday. The guy really knows how to work a promo, and this one's a doozy. Seems strange to have a near-main-event feud over the Cruiserweight Title, but the belt is definitely helping push these guys up the card.

Christian remains in the ring for a tag match pitting him and Dave Batista against Mysterio and Rico. Two Judgment Day singles matches brought together for tonight's tag match. Rey and Rico double-team Christian until Xian manages to tag in Batista, who cleans house, pummeling both rivals. Once Christian tags back in, Rey grabs the advantage and pins his rival with the West Coast Pop.

Vince McMahon, acting General Manager of SmackDown! announces that in light of last week's challenge for a match between Eddie Guerrero and Tajiri, he's going to add another match to the Judgment Day card. Continuing the ongoing rivalry between Los Guerreros and Paul Heyman's new Dangeorus Alliance team of Kidman and Tajiri, it's going to be Chavo Guerrero versus Billy Kidman at Judgment Day!

Up next is an incredible tag match pitting the aforementioned quartet against each other once again. Quick tags, aerial offense, technical wizardry, you name it, it's here. In the end, Chavo picks up the win by pinning Kidman with the Brainbuster. After the match, all four brawl up the ramp and out of view.

The champ is here! WWE Champion John Cena hits the ring next to cut a promo about Matt Hardy Version 2.0. After their Backlash encounter, Cena learned not to underestimate Hardy, and tonight, he's definitely not going to take him lightly. But that doesn't mean that he's not going to wipe the mat with him tonight and all three contenders at Judgment Day to walk off still the champ!

Now it's time for Cena versus Hardy, and they put on another tremendous match. This rivalry is definitely accomplishing its goal of elevating Hardy and keeping Cena in the top tier of WWE Superstars. Cena looks to be on the verge of picking up the win when Hardy catches him with a low blow and a quick small package. Hardy has pinned the champ! He runs off before Cena can get his revenge. What's going to happen at Judgment Day?

The Rock cuts a promo next about tonight's match against Brock Lesnar and the fatal fourway at Judgment Day. The Rock is ready to walk away with the WWE Title, and he doesn't care whether he needs to pin Lesnar or Matt Hardy, or his friend John Cena, he's going to once again go from People's Champion to WWE Champion if you smell what The Rock is cookin'!

Main event time now as Rock and Lesnar go one-on-one once again. And just like their past encounters, this one tears the house down. Unfortunately, we don't get a clean finish, as Paul Heyman climbs up on the apron and exposes one of the turnbuckles. Lesnar grabs Rock's tights and slams him face-first into the buckle and rolls him up for the win, even putting feet on the ropes to add insult to injury.

After the match, Heyman grabs the microphone and again tears into Rock. He's tried so many times over the last two weeks to finally pick up that win over Lesnar, and every time he fails. And at Judgment Day, he's going to have the exact same problem when Lesnar walks out with the WWE Title.

[loopydate]

MAY 20, 2004 - SMACKDOWN!

The SmackDown! bracket of the King of the Ring tournament kicks off tonight with four first-round matches, plus Paul London is hoping to pull off the upset of a lifetime as he takes on Dave Batista for the Intercontinental Title. All that, plus we expect to hear from Matt Hardy Version 2.0 before the night is through!

We open with a Cruiserweight exhibition between Rico and Carlito. Both men are entered in the KotR tournament, and we'll see them next week, but tonight they're looking to build some momentum. And if it wasn't ANOTHER FUCKING DUD SHOW, I'd talk about the awesomeness of this match. Instead, I'll just say Rico won with his spinning leg lariat.

It's a first-round King of the Ring match next as Brock Lesnar takes on Ultimo Dragon. 85/86% ratings for quality and reaction, but only a 76 overall. Fuck you, EWR! Lesnar picks up the win with the F5 to advance to round two.

Theodore Long cuts a promo on behalf of his Playas' Club (Mark Henry and Chris Nowinski), basically reminding us that they exist and maybe someday will have a match.

KotR continues next as The Rock takes on John Layfield. This one deserved the dud rating. Good reaction, but Rock had to carry the entire match. He picks up the win with the Rock Bottom to advance. Layfield cheap shots him after the match to retain some heat.

The ongoing rivalry between Los Guerreros and the Dangerous Alliance is just about to come to a head, and tonight, it's Chavo Guerrero versus Tajiri! These two put on a tremendous match that Tajiri winds up winning with the Kick of Death. Chavo gets revenge after the match with a Brainbuster.

Matt Hardy Version 2.0 comes to the ring next. He's sick and tired of this feud with John Cena, and he wants it to end tonight. Cena keeps walking away with the belt, and Matt promises that if he can't beat Cena, he'll never challenge him again. But tonight, the match is going to be on his terms. Tonight, he wants John Cena... in a ladder match! Cena comes out on the ramp to accept the challenge, and it's on!

King of the Ring continues next with two former Cruiserweight Champions going one-on-one as Rey Mysterio takes on Billy Kidman. These two put on a 4.5-star classic that goes back and forth, up and down, and pretty much resembles one of those flight-simulator rides. Rey picks up the win with the 619 to move on to round two.

More cruiserweight excitement is up next in our final KotR match of the evening as Hurricane takes on the new Cruiserweight Champion Christian! This one picks up four more stars for a tremendous bout that sees Christian advance with the Unprettier.

The Rock cuts a promo about how he's glad that Lesnar advanced. As much as he's pulling for his friend Rey Mysterio in two weeks, he is sort of hoping that Lesnar picks up the win, so that Rock can put him out of the tournament and finally end this feud once and for all.

"Nature Boy" Dave Batista is out next to defend the Intercontinental Title against the man who won a fatal fourway last week to earn the shot, Paul London. London manages to catch a couple of good high-flying moves, but he's just overmatched against Batista, who puts him away with the Batista Bomb to pick up the victory.

And now for our main event, the WWE Title on the line in a Ladder Match! These two put on a tremendous show, with both men using the ladder as a weapon. Cena hits the FU on Matt, and begins to climb the ladder, but out of nowhere... JEFF HARDY HITS THE RING! Matt's brother tips the ladder over, sending Cena to the floor, allowing Matt to climb the ladder and claim the win. We have a new WWE Champion! The Hardy Boyz shake hands and celebrate victory as SmackDown! goes off the air!

[loopydate]

MAY 27, 2004 - SMACKDOWN!

King of the Ring continues tonight as we fill in the last four slots in the sweet sixteen. Plus, just like on RAW, a massive tag-team main event pitting next week's KotR participants against each other, plus the entire SmackDown! roster is here tonight as we select number-one contenders for two of the brand's top titles!

We open the night with a triple-threat match pitting new SmackDown! superstar Aaron Stevens against John Layfield and Matt Morgan. Layfield and Morgan brawl to start, then Stevens enters the fray by hitting some high-flying offense that almost winds up giving him the win over Morgan. He continues the offense until Layfield catches him with a spinebuster and finishes him with the Clothesline From Hell for the win.

King of the Ring continues next as Rico takes on the Dangerous Alliance's Tajiri. They put on a tremendous match with lots of martial artistry. In the end, Tajiri lands a brutal Kick of Death to pick up the win and advance.

The Cruiserweight division is on display next with a six-man tag match pitting Jamie Noble, Nova, and Spike Dudley against Akio, Nunzio, and newcomer Johnny Jeter. This was a tremendous old-school WCW-style six-man with lots of high flying and quick tags. Noble winds up finishing off his old Jung Dragons partner Akio with a Tigerdriver.

The World Tag Team Champions the Metro Connection cut a promo hyping themselves up. There's a #1 contender match for their belts next, but it doesn't matter who comes away with the win, because Billy Gunn and Chris Kanyon are going to be the champions for a long time.

And now it's time for a four-team elimination match to determine challengers for the Connection's belts next week. The first team eliminated is the makeshift duo of Funaki and Ultimo Dragon as Doug Basham lands a massive spinebuster on Dragon. The Basham Brothers are the next ones out as the Playas' Club's Chris Nowinski hits Doug with a DDT to put him out. Former World Tag Team Champions the Dudley Boyz pick up the win as Bubba puts Nowinski away with a Bubba Cutter.

King of the Ring continues as former WWE Champion John Cena takes on Carlito. Not much of a surprise that Cena picks up the win with the F-U.

Last week, Cena lost the title to Matt Hardy Version 2.0 thanks to the surprising return and interference of Matt's brother Jeff Hardy! Tonight, Matt has his first match as champion in a first-round King of the Ring match against Paul London. London continues to prove why he's one of the fastest-rising stars in World Wrestling Entertainment by taking Hardy to the limit. Matt winds up picking up the win with his diving legdrop off the second rope.

After the match, Jeff Hardy comes to the ring to join his brother in cutting a promo. Now that Matt is the WWE Champion, the brothers' rush to the top of World Wrestling Entertainment has begun. And next, Jeff is going to become #1 contender for the Cruiserweight TItle!

Up next is a fatal fourway to determine a #1 contender for Christian's Cruiserweight Title. It's Hardy versus Chavo Guerrero versus Hurricane versus Billy Kidman. Since I need to start getting ready to go to work, I'll just skip to the end of the match as Hardy does in fact pick up the win by landing the Swanton Bomb on Hurricane.

King of the Ring continues as Eddie Guerrero takes on Intercontinental Champion "Nature Boy" Dave Batista. On numerous occasions it looks like Eddie might pick up the win over Batista. Batista notices it, too, and he winds up getting frustrated and laying Eddie out with a steel chair. The referee calls for the bell, disqualifying Batista, but afterwards, the ref gets laid out with a big punch. Batista continues his descent into madness, and a horde of officials come out to pull him away.

Our main event tonight pits The Rock and Rey Mysterio against Brock Lesnar and the Cruiserweight Champion Christian. Rey winds up getting some revenge on Christian by putting him away with the 619.

[loopydate]

JUNE 3, 2004 - SMACKDOWN!

The month of June kicks off with six-man tag action featuring the lowest rungs on the SmackDown! totem pole. It's Funaki, Matt Morgan, and Zach Gowan against Akio, Johnny Jeter, and Mark Henry. Johnny Jeter carried most of the match, getting in ring time with all three opponents, including starting and ending the match with Gowan. This kid's got some serious potential. He picks up the win, hitting Gowan with a spinning kick, and he definitely looks on the verge of upward mobility.

The cruiserweight division gets to steal the show again next with a tag-team match featuring the red-hot Paul London and Ultimo Dragon against Carlito and Nunzio. Nunzio and Carlito control London through the early-going making quick tags and hitting kicks and suplexes. Once Dragon gets the hot tag, he takes to the air and lands several high-impact moves before Nunzio catches him with a belly-to-belly off the top rope for a near fall. Nunzio tries to set up for the Sicilian Slice, but Dragon catches him with an Asai DDT out of nowhere for the win.

Midcard Mania is up next as Intercontinental Champion "Nature Boy" Dave Batista teams with John Layfield, Chris Nowinski, and the Basham Brothers to take on Chavo Guerrero, Jamie Noble, Nova, Spike Dudley, and Aaron Stevens. Danny Basham spends most of the time getting pummeled by all five opponents, while Chavo and Layfield spend almost the entire match on the apron. In the end, Batista lays Noble out with a Batista Bomb to pick up the win.

John Cena, just two weeks after losing the WWE Title to Matt Hardy, is looking to get back into the title hunt. Tonight, he faces the Dangerous Alliance's Billy Kidman. Next week, Cena faces Kidman's partner Tajiri in a King of the Ring second-round match, so he's got to be looking at Kidman as a tune-up, which might be just what Kidman wants. Or not, Cena picks up the win with the FU.

Two weeks ago, the Hardy Boyz reunited when Jeff Hardy returned to help his brother Matt win the WWE Title from John Cena. Tonight, they team up for the first time in years to take on Rico and the brothers' former longtime friend, Hurricane. They clearly haven't missed a step, as they isolate Rico for most of the beginning of the match until Hurricane hits the ring and takes the match by storm... *crickets* Anyway, Hurricane gets in some big offense until Jeff manages to tag Matt back in. Matt works over his old rival with some aerial and martial arts offense, then Jeff slips back in to hit the Swanton Bomb to give the Hardyz the win.

Paul Heyman is backstage with the monstrous Brock Lesnar. Tonight, Brock faces Rey Mysterio. Brock destroyed Mysterio at the Royal Rumble, and he's going to do the same tonight. And they both know that, as great as Christian is, Rock is probably going to beat him. Which means in two weeks, it's going to once again be Rock versus Brock. And once again, Lesnar is going to prove why he's the dominant force in professional wrestling, and he's going to put an end to this feud one way or the other.

Speaking of feuds that are nearly at an end, Eddie Guerrero takes on Tajiri next, and they put on a four-star wrestling clinic. Tons of near falls, aerial wizardry, Tajiri's trademark martial arts attacks, and Eddie picks up the win with a surprising tornado DDT out of the corner. After the match, Tajiri goes on the attack, and the two rivals brawl all the way backstage.

The second round of the SmackDown! bracket of King of the Ring kicks off with the aforementioned Royal Rumble rematch between Lesnar and Mysterio. And, just as Heyman prophecied earlier, Lesnar puts Rey away with the F5. In two weeks, Lesnar will face either The Rock or Christian, and there's no way the booking is that obvious, right? Right?

Last week, former World Tag Team Champions the Dudley Boyz won a four-team elimination match to earn a rematch against the team that unseated them, Billy Gunn and Chris Kanyon, the Metro Connection. The fans expect the Dudleyz to win the belts back, the IWC expect the Dudleyz to win the belts back, and the Dudleyz definitely expect to win the belts back. Unfortunately, the Metros have other ideas, and Gunn catches D-Von with a suprising Fameasser to pick up the clean upset victory!

And now for our main event, pitting The Rock against Christian in another second-round KotR match. The winner faces Lesnar in two weeks. Since I should be heading to bed soon, I'm just going to state the obvious, that they put on a kick-ass match, but The Rock picks up the win.

After the match, Rock grabs the microphone and says that Heyman's right. In two weeks, this ends, one way or the other. Because in two weeks, the winner will be the Last Man Standing!

[loopydate]

JUNE 7, 2004 - MONDAY NIGHT RAW

Tonight, the Queen of the Ring tournament comes to an end as Women's Champion Trish Stratus takes on Mickie James. If James wins, she can earn a shot at the Women's Title any time between now and June 7, 2005! Also, the final two spots in the RAW side of the King of the Ring quarterfinal bracket will be filled as Edge takes on Chris Jericho and Rhyno faces Chris Benoit! Who will join Rhyno and Damien as RAW's final four? All that, plus a Hardcore Match for the United States Title that will finally put an end to the Rob Van Dam/Sean O'Haire feud!

We open with a six-man tag match - A-Train, Luther Reigns, and Rikishi taking on Mark Jindrak, Rob Conway, and William Regal! Regal carries most of the match, with Rikishi shouldering most of the load for the babyfaces. In the end, though, Reigns takes the loss, as he falls victim to Regal's Power of the Punch.

The Divas are in action next as Lita teams with Victoria against Shaniqua and the returning Jacqueline! EWR doesn't like Diva matches that don't involve anyone not named Trish or Mickie, so this one doesn't rate that high. In the end, Victoria picks up the win by hitting Jacqueline with the Black Widow.

Next week, Shelton Benjamin takes on Damien in a King of the Ring quarterfinal match, but tonight they go at it in an eight-man tag match. Shelton is bringing his World's Greatest Tag Team partner Charlie Haas, as well as ECW Originals Lance Storm and Tommy Dreamer to take on Damien and his Ministry partners Big Show, Kane, and Undertaker! Throughout the match, the two manage to avoid each other until the very end, with Tommy Dreamer and Kane carrying most of the match. In the end, though, Damien remains undefeated as he pins Benjamin with a Chokeslam.

Up next is a triple-threat match for a shot next week at Canadian Violence's WWE Tag Team Titles. It's the Playboys versus Natural Born Thrillers Chuck Palumbo and Johnny Stamboli versus La Resistance. The NBTs fight a smart match, spending most of it on the apron, picking their spots and letting the other teams carry the load. Palumbo picks up the well-earned win with a Jungle Kick to set up Canadian Violence against the Natural Born Thrillers!

And now it's time for the finals of Queen of the Ring as best friends Mickie James and Trish Stratus go one-on-one. The Divas put on a tremendous match . They trade strikes to start, then Trish hits a flapjack, but Mickie takes to the air and picks up a near-fall with a side suplex. More back-and-forth ends with Mickie getting a foot into Trish's face as she prepares for the Stratusfere, then puts her away with a tornado DDT! Mickie James is Queen of the Ring!

After the match, the referee hands the briefcase with the title match contract in it to Mickie... and she hands it straight back! She wants her shot now! The crowd goes nuts as the two go at it one more time. Their first match was better, but this one was still very good. In the end, the result is the same, though, as Mickie hits another Tornado DDT... to win the Women's Title!

Sean O'Haire comes to the ring for our next match. He grabs the microphone and states that tonight's United States Title match is going to have the same finish as all the rest of his matches with Rob Van Dam. The only difference is, if RVD wants to relive his ECW days with a Hardcore Match, that's all the more opportunity to end things once and for all. But he's not telling us anything we don't already know.

RVD comes out next, and it's time for the big feud-ending bout! RVD starts off with strikes, but O'Haire fights back with a chop. Spear gets two. O'Haire charges the corner, but RVD gets a foot up, then gives him a facecrusher onto a chair. Big kick by RVD gets two, then another two after a shining wizard. He goes for a backdrop, but O'Haire kicks him the face, then drops him face-first across a table for two. RVD, though, trips O'Haire up, and quick as lightning, heads up top and lands the Five-Star Frogsplash for the win! We have a new United States Champion! After the match, a shocked O'Haire kicks the turnbuckles and throws a tantrum in the ring. He can't believe he lost!

King of the Ring continues next as Edge takes on Chris Jericho for a spot in the quarterfinals. These two put on a tremendous contest, as the Canadian imports showcase their unique brand of high-flying physicality. As Jericho starts to put together a run, his old rival, the World Champion Kurt Angle comes to ringside with a chair. Edge whips Y2J off the ropes, and Angle cheapshots him with the chair! Edge rolls him up and picks up the win. After the match, Angle continues his beating, when Edge's rival Chris Benoit hits the ring and chases Angle and Jericho off. But the big news is, Edge advances to the quarterfinals!

Angle grabs the microphone and says that he put Jericho out of King of the Ring so that at the pay-per-view, he can finally end this nonsense. Angle is tired of Jericho coming after him at every opportunity. So tonight he took the fight to Jericho. Just like he's going to do at King of the Ring. One last time for the World Title, it's going to be Angle versus Jericho! Oh, it's true. It's damn true!

Tonight's main event is another King of the Ring second-round contest, the winner will face Edge in two weeks. It's Rhyno versus Chris Benoit in a match that promises to be incredibly physical. They definitely live up the expectations, as both men hit their trademark moves back and forth. In the end, Benoit clamps Rhyno into the Crippler Crossface. Rhyno struggles mightily, but in the end, he has no choice but to tap out. Benoit will now face Edge in two weeks in the King of the Ring quarterfinals!

[loopydate]

JUNE 14, 2004 - MONDAY NIGHT RAW

Just two weeks away from King of the Ring, our first semifinalist will be determined tonight as the undefeated rookie monster Damien takes on Shelton Benjamin! Plus, a fatal fourway for the United States Title, Canadian Violence defending the WWE Tag Team Titles, and a huge main event pitting World Champion Kurt Angle against Sean O'Haire in a non-title match.

We open with a triple-threat pitting Luther Reigns against Rikishi and Tommy Dreamer. Reigns holds his own against the veterans in this match, but in the end falls victim to Dreamer's DDT.

Six-man tag team action is next as the three members of La Resistance take on A-Train and Terri Runnels' Playboys Lance Cade and Val Venis. Rene Dupree and Lance Cade carry most of the match, each facing off at one point or another against all three enemies. Eventually, though, it's A-Train who takes the fall, tapping out to Dupree's Figure-Four Leglock.

Two RAW midcarders who are looking to break through into the upper echelon go head-to-head next as Lance Storm takes on Mark Jindrak. The match is hot, but the relative low ratings of both men don't get a whole lot of crowd reaction, which is a shame. Jindrak winds up putting Storm away with Splash Mountain.

Two of the most technically-sound members of the RAW roster are William Regal and the World's Greatest Tag Team's Charlie Haas, and tonight they go head-to-head. They put on a tremendous display of technical wizardry, but Regal has to stoop to using the Power of the Punch to put Haas away.

Kane has struggled mightily over the last several months, while Edge has continually flirted with the main event. Can Kane climb back up using Edge as a stepping stone? He never gets much of a chance to find out, because two or three moves into the match, Edge's rival Chris Benoit hits the ring and clamps on the Crippler Crossface, resulting in a disqualification. Benoit isn't content to wait for next week's King of the Ring quarterfinal match, as he continues pummeling Edge until he finally pulls himself away and walks off.

Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho recently vaulted to the top of the WWE Tag Team Title rankings, surprising the world by winning the gold. Tonight, they take on Natural Born Thrillers Chuck Palumbo and Johnny Stamboli, coming off a big #1 contenders' match win. The four WCW alumni put on a tremendous tag match that - despite the fact that there are no babyfaces - the crowd gets way into. Eventually, they clear Palumbo out of the ring, then Jericho locks Stamboli in the Walls of Jericho while Benoit applies the Crippler Crossface. The Bull has no choice but to tap out, and the champs retain.

In two weeks, either Shelton Benjamin or Damien will be one of four superstars competing to be the 2004 King of the Ring. Damien is 9-0 since his WWE debut, and Benjamin is going to try everything to keep from being victim #10. He starts off with some rights and lefts, then a headbutt, a gutbuster, and a thrust kick. Damien blocks a punch to take momentum away, then hits a clothesline and a spear for two. He charges into the corner, but Shelton gets a boot up, then hits a jawbreaker for two. Delayed brainbuster for two. Damien fights back with some punches, but Benjamin lands a spinning neckbreaker. The referee catches a punch and goes down. Shelton sends Damien to the floor. Damien returns to the ring as Shelton lines up for a superkick, but Damien blasts him in the face with the ring bell! The referee sees it happen and calls for the disqualification! Shelton Benjamin is going to King of the Ring! Damien can't believe he just lost his first match and jumps Benjamin. The two brawl all the way up the ramp and out of view. This is not over by a longshot!

We're treated to a guest interview from SmackDown! superstar Christian, who just wants to remind us that - in addition to whatever crap RAW puts on at KotR - he's going to put on the show of the night when he beats the crap out of Rey Mysterio and checks him into the International House of Pain-cakes. 'Cause that's how he rolls!

Last week, Rob Van Dam finally took the United States Title away from Sean O'Haire after months of trying. Tonight, he has his first defense, and GM Eric Bischoff isn't going easy on him, throwing him into a fatal fourway against Rhyno, Big Show, and Undertaker! RVD proves his mettle by taking the fight to all three challengers, finally putting Show away with the Five-Star Frogsplash to retain his gold.

Kurt Angle is in the ring, ready for tonight's main event, but first he needs to remind Chris Jericho that the opportunity he faces at King of the Ring to win the World Title is going to be his last. Angle is tired of the same old song and dance, and so he's going to finally shut Jericho up and break his freakin' ankle!

Angle remains in the ring as Sean O'Haire makes his way out for the main event. They go hold-for-hold for the entire match, and even a Kurt Angle who doesn't give a shit is better than just about anyone else. In the end, though, Angle is cheated out of the clean victory as Jericho decides to take out some frustrations by laying Angle out as he prepares for the Angle Lock. The ref calls for the bell, but Angle clears the ring of the heels as RAW goes off the air.

[loopydate]

JUNE 10, 2004 - SMACKDOWN!

Tonight, the final two spots in the King of the Ring quarterfinals will be determined, plus both the Cruiserweight and World Tag Team Titles will be on the line, and we'll sign the contract for next week's huge Last Man Standing Match (that is also a King of the Ring quarterfinal) between The Rock and Brock Lesnar!

But first, Zach Gowan made his return to World Wrestling Entertainment last week in a six-man tag team match, being pinned by up-and-comer Johnny Jeter. Tonight, those two go one-on-one. Gowan uses his educated foot early on with a spinning back kick and a missile dropkick, but he misses a legdrop, and Jeter takes control. Gowan gets in only a little bit of offense the rest of the way as Jeter picks up the win for the second week in a row.

Up next, ten of the top cruiserweights on the SmackDown! roster go at it in an over-the-top-rope battle royal! Nunzio is the first elimination, courtesy of Jamie Noble. Noble then turns around and takes out Spike Dudley as well. Ultimo Dragon eliminates his countryman Funaki. Noble's domination ends quickly as Chavo Guerrero dumps him out. The six remaining superstars battle for a while in a very exciting match until Chavo makes another elimination, taking out Nova. Almost simultaneously, Carlito eliminates Akio. And then there were four - Carlito, Chavo, Dragon, and Paul London. London takes out Carlito to turn it into a triple threat, then takes out Dragon to make it one-on-one. Chavo and London go back and forth for a bit, but Chavo's veteran skills wind up being just too much as he eliminates London to win the match.

Dave Batista and John Layfield are two men with a lot in common. They're both angry, hateful giants who seem to enjoy nothing more than pummeling their enemies until they can no longer stand. They've clashed a couple of times as enemies, but tonight they team up for the first time. This is bad news for Aaron Stevens and Matt Morgan, as they draw them as opponents tonight. The match goes pretty much as is to be expected, the Intercontinental Champion and former Tag Team Champion dominate the youngsters, with Batista picking up the win with the Batista Bomb on Stevens.

Backstage, Paul Heyman is with his Dangerous Alliance with some choice words for their rivals. As we know, next week Brock Lesnar will face The Rock in a Last Man Standing match that will end their long-time feud. And anyone who's seen their past matches knows that Lesnar is going to once again make an example out of Rock and advance to the King of the Ring pay-per-view, then wipe the floor with the competition there to earn another title shot. In addition to that match, though, Billy Kidman and Tajiri will face off against Los Guerreros next week in a Ladder Match for a shot at the World Tag Team Titles. Kidman and Tajiri have struggled lately, and next week is their chance to shine. And, yes, Tajiri, next week is your chance to seriously hurt people!

More cruiserweight action is next in triple-threat action as Hurricane, Billy Kidman, and Rico tangle. No title shots or anything on the line, but the winner will definitely earn some bragging rights in the division. Kidman hits Rico with a back heel kick, then Hurricane lands some punches, but blows an elbow dorp allowing Rico to hit him with a senton. Plenty more of this type of quick-hitting action as the match goes on until Kidman takes Rico down with a tiger suplex, then hits a Shooting Star Press for the win.

More triple-threat action next as the World Tag Team Titles are on the line! It's the unlikely champions the Metro Connection defending against the Dudley Boyz and Teddy Long's Playas' Club. Yet another disappointing match from the SD tag-team division, and once again Billy Gunn and Chris Kanyon squeak one out, with Gunn hitting the Fameasser on Chris Nowinski to walk away with the gold.

King of the Ring continues next as former WWE Champion John Cena takes on the Dangerous Alliance's Tajiri in a second-round match. Tajiri uses his speed advantage early on, and sprinkles them off and on throughout the rest of the match. But eventually, the former champ's power advantage proves to be too much as he lands a neckbreaker and a powerbomb to set up the FU for the win.

Bad booking on my part followed that red-hot match with a heel-versus-heel Cruiserweight Title match between Christian and Jeff Hardy. 47% crowd reaction because they were let down after being so pumped up from the KotR match. Christian hits Hardy with the Unprettier, but out of nowhere, Rey Mysterio comes flying into the ring and hits the West Coast Pop to give Xian the DQ victory. After the match, Jeff attacks Rey, pissed that he cost him the title. He lays him out with the Swanton Bomb, then storms off.

Christian grabs the microphone and tells Rey that this has to stop, and at King of the Ring, it's going to. One last time, the Cruiserweight Title will be on the line. And one last time, the Peepulation is going to watch Christian walk out with the gold, 'cause that's how he rolls!

And now for our main event! It's our last second-round King of the Ring match as WWE Champion Matt Hardy Version 2.0 takes on Eddie Guerrero. The winner will face Cena in two weeks. These two put on a tremendous match with lots of high-flying and technical wizardry. Pretty much what we'd expect out of these two with something like King of the Ring on the horizon. In the end, though, the champ's newfound confidence pushes him through to a victory, hitting his middle-rope legdrop to pick up the win.

The Rock and Brock Lesnar are in the ring now for their big contract signing. Next week on SmackDown!, they will face off in a Last Man Standing Match for a spot in the King of the Ring semifinals. Also, this will finally end their long-running feud. After the last "I" has been dotted and the last "T" has been crossed, Lesnar flips the table over onto The Rock and hits the F5. He stands tall over his rival as SmackDown! goes off the air.

[loopydate]

JUNE 17, 2004 - SMACKDOWN!

It feels like it's been over a hundred days since the last WWE program, but it's really only been three Tonight on SmackDown!, we find out who will join Shelton Benjamin in the semifinals of the King of the Ring tournament as The Rock and Brock Lesnar do battle one last time in a Last Man Standing Match! Plus, the feud between the Dangerous Alliance and Los Guerreros will come to an end in a brutal Ladder Match!

We kick things off with a handicap match as the Intercontinental Champion, the animal Batista hopes to continue his roll as he takes on Funaki and the one-legged man in the ass-kicking contest Zach Gowan. The babyfaces take an early advantage, double-teaming Bats until he manages to catch Gowan with a spinebuster to set up the Batista Bomb for the win.

The Cruiserweight division is once again on display next as Jamie Noble, Nova, Paul London, and Ultimo Dragon take on Akio, Carlito, Johnny Jeter, and Nunzio. Dragon and Carlito carry most of the match, with Dragon at one point taking offense from all four heels, isolating him from his corner. Eventually, though Paul London manages to make a hot tag to turn things back in his team's favor. And in the end, he hits Akio with Diamond Dust to set up London Calling and the win in a very exciting match.

Matt Morgan is walking by himself backstage when there's an off-screen "Whoosh!" Morgan turns to see Hurricane standing with his hand outstretched. "Citizen Morgan, the Hurricane has been watching you since your debut. You're a very impressive physical specimen, yet you let the supervillain Paul Heyman control your destiny for so long. Whassupwitdat?!?" Morgan tries to answer, but "Never mind all that. Lately, you've been a man without a mission. You have such potential for good, but you need guidance to become the hero you're destined to be. With your power and my Hurri-powers, we could one day be the most unstoppable force on SmackDown! What do you say, Matthew?" There's a long beat while Morgan eyes the bizarre diminuitive superhero. "Yeah, sure, what the hell."

Triple-threat action is up next, but it may as well be another handicap match as Aaron Stevens takes on Theodore Long's Playas' Club proteges, Chris Nowinski and Mark Henry. It looks like there might be trouble in paradise early as Henry and Nowinski exchange blows, but they eventually turn their attention to Stevens, double-teaming him mercilessly. As Stevens starts to get some momentum going, Teddy Long jumps up onto the apron to distract him, allowing Henry to lay him out and hit a big splash for the win.

Over the last several weeks, the Dudley Boyz have tried - and failed - to wrest the World Tag Team Titles back from the Metro Connection. Tonight, it's six-man action as Bubba and D-Von team with their brother Spike to take on Billy, Chris, and John Layfield. Spike and Gunn carry most of the action, with all three heels taking turns teeing off on Spike until Bubba manages to turn things around for the faces, isolating Gunn. Spike winds up taking the fall as Kanyon hits him with I'm Betta Than You for the win.

From his backstage office, Vince McMahon announces a new match for King of the Ring. The loser of tonight's Last Man Standing Match will face off against the man who can retrieve the briefcase with the tag-team title shot in our Ladder Match for a WWE Title shot on SmackDown!

At King of the Ring, Christian will be defending the Cruiserweight Title against his longtime rival Rey Mysterio. Tonight he faces a tune-up match of sorts as he faces Rico. Good match with a couple of nearfalls, but Christian winds up putting Rico away with the Unprettier for the win. After the match, Mysterio springboards into the ring to lay Xian out with the West Coast Pop!

Rey gets to stay in the ring, as he's in a huge tag-team match next. He teams with John Cena against the newly-reformed Hardy Boyz! The crowd is red-hot for this one. Quick tags all around setting up every possible combination in the ring. Matt lays out Rey with a superkick, then all hell breaks loose. While the ref is distracted, Christian hits the ring for a measure of revenge, hitting Rey with an Unprettier allowing WWE Champion Matt Hardy to pick up the cheap win after the match, the three heels pummel the babyfaces.

After the match, the Hardyz grab the microphone. They cut a decent promo on Cena and The Rock, of all people. Matt and Jeff have been "on the cusp" for four long years. Every announcer, every fan talks about how superstardom is right around the corner for them. Well, they're tired of waiting for their opportunity. This beating tonight was a message to the SmackDown! main event scene. We're done waiting - we're coming for your spot! And Matt has a special reminder for Cena. Next week, it's you and me for a spot in the King of the Ring semis, and all it takes is a simple Twist of Fate for your luck to run out! I'm the champion now, and next week, I officially climb out of your shadow!

And now it's time for the first half of tonight's double main event. It's Eddie Guerrero and Chavo Guerrero against Billy Kidman and Tajiri one last time... in a Ladder Match! The winners face off against Metro Connection next week for the World Tag Team Titles, and whoever retrieves the briefcase is entered into that huge #1 contender's match at King of the Ring! Los Guerreros take the early edge as Eddie hits a back heel kick on Kidman and Chavo hits a rolling kick on Tajiri. Eddie whips Kidman into a ladder, but Tajiri trips Chavo and hits a rolling kick of his own on Eddie. The Dangerous Alliance hit a double back elbow on Eddie. Tajiri hits a flying cross body, and Kidman climbs halfway up the ladder and nails Chavo with a flying clothesline. Tajiri tries to hiptoss Eddie, but it's reversed, and he hops up to hit a super Frankenseiner on Kidman, sending him to the floor! Tajiri starts to climb up for the briefcase, but he's met at the top by Eddie and Chavo, who send him crashing to the mat with a double superplex! Eddie reaches up and grabs the briefcase! Eddie is going to King of the Ring and Los Guerreros get their title shot!

For months, The Rock and Brock Lesnar have battled each other in a grueling series of matches. Tonight, they meet for the final time in a Last Man Standing Match. Not only that, the winner advances to the SmackDown! final of King of the Ring, making them one of the final four men with a chance at the crown and a guaranteed title shot any time in the next year! Rock slams Lesnar, but gets tripped. Lesnar slams Rock and hits him with a massive lariat. Lesnar goes to suplex Rock on the outside, but Rock reverses it and Lesnar slides across the announce table. He makes it to his feet at six. Rock powerbombs Lesnar, but Lesnar grabs a kendo stick from under the ring and hits a White Russian Legsweep. Rock stays down for an eight count. Lesnar tries to get Rock up for the F-5, but Rock counters it into the Rock Bottom! And Lesnar's not getting up! Rock wins! Rock wins! The crowd erupts as SmackDown! goes off the air. The People's Champion is now two wins away from being the People's King!

We now know that Shelton Benjamin will represent RAW at King of the Ring and that The Rock will be in SmackDown!'s final. Over the next week, their opponents will be decided. Also, by virtue of Eddie's win and Brock's loss tonight, Eddie Guerrero vs. Brock Lesnar has been officially announced for King of the Ring. That added to Rey Mysterio versus Christian for the Cruiserweight Title and RAW's World Title match between Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho, and King of the Ring is shaping up to be one of the biggest shows of the year! Who knows what will happen over the next week to help shape the rest of that supercard?

[loopydate]

JUNE 11, 2003

TNA on pay-per-view's preshow kicks off with six-man tag action pitting fan favorites Frankie Kazarian, New Jack, and Rick Steiner against Brian Lawler, Elix Skipper, and Legend. Steiner and Legend spent most of the match on the apron, and Elix Skipper carried most of it, putting on a tremendous show against all of his opponents. Skipper winds up taking the fall, though, as Kazarian pins him following the Flux Capacitor.

Jeff Jarrett is in the ring with a microphone as the PPV comes on the air. The NWA World Champion talks about tonight's main event title defense against Sting and how last week he revealed that Raven would be the guest referee. Raven's music hits, and the disturbed referee comes to the ring. He joins Jarrett on the mic proclaiming this to be the start of a New Era in TNA. AJ Styles has been the face of this company since its inception, and we're still looking for a TV deal. Sting is the number-one contender, and when was the last time he was relevant? Jeff Jarrett came to Raven a week ago and told him what he already knew - If TNA was ever going to be a true alternative, it was going to take their combined efforts to put it there. Over the coming weeks, Jarrett and Raven will be scouting the entire TNA roster, looking for the stars who will join them in leading TNA into this New Era. TNA will never be the same. Quoth the Raven - Nevermore!

Last week in a pair of singles matches, Devon Storm picked up a win over Buff Bagwell while Shane Douglas cheated to beat D'Lo Brown. Tonight, we see tag team action pitting Storm and Brown against Bagwell and Douglas. Quick tags from both teams, with several near falls. The match ends with D'Lo hitting Buff with the Lo Down for the win.

Kid Kash is out next for his match against Erik Watts. These two put on a surprisingly good match, and the crowd really gets into it. Kash picks up the win by hitting the Cha Ching for three.

DeGenerates BG James and Sean Waltman picked up a cheap DQ victory last week against Sabu and Sandman when Sandman got caught with a chair that James had brought into the ring. Tonight, Sabu and Sandman look for revenge in a match that's right up their alley - a hardcore match! Unfortunately, the ECW alumni never get that revenge as Mike Sanders and Sonny Siaki hit the ring with chairs and lay them out, allowing James to hit the Dogg Pound for the win. After the match, Sanders and Siaki continue to pummel the extremists until referees pull them away.

The NWA Tag Team Champions America's Most Wanted hit the ring next for a promo, but they're blindsided by the 3 Live Kru's Konnan and Ron Killings. But just like last week, CM Punk and Julio Dinero of The Gathering run in to make the save, finalizing their face turn.

This segues into an eight-man tag match pitting AMW and The Gathering against Konnan, Killings, Sanders, and Siaki. Chris Harris and Mike Sanders carry most of the load in this match, with each of them facing off against each of their opponents at some point or another in the match. In the end, Ron "The Truth" Killings pins James Storm to pick up the win for his team with True Conviction. These teams have definitely not seen the last of each other.

Our first title match of the evening pits X Division champion Chris Sabin against the men who won a triple-threat tag match last week to earn a shot - AJ Styles and Jerry Lynn! Surprisingly short match that nonetheless has lots of action squeezed into it. The veteran Lynn winds up picking up the win and the title by hitting Sabin with Cradle To Grave!

And now for our main event! Jeff Jarrett hits the ring, accompanied by guest referee Raven for his NWA Title defense against the icon Sting. Lots of back-and-forth near falls in this match. Eventually, Jarrett hits a spear on Sting, then clamps on a headlock. He rolls Sting onto his back, and Raven throws down a quick three count! Sting has been screwed! Jarrett jumps around the ring with the title to celebrate his "victory" as the pay-per-view goes off the air.

[loopydate]

JUNE 18, 2003

The preshow match this week is a handicap encounter pitting Altar Boy Luke and Jimmy Rave against the monster Abyss. The double-teams come quick and often, and they actually manage a few near-falls, but Abyss' strength is just too much as he lays out Rave with a sidewalk slam for the win.

Sting is in the ring to open the PPV with a microphone to cut a promo about his tag team match with AJ Styles against the New Era's leaders Jeff Jarrett and Raven. But before he can get to the good stuff, Jarrett's music hits the speakers and he and Raven are on the ramp. The icon turns his attention to his rivals, but suddenly Mike Sanders and Sonny Siaki are in the ring behind him, and they take him out! Jarrett grabs Sting's microphone and announces that the New Era has begun and the first two recruits are Sanders and Siaki!

The two new members of the New Era are up next in a tag-team match against Sabu and Sandman. The ECW alumni have had a rough go of it the last couple of weeks against BG James and Sean Waltman, and last week, Sanders and Siaki blindsided them, costing them a hardcore rematch. Quick tags throughout the match, with each team picking up two near falls. Sanders picks up the win for his team with 3.0 on Sabu.

After tours of Japan with All-Japan, New Japan, and Zero-One, Amazing Red faces off against Triple X teammates Christopher Daniels and Low Ki! All three men start off with strikes until Red hits Ki with a flying elbow for two. Daniels hits Red with a diving headbutt for two. Red dropkicks Daniels hard in the corner, but eats a brainbuster from Ki, who clamps on the Dragon Clutch for the submission victory and a shot at the X Division Title next week!

Backstage, Buff Bagwell cuts a promo. It's pretty standard self promotion stuff. I'm The Stuff, you're not. Whatever.

Up next is a six-man tag match pitting all three members of the 3 Live Kru against D'Lo Brown and the NWA Tag Team Champions America's Most Wanted. Ron Killings spends a big chunk of the match in the ring, taking on all comers. In the end, though, Chris Harris gains a measure of revenge, pinning Killings with the Catatonic.

Next week, Low Ki will face off against one of these two men for the X Division Title. It's new champion Jerry Lynn defending against Sean Waltman! These two men pull out all the stops against each other, with several near falls and close calls. Lynn nails Waltman with a diving headbutt, and Waltman rolls to the outside. He stays on the floor and walks laps around the ring, picking his moment when he gets a devilish glint in his eye. The referee calls for the bell, counting Waltman out, but Waltman doesn't seem bothered.

He grabs the X Division Title from Lollipop at ringside, then blasts Lynn with it! He stands over the champion, holding the X Title.

And now for our tag-team main event pitting Sting and AJ Styles against New Era's Jeff Jarrett and Raven! Jarrett and Raven, for having such disparate styles, work well as a team together. In the end, though, Jarrett misses an avalanche in the corner, allowing Sting to hit a bulldog and lock in the Scorpion Deathlock for the win as the PPV goes off the air.