The official wrestling sim topic

[M-A-G]

And there's no way in hell I'm gonna recreate everything year-by-year. I booked so much stuff and only wrote down PPV events in the notepad so it's basically a whole other timeline.

[Evil Vito]

Damn. WrestleMania 54, that's insane.

I'd be definitely intrigued in seeing how you'd book a modern WWE game, as I'm going to attempt to do before inevitably getting bored after a month.

[M-A-G]

Well, it's certainly going to be different as I had to delete everyone who is dead and I got a bunch of guys who retired way before they did in my other game (Booker T, John Cena, The Hardys). If I can, I'll post my rosters and my Royal Rumble plans.

[Evil Vito]

Anyway, since I don't feel like beginning in May 2010 and autobooking through 3 weeks worth of shows (risking injuries and fluke occurrences on the way), here's what went down in my mind from Over the Limit through the final day of the month, when I then start on Tuesday, June 1st:

Over the Limit - May 23: Cena retains. Swagger retains. Punk beats Rey via help from the masked man, meaning Rey must pledge to the SES. Orton beats Edge in a close contest. Hart Dynasty retain with Bret at ringside. McIntyre retains. Maryse wins the Divas title. R-Truth beats Ted Jr, turns out Virgil was in cahoots with Truth to give Ted a taste of...well, the truth.

Raw - May 24: Batista gives a bitter farewell speech to the crowd's chagrin. This is his last night in the company. Orton and Edge are announced as two of Cena's challengers at Fatal 4 Way. Miz cashes in mandatory rematch against Bret, no DQ again, the Hart Dynasty are held at bay but Daniel Bryan comes out of the crowd and kicks Miz' head in, Bret retains.

NXT - May 25: Wade Barrett over Justin Gabriel. David Otunga beats Heath Slater. PROS POLL - 1. Barrett stays at the top, 2. Ditto for Otunga, 3. Gabriel. Heath Slater is gone.

Superstars - May 27: Who cares? It's Superstars.

SmackDown - May 28: General fallout from the PPV. It is announced that Rey will have to pledge to the Straight Edge Society NEXT week - but there's a catch. Much like those who pledge have to shave, Rey will have to remove his mask. To demonstrate, the SES masked man unmasks to reveal Joey Mercury, who explains his real life problems and how Punk has saved him.

Raw - June 30: A Cena/Edge/Orton main event match is spoiled by Sheamus, who is then announced as the final participant at Fatal Four Way. Bret Hart announces that tonight is his final night in WWE, and as such, he's vacating the United States championship. A tournament will be held to crown a new champion, and the finals of the tournament will happen at Fatal Four Way.

And so, that brings me to June 1st. The first show I post will be NXT whenever I get to it.

[M-A-G]

You already did Over the Limit. You want the tournament to culminate at the NEXT PPV.

[Evil Vito]

Originally Posted by M-A-G You already did Over the Limit. You want the tournament to culminate at the NEXT PPV.

Edited. Nice catch.

I'll do NXT at some point this evening. I'm actually really looking forward to booking that show going forward. Season 1 will be wrapped up in short order, so I'm scouring the FCW ranks to try and find 8 guys I'd like to use for Season 2.

[M-A-G]

Well, at the very least, here's the Royal Rumble for 2014:

The 30 Man Royal Rumble
Backstory: Well, back in 1988, Vince McMahon needed to fill an hour-long slot on the USA network and was having a tough time coming up with what do on the show. Pat Patterson then came along and said, "Hey, thanks for that Intercontinental Title, Vince. I wonder how long we can keep pulling that whole "tournament in Brazil" thing." And then Vince said, "Hey, thanks for the ass-kissing, Pat. By God, have you seen my gold plated limo? That Hulk fella's making one rich son-of-a-bitch. I don't really feel like going to Canada for this USA special thing, though. You mind booking that thing? Canadian's make me feel all creepy. Like that Bret kid we signed a while back." And then Pat was all, "Oh, I got a great idea for that thing, Vince! Lot's of men!" And then Vince was all, "That's your answer for everything, Pat." Then they laughed about that and then Pat told him about his Rumble Royale with Cheese idea but then Vince corrected him by pointing out that although France has the metric system and there are French-Canadians who would understand the title, it would be best to have a name for non-metric countries. Pat then pointed out that that's only the U.S. and then Vince said, "F*CK YEAH! U-S-A! U-S-A!". Thus the Royal Rumble was born.

WWE Title: John Morrison (c) vs. U.S. Heavyweight Champion Ted DiBiase
Backstory: John Morrison has been on a role after his draft to Raw and immediate title win over HHH his first night in. Ted DiBiase believes he's on a similar track and has demanded his opportunity at the title. Will Morrison embark on another amazing year or is greatness truly in the genes of Ted DiBiase?

World Heavyweight Title: Chris Sylvain (c) vs. Shawn Michaels
Backstory: Shawn earned this opportunity by winning the Bragging Rights Triple Threat match on SmackDown! against his Bragging Rights teammates CM Punk and Shelton Benjamin. His arrival on SmackDown! seems to be a gateway to a revitalized career for HBK but standing in his path is the reigning World Champion for the last 8 months; a man with only one loss to his name and who seems to have no respect for the legacy of the Showstopper. Shawn vows that Sylvain's overconfidence will be his downfall. It's classic old-school vs. new school at the Royal Rumble for the World Heavyweight Title!

WWE Unified Tag Team Championship: Cash Inc. (c) vs. AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels vs. Tajiri and ???
Backstory: It's the annual Triple Threat Tag Team Title match where the champions must defend against a team from Raw and a team from SmackDown!. Styles and Daniels seem to be doing well renewing their relationship after Daniels' tenure on SmackDown! but the injury to Tajiri's usual partner, Kaz Hayashi, leaves a huge question mark over the title match. Who will be Tajiri's replacement? There's two huge obstacles for the champions to overcome: Uncertainty and the fact that no set of champions have retained the titles in these annual tag title matches at the Royal Rumble.

WWE Cruiserweight Title: Jeremy Lopez (c) vs. Don Maiden:
Backstory: Jeremy Lopez shocked the world at Bragging Rights by bringing the Cruiserweight Title to Raw in the Triple Threat match against Don Maiden and then champion, Kevin Daniels. When Daniels' jump to Raw voided his rematch clause, Don Maiden emerged as the new number one contender after a fatal four way cruiserweight match. Maiden looks to right a wrong from Bragging Rights by taking the gold.

WWE Diva's Title: Kim Roderick (c) vs. Victoria
Backstory: Victoria's been the one Diva that Roderick has been ducking for months but after losing out in a tag match, the champ has no choice now. Will Victoria usher in the Age of Chaos at the Royal Rumble?

WWE Women's Title: Beth Phoenix (c) vs. Oracle
Backstory: The unstable and eccentric Oracle has not taken her title loss at Survivor Series well. But dealing with the Glamazon is a whole other story than the average Diva. Oracle claims to not be afraid of the dominating champion but will that be enough to unseat Phoenix?

So, there. I'm about 3 weeks away from the show but I doubt I'll get around to it anytime soon.

[Evil Vito]

WWE NXT - June 1, 2010
Down to Two

With just 3 rookies remaining, this week's NXT would be done a little differently. Each rookie was to compete in two matches on the night, one against each of the other remaining rookies. Afterwards, the Pros would conduct the Pros Poll.

Justin Gabriel def. David Otunga
For the last three weeks, Wade Barrett and David Otunga have been the top two ranked superstars. This made it paramount for Justin Gabriel to have a good showing. Indeed he did, pinning the braggadocios A-lister with a 450 Splash following a highly competitive bout.

Justin Gabriel def. Wade Barrett
No rest for the weary, as big Wade Barrett jumped into the ring immediately to capitalize on the winded Justin Gabriel. However, Gabriel managed to shock everybody by keeping Barrett at bay with a bevy of kicks and strikes. Ultimately, Gabriel scored what many would view as an upset - pinning the #1 ranked rookie with a 450 to make it two wins in a row.

Wade Barrett def. David Otunga
Otunga sauntered out to the ring following his breather, knowing full-well that this match could determine the fate of each man. He cockily entered the ring, appearing to take the exhausted Barrett lightly. This backfired on him dearly, as Barrett immediately picked Otunga up and planted him with his barrel roll finishing maneuver for the victory.

Pros Poll
The 7 WWE Pros convened, and the following were the results:

1. Justin Gabriel
2. Wade Barrett
3. David Otunga - ELIMINATED

The A-Lister is headed home to Jennifer Hudson, much to his chagrin. To close the show - it was announced that this was the last Pros Poll. In two week's time, Justin Gabriel and Wade Barrett will meet one-on-one, and the winner will be crowned the first ever winner of NXT. Can Gabriel ride this incredible wave of momentum into next week, or will Barrett prove this week to be a fluke? Tune in next week to find out!

[Evil Vito]

WWE Superstars - June 3, 2010
His Tyme

One superstar continues his ascension up the ranks, a monster continues to dominate, the divas are in action, and more.

Yoshi Tatsu def. Primo
Just about a month ago, Primo put aside his differences with his brother to re-form their tag team. In the blink of an eye, that was gone and Primo is once again left to fend for himself. He looked to gain some momentum against the electrifying Yoshi Tatsu, but it was not to be. A very exciting high-flying contest came to an end when Yoshi planted Primo with a kick right to the head.

Natalya def. Jillian Hall
Now that David Hart Smith and Tyson Kidd are wielding gold, Natalya surely would like to get some of her own. Tonight was a good place to start, silencing the ever-annoying Jillian Hall following an impressive spinning powerbomb.

Kane def. Tyler Reks
This is the first time Tyler Reks has been seen on WWE television in quite some time, and he is the final member of the former ECW roster to re-surface, newly signed to the SmackDown brand. Reks seemed to be a bit more arrogant compared to the last time he was seen. He faced some steep competition in his return, as the Big Red Monster Kane made fairly quick work of the arrogant surfer, finishing him with a Chokeslam.

Shad Gaspard def. Matt Hardy
Shad has looked quite impressive since splitting away from JTG, and tonight was no exception. Established veteran Matt Hardy put up a good fight, but in the end he would fall victim to an STO from Shad Gaspard. This victory can only be a sign of bigger and better things to come for Shad, perhaps it really is "his tyme".

[Evil Vito]

Daaaaamn Shawn Michaels still trucking in 2014.

[Evil Vito]

Changed up the NXT results slightly. I'm going to allow an extra week of buildup before the finale, and rather than thrust the NXT winner onto a PPV I'll allow them to build up to the July show before they get their title match.

The two weeks left of June after the finale can function as hype build-up for season 2, which will begin in July. Most of the guys in FCW are horrible right now, so I want to buy them this extra month to boost their stats before coming onto NXT.

[Evil Vito]

WWE SmackDown – June 4, 2010
The Bell Tolls

Jack Swagger learning his opponents at Fatal Four Way, rivalries escalating, and Rey Mysterio’s induction into the Straight Edge Society were just a few of the many stories going on tonight.

Christian def. Chavo Guerrero
Chavo felt that Christian had disgraced his aunt Vickie, and looked for retribution tonight. He put up a very good showing, but it was simply not enough as Christian picked up the win following the Killswitch. Immediately following the match, Dolph Ziggler continued to be a thorn in Christian’s side, attacking him from behind once again and locking him in the Sleeper Hold.

Drew McIntyre attacks Kofi Kingston backstage
Having narrowly missed out on the Intercontinental Title at Over the Limit, Kofi Kingston was back at SmackDown this week and ready to right the ship. However, he was jumped backstage by champion Drew McIntyre. Security had to break up the fight as McIntyre continues to abuse the fact that Mr. McMahon won’t allow him to be fired.

Jack Swagger learns his opponents, and tonight’s match
Theodore Long gave Jack Swagger some unwelcome news in regards to his opponents at Fatal Four Way. Firstly, since Jack unfairly retained his title at the PPV, Big Show will get another chance. Secondly, a title shot will be granted to a man who never got to exercise his rematch clause when he lost the belt way back in February due to his feud with Shawn Michaels – The Undertaker will be in the match! The third and final participant would be determined next week via 20-man battle royal. On top of everything else, Swagger will face the Undertaker one-on-one, tonight!

Handicap Match: Big Show def. The Dudebusters
Celebrating the fact that he would be getting another crack at the gold, Big Show looked as impressive as ever, throwing around Trent Barreta and Caylen Croft like ragdolls. Show picked up the win following a Double Chokeslam.

Beth Phoenix def. Michelle McCool
The Glamazon shocked doctors by recovering incredibly fast from her knee injury ( ) and she was out for retribution tonight. Not even Layla’s best attempts at ringside could keep the self proclaimed “Co-Women’s Champion” Michaelle McCool from falling victim to the Glam Slam.

Rey Mysterio’s Induction to the SES
CM Punk, Luke Gallows, Serena, and Joey Mercury looked to welcome yet another member into their Straight Edge family. However, Rey Mysterio was less than enthusiastic, and he refused to remove his mask. Punk insisted that the mask hides weakness, and that to be saved, sacrifices must be made. When Mysterio continued to refuse, he fell victim to a 4-on-1 assault. The SES could have easily unmasked him, but Punk waved them off. He vowed that in the very near future, Rey WILL accept Straight Edge into his life.

Finlay def. Curt Hawkins
The veteran Finlay made his return to a SmackDown ring after a prolonged absence, facing the re-emerging Curt Hawkins. Finlay seemed to finally regain momentum after a back-and-forth contest, prompting Hawkins’ partner Vance Archer to climb to the apron. His effort was thwarted by none other than Hornswoggle, who came from under the ring to hit Archer’s shins with a shillelagh. Hawkins stumbled into the Celtic Cross for a Finlay win.

Tag Team match next week
Theodore Long made a big announcement for next week’s show. In addition to the 20-man battle royal for the final World Heavyweight Title spot at Fatal Four Way, we would see a tag team match combining two rivalries as Kofi Kingston and Christian would be going up against Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler.

Cody Rhodes def. JTG
Sporting a new jacket dubbing him “The Uncommon Man”, Cody Rhodes continues to make his mark as a singles star. Rhodes and JTG competed in a very fast-paced matchup that saw Rhodes get the nod following the Cross Rhodes.

Undertaker def. Jack Swagger (DQ)
Swagger appeared to be undeterred by the legendary Phenom. He blocked several of Taker’s attempts at a Chokeslam, and planted the Deadman with a plethora of offensive maneuvers. Still, nothing could keep Taker down for the count. Finally, a frustrated Swagger went outside the ring, retrieved the World Heavyweight Title, and blasted Undertaker in he face with it. When Taker sat up, Swagger jumped out of the ring and retreated, only to bump into the Big Show, who punched him in the face once again.

[Evil Vito]

WWE Raw – June 7, 2010
Mayhem

A stacked show tonight saw chaos ensue in the main event as well as five first-round matches in the tournament to determine the new WWE United States champion (the other three first-round matches will take place on WWE Superstars this Thursday night). Who took the first step to championship gold tonight?

United States Title Tournament Match: Chris Jericho def. Tyson Kidd
Despite being the self-proclaimed “best in the world at what he does”, Chris Jericho needed to resort to unfair means to defeat one half of the Unified Tag Team champions. After an excellent bout, Jericho saw no other alternative but to hook Kidd’s tights. David Hart Smith chased Jericho out of the ring before he could get too boastful.

United States Title Tournament Match: Evan Bourne def. Yoshi Tatsu
Two of the fastest men on the Raw roster were hoping to get their first taste of WWE gold in this tournament. They certainly didn’t disappoint the WWE Universe with their match, but ultimately Evan Bourne got the victory following Air Bourne. The two shook hands afterwards in a great show of sportsmanship.

Divas Title Match: Maryse def. Eve Torres
Just a couple weeks after losing her title, Eve looked to make good on her mandatory re-match clause. She certainly took the fight to Maryse, but was once again unable to escape the French Kiss as Maryse maintained her grip on the Divas Title.

United States Title Tournament Match: David Hart Smith def. The Miz
After two defeats to Bret Hart, The Miz will still not get back the belt that he had held for so long. After Tyson Kidd thwarted Miz’ attempt to cheat, Chris Jericho came out to attack him and the referee was distracted. Out from the crowd emerged Daniel Bryan, who kicked Miz in the head and once again cost him a match. David Hart Smith took advantage of the situation and will advance in the tournament.

The Miz challenges Daniel Bryan
Upon recovering from the kick, Miz demanded that security allow Daniel Bryan to come out to the ring. Miz was furious at what has transpired, and has decided to finally grant Bryan his wish to see who is the better man. The Miz challenged Daniel Bryan to a match at Fatal Four Way, an unsanctioned match because Bryan is unemployed. The indy superstar responded by stating “Daniel Bryan has to decline, but Bryan Danielson will gladly kick your head in again at Fatal Four Way.”

United States Title Tournament Match: Ted DiBiase def. Goldust
The Fortunate Son had an appropriate path to traverse en route to championship gold: a match against the Golden One. Although the wily Goldust appeared to get the better of Ted at times, he still fell victim to the Dream Street as DiBiase advanced.

United States Title Tournament Match: R-Truth def. Vladimir Kozlov
Having just seen his rival Ted DiBiase advance, R-Truth must have felt more pressure to do the same. He had the unfortunate task of facing off against the Moscow Mauler, Vladimir Kozlov. Truth utilized his quickness to keep Kozlov off his game, finishing him off with a Scissors Kick to advance. That’s what’s up.

Edge & Sheamus vs. John Cena & Randy Orton ended in a double count out
This match pitted the four men involved in the WWE Championship match at Fatal Four Way. Neither team could completely co-exist with one another, and it certainly showed. The first several minutes resembled a proper tag team match, but soon enough it degenerated into an all-out brawl between all four men. The fight spilled outside the ring and both teams got counted out. Hoards of security attempted to break the brawl up as Raw went off the air.

[Evil Vito]

WWE NXT - June 8, 2010
Momentum

With just 1 week to go until the NXT Season 1 Finale, finalists Justin Gabriel and Wade Barrett would see similar action as compared to last week - two matches in one night. Each man would face their opponent's WWE Pro, followed afterward by a tag team match.

Matt Hardy def. Wade Barrett
Wade Barrett continued to be the offensive brute that he'd been throughout the duration of NXT, pulverizing Hardy. However, he clearly had some extra cockiness rub off on him from his WWE Pro, as Matt Hardy kicked Barrett in the gut while he was showboating, leading to a Twist of Fate and a win for Hardy.

Justin Gabriel def. Chris Jericho
Nearly two months ago, the world was shocked when NXT Rookie Heath Slater pinned then-World Heavyweight champion Chris Jericho in the middle of the ring. Jericho was deeply disturbed by it, and certainly he didn't think it would happen again. Yet, it has, and in an all-too familiar fashion. Both men countered each other move-for-move until Gabriel caught Jericho in a sudden roll-up for the victory. Jericho brutally attacked Gabriel after the bell, weakening him for the upcoming main event.

Justin Gabriel & Matt Hardy def. Wade Barrett & Chris Jericho
With Gabriel being battered from the Chris Jericho beatdown, Matt Hardy had to work most of the match solo. Barrett and Jericho took turns wearing down Hardy for most of the match, before Justin Gabriel bravely slapped Hardy on the back, tagging himself into the match. Gabriel showed an incredible amount of guts, taking both opponents by surprise. Hardy recovered well enough to throw Jericho out of the ring as Gabriel picked up the win for his team following the 450 Splash. If Gabriel pins Barrett next week, he will be the inaugural victor of NXT!

With Gabriel and his Pro going 3-0 on the night, they will ride a huge wave of momentum headed into the final. It's Wade Barrett vs. Justin Gabriel in the NXT Finale next week. You don't wanna miss it!

[Evil Vito]

WWE Superstars – June 10, 2010
Thursday Night Delight

The weekly interbrand show saw some exciting tag team action from the SmackDown brand, as well as the final three first-round matches in the WWE United States championship tournament.

Joey Mercury & Luke Gallows def. JTG & MVP
The power of straight edge was flowing through CM Punk’s disciples on this night as they showed great chemistry in picking up a win over fan-favorites JTG and MVP. Joey Mercury scored the pinfall victory in his first match back following a double underhook DDT on JTG.

United States Title Tournament Match: Zack Ryder def. Santino Marella
Santino’s boasting on the microphone prior to the match certainly did him no favors, as the Long Island Loudmouth looked more fired up than ever. Ryder made relatively quick work of Santino, finishing him off with the Zack Attack to advance. Woo woo woo, you know it.

United States Title Tournament Match: William Regal def. Mark Henry
Regal certainly appeared unhappy that he was drawn to face The World’s Strongest Man in the tournament. For that reason, using cheap tactics must have been even more paramount, as Regal utilized brass knuckles to pick up the victory and move on in the tournament following a ringside distraction from Regal’s associate Vladimir Kozlov.

United States Title Tournament Match: John Morrison def. Primo
On this night Morrison truly was the Thursday Night Delight, electrifying the crowd in his win over Primo. Primo put up a good showing but appeared to get frustrated after a series of nearfalls, which allowed Morrison to capitalize with the Moonlight Drive. For good measure, Morrison finished it off with the Starship Pain to complete the first round of the tournament. The quarter-finals will continue on next week live on Raw!

[Evil Vito]

WWE SmackDown – June 11, 2010
Tall Order of Business

The World Heavyweight Title match for Fatal Four Way is now set, and champion Jack Swagger cannot be happy with it. If any of his three enormous opponents are victorious, he will lose the belt. After what transpired tonight, one has to wonder how Swagger has any chance of retaining.

Jack Swagger addresses the SmackDown Superstars
The night started off with 20 SmackDown superstars standing in the ring ready to fight: Caylen Croft, Chavo Guerrero, Chris Masters, Christian, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, Curt Hawkins, Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre, Finlay, JTG, Kane, Kofi Kingston, Matt Hardy, MVP, Rey Mysterio, Shad Gaspard, Trent Barreta, Tyler Reks, and Vance Archer. World Heavyweight champion Jack Swagger stood on the rampway and announced that he would be watching this match up-close to see who his final challenger at Fatal Four Way would be. He promised that no matter who it was, there was no way they would be able to beat him.

Kane wins 20-Man #1 Contendership Battle Royal
As if dealing with two giants was bad enough for Swagger, the biggest man in the battle royal (and one of the most prolific monsters in WWE history) came out victorious. Jack Swagger watched from the ramp in horror as Kane eliminated a quarter of the field, lastly clotheslining an impressive Shad Gaspard over the top rope to the floor.

Beth Phoenix, Kelly Kelly, & Tiffany def. Layla, Michelle McCool, & Rosa Mendes
Layla, Michelle, and Rosa had a sound strategy in mind for this match – don’t allow Beth Phoenix to get into the ring. But after isolating Kelly for several minutes, she eventually got the hot tag in to Beth, and when that happened, Lay-Cool abandoned their partner Rosa Mendes. Beth connected with the Glam Slam to get the win for her team.

Finlay def. Vance Archer
A week after defeating his partner Curt Hawkins, Vance Archer looked for retribution against the recently-returned Finlay. Unfortunately for him, Finlay’s son Hornswoggle played a role in the match yet again. Hornswoggle attacked Hawkins with a shillelagh at ringside, and that distracted Archer long enough to eat the Celtic Cross for the loss.

Rey Mysterio to put his Mask on the line at Fatal Four Way
The Straight Edge Society continued to pressure Rey Mysterio into removing his mask in order to properly accept straight edge into his life. Punk accused Rey of being dishonorable and a disgrace to all of those who look up to him. Rey brought up the legacy of Mexican wrestling, and the sheer significance of the mask. Then he countered with a proposal – at Backlash, Punk put his hair on the line while Rey wagered nothing. At Over the Limit, each man wagered something. And now at Fatal Four Way – Rey will show how much his mask means to him by making the only wager in another match against CM Punk. Rey’s mask (and pride) will be on the line. With everything to gain and nothing to lose, Punk agreed to the terms, and much like last week, the Straight Edge Society beat him down.

Christian & Kofi Kingston def. Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre
Two of SmackDown’s continuing feuds were carried out in this tag team contest. All four men got their fare share of ring time in this one. A miscommunication by Drew McIntyre led to Dolph Ziggler being hit with Trouble in Paradise as Kofi got the pinfall victory for his team. After the bout, the Intercontinental champion hit both opponents with his title belt, and then executed a Future Shock to his rival Kofi Kingston.

Shad Gaspard def. Chris Masters
Shad looked just a little bit meaner during this match, obviously still fuming after coming so close to winning the battle royal. The Masterpiece looked impressive in his own right, and so this made for a fairly even bout. Shad continued his quest to show the world that it was “his tyme”, picking up the win following an STO.

Big Show and Undertaker fought to a no-contest
This was a big main event in more ways than one. Former rivals, Big Show and Undertaker took each other to limit as each one looked to gain momentum just 9 days away from Fatal Four Way. How this battle would have turned out is anybody’s guess, as Jack Swagger hit the ring with a steel chair and blasted his challengers with it. For the second week in a row, Swagger got a rude awakening while backing up the rampway, receiving a big chokeslam from Kane on the stage to close the show.

[Evil Vito]

WWE Raw – June 14, 2010
Unfavorable Odds

WWE Champion John Cena got a firsthand reminder that he doesn’t even need to be pinned to lose his title on Sunday. In addition, the final four competitors in the United States Title tournament were decided as well as the announcement being made that a new general manager of Raw would be named next week.

United States Title Tournament Match: R-Truth def. William Regal
Fan-favorite R-Truth advances in the tournament despite a very solid effort from William Regal (and Vladimir Kozlov at ringside). His celebration got cut short when Regal and Kozlov both pounced on him. That didn’t last long as Mark Henry came out and got some retribution on Regal and Kozlov for cheating him out of his tournament match on Superstars last Thursday.

United States Title Tournament Match: Chris Jericho def. David Hart Smith
It should be no surprise that Jericho successfully found a way to cheat in a match yet again. One week after winning unfairly against Tyson Kidd, Jericho managed to do the same to Kidd’s partner, David Hart Smith. Jericho had to hightail it out of the ring quickly as Kidd rushed out to his partner’s aid.

Bizarre tag team main event announced, new General Manager next week
Raw announcer Jerry “The King” Lawler got a tidbit of information in his earpiece that he couldn’t hold back. He announced to the world that there is a new General Manager of Raw, and he will be revealed next week. Furthermore, he’s shaking things up tonight by pitting enemies against each other in tag teams – it’ll be Edge and Randy Orton against John Cena and Sheamus!

Natalya def. Alicia Fox
Natalya turned a bad night for The Hart Dynasty into a moderate success with an impressive victory over Alicia Fox. Divas champion Maryse looked on from ringside, one has to think Natalya is in line for a title shot in the very near future.

United States Title Tournament Match: John Morrison def. Zack Ryder
Although he’s won matches on Superstars since joining the Raw brand, the Long Island Loudmouth still has yet to win a match on Monday Night Raw. That wait will have to continue, as his best efforts weren’t enough to keep John Morrison from advancing. Starship Pain never fails to get the job done, and tonight was no exception.

The Miz has some choice words for Bryan Danielson
The Miz cut a promo from backstage, citing that if he went into the arena the cowardly Bryan Danielson would attack him from the crowd again. Miz vowed to give Danielson a taste of his own medicine in their unsanctioned match at Fatal Four Way.

United States Title Tournament Match: Ted DiBiase def. Evan Bourne
DiBiase may soon be able to trade in his Million Dollar belt for real gold after advancing in the tournament over a very game Evan Bourne. Not long after the match ended via Dream Street, R-Truth emerged on the rampway with a microphone, congratulating Ted on advancing and stating that he hopes to see him in the finals, so he can beat him once again live on PPV.

John Cena & Sheamus def. Edge & Randy Orton
The main event tag team bout felt eerily similar to last week’s main event. Neither team could co-exist, and eventually all four men brawled in the ring. With Orton and Sheamus as the legal men, Edge attempted to intervene only for John Cena to cut him off, hoisting him up for an Attitude Adjustment. Cena then got met with an RKO right after. Lastly, Sheamus connected with a Bicycle Kick to the face of Orton as Sheamus picked up the victory for his team. As the Celtic Warrior posed in celebration, it bares repeating that if this same thing happens on Sunday, John Cena will lose his title belt without even getting pinned. Can the champ survive? Order Fatal Four Way to find out!

[Evil Vito]

WWE NXT – June 15, 2010
Season 1 Finale

After several months, the first ever winner of NXT has been crowned. He now gets a title match of his choosing at a future PPV. Before the final match, the other 6 NXT rookies were also invited back to ply their craft in randomized matches and hope to impress management with the competition ending.

David Otunga def. Skip Sheffield
Skip Sheffield showed much more fire and tenacity than he did in his previous NXT appearances, and he certainly seemed to have the A-Lister reeling. Unfortunately for Skip, that wasn’t enough to keep the crafty Otunga from grabbing a victory following a hook of the tights.

Bryan Danielson def. Darren Young
Darren Young got an unlucky draw on this night, as the former Daniel Bryan was certainly in the mood to use Young as target practice in advance of his unsanctioned match against The Miz. After using a flurry of unique offensive maneuvers, Danielson netted his first ever win against an NXT rookie following a bridging dragon suplex.

The Miz attacks Bryan Danielson
Danielson didn’t have much time to celebrate, as The Miz hopped into the ring and assaulted him before hitting a Skull-Crushing Finale. Miz belittled his downed opponent as if to say “how do you like it now?” These two men are surely going to tear into each other on Monday.

Michael Tarver def. Heath Slater
If Danielson’s returning performance was the most impressive, Michael Tarver’s surely was the most surprising. Although Slater got the early advantage, Tarver connected with a well-placed punch to the jaw for the victory. Tarver had boasted about his punch going into the contest, but this was the first time it had actually been seen, and it failed to disappoint.

Wade Barrett def. Justin Gabriel to win NXT
After being #1 in the Pros Poll for several weeks running, Wade Barrett seemed to lose some steam after suffering a defeat at the hands of Justin Gabriel last week and falling to #2 on the poll. However, he made up for it this week in a big way. The two finalists had an intense back-and-forth battle that captivated everybody. The turning point came when Justin Gabriel appeared to have the 450 all set up only for Barrett to put his knees up upon impact. Barrett capitalized by hitting his fireman’s carry finishing move, and three seconds later he was crowned the winner of NXT Season 1.

Barrett and his WWE Pro Chris Jericho celebrated afterwards amid streams of confetti. Wade Barrett has now earned the right to a title shot on PPV, and doubtless the intelligent Barrett will inform everybody of his decision in the near future. Furthermore, he has also earned the right to call himself WWE’s next breakout star. How high will Barrett’s rising star go? Will any of the other NXT rookies be able to establish themselves? Continue watching WWE programming to find out!

Next week on the standard 10 PM timeslot, we will take a look back at the most memorable moments from Season 1 of NXT. The following week, we will be introduced to the WWE Pros for NXT Season 2, and they will look to gain momentum before meeting their rookies. NXT Season 2 will formally begin on July 6th.

[Evil Vito]

WWE Superstars – June 17, 2010
Giant Redemption

One superstar gets redemption from last week, and another bounced back from a loss in tag team action on SmackDown. 4 more great matches from both brands on another fun edition of WWE Superstars.

Matt Hardy def. Tyler Reks
Perhaps frustrated by his NXT rookie Justin Gabriel losing out on the competition, Matt Hardy took out his anger on the Laguna Beach native Tyler Reks. Matt was able to stave off a small Reks rally and pick up the victory after the Twist of Fate.

Gail Kim def. Jillian Hall
Gail did the world a favor by not allowing Jillian to begin singing prior to the match. As per usual, Gail wowed the crowd with her innovative offense and ultimately made Jillian Eat Defeat. Perhaps this win will vault Gail back into the title picture.

Dolph Ziggler def. JTG
Dolph Ziggler’s theme tells everybody that he is “perfection”. He certainly looked the part in this match. JTG put up a good fight as he always does, but that was not enough for the egomaniacal Ziggler, who ducked a JTG clothesline and proceeded to hit a Zig Zag for the victory.

Mark Henry def. Vladimir Kozlov
The World’s Strongest Man clearly hasn’t forgotten Kozlov’s interference in last week’s match. Not only did he aid R-Truth before Kozlov & William Regal could attack him, but he also showed his brute strength against the Sambo Specialist. Henry seemed to absorb Kozlov’s normally formidable headbutts, and then he hoisted the big Russian before World’s Strongest Slamming him to the mat. After this big win, who knows what’s next for Mark Henry.

[Evil Vito]

WWE SmackDown – June 18, 2010
Temporarily United

Tonight’s main event was slated to be a Fatal Four Way preview – a four-way tag team match pitting each of the participants in Sunday’s World Heavyweight title match with partners of their choosing against each other. However, two of the participants decided to make their own rules – and really, who’s going to tell them no? Jack Swagger may be in trouble this Sunday.

Rey Mysterio def. Chavo Guerrero
This bout served as a rehash of the bitter feud that these two men once had. After plenty of jaw-dropping lucha libre counters and maneuvers, Mysterio got the victory following the 6-1-9 and West Coast Pop. The victory will surely give Mysterio a head of steam with Fatal Four Way just 2 days away.

CM Punk and Rey Mysterio Confrontation
Rey’s celebration was cut short as CM Punk’s music intervened. Out walked the Straight Edge Society. Punk continued to preach the straight edge lifestyle to the WWE Universe and Mysterio himself. Punk reminded Rey on several occasions that he can simply remove his mask now and prevent the beating of a lifetime, but Rey once again refused. The Straight Edge Society appeared poised to gang up on Mysterio for the third straight week, but Rey evaded it. Is this the last we’ve seen of a masked Rey Mysterio on SmackDown? We’ll find out on Sunday.

Women’s Title Match: Beth Phoenix def. Layla (Count-Out)
The Glamazon continues to be on an absolute warpath. Any offense that Women’s champion Layla could muster seemed to have little if any effect on Phoenix. For the second straight week, Layla opted to walk out of the match. Lay-Cool ran to the back, leaving a clearly annoyed Beth Phoenix standing in the ring, taking an unsatisfying count out victory. The Women’s champion can’t dodge the Glamazon forever.

Kofi Kingston def. Cody Rhodes
“The Uncommon Man” Cody Rhodes has really upped his game since being drafted to the SmackDown brand a month and a half ago. He has shown great potential to shine in the singles spotlight at some point. Unfortunately for him, tonight just was not his night as he was bettered by the ever-popular Kofi Kingston. After a high quality bout, Kingston picked up the win with the Trouble in Paradise. Almost instantaneously, Intercontinental champion Drew McIntyre performed yet another sneak attack on Kingston, hitting him in the back of the head with the Intercontinental championship and then landing a Future Shock.

Intercontinental Title bout booked for Fatal Four Way
SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long was quick to burst onto the scene. He informed Drew that he was growing sick and tired of these constant sneak attacks, and so Sunday at Over the Limit – he will once again be defending the Intercontinental Title against Kofi Kingston!

Curt Hawkins & Vance Archer def. Finlay & Hornswoggle
SmackDown’s newest tag team has been wanting to make an impact, and tonight they did just that. Hornswoggle tagged himself in and was soon met with a swinging scoop slam from Hawkins. As Hawkins climbed to the top rope, Finlay attempted to intervene but was met with a boot to the face by Archer. Hawkins connected with a top rope elbow drop to Swog for the victory.

MVP def. Shad Gaspard
Ever since finding his mean streak, Shad Gaspard has looked nearly unstoppable. He found himself some tough competition tonight in MVP. Both of these men are looking to make their marks in title pictures – and for much of the contest no one man seemed to have the advantage. Shad whipped MVP into the ropes for a Big Boot, but MVP ducked. MVP kicked Shad in the gut and then delivered a Playmaker for the big win. Shad appeared to be absolutely livid upon recovery.

Triple Threat Tag Team Match: The Brothers of Destruction def. Jack Swagger/Drew McIntyre & Big Show/Christian
Although all four men were supposed to pick their own partners, Kane and The Undertaker operate under their own rules – and shocked the other four participants by picking each other as partners. This match was certainly a fitting precursor to what can be expected to be seen on Sunday. With McIntyre and Christian preoccupied with one another and Big Show outside the ring, the Brothers of Destruction hit World Heavyweight champion Jack Swagger with a huge double chokeslam. Both men pinned Swagger, perhaps a sign of things to come for him. Although they were united tonight, it’s going to be every man for himself come Fatal Four Way. Who will walk out as World Heavyweight champion? Call your PPV provider and find out!

[Evil Vito]

FINALIZED FATAL FOUR WAY CARD

WWE Championship: John Cena (C) vs. Randy Orton vs. Edge vs. Sheamus

World Heavyweight Championship: Jack Swagger (C) vs. Big Show vs. Undertaker vs. Kane

Intercontinental Championship: Drew McIntyre (C) vs. Kofi Kingston

Semi-Finals and Finals of United States Championship Tournament: R-Truth vs. Chris Jericho, John Morrison vs. Ted DiBiase, Winners Meet in the Finals

Rey Mysterio's Mask on the Line: Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk

Unsanctioned Match: The Miz vs. Bryan Danielson

[Evil Vito]

I will continue posting my progress here on the off-chance that anybody outside of Loopydate actually reads this thread, however, I have also begun posting my game on the EWBattleground. They have a pretty active area for EWR/TEW diaries called "The Dome". I haven't received very many comments on my game, but it's gotten about 300 views so at least I know people are reading.

They are admittedly pretty anal about certain things (namely posts - you shouldn't post in your diary topic unless you are making a significant update and/or answering a question or criticism from somebody. If you simply make a post like "Sorry I haven't updated in awhile, my game's not dead, etc." they will chew you out)...but it seems like a good community to post these in overall and help maintain my interest.

Anyways, Loopy - I think you've done some great things with your game, and I definitely think they'd like it over there. If I were you I'd totally set up a topic over there and start posting your shows gradually from the very beginning (until you can catch up to where you are now). They really love to see character development and you've definitely shown that with people like the Natural Born Ministry, "Nature Boy" Dave Batista, etc.

If you're interested the link is: http://www.ewbattleground.com/forum/index.php

[loopydate]

Thanks, Vito. May need to take you up on that. And thanks for the compliments. Really enjoying your game, too. Very interested in seeing what you've got in mind for Fatal Fourway and the second season of NXT. Guessing Alex Riley, Joe Hennig, and Johnny Prime all get looks. Probably one or both of Jackson Andrews or Eli Cottonwood. Maybe Brett DiBiase and/or Wes Brisco? Big FCW fan so I'm interested to see how you play it off. Of course, you could also just have Kaval come in and destroy everybody for a few weeks too.

[Evil Vito]

WWE Fatal Four Way
June 20, 2010

Dark Match: Christian def. Chavo Guerrero
Fans arriving to the arena early were treated to a bonus match between two of SmackDown’s most athletically gifted superstars. The match was a back-and-forth affair until Chavo charged the cornered Christian and was hit with a Pendulum Kick. Chavo stumbled and Christian took advantage and got the win with the Killswitch, getting the night started on a happy note for the fans.
Winner: Christian
***1/2, 83% Overall Rating

United States Title Tournament Semi-Finals: Chris Jericho vs. R-Truth
Chris Jericho’s insulting of the crowd before the match had the fans rooting harder for R-Truth than ever before. Both men seemed fairly even to start before Jericho took over proceedings. Jericho seemed to perpetually be on the brink of victory, but Truth kept kicking out at two. Jericho clearly was getting flustered, and that would prove to be his undoing As R-Truth began to mount a rally that would not let up until he connected with the Lie Detector to beat the first ever Undisputed champion and advance to the finals of the tournament.
Winner: R-Truth
***, 85% Overall Rating

United States Title Tournament Semi-Finals: John Morrison vs. Ted DiBiase
Now knowing who their opponent would be, both Ted DiBiase and John Morrison pulled out all the stops to ticket themselves for a spot in the finals. The crowd was emphatically behind Morrison, hoping to see a match between him and his occasional tag team partner. Morrison battled back late, planting DiBiase with a smooth dropkick and setting him up near the ropes. Morrison attempted to seal the deal with the Starship Pain, but DiBiase moved out of the way, sending Morrison crashing to the mat. DiBiase put Morrison on Dream Street to advance and set up a bout with his rival, R-Truth.
Winner: Ted DiBiase
***1/2, 83% Overall Rating

Intercontinental Title Match: Kofi Kingston vs. Drew McIntyre (C)
As is quickly becoming the norm for situations involving Drew McIntyre, there was plenty of controversy. As the match progressed Kofi Kingston appeared all but certain to walk out of Fatal Four Way with the gold. Perhaps sensing this, McIntyre took it upon himself to “accidentally” knock out referee Charles Robinson by whipping Kofi into the corner where the ref was standing. McIntyre retrieved his championship belt and took a swing at Kofi with it, but Kofi ducked and gave Drew a taste of his own medicine. Robinson recovered and counted three, giving us a new Intercontinental champion.

However, after only being able to celebrate for a few minutes, agent Tony Garea was seen at ringside talking with ring announcer Tony Chimel. Chimel then whispered something in Charles Robinson’s ear. Chimel then proceeded to announce that by order of Mr. McMahon, Kofi Kingston has been disqualified for illegal use of the Intercontinental Title. Therefore, the decision was reversed and “The Chosen One” once again walks out with gold.
Winner and STILL Intercontinental Champion (DQ): Drew McIntyre
**3/4, 76% Overall Rating

Unsanctioned Match: Bryan Danielson vs. The Miz
Bryan Danielson has been waiting over ten years for the opportunity to not only compete in WWE, but compete on PPV. Months of animosity with The Miz, Danielson’s NXT Pro, has led to this match. Wowing the crowd with a previously unseen variety of strikes and grapples, Danielson showed the world what he had stored up inside of him all along. With Miz grounded face down in the center of the ring, Danielson locked both arms and then bridged over the top, leaving Miz trapped in an excruciating double chickenwing. It was either tap or snap, and Miz elected to tap. Bryan Danielson got the victory as the crowd went wild. All the while, Michael Cole couldn’t believe that The Miz lost to a man who was not even a contracted WWE Superstar.
Winner: Bryan Danielson
***1/4, 80% Overall Rating

Rey Mysterio’s Mask on the Line: CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio
CM Punk and Rey Mysterio have been immersed in one of the most bitter and memorable rivalries in recent memory, with this being the fourth straight PPV telecast they’ve competed on. As per usual, these two put on an absolute clinic loads with near falls in both directions and leaving the fans on the edge of their seats waiting to see if they would catch a glimpse of Rey Mysterio’s unmasked face. Punk hoisted Rey up for the GTS, but when he flung Rey upwards, Rey landed on his feet before sweeping Punk throat-first into the middle rope. Rey connected with the 6-1-9 and the West Coast Pop to remain a masked man.
Winner: Rey Mysterio
****, 87% Overall Rating

United States Title Tournament Finals: R-Truth vs. Ted DiBiase
R-Truth already held one PPV victory over DiBiase, and appeared to have the advantage of extra rest on this night. Both men showed how badly they wanted the United States championship – but when push came to shove, its pretty clear that DiBiase may have more resources. After kicking out of Dream Street, DiBiase argued with referee John Cone. While the distraction took place, NXT Rookie Michael Tarver snuck into the ring and connected with a right hand to R-Truth. DiBiase then picked up the helpless R-Truth and landed another Dream Street, and three seconds later he was awarded the United States title. Why did Michael Tarver help DiBiase? We’ll hopefully find out soon enough.
Winner and NEW United States Champion: Ted DiBiase
***, 79% Overall Rating

World Heavyweight Title Fatal Four Way: Undertaker vs. Kane vs. Big Show vs. Jack Swagger (C)
Going into this match, few thought “The All-American American” had any chance of walking out with his title. Not only were the odds stacked against him, but he had three giants to contend with. Swagger played it perfectly, picking and choosing his spots. However, offense was hard to come by without the larger superstars shrugging him off and dishing out offense of their own. With Jack Swagger looming outside the ring: Kane, Undertaker, and Big Show all had their hands wrapped each other’s throats attempting to chokeslam one another.

Show kicked Undertaker in the stomach, catching Kane by enough surprise to land a huge Chokeslam. Undertaker retaliated by punching Big Show and then stunning the WWE Universe by delivering the World’s Largest Tombstone Piledriver to the 500 pounder. From behind, Swagger hopped in and shoved Undertaker out of the ring through the ropes. Swagger immediately covered the downed Big Show for a shocking title retention.
Winner and STILL World Heavyweight Champion: Jack Swagger
***, 83% Overall Rating

WWE Title Fatal Four Way: Sheamus vs. Edge vs. Randy Orton vs. John Cena (C)
Having just witnessed a crazy World Heavyweight Title match, all four of these men surely realized how quickly their hopes and dreams of becoming WWE Champion can come to an end. The crowd was on the edge of their seats throughout this contest as all four Superstars broke out all of their signature maneuvers. There were at least a dozen near falls that would be barely broken up at the count of two by other participants of the match.

With Edge and Sheamus downed in the ring, Orton attempted an RKO on Cena. Cena blocked it and sent Orton into the ropes, and then hoisting him up for an Attitude Adjustment to the outside the ring. Cena turned around and ducked a Bicycle Kick from a recovered Sheamus, and then attempted another Attitude Adjustment. Sheamus rolled out of it and then picked Cena up for a crucifix powerbomb. However, before he could hit the move, he was Speared by Edge. Edge covered Sheamus for the three count. The Ultimate Opportunist struck again to win his 5th WWE Title, 10th World Title, and his astounding 30th overall title in WWE.
Winner and NEW WWE Champion: Edge
***, 86% Overall Rating

80% Overall Rating for Fatal Four Way

[Evil Vito]

Originally Posted by loopydate Thanks, Vito. May need to take you up on that. And thanks for the compliments. Really enjoying your game, too. Very interested in seeing what you've got in mind for Fatal Fourway and the second season of NXT. Guessing Alex Riley, Joe Hennig, and Johnny Prime all get looks. Probably one or both of Jackson Andrews or Eli Cottonwood. Maybe Brett DiBiase and/or Wes Brisco? Big FCW fan so I'm interested to see how you play it off. Of course, you could also just have Kaval come in and destroy everybody for a few weeks too.

Nice, I'd love to see your game posted over there on the Dome. They'd probably dig it.

I'm thinking about using most of the guys you mentioned for NXT Season 2. I don't follow FCW much but I'm basing my decisions on what little I've seen and what I hear about the guys.

Thus far the only Rookie/Pro pairings I've decided on are Eli Cottonwood/Kane and Brett DiBiase/Ted DiBiase. I will also definitely bring along Alex Riley, Joe Hennig, and Kaval. As far as pros go, I'm not too sure yet - I want to get at least one surefire main eventer in there so I'll probably use Edge.

I actually plan on using NXT as a fun "house rule". I plan on continuing to run NXT every 6 months and at the end, the winner receives the title shot although all 8 wind up free agents to help fill out the main roster. As such, once a new NXT season starts up I have to continually replenish FCW and prepare to future endeavor some people once my main roster becomes overcrowded. I'll treat it like the minor leagues, and as a term of condition that every year I MUST wind up calling up at least 16 new people from NXT (along with anyone else I may call up).

[loopydate]

WWE has come to terms for the releases of RAW superstar Lance Cade and SmackDown! superstar Aaron Stevens. We wish both men the best in their future endeavors.

Several new stars are on the verge of being called up from Ohio Valley Wrestling in the month of November, so the lead-in to Survivor Series will feature some exciting new talent! Plus, on RAW this week both the Train/O'Haire and Rhyno/Jericho feuds will end, and on SmackDown! we'll see the last encounter between John Cena and Tajiri!

[Evil Vito]

No NXT this week as a recap show is aired. NXT Season 2 begins the first Tuesday of July so as to allow the participants the benefit of the end-of-month stat upgrades. In the meantime, this'll do:

WWE.COM – FORMAT FOR WWE WORLD CUP
Last night on Monday Night Raw, new Raw General Manager Shawn Michaels announced the introduction of a new concept – the WWE World Cup. Drawn from the ongoing FIFA World Cup, the WWE World Cup involves both brands as well as recently executed ideas that have been praised by fans (tournaments, chaotic fatal four ways, and keeping track of win-loss records as is done in NXT) all rolled into one.

After an in-depth interview with Shawn Michaels and Theodore Long, we here at WWE.com are happy to report that we’ve learned the rules of the WWE World Cup:

1. 16 superstars from Raw and 16 superstars from SmackDown have been selected. The 16 Raw superstars have been randomly drawn into groups of 4, same with the SmackDown superstars.

2. Throughout a six week span (June 28th-August 6th), the participants will compete in a round robin series of matches against the other members of their group. The two superstars with the best win-loss record in each group after this time period advance to the second stage of the Cup.

3. On the August 9th edition of Raw and August 13th edition of SmackDown, the second stage will be conducted. The surviving participants from Groups A/B and C/D on each show will compete in Fatal Four Way matchups. The four winners will advance to stage three of the Cup.

4. At Summerslam on August 15th, the two advancing participants from Raw and the two advancing participants from SmackDown will compete in two singles matches early in the evening. The two winners advance to the fourth and final stage of the Cup.

5. The two winners meet one-on-one, with the winner of that match being declared the winner of the first-ever WWE World Cup. In addition, the winner will be declared the first ever WWE Television Champion, and will earn the right to appear on both shows and be required to defend the gold on each Raw, SmackDown, and PPV telecast until they are no longer champion.

As if this wasn’t exciting enough, we have acquired an exclusive sneak peak of the randomly drawn groupings. The WWE World Cup is sure to change the scope of WWE as we know it! You don’t want to miss it!

Raw Group A
Chris Jericho
Goldust
Wade Barrett
Yoshi Tatsu

Raw Group B
Evan Bourne
John Morrison
Tyson Kidd
Zack Ryder

Raw Group C
Justin Gabriel
R-Truth
Santino Marella
The Miz

Raw Group D
David Hart Smith
Ted DiBiase
The Great Khali
William Regal

SmackDown Group A
Drew McIntyre
Matt Hardy
Rey Mysterio
Vance Archer

SmackDown Group B
CM Punk
Curt Hawkins
JTG
Kofi Kingston

SmackDown Group C
Chavo Guerrero
Christian
MVP
Shad Gaspard

SmackDown Group D
Bryan Danielson
Cody Rhodes
Dolph Ziggler
Finlay

[Evil Vito]

WWE Superstars - June 24, 2010
Uncommon

Two SmackDown superstars avenge losses from last week, the Raw divas are in action, and a certain Raw superstar can’t seem to keep his mouth shut on this week’s WWE Superstars.

William Regal def. Santino Marella
The always entertaining Santino Marella was sure to make some inflammatory remarks towards the veteran William Regal, and that certainly didn’t help his cause. Regal pulverized Marella with a series of stiff punches and knee strikes before making him tap out wildly to the Regal Stretch in short order.

Natalya & The Bella Twins def. Maryse, Alicia Fox, and Jillian Hall
The second-generation diva Natalya continues to make her case for a shot at the Divas Title with another victory. Although her partners helped out, Natalya worked the bulk of the match and ultimately forced Alicia Fox to tap out to a Sharpshooter. Maryse will certainly have to face Natalya sooner rather than later.

Shad Gaspard def. Heath Slater
“The One Man Rock Band” Heath Slater made his debut as a member of the SmackDown roster, having freshly signed after the completion of NXT Season 1. However, his debut didn’t quite go as planned. Fueled by anger from his loss to MVP on last week’s SmackDown, Shad was able to ward off a good debut by Slater and pick up the victory after a GTO.

Cody Rhodes def. Matt Hardy
Much like Shad, “The Uncommon Man” was eager to wash away the stain of defeat from SmackDown last week. Matt Hardy presented a very formidable challenge, and the two engaged in one of the best matches we’ve seen on WWE Superstars in quite some time. Hardy set up for a Twist of Fate but Rhodes was able to fight out of it and get Hardy in place for the Cross Rhodes. He hit the maneuver and picked up the win. Things are looking up for Cody Rhodes.

---

I mean it when I say that Hardy/Rhodes was a great match. It was like 89% Match Quality and a **** rating. Love it when matches surprise me like that.

[Evil Vito]

WWE SmackDown – June 25, 2010
The Fire Burns

Two momentous matches from the blue brand have already been set for the forthcoming Money in the Bank PPV – the SmackDown MITB match itself as well as a wild World Heavyweight Title match. In addition, one of the most intense feuds in recent history appears to be continuing.

Jack Swagger gloats, Theodore Long informs him of his next challengers
World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger was deservedly boastful about his victory over three giants at Fatal Four Way. General Manager Theodore Long eventually got sick of Swagger’s endless self-promotion, and decided to book a match. Since Swagger claims to be such a fighting champion, he should have no problem giving a title shot to the two men he DIDN’T pin at Fatal Four Way – Undertaker and Kane! Therefore, at the Money in the Bank PPV telecast, Swagger will defend his belt in a triple threat match against both Brothers of Destruction. Swagger looked rightfully upset.

SmackDown Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Big Show def. Rey Mysterio
This was a true case of David vs. Goliath as two fan favorites met to determine the first participant in the SmackDown MITB match. With the heart of a champion, Rey attempted to utilize his quickness to tire Show out. Show was down on one knee in the center of the ring, and Rey springboarded from the ropes as he normally does with the West Coast Pop. However, on the way down, he flew right into a brutal knockout punch from Big Show. Three seconds later, and Big Show had qualified. One has to wonder if they even make ladders strong enough to support his weight.

After Big Show had departed, the Straight Edge Society jumped in from the crowd and mugged Mysterio, ending with CM Punk hitting the GTS. Clearly, Punk has been consumed with Mysterio since his defeat on Sunday. Perhaps the book has not been closed on the epic feud these two men have written.

SmackDown Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Drew McIntyre def. Rey Mysterio
Rey Mysterio laid unconscious in the ring after all that had happened. Things got worse for him though, as Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre emerged, complete with a note straight from Mr. McMahon. By order of the Chairman, the stipulation that current champions will be ineligible to qualify for MITB does NOT apply to Drew McIntyre. Furthermore, McIntyre holds the right to handpick his opponent for his qualifying match.

McIntyre chose the already defenseless Mysterio, who couldn’t even stand. Referee Chad Patton reluctantly rang the bell, and mere seconds later McIntyre connected with the Future Shock for a disgustingly cheap entry into MITB.

SmackDown Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Bryan Danielson def. Chavo Guerrero
On Raw this past Monday Night, Bryan Danielson announced that he had signed with SmackDown. Chavo Guerrero, granted a qualifying match by his aunt Vickie, was out to spoil his debut. Danielson would have none of that, lighting Guerrero up with grapples and suplexes. Once Danielson locked on the very unique Cattle Mutilation, Chavo had no choice but to tap out as Danielson qualified for MITB.

Women’s Title match set for next week
Consultant Vickie Guerrero returned from a meeting with GM Theodore Long with some very regretful news for Team Lay-Cool. Next week, Layla will once again defend her WWE Women’s Title against “The Glamazon” Beth Phoenix, and this time – Layla will automatically lose the belt if she is counted out or disqualified.

Non-Title Match: Curt Hawkins & Vance Archer def. The Hart Dynasty (DQ)
By virtue of being Unified Tag Team champions, The Hart Dynasty paid a visit to SmackDown to take on the up-and-coming team of Curt Hawkins & Vance Archer. The new tandem was able to hold their own and certainly show that they are worthy contenders for a title match in the future. But before any result could occur, an irate Finlay rushed the ring, shillelagh in hand, and brutalized Hawkins & Archer with it for the disqualification ending. There is certainly still bad blood from what Hawkins & Archer did to Finlay’s son Hornswoggle last week.

SmackDown Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Christian def. Finlay
After the attack, Finlay remained in the ring for a MITB qualifier against Christian. The aggressive Finlay got the early advantage, but Christian was able to kick out several times while utilizing his skills to avoid defeat. Finlay ran into a Pendulum Kick and then a Killswitch. After coming up just short in MITB at WrestleMania, Christian qualified and will get another chance.

SmackDown Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Dolph Ziggler def. MVP
Hot off the heels of a big win against Shad Gaspard on last week’s SmackDown, MVP hoped to carry that momentum into his MITB qualifier. But it was just not to be on this night, as Dolph Ziggler brought his A-game. After ducking under MVP to avoid a Playmaker, Ziggler connected with the Zig Zag to qualify. After the bout, Shad Gaspard hit the ring and attacked MVP, planting him with a GTO to send a message.

SmackDown Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Kofi Kingston def. CM Punk
The final slot in SmackDown’s MITB would come as a result of a match between two men who at one time were tag team partners. The Straight Edge Society attempted to make nuisances of themselves at ringside, but Kingston kept his eye on the ball. The crowd got on their feet when a battered Rey Mysterio ran out and tried to fight off both Luke Gallows and Joey Mercury on his own. The fact that Rey could even stand was enough to shock Punk, who unlike Kingston, DID take his eye off the ball – and as a result received a Trouble in Paradise as Kingston qualified. Money in the Bank is already shaping up to be one hell of a show!

[Evil Vito]

WWE Money in the Bank
July 18, 2010

Dark Match: Matt Hardy def. Chavo Guerrero
The fan-favorite Matt Hardy gets the night started off on a high note for the fans in attendance. Hardy moves out of the way of an attempted Frog Splash and then capitalizes with a Twist of Fate for the victory.
Winner: Matt Hardy
***, 77% Overall Rating

WWE Unified Tag Team Titles: Chris Jericho & Wade Barrett vs. The Hart Dynasty (C)
Fairly standard tag team bout with the fiendish team of Jericho & Barrett isolated Tyson Kidd from his corner through most of it. David Hart Smith eventually got the hot tag and came in like a house of fire as Kidd recovered. Smith picked up Barrett and Kidd hits the ropes to set up for the Hart Attack, but Jericho thwarted his attempt and sent him out of the ring. Barrett escaped Smith’s clutch and hoisted the big man up for The Wasteland. Barrett connected with the move and three seconds later had successfully made use of his NXT-earned PPV title match.
Winners and NEW Unified Tag Team Champions: Chris Jericho and Wade Barrett
***1/4, 82% Overall Rating

Mask vs. Hair: Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk
These two men have been at each other’s throats since before WrestleMania, and this match was to finally serve as the culmination of the months and months of animosity. Punk did all he could to expose Rey’s face to the WWE audience, including getting illegal assistance from his Straight Edge Society. Referee Charles Robinson finally ejected Mercury, Gallows, and Serena from ringside. With his cronies no longer there to protect him, Punk was dropped throat-first into the rope and ate a 6-1-9 and West Coast Pop. Rey had finally won their bitter feud, and he shaved off several chunks of Punk’s head after.
Winner: Rey Mysterio
****1/4, 90% Overall Rating

Raw Money in the Bank Ladder Match
This match featured more death-defying spots than you could shake a stick at. Ryder with a Zack Attack from the top of the ladder on Morrison. Gabriel and Bourne working in tandem as The Miz lay downed in the ring, with Gabriel hitting a 450 Splash from the top of a ladder followed by a Shooting Star Press from Bourne from the top of another ladder. But best of all, Zack Ryder grabbing hold of the briefcase but then the ladder being pulled from beneath him, forcing Ryder to hang onto the cord for dear life. Morrison connected with a ladder shot to the chest, and Ryder fell to the mat face first, right into an RKO from Orton. “The Viper” was able to withstand the punishment longer than everybody else, climbing the ladder and retrieving the briefcase.
Winner: Randy Orton
****, 87% Overall Rating

WWE United States Title: R-Truth vs. Ted DiBiase (C)
Perhaps learning from watching the CM Punk/Rey Mysterio bout, DiBiase’s associates Michael Tarver and Mark Henry were extra careful to not make their presence at ringside too obvious. DiBiase controlled the match from the early going, but Truth got a head of steam and appeared to be seconds away from winning the United States Title for the first time. Mark Henry jumped onto the apron, and referee John Cone immediately ejected him. Unfortunately, as this argument was taking place, Michael Tarver was busy knocking Truth’s teeth down his throat with a vicious right hand. DiBiase got the pinfall to retain his title.
Winner and STILL United States Champion: Ted DiBiase
***, 80% Overall Rating

Sheamus vs. Triple H
After being on the shelf for nearly three months, “The Game” was back with a vengeance. Early on in the match, Triple H may have been regretting his decision to come back – as Sheamus was controlling him. However, “The Celtic Warrior” may have seen his ego get the best of him as he refused to pin Triple H when it appeared he could. It’s never a wise move to give a guy like Triple H extra time, and he made the Irishman pay. Triple H dodged a Bicycle Kick, and then Triple H charged and connected with a series of jumping knee drops. Sheamus staggered around and walked right into the Pedigree. Bah Gawd Triple H is back!
Winner: Triple H
***1/4, 86% Overall Rating

SmackDown Money in the Bank Ladder Match
This match had quite an act to follow after Raw’s ladder match, but it certainly disappoint, and featured a crazy ending. Danielson found creative ways to incapacitate his opponents using the ladder to make some painful submission holds. Ziggler planted Christian with a Zig Zag from up top. Kingston attempted to climb the ladder but Big Show threw another ladder at him like a javelin, sending him crashing to the mat. Nobody came even close to touching the briefcase until Christian near the end. He found himself in the same position as he did at WM – with the briefcase right in his grasp – until it inexplicably raised up out of his grasp! What is the meaning of that? Christian looked shocked, and in his confusion he didn’t notice Drew McIntyre behind him. McIntyre knocked Christian off the ladder, as the briefcase lowered down to normal. The Intercontinental champion can now try to add some more gold around his waist at any time.
Winner: Drew McIntyre
****, 88% Overall Rating

WWE Title: John Cena vs. Edge (C)
Considered by many to be “The Ultimate Opportunist”, Edge has been known to win many big matches by less-than-honorable means. Many feel that Edge cannot win a big match without cheating or giving himself a huge advantage. But tonight, he proved those naysayers wrong. Cena and Edge had a back-and-forth encounter complete with dueling chants from the crowd. Many nearfalls on both ends. Cena locks in the STF but Edge gets to the ropes. Edge climbs to his feet and charges at Cena, Cena catches him for the Attitude Adjustment, but Edge lands on his feet! SPEAR! Edge retains his title in a thriller! After the match, Randy Orton jumps into the ring and nearly RKOs Edge, but Edge escapes the clutch in time. The Viper points to his briefcase as a reminder that he can cash it in on Edge at any time.
Winner and STILL WWE champion: Edge
***1/4, 92% Overall Rating

World Heavyweight Title: The Undertaker vs. Kane vs. Jack Swagger (C)
Some say that “The All-American American” pulled off a miracle at Fatal Four Way, but would lightning strike twice? All three men slugged at one another and were quick to break up each others’ pinfalls. Swagger began growing visibly frustrated as Kane and Undertaker would both sit up after landing big maneuvers on them. Swagger pounded the mat in frustration, and this rare lapse of concentration from Swagger gave Undertaker a chance to capitalize. Undertaker planted Swagger with a huge Chokeslam, sending him outside the ring. But when he turned around, Kane lifted his brother up and planted him with a Tombstone! Kane gets the pinfall and wins a World title for just the second time in his career! Bah gawd hellfire and brimstone!
Winner and NEW World Heavyweight champion: Kane
***1/4, 85% Overall Rating

83% Overall Rating for Money in the Bank

[Evil Vito]

WWE Raw – June 28, 2010
Game Restarted?

Another week, another action-packed edition of Monday Night Raw. A future Hall of Famer appears to be looming closer to his return to the ring, the first-ever WWE World Cup got underway, and the superstars of Raw are preparing for the Money in the Bank PPV on July 18th.

Main Event booked, Shawn Michaels and Triple H cross paths
To kick off the show, new Raw GM Shawn Michaels announced a huge main event here for tonight – “The Celtic Warrior” Sheamus will go one-on-one with the number one contender for the WWE title, John Cena. Triple H, one week after his shocking return, walked into Michaels’ office and quickly embraced his longtime friend. He said that although he’s not quite ready to return to the ring, he plans on getting his hands on Sheamus in the very near future.

WWE World Cup – Raw Group C: R-Truth (1-0) def. Santino Marella (0-1)
Two of Raw’s more entertaining superstars kicked off the inaugural WWE World Cup. Clearly fired up after having been cheated out of a spot in the Raw MITB last week, R-Truth showed some serious fire, picking up the win in short order following the Lie Detector to get his World Cup off on the right foot.

Ted DiBiase has a message for R-Truth
Following R-Truth’s victory, United States champion Ted DiBiase emerged on the ramp, flanked by Michael Tarver and Mark Henry. DiBiase felt that if he couldn’t be in MITB, neither should a low-class lowlife like R-Truth. Although Virgil betrayed him, he has so much money that he can simply hire not one but TWO associates. With these two men by his side, DiBiase will hold onto the United States title for a long time.

WWE World Cup – Raw Group A: Chris Jericho (1-0) def. Yoshi Tatsu (0-1)
Prior to this bout, Jericho (accompanied by his former NXT rookie Wade Barrett, assigned to the same group) vowed that by the end of this World Cup, they would be Unified Tag Team champions and one of them would be Television champion. Jericho’s claims look to be justified, as he got a World Cup victory over a game Yoshi Tatsu following a Codebreaker. After the bout, Wade Barrett made a statement of his own by planting Tatsu with a forward fireman’s carry slam.

Zack Ryder & The Miz def. Evan Bourne & Justin Gabriel
All four of these men will be participating in the WWE World Cup as well as the Raw MITB match, but tonight they were in tag team action. Bourne and Gabriel presented one of the fastest duos we’ve seen in some time, but their high risk nature may have caught them. With Miz on the ground in his own corner, Zack Ryder made a blind tag. Bourne landed a Shooting Star Press on Miz and Gabriel tried a 450, but Ryder pulled Miz out of the way. Ryder hit the wounded Gabriel with a Zack Attack to get the win.

WWE World Cup – Raw Group B: John Morrison (1-0) def. Tyson Kidd (0-1)
Simply put, this was a classic between two guys who went all out to win the WWE World Cup. Kidd locked Morrison in a Sharpshooter, but the MITB participant was able to get to the ropes and ultimately battle back and connect with a Moonlight Drive to pick up the win. The two men showed mutual respect with a handshake after the bout.

The Cutting Edge with special guest Randy Orton
The Cutting Edge never seems to be short of controversy, and tonight was no exception as for the second week in a row, WWE champion Edge interviewed a nemesis of his only to have it turn into verbal sparring. “The Viper” swore that he would win the Raw MITB, and cautioned Edge that if he retains his title, he can receive an RKO at any moment’s notice to lose the belt. Orton feigned an RKO attempt that sent a paranoid Edge jumping out of the ring.

WWE World Cup – Raw Group D: David Hart Smith (1-0) def. The Great Khali (0-1)
David Hart Smith is no small man, and yet he seemed diminutive compared to The Great Khali, who was competing in his first match in months. Smith smartly worked on Khali’s knees, attempting to get the big man off his feet. Once Khali was grounded, Smith locked on a Dragon Sleeper and Khali tapped out, giving Smith an extremely impressive victory to start his World Cup.

Number One Contender’s Match: Natalya def. Gail Kim
For weeks its been looking like Natalya is on the verge of cementing herself as the next challenge for the WWE Divas title. On Raw, she made it official with a hard-fought victory over Gail Kim. With Divas champion Maryse watching from the ringside announce table, Natalya got the win after an intense spinning powerbomb.

John Cena def. Sheamus (DQ)
John Cena and Sheamus have been consistent rivals ever since Sheamus came to Raw, and tonight marked another chapter in that rivalry. Both men know each other very well, and countered each others moves on more than one occasion. Cena sidestepped a Bicycle Kick and lifted “The Celtic Warrior” up for an Attitude Adjustment, only to receive a huge Spear from an interfering Edge! Looking to make a statement, Edge continued to assault Cena with Sheamus joining in, until Triple H rushed out wielding a sledgehammer! Edge and Sheamus smartly vacated the ring, as Triple H pointed his hammer in Sheamus’ general direction. With emotions spilling over on Raw, where will this lead to next week?

[Evil Vito]

WWE have sort of stolen my thunder. 6 rookies and 2 pros that I had planned on using for my NXT Season 2 were also selected to be in the REAL NXT Season 2. Funny how that worked out. At least I didn't give some of them really horrific names! Also chose to scrap using Brett DiBiase cause I figured I'll honor the real-life injuries (except for Beth, cause the SD women's division is bad enough as it is).

WWE NXT – June 29, 2010
Season 2 Cast Revealed

We are just one week away from the beginning of NXT Season 2. Tonight was meant to be a little preview for what’s in store next week. The Raw Pros would square off in singles action against the SmackDown Pros, and each Pro would tell us a little bit about their NXT rookie. If tonight was any indication, we can expect NXT Season 2 to be one wild ride.

Non-Title Match: Kane def. Ted DiBiase
The United States champion reiterated that everybody has a price – hence why he was able to fork over the cash necessary to ensure that he was assigned a one-of-a-kind rookie. His rookie has wrestled all over the world, won numerous championships, and is a martial arts expert. His rookie is Kaval.

After a burst of flames, Kane emerged from the back. He may not be your conventional WWE Pro, but neither is his rookie. Recently reintroduced to society from the Kelloggs Sanitarium, his rookie is Eli Cottonwood.

Kane was in the mood to lay a beating on someone tonight, and on occasion he tossed DiBiase around like a ragdoll. Kane connected with a Big Boot and geared up for a Chokeslam, prompting NXT Season 1 alumni Michael Tarver and Mark Henry to climb the apron on opposite sides. This distracted Kane long enough for DiBiase to regain his composure and jump out of the ring, choosing to live to fight another day. Kane wins via count out.

Sheamus def. Finlay
Who better to have as your mentor than the Belfast Brawler? Finlay vowed to impart all of the knowledge he’s gained in his 30-plus year career to his promising young rookie. At 6’6” and 250 lbs, his has the physical tools to succeed with the proper guidance. His rookie is Johnny Prime.

Sheamus quipped that despite being in WWE for less than a year, he has already accomplished more than Finlay has in 30 AND is the true face of Irish wrestling. His rookie is a mountain of a man, and if he heeds Sheamus’ advice, he may very well reach the top just as quickly as his mentor did. His rookie is Titus O’Neill.

This was the sort of brawl that you would expect to see in a bar in Ireland. Both men slugged each other profusely, with each shot seemingly increasing in stiffness. Finlay went for a Celtic Cross but Sheamus countered with an elbow to the gut. A stunned Finlay was then easy pray for an Irish Curse as Sheamus got the impressive victory.

John Morrison def. MVP
“The Monday Night Delight” feels he has a distinct advantage with his rookie. His rookie already has wrestling in his bloodlines, and Morrison can teach him the nuances of wrestling in WWE. The son of Mr. Perfect, his rookie is Joe Hennig.

MVP hasn’t forgotten how he was scratched from the initial Pro lineup for NXT Season 1. He fully intends on making up for that by making sure his rookie becomes WWE’s next breakout star. Hailing from Honolulu, his rookie already has the flashy nickname of “The Polynesian Prince”. His rookie is Donny Marlow.

John Morrison continues to deliver one fantastic match after another. He bounced back after a lengthy bout against Tyson Kidd on Raw last night to put on another thriller against MVP. Plenty of near falls and false finishes had the crowd antsy. MVP put Morrison in position for the Playmaker, only for Morrison to counter with an inside cradle for the three count. Both men shook hands and embraced after as a sign of respect. Both of their rookies will be very fortunate to have them as Pros.

Non-Title Match: Jack Swagger def. Goldust
The World Heavyweight champion considers himself to be a perfect mentor. He has racked up countless accomplishments both athletically and academically. It takes extreme intelligence to reach your potential, and he is proud to announce that his rookie has just that. His rookie is Alex Riley.

Goldust presents quite the unique person to have a Pro. His experience can’t be denied, nor can his unorthodox style. If his rookie is willing to listen, Goldust can show his appropriately gold-haired rookie so tips that he will never forget. His rookie is Drake Brewer.

As per usual, Goldust put up a great showing – and for some time it appeared as though he would pull off a huge upset against World Heavyweight champion Jack Swagger. However, showing true fortitude, Swagger was able to withstand Goldust’s offensive attack and then counter with one of his own. One Gutwrench Powerbomb later and Swagger was able to tack another one in the win column.

Next week, the NXT Rookies will be making their first appearances in a WWE ring. You don’t want to miss it. WHO WILL BE WWE’S NEXT BREAKOUT STAR?

[loopydate]

Good choices, Vito. And thank you for not changing Prime and Joe's names. I like Donny Marlow, too. Well done

[Evil Vito]

Yeah, NXT seems like it will be fun to book. Kinda funny how it worked out - I had decided on several guys based on gimmick/character potential (Cottonwood, Hennig, Riley), and Kaval cause it's Kaval. The other 4 spots pretty much went to the guys I decided had a "good look" and had the best stats (which is still nothing to write home about, the match qualities might be pretty shitty, but who cares) - and when all was said and done WWE used 6 out of the 8 guys I was gonna use.

I also nearly used Percy Watson instead of Drake Brewer, but I wanted to beef up the tag team division asap and since I plan on having all the NXT Rookies "graduate" to the main roster when the show is over, I may just give him a direct call up in the near future to team with Darren Young.

[Evil Vito]

WWE Superstars – July 1, 2010
Dudes Busted

As always, WWE Superstars provided a large dose of variety. In just one night we saw some exciting tag team action, the Raw divas in action, and two superstars having their debut matches with their respective new brands.

Goldust def. Skip Sheffield
A WWE Pro for NXT Season 2, Goldust was scheduled to face William Regal. However, Regal informed Goldust that he had found a replacement – his NXT Season 1 rookie Skip Sheffield, making his debut as a member of the Raw roster. Sheffield looked tougher than ever, although the occasional mental lapses still seemed to be evident. One misstep is all it took for Goldust to hit a big Curtain Call for the win.

After the bout, Goldust proceeded to shake Sheffield’s hand and congratulate him on a solid outing. After Goldust left, Regal and Vladimir Kozlov jumped Sheffield out of frustration. Goldust ran back into the ring to ward them off, before helping Sheffield to his feet. Goldust claimed that he would have been a better mentor Sheffield than Regal would ever be.

Eve Torres def. Jillian Hall
Just over a month removed from her run as Divas champion, Eve has to be looking to get back into the title picture. She went a long way towards establishing that with a win against the always-irritating Jillian Hall. Eve showed some impressive jiu jitsu skills and forced Jillian to tap out with an impressive armbar. Could this match be a stepping stone for Eve to get back into the title hunt? We’ll see in the coming weeks.

Joey Mercury def. Darren Young
Accompanied by fellow Straight Edge disciples Luke Gallows and Serena, Joey Mercury vowed to make an example of his opponent, new SmackDown signing Darren Young, CM Punk’s rookie in NXT Season 1. Mercury pleaded with Young to join them, and undo the mistakes he’s made in the past, but Young still refused.

If Young’s performance tonight is any indication, then SmackDown have got themselves a great signing. He took Mercury to the limit, and had several nearfalls during the match. Unfortunately for him, the numbers game was just too great, as both Serena and Luke Gallows at ringside were able to distract him as Mercury connected with an enzuiguri to the back of the head for the victory. Luke Gallows jumped in and added a Gallows Pole for good measure.

Christian & Kofi Kingston def. The Dudebusters
Despite not being a regular tag team by any means, Christian and Kingston worked like a well-oiled machine in this bout against the Dudebusters. All four men got equal time in the ring before Christian managed to put Caylen Croft in position for the Killswitch. Trent Barreta attempted to intervene, but was cut off at the past with a Trouble in Paradise from Kingston. Christian then delivered the Killswitch to Croft as the popular duo picked up the win. Both men certainly seem primed and ready for the SmackDown Money in the Bank match as well as the WWE World Cup.

[Evil Vito]

WWE SmackDown – July 2, 2010
Phenomenal Surprise

Another thrilling Friday night has come and gone on the blue brand. It was quite the eventful night that saw the crowning of a new champion, a new match set for the Money in the Bank PPV, the World Heavyweight champion continuing to be bombarded by his challengers, and the start of the SmackDown portion of the inaugural WWE World Cup.

Theodore Long announces main event
With three episodes of SmackDown left to go before Money in the Bank, General Manager Theodore Long has decided to build up to that match with some big main events. Each of the next three weeks will see the participants in the World Heavyweight title match square off in singles action. Tonight, champion Jack Swagger will face “The Big Red Machine” Kane.

Women’s Title Match: Beth Phoenix def. Layla
For weeks its looked as though “The Glamazon” was destined to win back the Women’s Title that was robbed from her, and on this night the destiny became a reality. Michelle McCool’s efforts to interfere couldn’t save her Team Lay-Cool partner as Phoenix won back her belt in short order with the Glam Slam.

WWE World Cup – SmackDown Group B: CM Punk (1-0) def. JTG (0-1)
CM Punk was last seen losing his spot in the SmackDown MITB match due to interference from Rey Mysterio. Tonight was a chance at redeeming himself to kick off the SmackDown segment of the WWE World Cup. Facing off against JTG is never an easy outing, but Punk showed some extra fire tonight and there was simply no way he was going to be denied. With the Straight Edge Society looking on, the savior connected with the GTS for the win.

CM Punk and Rey Mysterio confront once more, PPV match booked
After his victory, CM Punk addressed Rey Mysterio. Punk stated that he has spent entirely too much time attempting to convert Mysterio, and it has become abundantly clear that he lacks the strength and reserve to be saved. However, he cannot have his last memory of Mysterio be him costing Punk a chance at MITB. So he had one more proposition. They have met one-on-one in the last four PPV events, and they currently have two wins apiece. Punk wants his shot at retribution, and he wants the score to be settled once and for all. Never one to back down from a challenge, Mysterio appeared on the Titan Tron remotely from his home, and he accepted. He wants closure just as badly as Punk does, and at Money in the Bank, he will show once and for all why he is the better man.

WWE World Cup – SmackDown Group C: Shad Gaspard (1-0) def. MVP (0-1)
The last time these two men faced off, MVP came up victorious, leaving Shad Gaspard aghast. They met again tonight with World Cup implications on the line. Shad couldn’t seem to put MVP away, and choked out MVP on the ring ropes until the count of four. While arguing with referee Justin King, a man recognized as NXT Season 1 rookie David “A-List” Otunga dropped MVP’s throat on the ropes. Gaspard took advantage by hitting MVP with a GTO for the victory. Hopefully we will learn about Otunga’s actions in the near future.

Finlay & Big Show def. Curt Hawkins & Vance Archer
With Hornswoggle on the sideline, Finlay was given the option of selecting his own partner to face off against Hawkins & Archer, the men responsible for injuring his son. Certainly, the egotistical new tag team couldn’t have predicted the Finlay would one-up them by selecting “The World’s Largest Athlete”. Show appeared to have a chip on his shoulder as he tried to make a statement before Money in the Bank. He was dominant as per usual, knocking out Archer with a huge right hand and then Chokeslamming Hawkins on top of him for the victory.

Christian hypes up Money in the Bank and World Cup
Captain Charisma was not in action tonight, but he was given a few minutes of interview time backstage. He said this is a great time to be a Peep, because he’ll be winning his World Cup debut match next week and then go on to become SmackDown’s Mr. Money in the Bank. Intercontinental champion Kofi Kingston stopped by to shake Christian’s hand. He thanked Christian for being a good partner on last night’s WWE Superstars, but it will be HIM that achieves all of the accolades, not Christian.

WWE World Cup – SmackDown Group D: Bryan Danielson (1-0) def. Dolph Ziggler (0-1)
Quite simply, Bryan Danielson continues to show why he is ready for the big time of WWE. These two SmackDown MITB participants put on a clinic that saw Danielson continue to apply various holds that have never been seen before in WWE. Danielson once again locked in the Cattle Mutilation, leading to Ziggler tapping out. It may be fitting if the worldwide experience of Bryan Danielson can lead him to a World Cup victory.

WWE World Cup – SmackDown Group A: Drew McIntyre (1-0) def. Matt Hardy (0-1)
The Intercontinental champion seems to have everything handed to him on a silver platter, including cheap entry into MITB last week. But credit must be given where it’s due. Tonight he was on his A-game and he truly earned a hard-fought victory over rival Matt Hardy. McIntyre avoided a Twist of Fate and threw Hardy off his game. McIntyre parlayed that confusion into a Future Shock to get his World Cup off to a good start.

Non-Title Match: Jack Swagger def. Kane
An entertaining styles clash in this bout saw “The All-American American” consistently being overpowered in his attempts to out-wrestle the monster Kane. The crowd got very much into it after a series of nearfalls from both men. Swagger was able to ground Kane and connect with a slingshot splash from the corner, and as the fall was being counted he put his feet on the ropes for extra leverage to get the cheap victory. Swagger grabbed his belt and tried to get out of dodge only for the lights to go out. When they came back on, Undertaker was at ringside, standing right in Swagger’s path. Undertaker delivered a Chokeslam on the outside before staring at his brother in the ring. The Brothers of Destruction will collide next week! You don’t want to miss it.

[Evil Vito]

WWE Raw – July 5, 2010
The Viper Strikes

Money in the Bank is shaping up to be a stellar pay-per-view, with another blockbuster match being added to the already stacked card tonight. Also, the WWE World Cup continued on and the participants in the Raw MITB match jockey for position on tonight’s edition of Monday Night Raw.

Sheamus def. John Morrison
Both of these men will serve as Pros for NXT Season 2, which premieres tomorrow night, but tonight they were in one-on-one action. Trying to build momentum before the Raw MITB match, Morrison continued his streak of excellent matches, nearly collecting an upset over the former WWE Champion. But tonight belonged to the Celtic Warrior, who was able to catch Morrison off guard with a Bicycle Kick and then deliver a brutal Irish Curse to win the bout.

Triple H issues a challenge
“The Game” Triple H walked out to the rampway to deliver a message to Sheamus. Sheamus may have put him on the shelf for a couple of months, but he will be back and better than ever to extract his revenge. In fact, he thinks he’ll be set to compete by, say, July 18th at the Money in the Bank PPV, and he wants a match against Sheamus. Sheamus laughed and accepted the challenge – claiming that Triple H just made the worst decision of his life.

WWE World Cup – Raw Group C: The Miz (1-0) def. Justin Gabriel (0-1)
These two Raw MITB participants took each other to the limit with World Cup standings on the line. Gabriel has been thrilling the Raw fans with his high-risk style of offense, but tonight it cost him. For the second straight week, Gabriel’s face smashed onto the mat as his opponent dodged the 450 Splash. Miz picked up the pieces with a Skull Crushing Finale for the win.

Following the match, the Viper struck. Randy Orton, another Raw MITB match participant, came out and RKO’d The Miz. Then when he got back to his feet, Justin Gabriel also received an RKO. Randy Orton has sent a message to his MITB match opponents tonight.

Shawn Michaels announces tonight’s main event
It didn’t take long for the message to be received. Raw GM Shawn Michaels appeared on the Titan Tron. Based on what has transpired last week and this week, he can tell Orton is itching for a shot at WWE champion Edge. So tonight, those two men will face off one-on-one.

WWE World Cup – Raw Group B: Zack Ryder (1-0) def. Evan Bourne (0-1)
The WWE World Cup continued with a bout involving two more Raw MITB match participants. For the second match in a row, one of the participants’ acumen for using high-risk moves served as an undoing. Evan Bourne got to the top rope, only for Zack Ryder to pop up and trip Bourne, casuing him to land groin-first on the top turnbuckle. Ryder also ascended the turnbuckle and hit an impressive Rough Ryder from the top. Bourne hit the mat hard, and it was enough for Ryder to get the victory.

Mixed Tag Team Match: Natalya & Tyson Kidd def. Maryse & Primo
Primo’s horrendous luck continues. Despite being paired with the sexy Divas champion Maryse, he could not put together a win. As number one contender Natalya and Maryse brawled outside the ring, Tyson Kidd was able to lock in the Sharpshooter on Primo. It didn’t take long for Primo to tap out. Maryse walked off looking disgusted, her match against Natalya will come soon enough.

WWE World Cup – Raw Group A: Wade Barrett (1-0) def. Goldust (0-1)
Chris Jericho mockingly applauded The Hart Dynasty on their victory, but then said the real show was about to begin. His partner Wade Barrett was in World Cup action against Goldust. Barrett showed off his English street fighting roots, and made it abundantly clear why he won NXT Season 1. Most superstars would have a difficult time against Goldust, but Barrett made it look shockingly easy, picking up the win with his forward fireman’s carry slam. The Hart Dynasty will certainly have their hands full at Money in the Bank when they defend their Unified Tag Team Titles against Barrett and Jericho.

WWE World Cup – Raw Group D: Ted DiBiase (1-0) def. William Regal (0-1)
This wasn’t even a match. The United States champion entered in a suit, much to the confusion of the veteran Regal. DiBiase produced a bundle of Great Britain pounds from his jacket, and offered to give it to Regal in exchange for an easy countout win. With Mark Henry and Michael Tarver staring at him menacingly, a smirk came across Regal’s face and gladly took the money and the defeat. Just more proof that everybody has a price.

Non-Title Match: Edge def. Randy Orton
John Cena was introduced before the participants, as he’d be at ringside for commentary for our main event. This was another very solid match between the former teammates of Rated RKO. Both men brought intensity, and nearly connected with their finishers on several occasions before the opponent countered. The fight spilled to the outside of the ring, where Edge threw Orton into the steps. Edge rolled Orton back into the ring before walking over to the commentary table and taking a cheap shot at Cena. Cena chased Edge back into the ring, where a rejuvenated Orton was waiting for an extremely quick RKO. Orton pinned the champion, which is something we might see at any given second if Randy walks out of Money in the Bank victorious.

[Evil Vito]

Yeah, your women's division seems to be getting pretty good. Expanding it between two shows may not be a bad idea.

I gotta sort some shit out with the women's division in my game. I gave Beth the Women's belt and plan on having Natalya win the Divas belt. I may just unify the belts and allow the Women's champion the right to float along with the tag champs and (eventually) TV champ. SD's division is horrid, the only two women there that can work are Beth and Serena (who I haven't had wrestle yet but will likely be Beth's next feud).

May have to do what M-A-G did in his game and hire a ton of women to development - maybe in a few years I'll have a shitload of talented ladies ready to restore credibility to the division.

[Evil Vito]

Rhyno

[loopydate]

In light of Jamie Noble's arm injury, it was announced on WWE.com that newcomer John Morrison will be taking his place on Rey Mysterio's Reyes de Lucha Libre Survivor Series team. What an opportunity for the youngster!