Offical Wrestling Thread

[Mini Man]

Yeah the monday night war would be great. Now that ECW is back I think they should put it on a wednesday, and I seriously wonder why they don't do smackdown as a live event on friday nights instead of tapings on a tuesday, it's too boring really. JR has been back for a good few weeks now I believe it was when the kenny faced John Cena for the title when Joey Styles, and that was probably 5-7 weeks ago i'd say. It's obvious though that styles quitting could of been part of a storyline for the ECW introduction, meaning they can bring JR back to monday night raw, which the fans will probably like, and then you've got Joey Styles and do commentary for ECW, and he will be partnered by Tazz most likely, but probably only when Tazz isn't going to be wrestling. Due to Tazz quitting Smackdown for ECW I have no clue on who will be Michael Cole's partner. The reason (in my books) why smackdown has lost ratings is because of batista being out with injury, and they didn't bring him back early enough. Most of the fans had a huge pop for batista in the shows, especially when he was world champion, and now it is likely that they're going to be setting up a batista vs. rey for the heavyweight title, if they decide to give batista a title shot this soon. Personally batista vs. rey would suck badly. It's too one sides and I was really glad when Palmer Cannon actually introduced eddie guerrero(RIP EDDIE!!!!!!) as the no1 contender and not rey.

[Tazz Davis]

i think you will see rey and batista team up again and i think that there was alot of storyline in batista leaving and then returning...yes he had an injury but from some of the stuff i have read this may have been an old one that he had planed to take care of at the said time. i think that him and rey teaming up and getting tag champs and then loosing them the way they did was great and it set up for rey to become the champ.

As far as Tazz...i dought he will return to the ring due to his past injuries and the ring rust he would have. Looking at the current roster i think WWE can support 3 brands Raw Smackdown and ECW but in some way i feel Smackdown will convert to more of the WCW style of show to try to pump ratings...more focus on cruisers and the two major titles and less on tag team and the specilty matches. I would love to see if they even rename it after they establish ECW as its own brand.

This would also probably draw some superstars back to WWE in the long run.

[Mini Man]

Very true. I would love to see the dudley boys return to ECW. they were great. also I begin to wonder if the mexicools will actually join back up with ECW.

as for batista rey, i can possibly see the 6 man tag team with adding benoit to the mix again when he returns. that is if he does return. Or if not benoit then possibly Lashley setting something or other up for summerslam or the great american bash.

[Mini Man]

ECW One Night Stand Reports Curtosey of WWE.COM

When Tazz challenged Jerry Lawler to a match at ECW One Night Stand, he promised “The King” that he would choke him out. With a little help from Joey Styles, The Human Suplex Machine kept his promise and defeated Lawler by submission in less than a minute.

As Lawler made his entrance, he stared down Joey Styles at the announce table. “The King” then slapped his former broadcast partner cockily before heading down to the ring, but that ended up being his downfall.

As Lawler stepped into the ring, Styles jumped on his back. “The King” shook him off and went for a piledriver, but made the fatal mistake of turning his back on Tazz. The Human Suplex Machine used the opportunity to grab Lawler and apply the Tazzmission. “The King” had no counter, passing out in the hold to give Tazz the quick victory.

Following the match, Tazz joined Joey Styles on commentary, saying that since he had such a quick night he might as well hang out with Joey.

Back in April, Kurt Angle made Randy Orton tap out to the Ankle Lock on SmackDown, breaking his ankle in the process. The Olympic Gold Medalist made it two in a row over the Legend Killer at ECW One Night Stand, making Orton tap to win his first singles match as an ECW wrestler.

Sporting a mouthpiece that bore the ECW logo, an intense Angle went for the quick kill. Knowing that Orton’s broken ankle might not be fully healed, the Wrestling Machine tried to apply the Ankle Lock early and often. However, Orton was able to counter his early attempts much to the dismay of the capacity crowd; as Orton stood outside the ring after one escape, the crowd began a derogatory chant for him, showing Orton exactly how hostile an environment he was in.

Angle continued his mat-based attack, but the Legend Killer was able to turn the tide. With the crowd firmly behind him, however, Angle nailed a German suplex and went for the Angle Slam. Orton escaped once, but would fall victim to the move later in the match.

With the crowd chanting “break his ankle,” Angle slapped on the Ankle Lock once again. Orton escaped and went for his signature RKO, but the Wrestling Machine blocked it by simply dropping the RAW Superstar to his back. The Olympic Gold Medalist then slapped on the Ankle Lock once more, dropping down into a heel hook for extra added measure. The Legend Killer had no choice but to tap out, giving Angle his first ECW victory.

After the match, Orton needed to be helped to the back, telling referee Mike Posey “my ankle is messed up man!” As he was assisted to the locker room, the raucous crowd serenaded him with one more derogatory chant for the road.

In the locker room, an emotional Angle said that he relished his first chance to wrestle in front of an ECW crowd. "It was more than I expected; the ECW crowd is a 'prove me wrong' kind of crowd," the Wrestling Machine said. "They expect a lot out of you, and they're more appreciative of the business than any other fans that I've found. I'd rather perform in front of 2500 fans at the Hammerstein Ballroom than 25,000 at Madison Square Garden because these fans are so passionate. They made me feel like I owned them."

Little Guido and Tony Mamaluke of the F.B.I. picked up an impressive tag team victory over the unlikely duo of Super Crazy & Tajiri, but the real story of the match came after the bell rang.

After Nunzio & Mamaluke caught Tajiri with a double Fisherman’s Buster off the top rope for the pin, Big Show’s new music hit, and one of the newest members of ECW strode to the ring. Big Guido of the F.B.I. awaited the largest athlete in the world, but Big Show manhandled the big man. Big Show proceeded to toss around all of the participants in the previous match around like yesterday’s garbage. He delivered a crushing cobra clutch backbreaker to Mamaluke and kicked Big Guido square in the head.

While Big Show had a new version of his entrance music, he certainly showed a new side in the ring as well. This was a more vicious, more focused Big Show than anyone has seen in years. Instead of the jovial, smiling Big Show, waving to his fans, the rabid fans at ECW One Night Stand met a stalking, vicious, calculating, fire-breathing giant that was eager to make an instant impact. And that’s exactly what he did. Might this only be the beginning of Big Show’s carnival of carnage in the new ECW?

What many considered a “Dream Match” between Rey Mysterio and Sabu for the World Championship turned into a nightmare for both competitors. In the end, the match was declared a No Contest by Dr. Louis Rios, meaning that Mysterio retained the World Championship.

Mysterio and Sabu, both well-known for their high-flying ability, did not disappoint the capacity crowd in the Hammerstein Ballroom to that end. They also didn’t disappoint the fans looking for the hardcore side of the match, as early on they tried to take each others’ heads off with chairs.

Sabu nearly had the World Championship won on a couple of occasions, but Mysterio was able to escape the pinfalls after Sabu’s signature Arabian Facebuster and a Triple Jump Moonsault.

An ECW alumnus himself, the champion went back to his hardcore roots late in the match by nailing Sabu with a seated senton that put both men through a table. He then Dropped Da Dime, but this time it was the challenger’s turn to escape the pinfall.

The two men then brutalized each other some more, with the champion going for another seated senton but landing groin first on a chair. Sabu then threw a chair at Mysterio and set a table up at ringside. At that point, what would be the most brutally hardcore moment of the match also ended up becoming the last.


As Rey stood on the table, Sabu flew at his opponent and caught him in a headlock, nailing a DDT that drove both men down through the table. Champion and challenger both landed hard and awkwardly on the floor, and doctors and officials ran to ringside to check on them. After a consultation, Dr. Rios declared that both men were unfit to continue and the match was stopped. Sabu and Mysterio were immediately helped back to the locker room as the stunned crowd tried to soak in the carnage they had just seen.

What started as a Hardcore tag team war ended up becoming a six-person slugfest; in the end, the extra addition that made the challenge ended up being the loser of the match as Edge, Mick Foley & Lita defeated Terry Funk, Tommy Dreamer & Beulah McGillicutty.

Before the match began, the WWE trio once again ran down ECW and its fans, with the Rated-R Superstar calling them all pathetic. Lita then said that when she pinned Dreamer on Wednesday night, it was better for him than it was for her.

The ECW team came out accompanied by Beulah, and the extreme knockout had some words of her own for Lita: “I know you like threesomes, so let’s just make this official. Three on three, time to put up or shut up!”

With that, the match was on, and it was as brutal and bloody as the fans in the Hammerstein Ballroom expected. Edge & Foley tried to keep it clean, but once Dreamer & Funk went under the ring for a barbed-wire board the hell was unleashed.

Beulah and Lita stayed out of the match for the most part as the four men threw just about anything they could find at one another. Funk became a bloody mess courtesy of some barbed wire; bleeding profusely, he had to be helped to the back towards the end after Foley raked the barbed wire right across his eyes.


With Funk out of the picture, it looked like Dreamer was easy prey. The WWE team nailed a Mandible Claw/spear combo, but before the pinfall, Funk returned with a bandaged head and a barbed wire board.

Eventually, the board was lit on fire and used on both Edge & Foley, with one shot sending a burning Hardcore Legend crashing through a barbed wire board on the floor. Funk soon joined him, and as Beulah and Lita finally got into the anticipated catfight, Dreamer grabbed Lita and nailed her with a Spicolli Driver.

When he turned to celebrate, however, Edge snuck up behind him, and after wrapping barbed wire around Dreamer’s head, the Rated-R Superstar dropped him straight down on his head. Dreamer was ripe for the picking, but what Edge did next truly showed what kind of “hardcore man” he really is.

As Beulah checked on Dreamer, Edge prepared his attack. When she stood, Edge ran and nailed her with a vicious spear, driving her head into the mat. The Rated-R Superstar then grabbed the lifeless Beulah’s legs and rolled her up, pinning the extreme Diva for the winning fall.

Following the match, the bloodied and battered Funk had to be cut out of the barbed wire board; he would later need five stitches to close his wounds.

In a battle of former ECW Tag Team Champions, Balls Mahoney and Masato Tanaka did battle in a brutal singles match. Last year, Tanaka was involved in, arguably, the match of the night against Mike Awesome. He came up short in that match, and unfortunately for Tanaka, history repeated itself.

Balls had the crowd in the palm of his hand all night long, as they chanted with him on his every punch. He even went ringside asking for fans’ drinks. He took a sip of each drink and then smashed it against Tanaka’s face. But the foreign objects used in the ending of the match had a little-less give to them.

Both wrestlers stood across from each other with a chair in their hand. They went at each other as if it was a duel, and after a Tanaka miscue, Balls connected with a thunderous smash to the head, denting the chair beyond repair. After that the pin was academic, and Balls reigned supreme.

Just before ECW ring announcer Stephen DeAngelis was set to make the introductions for the WWE Championship Match, he was interrupted by an unlikely person – Eugene. The normally beloved RAW Superstar was met with a chorus of boos by the unforgiving ECW fans. The boos only got louder when Eugene told the rabid crowd that his Uncle Eric Bischoff used to tell him that he was as smart as the ECW fans.

But the crowd was absolutely deafening when Eugene started reading his poem. The literary masterpiece talked about such things as Eugene taking a bath with Tazz’s towel, hugging Balls Mahoney and having a picnic with Sabu among other hard-to-imagine events. Before Eugene could continue, legendary ECW wrestler Sandman’s music hit. Several beers later, Sandman made his entrance through the crowd and mercilessly whacked Eugene with his trademark cane. Sandman made Eugene beg for mercy, but even after the RAW Superstar got down on his knees, Sandman continued to cane his target until he retreated to the back.

John Cena has overcome the odds time and time again. He has endured Steel Cage Matches, I Quit Mathes and even the Elimination Chamber. But it was just too much Sunday night at ECW One Night Stand for The Champ to overcome. Cena was able to adapt to the most rabid and hostile crowd he has ever seen, but he could not overcome Edge spearing him through a table, the Five Star Frog Splash and an impromptu three-count by Paul Heyman in this Extreme Rules Match. And when the bell rang, Rob Van Dam made history and was declared the Champion. But what Championship did he win - was it the ECW or WWE Championship?

The capacity crowd at the Hammerstein Ballroom was one of the loudest and relentless crowds ever heard, but their reactions all night paled in comparison to when RVD was announced as the new champion. After RVD was handed the gold, the place erupted and it sounded as if it was Mardi Gras, Spring Break and New Year’s Eve all at the same time. The fans were high-fiving each other, RVD climbed up to the balcony and celebrated with his wife, and then joined his ECW brothers who had filled the ring. RVD hoisted on the shoulders of his hardcore compatriots was the final scene at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, but it was an insanely wide ride that led to that moment.

From the moment Cena entered the ring, he was bombarded with loud and insulting chants that are not even fit to print. When throwing his shirt and hat into the crowd, they were thrown back time and time again. Cena knew he would be traveling into hostile territory, but he was still visibly upset at the reaction. But as time wore on, Cena got used to the crowd, and at times even seemed to enjoy it. He taunted the extremely loyal fans with his Five Knuckle Shuffle, and was even brave enough to follow RVD into the crowd for an attack. It seemed like everyone in attendance was Cena’s enemy, but he didn’t count on Edge being one of them. With RVD on the outside, a mysterious man in a motorcycle helmet speared Cena through a table which was propped up in a corner. He slowly took off his helmet to reveal his identity and was mat in unison with a thunderous cheer of, “Thank you, Edge,” by the ECW fans. Edge also knocked out referee Nick Patrick before exiting. With that RVD came in and saw the fallen Cena before promptly climbing the ropes for his patented Five Star Frog Splash. After hitting the maneuver he tried to revive Patrick, but to no avail. Paul Heyman then rushed to the ring, RVD made the cover, and the head of ECW made the three-count and history was made.
---------------------------------------------------
Official RAW Preview Curtosey of WWE.COM

Don't miss RAW tonight when Mr. McMahon delivers his state of WWE address.

Also, the office of the Chairman of WWE announced last week that Triple H will face the entire Spirit Squad in a five-on-one Handicap Match tonight on RAW. The announcement comes on the heels of Triple H’s latest example of blatant defiance of Mr. McMahon’s authority, which ended with the Chairman being knocked out cold with his pants around his ankles after The Game refused to join the Kiss My Ass Club.

Clearly, Mr. McMahon does not take too kindly to being embarrassed in his very own ring. As a result, The Game must now square off against Kenny, Mikey, Nicky, Johnny and Mitch. Will the King of Kings live to regret his actions of last Monday night? Or will the former 10-time World Champion manage to stick it to Mr. McMahon once again, this time by turning back his hand-picked henchmen?

John Cena will also be looking for some revenge, with Edge being his target. Last night at ECW One Night Stand, Edge came from under the ring and speared Cena through a table, an action that led to Cena apparently losing the WWE Championship. Tonight, Cena will try to get back at the Rated-R Superstar when they go one on one.

[Tazz Davis]

great report MM

[Mini Man]

An extreme awakening makes Cena snap
By Ed Williams III
June 12, 2006


Simply put, at ECW One Night Stand, John Cena was screwed. The former WWE Champion has reigned victorious in steel cages, I Quit Matches and even the Elimination Chamber, but this was his first Championship defense in an ECW Rules Match. Cena was able to overcome the ravenous, sold-out crowd at the Hammerstein Ballroom, but he couldn’t endure a spear by Edge through a table and a three-count by non-referee Paul Heyman. At the end of the night, Rob Van Dam was crowned the new Champion. Cena has been through a lot during his time on RAW. But after what happened at One Night Stand, he finally snapped on RAW. A new, more vicious, blood-thirsty Cena, hell-bent on revenge was unveiled. It was as if ECW had awoken a sleeping dragon.

At the top of the show, Paul Heyman announced that despite all of the controversy swirling around One Night Stand, Rob Van Dam was the new WWE Champion. Because the match was an ECW Rules Match, everything that occurred in the match was legal. As reported earlier by WWE.com, Cena was already scheduled to face Edge in a one-on-one match. But upon hearing the news, Cena had even more reason to want to get his hands on the Rated R Superstar.

As soon as he hit the ring, however, Cena turned into a tornado of lefts and rights, backing Edge into a corner. Lita tried to break things up, but it only seemed to anger Cena more. Edge ran away through the crowd, but not everyone was safe. Stevie Richards, Balls Mahoney and Justin Credible of ECW were ringside to cheer on Edge, and they had nowhere to run. Cena pulled them out of their front row seats and over the guard rail and started swinging a steel chair like a man possessed. Taking a page out of his ECW enemies, Cena left all three members of the new brand laying motionless after the maniacal onslaught. Perhaps Cena put it best when he addressed the crowd after his own personal demolition derby.

“At One Night Stand, I got an awakening as to how ECW does business,” said Cena. “According to them, anyone can show up, and when they get there, they can do whatever the hell they want. And you know what…I think I like it.”

But that wasn’t all Cena said. Tuesday night ECW will be debuting on the Sci Fi Channel at 10/9 CT. Earlier in the evening Paul Heyman invited everyone and anyone to join ECW in a big party where Rob Van Dam will rechristen the WWE Championship as the new ECW Championship. The slogan for ECW is “a new breed unleashed”, but it looks like at the same time they have unleashed a new, more aggressive, more vicious John Cena. And the former Champion is looking forward to showcasing his new demeanor on the Sci Fi Channel Tuesday night.


“Tomorrow is the television debut of ECW, and I’m gonna show up,” said Cena Monday night on RAW. “And when I do, I’m gonna do whatever the hell I wanna do. So, Paul Heyman, thank you for throwing this party tomorrow night because John Cena will have an ‘extremely’ good time.” Cena already decimated three ECW wrestlers on RAW. What will the enraged former Champion have in store for Tuesday night?

While John Cena unveiled a new attitude on RAW, two other Superstars turned back the clock a bit and reverted to their old ways. You could almost say that Triple H and Shawn Michaels went through a bit of a degeneration.

Last week on RAW, Triple H embarrassed Mr. McMahon like he had never been embarrassed before. The Chairman explained what happened, and what the repercussions would be in his State of the WWE Address earlier in the evening.

“It is one thing to establish a Kiss My Ass Club, but it’s another thing for someone to drive me down to the canvas exposing my derriere on an involuntary basis – there are children watching this show…Triple H needs to be taught a lesson.”

To teach Triple H that lesson, Mr. McMahon put The Game in a 5-on-1 Gauntlet Match against the entire Spirit Squad. The match started as a one-on-one match, but at Mr. McMahon’s call, another Squad member joined the match. Triple H held his own for a while, but when it became four on one, the Squad started to dismantle the King of Kings, just as The Chairman had wanted. Mr. McMahon instructed the Squad to place a chair around Triple H’s neck so they could injury him, much like they did with HBK’s knee. But when Mr. McMahon called for the fifth member of the squad, Mitch was thrown across the stage.

The Chairman looked on in bewilderment, but that feeling soon turned into rage as Shawn Michaels, who was thought to be out with a knee injury, came to Triple H’s aid. HBK and Triple H cleaned house of the Spirit Squad and punctuated it with Sweet Chin Music on Kenny and a Pedigree on Johnny. And then, for the icing on the cake, a reunited HBK and Triple H delivered a series of double crotch chops to the Chairman. Then Triple H added insult to injury when he pulled down his trunks and mooned Mr. McMahon. The rebel group that first terrorized any and all authority figures durring the Attitude era was back – D-Generation X was reunited.

Incensed at what occurred, Mr. McMahon, who was backstage with the Spirit Squad, declared that at Vengeance, the entire Squad would face Shawn Michaels and Triple H in a 5-on-2 Handicap Match, and DX would be gone once and for all. DX has never let anyone in a position of authority get the best of them before, but will this be a different story?

That wasn’t the only match announced for Vengeance, though. When Paul Heyman declared that Rob Van Dam was officially the WWE Champion and would be re-christening the gold as the ECW Championship, he also noted that ECW still recognizes Edge as the No. 1 Contender. So, at Vengeance, Rob Van Dam will defend his Championship against Edge.

There will also be a battle of legends at Vengeance. Mick Foley came to the ring to address his WWE fans to let them know that the old Mick Foley was back – the lovable, human muppet was back. But before Foley could get much further, he was interrupted by none other than the Nature Boy Ric Flair. And then, three years of pent up frustration completely boiled over.

“You standing up for WWE is crap. You’re a glorified stuntman,” said an enraged Flair. “For 10 years guys like the Nature Boy, Triple H, The Rock, Stone Cold, Undertaker and Kurt Angle have wrestled their way to greatness. And you know what bugs me? People come up to me and say that the coolest thing they ever saw was Mick Foley falling off the top of the cage and through the announce table at Hell in a Cell. That pissess me off. We have bled and wrestled our way to greatness. You just fall off a cage, and you’re great.”

Foley wasted no time in responding to the Nature Boy’s heated words.

“What pisses you off is that they (the fans) don’t care about you vs. Harley Race at the first Starrcade. They don’t care about you vs. Ricky Steamboat. They don’t even remember you vs. Terry Funk in the I Quit Match,” said Foley. “To WWE fans, to my WWE fans, you’ll never be in my same league. And you know more than anything else that you can’t do anything about it, because the glorified stuntman will rip you apart just like that.”

Flair promptly ripped off his jacket and dared Foley to take a shot at him, but Foley backed off. The Hardcore Legend said that due to blurry vision and sever lacerations from One Night Stand, he couldn’t do it on RAW. But he would do it at Vengeance. To make matters even more interesting, Vengeance will be in Flair’s hometown of Charlotte, N.C. And to try to rub it in, Foley wants to beat Flair at his own game.

“I won’t need thumb tacks, ladders or barbed wire. I’ll outwrestle you at Vengeance in your hometown of Charlotte,” said Foley. “And I’ll do it your way – in a 2 out of 3 Falls Match.”

Flair wasted no time in accepting, so the two legends will battle in an epic clash in less than two weeks.

The Intercontinental Championship will also be defended at Vengeance. Shelton Benjamin will have to defend the gold in a Triple Threat Match against Carlito and Johnny Nitro. Carlito went one on one against Nitro, and Benjamin was on hand to provide guest commentary. Benjamin said that it takes two men to even compete with him. The comment is interesting considering that Carlito recently defeated the Champion in a non-title match, but Benjamin blamed that on getting dust in his eye. Regardless, Benjamin interjected himself in the match on RAW and prevented Nitro from falling victim to the Back Cracker, helping him get the win. But Benjamin will have to be careful at Vengeance, because if Nitro can pin Carlito again, or vice versa, the Champion can lose the gold without even being involved in the decision.

A Vengeance challenge was also laid out. In a backstage interview with Todd Grisham, Randy Orton issued a challenge to ECW's Kurt Angle. Orton, who came back from a broken ankle at the hands of the Wrestling Machine, tapped out once again to Angle at One Night Stand. But after facing Angle on his home turf, Orton wants his nemesis in a WWE ring, with WWE rules. Will the Wrestling Machine accept the challenge?

RAW’s newest Superstar Randy Orton had the first match of the night, but it didn’t last long. He went one on one with Kane, and before long, the two Superstars battled up the ramp. Battering Orton with rights and lefts, Kane was relentless in his pursuit, resulting in a double count-out. After blocking an RKO on the stage, sending Orton down hard on the steel, Kane was once again confronted by the mysterious figure resembling the Kane of old. After a couple of thunderous punches, the unknown assailant sent Kane crashing off the stage. Who is continuing to terrorize Kane, and what is the reasoning?

Umaga also continued his reign of terror of RAW. One week after being blindsided by the Samoan Bulldozer, WWE Legend Hacksaw Jim Duggan had a one-on-one match against the undefeated Umaga. The brave Hacksaw was no match for the seemingly unstoppable Umaga. The Samoan Bulldozer even took Duggan’s trademark 2 x 4 and broke it over his head, showing no ill-effects. After the match, Umaga tied Eugene up in the ropes and made him watch his tutor, Hacksaw, endure even more punishment. Can anyone stop the Samoan Bulldozer?

Last week on RAW, Charlie Haas, amped up for his match against Nitro, ran full-throttle into the ring and sprang off the ropes. Unfortunately, he did not see ring announcer Lilian Garcia on the apron, and knocked her to the floor. Lilian suffered a strained and sprained wrist due to the incident. Haas came out and tried to apologize to Lilian, but before she could reply, Viscera came out. Lilian’s one-time boyfriend, who seems to be smitten with her once again, said that Lilian may accept Haas’ apology, but he didn’t. With that, Viscera decimated Haas and finished him off with a thunderous splash. Lilian just looked on with a confused look on her face. Are Lilian and Viscera back together?

It was also a night of firsts on RAW as there was the first-ever Wet and Wild Water Match between Torrie Wilson and Candice. Water guns, buckets of water and even water balloons could be used, and the winner of the match would be on the cover of the WWE Summer Special Magazine. In the end, after soaking each other with water, Torrie was able to take Candice down for the pin. After the match, Torrie celebrated by throwing some left-over balloons at Good Ol' J.R. at the announce booth.

Also, in a backstage interview with Todd Grisham, Mickie James noted that it seems pretty ironic that every time someone has an issue with her, they get hurt. Ashley called her psycho, and she ended up with a broken leg and is now on SmackDown. Trish Stratus tried to win back her Women’s Championship, and her shoulder popped out. And now Beth Phoenix has a broken jaw. Mickie also revealed that she has known Beth ever since grade school. She said that they were friends growing up, but then Beth just started to become mean. But what exactly happened between the two Divas to make them such bitter enemies?

And the Highlanders are on their way to RAW. A video highlighting the Scotland natives was revealed showing them walking the unfamiliar streets of New York. They were shocked to be in a place that had more people than sheep.

[Mini Man]

An Extreme Debut
By Brett Hoffman

On Tuesday night, Extreme Championship Wrestling made its long awaited return to national television. On the action packed world premiere, Rob Van Dam declared himself the new ECW World Heavyweight Champion, Paul Heyman was assaulted by John Cena, Sandman defeated a Zombie and Sabu won an Extreme Battle Royal and the right to face WWE's John Cena at Vengeance.

The highly anticipated world premiere of ECW on Sci Fi opened with the much talked about the presentation of the new ECW World Heavyweight Championship to Rob Van Dam. Instead of disposing of the WWE Championship as many expected him to do, Van Dam elected to hold on to the gold.

The special moment, however, did not last long. Edge, who will challenge Van Dam for the WWE Championship at Vengeance, interrupted the celebration. After a few kind words, which were later revealed to be a set up, Edge speared RVD, and attempted to escape through the crowd. Thinking he was in the clear, Edge stopped to taunt both RVD, and a stunned Paul Heyman. When Edge turned around, John Cena was waiting for him. The two former WWE Champions brawled back to the ringside area where RVD joined the fray. After a low blow to Van Dam, Edge again retreated through the crowd. With RVD disabled, Cena took advantage of the situation and delivered a knockout blow to Paul Heyman. With that, the ECW locker room emptied and Cena hightailed it through the crowd. Watch: Video

Following the assault, Paul Heyman addressed John Cena and the Sovereign Bank Arena crowd. “You want extreme? You wanna feel extreme? You wanna learn what extreme is all about? Tonight, everything I had planned for this show is out the window. I’m going to take 10 of ECW’s best and there going to go out to the ring for an extreme Battle Royal. All weapons are legal, the winner of the extreme Battle Royal is going to face John Cena at Vengeance, and just as important he is going to join ECW as we take the fight to Monday Night RAW.” Watch: Video

The Battle Royal, which included ECW veterans Tommy Dreamer, Sabu, Danny Doring, Roadkill, Al Snow, Stevie Richards, Tony Mamaluke, Little Guido, Big Guido, Balls Mahoney and ECW newcomer Big Show, lived up to it’s billing and more. Using an arsenal of weapons, which included a steel chair, trash can and a variety of street signs, the hardcore wrestlers put their bodies on the line in an attempt to make a statement on ECW’s historic re-debut. Big Show eliminated no fewer than a half dozen of his fellow ECW wrestlers, but in the end, it wasn’t enough as ECW legend Sabu used a chair to eliminate Big Show, and earn a trip to Vengeance where he will meet John Cena in a rematch of their meeting at WWE vs. ECW: Head to Head.

The inaugural match of ECW on Sci Fi may go down as the shortest match in ECW history. Living up to his moniker as the Hardcore Icon, Sandman made quick work of the mysterious character known only as the Zombie. With trademark beers and Singapore cane in hand, The Sandman brutally assaulted the Zombie and recorded a quick pinfall for the victory. Watch: Video

The new face of ECW, Kurt Angle, made his Sci Fi debut a memorable one. The Wrestling Machine dominated ECW veteran Justin Credible with an incredible display of aggressive shoot style wrestling, showing the Trenton, New Jersey fans what the new Kurt Angle is all about. After the match, Angle addressed RAW’s Randy Orton, who will be his opponent at Vengenace. “Orton, I’m going to do the same thing to you at Vengeance as I did to you at One Night Stand, which is to make you tap out. You’re looking at the new face of ECW.”

Also on the Sci-Fi premiere, viewers were introduced to the ‘Tease of the Week’, Kelly. The blonde bombshell revealed herself to be an exhibitionist, and performed an extreme dance for the fans the likes of which has never been seen on Sci-Fi before. Watch: Video

If you thought the world premiere was extreme, you haven’t seen anything yet. ECW is live every Tuesday at 10/9 CT and only on Sci Fi.
-------------------------------------
SMACKOWN SPOILERS

The Miz announced Rey Mysterio vs. Gregory Helms for tonight's show.

JBL came out in his limo and said he was the new voice of Smackdown, calling himself Mr. Ratings.

Rey Mysterio vs. Gregory Helms - Rey's shoulder was taped up. JBL threw his hat at Rey when they were on the floor. Rey pinned him after a springboard legdrop in a good back and forth match.

Booker T vs. Bobby Lashley - Finlay and Regal jump Lashley as he's coming to the ring. They triple team him. Gunnar Scott and Matt Hardy run out to protect him.

Backstage, Bobby Lashley told the trainer to get his injured knee ready because he's going to get his hands on Booker.

Ken Kennedy defeated Nick Berk.

They announced Great Khali vs. The Mexicools. Backstage, Psicosis told Super Crazy he had his back.

They aired a Sylvan video. His new gimmick is Ambassador of Quebec. It was designed to look like a vacation promotional video.

The Mexicools vs. Great Khali - After several minutes, Psicosis walked out on Crazy, leaving him to be pinned.

Miz interviewed Ashley for winning the bikini contest. She introduced the next match.

Matt Hardy & Gunnar Scott vs. Finlay & William Regal - Finlay pinned Scott after hitting him with the club. Good match. The Leprechaun attacked everyone after the match until Finlay tossed him back under the ring.

Backstage. Teddy Long told Booker T he's going to wrestle Lashley tonight.

They aired a Batista return video.

Michael Cole interviewed Chavo Guerrero. Cole said that Rey asked Chavo to come out of retirement and what was his response. Chavo didn't respond with a clear yes or no. Mark Henry came out. Henry said that its a shame he doesn't wrestle anymore because he'd show Chavo how he shortens and ends careers. He started insulting Rey. Chavo got in his face so Henry attacked him and laid him out.

Backstage, Michelle McCool started insulting Ashley. Ashley challenged her to a bikini showdown and McCool said she wouldn't do it in front of the New Jersey lowlifes. Ashley told her to stop acting like she was teaching class and find some class instead. McCool walked off.

Vito in a blue dress defeated Scott Wright via submission.

In the main event, Bobby Lashley pinned King Booker.

Credit: pwinsider.com
------------------------------

Sci Fi is ECW...and Jericho, too
By Louie Dee
June 14, 2006

The current ECW wrestlers invade Sci Fi Channel every Tuesday night, but another ECW alumnus will soon be seen on Sci Fi as well. Chris Jericho stars with Joseph Lawrence in Android Apocalypse, a Sci Fi Pictures Original Movie that premieres next Saturday, June 24 at 9 p.m. ET.

So what is Android Apocalypse about? “It’s sort of a modern day Defiant Ones, if you’re familiar with that,” Jericho said in a phone interview. “A guy kills an android and is put in jail, but there’s a wreck when he’s taken out to the prison planet. The prisoner and android then have to co-exist in order to survive. It was originally called 2 Human, but Android Apocalypse has much more of a sci-fi feel to it.”

Jericho plays TeeDee, who despite having a small presence is one of the story’s central characters. “TeeDee is the android that the prisoner kills to get everything going,” he said. “My part sets up the movie; my character’s demise is why the rest of the movie takes place. It’s a smaller part but it’s an integral role.”

Jericho auditioned for the role in Los Angeles, and the film was shot last summer in Saskatchewan. “It’s been about a year in post-production, which I think has to do with all the CGI effects and such.” Jericho then laughed, adding that “it’s been so long I’ve actually forgotten most of what I did. I just remember I had a great time doing it and I’m pretty excited to see what it will look like.”

While Jericho has years of experience performing live all around the world, he is excited about seeing his work on the small screen. “It was very cool to be involved with, and it was sort of a movie making boot camp,” Jericho laughed. “I did a lot of stunt work and there’s a lot of CGI involved, so it’ll be interesting to see how it comes out. (In one scene) I had to fire a machine gun at this crazy robot in the sky, which of course was just a red light I was shooting at. I’m really excited to see what the final product looks like.”


Sci Fi Channel is of course the home of the new ECW. Jericho, a former ECW Television Champion, is excited to see the rebirth of his old home. “It’ll be interesting to see how it works, there are a lot of variables,” he said. “You can’t rely totally on nostalgia, or else it’s just like a reunion tour. They have to keep it fresh and build up some new stars as well, but I think it can be good.”

Speaking of One Night Stand, Jericho says many people wondered why he wasn’t at the Hammerstein Ballroom this year. “A lot of people ask that; I get more questions about that than about not being at WrestleMania,” he said. “I wasn’t really that much of an ECW staple but I guess I was associated with ECW a lot more than I thought. It was the first place I made a name for myself, but it’s not like I was a staple like Tommy Dreamer or the Sandman.”

Still, Jericho feels the presence of his former profession. “I’ve got a movie on Sci Fi and two weeks before that debuts ECW starts up. I can’t get away from it,” he laughed. “It’s like if I turn a dark corner, (wrestling) is right there staring me in the face.”

Overall though, Jericho thinks the new ECW will succeed on Sci Fi. “The way those fans are, it would succeed on pretty much any channel it’s on,” he said. I think it would work whether it was on Sci Fi or the Oxygen network. Wrestling fans will follow it to wherever they can find it. Of course, if we find out that Sandman is really an alien that has plastic skin and eats rats or something, that might be too out of control,” he added with a laugh. “Or maybe Sabu is a Vulcan…actually, that might explain his inability to feel pain most of the time.”

From ECW to WWE to the stage and screen, Jericho has pretty much done it all. However, he did say that he’s happy where he’s at now for one big reason. “After years of being Chris Jericho, it’s nice to finally play a different role,” he said. “It’s the first time I get to see myself in those shoes, so I can’t wait to see how Chris Jericho does TeeDee the android that has no emotions. It’s a big step in my career.”

Jericho also said that another great part of the experience was working with the rest of the cast. “I got to work with Joseph Lawrence, who you might remember from Blossom. He’s been acting since he was a little kid, so that’s kind of cool,” he said. “I learned a lot, but I also taught them a thing or two when it came to the fight scenes because those come so natural to me.”

Fear not, fans; Jericho will be back on the live stage later this summer in Toronto (which you can read more about here). Until then though, be sure to check him out in Android Apocalypse on June 24…and while you’re watching Sci Fi Channel, stick around and take a look at ECW as well.

[Mini Man]

ALL CONTENT USED IS PROVIDED BY WWE.COM

Royal beating
By Ed Williams III
June 16, 2006


Is United States Champion Bobby Lashley indestructible?

That’s the question everyone was left with when Friday Night SmackDown went off the air. After defeating William Regal last week, General Manager Theodore Long granted Lashley with a match against his nemesis, King Booker. But early in the evening, it looked as if the match might not take place after all. King Booker and his court tried to take Lashley out before the match even happened. Regal, Finlay and King Booker all attacked the U.S. Champ as he made his entrance, with the King specifically targeting the knee. King Booker even ordered Finlay to strike Lashley's knee not once, but twice with the dreaded shillelagh! Luckily for Lashley, Matt Hardy and Gunner Scott, who would be facing Regal and Finlay later in the night, made the save before any further damage could be done. For the time being the match appeared to be called off, but Lashley would not go down so easily.

While Lashley was being tended to by medical officials, and they tried to tell him that there was no way he could go on with the match. Lashley, however, had other plans. He implored the medical officials to tape up his knee, because come hell or high water, he was going to go one on one against King Booker.

Lashley got his wish, but for a while it looked as though he made the wrong decision. King Booker methodically worked over Lashley’s injured knee. By taking out one of Lashley’s legs, King Booker was seemingly able to cut down on his foe’s immense power. But Lashley kept courageously fighting back. A lesser man would have thrown in the towel and lived to fight another day, but there is no quit in the young Lashley. His perseverance paid off, and he somehow maintained the strength and power to catch King Booker in a thunderous powerslam for the huge victory. Lashley was somehow able to persevere, and in the end, the so-called peasant was the one who reigned supreme. After being on such a high as the new King, how will King Booker react to being defeated by Lashley?

There was also a brand new color commentator on SmackDown this week – none other than JBL. After losing a match to Rey Mysterio and being forced to retire just weeks ago, Mr. SmackDown was back, but this time behind the announce booth. From listening to the first two hours of JBL on commentary, one thing is certain. Sports-entertainment has never had a more controversial color commentator. JBL has never been afraid to speak his mind in interviews while he was an active Superstar, and he is carrying that same attitude and way of thinking into his new job as an announcer. And he didn’t waste much time before stirring the pot.


The first match of the night was a Champion vs. Champion match in which World Champion Rey Mysterio faced Cruiserweight Champion in a non-title match. Mysterio was fresh off the heels of an all-out hardcore war from One Night Stand against Sabu. The match was so extreme, that it had to be stopped after Sabu DDT’d Rey through a table and neither man could continue. Helms took advantage of Rey’s weakened state and came up with several near falls. But just as he has done time and time again over the past couple of hellacious months, Rey Mysterio endured the punishment and was able to come up with a big win. During the match, color commentator JBL voiced his displeasure for Mysterio and even threw his hat at him, as he was still very bitter over being forced into retirement by the World Champion. Perhaps JBL’s antagonistic presence at ringside helped motivate Mysterio in his match.

Mysterio’s good friend Chavo Guerrero was also on SmackDown this week, but unfortunately for him, he didn’t have nearly as good a night as Rey. A poll was conducted all week long on WWE.com asking fans if they would like to see Chavo come out of retirement. Nearly 350,000 fans responded, and the results were quite conclusive. About 80 % of the fans voted that they would like to see Chavo step back into the ring, but Guerrero stood pat on his decision to remain retired. Before Chavo could finish his interview, though, he was interrupted by the World’s Strongest Man Mark Henry. Henry said that it was a shame that he was retired, because he’s been having a good time lately knocking Superstars out of action. He’s already put Batista and Chris Benoit on the shelf, and he claimed that the World Champion has been ducking him. Then, even though Chavo is retired, Henry brutally attacked Guerrero. He laid him out with a pair of World’s Strongest Slams and viciously rammed his back against the steel ring post. Can anyone stop Mark Henry?

After being run off by Gunner Scott and Matt Hardy earlier in the night, Regal and Finlay had a chance to get back at the duo in tag team action. Scott and Hardy worked well together as a team, but the members of King Booker’s court were too much for them to handle. With the referee distracted, Finlay used his shillelagh to knock out Scott for the victory. It also didn’t help that Hardy and Scott had to contend with Finlay’s Little Bastard. Not only did Little Bastard get involved during the match, but after the bell rang, he went on a rampage like a rabid pitbull. Little Bastard even got so caught up in the moment that he attacked Regal. After doing his damage, Finlay grabbed Little Bastard and threw him back under the ring.

Plus, one week after being destroyed by The Great Khali, Super Crazy was set to team up with his partner Psicosis to try and get revenge in a 2-on-1 Handicap Match. Last week, after seeing how destructive Khali was, Psicosis retreated, leaving his partner laying in the ring. But this week he promised to have Super Crazy’s back. Unfortunately for Super Crazy, Psicosis is not a man of his word. Psicosis tried to combat Khali early on, but after seeing that they were no match for the monster, Psicosis again retreated, leaving Super Crazy to fend for himself. What does this mean for the future of The Mexicools? And how can the monstrous Khali ever be stopped?

The toughest man ever to wear a dress, Vito, was also in action and picked up an impressive victory. SmackDown also had some exclusive footage of Vito working out in a nearby gym. Although Vito is finally comfortable being himself and proudly wearing women’s clothing, it was clear that the people at the gym were not.

And Mr. Kennedy was back in action as well. Kennedy picked up a second-straight win since returning from an injury, looking like he hasn’t missed a beat while sitting on the sidelines.

Also, the SmackDown fans were almost treated to a Bikini Contest for a second straight week. After Michelle McCool refused to show off her A+ body to the crowd last week, Ashley caught up to the Diva backstage this week and challenged her to an impromptu Bikini Contest to be judged by the Trenton, NJ fans. McCool once again refused, and Ashley told her that instead of talking about teaching a class, she should go out and get some class instead. Is it just a matter of time before this war of words gets physical between the Divas?

And a video was shown of Sylvan, who is now an ambassador of Quebec, trying to convince the fans to visit the province of Canada.

World Champion Rey Mysterio def. Cruiserweight Champion Gregory Helms (non-title)
Mr. Kennedy def. Nick Berk
The Great Khali def. Mexicools (Handicap Match)
Finlay & William Regal def. Matt Hardy & Gunner Scott
Vito def. Scott Wright
United States Champion Lashley def. King Booker
-------------------------------------
DX breaks it down
By Louie Dee
June 19, 2006


D-Generation X was back in the house in Rochester, and they certainly left their mark all over Monday Night RAW.

As the show began, Mr. McMahon made his way to the ring to address his plan for DX. As he left his office, however, he ran into a bunch of strange incidents. From a man who had a rooster (because he heard Mr. McMahon loves cocks) to a group of male strippers to a man delivering a penis-enlarger pump, the Chairman got it all. When he finally got to the ring, his speech was quickly cut off by Shane McMahon emerging from the back; when Shane told his father that sister Stephanie was in labor, the Chairman was so hell-bent on getting back at DX that he was hesitant to go. But after being coerced by Shane and cursing Stephanie for having bad timing, the boss left Jonathan Coachman in charge.

From there, things just broke down. The Spirit Squad came out to interrupt a match between Charlie Haas and Viscera that stemmed from Haas saying that Lilian had accepted his apology for injuring her over some “pillow talk.” Big Vis proceeded to destroy Haas, but the match never finished as the Squad ran in to attack both men and call out DX. Triple H and Shawn Michaels popped up on the TitanTron and said they’d come out when ready, but until then they had two words…look up. When the Squad did, a waterfall of green paint dropped on them, covering the World Tag Team Champions in liquid and embarrassing them.

DX then turned their focus to interim boss Jonathan Coachman. After apparently desecrating his office, DX came in to talk to Coachman. Of course, they mocked the poor Executive Assistant in the process, but soon seemed to change their tune. Coachman told them they needed to reconsider their “plan” for tonight, which seemed to bring HBK and The Game around. Instead, they put poor Coachman through the wall head-first and then pulled down his pants to expose a very thin thong. It was not a pretty sight for sure, so to spruce it up a bit, HBK and the Game spray-painted DX on his exposed derriere.

Finally, it came time for DX to head to the ring for their official reunion. In the back, the Spirit Squad tried to round up several RAW Superstars in the locker room to help them combat DX, and they seemed in agreement; unfortunately, seemed was the operative word.


DX came to the ring, and Triple H took the fans back by delivering his famous “Let’s get ready to suck it!” line. Michaels then confessed that he was a bad boy, saying that Stephanie being in labor was all a joke. He then asked Triple H what kind of man would get her pregnant anyway, to which the quick-witted Game replied “I don’t know, but he must be some kind of stud!”

HBK quickly changed the subject, shifting the focus to Vengeance. As he spoke though, the Spirit Squad’s music interrupted him…and out came five little men dressed as cheerleaders. DX shared a quick laugh and dispatched them, with The Game lauding Shawn for his handiwork. Triple H had his own idea of what cheerleaders should look like, bringing out four hot ladies to do a cheer. I REALLY have to start hanging out with those guys more…anyway, after the cheer, the ladies revealed the letters DX written on their bras. But just as The Game tried to get them to flash their goodies, the perennial wet blankets that are the World Tag Team Champions really did interrupt.

Out with them came a group of Superstars, from Umaga to Cade & Murdoch to Matt Striker. When they charged the ring, however, the backup bailed, leaving the Squad to fend for themselves. Poor Johnny and Mikey didn’t realize it, and once they got in the ring they were toast. After a brief scuffle, Triple H pounded Mikey into the mat with a Pedigree while Johnny got a little Sweet Chin Music. DX then brought back the little people, telling the Squad they had two words for them…which were suck it, of course, but instead of saying them, the little men mooned the Squad and had the words written on their butt cheeks.

From the first minute to the last minute, it was clear that D-Generation X ruled RAW once again like they did in the group’s heyday. They left their mark on RAW, but can they do the same to the Spirit Squad at Vengeance?

As for poor Coachman, DX wasn’t the only nuisance he ran into. Coachman found Paul Heyman in his office shortly after DX doused the Squad, and Heyman told the interim boss that he had a busload of ECW rebels in the parking lot ready to destroy RAW. Instead, Heyman negotiated with Coachman and got a match made for ECW on Sci Fi: Edge & Randy Orton vs. Rob Van Dam & Kurt Angle. He also managed to get a match between John Cena and Balls Mahoney made for RAW, and that’s where the hardcore group did their damage.

Cena naturally made short work of Balls, making him tap out to the STFU. But as Cena stalked Heyman, Sabu ran into the ring and tossed a chair at him. The crazed ECW star then slammed Cena into the announce table and set up a chair in the ring. With Cena prone, Sabu leaped and did a Triple Jump Legdrop onto the former WWE Champion, putting them both through the table. A bloodied Cena then had to be helped to the back as Sabu and Heyman ran out through the crowd.

That wasn’t ECW’s only appearance of the night. Edge took on Ric Flair later in the show, with Mick Foley doing commentary. In the end, Flair brought Lita into the ring, which distracted the referee; Foley jumped up on the apron and gave Flair a Mandible Claw, which led into Edge nailing a spear for the win. When it was over, however, WWE Champion Rob Van Dam ran into the ring and attacked Edge, nailing the No. 1 Contender with a Five-Star Frog Splash. Both RVD and Sabu left their Vengeance opponents beaten on RAW; will the same happen this Sunday night?

One RAW Superstar did have a response for ECW, however. After defeating Snitsky with the RKO, Randy Orton offered some words of wisdom about ECW and Vengeance. “Am I excited to go into an ECW ring tomorrow? No,” Orton said. “But as far as Angle goes, either tomorrow night or Sunday night Kurt Angle will find out that vengeance is mine.”

WWE.com Unlimited featured a couple of statements being made as well. In Striker’s Classroom, Matt Striker gave his review of ECW. However, all he did was chastise ECW for how they dress and what they do. Later, Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch came out to address the crowd and announce their intention to go for the World Tag Team Championship. Cade said they were mad because they got no respect, with Murdoch saying that when you make rednecks angry, bad things happen.

Speaking of red things, it was announced that Kane would face his “impostor” at Vengeance. In an interview with Jim Ross, the Big Red Monster said that he knew exactly who it was and why he was stalking him. However, Kane said that growing up, this person was more demented than even him, and when Jerry Lawler asked Kane if he was afraid, all he could say was “you just don’t understand.” After watching that, I can only wonder what frame of mind Kane will be in come Vengeance.

It was also announced that Umaga would face Eugene at Vengeance, and the Samoan Bulldozer gained momentum by destroying poor John McChesney. Hell, it could’ve been Kenny Chesney; the poor kid didn’t stand a chance from the opening bell. Estrada then tried to remind the crowd who he was, but as they chanted his name along with him, Armando stopped and dropped the microphone disgustedly.

Later, Maria was backstage with Eugene, who tried to give her an update on “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan. Realizing that was a nightmare waiting to happen, Rob Conway interrupted to make fun of Duggan. That made Eugene snap, and he clobbered poor Conway. After the scuffle Eugene looked worried, but then did a little dance before leaving.

In another Vengeance related matter, Johnny Nitro and Shelton Benjamin defeated Carlito in a Handicap Match. The match was made after Jonathan Coachman found Carlito laughing about DX, and despite the Caribbean Superstar’s efforts, Nitro stole the win with a roll-up and a handful of tights. Nitro and Benjamin argued during and after the match, and after Nitro left Benjamin in the ring, Carlito got a measure of revenge by nailing the Intercontinental Champion with a back cracker. These three men all meet at Vengeance for the gold, and it’s sure to be a volatile situation.

And speaking of volatile, Mickie James showed a little bit more of her psycho side. Mickie & Candice won a Bra & Panties Match over Torrie Wilson & Maria, with Mickie looking dominant. When Candice tried to celebrate with her, Mickie knocked her partner down and stripped her as well. She then went to ringside and stole Jim Ross’ hat, but as she went to leave, a fan heckled her. Mickie seemed to snap, pulling the fan to the barrier and pulling off her shirt before giggling and walking away. It appears as if Mickie is sicker than ever, and based on what’s happened to Ashley, Trish Stratus and Beth Phoenix, I’d watch out if I was around her.

Results
Mickie James & Candice def. Torrie Wilson & Maria (Bra and Panties Match)
Viscera vs. Charlie Haas (No Contest)
Umaga def. John McChesney
John Cena def. Balls Mahoney
Randy Orton def. Snitsky
Johnny Nitro & Intercontinental Champion Shelton Benjamin def. Carlito (Handicap Match)
Edge def. Ric Flair
-------------------------------------
Vengeance fallout
By Louie Dee
June 26, 2006


Monday night, RAW will be left to sort out the fallout from Vengeance when the Superstars head to Fayetteville, N.C.

At Vengeance, Edge has a chance to regain the WWE Championship from ECW’s Rob Van Dam. RVD re-christened the gold on the premiere of ECW on Sci Fi, but the Rated-R Superstar intends on restoring the tradition of the championship. Will the gold be back on RAW come Monday night?

Also at Vengeance, RAW’s Randy Orton and John Cena take on ECW’s Kurt Angle and Sabu, respectively. Can the Legend Killer and the former WWE Champion give RAW the bragging rights, or will they be taken to the extreme on Sunday?

DX was in full control of RAW last week, sending the McMahon men scurrying from the building at the thought of Stephanie McMahon being in labor. They must face the Spirit Squad at Vengeance, but they will also certainly have to face the wrath of an angry WWE Chairman. What will happen to the degenerates?

Find out all this and more on RAW, Monday night at 9/8 CT on USA Network.
-------------------------------------

[Mini Man]

Extreme Momentum
By Brett Hoffman
June 20, 2006


The sophomore edition of ECW on Sci Fi was nothing short of a major success for Team ECW. Rob Van Dam and Kurt Angle thrived in their debut as a tag team, and Sabu had an extreme warm up as all three men generated momentum for their huge matches this Sunday at Vengeance.

The ECW World Heavyweight Champion and the Wrestling Machine proved to be the unstoppable duo that everyone expected them to be when they dominated WWE representatives Randy Orton and Edge. The contest, which on paper would appear to be a classic confrontation between four of the wrestling world’s best turned into a chaotic brawl typical of what one can expect in an ECW ring. Van Dam, who was competing in his first match on ECW on Sci Fi, brought nothing less than his A-game. RVD used a variety of martial arts kicks, both from the mat, and the top turnbuckle in neutralizing his WWE opponents. At one point, Van Dam appeared to be ready to put the match away when he set up Orton for the Rolling Thunder, but interference from Lita sent RVD crashing over the top rope to the arena floor. Team WWE tried to take advantage, and Orton even hit a RKO on Angle, but on this night, in front of their loyal ECW fanbase, Van Dam and Angle were not going to be denied. The newly crowned Champion used his WWE Championship to block a spear attempt from Edge, and then capitalized by delivering a devastating 5-Star Frogsplash to give ECW the victory, and the advantage heading into Vengeance. (watch the video)

In the hours leading up to the show, the ECW locker room was on high alert for the appearance of a vengeful John Cena. Nobody in ECW doubted the former WWE Champion’s toughness, but after this night, many will doubt his sanity. After entering the building through the backdoor to a welcoming party consisting of no fewer than a half-dozen hardcore rebels, Cena made Paul Heyman and Sabu an offer that he will almost surely regret come Sunday. “That was a hell of a stunt you pulled last night. I’m sure that maniacal brain of yours has something extreme planned for me this Sunday, but I’m here because I have an offer. If you want me this Sunday, bring anybody you want. In fact, bring everyone you got. My offer for you at Vengeance, John Cena and Sabu in an Extreme Lumberjack Match. You see, I’m man enough to stare an ass kicking in the face, as long as I get the chance to go down swinging. Do we have a deal?” Moments later, Sabu accepted, and the match was finalized. (watch the video)

Prior to the shocking challenge, Sabu had his final hardcore warm up for the big Vengeance showdown. In singles action, ECW’s resident death-defying maniac took on the F.B.I.’s Tony Mamaluke, who was led to the ring by the Full Bodied Italian, Trinity. Mamaluke gave a spirited effort, but on this night, he was in the ring with a motivated and focused Sabu. As usual, the homicidal hardcore veteran turned up the violence. Sabu reached into his arsenal and pulled out a steel chair and a table en route to victory as he mounted his final push towards Vengeance. (watch the video)

Last week on the inaugural ECW on Sci Fi, Big Show made his presence felt in the first ever Extreme Battle Royal. This week, Tommy Dreamer showed the balls that earned him the adulation and respect of the ECW fanbase when he addressed the newest member of Extreme Championship Wrestling. “Last week in the battle royal, you were dominant. You got your very first taste of what it’s like to be hardcore, but if you wanna feel the heart and the passion of ECW, and if you wanna make a name for yourself here, then you have to go through me.” With that, the Innovator of Violence slapped the oversized ECW newcomer across the face, igniting a fuse in the Big Show which traditionally means the end of any adversary. Show proceeded to unleash a brutal assault on Dreamer including his newest maneuver, a modified cobra clutch backbreaker which left Tommy helpless as Big Show left the ring. (watch the video)

Also on last week’s show, Kelly, the enthusiastic 19 year-old exhibitionist, vowed to show the world all of her assets. On this week’s show, Kelly was back, promising once again to show the fans in attendance and the viewers watching on Sci Fi what being an exhibitionist was all about. Midway through her erotic and suggestive dance routine, an unknown male emerged and wrapped a towel around Kelly before escorting her off the stage. The identity of the man remains unknown at this time. (watch the video)

Earlier in the show, a character known only as Macho Libre made his way to the ring and tried to run down the ECW product. Seemingly on cue, The Sandman executed a repeat performance from the ECW on Sci Fi world premiere. Entering through the crowd, the beer drinking hardcore icon made quick work of Macho, using his trademark cane to decimate the unwanted outsider, in doing so, saving the ECW fans from any further insult.

With Vengeance in clear sight, Team ECW has seized all the momentum. This Sunday, the WWE Superstars might be on their home field, but they will be fighting an uphill battle when ECW’s hardcore rebels come to town.

ECW on Sci Fi Photos
-------------------------------------
Golden Friday
June 23, 2006


There will be two big championship matches when Friday Night SmackDown invades Albany, N.Y.

Since winning the World Championship at WrestleMania, Rey Mysterio has been on the ride of a lifetime. However, he must defend that championship this Friday night against a man he has never beaten: Mark Henry.

Last week, Henry laid out Rey's good friend Chavo Guerrero. After two World’s Strongest Slams, Henry crushed Chavo’s back against the steel ring post. Rey knows what the World's Strongest Man can do; is there any way he can walk out of Albany with the World Championship still around his waist?

The WWE Tag Team Championship will also be on the line when Paul London & Brian Kendrick defend their gold against the Mexicools. The challengers have scored two consecutive victories over London & Kendrick, but it seems as if Psicosis & Super Crazy aren't quite on the same page these days. Can they hold it together and earn their first WWE gold?

Plus, Bobby Lashley is apparently not satisfied with his win over King Booker last week; he demanded another match, and General Manager Theodore Long has granted the United States Champion his wish. Who will come out on top in a rematch of last week's hard-hitting main event?

Find out the answers to all these questions and much more this week on Friday Night SmackDown at 8/7 CT on UPN.


Find out when you can watch SmackDown in your area

The June 23 edition of Friday Night SmackDown will be preempted in the following areas. Below are times you can watch SmackDown:

New York: Sat. 6/24 at 8:00 p.m.
Los Angeles: Sat. 6/24 at Midnight
Sacramento: Fri. 6/23 at 10:00 p.m.
Hartford: Sat. 6/24 at 8:00 p.m.
Syracuse: Sat. 6/24 at 8:00 p.m.
Reno: Fri. 6/23 at 10:00 p.m.
Chico: Sat. 6/24 at 8:00 p.m.
Utica: Fri. 6/23 at 10:00 p.m.
Eureka: Sat. 6/24 at 8:00 p.m.
-------------------------------------
Report in Full Below


LIVE SD! *SPOILER*

Ryan Clark will be calling in live updates from the SmackDown! tapings in Albany, New York.
courtesy of www.prowrestlingscoops.com



There is no set up for ECW yet, which is live on Sci-Fi in the same building following this SmackDown! taping.

Matt Hardy def. Sylvester Terkay

Matt Hardy wins with a roll up. This was a dark match, we believe.

JBL is on his way now down to the ring with a piece of paper. He takes his seat at the announce table.

Michael Cole is now on his way to the announcing table.

Tony Chimel is in the ring. He tells the fans they're about to do the opening video thing followed by pyro, and informs them to go nuts for the TV cameras.

SD! opener plays, recap of last week with Bobby Lashley and Batista.

Pyro explodes in the arena, crowd does their thing for the TV opening for SmackDown!

The Miz is in the ring and says tonight on SmackDown!, Teddy Long orders a rematch between Bobby Lashley and Booker T from last week. Also on SD! tonight, a World title match between champion Rey Mysterio and Mark Henry.

In the ring now is Paul London and Brian "Spanky" Kendrick against The Mexicools for the SmackDown! opening match. London accidentally kicks Kendrick, it got countered though and London gets the pin with a roll-up to remain tag-champs. After the match, Super Crazy got mad and turned on Psciosis, beating him up. He's probably headed off to ECW. Apparently a real good 10-minute opening match.

Simon Dean against Tatanka is up next. During the match, The Great Khali's music hit and he comes to the ring and clears house. Afterwards, he took his hands put them over his stomach while sticking his tongue out and roaring.

Fit Finlay and Gunner Scott is the next match. Another decent length match, pretty long. Finlay's midget came out with a magic wand. He tried attacking Scott, and Scott pushed him down lifted the apron cover around the ring and kicked him under the ring. Finlay hit Scott with the wand and got the 1-2-3. After the match, the midget tried coming out from under the ring and Finlay kicked him back under it.

Now we've got a backstage interview with Chavo Guerrero. Guerrero is talking about Mark Henry and how dominate he can be. Highlights are shown of Mark Henry attacking Chavo Guerrero last week. Back to the interview, Chavo is asked why as a retired wrestler is Mark Henry attacking him. They ask if it will be the end of Mysterio tonight, and Chavo said no way he'll win. He knows he's not the only Guerrero that thinks Mysterio will win.

Backstage interview with Mark Henry. Henry doesn't care how many Guerrero's support Mysterio. Those fools don't understand what it's like to walk in the footsteps of Mark Henry. They don't know what it's like the pressure being the world's most strongest man. Henry asks interviewer if she's ever heard ribs break before. He says he has, and he's felt the human body become a sack of jelly. Tonight he's going to take out Mysterio and he doesn't care what the Guerrero's think. He says Chris Benoit felt it, Kurt Angle felt it, last week Chavo Guerrero felt it, and tonight Mysterio will feel it - cracked ribs. The two battle for the World title later tonight.

William Regal is out at the entrance ramp. He introduces the audience to "King Booker" (Booker T). Booker T does a big drawn out entrance. Regal is trying to get the crowd to chant "All Hail Booker!" They had a red chair set up in the middle of the ring for Booker T. After a big long build up for him, he sits in the chair. Bobby Lashley's music hits and their rematch from last week is underway.

Match goes back and forth. Fit Finlay came out to ringside, messing with Lashley. End of the match came when Finlay entered the ring while Regal distracted the ref. Finlay tried using a chair on Lashley, Lashley stole the chair and blasted Regal with the chair. The referee turned around and called a DQ. Booker T wins the match. Lashley then laid everyone out with a chair.

Next match was Funaki and Mr. Kennedy. Mr. Kennedy was doing his usual stuff on the mic. Kennedy beat him with his finisher for the 1-2-3.

Ryan Clark wants me to make note of beer prices being $5 a cup. So he's getting drunk and broke at the same time. He says the show has been a good wrestling show without much vignettes and promos.

The RAW rebound airs.

Backstage we're with Booker T and Sharmell. Booker claims he's never going in the ring with Bobby Lashley again. He said he's already beaten him enough. Teddy Long comes in and informs Booker that he'll be facing Bobby Lashley again next week on SmackDown! in a steel cage match.

Mark Henry and Rey Mysterio are shown backstage making their walks to the ring for their World title main event, which is up next.

The match went pretty long, back and forth. At the end Chavo Guerrero pulled the fake chair shot routine used a lot by the late Eddie Guerrero. Rey Mysterio wins via DQ to retain the World title.

That concludes the SmackDown! tapings for this week. Check out the show this Friday.

[Mini Man]

Family tradition
By Louie Dee
June 23, 2006


A helping hand never hurts, and for Rey Mysterio, a little help from Chavo Guerrero and his family playbook helped Rey retain the World Championship on SmackDown.

In the main event, Mysterio put his gold on the line against a man he has never beaten: the World’s Strongest Man, Mark Henry. The last time they were in the ring together, the massive Henry destroyed Rey in a match he was goaded into by JBL. It seemed fitting that JBL was at ringside filling his new duty as color commentator, but in the end, it wasn’t quite the ending he wanted to see.

Earlier in the night, Chavo told Michael Cole that he knew Rey had his work cut out for him but that he had confidence that Rey would win…and that he wasn’t the only Guerrero who thought so. Throughout the match though, it looked like Chavo would have to eat his words. Henry dominated the World Champion, tossing him around almost at will and methodically pounding him down.

Late in the match, Henry pulled a turnbuckle pad off the corner. When referee Nick Patrick attempted to fix it, the World’s Strongest Man threw Mysterio into him to knock him unconscious. But as Henry then scooped Rey up to finish him of with the World’s Strongest Slam, Chavo ran to the ring with a chair to back up his words.

Henry shrugged off Chavo’s blow with the chair, but the distraction allowed Rey to nail Henry with a chair-assisted 619. Somehow, Henry was still able to catch Rey’s Seated Senton attempt, but Chavo clipped his knee out from under him. Seeing the referee recovering, Chavo bashed the chair against the ringpost and tossed it onto Henry, telling Rey to act as if he was hit. Chavo stole an old trick out of his late uncle Eddie Guerrero’s playbook, and it worked well for Eddie’s nephew and best friend on this occasion.


When Patrick stood up, he saw Henry with the chair and Rey on the mat; putting two and two together, Patrick disqualified the World’s Strongest Man. Chavo and Rey celebrated in the entrance aisle as an irate Henry bent the chair and stared them down; unfortunately, the show of strength was too little, too late for him as the champion had already lied, cheated and stolen his way to his first-ever victory over Henry.

It was another bad night for King Booker as well. Once again matched up against United States Champion Bobby Lashley, the King focused his attack on the still-injured left knee of the champion. Somehow, the hard-hitting Lashley kept finding the strength to come back from Booker’s methodical attack; in the end, however, the odds caused Lashley to snap.

First, William Regal got involved by nailing Lashley with a cheap shot. Finlay then also made his presence known, but the champion was able to fight off his attack. As Regal distracted the referee, Queen Sharmell gave her King a chair; Lashley was able to avoid his swing, grabbing the chair in the process. Regal then ran into the ring, but was met by a hard shot from Lashley. The champion then nailed King Booker as well to draw a disqualification, but he seemingly had no choice. Against what was basically a 4-on-1 attack, Lashley did what he had to do to protect himself.

He won’t have to worry about that next week, thanks to General Manager Theodore Long. While King Booker complained that he never wanted to step foot in the ring with “that peasant Lashley” again, Long gave an edict that the King disapproved of. Next week, the King and the United States Champion will meet one more time…inside a Steel Cage.

Earlier on SmackDown, Finlay was in a match of his own, coming out victorious over Gunner Scott. Prior to the match, Little Bastard made his presence known by throwing beer cans out from under the ring during Finlay’s entrance. And after a hard-hitting match, it was the little man who helped Finlay to victory as well.

The fighting Irishman went to look for the Little Bastard late in the match, but he ran into the ring from the other side carrying a large shillelagh instead. Not wanting to get disqualified, Finlay tackled him to prevent him from hitting Scott. As the referee dispatched of Little Bastard and the large shillelagh, Finlay grabbed a shillelagh of his own; just like he had the previous week, Finlay clocked Scott in the head with it and scored the pinfall.

SmackDown also saw the apparent implosion of the Mexicools. The duo had a chance to face Paul London & Brian Kendrick for the WWE Tag Team Championship, but they couldn’t seem to get on the same page at any point in the bout. The champions kept Psicosis isolated for most of the match, but when he was finally able to tag Super Crazy it looked like the challengers would take the gold home.

Instead, it was the beginning of the end. As Crazy climbed the ropes to attempt a moonsault on Kendrick, Psicosis made a blind tag. He then climbed the opposite corner, but when he missed a somersault legdrop Kendrick was able to cover him for the winning pinfall. Psicosis and Super Crazy then argued, with Crazy attacking his partner. For the past two weeks, Psicosis had abandoned Crazy as The Great Khali manhandled him, and after his actions on SmackDown it appears that Crazy has finally had enough. Have we seen the end of their partnership?

Speaking of The Great Khali, he made his presence felt as well. During a match pitting Tatanka against Simon Dean, it looked like the Native American Warrior was about to claim victory when Khali and Daivari made their entrance. The massive Khali quickly dispatched of Tatanka before dropping Simon with a devastating choke throw. With Dean down, Khali did the unthinkable; mocking Undertaker’s signature pinfall, Khali crossed the fitness guru’s arms across his chest and stuck out his tongue. The crowd firmly disapproved of the act, and wherever he may be I’m sure the Deadman did as well…but will he ever show his face again to do something about it?

Also on SmackDown, Mr. Kennedy…Kennedy also continued the roll he’s been on since returning to SmackDown by defeating Funaki. Thanks to the move Kennedy calls the Ken-ton Bomb, SmackDown’s No. 1 Announcer became just the latest victim of the man who is single-handedly changing Friday nights.

Vito also tried to invite SmackDown Diva Ashley to dinner, but it seemed as if Ashley thought the Sicilian may live another kind of alternative lifestyle. After denying that, the toughest man to ever wear a dress instead asked the drop-dead gorgeous Diva for some fashion and beauty tips.

In addition, Ambassador Sylvan once again tried to convince the great SmackDown fans to visit his home province of Quebec. As much as Sylvan may have been disliked in the past, I have to agree with his message, because in my opinion Montreal is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Where else can you blow your paycheck at numerous gentlemen’s clubs and blackjack tables and then drown your sorrows in a delicious plate of French fries and gravy? Oh yeah, Las Vegas. Sorry Sylvan, I’m staying in the States.

And of course, we’re now less than two weeks away from the return of Batista, as the Animal will comes back to SmackDown on July 7 in Philadelphia. I’m glad I’ll be there, because after six months on the shelf you know the Animal will be amped up and ready to go in Philly.

RESULTS
WWE Tag Team Champions Paul London & Brian Kendrick def. The Mexicools
Tatanka vs. Simon Dean (No Contest)
Finlay def. Gunner Scott
King Booker def. United States Champion Bobby Lashley (DQ)
Mr. Kennedy def. Funaki
World Champion Rey Mysterio def. Mark Henry (DQ)
---------------------------
Rage in a cage
By Louie Dee
June 30, 2006


The Blue Ridge Mountains better prepare for some rage in the cage when Friday Night SmackDown rolls into Roanoke, Va.

Since colliding in the King of the Ring tournament last month, Bobby Lashley and King Booker have been at each other’s throats. Over the past six weeks they have clashed four times, with each man winning twice. Last week, it was Booker who was victorious by disqualification when Lashley was forced to use a chair to fend off a 3-on-1 attack.

Every time Lashley and Booker have met, the King’s Court (Queen Sharmell, William Regal & Finlay) have gotten involved in some way. In Roanoke, however, that won’t be a problem, as General Manager Theodore Long has ordered that the United States Champion and the King hook it up inside a Steel Cage. With the unforgiving steel keeping Booker’s backup at bay, will Lashley finally vanquish his royal pain once and for all?

Also last week, The Great Khali continued to destroy everything in his path by wiping out both Tatanka and Simon Dean. He went on to cross Dean’s arms over his chest and mock Undertaker’s signature taunt, surely infuriated the missing Deadman. Will Khali claim more victims this week?

Find out all this and more Friday night at 8/7 CT on UPN.
---------------------------

[Mini Man]

WWE $250 000 DIVA SEARCH

www.wwe.com/content/media/touts/217504/217516/2963614 J.T. Tinney Phoenix, Arizona

www.wwe.com/content/media/touts/217504/217516/2963622 Rebecca DiPietro Providence, Rhode Island

www.wwe.com/content/media/touts/217504/217516/2963630 Jennifer Walcott Youngstown, Ohio

www.wwe.com/content/media/touts/217504/217516/2963598 Milena Roucka Vancouver, British Columbia

www.wwe.com/content/media/touts/217504/217516/2963606 Jen England Lansing, Michigan

www.wwe.com/content/media/touts/217504/217516/2963550 Layla El Miami, Florida

www.wwe.com/content/media/touts/217504/217516/2963566 Amy Zidian Orlando, Florida

www.wwe.com/content/media/touts/217504/217516/2963582 Maryse Ouellet New Brunswick, Canada

sorry i can't get the images i guess wwe.com doesn't like hotlinking. the URLs are links to the images. for more info go to www.wwe.com

[Mini Man]

It happens
By Louie Dee
June 26, 2006


There’s an old expression that says…well, “S**t Happens.” On RAW, it happened alright; thanks to DX, it happened all over Mr. McMahon, his son Shane and the Spirit Squad.

DX were scheduled to take on Shane & Mr. McMahon, and before the match the McMahon men said that they would “beat the crap” out of DX. However, the match never even took place; and as for DX’s crap, well, it ended up all over the Chairman and his associates.

When the match was set to begin, Mr. McMahon’s music hit; but instead of the Chairman, Triple H came out dressed as such. The Game cleared up any rumors about Mr. McMahon, insinuating that he didn’t like cocks, but in fact it was Dicks. You know, Dick Ebersol, Dick Cheney, Dick Clark and the like. When he threatened to fire anyone who got between him and his Dicks, HBK came out to Shane-o-Mac’s music; Michaels was even dressed like the younger McMahon, complete with Shane-o-Mac jersey.

The “product of Mr. McMahon’s semen” showcased his dancing skills, which brought The Game to put a halt to the proceedings. Having to top HBK, The Game rolled a clip on the TitanTron of Mr. McMahon singing “Stand Back” at the 1987 Slammy Awards! The degenerates danced to the classic tune until finally the Chairman’s music hit once again.

As the McMahons threatened DX with baseball bats, they introduced the “observers” who would watch the match. Of course, it was the Spirit Squad. But as Mr. McMahon told DX what was in store for them, he noticed a Porta-Potty sitting on the stage. When the poor WWE Chairman inquired what it was for, Triple H told him that it was there because he was full of crap.


And then the heavens opened. In a scene that would make even the worst offenders cringe, the McMahons and the Spirit Squad were covered in crap! Yes, actual human waste. If you thought the green paint last week was bad, well, go find one of the McMahons and tell him that. DX was left standing tall, once again getting the best of Mr. McMahon and his band of henchmen.

Moving onto less messy matters, the WWE Championship was on the line in the main event of RAW when Rob Van Dam defended his gold against John Cena. The match was made last night at Vengeance, and earlier in the night on RAW, Edge expressed his displeasure about Cena’s opportunity to regain the gold.

Interrupting Torrie Wilson’s WWE Summer Special Magazine cover unveiling, Edge said he was the MVP on RAW, and that he was the one who should be on magazine covers and receiving WWE Championship opportunities. Since he couldn’t get what he wanted however, he decided that he would “get the hell off of RAW.” Edge & Lita then left through the crowd and exited the arena, leaving behind the “joke” that was RAW. Unfortunately, the joke would end up being on Cena and Van Dam later in the night.

Cena and Van Dam threw everything they had at each other, and late in the match it looked like RVD was ready to put the challenger away. However, Cena rolled away from a Five Star Frog Splash attempt, and after blocking Rolling Thunder by using his knees, Cena looked poised to reclaim the gold. He nailed RVD with an FU and locked him in the STFU, but just as the champion looked to tap out, Edge ran in and attacked both men. After nailing Cena with the Edgecution DDT and spearing RVD, the Rated-R Superstar told the WWE Champion that he would “see him tomorrow night.” If what Edge meant what I think he did, that means that the Rated-R Superstar will be showing up on ECW on Sci Fi to confront the champion.

Speaking of champions, the Women’s Championship was on the line on RAW as well. In her first match back after missing two months with a shoulder injury, Trish Stratus challenged Mickie James for the gold. Trish fought valiantly, but unfortunately couldn’t get the job done, as Mickie nailed her with a DDT to get the pinfall and retain the gold.

After the match, however, Melina led new Intercontinental Champion Johnny Nitro to the ring. Melina told Trish that while the six-time Women’s Champion may have been the top WWE Diva at one point, that title now belonged to her. This enraged Trish, who attacked Melina. Unfortunately, Nitro grabbed Trish and it looked like a two-on-one attack would occur until Carlito ran out from the back to help Trish by running them off.

Later, Trish caught up to Carlito in the back and thanked him, but Carlito went off on a rant about Nitro stealing his victory at Vengeance. When he finally realized what was happening, however, Carlito told Trish it was no problem. A smiling Trish then referenced Carlito’s “Do You Spit or Swallow?” shirt and whispered something in his ear. Carlito’s response? “Now THAT’S cool!” Now, I don’t know what she said, but if my assumption is correct, I may have to get me one of those T-shirts.

The saga between Kane and his impostor also continued on RAW. The Big Red Monster took on Randy Orton, and as it looked like he was going to finish off the Legend Killer, the impostor made his way to the ring. Kane tried to attack both of them, but unfortunately fell victim to an RKO that gave Orton the victory.

After the match, impostor Kane tried to attack, but the Big Red Monster. He basically destroyed the doppelganger, giving him two chokeslams in the ring before the impostor ran away. After one more chokeslam on the stage, Kane dragged the impostor through the backstage area. As they reached a back door, the Big Red Monster ripped off the impostor’s mask, saying “I believe that this is mine!” Kane then threw him out the door, but not before it was revealed that the impostor was bald like the Big Red Monster.

Also, the Charlie Haas/Viscera/Lilian Garcia love triangle continued to simmer, which worked out in the favor of Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch. As Viscera & Val Venis took on Cade & Murdoch, Haas made his way to ringside and began to talk to Lilian. Lilian seemed disgusted, but the worst was yet to come. As Viscera was dominating in the ring, Haas began to rub her shoulders before finally kissing her. That distracted Vis long enough for the former World Tag Team Champions to do a little high/low action on big man. They nailed their old Sweet and Sour signature move to get the pinfall, and an angry Vis was left in the ring to stew about the whole situation. This also happened to be Val’s first match on RAW since injuring his elbow nearly three months ago; as you can tell it was a tough night for the returnees.

Ric Flair also made an appearance on RAW, appearing via satellite from his home in Charlotte. His specific point of interest was Mick Foley, and Flair lambasted the Hardcore Legend for his actions at Vengeance.

“Last night, you proved that everything in my book is true,” Flair screamed. “You’re a glorified stuntman who takes the easy way out.”

Later, Flair added that Foley “knows nothing about wrestling,” and that “the next time I see you, the glorified stuntman will be mine all night long. WHOO!”

And in one other toilet humor moment, another video showcasing the Highlanders was seen on RAW. Rory McAllister and his cousin Robbie were in a bathroom this time, and the Scottish pair was mesmerized by a urinal. You can pretty much guess what happened next, but to make a long story short, the Highlanders will make their debut next week on RAW. If they’re as entertaining in the ring as they have been in their preview videos, then you can count me in as the first man aboard their bandwagon.

RESULTS
Women's Champion Mickie James def. Trish Stratus
Umaga def. Kamala
Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch def. Val Venis & Viscera
Randy Orton def. Kane
WWE Champion Rob Van Dam vs. John Cena (No Contest)

------------------------------------
A powder keg waiting to explode
By Louie Dee
July 3, 2006


Monday Night RAW is sure to see plenty of fireworks when it rolls into Philadelphia just one day before America’s Independence Day.

In recent weeks, D-Generation X has done nothing but humiliate WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon. In their latest stunt, DX dropped a load of crap onto the Chairman…literally. When last seen, the Chairman, his son Shane and the Spirit Squad were covered in human waste on the RAW entrance stage.

Anyone who knows the McMahons knows that they will be fuming about this latest incident. But what exactly will the Chairman have to say about getting dumped on?

Last week, John Cena looked to have the WWE Championship won before Edge ran in and broke up his STFU on Rob Van Dam. The Rated-R Superstar then laid out both Cena and Van Dam and told the WWE Champion that he would “see him tomorrow,” meaning that Edge would be invading ECW on Sci Fi. What will become of the Rated-R Superstar’s latest venture into ECW…and will Cena have anything to do with it?

Philadelphia was also the home base for ECW itself during the promotion’s first existence…so you know that if something does happen on Sci Fi, the ECW Extremists will be more than happy to make an appearance on their sacred soil.

Plus, the Highlanders will be making their RAW debut this week. With Rory & Robbie McAllister being newcomers to America, there’s no better place to make their debut than in the cradle of Liberty itself, Philadelphia. It’s sure to be a debut you won’t want to miss.

Tune into the USA network Monday night at 9/8 CT to see the fireworks explode.
------------------------------

[Mini Man]

Spear Two
By Brett Hoffman
June 27, 2006


This week on Sci Fi, WWE and ECW World Heavyweight Champion Rob Van Dam defeated the Wrestling Machine, Sandman beat up an obese male stripper, and Big Show manhandled Tommy Dreamer…again.

Tuesday afternoon, it was announced that the Rob Van Dam vs. Kurt Angle match would carry a special stipulation. If Angle won, he would be inserted into the Championship match at July 15’s Saturday Night’s Main Event, turning the Triple Threat into a Fatal Four-Way. Tuesday night, Angle told the ECW fans what being a Champion meant to him.

“What you don’t know, is that every day since April 2nd has been a failure to me. Because, April 2nd was the last day I held a Championship”. The Olympic hero continued. “Inside, I hate myself because I am a Champion. I am the greatest Champion this business has ever seen. Tonight, I’m going to put Rob Van Dam in such agonizing pain that he’s going to wish he could go back in time and choose a different line of work. When your name is Kurt Angle, failure is not an option.”

For Kurt Angle, failure might not have been an option, but on Tuesday night, it was a reality. The Wrestling Machine gave a first-class performance, but the reigning WWE and ECW Champion was up for the challenge.

Angle owned the early portion of the match, using his vast arsenal of mat-wrestling techniques to ground the high-flying Van Dam. RVD eventually fought back, using a variety of trademark martial arts kicks to gain the advantage. However, Angle had Van Dam well scouted because when RVD went for his signature Rolling Thunder, the Wrestling Machine was ready and countered it into the Ankle Lock.


Somehow, Van Dam fought his way to the ropes and escaped the Ankle Lock, earning himself a second chance in the match. RVD took advantage of his new lease on life, countering an Angle Slam attempt into a spike DDT, and then sealing the deal with the Five-Star Frogsplash.

After the match, Van Dam was attacked again by Edge, who delivered on his promise to show up at Sci Fi when he arrived with Lita prior to the main event and claimed two seats in the Roanoke Civic Center’s front row. Edge, who along with John Cena will challenge Van Dam for the WWE Championship at July 15’s Saturday Night Main Event, speared RVD for the second straight night, sending a message to the ECW fan-favorite.

Last week on Sci Fi, Tommy Dreamer told Big Show that if he wanted to prove himself in ECW, he’d have to go through the Innovator of Violence. Show ended up giving Dreamer the beating of a lifetime. As Big Show left the ring, Dreamer was seen pulling himself to his feet, seemingly asking for more punishment. (watch last week's video)

This week, Dreamer proved to have the biggest balls in all of ECW, or sports-entertainment for that matter when he called out Big Show again. The strategy might have been different this week, but the result was the same as Big Show again laid waste to the former ECW World Heavyweight Champion.

Tonight’s episode of ECW on Sci Fi opened with a bang. A frustrated and battered Sabu took on former ECW World Tag Team Champion Roadkill in Extreme Rules singles action. Early on, the death-defying maniac showed signs of fatigue after his loss to John Cena at Vengeance.

Roadkill controlled the action with a series of power moves, and even mixed in a springboard like splash from the second turnbuckle. Eventually though, Sabu came to his senses and regained control. Using his two favorite weapons, a chair and a table, Sabu took the advantage. The hardcore legend drove the Angry Amish Warrior through a table with an Arabian Facebuster, incapaciting his oversized opponent long enough to lock in the Camel Clutch and record the victory. (watch the video)

Last week, ECW Vixen Kelly was interrupted in the middle of her expose by an unknown man who covered her assets with a towel. This week, it was learned that the man with the towel was actually her boyfriend, Mike Knox. The young exhibitionist accompanied Knox to the ring for his match against Danny Doring, but became distracted when fans repeatedly asked her to show them the goods. After the match, which Knox won in impressive fashion, Kelly took to the stage. Unfortunately for the rabid ECW fans in attendance, Knox again threw in the towel and removed the Vixen from the stage.
(watch Mike Knox beat Danny Doring) (watch Kelly Dance)
--------------------------------------
The hardcore road to Vengeance continues
June 20, 2006


Tonight on Sci Fi, the world will get to see an inter-promotional tag team dream match that could only happen in ECW. WWE and ECW World Heavyweight Champion Rob Van Dam will team up with the Wrestling Machine Kurt Angle to take on the WWE’s Randy Orton and the Rated-R Superstar Edge.

The tag match, which was agreed to by Executive Assistant Jonathan Coachman on RAW, was a product of the cunning mind of ECW’s Paul Heyman. With RAW in shambles, Heyman seized the opportunity to take advantage of a young and inexperienced Coachman. “Jonathan, I realize you’re having a really rough evening. Surely you realize I’m not here alone. In your parking lot I have a bus load of my ECW rebels, ready to tear Monday Night RAW apart if I give the word. We could have a full scale invasion of RAW. I want to negotiate... Tomorrow night on Sci Fi, I’m envisioning an inter-promotional dream tag team match. Edge, with Lita, will team up with the Legend Killer Randy Orton, and on the other side, I see ECW’s Olympic Champion Kurt Angle, teaming up with ECW World Heavyweight Champion, Rob Van Dam.” Fearing the ramifications of upsetting Heyman, Coachman relented. The master manipulator known as Paul Heyman had done it again.

ECW.com caught up with an anxious RVD just moments after RAW to get his thoughts on tonight’s pending dream match. “Obviously since this is my first match on ECW TV, I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to give me a chance to feel edge out, and vice versa. Of course, I expect to come out on top with the ECW fans supporting RVD all the way.”

Later on RAW, ECW’s hardcore legend Sabu delivered a brutal, ruthless attack on WWE’s John Cena. The death-defying maniac rushed to the ring after Cena’s match against Balls Mahoney, and once again introduced the former WWE Champion to the world of hardcore. A chair shot and a Triple Jump Legdrop through the announce table later, Cena lay bloodied and unconscious on the arena floor. Tonight on Sci Fi, the ECW locker room will be on high alert. A week after delivering on his promise to crash ECW’s premiere, you have to wonder if an angry, revenge-seeking “Doctor of Thuganomics” will pursue a repeat performance.

Last week, ECW on Sci Fi was Tuesday’s No. 1 rated cable television program. What will happen tonight when Rob Van Dam shares a ring with his Vengeance challenger, Edge, five days before they do battle for RVD’s WWE Championship? What will happen when the Wrestling Machine gets his chance to soften up the cocky Legend Killer just days before their monumental pay-per-view rematch? Will John Cena show up on Sci Fi seeking revenge for Sabu’s brutal attack? The only thing that’s certain is that when the new breed is unleashed, the unpredictable can and will happen. See for yourself at 10/9 CT, live and only on Sci Fi.

In the evening’s most troubling moment, a chunky and overly plump male stripper who was described by Joey Styles as “corpulent”, made his way to the ring and delivered the night’s second revealing dance. The rotund adult entertainer’s dance was interrupted by ECW’s Hardore Icon, Sandman. The beer guzzling five-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion was not amused by the fat man’s dance. Accordingly, the Sandman caned the holy hell out of the flabby showman.
------------------------------

[Mini Man]

SMACKDOWN SPOILERS

Dark Match:

*Funaki defeated Eric Perez.

Smackdown:

*Mark Henry comes to the ring and claimed he was robbed last week. Chavo Guerrero comes out on the ramp and they go back and forth. Chavo hits the ring and Henry splashes him. He goes to splash Guerrero a second time but WWE World champion Rey Mysterio hits the ring, but Henry overpowers them both and leaves them laying.

*WWE Cruiserweight champion Gregory Helms defeated Super Crazy, DQ. Psicosis hit the ring and got Crazy DQ'd. Crazy and Psicosis brawl with Crazy getting the better of it.

*There was a backstage segment with Booker T, Sharmell, and Teddy Long discussing the Steel Cage Match later tonight.

*The Pitbulls defeated ?.

*They did a backstage segment with Bobby Lashley and WWE Hall of Famer Tony Atlas discussing the Cage Match.

*Finlay defeated Matt Hardy after throwing Hardy into an exposed turnbuckle.

*Ken Kennedy defeated Gunner Scott. The Great Khali hits the ring and chokeslams Scott. Khali challenges Undertaker at the Great American Bash.

*Mike Mizanin hyped the Steel Cage Match.

*Vito pinned Simon Dean.

*Backstage, Booker T and Sharmell were talking to William Regal and Finlay, but we couldn't hear what they were saying.

*They aired a vignette on the Lashley vs. Booker T feud.

*WWE United States champion Bobby Lashley defeated King Booker in a Steel Cage match by climbing out of the cage.

Credit: pwinsider.com

[Mini Man]

Lashley reigns supreme
By Ed Williams III
June 30, 2006


United States Champion Bobby Lashley continued his meteoric rise to success on SmackDown with a huge win over King Booker in his first ever Steel Cage Match Friday night. Lashley and King Booker have been at each other’s throats ever since the King of the Ring Tournament, and as of late, King Booker’s Court has inserted themselves into the rivalry as well. After two straight weeks of having to contend with William Regal and Finlay as well as King Booker himself, General Manager Theodore Long decided to give Lashley an opportunity against his arch nemesis inside a steel cage to make sure that there would be no interference.

Heading into SmackDown, it was still unknown whether Long’s decision would indeed work to Lashley’s favor. After all, King Booker is a veteran of Steel Cage Matches, while this marked Lashley’s first encounter inside the unforgiving structure. To make matters even more interesting, Lashley’s United States Championship was on the line. Early on, it looked as if, King Booker’s experience would pay off, as he had one leg out the cage door. But Lashley’s freakish strength allowed him to pull the King back in by his other leg, and the match continued.

King Booker tried to ground Lashley by focusing on his previously injured knee – which was due largely in part to an attack by Regal, Finlay and the King – but Lashley was able to endure the punishment. However, even though they were locked out of the cage, Regal and Finlay still made their presence felt. As Lashley began to take control, he tried to climb over the cage, but Finlay and Regal were there, wielding a shillelagh and steel chair respectively, to send Lashley back into the ring. An enraged Lashley was able to knock them off the apron, but in the meantime, King Booker was trying to make his own escape. Lashley utilized his impressive agility to hop op on the other side of the cage and caught King Booker as he had one leg draped over the cage. The two battled momentarily on the top turnbuckle before Lashley tossed King Booker back into the ring.

With Regal and Finlay just getting back to their feet, and with King Booker down on the mat, Lashley was able to climb out of the cage and land on the floor to successfully defend his United States Championship. It seems that no matter what is in Lashley’s way, he finds a way to overcome it. What is the next step for the young powerhouse? Most likely, it will be whatever he wants it to be.

While one Champion was celebrating at the end of SmackDown, another was down and out as the show kicked off. One week after being tricked into a disqualification loss thanks to World Champion Rey Mysterio and Chavo Guerrero, Mark Henry was back on his Path of Destruction.


“Last week I had Rey Mysterio right where I wanted him. I should be the World Champion,” said Henry while addressing the Roanoke, Va. crowd. “I had him whipped. I had him beat. I had him crawling at my feet.”

But before Henry could get much further he was interrupted by the retired Chavo Guerrero. Chavo said that he knew that Henry wanted him to come out of retirement so they could have a match, but that wasn’t going to happen. Responding to Henry calling all of the Guerreros parasites, Chavo said that the Guerrero name was bulletproof.

“I spit on the Guerrero name. I spit on you. And if your Uncle Eddie were alive, I’d spit on him, too,” said Henry.

Needless to say, Chavo stormed the ring upon hearing the inflammatory comments from the World’s Strongest Man. But Chavo was following his heart and not his brain. After a couple of hard punches, Henry was able to catch Chavo with the World’s Strongest Slam. That was just the beginning of what Henry was ready to unleash.

The World’s Strongest Man followed that with a second-rope splash, and he went back up for one more. But before he could connect, World Champion Rey Mysterio rushed to the arena, trying to help Chavo. When Mysterio hit the ring, however, Henry landed on the World Champion instead. Henry continued to pour it on and rammed Rey back-first into the apron and kicked his head against the ring post. The World’s Strongest Man returned his attention to Chavo and slammed him back-first into the ring post twice before putting him in a bone-crunching back breaker. Mark Henry destroyed everything in his path, and it doesn’t look like anyone can stop him.

The Cruiserweight Championship was also on the line Friday night as Gregory Helms defended the gold against Super Crazy. Just last week, Super Crazy and then-partner Psicosis had an opportunity at tag team gold, but the Mexicools imploded and the two came to blows. Unfortunately for Super Crazy, the same thing happened again during his singles match against Helms. Crazy had Helms locked in a submission maneuver, but Psicosis stormed the ring from out of nowhere and assaulted his former partner, resulting in a no-contest. Both Superstars were out for blood, and it seems like it may only be a matter of time before these two have to settle things one-on-one.

Mr. Kennedy continued his impressive win streak since returning to SmackDown a few weeks ago with a big win over Gunner Scott. Kennedy continued to unleash a new, more aggressive attack. After brutalizing Scott, and taunting him along the way, Kennedy capped things off with a picture-perfect Ken-ton Bomb for the victory. But before he could finish his closing announcement as the victor, he was interrupted by The Great Khali’s music. As the monster made his way to the ring, Kennedy did the wise thing and fled the scene to fight another day. Scott was not as lucky.

The Great Khali hoisted Scott up with ease and sent him crashing down to the mat with a two-handed chokeselam. To add insult to injury, The Great Khali was instructed by Daivari to put Scott into a bodybag, eerily reminiscient of some of Undertaker’s past actions. Daivari then laid out a challenge to Undertaker for a Punjabi Prison Match at The Great American Bash. No one is really sure what a match of this nature entails, but Undertaker is normally not one to back down to a challenge. Will Undertaker answer the call, or will he continue to rest in peace?

In addition to trying to help King Booker defeat Lashley in the main event, Finlay was also in singles action Friday night on SmackDown against Matt Hardy. Finlay debuted back in Januaray in a match against Hardy and was disqualified for using excessive force and not breaking the ref’s five-count. So, Hardy definitely had a score to settle. Finlay tried to use his shillelagh, but Hardy caught him and tried to use the weapon as well. The referee stepped in, and as he retrieved Finlay’s weapon, the fighting Irishman caught Hardy and dropped him on an exposed steel turnbuckle. One Celtic Cross later, and Finlay was the victor. Finlay’s friend Little Bastard was also at ringside and even tossed JBL a cold Guiness to enjoy during the match.

The Toughest Man ever to wear a dress, Vito, also continued his winning ways. Vito used his alternative lifestyle to his advantage against the paranoid Simon Dean. Obviously uncomfortable with Vito’s unorthodox ring attire, Dean kept trying to cover up his opponent. In the end, Vito locked in a vicious arm bar, as Simon’s head was positioned up Vito’s dress, forcing the fitness guru to tap out. Vito’s armbar was surely painful, but it was probably nothing compared to the mental anguish that Dean will endure every time he thinks of that fateful Friday night in Roanoke.

The Pitbulls, Kid Kash and Jamie Noble, also made their SmackDown debut. The duo showed that they are one of the most aggressive tag teams to join SmackDown in quite some time. They punched, kicked and slapped their opponents around the ring mercilessly. When they finally dished out enough punishment, they finished their opponents off with a tag team maneuver that resembled the Doomsday Device, which was utilized by the legendary Legion of Doom. Will the Pitbulls be able to become legends in their own right? Only time will tell.

Last year’s Diva Search winner Ashley was interviewed by Kristal to give her thoughts on the this year’s contest. Ashley said that above all else, the contest is about having fun. She mentioned that she was stoked when Kristal made the top-10, but the SmackDown interviewer did not look pleased. Apparently offended by the comment, Kristal responded by saying, “I finished fourth, bitch.” Apparently the Diva Search Contest is not all about fun and games.

And the ambassador of Quebec, Sylvan, showcased the exciting nightlife of Montreal and invited all of the SmackDown fans to visit his hometown.

RESULTS

Cruiserweight Champion Gregory Helms vs. Super Crazy (no-contest)
The Pitbulls def. Malik Yamah & Marty Garner
Finlay def. Matt Hardy
Mr. Kennedy def. Gunner Scott
Vito def. Simon Dean
United States Champion Bobby Lashley def. King Booker (Steel Cage Match)
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The Animal returns
July 7, 2006


WATCH: Batista returns this Friday

There will certainly be no brotherly love when WWE storms into Philadelphia’s Wachovia Center for Friday Night SmackDown.

The biggest story—and perhaps one of the most anticipated and talked about stories of the year—is the return of Batista. It’s been six months since WWE fans have seen The Animal in the ring, which has left many people wondering how he’ll address the situation involving the Championship he was forced to vacate. Will Batista still be the force he once was, or has injury tamed the beast?

But Batista's return isn't the only huge story for SmackDown. A Battle Royal will be held to determine the No. 1 Contender for Rey Mysterio's World Championship for The Great American Bash. Who will be the next Superstar to try and bring Mysterio's amazing dream ride as Champion to an end? We will find out Friday night.

Also, Mark Henry was out for blood last week, decimating the Guerrero family name and even going as far as saying he’d spit in the face of Chavo Guerrero’s late Uncle Eddie for Chavo’s interference in Henry’s match with World Champion Rey Mysterio. After unleashing a ferocious beating on Chavo’s, Rey tore down the ramp to come to his friend’s aide. Unfortunately, Mysterio was met with the same fierce attack as Chavo, and looked to be knocked out as “The World’s Strongest Man” left the ring. What kind of shape will the Champion and Chavo be in this week after suffering such a vicious beating?

The Great Khali continued to wreak havoc on SmackDown, rolling Gunner Scott into a body bag, mocking Undertaker. Then, through his manager Daivari, Khali issued the Deadman a challenge in a Punjabi Prison Match—a first of its kind in WWE—to take place at The Great American Bash. Will the Deadman break his silence and respond to the challenger, or is Undertaker as afraid of the 420-pound giant as Daivari insists?

Friday night on UPN at 8/7 CT is the only place to see this week’s must-see Friday Night SmackDown.