Welcome to Monday Night Explosion! I hope you all had a safe and wonderful Fourth of July, but the fireworks aren�t done here in GCW! On tonight�s show live from Trenton, New Jersey, the semi-finals of the Intercontinental Title Tournament with Tommy Dreamer meeting Booker T and Rey Mysterio Jr. taking on X champion Gregory Helms! We will also see Matt Hardy vs. Christian, Shelton Benjamin will be in action, CM Punk & Christopher Daniels teaming up to take on The Phenoms, and in our double main event� Mick Foley has declared that there will be two Pick Your Poison matches, with Brock Lesnar & John Bradshaw Layfield each being allowed to pick the opponent of the other. Who knows what each of these men will cook up for the other! Let�s get right to Justin Roberts and our first match!
The semi-finals of the tournament featured two big rematches from Super Cade, starting with Tommy Dreamer taking on Booker T. Both men had their respective allegiances down at ringside with them, but no one would get involved. Unlike at Super Cade when Kenny Dykstra & Elijah Burke ruined the match, there would be no interruptions � just a tough tooth and nails style match. In the end, the Axe Kick from Booker T put it in the books and punched his ticket for Chaos Reigns.
[Intercontinental Title Tournament - Semi-Finals]:
Booker T pinned Tommy Dreamer with the Axe Kick in 0:07:01.
Rating: *** �
Now Booker T awaits the winner of Rey Mysterio Jr./Gregory Helms later to see who he will wrestle against for the vacant IC Title. Dreamer will be at Chaos Reigns as well, as he and Lance Cade still have their hardcore match against The Phenoms to look forward to.
We cut backstage where Randy Orton was standing by, holding the Money in the Bank briefcase which now has the words �LEGEND KILLER� written on the side of it. Orton kept his promo simple and to the point, answering the question of why he hit Brock Lesnar with the RKO to end the show last week. Orton simply said that he doesn�t need or want anyone�s help, especially not from Brock Lesnar. �I know since I am Money in the Bank and can have a match for your World Heavyweight Title whenever and wherever I want, you want to be buddy-buddy with me. But Brock, it�s not going to work. You just wait � when I cash in this contract, I *will* be the World Heavyweight champion. Who know, Brock � I might cash it in at Chaos Reigns. Or maybe even tonight��
Though it was odd to see Christopher Daniels & CM Punk on the same side of the ring for this match against The Phenoms, it was even odder to see how well they worked together. These two have had such a vicious blood feud for the last two years that they�ve established a chemistry. We still don�t know much about how Kenny Dykstra & Elijah Burke will fair, but they were just as impressive as Daniels & Punk. In the end of a match that could have went either way, Daniels hit Dykstra with the Angel�s Wings out of nowhere to get the win.
Christopher Daniels and CM Punk defeated The Phenoms (Kenny Dykstra and Elijah Burke) when C. Daniels pinned K. Dykstra with the Angel's Wings in 0:06:00.
Rating: ***
After the match, we learned that Mick Foley has signed a match for Chaos Reigns and it will be Christopher Daniels & CM Punk challenging MNM for the World Tag Team Titles!
You don�t have to like Shelton Benjamin�s new attitude, but it�s hard to argue with his success so far as a singles competitor. The Gold Standard as he is calling himself now continued his winning ways this week, having a fairly easy time in defeating Harry Smith with his Paydirt finisher. Benjamin still has a lot to prove, but if he keeps this up, it won�t be long until the Gold Standard is challenging for some gold.
Shelton Benjamin pinned Harry Smith with the Paydirt in 0:03:53.
Rating: ** �
Stevie Richards is standing back with Mick Foley, and comically, Stevie is dressed exactly like Foley in sweat pants and a red flannel shirt. Stevie is apparently working as Foley�s assistant, and Foley had his first job for him. His duty was to go find Chris Benoit and tell him that he would be wrestling next week on Explosion against Abyss. Richards didn�t look at all happy about this prospect as surely the Crippler wasn�t going to be happy to hear this. The camera followed Stevie as he nervously walked into Benoit�s locker room. Benoit looked ready to kick Richards� ass before he even said anything, and especially looked ready to attack when Richards blurted out Benoit�s match with Abyss. Benoit immediately took a swing at Stevie, who ducked and ran away before he could get hurt. As expected, Benoit was not happy about the match, but he was even less happy when AJ STYLES came out of nowhere and destroyed him with a forearm! Styles punched away at Benoit until the GCW Official Brigade quickly intervened and broke up the fight before it got too out of control. Benoit has sufficiently gotten under Styles� skin, but he may live to regret it at Chaos Reigns.
John Bradshaw Layfield�s Pick Your Poison match was up first, and it didn�t come as much of a shock as Brock Lesnar picked long time friend and JBL opponent KURT ANGLE. It looks like Lesnar & Angle are still on the same page, even after their epic Iron Man match at Super Cade. This was a great match as these two always seem to bring out the best in each other. Angle has a huge test ahead of him at the pay-per-view as he tries to derail the undefeated Umaga, but he was 100% focused on winning this match. JBL, on the other hand, couldn�t afford getting beaten here as he would lose all kinds of momentum going into his chance to become the World Heavyweight champion. The match went back and forth and as it went on, the crowd got more and more into it. Angle even went as far as getting the Ankle Lock on a couple times, but JBL got to the ropes quickly on both occasions. Angle would later go for the Angle Slam, but JBL slipped off, hit the far ropes, and nearly took Angle�s head off with the Stock Market Crash, getting a clean victory over the Olympic champion.
[Pick Your Poison]:
John Bradshaw Layfield pinned Kurt Angle with the Stock Market Crash in 0:14:49.
Rating: ****
This win was huge for JBL as if you can beat Kurt Angle, you can beat anybody. This match will go a long way to position JBL to take the World Heavyweight Title. Angle was a bit down, but he�ll need to make sure his head is on straight when he takes on the Samoan Bulldozer on July 23rd.
Todd Grisham was interviewing Edge (who was flanked as always with his Brothel) and asked him point blank about Edge�s seeming inability to defeat Matt Hardy, and if that will continue at Chaos Reigns. Edge was furious and grabbed Grisham by the shirt, asking him if he wanted to get hurt. Edge said he can beat Matt Hardy, and the Rated R Superstar reminded Grisham that he was the one that sent Matt Hardy packing from GCW in the first place. Edge said he will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt just how much business he really means.
Matt Hardy will be teaming with Abyss at Chaos Reigns to take on Edge and his opponent tonight, Christian. Christian was Hardy�s mystery opponent for Edge at Deadly Draw, but Christian turned out to be in cahoots with his brother the entire time, so there is no love lost here. Before the match started, Christian grabbed the mic and dedicated this match to all of his �Peeps� out there, garnering him a loud chorus of boos. Hardy jumped Christian before he could put the mic down and proceeded to dominate the majority of this match. Christian tried what he could but he couldn�t keep enough distance between himself and Hardy. Hardy had Captain Charisma set up for the Twist of Fate when EDGE came to the ring and up on the apron. Hardy lunged for Edge, but the Rated R Superstar jumped out of the way. Hardy yelled for Edge not to be a coward, but this was all to distract Hardy long enough for Christian to hit the Unprettier. Good morning, good afternoon, good night.
Christian pinned Matt Hardy with the Unprettier in 0:06:19.
Rating: *** �
The party wasn�t over for Must See TV as Edge & Christian held Hardy up to allow Rhyno to nail him with the Gore. ABYSS would run down for the save, but the damage had been done.
Rey Mysterio Jr. & X champion Gregory Helms have exchanged victories over the past few months with Helms most recently getting the win by defending his X Title successfully at Super Cade. The X Title wasn�t on the line here, but a trip to Chaos Reigns and the Intercontinental Title match was. Booker T was shown watching from a monitor in the back with the other members of Blackout, interested in seeing who they�d have to deal with. These two went at each other with the same vigor they did at the last PPV. Helms tried a bit different approach this time taking it to the skies far more than he did in the last encounter, an act of pure ego. But fact remains that you�re just not going to out fly Mysterio. Mysterio takes the win after dodging the Shining Wizard and hitting the 6-1-9, followed with the West Coast Pop to put this one in the books.
[Intercontinental Title Tournament - Semi-Finals]:
Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned Gregory Helms with the West Coast Pop in 0:08:09.
Rating: *** �
So it will be Rey Mysterio Jr. taking on Booker T, the winner becoming the new Intercontinental champion. These two go way back and were former tag team partners, so this match should have something extra behind it. Things got worse for Helms after the match as while he was trying to recuperate, CRYME TYME came down to the ring and stole his X Title. JTG took the title belt up the ramp � when Helms realized what was going on, he ran up the ramp only to be met with a big boot from Shad Gaspard. Shad was overheard saying, �This is how we do business in Brooklyn!� as they disappeared into the locker room.
We cut to �The Alpha Male� Monty Brown who was staring directly into the camera with a look of rage on his face. After several seconds of this, all Brown said was, �RANDY ORTON� YOU�RE DEAD!� Short and simple, but I definitely wouldn�t want to be Randy Orton right now.
Our main event was Brock Lesnar�s Pick Your Poison match, and we were all shocked when it was revealed that JBL had brokered a deal with Armando Alejandro Estrada (surely a large sum of money changed hands) for Lesnar to face UMAGA. Lesnar didn�t show any concern to have to wrestle the Samoan Bulldozer, but no one would have blamed him if he had. Umaga has been nearly indestructible in GCW and he continued that tonight, putting a beating on the World Heavyweight champion that quite frankly, we have never seen anyone come close to matching. Lesnar had brief spurts of offense that had Umaga reeling, but every time, a well placed shot would stop the Monster From Minnesota in his tracks. To Lesnar�s credit he endured a lot of punishment but wouldn�t stay down for the count. After taking an enormous beating, Lesnar got the window of opportunity he needed when Umaga climbed to the middle rope and went for a diving headbutt that caught nothing but canvas. Lesnar knew this was his chance and fired away at Umaga with right hand, a flying shoulderblock, and a huge powerslam. Lesnar had the crowd going and went to lift Umaga for the F-5, but his back gave out and he couldn�t do it. At this point, Estrada handed Umaga a steel chair and the Samoan Bulldozer leveled the champ with it, causing the disqualification.
[Pick Your Poison]:
Brock Lesnar defeated Umaga by disqualification in 0:12:39.
Rating: *** �
Umaga may have suffered his first loss by DQ, but I think that was irrelevant as the blood trickled from Lesnar�s forehead. Umaga choked Lesnar as JBL entered the ring and shook Estrada�s hand with a huge smile on his face. JBL also had that bullrope with him, along with a whole bag full of bad intentions. Estrada called Umaga off and headed to the back, leaving JBL alone with the World champion. JBL waited for Lesnar to get to his feet before blasting him with the cowbell on the rope, knocking Lesnar out cold. The show went off the air with JBL grabbing the World Heavyweight Title and lifting it high above his head.
Updated card for Chaos Reigns, July 23, 2006, live from Memphis, Tennessee
World Heavyweight Title Match - Brock Lesnar � vs. John Bradshaw Layfield
Intercontinental Title Match - Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Booker T
World Tag Team Title Match - MNM � vs. CM Punk/Christopher Daniels
Kurt Angle vs. Umaga
AJ Styles vs. Chris Benoit
Hardcore Match - Tommy Dreamer/Lance Cade vs. The Phenoms
Monty Brown vs. Randy Orton
Matt Hardy/Abyss vs. Edge/Christian