This Week in WWE (updated
This Week was Great, but Just Wait ‘til Next
Week…
Seven
days isn’t that long of a wait, except of course if you’re a follower of
WWE. This week both Raw and Smackdown not
only put on solid and very entertaining shows, the two flagship programs of WWE
brilliantly heightened the expectations for next week’s event’s. While Monday night’s Raw revolved mainly
around the World Title situation and the $250K Diva Search, Thursday’s
Smackdown! focused on challengers to all four of its
championships as well as the General Manager fiasco. With so much to still be sorted out, the
aftershocks will surely be felt next week as we approach closer to the hottest
PPV of the summer, SummerSlam.
Raw Wrap-Up:
Last Monday night Raw was kicked off with the
announcement that next week will feature a 60-minute Iron Man Match for the
World Heavyweight Championship with Chris Benoit putting the title on the line
against Triple H. That night the
In the main event, Legend Killer Randy Orton attempted
to win back his Intercontinental title from Edge. After a slow start, the challenger came
within half a heart beat from dethroning the champion as a groggy
ref was unable to make the three-count after an Orton low blow chased by an RKO
to Edge. The match ended with Edge
retaining the title after a backslide with leverage
from the ropes…shades of last week.
Might there be a heal-turn for Edge and a face-turn for Evolution in the
next several weeks? Judging from the
crowd reaction, some of us may get our wish.
In other action: Sylvian Grenier beat Tajiri with an
assist from partner Robert Conway. Tyson Tomko (with
Trish Stratus) defeated the Hurricane (with Stacy and Rosie, who has been
promoted from SuperHero in Training to full Superhero). Kane defeated Chris Jericho in a “Falls Count
Anywhere” match with an assist from a clothesline by the animal Batista.
Next week: A
60 minute marathon match between Benoit and Trips and the Raw Diva search
continues…
Smackdown! Wrap-Up:
This
week’s Smackdown! set the stage for next Thursday
night’s action. But let it be stressed
that in addition to setting up next week’s matches and the top bouts for SummerSlam, Smackdown! was a very entertaining and
wrestling-filled show.
Kurt
Angle was not in a happy mood this Thursday night. After demanding the Eddie Guerrero beg him
not to be fired, the GM terminated ring announcer Tony Chimmel,
#1 announcer Funaki, Dawn Marie, Sable, Torrie and
Miss Jackie. Angle did show some chair
in promising Booker T that the 5-time WCW champion will be handed the
Another
SummerSlam match was made earlier in the night,
complements of the Undertaker. After a
match with an unnamed Philly wrestler in a “Rocky Challenge,” JBL ran his mouth
about not having any competition and taking SummerSlam
off. The light went out and the
Undertaker appeared. JBL begged off, but
could not avoid the eventual choke slam.
The Undertaker challenged JBL, and if, or should I say when, the champ
accepts the challenge, we have got ourselves the
Smackdown/SummerSlam main event.
In other action:
Spike won himself a match for the Cruiserweight title
next week by beating Chavo and Jamie Noble in a
3-way. Bubba Ray Dudley beat Billy
Kidman with an assist from D-von. Rey Mysterio beat D-von with help
from Kidman and
Next week:
Rey Mysterio
defends the Cruiserweight title against Spike Dudley. The remaining Dudleys,
Bubba and D-Von, will get their chance to regain the WWE Tag Team titles, as
they face champs Billy Kidman and Paul London.
There should be news next week concerning the GM situation as well as
the controversial decisions made by Angle, such as the status of the
Odds and Ends:
Earlier in the week Smackdown! Superstar Rikishi was released.
The former Tag Team and IC champ and has entertained the masses for
years, first as Headhunter Fatu, then as the Sultan,
until finally hitting it big as the Kish.
His stinkface finisher will surely be missed…John
Cena is set to star in a movie “The Marine” produced
by WWE films…There was talk this past week of several lawsuits lived against
WWE. Marvel is at odds with WWE
concerning the expiration of the “Hulk Hogan” trademark license. In another case, a group Push!ng
the Lope claims that it came up with the Diva search idea…Stay tuned to the UPN
Wrestling Report as these stories develop…
Thanks for reading,
J.P. ---The Newsletter Guy
Sources: