The Shimmy 4.30.07: Interpromotional Matches (Part Three) - ECW
Posted by Andy Clark on 04.30.2007
The Shimmy focusses on the return on ECW in this week's installment on Interpromotional Matches. Plus, a special "In Other Words..." with Andy Critchell and Matt Adamson continues his Champion vs. Champion series!
Hey there everybody. I had my big PRAXIS test this weekend and I'm still recovering so this may be short and sweet. In a mere four weeks I will find out if I'm qualified enough to teach your children. Be afraid, be very afraid.
Now back to the Interpromotional Matches. The tumultuous 2006 would start with a rematch of the previous year's MOTY. Since Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle's first encounter at WrestleMania 21, Angle had come to Raw in the draft lottery. They met in a rematch at Vengeance for the first time as brand-mates, and then again in a 30-Minute Iron Man Match a Homecoming. Angle could not seem to defeat WWE Champion John Cena on Raw, however, and in the wake of Batista's injury and subsequent forfeit of the World Heavyweight Title on SmackDown, Angle decided it would be in his best interest to return to Friday nights. On his first night back Angle would win the World Heavyweight Title in a Battle Royal. Despite returning to SmackDown Angle had already be scheduled to compete against Shawn Michaels on the next Monday's Raw. There was added pressure as Mr. McMahon had made the match for HBK's job. Thanks to some managerial misfirings by Angle's manager Daivari, Shawn Michaels managed to keep his job and pin the new champ.
Surprises would abound for the Interpromotional Matches as we would next see action at the Royal Rumble. Cruiserweight Champion Kid Kash held an Open Invitational Match for his Cruiserweight Title. All former Cruiserweight Champions were permitted entry. This included Jamie Noble, Paul London, Funaki, and Nunzio. It also included Raw's Gregory Helms, who coincidentally would go on to win the Cruiserweight Title. I include this as an Interpromotional Match because in theory, had Helms lost he would have returned to Raw.
Of course there was the Royal Rumble Match itself. SmackDown was represented by Rey Mysterio, Simon Dean, Psicosis, Bobby Lashley, Sylvan, Chris Benoit, Booker T, Joey Mercury, Tatanka, Johnny Nitro, Animal, Orlando Jordan, Matt Hardy, Super Crazy, and Randy Orton. The Raw side had Triple H, Ric Flair, Big Show, Jonathan Coachman, Kane, Carlito, Trevor Murdoch, Eugene, Chavo Guerrero, Shawn Michaels, Chris Masters, Viscera, Shelton Benjamin, Goldust, and the returning Rob Van Dam. While Rey Mysterio would win the Rumble last eliminating Randy Orton, it is the return of Rob Van Dam that would affect the Interpromotional landscape the most.
The next meeting of the brands would take place at Saturday Night's Main Event. The two WrestleMania main events would face off in a Handicap Match, pitting John Cena & Triple H vs. Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio, & Randy Orton. Despite some craziness Cena & Triple H would win the match and unofficially earn the right to be last on the WrestleMania card. The Interpromotional interaction wasn't limited to this match, however. Raw's Stone Cold Steve Austin met SmackDown's JBL in a Beer Drinking Contest. While no winner was officially declared, it was the Texas Rattlesnake that got the last word, or should I say stunner, in.
WrestleMania 22 would be the next big event between the two brands. The night would start off with the pre-show Battle Royal, pitting Raw against SmackDown once again. Raw's Viscera would emerge victorious over his fellow Raw members Snitsky, Goldust, Eugene, Matt Striker, Trevor Murdoch, Lance Cade, Rob Conway, and Tyson Tomko as well as SmackDown superstars Animal, Johnny Nitro, Joey Mercury, Super Crazy, Psicosis, Simon Dean, Funaki, and Stevie Richards. The only other Interpromotional Match of the evening was the second annual Money in the Bank Ladder Match. It featured Raw's Rob Van Dam, Shelton Benjamin and Ric Flair and SmackDown's Finlay, Bobby Lashley, and Matt Hardy. "Mr. Monday Night" would become "Mr. Money in the Bank" on this night, but would it actually be a victory for Raw?
The last real confrontation between Raw and SmackDown exclusively happened on the May 19 edition of SmackDown. World Heavyweight Champion Rey Mysterio had bravely offered to face anyone JBL could put against him. Unfortunately JBL's choice on this night was Raw's Big Red Monster, Kane. Now normally Kane would be bad enough for poor Rey, but the date "May 19" had been driving Kane mad for weeks and the day had finally come. Unlike many of his other non-title matches Rey actually didn't lose the match, although it did go to a no contest when Kane decided to attack JBL as well.
May 8, 2006 was set to be the WrestleMania Rematch between Mick Foley and Edge. Edge had stated that Foley could have any match that he wanted. Foley had already stated he wanted a Hardcore Match, just like their WrestleMania encounter. The night of the show, however, he added one more component: ECW's Tommy Dreamer. Rumors of the return of ECW had been running rampant and the appearance of Dreamer, representing the ECW colors, seemed to prove the rumors true. Instead of having an epic three-way, though, Foley and Edge formed an alliance to dismantle the Innovator of Violence. While it's debatable who actually won the match as both Edge and Foley pinned Dreamer (Edge had most of the pin, but Foley's music played) it was definitely a Raw superstar. Foley and Edge were going to protect their hardcore legacy against the oncoming ECW revival.
The Interpromotional Matches featuring the new ECW would flood the airways in the summer of 2006. As a new brand ECW could open its doors to just about anyone from all brands. But Mr. McMahon had also given ECW Representative Paul Heyman two draft picks to choose superstars for his brand regardless of whether they wanted to be a part of it or not. His first pick was Rob Van Dam, and while it seemed silly at the time given that RVD would have switched willingly, knowing now that Heyman would screw RVD a few months later explains things a bit. The second pick would be SmackDown's Kurt Angle, a man once completely opposed to ECW. As a going away present on SmackDown, GM Teddy Long booked Kurt Angle against World Heavyweight Champion Rey Mysterio, a match Angle would win by count out.
A few days before the big One Night Stand PPV, WWE put forth Head-to-Head, pitting the superstars of Raw and SmackDown against the superstars or ECW. In a battle of two former tag team partners Rob Van Dam defeated Rey Mysterio in an Extreme Rules Match. Raw's Mickie James defeated ECW's Jazz in Jazz's only appearance in the new ECW. Edge defeated Tommy Dreamer in an Extreme Rules Match, and in another Extreme Rules Match John Cena and Sabu fought to a no contest. The biggest news of the evening came in a 20-Man Team Battle Royal where Raw's Big Show, Edge, Shelton Benjamin, Carlito, and Randy Orton teamed with SmackDown's Mark Henry, Matt Hardy, Finlay, Bobby Lashley, and Tatanka to take on the ECW team of Kurt Angle, Terry Funk, Tommy Dreamer, The Sandman, Balls Mahoney, Justin Credible, Al Snow, Stevie Richards, and Nunzio. The numbers would soon turn from 10-on-10 to 11-on-9 and Big Show would betray his Raw and SmackDown comrades and join ECW, giving the extremists the win in the process.
A few days later on SmackDown there was a battle of two former tag team partners and the dress-wearing SmackDown superstar Vito battled the newly extreme Nunzio. The dress continued to bring Vito luck as he defeated his former paisan.
With the opening battles out of the way it was now time for the PPV. One Night Stand opened up with Raw's color commentator Jerry "The King" Lawler being choked out by ECW's color commentator Tazz. Kurt Angle would defend his new brand by defeated Raw's Randy Orton and The FBI (Nunzio & Tony Mamaluke) would take care of the team of SmackDown's Super Crazy and an unaffiliated Tajiri. Rey Mysterio and Sabu would fight to a no contest in their Extreme Rules Match for Rey's World Heavyweight Title when neither man could continue. Raw would manage to score a victory as the three person team of Edge, Mick Foley, & Lita would defeat Terry Funk, Tommy Dreamer, & Beulah McGuillicutty in a brutal Extreme Rules Match. Despite their earlier wins, it was the main event that meant the most to ECW. Rob Van Dam was cashing in his Money in the Bank opportunity to take on John Cena in an Extreme Rules Match for the WWE Title. After dealing with the hostile crowd, the Extreme Rules stipulation, an ECW referee, and Edge, Cena was defeated by RVD and ECW had a champion. As a result Paul Heyman also awarded RVD the ECW World Title, making Rob Van Dam the only man in history to hold the WWE Title and ECW World Title simultaneously.
Being screwed out of the WWE Title left John Cena understandably upset. He was set to face Sabu in a Extreme Lumberjack Match at Vengeance, but before he got his shot at Sabu he got one against Balls Mahoney, who he handled quite easily. Rob Van Dam was set to defend the WWE Title against the man that helped him win it, Edge, and Kurt Angle and Randy Orton were slated for a rematch at Vengeance as well. On the second edition of ECW on Sci-Fi the ECW team of Rob Van Dam & Kurt Angle defeated the men that would go on to become Rated RKO.
At Vengeance the Raw superstars would get some measure of revenge for One Night Stand and Randy Orton would pin Kurt Angle and John Cena would defeat Sabu in the Extreme Lumberjack Match. The big victory would still be lost, though, as Rob Van Dam would successfully defend the WWE Title against Edge. Ever the fighting champion RVD offered to give John Cena his rematch the next night on Raw, something the former champ readily jumped at.
The next night on Raw Rob Van Dam and John Cena tore the house down fighting for the WWE Title. Cena looked to have the night won when once again Edge stuck his nose in Cena and RVD's business. Edge attacked both men, causing a no contest. In order to rectify this situation WWE booked a Triple Threat Match between RVD, Cena, and Edge for Saturday Night's Main Event. However it wouldn't take that long for the match to happen. RVD, perhaps under the influence of some herbal medications, opted instead to have the match on the July 3 edition of Raw in the hometown of ECW, Philadelphia. It would turn out to be a bad decision. Once again it appeared as if John Cena would have the match won, hitting RVD with the FU. But Edge would run into the ring and blast Cena with the WWE Title belt and pin RVD himself to win the title. ECW had lost control of the WWE Championship.
From here the ECW brand was pretty much established on its own. Next week I'll conclude my look at Interpromotional Matches by looking at how they are presented now. We have three brands and a loosened stance of the Brand Extension, we should have some interesting match ups next week.
A Reason For Bullet Points
So I knew I would be jealous of my friend Nina for being there to see Cena-HBK II but I didn't realize just how jealous. That, my friends, was a 56-minute classic that I dare say was better than their Mania match. Sure, the ending of the Mania match was better but the body of this match was significantly better. I still don't believe Meltzer had the audacity to say that it wasn't one of the best Raw matches.
I saw "The Condemned" on Sunday. It was actually pretty good. I've been advocating the exact same concept that they used in the movie for years so that was especially cool. Austin didn't say much but he was effective. The problem with the other WWE Films is that Kane and Cena had a much larger range but their characters were so flat that it made them look bad. Here, Austin doesn't have much range so it didn't hurt his character much. I will say that the camera work is almost nauseating, but otherwise it's a good flick.
Backlash was a good PPV. Not great, but good. It was an entertaining show without any bad stuff (outside of the lame pyro for the Taker-Batista spot and MVP jobbing on PPV again) so all in all a good night's entertainment.
The World Tag Team Title Match was a good opener, nothing special. Trevor Murdoch needs to stop doing that Canadian Destroyer/Code Red whatever it is, stat. It was a good opener and the right team went over.
The Women's Title Match was surprisingly good. This was the first match these two have had where they didn't almost kill one another. Since there really aren't many potential Women's Title feuds we'll probably see this one continue for a while, which isn't a bad thing in my opinion.
Benoit-MVP was a damn good match but I am dumbfounded that MVP lost AGAIN. I liked the finish a lot better then the finish from Mania, but I'm still shocked Benoit won. What does MVP have to do to get that belt? Here's hoping it was just a rare hometown win for Benoit and MVP relieves him of that championship soon.
The ECW World Title Match wasn't that great, but it wasn't bad either. I'm glad Lashley lost the belt, it'll be good to see him chase it. Even though I thought it would be cooler for Vince McMahon to be ECW World Champion heading into WrestleMania I still take credit for the idea. I was actually pulling for either Umaga or Shane to win the belt but I'll take Vinnie Mac. It's a shame that all the old school ECW fans have gone back under their rocks because I would love for this to break their spirits. Vince and Shane mocking the ECW Originals was classic. E-C-Dub! E-C-Dub! Do you realize that Vince McMahon has held more World Titles then Andre the Giant, Eddie Guerrero, Randy Orton, Pedro Morales, Ultimate Warrior and Superstar Billy Graham? He's even tied with Bruno Sammartino, Chris Benoit, Goldberg, and Sid. How cool is that?
The Last Man Standing Match has some good moments, but overall was a step down from their WrestleMania match. I'm hoping this leads to Hell in a Cell next month because I will have high hopes for that one. Most of the match was actually pretty good, and even the spot at the end was nice, but the ending pyro and obviously rigged "destruction" was pretty lame. Not TNA level lame, but lame nonetheless. I'm not really disappointed with the draw because I called it, but I imagine a lot of people would be.
The Fatal Four-Way was by far the MOTN. I'm a bit surprised that Cena won (I know that'll come as a shock to most of you), but I really thought Edge or Michaels would have walked out champion. I actually really wouldn't mind if they pulled a WrestleMania XX and have the exact same match next month. Some may not like the finish (it would have been nice had Cena been more on top of Orton then he was) but that rapid series of events was pretty cool. HBK continues his road to Bret Hart-like whininess and I actually managed to switch from rooting him on in the final moments of the match to wanting Cena to slap him silly in a matter of moments.
Andy Enjoyment Index: Backlash
1) Fatal Four-Way
2) Last Man Standing
3) Benoit-MVP
4) Melina-Mickie
5) ECW World Title
6) Hardys-Cade & Murdoch
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In Other Words…w/ Andy Critchell
Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)
Pet Shop Boys references aside, as anyone can tell you life is all about opportunities, those taken and those missed. This is especially true in whatever occupation you chose to pursue. As fans, we look at pro wrestlers as entertainers who are there for our amusement. But to the wrestlers themselves, at the end of the day it's still a job and a way to earn a paycheck. Right now the WWE is full of talented young wrestlers, some of whom will carry this company into the next generation. Vince McMahon has said on several occasions that he is all about providing wrestlers with opportunities and it is up to the individual superstar to take that opportunity and make the most of it, like any other job. Today I thought we'd look at a few that have and a few that have not.
Opportunities Taken
To see prime examples of those who have made the most of their opportunities, you need look no further than the reigning WWE and ECW Champions. Both men are examples of what can be accomplished when you work hard and are patient enough to wait for your spot. Both guys are always shown at various events meeting the fans, signing autographs, and basically being the faces of the WWE. You never hear any rumors about either man being a problem backstage and from all indications both men are model employees.
Other examples of those making the most out of their opportunities are Elijah Burke and MVP. MVP especially has been put through the ringer but he kept working hard and was able to have a huge coming out party at Wrestlemania. Burke has been showcased as a fine wrestler and as the leader of the New Breed over on ECW and has proved that he was more than just a mouthpiece for Sylvester Turkay. Both of these guys have bright futures ahead of them if they play their cards right.
Opportunities Wasted
When you think of guys who have wasted their chances, Carlito is one of the first that springs to mind. One of the most talented young stars in a long time, Carlito seemed destined for the main event. He wrestles a good, fast paced style and is dynamite on the mic. After making a name for himself on Smackdown, he was elevated to Raw and immediately won the IC belt. Unfortunately, there didn't seem to be any big time feuds for him after a while. Then it seemed like he just stopped trying. His ring work became sloppy and sluggish and he was pushed further and further down the card. Reports have said that he is in the WWE doghouse because of his poor attitude but it seems like he has no one to blame but himself as he was not patient enough to wait for his main event chance.
Shelton Benjamin's story is very similar to Carlito's. Shelton made a big splash with his running the ladder spot in the first money in the bank match plus he had a huge Raw win against top dog Triple H. Shelton was being featured in vignettes about his life and it seemed that his main event push was right around the corner. Again, the push didn't come right away and Shelton's ring work started to suffer. He had lost none of his amazing athletic ability but it seemed like his heart just wasn't in it. Now he's languishing in the lower midcard and it doesn't look like he will be elevated anytime soon.
Obviously Carlito and Shelton are just two among several guys that have wasted their shots but they are the first two that jump to my mind because of their enormous potential. The point is that there are several guys year after year who seem poised for the main event but for one reason or another, they blow it. So for every John Cena, there are dozens of Carlitos.
Now that brings us to the best example in recent history of a guy wasting his opportunities; Mr. Randy Orton. Personally, I am a big fan of Orton. We've got the hometown connection (we're both from St. Louis,) I think he's a really good worker, and I think his finisher is great. Plus I think he plays the cocky heel to perfection, but maybe that's because it apparently isn't much of a stretch. According to various internet reports, Orton has been involved in numerous childish and self destructive acts over the years and he was most recently sent home from WWE's European tour because he trashed a hotel room. When I read that I just shook my head and though "what an idiot."
Orton has been groomed since day one to be the champ; he's got the look, the skills, the bloodline, and everything else that is needed to be a success. Unfortunately, he's also got a major attitude problem and that makes him a perfect example of how difficult it is these days to become a true superstar in the business. It's not just having ability and the right look; it's about conducting yourself the right way and being patient enough to wait for your shot.
Obviously I've just scratched the surface here. Volumes could be filled with stories of guys with all the potential in the world that never reached the top because they blew their shot and likewise guys who were less skilled but patient enough and were able to reach those heights. As trite as it sounds, there is a lesson to be learned here, simple though it may be. Opportunities should be treated like rare and precious commodities because you only get so many before you get stuck with no hope of elevation, whether it be in middle management or the midcard.
500 Good Words w/ Matt Adamson
Champion vs. Champion – Part 5
I know that last week I stated that I would be covering from the Owen's Promotion Anniversary show through 2001, but in the words of Eddie Guerrero (RIP), "I LIED!" Instead we're going forward to more controversy and something that should have been more confusing that it ended up being. That dirty WCW kept the facts good and hidden for us common folk.
Since 1985, neither the WWF, NWA/WCW nor the AWA had any relationship at all. The AWA was off trying to make money off the successes of promotions in Dallas and Memphis and essentially stealing their money while WWF and WCW both began to completely deny the existence of any other professional wrestling promotions. This trend would continue until the last 1990's, but they would never cooperate until only one of those promotions was left standing.
By 1991, the AWA had taken a sharp decline and was a step away from closing its doors when WCW began a cross promotional relationship with Japanese mega-promotion New Japan Pro Wrestling. New Japan had briefly worked with the AWA in the late 80's and early 90's but it wasn't a profitable relationship with the state of things in the AWA, so they saw WCW as a viable option and went with it. In March of 1991, the two companies would come together in large for the first time at the Tokyo Dome in Japan for what was billed by New Japan as "Starcade 91". Of course Starrcade 1991 wouldn't happen on this side of the Pacific until December, but the Japanese wanted to make the American wrestlers comfortable and have a big name attached to the event. In the states, the event would be shown on PPV and called "Japan Supershow".
During 1990 and 1991 WCW had control of the major NWA titles, but were not under direct control of the NWA. Sting would become NWA/WCW champion in July and lose the title to Flair in January 1991. When the big event in Japan came around, a big main event was booked between Ric Flair and IWGP Champion Tatsumi Fujinami. Interestingly the NWA made the champion vs. champion match for the NWA title and the IWGP title, but WCW did not agree to Flair losing his title. On March 21st 1991, Tatsumi Fujinami won the NWA title by defeating Ric Flair. The title change was recognized by the NWA and it's board, but despite this being on U.S. PPV, WCW denied that Flair had lost their version of the World Title. A rematch was set to clear things up between the NWA and WCW and to put the title back on Flair. The match was set for Superbrawl in May of that year and Flair won his title back, a title that he carried to the ring with him as champion and that according to WCW at the time, Fujinami never won. It would be the finals days of WCW and the NWA working together and that champion vs. champion match in Japan would catapult the end of that relationship.
To be continued…
The strain on the relationship wouldn't last too long. Next week I'll look at the years 1992 through 1994 as the NWA and WCW co-exist, but each maintained their individual titles. You'd think that after all the confusion that the NWA had around them that they might realize that they are the problem after all. It was never to be I guess as the NWA is still around today and barely registers on the wrestling radar with exception to TNA still holding NWA championships.
Thanks for reading, send me emails at voldegalle@yahoo.com. Also, make sure to check out my column, "Destiny" on Sundays. Until next time.
The Shimmy Likes It Raw!
What's on tap for tonight's show?
What's the Backlash from Backlash? Now that we're tri-branded on every PPV there isn't much rest for the weary as the build for Judgment Day should start tonight. I'll be attending the last Raw before Judgment Day (and hopefully the last Raw before Vengeance as well) so hopefully we have a good card in the works.
Well that about does it for this week's column. Next week will be the conclusion of the Interpromotional Matches series and Matt will continue his series on Champion vs. Champion Matches. Until then, don't die. Clark…out.
