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[GCW] Monday Night Explosion - 8/16/04

Snabbit888Posted on 10/26/04 at 02:59:17

We were on the Arizona State University campus at the Wells Fargo Arena, home of the Sun Devils, for Monday Night Explosion! We had the fallout from Summer Sizzler, and a huge night of action ahead of us! In our main event, the North American Title would be on the line as new champion Lance Storm defended against Chris Jericho of the Sensationals! Also the reunited World's Greatest Tag Team would be taking on the Italian Stallions! We know that Shawn Michaels is not here tonight, but he will be joining us from his home in San Antonio, Texas for an update on the condition of his back. All that and more here on Explosion!

* * * * *

[The crowd is still on its feet after the opening to Monday Night Explosion comes to a close. The standing crowd explodes into cheers as "Whatever" by Our Lady Peace plays, bringing out "The Crippler" Chris Benoit! Benoit lost a hard fought battle to Kurt Angle at Summer Sizzler in his attempt to regain the World Heavyweight Title, and as a result is walking with a bit of a limp. Benoit works the crowd a bit before he gets into the ring, soaking in the cheers. Benoit is handed a microphone by William Buck as the music dies down.]

CB: After a night like last night, a lot of guys would come out here and complain, whine, and moan. Anybody who has followed my career knows that's not what I do. The truth is, last night, Kurt Angle was the better man. Kurt Angle and I gave it everything we had, put our bodies on the line. This limp is going to be here for a couple weeks, and I bet Kurt's walking around a little gingerly himself. But last night, Angle won, fair and square, and I can do nothing but tip my hat to him.

[A moderate amount of applause for this. Benoit's showing a lot of class here, but it's hard for a lot of these fans to want to give Kurt Angle any respect.]

CB: But where does Chris Benoit go now? I move forward. I know that I have some work to do if I'm going to get another chance to regain the World Heavyweight Title, but I've never been afraid of a little hard work. If I have to start back at the bottom and work my way up, so be it. I will make...

[Benoit is interrupted by the sounds of "Take What's Mine" by Mercy Drive. After a couple moments of trying to figure out who it is, the crowd boos loudly as Randy Orton comes out from the back. Although Orton is usually very arrogant when he comes to the ring, he is pissed off tonight. Orton doesn't even bother jawing with the fans like he usually does. He gets right in the ring and stares Benoit down.]

RO: Why don't you shut the hell up, Benoit? [Crowd boos] Nobody wants to hear it. You're out here talking about how you're going to work real hard to get another chance at once again becoming the World champion. Well here's a little news for you, Benoit: you're not the only person who lost a title! But unlike you, Benoit, who lost fair and square in the middle of the ring, I was screwed out of the North American Title by that whore Dawn Marie!

[The crowd boos Orton's comments about Dawn, who the fans have taken quite the liking to since she came to GCW.]

RO: So why don't you save it, Benoit? Nobody cares about you, or your "epic quest" to regain the World Heavyweight Title!

CB: Is that so, Randy? I said I was willing to work my way up from the bottom again to get another title shot, and what better place to start than with you, Orton?

[The crowd pops huge for this.]

RO: Oh trust me, Benoit. You don't want any part of me. Not right now, not ever. I see what's going on here. You're jealous of me, Benoit. What took you years and years of hard work to get, I'm getting at the young age of 24. While you had to toil away in the barren wasteland that is Canada, get lost in the shuffle in Japan, wrestle in bingo halls in America to get where you are, I have it all just by being born so naturally great. I am a third-generation superstar. I am already establishing myself as a future LEGEND in this sport, and it makes you sick. It makes you sick to your stomach that you know that no matter how hard you've worked, all the blood, sweat, and tears you've shed, that in the end, I'm still better than you have ever been! How does that make you feel, Benoit? Does it make you feel inferior? It should, because you ARE inferior! You're not even good enough to be called Randy Orton Light. Hell, your bitch wife with her broken ankle has a better shot at...

[That did it. Benoit has heard enough as he chops away at Orton. Orton tries to get away, turning his back and trying to get to the ropes, but Benoit catches him and drops him with a German suplex. Orton, on instinct, is back on his feet, but Benoit brings him back down in the Crippler Crossface! The GCW Official Brigade sprints down to the ring to break this up, but Benoit is relentless. Finally they are able to pull the Rabid Wolverine off of Orton. Orton holds his shoulder as officials take Benoit to the back. Orton is then helped to the back as well. Cut to commercial.]

* * * * *


Match #1
Low-Ki vs. "Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels (w/ Daffney)
Back in March when Global Championship Wrestling opened its doors, Low-Ki and Christopher Daniels were the best of friends. Along with Elix Skipper, the trio looked inseparable and had the potential to do great things. What a difference five months can make. Now Low-Ki and Daniels were opponents and they went at each other as if they had been bitter enemies for years. Low-Ki still appeared to be having a bit of a problem seeing as a result of Daffney spraying him with mace a couple weeks, but he fought through any discomfort and went straight at the Fallen Angel.

Low-Ki's emotions were working in his favor, and he looked to be finishing off Daniels when he had him in position for the Ki Krusher. Low-Ki ran Daniels shoulder first into the turnbuckle and hit the Ki Krusher. Low-Ki went for the cover, but as referee Antonio Santangelo hit two, Sean O'Haire hit the ring, hitting Low-Ki in the head with a vicious kick to the head. Santangelo's decision to disqualify Daniels was obvious.

Low-Ki defeated Christopher Daniels by disqualification in 0:04:43.
Rating: ** 3/4

Low-Ki attempted to fight off Sean O'Haire, but since joining with Daniels, O'Haire has been a near unstoppable force. O'Haire quieted any attempt by Low-Ki to fight back by dropping him with the Prophecy. At this point, Daniels called Daffney in the ring. Daffney reached into her pocket and pulled out the mace, the very same mace she used to blind Low-Ki two weeks ago! Luckily for Low-Ki, before Daffney could spray it, ELIX SKIPPER ran in for the save. O'Haire took a swing at Skipper, but Primetime ducked, caught O'Haire with a boot to the midsection, and quickly dropped him with the Play of the Day! Skipper followed up by going after Daniels and Daffney, but they wisely jumped out of the ring. It looks like Low-Ki and Elix Skipper are going to remain a team as they fight against the Prophecy.


Match #2
The Hurricane vs. Abyss (w/ Shaniqua)
Our next match featured your favorite wrestling superhero and mine, The Hurricane, taking on Shaniqua's latest find, the absolutely massive Abyss. If there's one thing we've learned about The Hurricane, it's that he is always game. No matter how much the odds seem to be against him, you are guaranteed that the Man In Green is going to give it 110%. He may be lovable, but The Hurricane's one major problem is that I think sometimes he truly believes he does have super powers and doesn't realize what he's up against. As expected, The Hurricane gave it his all, but this Abyss is truly a dangerous man. It was as if he felt no pain. No matter what The Hurricane dished out, Abyss just absorbed it and crushed the superhero. In the end, Shaniqua watched on with a smile as Abyss had little trouble putting The Hurricane away with a swinging sidewalk slam that he calls the Black Hole Slam.

Abyss pinned The Hurricane with the Black Hole Slam in 0:04:07.
Rating: *** 1/4

I can only imagine where Shaniqua found this guy, but regardless, she has found a dangerous individual, and that can't be good for the rest of Global Championship Wrestling, especially the Hardy Boyz and the World's Greatest Tag Team.

* * * * *

[We cut backstage where we see the World Heavyweight champion Kurt Angle walking down the halls, which prompts a lot of boos from the fans. As Angle rounds the corner, we see Rey Mysterio Jr. finishing up a conversation with The Amazing Red. As Red is walking away, Mysterio catches sight of Angle. Angle sees Mysterio looking at him and stops.]

KA: What are you looking at?

RMJr.: I'm not looking at anything.

KA: You're darn tootin' you aren't!

RMJr.: Whatever you say, Kurt.

KA: What was that? I think you should show me a little more respect. After all, I am the GCW World Heavyweight champion. Oh it's true.

RMJr.: That's nice, Kurt, and yet somehow I'm not impressed.

KA: Oh you're not, are you?

RMJr.: Nope.

KA: You should be. I'm GCW's golden boy. Gold just seems to find its way to me. Didn't you have some gold for awhile there?

RMJr.: Yes I did.

KA: Yeah, that's right. The Cruiserweight Title, wasn't it?

RMJr.: Yeah, that's right.

KA: And where is that title now? [Mysterio doesn't respond.] Oh yeah! You lost it to some punk with a bowl haircut!

[The crowd actually laughs a bit at this, noting Paul London's hairstyle of choice.]

KA: For someone so small, you sure are a big loser!

RMJr.: First of all, Paul London is one of the best young superstars in the business. And second of all, I may not have been able to beat London last night, but I bet I could beat you here tonight!

[The crowd pops at the thought of Kurt Angle vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. here tonight.]

KA: Is that what you think? Awww... that's cute. You think you can beat me?

RMJr.: I know I can!

KA: How do you expect to beat me? What are you, 12!?

[Again, Angle gets an unexpected laugh.]

KA: Fine. If you're wanting to be humiliated that badly, you got it! [Crowd pops] Oh, but it's going to be a non-title match. [Crowd boos] Because to wrestle for the World HEAVYWEIGHT Title, you have to be at least this tall.

[Angle puts his hand just slightly above Mysterio's head. Angle laughs, but he stops laughing when Mysterio slaps his hand away.]

KA: Oh, it's on now!

RMJr.: Bring it, Kurt!

KA: Consider it brought!

[Angle starts at Mysterio, but before he can get at him, the GCW Official Brigade steps in to keep the two separated.]

KA: Nobody disrespects me, pipsqueak! You hear me? Nobody!

[We cut away as officials keep the two separated.]

* * * * *

* * * * *

[We cut from that scene to the locker room of Billy Kidman and brand new Cruiserweight champion Paul London. London is in street clothes and has the Cruiserweight Title over his shoulder. Billy Kidman is in his wrestling gear.]

BK: Congratulations, Paul. Or should I say, "Congratulations, Champ?"

PL: Thanks, Billy. I had to wrestle the best match of my life last night, but all the hard work paid off, and now I'm Cruiserweight champion.

BK: And I was wrong about Mysterio too. I guess he's a good guy after all.

PL: Yeah. I told you everything was cool.

BK: Yeah.

PL: But let's not worry about that! What we need to worry about is getting a little championship gold around your waist! [Kidman smiles.] Tonight's your big chance, buddy. I can see it in the wrestling headlines now. "Billy Kidman defeats Steve Bradley to become the GCW Television champion!"

BK: Let's not get carried away. I haven't won the title yet.

PL: But you're going to! No doubt in my mind!

BK: I swear if you jinx me...

PL: Don't worry about it.

BK: GCW Television champion Billy Kidman... has a nice ring to it.

[Kidman smiles as we cut back to the ring.]

* * * * *


Match #3
Brock Lesnar vs. Perry Saturn
Brock Lesnar has been tearing apart anybody and everybody who has crossed his path the past few weeks. The unfortunate soul to be in that most unenviable position this week was Perry Saturn. Saturn is a tough guy, no question about it. A former Army ranger, Saturn can take the fight to anybody and will never say die. That needed to be said in order for Lesnar's impressive display in this match to be put into perspective. Saturn got a little bit of offense in, but for the most part, Lesnar decimated Perry Saturn. Lesnar focused solely on Saturn's back, hitting many varying kinds of backbreaker. I could have swore a couple times that Lesnar had broken Saturn in half. After a few moments of torture, Lesnar locked Saturn in a bearhug and shook him as if he were a rag doll. Lesnar's brute strength was enough to make Saturn submit.

Brock Lesnar made Perry Saturn submit to a bearhug in 0:06:27.
Rating: ** 1/2

Lesnar refused to release the hold after the match, wrenching the bearhug on Saturn. Lesnar squeezed to the point that Saturn was now motionless. At this point, TOMMY DREAMER ran down and cracked Lesnar in the back of the head with a kendo stick! Why was Dreamer out here helping Saturn? Lesnar released Saturn and turned toward Dreamer only to be caught between the eyes with a kendo stick shot. A bit of blood started to trickle from Lesnar's forehead as Dreamer went for a third shot, but Lesnar caught the kendo stick in his hand and kicked Dreamer in the stomach. A moment later and Dreamer went crashing down to the mat with the F-5. Lesnar scanned over the carnage, looking to see what pain he was going to inflict next when MONTY BROWN ran down to the ring and got in Lesnar's face! The crowd was buzzing as Brown and Lesnar stood toe-to-toe. Brown was begging Lesnar to hit him, but in an unexpected move, Lesnar backed down and left the ring. The crowd got on Lesnar as he headed to the back. As we went to commercial, Monty Brown was standing in the ring, inviting Lesnar to join him while the Monster walked to the back.


Match #4
Television Title Match
Steve "Who's Your Daddy?" Bradley (c) vs. Billy Kidman
Billy Kidman's tag team partner Paul London took home his first championship in GCW by winning the Cruiserweight Title at Summer Sizzler. Kidman was looking to bring some more gold to the partnership, but he would have to find a way to defeat Steve "Who's Your Daddy?" Bradley of the Sensationals, the reigning Television champion. Kidman came out in this one firing all cylinders, pumped up at his chance to bring home some gold, but you'd be hard pressed to find anyone in GCW that can match the intensity of Steve Bradley these days. Kurt Angle certainly found a winner when he found this guy, and Bradley continues to prove how dangerous he is, taking care of Kidman tonight with the Smashmouth and making his first Television Title defense a successful one.

Steve Bradley pinned Billy Kidman with the Smashmouth in 0:05:14.
Rating: *** 1/4
(Steve Bradley retained the GCW Television Title.)

Kidman has all of the tools to be a champion in Global Championship Wrestling, but tonight was not his night. An excellent showing by Steve Bradley, and it looks as if the Sensationals won't be losing any more gold any time soon.

* * * * *

["VIVA LA RAZA!" pumps through the PA system, bringing Tempe, Arizona to its feet as here comes "Latino Heat" Eddie Guerrero! Out from the back rolls out a custom low rider with Guerrero inside. Guerrero plays to the crowd as he makes the car hop up and down via hydraulics. After a few hops, Eddie shuts off the car, gets out, and starts toward the ring. Guerrero slaps a few hands as he makes his way to the ring. His music dies out as he grabs a microphone.]

EG: It's good to be back in Tempe!

[Huge hometown mention crowd pop.]

EG: It's good to down here in Tempe on the campus of Arizona State University!

[Huge crowd pop.]

EG: If I'm not mistaken, Arizona State is a big time party school, huh?

[Another gigantic pop.]

EG: Some of the hottest girls in the world are right here in Tempe!

[Once again, the roof blows off the building. Latino Heat has the crowd eating out of his hand.]

EG: With this fantastic atmosphere, all these beautiful women, you'd think Latino Heat would be happy! But I'm not happy. No I'm not happy, holmes, because last night, Black Tiger got away! Last night me and the Heartbreak Kid had that vato right where we wanted him but he got away like a thief in the night! Mang, I need to know who this Black Tiger is. I need to figure out his identity, because I never beat the crap out of anyone that I don't know! Now I've been doing some research, doing a little investigating, and I think I've figured out who it is.

[The crowd is abuzz wanting to know who Black Tiger is.]

EG: Now I started by trying to figure out who it couldn't be. It obviously wasn't me, and it was Shawn Michaels. Not Chris Jericho, and it couldn't be those two Italian homies either because we fought them last week. Then I got to thinking. I said to myself, "Eddie, who has the most to gain from all of this?" Then it hit me, holmes, it hit me. Who has the most to gain? [Pause.] Chavo. At first, I didn't want to believe it. Chavito is family, and no matter what, you don't mess with family. So Chavito, why don't you come down here and explain yourself, essa'!?

[After a brief pause, we hear "OOOOOOOOOOH CHAVO!" bringing out the man in question, Eddie's nephew, Chavo Guerrero Jr. Chavo has an extremely puzzled looked on his face. Chavo grabs a microphone from ringside before jumping in the ring.]

CGJr.: What's the problem, Eddie?

EG: I gotta ask you the same thing.

CGJr.: Look, Eddie. If you think I'm this Black Tiger guy, you're wrong. I'm not Black Tiger!

EG: I want to believe that, Chavito, but it all adds up. Every time the Black Tiger has attacked, you haven't been around. Can you explain that?

CGJr.: I haven't been wrestling every show, Eddie. Chances are if I'm not around, I'm not even in the building.

EG: Yeah, okay, mang. That seems pretty convenient. But you have to admit that there is an awful lot of incentive for you to take me, holmes. It could b said you're a little jealous of me.

CGJr.: Whoa. Stop right there, Eddie. You're right; I'm not exactly thrilled with my position right now, but Eddie, we're family! We're Guerreros!

EG: Yeah, and what are Guerreros known for? We lie! We cheat! We steal! I know you, Chavito; you're not above all that.

CGJr.: I don't gotta sit here and listen to this. If you want to talk like a sensible human being, we can. But this is ridiculous.

[Chavo turns to leave, but Eddie snaps and nails him from behind, knocking Chavo to the mat! Eddie mounts Chavo and pummels him with right hands. Latino Heat picks Chavo up and drops him with a brain buster. The GCW Official Brigade runs down in an attempt to stop this, but Eddie Guerrero will have none of it, even punching one of the officials, which is sure to earn him a fine. Eddie slides under the bottom rope. Eddie grabs Chavo's foot and drags him out to the floor as well before slamming him shoulder first into the ringsteps. Latino Heat grabs Chavo by the head and walks him up the ramp toward the low rider he drove out. Eddie slams Chavo's head on the hood of the car before climbing onto the hood himself. Eddie lifts Chavo up and... BRAIN BUSTER ON THE HOOD OF THE CAR! Chavo Guerrero Jr. lies motionless on the hood of the car. Eddie Guerrero has lost it. All of the recent events with Black Tiger have taken their toll on Eddie Guerrero. He didn't even have proof and he did this to his own nephew. Officials take Eddie to the back while the medical staff checks on Chavo Guerrero Jr. Cut to commercial.]

* * * * *


Match #5
Booker T vs. Sean O'Haire (w/ Daffney)
Both Booker T and Sean O'Haire are coming off big wins at Summer Sizzler and looked to keep that momentum going as they faced each other in singles competition here on Explosion. O'Haire had a bandage on his head over the wound he suffered in the Elimination Tables Match, and it didn't take long for that wound to be opened up when Booker T caught him with a back elbow early. O'Haire wrestled the remainder of the match wearing the crimson mask, but in all honesty, in a sick way, I think he liked it. We had ourselves a very fast-paced match between two wrestlers with high impact offenses. For their size, both of these two can really move around the ring.

Despite his seemingly enjoyable experiencing with bleeding from the head, the loss of blood made O'Haire sluggish by the end and Booker took advantage of it when he caught the big man with a spinebuster, which caused Daffney to shriek at ringside. Booker T came back to his feet via the Spinaroonie, which popped the crowd. Booker T was in position for the Axe Kick, but before he could, the lights in the arena went down. After a brief moment, a golden light filled the arena. Uh oh. Rather than any strange gift being brought down to the ring, GOLDUST himself appeared on the GCW VideoTron and spoke directly to Booker T.

* * * * *

G: Oooh, Booker T. I love it when you get all sweaty from a HARD... fought match. You may have beaten me last night, but don't you dare think I'm going to let you go that easily. If you want to get rid of me, you are going to have to do more than beat me.... you're going to have to thoroughly SPANK me. When I'm done with you Booker, you will truly be a man, and you will never forget the name of [inhales deeply] ... Goldust.

* * * * *

And with that, the VideoTron went off and the lights returned to normal, but there is no denying just how creepy that was. Booker T was livid, but not as livid as he was going to be because O'Haire caught him in a huge powerslam and got the three count out of nowhere!

Sean O'Haire pinned Booker T after a powerslam in 0:10:16.
Rating: *** 1/2

Sean O'Haire had won the match, and Booker T was furious about it. When Booker regained his bearings, he made no hesitation running to the back in search of Goldust. With each passing weeks, Booker T grows angrier and angrier, and that could be very bad news for Goldust.


Match #6
The World's Greatest Tag Team vs. The Italian Stallions
Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas are back together, and by the looks of this match, they haven't missed a beat. And it's lucky for them that they were still able to work so crisply together, because despite being a goofy pairing, Chuck Palumbo and Mark Jindrak have shown that they are not to be taken lightly. What resulted was a solid competitive tag team match. The Italian Stallions used some nice double team power moves, showcasing their strength advantage over the World's Greatest Tag Team. But what WGTT was lacking in strength, they more than made up for with their tag team strategy and fluidness in the ring. Benjamin and Haas wrestled a perfect match, and in the end Benjamin caught Palumbo with the Dragon Whip and a three count followed.

The World's Greatest Tag Team (Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin) defeated The Italian Stallions (Chuck Palumbo and Mark Jindrak) when S. Benjamin pinned C. Palumbo with the Dragon Whip in 0:08:54.
Rating: ** 3/4

It was great to see Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin working together so well and pulling out a victory in this one. They weren't able to leave yet though as the World Tag Team champion Basham Brothers ran down to the ring and jumped the World's Greatest Tag Team. As the Bashams stomped away on Benjamin and Haas, THE HARDY BOYZ had seen enough and they slid into the ring to make the save! The Hardyz got the better of Doug and Danny, hitting each of them with the Poetry In Motion. Business really picked up then though as Shaniqua brought out the behemoth ABYSS! The Hardyz caught Abyss coming in the ring, but their offense had little effect as Abyss plowed them both with huge clotheslines. Abyss lifted Matt Hardy up and dropped him with the Black Hole Slam. Shelton Benjamin ran at Abyss, but he was caught with the Black Hole Slam as well. Jeff Hardy was next, followed by Charlie Haas, as Abyss single-handedly laid out both the Hardy Boyz and the World's Greatest Tag Team! Shaniqua's find has already paid dividends. With a behemoth like this on her side, will anyone be able to stop Shaniqua?


Match #7
Non-Title Match
Kurt Angle (World Heavyweight champion) vs. Rey Mysterio Jr.
This match came about as a result of a confrontation between Kurt Angle and Rey Mysterio Jr. where Angle insulted Mysterio several times before a match was made. From the onset of this match, it was obviously that the World Heavyweight champion was taking the much smaller Mysterio lightly. Angle's size allowed him the advantage early, but once Angle had things going his way, his ego started to come into play. Angle would bring Mysterio down with an armdrag or a hiptoss and would slap Mysterio around a bit. Angle continued to attempt armdrags and hiptosses, but when Mysterio started countering them with a variety of lucha-style arm throws, Angle became flustered.

Angle pulled the straps down and finally focused on the task at hand, absolutely brutalizing the former Cruiserweight champion for the next several minutes. One thing that opponents underestimate time and time again is Rey Mysterio Jr.'s heart. What he lacks in size he more than makes up for in his refusal to back down. Angle hit suplex after suplex after suplex on Mysterio, but Mysterio refused to be pinned. Eventually Angle got Mysterio in the Ankle Lock, and this one looked to be over. Mysterio fought it off though, getting back to a vertical based while still in the hold, propelled his weight forward sending Angle's throat crashing onto the middle rope! Mysterio mustered up the energy to hit the 6-1-9 on Angle, sending him back into the ring. Mysterio then hit the West Coast Pop, and in a huge upset, Rey Mysterio Jr. had pinned the World Heavyweight champion!

Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned Kurt Angle with the West Coast Pop in 0:09:30.
Rating: ****

The crowd exploded as Mysterio's music began to play. Kurt Angle had completely underestimated Rey Mysterio Jr., and it cost him in a big way as he suffered a clean defeat here on Explosion. As Mysterio celebrated his win, Angle's henchman STEVE BRADLEY ran to the ring with his trusty bat Mofo, but Mysterio wisely made a retreat from the ring. Kurt Angle as absolutely fuming in the ring that he had been pinned, and I don't think he's going to let this one die for a long time. An excellent win by Rey Mysterio Jr.

* * * * *

[When we return from commercial, the first thing we see is a close-up shot on "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels. At the bottom of the screen, it reads, "LIVE from San Antonio, Texas." The interview is conducted by play-by-play announcer Joey O'Donnell and color commentator Brian Wagner.]

JO: We are now joined by "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels, coming to us via satellite from his home in San Antonio, Texas. First of all, thanks for joining us, Shawn.

HBK: No problem, Joey.

JO: The first thing I have to ask is how is your back feeling?

HBK: It's certainly felt better, that's for sure. [Laughs] No, it's bugging me quite a bit right now. Since I've returned to wrestling, I've known that the back was going to give me some problems at some point. I guess that point is now.

BW: Now Shawn, you couldn't have been stupid enough to think that when you came back to the ring that your back was going to have a huge bullseye on it. I mean, your back problems is the worst kept secret in wrestling!

HBK: I'm very aware of that. But last night, Chris Jericho crossed the line. There's a huge difference between somebody working over my back during a match, trying to win a match, and hitting me in the back with a steel chair. Jericho wasn't just trying to protect Black Tiger. He was trying to maliciously take me out, retire good ol' H-B-K. Well I got news for you, JACK! Don't hunt what you can't kill!

JO: How long do you expect to be out of commission?

HBK: Doctors told me last night that I needed a little bit of rest, but I can guarantee you one thing, when I get back, Chris Jericho is going to wish that he had never been born! I'm down but I'm not out!

BW: But aren't you afraid that Chris Jericho is going to kick your ass yet again?

HBK: Kick my ass? Kick my ass! That's a good one, Brian. You're a funny guy. Kick my ass... we'll just see who's kicking whose ass.

JO: Thanks for your time, Shawn.

HBK: Yeah.

JO: Shawn Michaels, ladies and gentlemen.

[We cut back to the ring.]

* * * * *


Match #8
MAIN EVENT
North American Title Match
Lance Storm (c) (w/ Dawn Marie) vs. "Y2J" Chris Jericho
Lance Storm was still riding high after winning the North American Title one night ago, but he would have to bring his A-game if he hoped to keep his title tonight against "Y2J" Chris Jericho. If there's anybody who knows Chris Jericho, it's Lance Storm, and vice versa. These two trained together when they first broke into the business, being the only two to make it out of their class at the Hart Family Dungeon. Both men also wrestled their very first match ever against the other, and now they're meeting several years later for the North American Title.

As you would expect out of these two, it was a great technical match. Lance Storm isn't flashy, but he knows his way around a ring better than almost anybody, and with the added addition of Dawn Marie in his corner, he has put it all together. Jericho is always dangerous though, and has shown time and time again that there is no action too devious for Y2J to try to pick up a victory. He showed us that again tonight after head referee Jimmy Appleseed was knocked out by an errant spinning leg lariat from Lance Storm. Storm went to check on the ref's condition, which allowed Jericho to hit him with a low blow. After following up on Storm with a sleeperhold mat slam, Jericho went to the outside and grabbed the North American Title and brought it into the ring. Jericho was about to clock Storm when Dawn Marie interjected, putting herself right in the line of fire! Jericho was frustrated, yelling at Dawn Marie to get out of the way. She finally did as Storm had made it back to his feet. Jericho went to hit Storm with the title belt, but Storm caught him under the chin with a superkick! Storm picked up the North American Title and he belted Jericho in the face with it! Storm slid the title out to Dawn Marie as Jimmy Appleseed was up to count the 3 count!

Lance Storm defeated Chris Jericho via pinfall in 0:16:01.
Rating: ****
(Lance Storm retained the GCW North American Title.)

Chris Jericho's cheating ways backfired on him big time tonight, costing him the North American Title. Dawn Marie has once again proved to be a trusty ally for Lance Storm, putting her neck on the line to help her charge win. A great match to end a great night of action.
91Posted on 10/26/04 at 22:47:34

YEAH! One thing that worried me about the PPV was that the Booker/Goldust angle was blown off with Booker getting the clean win, but since this one has legs yet, I'm glad it's continuing.

Rey Mysterio, that came out of NOWHERE! I can't see him being the guy who dethrones Angle but if this is treated right, it could solidify Rey in the upper echelons of the card for good. Which is good.

Good debut for Abyss - hopefully this one lasts a bit longer than Doug Williams did  ;) but a good mid-card monster can always give a lot of people something to work with.

And finally the main did a good job of making Lance Storm look like a real deal sort of guy, a bit like when Chris Benoit won at Backlash this year. I see a long reign in store for him...
Snabbit888Posted on 10/26/04 at 22:56:27

Yeah, Booker/Goldust is too good to blow off that quickly.  Got some stuff still planned for this one.

Yeah... I didn't want Mysterio saddled with the Cruiserweight Title for too long, and felt Paul London was a good choice to dethrone him.  A clean pinfall over the World champion immediately solidifies him as a major player.

Yeah... well... I didn't exactly plan on Doug Williams tearing his ACL, so back off! :)

Anybody who knows me knows I'm a huge Lance Storm mark.  I liked the main event because it made Storm look strong without Jericho looking too weak, IMO.  I'm happy with how this card came across.
91Posted on 10/26/04 at 23:25:39

Yeah, you could even say the main event really worked because it comes across as looking like Storm got a decisive victory over a major player while Jericho didn't look like he got a decisive defeat, if that makes sense.