WWE: The Gorilla Position ~ Vol. II

[Haskell]

The segment with Goldberg & JR was perfect from start to finish. It added more petrol to the fire regarding Austin vs Goldberg, and it made Goldberg look like a proper sadistic heel.



I’m glad you’re ending the Kane/RVD/Corino/Sean O Haire story. It’s been a great read, but it’s now time for the story to be wrapped up. Hopefully you’ll pull the trigger on Kane turning on RVD and unmasking.



Batista and Randy Orton attacking Stevie Ray was brilliant. Like Goldberg assaulting JR, it’s elevated the feud between Booker T and Evolution to a new level, and the involvement of HBK has kept the story interesting. It was nice to see a cameo from Dusty Rhodes as well, revisiting his iconic rivalry with Flair.



Finally, Jericho on commentary should be hysterical.

 

[EZ3]

Author's Note: We crossed over 20,000 views since the last show. Big thank you to everyone who has read, viewed and commented throughout the last 15 months since we began. Super appreciated and hope that you're enjoying the weekly shows as we approach what I consider a major milestone in SummerSlam. Slowly but surely getting to the biggest party of the summer - and I hope to keep up the pace I've had with shows recently.

SmackDown! - July 10, 2003 Preview
Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario
Broadcast on UPN

"The Unbreakable Vow"​

The landscape of SmackDown continues to evolve as the road to Vengeance reaches yet another pitstop. From the Air Canada Centre, the hottest show on network television is back once again for an action-packed show. The thrilling best-of-seven series between the World’s Greatest Tag Team and Los Guerreros enters the fourth inning this week. Things took a turn last week when Eddie and Chavo Guerrero were able to secure their first-ever victory over the WWE Tag Team Champions. It occurred after a miscue involving Charlie Haas, Paul Heyman and the WWE Tag Team Title, but the result saw Los Guerreros take advantage and steal the victory. The scoreboard now reads 2-1, and this week, Los Guerreros have a major opportunity to tie up the series heading into the fifth bout next week. A loss here for the challengers would put them in a big hole of 3-1, and almost secure victory for the World’s Greatest with only one win required to end the series at that point. Who will win the fourth match and control momentum heading into next week?

After becoming the number one contender last week, Billy Kidman thought he’d be spending the next three weeks preparing for a match at Vengeance with John Cena. However, the WWE United States Champion had a completely different idea. The 2003 King of the Ring and current US Champion, declared that he was not impressed by Billy Kidman’s efforts against Rey Mysterio, refusing to wait until the upcoming pay-per-view. Instead, Cena told the world that he would only defend the WWE United States Title on SmackDown against Kidman, citing his belief that Kidman didn’t deserve the payday of wrestling the ‘Man of the Hour’ on a big stage like Vengeance. Tonight, Billy Kidman will get the opportunity to prove John Cena wrong. The former WWE Cruiserweight Champion can add another notch to his career by defeating the fastest rising star on SmackDown and send himself to Vengeance as the champion.

We will also see another bout with direct title implications when Rhyno takes on two members of the FBI! It’s an unusual set of circumstances where a man is fighting in a match to earn someone else a title opportunity, but that’s what we’ve got this week. Following the vicious attack at a restaurant against Rhyno and Spanky by masked thugs last week, the time for talk is over. For legal reasons, we must repeat that the FBI has denied all association with the individuals who attacked Rhyno and Spanky at the restaurant. Rhyno steps into the ring against Chuck Palumbo and Johnny Stamboli from the Full Blooded Italians. If Rhyno can overcome the numbers advantage given up to the FBI, he will secure a title match for Spanky at Vengeance. Spanky and Nunzio have been going back and forth for weeks, and we know that Nunzio wants no part of Spanky with the WWE Cruiserweight Title on the line.

Finally, we will hear from the hometown boy in Edge! With SmackDown taking place in his hometown of Toronto - Edge will be live in the arena to address his most loyal fans. It has been a wild few weeks for Edge as he competed in the triple threat match for the number one contendership to the WWE Title - falling just short. His beef with Brock Lesnar intensified last week when the two stars came to blows and had to be pulled apart by security. They’ll meet in three weeks at Vengeance with the chance to face the WWE Champion at SummerSlam on the line. It has been well documented that Edge has his sights set on becoming a World Champion - the one thing he has yet to do in the WWE. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Could this be the first in Edge’s journey to becoming WWE Champion?

Confirmed For SmackDown:
John Cena [c] vs. Billy Kidman - WWE United States Championship
World’s Greatest Tag Team vs. Los Guerreros - Match 4: Best of Seven Series (2-1)
Rhyno vs. Full Blooded Italians - 2 on 1 Handicap Match
Plus; Mark Henry will open SmackDown to address the WWE fans!

 

[EZ3]

SmackDown! - July 10, 2003
Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario
Broadcast on UPN

"The Unbreakable Vow"​

*OPENING VIDEO*

*PYRO*

SmackDown opened this week with the appearance of the World’s Strongest Man, Mark Henry. He won a brutal Boiler Room brawl last week against Kevin Nash. On the long walk to the ring, Henry did his best not to show any grimace or pain on his face from the battle he faced last week. Ever the intimidating force as he entered the ring and mean-mugged the hard camera in front of the audience. The crowd booed loudly as Mark Henry paced around the squared circle for a moment. His eyes looked over the packed arena that showered him with boos and chants of ‘HO-GAN’ throughout the Air Canada Centre. After a few moments, Henry cut straight to the point and told every fan in the building to shut up. That drew more ire from the Canadians. Henry said he knew he wouldn’t be a popular man in Canada. This is the country that loves losers. They are losers, and they hate winners. That’s what he was - a winner. He reminded the crowd that they were nothing more than America’s little brother and that he’d ‘big brother’ all of them if he wanted. He could slap them all around, and they wouldn’t be able to do a damn thing to stop him.

Henry continued to antagonise the audience with his description of events last week. He blasted Kevin Nash for sticking up for his friend. It was a stupid move, according to Henry, and one that Nash would live to regret when his body never recovered from the beating he took last week. There was no reason for him to stick his nose in Henry’s business. He wanted that to be a warning to every member of the SmackDown roster: do not mess with the World’s Strongest Man. He spoke about feeling disrespected for years in the WWE. If Kevin Nash had feared him, as he should have given his accomplishments, he would never have stepped up to him. The idea that Nash thought he could challenge the World’s Strongest Man means that he didn’t respect who the hell he was stepping up to! He had been paraded around as some sort of joke - he had lowered himself to be a parody of the real man that stood in the ring now. From ‘Sexual Chocolate’ to the World’s Strongest Man… Mark Henry was as real as it gets now. “Who is laughing at me now?” He shouted passionately that the time for jokes was over. He was here to dominate everyone on SmackDown, and he sent the biggest message of all when he took out Hulk Hogan. That drew major heat from the audience. Henry didn’t care. He knew that the audience here loved Hogan, but when he felt the Immortal’s ribs break under his power - “It felt, oh, so good!”

As Henry continued to threaten the locker room members, the arena erupted in cheers. It was not for anything Henry had said, but for the music and images that lit up the titantron. Around the Air Canada Centre, the audience went crazy as “Real American” was blasting throughout the building. The man inside the squared circle went from looking cold and calculated to appearing worried. His eyes darted to the stage for the arrival of Hulk Hogan! The Immortal was back on Thursday Night SmackDown for the first time since the vicious attack by Mark Henry on June 12. It had been four long weeks since the Hulkster was on WWE television, but he was back! The audience couldn’t contain their excitement as Hogan pointed toward the ring and raised his hands to the heavens, calling for their support and power for what was to come. Inside the ring, Henry threw the microphone to the outside and challenged Hogan to come and get some again. With the crowd cheering him on, Hulk Hogan charged down to the ring and went toe to toe with the World’s Strongest Man. Each punch from the Hulkster drew huge cheers as Henry sold it like it was a shot from a cannon.

The fight inside the ring did not last long. Hogan backed Henry up into the ropes, took a few steps back and then charged forward with a clothesline. Henry went over the top rope and fell to the floor, stumbled back and retreated to midway up the entrance ramp. The ovation inside the ring only grew louder as Hulk Hogan ripped off his t-shirt and posed - many in the building were standing and mimicking the actions of the longtime hero. Before his music played again to close out the segment, Hogan demanded a microphone and told Henry that this was not over. He spent four weeks at home recovering from having his ribs broken, and after seeing what Henry did to his friend last week, he knew that the time was now to get back to SmackDown. He would not let this bully hurt those he cared about, and it was time that the Hulkster shut Henry’s mouth for good! Hogan revealed that he had spoken to Stephanie McMahon earlier in the day and had passed his medical exam. That meant he was cleared to compete in this ring again! Henry did not look pleased when Hogan announced that they would face off in three weeks at Vengeance - live on pay-per-view! A huge announcement, the in-ring return of the Immortal and a major clash with the World’s Strongest Man!

…

*Commercial Break*

…

Match 1 | SINGLES MATCH | WWE UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP:
John Cena (with Paul Heyman) vs. Billy Kidman
In the opening match of SmackDown this week, we are set to see the WWE United States Championship on the line. After earning this opportunity last week with a win over Rey Mysterio, Billy Kidman receives a fair pop from the live crowd as he enters the ring. There’s a bit of a delay before the champion enters, playing mind games with the challenger. Accompanied by the ‘OG’ Paul Heyman, John Cena appeared with the title belt firmly strapped around his waist to a chorus of boos from the audience. Never one to go into battle alone, Cena has demanded that Heyman be allowed to be at ringside during this title defence for the 2003 King of the Ring. When the bell rings, Cena immediately dives to the outside of the ring and enters into a discussion with Heyman, leaving Kidman rolling his eyes inside the squared circle in amusement.

Throughout the match, Cena would roll to the outside and have a chat with Heyman whenever it looked like momentum was building for Kidman. This created frustration for Kidman, who kept having to restart his attacks, and gave Cena the chance to take control outside the ring. Cole and Tazz pointed out that the outside of the ring area favoured Cena due to his “street knowledge” being from the mean streets of West Newbury. There were a few nearfalls for both men, and at one point, Kidman rolled through on an Attitude Adjustment attempt into a roll up, which got a 2.9 count from the zebra calling the action. Ultimately, the finish of this match saw Cena and Kidman battling on the outside of the ring. Cena shoved Kidman into the announce desk, which caused his back to smack into the hard edge. While Cena got back into the ring at a count of 5, Kidman began to sell the damage until the count was at 8. The challenger staggered toward the ring to enter, but Heyman dove onto the ground, grabbed Kidman’s foot and held him back from sliding underneath the bottom rope! Kidman wasn’t able to beat the count!
Winner: And STILL WWE United States Champion - John Cena @ 09:53

The crowd was furious at the finish of the title match. Paul Heyman had cost Billy Kidman the chance to get back into the ring and forced the referee to issue a count of ten. Inside the squared circle, John Cena couldn’t help but smile at what had just happened. He raised his hands in the air in celebration, calling for his title belt as the referee looked to hand it over. While Cena was celebrating, the scene on the outside of the ring was far less joyful. Billy Kidman realised what had just happened and turned his attention to the man lying flat on his stomach on the ground, clutching his leg. Kidman leaned down and pulled Heyman to his feet, his hands around the collar of the OG. In desperation, Heyman screamed that he was just a manager and shouldn’t be touched. He pleaded that he made a mistake and that he wouldn’t get involved again. Kidman played to the audience as he raised a fist into the air.

Suddenly, Cena grabbed Kidman from behind - but the former fired off a shot first! Cena stumbled back as Kidman grabbed him by the head and threw him across the announce desk, crashing into the seats of Cole and Tazz. In the scuffle, Paul Heyman had run away and was now standing on the opposite side of the ring. That left Kidman alone with the ‘Man of the Hour’ and full of frustration for what had just happened. Kidman ripped off the top of the announce desk, bounced Cena’s head into it multiple times, before placing the champion across it. To a huge roar, Kidman returned to the ring and climbed the turnbuckle. The fans around the building all stop as one. Billy Kidman was perched on the top rope, and he dove from there right through the announce desk - crashing into Cena! The announce desk exploded into pieces as Cena ate the full impact of the elbow drop! Replays were shown repeatedly as Cole and Tazz called it an incredible sight. Kidman would then stagger to his feet and hold the WWE United States Title in the air amongst the wreckage.

…

*Commercial Break*

…

Upon our return from the commercial break, Michael Cole and Tazz are shown sitting on their chairs at the announce area - minus the desk itself, having been destroyed in the previous segment. Cole and Tazz cover the damage that had just taken place and announce that, by order of Stephanie McMahon, we will see John Cena defend the WWE United States Championship against Billy Kidman at Vengeance, but this time it will be a Lumberjack Match. Cole highlights how superstars from SmackDown will surround the ring during the bout, which will stop Paul Heyman from getting involved and force Cena to stay within the squared circle. That match takes place in just over 3 weeks!

_____________________________________​

After the brief segment with Tazz and Michael Cole, we cut to a pre-recorded video package that showed the WWE Champion, The Rock, appearing on David Letterman this past week. The biggest star in all of professional wrestling was the headlining guest for The Late Show with David Letterman on CBS, and appeared with the WWE Championship on full display. During the interview, The Rock promoted both Thursday Night SmackDown and the upcoming WWE Vengeance pay-per-view, where he will defend the most coveted title in sports entertainment against the Olympic Gold Medalist, Kurt Angle. Letterman asked The Rock why he keeps coming back to the WWE, considering he could be a movie star and not have to take the bumps and bruises that are so common in the world of wrestling.

In response, The Rock corrected David Letterman; he couldn’t be a movie star - he IS a movie star. He’s the blockbuster, he’s the headliner both inside the ring and outside of the ring. He reminded David that the title on his lap didn’t just mean he was the face of the WWE, but it meant that he was the toughest man in the world as well. The WWE Title was what he lived for. It had fed his family for generations, and holding it made him not only the man in the WWE but also the leader of his family. Hollywood is full of people who act tough, but The Rock is tough, he is hardened, and he is as hungry and dangerous as ever. He wanted people all over the world to tune into Vengeance and see him whoop Kurt Angle’s ass all over the ring. “It doesn’t get more legit than an Olympian, and The Rock can’t wait to leave him flat on his back yet again.”

_____________________________________​

The show then moved to the office of the SmackDown General Manager, Stephanie McMahon. Inside the office, McMahon was joined by Matt Hardy. The two of them discussed the events of last week, including Shannon Moore turning on his childhood friend. There was clear as day frustration on the face of Matt Hardy. He was still burning from the betrayal and had forgone his previous ‘V1’ t-shirt for a newly printed ‘Stronger Than Death’ t-shirt for his new merch. Hardy wanted to get his hands on Shannon Moore tonight, but McMahon advised that she couldn’t fulfil that due to having already set up all the matches for this evening. What she could do is provide Matt the opportunity to get his hands on the turncoat in just over three weeks at Vengeance. Hardy approved of the match-up and agreed to meet Shannon Moore on pay-per-view.

Before the segment could come to an end, Kurt Angle entered the office and asked if Stephanie had a minute to talk. She thanked Matt Hardy for coming to see her, and he took his leave, allowing Angle to have a one-on-one chat with the General Manager. Angle wanted to discuss what was in place to secure the WWE Title match at Vengeance. When questioned about what he meant by that, Angle said he had rewatched all of The Rock’s title defences on pay-per-view since he won the gold and every single time there had been involvement from the Samoan Death Squad. While Angle wasn’t afraid of the SDS, nor did he think they could stop him from winning the title, he didn’t want them getting involved in the main event at Vengeance. Stephanie McMahon assured Kurt that she would speak with The Rock and his cousins over the next three weeks and make it very clear what the expectations were for Vengeance. Interference from the SDS would not be tolerated, especially in a title match as big as The Rock and Kurt Angle. In closing, Angle thanked Stephanie as the two of them shook hands.

_____________________________________​

Elsewhere, Paul Heyman sat on a chair, tapping his foot against the ground. He was in deep thought, almost as if he was stressed about something. After a few moments, Heyman stood as the World’s Greatest Tag Team approached the door; he was sitting just outside waiting for them. When the WWE Tag Team Champions arrived, they offered a cold greeting to their manager. Tensions were still high from last week when Heyman accidentally threw the title belt to Chavo Guerrero instead of Charlie Haas. This was immediately brought up by Paul Heyman, who did his best to slime his way out of the situation. He blamed the Guerreros for having the nerve to use a title belt to cheat - even though that’s what his team were trying to do. Heyman argued that the mistake Benjamin and Haas made was stooping to the level of the Guerreros instead of maintaining the highest standard that they are accustomed to for a team with a name as powerful as the World’s Greatest!

In response, Shelton Benjamin dismissed the idea that it was Haas and himself who made the mistake. Haas reminded Heyman that he threw the title to Chavo, which knocked him out and caused them to lose to the Guerreros for the first time in five matches. If not for that screw-up, the World’s Greatest would’ve swept Los Guerreros, and the series would be ending this week. Instead, they now had to wrestle at least one extra match, and now Eddie and Chavo were running around SmackDown, thinking they had a chance to tie things up this week. Heyman quipped, “Is that you two talking or did you get these ideas from somewhere else?” Benjamin wanted to know what that meant, and Heyman said he saw the two of them meeting with Kurt Angle last week. He warned the tag champions that listening to the advice from Kurt Angle didn’t make them champions - it was Heyman who did. That didn’t sit well with either Haas or Benjamin, and they advised Heyman that tonight, they’d go it alone against Los Guerreros and show everyone that they didn’t need anyone backing them up. Heyman watched them walk into the locker room and muttered, “I’ve got to speak with John about this.”

…

*Commercial Break*

…

Match 2 | SINGLES MATCH:
Rhyno (with Spanky) vs. FBI (with Nunzio)
During the entrance of Rhyno, our commentary team went over the build to this big stakes bout. They spent a lot of time going over the hit against Rhyno and Spanky at the restaurant last week, and how the FBI had claimed no association with the individuals who executed the attack. This would be a two-on-one handicap match with Stamboli and Palumbo representing the Full Blooded Italians, and Nunzio was on commentary for the match. The WWE Cruiserweight Champion continued to deny that he had any involvement in the attack and said that he had no reason to fear the likes of Spanky. He had defeated Billy Kidman, the unstoppable champion in singles action, and was now the Don of the WWE. He wasn’t afraid of a geek like Spanky taking his title. In terms of in-ring action, the match was fairly short, just breaking five minutes. It started with the heels using their numbers to gain the advantage. Rhyno would have to rally against the FBI, and through determination and grit, he was able to hit the Gore on both men. It was a solid pop from the crowd when Palumbo was hit with the Gore, spilled to the outside, while Stamboli was then nailed with one himself. This time, Stamboli was the legal man, and Rhyno hooked the leg for the victory, much to the dismay of Nunzio on commentary, screaming - “NO!” at the top of his lungs when the bell rang.
Winner: Rhyno @ 5:07 - Spanky Will Challenge For The WWE Cruiserweight Title At Vengeance

With that victory, the date was set for Vengeance. Spanky rushed into the ring and hugged Rhyno, who wasn’t overly warm as you would expect for the man nicknamed the War Machine. In his excitement, Spanky ran around the ring, pumping his fist in the air and shouting in celebration of his friend’s victory. Rhyno was also fired up, pointing at the downed members of the FBI as they rolled to the outside with Nunzio, and warned that they weren’t done getting payback. On the outside of the ring, Nunzio yelled at his men to get up to their feet as he stomped by, his title hanging in his hand, a concerned look across his face.

…

*Commercial Break*

…

{/SECOND HOUR}

At the top of the second hour of SmackDown, the roof came off the building for the arrival of the hometown boy! Through thick smoke at the top of the stage, Edge emerged dressed in jeans and a shirt. He ran back and forth at the top of the stage, firing up the audience, shouting at them to let him hear their voices. Our commentary duo hyped up Edge’s return home, calling it a proud moment for the Canadian to be back in Toronto, the city he grew up in and dreamed of being a professional wrestler. Once Edge entered the ring, he was joined by Michael Cole, who thanked him for taking the time to be here. Edge made it clear that there is nowhere else in the world he would rather be than standing in the ring on Thursday Night SmackDown in front of the fans in Toronto, Canada - cheap pop. Cole focused on the upcoming match with Brock Lesnar with his first two questions. Describing it as the biggest match in Edge’s career, in a year that had seen Edge continually face new challenge after new challenge.

According to Edge, he was ready for Vengeance and to get the chance to knock Lesnar’s ego down a peg or two. That drew a few ‘Ohs’ from the crowd. Edge smiled, asking the crowd if they thought that Brock might walk down to the ring if Edge pissed him off? There was a laugh from Edge. He said he could say whatever he wanted in this ring, and Lesnar could do nothing about it. He looked at Cole, asking if he knew why. After a shake of the head from Michael Cole, Edge revealed that Brock Lesnar wasn’t here tonight. This drew a big rush of boos from the audience. No doubt frustrated that such a big name was absent from the show this week. Edge argued that if Brock Lesnar wanted to be here, he would be, but the ‘Next Big Thing’ couldn’t stomach the plane ride across the border. Looking into the camera, Edge spoke directly to Brock - “Don’t worry, big man. Nobody in Toronto misses you anyway.” Relating it to champions of the past, Edge listed several names who had been WWE Champions and outlined the physical schedule that had been famous in the WWE. He called Brock weak of mind and weak of body, putting out that if Lesnar couldn’t hack getting on a plane to Toronto to be the face of SmackDown, then he should stand aside for someone who could.

Edge declared that this was what he had dreamed of all his life. He didn’t want to be a football player or a hockey player. Unlike Brock Lesnar, this wasn’t his second choice. The only thing he wanted to be was a professional wrestler. From the day he sat in the crowd, just like the fans here tonight are, back at WrestleMania 6, when he saw Hogan and Warrior collide. This was his dream! In just three weeks, he had a chance to become the number one contender for the one title in this business he had never held. He had been a tag champion and had held singles titles as well, but what drove him more than anything was the opportunity to become a World Champion. He reminded Michael Cole of his battle with The Undertaker at WrestleMania, claiming to have come closer than anyone to defeating him on the grandest stage of them all. That’s where his focus and drive kicked into another gear. When he saw what a main eventer was like, to stand across from a legend at WrestleMania, it didn’t make Edge feel lesser than; it inspired him to strive for that. Edge looked out to the crowd, he made a promise - “I want to make a deal with all of you here, tonight. I promise you all, the next time I wrestle for a World Championship one-on-one, I’m going to win it. That is my vow to all of you!”

Pounding his chest, Edge focused on the camera and spoke directly to Brock Lesnar. “You may have ascended this business faster than anyone I’ve ever seen, Brock. But you are not unstoppable inside this ring. You rose like a meteor to the top of this industry, but you can fall just as fast. At Vengeance, I will show the world that the Next Big Thing is nothing more than the Next Big Bitch! Don’t think for a second that I’m saying this because you’re not here. I’ll be on SmackDown next week - hopefully you can drag your sorry excuse for a professional out of your house and come to work. I’ll meet you down in this ring again, and I’ll say it to your face. Just remember this, before you start planning some rematch with The Rock. It’s you and me, Brock! I’ll see you at Vengeance… and I’m going to kick your ass!”

…

*Commercial Break*

…

Once again, we find ourselves back in the office of the General Manager. This time, however, Stephanie is not joined by someone speaking respectfully. In stark contrast, Jim Cornette interrupts McMahon, bursting into the office with Umaga Fatu following behind him. Before the General Manager can speak, Cornette explodes with a list of complaints and demands for what he has seen over the last few weeks. He said that Kurt Angle had no reason to put his hands on the WWE Champion. In somewhat comedic fashion, Cornette pulls out a contract and begins to cite clauses that would see Kurt Angle stripped of the number one contendership and void the bout with The Rock at Vengeance. After a full minute of Cornette ranting like a lunatic, Stephanie McMahon asked to see the document. He handed it over smugly, as if he had gotten one over the General Manager.

She reviewed it for a moment and then ripped it down the middle, to a roar from the crowd, while Cornette’s jaw dropped. With an air of authority, McMahon stated that those rules dated back to the days of Jack Tunney’s reign as President. Last time she checked, this was SmackDown, and it was her show. Kurt Angle was the number one contender, he would stay the number one contender, and he would face The Rock for the WWE Title at Vengeance, regardless of what Jim Cornette had to say! Cornette was furious; he pointed to the large Samoan behind him, telling McMahon she was lucky that Umaga was so well behaved because with a snap of his fingers, he could unleash hell in this office. However, since he was a businessman, Cornette wouldn’t do that. Instead, he wanted the chance to unleash Umaga on Kurt Angle next week. McMahon granted this with glee. She approved the match and said that she’d inform Kurt Angle to be prepared to face Umaga Fatu next week on SmackDown.

_____________________________________​

Match 3 | TAG TEAM MATCH | MATCH FOUR (BEST OF SEVEN SERIES; 2-1):
World’s Greatest Tag Team vs. Los Guerreros
For the first time in the series, Paul Heyman is not at ringside with the World’s Greatest Tag Team. It is a rare sight that we have not seen from Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas since before WrestleMania 19. After many months with Heyman by their side, the World’s Greatest have decided to go it alone after the events of last week, which saw them drop a match in this series. They are determined and make the walk with straight faces, showing no emotion. In contrast, Los Guerreros play to the crowd; they look excited and are thriving off the victory last week. Tonight, they have the chance to tie up the series and send this series into a huge fifth match next week. When the bout begins, Eddie and Charlie Haas lock up in the centre of the ring, and Eddie can spin from and hit a dropkick to the back, sending Haas falling into the ropes. In typical Guerrero fashion, Eddie jumps onto the top turnbuckle in the opposite corner and lies across it, posing for the applause of the crowd.

As the match progresses on the show, we begin to hear announcements from the commentators that segments are being cut from the broadcast due to time constraints. By the end of the match, we’re told that two matches that were supposed to occur tonight have been put off until next month. After thirty minutes of action, Stephanie McMahon appeared in the lower third and, with a brief chat with Cole, advised that SmackDown would stay with this fourth match in the series until we had a winner. There would be no time limit, and she would allow it to run as long as needed until we had a clear victor. This was by far the longest match in the series, reaching forty-five minutes in total, with both teams being exhausted by the end of the action. We got numerous false finishes, including a frog splash by Eddie, which would’ve been the end of it, but Haas was able to break up the pin count by ripping the referee from the ring. World’s Greatest got a close call when Benjamin hit a T-Bone suplex off the top rope on Chavo, but Eddie Guerrero flew through the air with a senton from the ring apron onto the pair of them at 2.9. Our commentary team called this one of the great tag team bouts on network television, praising both teams for what they were doing. In the end, Benjamin would hit the Dragon Whip kick into a T-Bone combination, exploding with power on Eddie Guerrero for the three count to a huge roar from the audience.
Winners: World’s Greatest Tag Team @ 45:05 - (Series Score: 3-1)

They had proven that they did not need Paul Heyman at ringside to get the job done. While it may have taken a little longer than expected, the World’s Greatest now held a 3-1 advantage in the series against their arch rivals. The WWE Tag Team Champions now only needed one victory to end the series, retain the titles and force Los Guerreros to disband forever. In the aftermath of the marathon match, neither team rushes to their feet. Benjamin and Haas can barely stand to celebrate their victory; instead, they lean against the ropes and fist-bump. On the outside of the ring, Los Guerreros look dejected. Eddie almost has tears in his eyes as he looks at the titantron, seeing the scoreboard with 3-1 written in big bold letters, summing up the situation he has put the team into. The show would come to a close, Michael Cole thanking everyone for joining us on this unique episode of SmackDown, where this one match ran long and forced a reshuffle. You never know what will happen in the WWE!

END OF SHOW

***

Current Card for Vengeance:
Date: July 27, 2003
Location: Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado

WWE Championship Match:
WWE Champion, The Rock defends against;
Olympic Gold Medalist, Kurt Angle

!! WINNER FACES THE WWE CHAMPION AT SUMMERSLAM !!
Number One Contendership Match:
Edge vs. Brock Lesnar

~BEST OF SEVEN SERIES: MATCH 7 (ONLY IF REQUIRED) (3-1)~
WWE Tag Team Championship Match:
World’s Greatest Tag Team [c] vs. Los Guerreos

WWE United States Championship Match:
~ Lumberjack Match ~
King of the Ring, John Cena [c] (with Paul Heyman) vs. Billy Kidman

WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match:
Nunzio [c] vs. Spanky

Singles Match:
Matt Hardy vs. Shannon Moore

Singles Match:
Mark Henry vs. Hulk Hogan​

 

[Haskell]

The Hogan/Mark Henry segment was okay, but I wish that Hogan’s hiatus was a bit longer. The reason I say that is because Hogan/Henry deserves to be on a bigger stage, AKA SummerSlam. Also, it shouldn’t be a typical singles bout. If I were you, Hogan/Henry would be a Last Man Standing or a I Quit match. Still, you did a great job with Hogan’s return.



A tug of war between Kurt Angle and John Cena/Paul Heyman over the WGTT seems intriguing as hell. The Kidman match was a bit of a disappointment, but Kidman nailing Cena through the announce table with a Shooting Star Press was a brilliant way for the US Title to be taken seriously.



Edge’s hometown promo was decent. I could honestly see a Lesnar heel turn, given how brilliant you’ve booked Edge as a face. If you were to pull the trigger on Lesnar going heel at Vengeance, I wouldn’t be against it.



Finally, the third WGTT/Los Guerreros match was a masterclass in Tag Team wrestling. You should be proud about the way you’ve booked the best of 7 series so far, and it’s something that Tony Khan probably would do in AEW.



Can’t wait for RAW, and the first proper confrontation between Stone Cold and Goldberg.

 

[EZ3]

Thanks for the comments, as always. I thought I'd take a second to respond to two things.

The Hogan/Mark Henry segment was okay, but I wish that Hogan’s hiatus was a bit longer. The reason I say that is because Hogan/Henry deserves to be on a bigger stage, AKA SummerSlam. Also, it shouldn’t be a typical singles bout. If I were you, Hogan/Henry would be a Last Man Standing or a I Quit match. Still, you did a great job with Hogan’s return.

The plan was always for this to be Hogan/Henry at Vengeance because I've got something else in place for SummerSlam, which I think is bigger overall. I disagree on this needing a stipulation because it's the first match. If you start with a LMS or I Quit match, then you've got nowhere to go for a second or third bout. That first clash has to be under standard rules unless you've got a really specific setup for a feud, in my opinion. I couldn't see this requiring or deserving anything other than a standard match.

I also needed Hogan back, which ties into the next point, in that I've got too many heels across the board with both brands.

Edge’s hometown promo was decent. I could honestly see a Lesnar heel turn, given how brilliant you’ve booked Edge as a face. If you were to pull the trigger on Lesnar going heel at Vengeance, I wouldn’t be against it.

It'll be a no-go on turning Brock Lesnar heel. There are too many heels on SmackDown and Raw (especially Raw), and I lack top-level babyface talent. I legit can't afford to have Lesnar be a bad guy with the current heel/face alignment. I've got some plans in the work for some of the middle of the card guys to try and jump to the top level, i.e., Edge, Booker T, etc., but Lesnar's too pivotal as a face of SmackDown to switch sides, unfortunately. I do rate him better as a heel, but we can't lose him as of the current timeline.

Again, big thanks for the comments. Just wanted to throw my two cents in with some comments so you know I do read them.

 

[EZ3]

Author's Note: The two B-shows for the week are up next. The good thing is that Raw is also in the books and written. It likely won't be out for another week, as I'm liking the shows going up on Sunday for my timetable. With Easter next week, I'm taking a few extra days off work, so I might be able to squeeze in some writing then. I'd like to have SmackDown halfway done before posting the finished Raw.

Saturday Night Velocity - July 12, 2003
Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada
Broadcast on TNN

Set for another week on Velocity, Josh Mathews and Tazz are the broadcast team once again. This week, the main event of the show will be the ‘World’s Strongest Man’ in action later tonight!

Matt Hardy defeated Leati Samu by countout @ 05:31. During the match, Matt Hardy wrestled as a babyface for the audience, feeding off their chants of ‘Har-dee’ and appeared to embrace them.

The APA were supposed to have a match with Big Show and A-Train, but before the bell rang, both teams engaged in a wild brawl. They fought all over ringside, smashing each other with hard punches and using the ringside area as weapons. This brawl lasted roughly 04:59 and ended with a large swarm of security breaking it up.

Rikishi defeated a local worker @ 00:30 after hitting the stinkface almost immediately. Dawn Marie-Wilson appeared at the top of the stage in her black veiled bride attire to watch. After the match, Rikishi pointed to Dawn and wiggled his butt, mocking her.

Rey Mysterio cut an in-ring promo thanking the fans for all their support. He said that while he was disappointed not to be the number one contender for the WWE United States Championship, he would be there cheering on his friend Billy Kidman and hoped all his fans would show their love and support for Kidman as well.

Mark Henry defeated Matt Morgan @ 03:17 after connecting with the World’s Strongest Slam. Morgan was described as a standout in Ohio Valley Wrestling by Tazz, who emphasised the man's large stature. Henry lifted him with ease at the finish of the bout, showcasing his powerhouse abilities.

_____________________________________

Sunday Night Heat - July 13, 2003
Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec
Broadcast on TNN

It’s an action-packed show this evening with Heat airing from Montreal, Quebec. Jonathan Coachman and Al Snow are on the call, welcoming us to the broadcast this Sunday night. They run down the card, including two matches involving main event Canadian talent. Lance Storm will compete against Tommy Dreamer, and Christian will be in action for the main event against a former Tough Enough competitor!

Christopher Nowinski defeated Bobby Rude @ 05:28 by pinfall after connecting with the Honour Roll in the middle of the ring. Nowinski had Rodney Mack and Mark Jindrak at ringside with him. After the match, he told the camera that he was the best prospect in all of the WWE.

Lance Storm (with William Regal) defeated Tommy Dreamer @ 06:09. The response for Storm was very positive, and the announcers reminded viewers that this was a pro-Canadian crowd. The finish saw Regal hit Dreamer with the brass knuckles; he stumbled back and ate a superkick. Storm would then apply the Canadian Maple Leaf for the submission via passing out.

Victoria defeated Macaela Mercedes @ 00:58. Victoria hit a big knee to the stomach, whipped her opponent into the ropes and knocked her down with a back elbow. It was then followed up by the Widow’s Peak for the clean win.

Christian defeated John Hennigan in the main event of the night @ 05:02. Christian was a rockstar in Canada and got a huge cheer from the live audience. He toyed with the former Tough Enough competitor until he ate a big kick to the face and a moonsault. That was close enough for Christian, who quickly turned it on in the ring and finished the bout with the Unprettier.​

 

[EZ3]

Monday Night Raw - July 14, 2003
Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana
Broadcast live on TNN

“The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled…”​

It is the culmination of a two-month-long story this week on Monday Night Raw. Airing live from Indianapolis, Raw will host a battle for the ages when Sean O’Haire & Steve Corino clash with Rob Van Dam & Kane. The tale began back on May 19 when Rob Van Dam was found attacked in the parking lot of the arena. This ruled him out of the King of the Ring tournament, and Kane would take his place, ultimately reaching the final. Many speculated that Kane may have had a role in the attack. None more so than Sean O’Haire, who spent months accusing the Big Red Machine of the horrid deed. In the end, it was all a ruse constructed by O’Haire and Steve Corino. They had played Kane and Van Dam like fools, leading to the debut of Corino in the WWE. He arrived with one purpose - to convince the world that they should embrace their sinful nature. The man with the silver tongue, able to convince people to bend to his will, Steve Corino, has done all he can to try to corrupt either Kane or RVD. Both have held to their belief in their friend. Tonight, the feud comes to an end when they battle in a Falls Count Anywhere match contested under elimination rules. Only one team can win - is this the Devil’s greatest trick or will RVD and Kane send him packing back to hell?

The WWE Intercontinental Champion, Jeff Hardy, continues to be the target of the Administration after successfully thwarting recent attempts at claiming his title. Hardy has been the most active champion over the last month with several title defences, including wins over Chief Morley, Test and the pair of them in a triple threat match. While the title is not on the line this week, Hardy will face Morley and Test once again. This time, Hardy has been told to find a tag team partner willing to stand by his side against the two members of the powerful Administration faction. Morley and Test are no doubt banking on the Raw superstars being unwilling to side against the group that is so closely associated with Eric Bischoff. Can Jeff Hardy find a tag team partner, or will he be forced to go it alone against two men in a handicap match?

After a successful title defence last week, WWE Women’s Champion Jazz has the night off from in-ring competition. She will be at Monday Night Raw and will be provided with interview time during the show to address not only the fans but the rest of the women’s locker room. For the champion, she will have the opportunity to watch live from the best seat in the house when all the other women on the WWE roster compete in an over-the-top rope battle royal! The winner of this battle royal will become the number one contender to the WWE Women’s Championship and will face Jazz next! The field will include the likes of Sable, Ivory, Molly Holly, Victoria and Gail Kim. The latter is coming off a shocking attack on Trish Stratus, following her defeat last week, and rumour has it that Gail will share her thoughts this week as well.

While all is fair in love and war, the actions of Evolution last week cannot be defended. As shown on Raw last week, the World Tag Team Champions, Batista and Randy Orton, assaulted former WCW star Stevie Ray at his wrestling school in Houston, Texas. This all happened while his brother, Booker T, was in the ring wrestling in a tag team match. Triple H has claimed responsibility for the attack and will be on Raw to defend the actions of Evolution. Never one to shy away from underhanded tactics, Triple H, only two weeks ago, left Goldust in a pool of his own blood. The feud between Triple H and Booker T continues to become deeply personal and is not just about the World Heavyweight Championship. There’s no word as to whether Booker T will be on Monday Night Raw this week.

Finally, by order of the Raw General Manager, it has been announced that Stone Cold Steve Austin is banned from the arena this week. Local law enforcement has been contacted, and if Stone Cold attempts to enter the building, he will be arrested immediately.

Confirmed For Raw:
WWE Intercontinental Champ, Jeff Hardy & ‘A Partner’ vs. Chief Morley & Test
Kane & Rob Van Dam vs. Sean O’Haire & ‘The Devil’ Steve Corino - Falls Count Anywhere Elimination Tag Match
WWE Women’s Battle Royal - WWE Women’s Championship Number One Contendership
Stone Cold Steve Austin has been BANNED from Monday Night Raw by General Manager Eric Bischoff.
Plus; Triple H will address the actions of Evolution from last week!

 

[EZ3]

Monday Night Raw - July 14, 2003
Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana
Broadcast live on TNN​

*OPENING VIDEO*

*PYRO*

Tonight’s show opens with the introduction of Evolution live in the arena. All four members of the faction are in attendance this week: Triple H leading from the front, Ric Flair to his right, and the World Tag Team Champions, Randy Orton and Batista, following behind. They are all dressed in custom suits, showing off their wealth and superiority to the common man who fills the seats around the building this evening. Once they reach the ring, Triple H takes a microphone and cuts right to the point. He has been one step ahead of Booker T since the very first time they came face-to-face. He told the world during the entire build to Bad Blood that Booker T was not fit to be the World Heavyweight Champion. “Take a look around, Booker. Your best friend - done! Your brother - done! You can’t protect a damn soul when it comes to me. I can get to anyone you love, anyone you care about - they can all fall victim to how low I am willing to go to take back what I desire most in this world!” There’s a massive rush of boos as Triple H said he has waited for two weeks, and the wait has been long enough. He demanded that Booker T get out here and put the World Heavyweight Championship on the line so it can come back to the best damn wrestler on the planet.

No sooner had the challenge been thrown out than Shawn Michaels stepped out onto the stage, much to the annoyance of Evolution. He wasn’t who they wanted, and the camera showed all four men in the ring shaking their heads. In commentary, Chris Jericho groaned when the music hit and blasted HBK for interrupting the segment. The crowd roared with cheers as Shawn Michaels answered the challenge, stating that he wasn’t sure why Triple H thought he should be getting the next shot at the World Title. The Heartbreak Kid told Triple H that he was sure that everyone in the arena, and in the back, was sick of the Evolution show that had held Raw hostage since January. “I don’t think you’ve got people lining up to see you put them to sleep in another World Championship match, Hunter.” Shouting back from the ring, Triple H didn’t care what Shawn Michaels thought. The World Title was his by rights, and as the last man to hold it - he was cashing in his automatic rematch, and he wanted it tonight! Countering right back, Shawn reminded Triple H that when he lost the title at Armageddon last year, he got no immediate rematch. They continued to argue back and forth about who should be the next challenger for the World Title, each stating reasons for what they viewed as the more obvious claim. For Triple H, he was the former champion and felt that he owed a rematch by obligation. Shawn Michaels argued that he had won at Bad Blood by defeating Chris Jericho in the Last Man Standing bout and was therefore the rightful number one contender. “Why’d he drag me into this? What a jerk.” - Chris Jericho, in commentary.

They were both cut off when the titantron lit up and revealed Chief Morley from the General Manager's office. He stated that while he could watch the two of them argue all night, he thought it best to keep the show moving in the interest of Monday Night Raw. He revealed that there was no clear number one contender as far as the Administration was concerned. Immediately, Ric Flair snatched a microphone and screamed into it - “What the HELL are you talking about, Morley. This man - Triple H - is the number one contender! Right here!” Morley dismissed the claim, saying he had originally been leaning that way until he saw what Triple H had to say last week on Raw. A clip was then shown from last week where Triple H referred to Morley and Bischoff as a pair of morons in his discussion with Ric Flair. The camera cut back to the ring. Triple H had a sullen look on his face; his own words had come back to haunt him. Due to that, Morley announced that next week on Raw, Triple H and Shawn Michaels would go one-on-one in a singles match to determine the number one contender for the World Title at SummerSlam.

The crowd cheered the announcement - a smattering of boos because it wasn’t happening tonight. Shawn Michaels nodded in approval while Triple H blew up in the ring, kicking the ring ropes and throwing down the microphone in unmitigated anger. He was not going to get his way and would be forced to earn a rematch with Booker T for the World Title. As of tonight, Morley said that we would see both Shawn Michaels and Triple H in the ring, not as opponents, but as tag team partners! They would team to face Scott Steiner and The Hurricane later this evening. Morley stated he thought it would be interesting to see the two of them team tonight, knowing what was at stake in just seven days. The titantron shut off following the announcement, leaving the final shot of the opening segment being Shawn Michaels with a huge smirk on his face, while Evolution looked rattled.

…

Commercial Break

…

Upon our return to Monday Night Raw, Gail Kim is shown arriving at the building. She has the swagger of a superstar after shocking the world last week when she attacked Trish Stratus. Gail Kim will be one of the women involved in the Battle Royal to decide the number one contender for the WWE Women’s Championship, taking place later this evening. During the long walking shot, Jerry Lawler described Gail Kim as a woman on a mission to make a name for herself in this business, and she certainly started with a big move by attacking Trish Stratus in her hometown.

_____________________________________​

When we returned to ringside, Chief Morley and Test made their way out to the ring with Christopher Nowinski backing them up. A few replays were shown of the three-way from last week, where Jeff Hardy retained the WWE Intercontinental Title against both Morley and Test. He had overcome the odds once more against the Administration, who clearly did not want him as their champion on Raw. Jeff Hardy entered the arena next, riding solo for the moment as he stood on the stage, looking down to the ring at the three men waiting for him. With the title around his waist, Jeff Hardy carried a microphone and said that he had found it challenging to find a partner all week. No matter who he asked, they all seemed to be under the impression that teaming with him would result in retribution at the hands of the Administration. The camera cut to the ring, Morley shook his head and acted as if he couldn’t understand why someone would think that. Hardy announced he was unable to find a partner… but he did find a brother. To a big cheer, Matt Hardy joined his brother on stage - a reuniting of the Hardy Boyz on Monday Night Raw!

Match 1 | TAG TEAM MATCH:
Hardy Boyz vs. Chief Morley & Test
It was a reunion for one of the most popular tag teams in the history of the WWE - the Hardy Boyz! As you could expect, we saw a lot of the ‘greatest hits’ from the brothers as they teamed for the first time since midway through 2002. This confirmed Matt Hardy’s complete face turn that had begun two weeks ago on SmackDown, following the betrayal of his little MF’er, Shannon Moore. During this tag team match, the Hardy Boyz were by far the more complete team and worked together without slipping up. In contrast, Morley and Test struggled several times with their communication and nearly came to blows when Morley did a blind tag on Test, which left the big man unable to make a quick pin cover. Matt and Jeff connected with Poetry In Motion for a near fall on Morley, drawing a big cheer from the audience. Together, the brothers appeared to be thriving in the tag team environment, and the crowd only grew in their support of them throughout the bout. It was made clear by Jerry Lawler that this was a once-off and that Matt Hardy had not been granted full-time status on Raw. At the finish, Matt Hardy was able to slip out of a Pump Handle Slam attempt by Test, kick him in the stomach and nail the Twist of Fate. He then made a tag to the champion, who climbed the top rope and flew through the air for the Swanton Bomb. With a hook of the leg, Jeff Hardy pinned Test once again!
Winner: Hardy Boyz @ 08:03

Following the match, Christopher Nowinski is seen eyeing the WWE Intercontinental Championship in the timekeeper’s area. There’s a brief moment when Jeff Hardy and Christopher Nowinski face off, the title belt between the two of them as Hardy holds it, slowly raising it in the air until Nowinski backs down.

…

Commercial Break

…


Returning to Raw, Rob Van Dam and Kane are in the backstage area, somewhere in the pit of the arena, the place that Kane is most comfortable. Lawler and Jericho cover the history of the tag team match briefly, which will be the main event of the show this week. With our commentary team giving voiceover, Rob Van Dam is shown stretching his legs, whilst Kane fixes his gloves. Once there’s a pause in the commentary, we hear a discussion between the two men. Van Dam asked Kane if he was ready for what they had to do tonight. The goal was to finish this feud once and for all, to drive Corino and O’Haire out of their lives. For two months, they had tried to sow seeds of mistrust between the pair of them, but they’d stuck through it all. Kane told RVD that there was no limit to the pain and destruction he was willing to inflict on O’Haire and Corino. He reminded Van Dam that it was falls count anywhere. They could take the fight to the crowd, to the parking lot, to the street itself - it was all legal. Rob tapped Kane on the shoulder, “I've got your back. You’re my brother. Let's go out there and finish this tonight!”

_____________________________________​

There’s a smattering of heat that comes from the crowd during the entrance of Gail Kim. With an air of arrogance in her walk, Gail Kim sauntered down to the ring and called for a microphone. A snappy tone in her voice, Kim snatched the microphone from the ringside worker and told the audience to show her some respect. Voicing her displeasure at being in Indiana tonight, Gail Kim said they should be glad to see what a real female athlete looks like. She raised her arms in the air, tilted her head back and posed for a moment, drawing further heat from the crowd. So why did she do it? Kim went on to explain that she had spent months, not weeks, preparing for her debut on Monday Night Raw. She had watched all the women on the roster, and she understood their weaknesses. The greatest weakness for Trish Stratus was her own ego. She said that Trish was so arrogant that she thought Gail was lining up to learn from her. Not a chance! Gail Kim suckered Trish in and left her flat on her back last week. She was yesterday’s news, old and worn out, compared to Canada’s greatest export - Gail Kim!

For years, Trish Stratus has been the representation of Canada in the WWE. That pissed Gail off because she was twice the athlete that Trish was, and now the world was going to see it. Gail continued, outlining that later this evening, she was going to enter the Battle Royal and become the number one contender to the WWE Women’s Championship. Gail admitted that she had her eyes set on the title and doing what Trish Stratus couldn’t do. Furthermore, Kim said that the rest of the division was on notice, the same notice that she had delivered to Trish last week. Boos echoed throughout the arena as Gail Kim reached into her back pocket and pulled out a rolled-up copy of WWE magazine. On the front cover was Trish Stratus. Playing to the hard camera, Gail Kim held the magazine up and then ripped it down the middle, tearing Trish’s picture down the middle. She tossed the scraps to the floor and made her exit from the ring, her music playing over the speakers, while Lawler and Jericho discussed the possibility of Trish’s response in the coming weeks.

…

Commercial Break

…
Match 2 | SINGLES MATCH:
Bubba Ray Dudley (with D-Von Dudley) vs. Sylvain Grenier (with Renee Dupree)
From the get-go, Bubba Ray Dudley is the aggressor, chasing Grenier around the ring, trying to get his hands on the Frenchman as quickly as possible. Bubba Ray uses headlocks to keep control over Grenier once he can get ahold of him, forcing the younger star into a corner before working him over there. It’s a classic veteran against newbie setup. Bubba Ray absolutely slaps the hell out of Grenier multiple times, shouting at him each time, and finishing it off with a stiff elbow trust to the jaw. After Grenier drops to the lower half of the corner, Bubba Ray drives his boot into the chest of Grenier repeatedly, drawing huge cheers from the live audience. The match is kept short, reaching just over five minutes, and the Frenchman does get momentum after Dupree pulls the top rope down while Bubba Ray is running the ropes. One key spot saw the referee distracted by an uncovered turnbuckle, and allowed La Resistance to put the boots to Bubba Ray on the outside of the ring. At the finish of the match, Bubba Ray hit the Bubba Bomb and was in a pinfall situation… until Renee Dupree slid underneath the bottom rope and attacked!
Winner: Bubba Ray Dudley by DQ @ 05:17

Chaos erupted at ringside, Renee Dupree unloaded with boots to the back of Bubba Ray Dudley, forcing the referee to throw the match out and award a disqualification to the Dudley. The crowd cheered as D-Von reached underneath the ring, pulled out a 2x4 as they had last week, and entered the ring! D-Von swung wildly with the 2x4 and cracked Dupree in the ribs with it, sending him rolling to the outside of the ring. Slowly, Grenier rose to his feet… not realising that the Dudley Boyz both now stood. Dupree was kept on the outside, worried about the use of the 2x4 on him again. The crowd roared with a cheer as Grenier turned around and was hit with the Dudley Death Drop! 3D! The Dudley Boyz had stuck it to La Resistance here on Raw, and they were not done. With a microphone in his hand, D-Von Dudley told Renee Dupree that if he wanted to get in the ring with a Dudley so bad, he could do it next week on Raw. “I’ve got an idea, boy. How about we take one of these 2x4, hang it from a pole in the corner of the ring, and we’ll see which one of us can reach it first to use it as a weapon!” Next week - Renee Dupree versus D-Von Dudley in a 2x4 on a pole match!

_____________________________________​

In a quick backstage segment, World Heavyweight Champion Booker T is shown in a discussion with Shawn Michaels. We are unable to hear what is being said, as Lawler and Jericho advise fans watching at home that coming up next is the women’s battle royal. At the end of their discussion, we see Booker T and Shawn Michaels shake hands, as Monday Night Raw cuts to the next commercial break.

…

Commercial Break

…

Match 3 | BATTLE ROYAL | WWE WOMEN’S NUMBER ONE CONTENDERSHIP:
Gail Kim vs. Ivory vs. Jacqueline vs. Molly Holly vs. Sable vs. Stacy Keibler vs. Torrie Wilson vs. Victoria
Throughout the contest, the camera would cut to the back to show the WWE Women’s Champion, Jazz, watching on a monitor from her dressing room, clutching the title belt on her lap. As stated by Jerry Lawler, this was an over-the-top with both feet hitting the floor style battle royal to determine the next challenger for Jazz. The earliest elimination occurs when Gail Kim drops a dropkick on Torrie Wilson, sending her falling off the apron to the floor. We got a glimpse of Maven at ringside, cheering on his girlfriend, Stacy Keibler, in her efforts to gain a title shot. That was close to being cut off when Molly Holly threw Keilber over the top rope… only for Maven to catch Stacy in his arms! The crowd cheered loudly as he paraded around the ring with his love interest for a loop, until eventually placing her on the steel steps so she could return to the ring. Victoria was dealing a great deal of punishment out during the match as well. She lifted Ivory and nailed a scoop slam, following up with a standing moonsault before throwing her out of the ring for the elimination. At the end of the match, we were down to three women left in the ring.

Gail Kim, Victoria and Sable were the final three. As Victoria attempted to carry Sable to the edge of the ring, Gail Kim executed a chop block, causing Victoria to crumble down to one knee. A stiff knee to the side of the head of Victoria, and Gail worked her over at the edge of the ring, lifting her up and over the top for the elimination. It was down to two women - Gail Kim and Sable. Fans rallied around the ‘Hellcat’ and chanted her name, much to the displeasure of ‘The Export’ Gail Kim. Sable went for the Sable Bomb, but Gail slipped free, twisted her arm and struck with Eat Defeat! It looked like Gail was about to throw Sable over the top rope when “Time To Rock & Roll” hit over the speakers. Gail’s face dropped, her eyes darted to the entrance ramp, believing that Trish Stratus was on her way. With her attention lost and fully distracted, Gail Kim didn’t see Sable coming from behind… and she was dumped over the top rope!
Winner: Sable @ 06:17

_____________________________________​

After the excitement of the women’s battle royal, we are greeted by The Coach, who introduces his guests… Scott Steiner and The Hurricane. Freaks & Geeks are both dressed to compete, ready for their match with Shawn Michaels and Triple H later in the evening. The first order of business relates to the bicep injury that Steiner has been carrying for the last few weeks. Coachman asked Big Poppa Pump how his bicep was feeling and if he was 100% to return to in-ring competition this week. Steiner said that in wrestling or any sport, you’re never 100%. From the time he was wrestling in gyms at high school, to representing the University of Michigan, he has always had some niggle, some pain, while competing. His bicep might still be healing, but he wasn’t going to sit on the sidelines any longer while his tag team partner was left mixing and matching with partners. The Hurricane chimed in that he was glad to have Big Poppa Pump back, and now they could focus on making their way back to earning another opportunity at the World Tag Team Titles. They briefly spoke about the upcoming tag match tonight - Steiner said that he has a long history with Triple H, and after two weeks on the sideline, there was nobody better to take his frustrations out on than that ‘jackass’. The Hurricane backed that up, saying he would like to teach Triple H and Evolution a lesson in truth, justice and heroism after their dastardly deeds.

…

Commercial Break

…

On the return from the commercial break, the sound of church bells echoes in the background of a pre-taped vignette. Inside the dark church that we were introduced to last week, ‘The Devil’ Steve Corino stands at his altar of darkness, dressed in his trademark white suit. In front of him is the book of shadows, a chalice filled with wine and a set of candles burning behind him. To his left, Sean O’Haire stands, looking intimidating in a black robe, the hood flipped over his head. Corino delivered a dire warning for Kane and Rob Van Dam this week. “My reach is greater than either of you could ever understand. My words are gospels, they draw in the forgotten sons and daughters of this bleak world.” When one door closes, another opens, and the decision from Kane and Van Dam to stay on their own path, rather than siding with Corino, isn’t going to hurt him. On the contrary, Corino said that it made him stronger. His message will only grow once he puts an end to Kane and RVD in front of the world. Those who doubt what he says, those who are unsure if they should embrace their inner darkness, their sin, will see the power of ‘The Devil’ tonight. “I’d suggest you two pray to whatever God you worship… but not even a Lord’s prayer could protect you from The Forsaken.”

_____________________________________​

Back to the live action, Evolution is all inside their locker room discussing the turn of events from earlier tonight. Triple H is still angry about the decision from Chief Morley to book a number one contender’s match next week. He doesn’t want to hear any further chat about it, exiting the room for his upcoming tag match. Meanwhile, Randy Orton stopped Ric Flair for the moment and told him that he wanted to ask about last week. The Nature Boy was unsure what Orton had to discuss - “What do you mean?” Randy Orton explained that he saw the replay of Monday Night Raw when he got home from beating up Stevie Ray, and was surprised to see the appearance of the ‘American Dream’ Dusty Rhodes. There’s an immediate reaction on Flair’s face, his eyes drop, and his hands go to his hips as he listens. “I get you have history with Dusty, but he just walked into our locker room like he owned the place. You walked away from him. I don’t get it, Ric. What’s the deal?” After a long pause, Ric told Randy that he and Dusty had gone back decades. Their history was complex, and he didn’t feel like defending himself. Dusty just caught him off guard, but if he saw him again, Ric said he had a thing or two he’d say. Orton threw up his hands. He said that he wasn’t looking to pick a fight; he had just never seen Flair back down like that.

_____________________________________​

We then moved to a video package for the newest Raw superstar, Goldberg. It was narrated by Eric Bischoff, covering his debut in WCW and the rise of the ‘Titan of War’ in the late 1990’s. It covered how he went undefeated and captured the WCW United States Championship, and ultimately led to him facing Hulk Hogan for the World Championship in the Georgia Dome in 1998. The video package runs through his streak in great detail, highlighted by a counter in the bottom left that went all the way to 173-0. We did not see any mention of how it ended. The video package showed Goldberg defeating several names known to the WWE audience, including Scott Hall, Hulk Hogan, Big Show, Diamond Dallas Page, William Regal, and Raven, just to name a few. It then covered his iconic debut on Raw, the fight with Stone Cold Steve Austin and the now famous image of him standing over Austin’s body with Eric Bischoff in the background. It came to an end with Bischoff’s voiceover asking a direct question to Stone Cold. “Was it worth it, Steve?”

…

Commercial Break

…

Match 4 | TAG TEAM MATCH:
Triple H & Shawn Michaels vs. Freaks & Geeks
From the opening bell, Triple H and Shawn Michaels did not get along as a team. They argued as to which one of them was going to start the match. When it was decided that it would be Triple H, he walked right into a belly-to-belly suplex by Steiner. On the apron of the ring, Michaels didn't look concerned about the punishment that Triple H faced while up against Scott Steiner. Throughout the opening section of the bout, Michaels would ask the fans if he should tag in to help Triple H. They booed loudly, to which Michaels would nod in recognition and drop the tag rope in the corner. This match was all about furthering the story for the number one contender’s match next week. Triple H managed to hit the spinebuster on Hurricane, once a tag had been made by Freaks & Geeks, and that opened up space for a tag on his behalf. Michaels suddenly stepped off the apron and began to sign autographs for fans in the front row, which set Triple H off. He shouted at HBK to get back on the apron and make the tag, but Michaels just shouted back that he’d be there in a minute. The finish of the match occurred after Triple H and Shawn Michaels got into another argument, related to the Heartbreak Kid’s refusal to tag in. He was shoved by Triple H… and Michaels fired back with Sweet Chin Music! Triple H went down, Michaels made his exit and walked up the entrance ramp, skipping in joy, while Hurricane flew through the air with a splash and the three count.
Winner: Freaks & Geeks @ 06:01

_____________________________________​

After the previous match, Raw moves to the backstage area once more. We find the WWE Women’s Champion, Jazz, standing with her manager, Theodore Long. It’s a single-camera setup against a typical Monday Night Raw background, with the focus to give the champion a few minutes to address her newly crowned challenger. Jazz spoke directly to the camera, addressing the rest of the women in the locker room. She said it was a shame to call them her co-workers and even worse to think that people might mistake them for being her equals. For the Black Diamond, what happened tonight was an indictment of the rest of the division. “How can you women sit there and allow Sable to come back into this company after four years and just walk into a championship match?” Jazz dissed the rest of the locker room for being unable to eliminate Sable. She blasted them for being unworthy of looking in her direction. “Do you women have no self-respect? How did you let her win, damn it!” Slapping the title on her shoulder, Jazz said that she would not let some Playboy model take the title belt that she had brought respect back to. “The era of models and blonde bimbos is over, Sable. You’re in my world now. The rest of these women may be on your level, but nobody can cut it against the Black Diamond!” Jazz shoved the title belt toward the camera, continuing to shout her frustrations toward Teddy Long, as she made her exit.

…

Commercial Break

…

In an ‘on the run’ interview, Teri Runnels has chased down the ‘Heartbreak Kid’ on his way through the backstage area. She has to ask about Shawn’s actions at the end of the tag team match. Why did he turn on Triple H and deliver the superkick to him? Michaels told Teri to put on the brakes for a moment; he didn’t turn on Triple H because they weren’t friends. They haven’t been friends in a long time, and it was Triple H who threw their friendship away. Tonight, well, that was just a bit of payback for what Hunter had done to him last week. It was because of Triple H and his goons in Evolution that Shawn Michaels was hit with the Pedigree and pinned last week. The sound of Sweet Chin Music playing tonight was sweet justice, and next week, he hoped to play the tune again. “Let it be said, right here, right now, with God, my lord and saviour, as my witness, that I am going to beat Triple H next week and become the number one contender.” With a smile on his face, the Heartbreak Kid said that he spoke with Booker T earlier in the night, and they have a mutual agreement. “I can respect that Booker wants to get his hands on Triple H, but that doesn’t mean he gets what he wants. I told him, give me the chance to win next week, and when I do, we can tear the house down at SummerSlam.”

_____________________________________​

Match 5 | TAG TEAM MATCH | FALLS COUNT ANYWHERE ELIMINATION MATCH:
Kane & Rob Van Dam vs. Sean O’Haire & Steve Corino
For the last two months, we have been building to the payoff for this feud, and the time has come. With all four men in the ring, the bell sounds, and the referee signals for the battle to begin. They all rush to the middle, O’Haire paired with Kane and Corino isolated with Van Dam. They walk and brawl to opposite sides of the ring to keep out of each other’s way. Van Dam is fired up, kicking Corino hard and smashing him with a set of forearms to the side of his face. Corino, however, evens things up when he catches a kick and twists it with a Dragonscrew! With a focus now on the leg, Corino places it on the bottom rope and launches himself off the bottom rope, bringing his weight down across the joint. They spill to the outside, Corino aiming to weaken the knee further, aiming to keep RVD away from his high-risk moves. Back across the ring, Kane and O’Haire trade big shots with each other, as has been the case for most of the feud. Kane whips him into the ropes, nails a big boot and bounces off the ropes with an elbow drop for a one count. It’s the first pin attempt of the match, but nowhere near enough to put away the Devil’s Advocate.

After about five minutes, the first set of weapons begins to be introduced. O’Haire and Kane fight on the outside of the ring, heading toward the timekeeper’s area. After eating a big uppercut to the throat, O’Haire stumbles into the announce desk. His hand stretches down to the floor as Kane walks up to him, and O’Haire strikes with the edge of a steel chair. A sickening thud echoes across the arena as O’Haire uses the steel chair again on Kane, striking him across the back, forcing him to back up into the ring post. With a wild look in his eyes - O’Haire swings for the fences, aiming for the head of Kane as it’s pressed against the steel post. Kane ducks at the last second, he grabs O’Haire by the head and rams him into the post, forcing the chair to spill from his hands. Elsewhere, Rob Van Dam and Corino have battled into the fans, both men punching the other as hard as they can, with the fans only inches away from the action. In this section of the match, Kane and O’Haire brawled toward their partners, all four men within the crowd now. A few pin attempts took place on the concrete, but nobody was successful just yet. A big trash can shot to the head connected when Van Dam struck O’Haire from behind.

The first elimination came when Rob Van Dam hit a spin kick to the face of Sean O’Haire. He knocked his opponent onto a table that was set up within the crowd for electrical equipment that the company use for production. Van Dam climbed a railing, shaking his leg as he climbed, selling what had been done to it earlier in the match. With the crowd watching on, Rob Van Dam jumped toward the table… however, he had given O’Haire enough time to recover! O’Haire rolled free, and RVD crashed and burned through the table. All O’Haire had to do was place his arm over the body of his opponent as the referee made the three-count. Rob Van Dam had been eliminated. The next elimination in the match came a few minutes later. Corino and O’Haire were able to double-team Kane once RVD was out of the match, but the ‘Big Red Machine’ refused to quit. The action moved to the stage, Corino, now bleeding from being rammed into a sharp edge of a barricade, ordered O’Haire to attack. He charged at Kane, who was on the edge of the stage, but came off second best. Kane snatched him by the throat, O’Haire’s eyes going wild with terror, as the crowd rose as one, when Kane lifted O’Haire and hit a Chokeslam off the stage!

‘Holy shit!’ The crowd couldn’t believe what they had seen as O’Haire’s fall was replayed on the titantron. The referee rushed over to the section of the floor where O’Haire had been thrown - which was a mix of tables and black cloth. The referee waved it off, declaring that O’Haire was unable to continue, thereby ruling it was now Kane versus Corino as the only two men left in the match. The final act of this match took place in the ring. Corino’s face was blood red, his white gear mixed with stains of his blood, while Kane stalked him. After one chokeslam in the ring, it appeared that Kane would end it, but he shook his head. Kane wanted to make Corino suffer for all that he had inflicted. He should have won, he should have put him away, only he didn’t. Kane picked Corino up for a Tombstone… and dropped him to the side when he felt someone striking his back. Kane turned, his eyes mad, and saw Shannon Moore in a black hoodie striking him. Reaching out with his hand, Kane grabbed Moore by the throat and delivered a chokeslam, leaving him incapacitated. When Kane turned around to finish off Corino, he was met with a fireball! “Corino threw fire in his face! He’s lit Kane up with a fireball, my god!” Kane’s hands clutched at his mask, the smell of burnt leather and flesh mixed as Corino grabbed him - Old School Expulsion! Corino makes the cover and scores the three-count, through a face covered in blood, while Kane can be heard screaming out in pain.
Winners: Sean O’Haire & Steve Corino @15:12

As “Dirty Angel” played in the background, Corino slowly rolled off the body of the fallen Kane. He was helped to his feet by Shannon Moore, a few moments later, even as Moore tried to deal with the pain he felt. Corino looked like a mess as the blood on his face no longer ran, and it dried up. Our commentary team put over the war we had just seen on Monday Night Raw - an epic conclusion to a two-month feud that has surely changed all four men involved. It appears that Steve Corino has added a new follower to his group of Forsaken men. Shannon Moore has joined the Devil’s ranks and sacrificed himself to assist Corino in victory tonight. Was he the reason that Moore turned on Matt Hardy two weeks ago on SmackDown?

The ring begins to fill with medics and referees, all of whom are checking on Kane. The camera zooms in, and we can see his legs kicking back and forth; he’s writhing in pain. The fireball has burned parts of his skin and the leather of his mask, melting it into the flesh itself. There’s no commentary as the final shot of the episode airs. We only hear Kane’s screams of pain and a medic, caught by the live mic on the camera.

“The leather has melted into his skin. The fireball was nasty work. Someone get me the scissors. We need to cut the mask, now. We need to get this mask off of Kane!”

END OF SHOW

***

Current Card for SummerSlam:
Date: August 24, 2003
Location: America West Arena in Phoenix, Arizona

World Heavyweight Championship Match:
World Champion, Booker T defends against;
Triple H OR Shawn Michaels

WWE Championship Match:
WWE Champion, The Rock OR Kurt Angle defends against;
Edge OR Brock Lesnar​

 

[Haskell]

I was disappointed that neither Stone Cold or Goldberg made an appearance. Given that Austin was barred from the arena, I was hoping that he’d show up in a Zamboni and rampage through the arena looking for Goldberg, whilst attacking security and numerous RAW talent backstage. But there’s always next week.



HHH and HBK reluctantly teaming together was pretty funny, but I wish they faced the Dudley Boyz instead of Hurricane and Steiner. The idea of HHH being put through a table after HBK abandons him would’ve been a awesome sight. I really hope HBK becomes the number 1 contender next week, as I think HHH needs to move away from the World Title scene for a while.



Elsewhere, I enjoyed the Gail Kim promo, and it’s great to see the women’s division shaken up a little bit.



Finally, Kane/RVD vs Corino/O Haire was brilliant from start to finish. I was really flabbergasted by Shannon Moore’s appearance. It was a nice twist, and hopefully the fire-ball will be the trigger for Kane’s heel turn.

 

[BattleTank]

Hell of an episode here, my friend!

Opening segment was solid, it told everything it needed to. Your writing style is so easy to follow along. The use of the bold for the key points helps out a lot, and allows everything to paint a perfect picture of what you want us to focus on. Trips getting pinned by Hurricane surely wouldn't have went over well at all back then lol. Curious to see which direction you go next week, but my guy tells me if Trips just got pinned, he is getting his heat back, and fits as a natural opponent for Booker T.

A 2x4 on a Pole match sounds amazing! But this is the kind of stuff that was happening on Raw during this time period...which is something you should be commended for as you really nail this time period in every segment.

The main thing on this episode, and it was executed to perfection-I really love everything about the O'Haire and Corino pairing. The Forsaken is an awesome name, and that vignette was so well done. I also was a huge fan of the ending of that match, and now I'm possibly thinking you bring a charred mask-less Kane into the fold as their heavy. I wouldn't mind also seeing Kane keep the burnt mask, that would be cool as hell too.

Overall, this was an extremely solid showing here for you. One of your best Raw episodes to date, imo. Really looking forward to the next Raw, and ultimately, Summerslam, which should be exciting as hell! Keep up the great work man, you are killing it right now.

 

[Stojy]

I wasn't completely sold on the World Title stuff tonight. Last week, the attack on Stevie Ray, that was inspired. Awesome stuff. The Strange Bedfellows situation and then wondering why Shawn turned on H just didn't work for me. These two have been tearing each other apart in one of the most hate filled feuds in history for the past 12 months, so this just felt like a really weird angle to take for me. Like, I feel their issues are almost to personal for this type of booking. With that being said, I am down to see them do battle next week to crown a new number one contender.

Everything else on the show hit for me. The Hardy Boyz reunion was a good time and Nowinski/Hardy feels like the way to go. Love the focus on Gail Kim and us getting a womens feud that isn't surrounding the title. Jazz/Sable should be hilarious, expect Jazz to rip her apart, but even the Jazz promo here was very good. Love the idea of her scalding the rest of the division for letting Sable come out on top.

Dudleyz/La Resistance was solid enough, being an attitude era guy anything on a pole gets a tick from me just for nostalgia purposes lol. Also why does Flair/Dusty mentions make me think we're getting War Games sometime in late 03?

Saving best for last because The Forsaken getting a new member in Moore and winning out on their feud with Kane and RVD was fantastic. Epic match, fireball from Corino was a nice twist and kind of fits with his ECW roots, but then also sets up a pretty epic way for Kane to lose the mask. Again, really inspired booking if that's the direction from here.

A pretty enjoyable episode of Raw here, and sorry it has taken me so long to leave feedback. Life and stuff.

 

[EZ3]

Author's Note: Thanks for the comments, ya'll. Always appreciate the feedback and to know what elements people are vibing with. Just a heads up - this show is finished, and the Raw for the following week is 50% completed. Making good progress there, and the go-home SmackDown is outlined. This SmackDown will go up on Sunday with the aim to be that Raw in the final week before the PPV goes up a week later. I'd like to stay on track and have a weekly show out each of the following Sundays coming up, which would give me a head start on the PPV.

SmackDown! - July 17, 2003
Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio
Broadcast on UPN

"The Rock Concert"​

We are just 10 days away from the pay-per-view event known as Vengeance, and the superstars of SmackDown continue to add thrills and excitement on the road to the big event. After a forty-five-minute clinic on SmackDown just seven days ago, World’s Greatest and Los Guerreros will meet inside the squared circle in the fifth match of their best-of-seven series. For the first time in the series, a team has the opportunity to close it out. It’s critical to remember that not only is this for the WWE Tag Team Titles, but the losing team must disband forever. Airing from the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, this could be the final time that Eddie and Chavo Guerrero ever team together in their careers. It has been a series that has captured the focus of fans all over the world with four incredible matches thus far. Tonight, they look to top what many called the best tag team match in the history of Thursday Night SmackDown. It’s a must-win for Los Guerreros; there are no more mistakes to be had. If they cannot win the next 3 matches in a row, they’ll never team again.

For the first time, not just for SmackDown, but for the entire WWE, we will see The Rock present his own concert this week. The multi-talented superstar has requested time with the audience in the ring to deliver a musical performance dedicated to his opponent at Vengeance: Kurt Angle. The feud between The Rock and Kurt Angle has only intensified as we’ve gotten closer to the pay-per-view. Two weeks ago, at the contract signing for the match, Angle put the WWE Champion through the table inside the ring and left him lying amongst broken timber. This week, Angle will face Umaga Fatu in a singles match in preparation for the bout with his cousin.

Speaking of growing tensions, things could not be any more volatile than the fractured relationship between Brock Lesnar and Edge. Two men who have the same goal - to become the WWE Champion. While neither man will be doing that at Vengeance, they will fight for the right to challenge whoever is champion heading into SummerSlam. A deeply personal issue that mixes both professional desire and an outright dislike of the other man. Edge spoke harshly about Lesnar’s attitude and behaviour last week in Toronto. Many have said that Edge only did that because he knew that Lesnar was not in the building, having not travelled to Canada for the tour. Edge disputes this and says that he would have said it to Lesnar’s face if he had the guts to show up. Both men are confirmed to be in the building this week, and we are guaranteed to see sparks fly. Lesnar will respond to the comments, and we will have to wait and see if Edge does indeed have the balls to say what he said to Lesnar’s face.

Finally, the WWE United States Champion, John Cena, will compete inside the ring this week. Teaming with his manager, Paul Heyman, we will see Cena take on Billy Kidman in a handicap match. They’ll collide in singles action in 10 days at Vengeance, but after the shenanigans of last week, Kidman has been granted an early opportunity to get his hands on the US Champ before their title bout.

Confirmed For SmackDown:
World’s Greatest Tag Team vs. Los Guerreros - Match 5: Best of Seven Series (3-1)
Kurt Angle vs. Umaga Fatu (with Jim Cornette)
Billy Kidman vs. WWE United States Champ, John Cena & Paul Heyman - Handicap Match
Brock Lesnar will respond to Edge’s comments from last week in Toronto.
Plus; WWE Champion, The Rock, performs the first ever ‘Rock in Concert’ on SmackDown!

 

[Stojy]

SD looks to be a good one. Still expecting the Guerreros to find a way to drag the best of seven series out to Vengeance so they'll win tonight. The Rock concerts are always hugely entertaining in real life, but I honestly don't think they always translate to BTB that well. Intrigued to see how you write it. The Edge/Lesnar stuff definitely feels primed to heat up this week, and boy oh boy, I'll take Angle vs. Umaga anytime please.

 

[EZ3]

SmackDown! - July 17, 2003
Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio
Broadcast on UPN

“The Rock Concert”​

*OPENING VIDEO*

*PYRO*

Following the opening video package, the camera pans around the arena, music blaring and pyro blasting from the top of the stage. Michael Cole and Tazz excitedly welcome us to the show and inform the audience that tonight, WWE Champion, The Rock, is in the house. He’ll be appearing later tonight to deliver the first-ever ‘Rock in Concert’ here on SmackDown! Also tonight, the World’s Greatest Tag Team do battle with Los Guerreros in the fifth match in their best-of-seven series. This will be the first time that a winner can be decided in the series. Cole highlights that the World’s Greatest has a 3-1 lead and can close the series off tonight, and in doing so will force Los Guerreros to disband forever.

_____________________________________​

“Medal” hits the speakers as the number one contender for the WWE Title, Kurt Angle, makes his way down the ramp. The last time we saw Kurt Angle in person was two weeks ago on SmackDown when he put the WWE Champion through a table after the contract signing for their match at Vengeance. There’s an air of confidence to Angle as he steps into the ring, a microphone in his hand and the crowd chanting his name. Angle settles into the ring, and he says that it has finally dawned on him that he is less than two weeks away from regaining the WWE Championship. It has been a long journey, from not being sure if he’d ever wrestle again to standing in the ring right now with the chance to regain his title just two weeks away. He provides a timeline of the neck injury he suffered at the beginning of the year and how the doctors weren’t sure he’d be able to handle the pressure of competing in the WWE. Well, he proved them all wrong.

Angle had the main event of WrestleMania stolen from him by The Rock. The doubts, the nightmares, it all flooded his mind as he sat in a hospital bed after neck surgery while the biggest night in wrestling took place. He reminds us that while The Rock posed on the turnbuckle with the WWE Championship under the lights at WrestleMania 19, Angle was under surgical lights in a hospital, repairing his neck. “You stole something from me that I can never get back, Rock. The main event of WrestleMania 19 was mine. I earned that. I deserved that, and you ripped it out of my hands. You nearly broke me.” Through gritted teeth, Angle says that he is no longer broken. He’s stronger, faster and more determined than ever before. He pauses for a moment as the crowd roars with a cheer. Angle then speaks directly to The Rock. He delivers a warning: at Vengeance, it’s payback for all the months on the shelf. For the pain his family felt from sleeping next to him in the hospital after the surgery. Angle shouts that he’s going to do everything he can to take back the WWE Title for not only himself but for his family. In the process, he hopes to break Rock’s ankle… oh, it’s true. It’s DAAAAAAMN TRUE!

To the surprise of everyone, Jim Cornette appears at the top of the entrance ramp flanked by Umaga Fatu and Leati Samu. The Samoan Death Squad mean mug the camera as Cornette twirls a microphone in his hand. Cornette questions the sanity of the gold medalist for wanting to talk so boldly about the WWE Champion when it was only a few months ago that Angle was lying in the ring, crying that he couldn’t feel his fingers and toes after a beatdown from the Samoans. With that said, Cornette mocks Angle by questioning his intelligence. According to him, they must not run IQ tests for Olympic athletes in this country. Angle tells Cornette that he sure has a big mouth for someone so far away - “How about you come down here, step into this ring and say that again?” Cornette wags a big finger toward Angle, telling him that he’s no fool. He might’ve been born at night, but it wasn’t last night. Cornette quips that the chances of Kurt Angle defeating The Rock for the WWE Title are next to none. He’s the greatest champion the business has ever seen, and Angle is a guy, regardless of what he claims, who is held together by sticky tape. Cornette offers a warning of his own to the parents and guardians out there. Parental supervision is suggested at Vengeance because you’re going to see this ingrate end up in a wheelchair.

With that said, Angle reminds Cornette that he has a match against one of the two men standing by his side. While it’s scheduled for later this evening, Angle is in his wrestling gear, and he sees no reason why they should delay it any further. To a big cheer from the audience, Angle asks if they want to see him compete right now. Cornette appears to be about to deny the request until Umaga snatches the mic - “I’ll beat your punk ass, right now. Get yourself a ref and let's do this.” Cornette goes wide-eyed as Fatu stomps down to the ring, Angle waving him into the squared circle with a determined look on his face.

…

*Commercial Break*

…

Match 1 | SINGLES MATCH:
Kurt Angle vs. Umaga Fatu (with Leati Samu & Jim Cornette)
This match is joined in progress after the commercial break. Angle is in control and working over Umaga in the corner of the ring. He whips the Samoan into the opposite turnbuckle, charging forward, but he eats a boot from Umaga as a counter. For the next minute or so, Umaga has control of the bout and works over Angle with his power game. A scoop slam followed by a leg drop combo scores a two-count for Fatu and a round of applause from his manager, Jim Cornette, on the outside of the ring. The additions on the outside of the ring would play a role as well during the match. Angle was placed on the top rope by Umaga - likely for a superplex, but the gold medalist hammered away with punches to stop it. Umaga was shoved off the second rope and landed flat on his back. While Angle stood on the top turnbuckle, Leati Samu climbed onto the apron of the ring as a distraction. Angle kicked him in the face, dropping Samu back to the floor on the outside. Angle then jumped off the top rope and took out Samu and Cornette! That got a big pop from the crowd, before Angle returned to the ring and got caught with a Samoan Drop! Things looked bad for Angle as his opponent went to the top rope and dove for his finishing splash. Luckily, Kurt Angle rolled out of the way and popped up for the Angle Slam and secured the three count. In the aftermath, Kurt Angle posed in the ring while the SDS fled up the ramp, licking their wounds in defeat.
Winner: Kurt Angle @ 07:06

_____________________________________​

We’ve moved to a scene in the General Manager’s office, where Stephanie McMahon is having a conversation on a mobile phone. That chat is cut short when Edge walks in through the door and greets the SmackDown GM. Stephanie thanks Edge for joining her and wanted to personally show her appreciation for his efforts last week, promoting not just SmackDown but the entire WWE in Canada. Edge says that he didn’t need any thanks for it. He loved having the chance to travel the world, interact with fans and be the star he always dreamed of being since he was a kid. Last week, it just made it so clear to Edge that he needs to become the WWE Champion and lead SmackDown from the front by his example. Stephanie agreed that he’d be a great champion, and she was confident that “one day” he’d be a World Champion. However, tonight she needed to make something very clear to Edge. She mentions that Edge’s words last week to Brock Lesnar went a bit further than she had thought he was going to go. Last week, it was okay because Brock wasn’t in the building, but tonight, he’s going to be given a right of reply. “Brock is going to be here tonight. He’s not happy, and I need you to stay away from him. I do not want the two of you tearing each other to pieces less than two weeks from Vengeance.” Stephanie reminds Edge what he has on the line coming up to Vengeance - a chance to become the number one contender for the WWE Title. In her words - “Please don’t mess this up by doing something stupid.” In response, Edge smirks and assures Stephanie that he’ll be on his best behaviour.

_____________________________________​

Backstage, Kevin Kelly is standing by with his guest this evening, Matt Hardy. There’s a decent pop for Hardy’s appearance on the titantron, having turned face since the betrayal of Shannon Moore a few weeks ago. Kelly asks Matt about his role on Raw when he teamed with his brother Jeff, and how that came about. Matt simply says that his brother needed a partner, and no matter the history between them - good or bad - the Hardy brothers would always be there for each other. There wasn’t a thing on this planet that could’ve stopped Matt from coming to Jeff's aid on Raw. When you’re loyal to a Hardy, they’ll always repay the favour. This comes full circle against those who betray them as well. Kevin Kelly brings up that Shannon Moore was also on Raw this week and has apparently sided with Steve Corino as part of his ever-growing disciples. Matt says that he treated Shannon Moore like his own flesh and blood. He got him the job in the WWE when WCW shut down. Yet, Moore put a knife in his back. Whatever happened in Shannon’s mind was twisted by the words of Corino. “He’s a misguided kid looking for his path, but he’s chosen the wrong way.” As Hardy wraps up his interview, Jamie Noble pops into the scene with his donation box, and he asks both Kelly and Hardy if they have any change to spare. Neither has anything for him… and Noble exits the scene with his head down in despair.

…

*Commercial Break*

…

Match 2 | HANDICAP MATCH:
Billy Kidman vs. John Cena & Paul Heyman
Hot off the heels of their title match last week, John Cena and Billy Kidman came to blows once again on SmackDown just seven days later. During the entrance of the champ, John Cena cut a rap on Kidman and how he was unable to answer the count of ten last week. In this handicap match, Heyman looked terrified on the apron of the ring the entire time, refusing to even think about getting into the ring. Throughout the bout, Cena talked a lot of trash to his opponent and joked with Heyman that this was a walk in the park of the 2003 King of the Ring. Cena nearly took Kidman’s head off with a hard lariat at one point and drew big heat from the crowd when he performed the Five Knuckle Shuffle. At the climax of the bout, Cena hooked Kidman for the AA and appeared to be in position to end this with a victory. Kidman fought out of it, though - elbowing free and ramming Cena into his corner. During this moment, Heyman’s arm was hanging over the top rope and grazed Cena’s shoulder, which the referee ruled as a blind tag! Kidman hit a dropkick that sent Cena out of the ring and left himself and Heyman as the leg men. To the roar of the audience, Kidman yanks the ‘OG’ into the ring, kicks him in the stomach before applying a crossface! Heyman’s screams of pain echoed throughout the building, his legs kicking wildly as he pleaded for help, but Cena was down on the outside. With no hope left, Heyman taps out.
Winner: Billy Kidman @ 08:24

After the handicap match concludes, Kidman boots Paul Heyman out of the ring and celebrates to the cheers of the live crowd. As the celebrations take place inside the ring, John Cena pulls Heyman to his feet and marches halfway up the ramp with him. The WWE United States Championship hanging in his hand, Cena holds it up and shouts - “You’re not taking this from me.” Back in the ring, Kidman points to the title and motions to his waist. Cole reminds the audience that in 10 days at Vengeance, Cena and Kidman will meet for the title in a Lumberjack Match. A final shot shows Cena telling Heyman to hurry up as they exit the stage.

_____________________________________​

The camera now turns to the parking lot of the area, where we see The Rock pull up in a custom black truck with his logo on the side of it. Dressed in designer clothes, The Rock has the WWE Championship over his shoulder as he walks toward the door of the building. The heat from the live crowd is overwhelming for the Great One. As he approaches the door, The Rock spots Teri Runnels walking toward him. “What’s happening, mumma? You just walking up on The Rock without the proper press credentials. The Rock says this… ah forget it.” Runnels can’t even get a question out before the WWE Champion shoves a hand in her face and walks right on by her.

…

*Commercial Break*

…

{/SECOND HOUR}

“Next Big Thing” plays now, welcoming us back into SmackDown, after the commercial break and at the top of the second hour of the show. Brock Lesnar steps out from behind the curtain and gets a big pop from the audience. He makes the walk down to the ring with confidence, slapping hands with fans in the front row, before jumping onto the ring apron to a set of pyro from the turnbuckles. After being handed a microphone, Lesnar says that he doesn’t need Michael Cole to join him in the ring. It’s nothing personal, but what he wants to say doesn’t need the addition of Cole by his side. Lesnar states that he was at home last week, watching SmackDown, like everyone here was, and he was stunned by what he heard spilling out of the mouth of someone that he had respect for. A replay is shown of Edge cutting a ruthless promo on Lesnar, including the line where he called him the ‘Next Big Bitch’ to close it out. Back to the live camera, Lesnar smirks and says it was a funny line. It popped him at home, and that’s all Edge is good for lately. According to Brock, what we’ve seen from Edge since January was bitching and moaning about how he is hard done by. “He had the nerve to call me a bitch? There’s no bigger bitch in the WWE than Edge.”

In less than two weeks, Brock Lesnar was going to walk into Vengeance and tear Edge in half for all he had said. He had picked a fight with someone bigger than him, and while Brock may have taken it easier on him, that was now out the window. “You and I have had this uneasy alliance for months now, but I think we can both put that aside now,” Lesnar explains that they are not friends. They never have been and never will be. He’s sick to death of hearing Edge blame him for the loss at No Way Out back in February, and he sees Vengeance as the perfect date to shut his mouth about that incident. While they don’t get along, Brock mentions that he and Edge have a journey that isn’t all that different this year. Both feel like they’ve been robbed of a fair shot at the WWE Championship, and the journey to reclaim, or gain in Edge’s case, the title has all but consumed both of them. In a world where both could be WWE Champions, maybe they would get along. Lesnar laughs. That’s not possible, though. Only one can be champion, and unlike Edge, Lesnar wasn’t going to sit around and complain about not being champion. “Instead, I chose to come out to this ring and fight my way back to the title that I had taken from me at Survivor Series.”

Lesnar explains that he and Edge are not cut from the same cloth. That’s why Edge has never been the WWE Champion. He lacks the killer instinct it takes to be the very best in the business. It took Brock less than six months to become the WWE Champion, while Edge has been in the WWE for five years and has never sniffed the title. “That’s because you aren’t the guy, Edge.” Lesnar throws out a reference to The Undertaker, reminding Edge that the American Badass declared before their Mania 19 match that Edge wasn’t on the level to face him. That draws an ‘Ooohhh’ from the crowd as Brock smirks. He’s trying to draw out his opponent. Brock circles the ring and turns back to the hard camera - “I know you’re here, Edge. I also know that The Undertaker was wrong. He said you proved him wrong at WrestleMania. That you did deserve to be at the top with us. I’ve shared the ring with both of you, and unlike you, I’ve beaten The Undertaker. You might be on his level… but you aren’t on mine.”

“You Think You Know Me” blasts to a sudden shock pop from the crowd. Immediately, Brock throws down his microphone and readies himself for a fight. Edge jumps the barricade, snatching a chair from the front row and slides underneath the bottom rope. Before he can swing the chair, Lesnar catches Edge with a tackle and unloads vicious right hands to the face of the Canadian. It’s a wild brawl now as the chair goes flying. Both men scramble to their feet, but Brock rams Edge into the turnbuckle with his shoulder. A stiff headbutt from Brock rocks Edge; he’s dazed and is thrown overhead with a suplex. Lesnar rips off his shirt, tossing it to the crowd and pauses. His eyes dart to the steel chair in the ring that was introduced by Edge. Screams of ‘NO!’ echo over the arena as Lesnar grabs the chair and is in a trance. Dark thoughts rush through his mind as he ponders what to do. Suddenly, Edge pops up and splits Lesnar in half with a spear! A wild-eyed look on the face of Edge as he mounts Brock, pounding away with punches to the head, doing everything he can to keep him down. Security rushes down to the ring with Stephanie McMahon following behind.

The General Manager sends the security into the ring as Edge backs off and rolls to the outside. He walks around the ring and stands face-to-face with McMahon. She looks furious; he’s gone against everything they discussed earlier in the night. All Edge can do is shrug his shoulders before he walks up the entrance ramp. Inside the ring, Brock gets to his feet, clutching his stomach and bursts into a rage. He scoops up three members of the security and hits three consecutive F5’s in the middle of the ring. McMahon screams at him to stop. Brock has lost the plot as he picks up the steel chair and whacks another two members of the team with it. It’s utter mayhem in the ring. Edge has pissed Brock Lesnar off, and the Next Big Thing is on the warpath toward Vengeance!

_____________________________________​

Switching to a video package, Shannon Moore is in a high school classroom. He sits alone in the middle of the abandoned room. The scene flickers, showing the room pristine and then old and worn. Moore mutters that he has been rejected all his life and looked for guidance in others. Matt Hardy was his closest friend. He was someone whom Moore could confide in. When nobody else believed in the Mattitude program, it was Shannon Moore who stuck by him. The camera focuses on Moore; it flickers, showing his known blonde hair and clean-cut appearance. It then shows a more grunge appearance for a split second as the camera goes black and white. Moore says that he could see Matt losing faith in Mattitude. “If Matt had lost faith… what good was I?” With hurt in his voice, Moore shouts that he did not betray Matt Hardy; it was he who was betrayed. “You lost faith. You abandoned me… I was alone, just like I was my entire life.” Another flicker of the camera… Steve Corino appears in his Devil mask behind Moore, a hand on his shoulder. Sean O’Haire by his side as well… and in the distance, a woman, although unnamed. The video ends as Moore tells us he is forsaken no more.

…

*Commercial Break*

…

Match 3 | SINGLES MATCH:
Big Show vs. Rikishi
The third match of the night is in Big Show’s favour for the majority of the contest, showing off his powerful strength. Rikishi tries to take control, but he’s stunned by a big clubbing forearm to the back. These two large men worked a fairly simple match this week. Rikishi took control after ducking out of the corner, causing Big Show to run into the turnbuckles. With the crowd on his side, Rikishi danced and fought back against the bigger man. About two-thirds of the way through the match, Dawn Marie-Wilson walked down to the ring in her black veiled bride attire. Her black veil covered her face as she stalked the ring, her eyes focused on Rikishi. At the finish of the bout, Big Show accidentally knocked down the referee with a big boot. Rikishi would hit a superkick to drop Big Show into the corner of the ring. The crowd rose, sensing that a Stinkface was coming… only for Dawn to enter the ring, raise her veil and spit black mist into the eyes of Rikishi! He was blind. Dawn exited the ring and made her exit, leaving Big Show to take advantage with a chokeslam for the three count once the referee had recovered.
Winner: Big Show @ 07:32

_____________________________________​

Switching to the back, where Nunzio and the Full Blooded Italians are standing by with Josh Mathews in the interview area. Mathews asks Nunzio about his upcoming title match with Spanky at Vengeance, tying in the loss suffered by the FBI against Rhyno last week to secure said bout. Nunzio says that the WWE Cruiserweight Title isn’t going anywhere for one simple reason. He hasn’t been beaten by Spanky, ever. All this talk of the FBI losing or Rhyno getting the best of them. It means nothing, according to Nunzio. “At the end of the day, it’s not Nunzio versus Rhyno at Vengeance. It’s Spanky getting the shot, and he’s a joke. You know it, I know it, and all the people out there know it,” He continues dissing the challenger at Vengeance, dismissing him as a thorn in his side who would make the title a joke if he won it. Nunzio questions who would name their kid Spanky, and says that his parents must’ve been a couple of morons. With a smug look on his face, Nunzio says that at Vengeance, the FBI will deliver a final hit against Spanky, and he’ll be swimming with the fishes by the end of the night - capeesh!

_____________________________________​

The camera goes to another area of the backstage now, as Kurt Angle is dressed in casual street wear. We’re a fair way back from Angle, but the camera catches Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas approaching him. They shake hands as a greeting, and then Angle ushers them into a private locker room to have a further discussion. On commentary, Cole ponders what this could mean after the problem Paul Heyman had with the World’s Greatest meeting up with Angle just a few weeks ago. Tazz claims that this cannot be good for the Dangerous Alliance if Benjamin and Haas are willing to meet with Kurt Angle.

…

*Commercial Break*

…

“Heroes (World’s Greatest)” hits throughout the arena, signalling the arrival of the WWE Tag Team Champions. Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas have the chance to put an end to this series with just one more win to close it out. United, they arrive at the top of the stage with their title belts around their waist. It is noted by commentary that just as they did last week, in their epic win over Los Guerreroes, the World’s Greatest are entering without Paul Heyman.

Match 4 | TAG TEAM MATCH | MATCH FIVE (BEST OF SEVEN SERIES; 3-1):
World’s Greatest Tag Team vs. Los Guerreros
They wrestled for nearly an entire hour last week. Tonight, it’s a wildly different story. When the bell sounds, Charlie Haas and Chavo Guerrero circle each other inside the ring. They chain wrestle in quick succession, both men switching around the other. Suddenly, Chavo catches Charlie Haas in a cradle pin situation… and grabs the ropes without the referee seeing it. The zebra slides into position and slaps the mat three times, which gives Los Guerreros in less than sixty seconds. The crowd cannot believe it as Shelton Bejamin is blowing up at the referee for missing the hand on the ropes. Replays show that Chavo did absolutely break the rules to steal a victory, but the referee shakes his head and says that he never saw it during the count.
Winners: Los Guerreros @ 00:59 - (Series Score: 3-2)

In the aftermath of the match, Chavo and Eddie make a run for it out of the ringside area. Neither man wants to be around just in case this gets restarted, so they flee. Inside the ring, Benjamin continues to argue with the referee, shouting that he’s just blown it. Haas is just as mad as his tag team partner. As the WWE Tag Team Champs argue with the official - Paul Heyman makes his way down to the ring with a fury. He gets into the ring and sticks a finger in the face of both members of the World’s Greatest. He shouts, “Do you want to listen to me know or what? You see what happens when you let Kurt Angle get in your head.” Benjamin and Haas cop the verbal spray, standing and listening to the OG. They try to voice their opinions, only for Heyman to shush them and storm out of the ring.

_____________________________________​

Meanwhile, in the locker room area, Billy Kidman is tying his shoes, having showered and dressed in normal street clothes. There’s a knock on the door, followed by the entrance of Rey Mysterio to the scene. The two men share a warm welcome, with Mysterio taking a seat next to Kidman. Rey says that he’s so happy to see Kidman put Paul Heyman in the crossface earlier on SmackDown. “Someone needed to shut his big mouth up.” He continues to congratulate Kidman on being one step closer to becoming the WWE United States Champion. A title that Rey believes Kidman is going to capture at Vengeance in less than two weeks. Billy returns the kind words and says that he saw what Rey had to say about him on Velocity last Saturday. It meant a lot to Billy, and he hopes that Rey knows that as soon as he gains the title, he’ll be offering Rey a title shot. Rey pauses for a moment, slapping Kidman on the back as a friend, and tells him that he doesn’t want Billy to think any of this is him trying to posture for a title shot down the road. Billy tells Rey that he knows that, but the fact remains, he knows the two of them will put on a barnburner for the gold when he wins it. Before taking his leave, Mysterio tells Billy that he’ll be one of the lumberjacks at Vengeance, so he’ll be up front in seeing Kidman wipe the floor with Cena.

_____________________________________​

“Trailer Park” is playing over the arena, as Jamie Noble stands in the middle of the ring with his donation box in his hands. Noble says he knows the fine people of Columbus, Ohio, are very generous and lovely. In his thick accent, Noble explains that he is asking for help in paying off his gambling debt to the APA, and he needs your help. Times have been tough, according to Noble. He’s had to cut costs on the road. “I’ve slept in places that I’m not proud of, and I’ve done things for food that I can’t legally explain.” Noble chuckles, explaining that you’ve got to look at the bright side of life, and he knows that Ohio is the place where his fortunes are going to turn around. He looks to the titantron and asks for an update on the “Noble Debt Counter.” The titantron shows a counter that says $3000 and a completion of 13% in a red loading bar.

Noble announces that with the compounding interest week to week, he needs to maintain progress. The camera pans around to the front row, showing fans waving money at Noble. He exits the ring and begins collecting money, thanking the fans for their donations and praising the lord for helping him out of this situation. As Noble reaches one of the barricades, a hand smashes through the box, breaking it in pieces and sending money flying. Noble looks shocked as the camera reveals A-Train and Big Show in the crowd. A-Train jumps the barricade, shoving Noble around as Big Show picks up some of the money. Noble tries to tell them off, but A-Train knees him in the gut before throwing him into the ring apron. The two big men grab handfuls of money and make their exit, laughing like schoolyard bullies as they do. On the titantron, the loading bar drops from 13% down to 0% again.

…

*Commercial Break*

…

On the return from the commercial break, SmackDown has a hype video on the Hulk Hogan and Mark Henry feud. It comes to a head in less than two weeks at Vengeance. We recap the original attack by Mark Henry, where he broke the ribs of the Immortal. It then shows the following weeks when Mark Henry destroyed wrestlers in the ring and cut promos about how he killed Hulkamania. The video package then covered the return of Hulk Hogan last week and the way he cleared the ring of Mark Henry with a big clothesline. At Vengeance, it’s the World’s Strongest Man against the Immortal - only one can win!

_____________________________________​

“It’s Conquered” hits inside the arena to a wave of thunderous heat. There’s nothing like it in the professional wrestling business when the WWE Champion makes his entrance. Dressed in his designer clothes, The Rock struts onto the stage with the WWE Title around his waist and a guitar in his hand. Around his head is a little Michael Jackson-style microphone. Due to the microphone headset, The Rock is speaking live to the audience both at home and those in the area, as he walks down to the ring. “Here we go, baby! The Rock in concert, like you’ve never seen before.” About halfway down the ramp, The Rock asks for the lights to dim and show what he organised earlier. In the ring, the lights shine in a way that says ‘The Rock in Concert’ with lights. Once inside the ring, The Rock takes a seat with his guitar on his lap and has a spotlight shining down upon him. Tonight, The Rock says that he is going to deliver a once-in-a-lifetime event for all of those in Columbus, Ohio! There’s a cheap pop for this, but The Rock cuts through it quickly by saying that this would be the first time that happened in this lame ass town.

He tells the crowd that for one night only, The Rock will give them the chance to see a real star. A multi-talented star, unlike anything else in the WWE. He reminds us that he can wrestle, he can act, and he can sing. “That’s a triple threat and not that crappy version from Philly, either.” As the crowd chants ‘Rocky Sucks’, he tells them to keep it down or else he’ll leave. It only gets louder, but The Rock fiddles with his microphone pack and his voice just gets louder in the area. He continues and says it’s time for the first song of the night. He plays a country song mocking the state of Ohio, including jokes about the Cleveland Browns, and ends it with a quip about the Miami Hurricanes being screwed out of the NCAA Football National Championship earlier in the year. The Rock jumps up, throws up the ‘U’ and tells Columbus to kiss his ass and shut up.

In the second song of the night, The Rock mimics the song Hallelujah. In this ballad, he mocks the fans and their support of all those who have challenged him for the WWE Championship. He’s so over the top with it, his voice cracking at one point. The Rock pauses for a drink of water and then proceeds where he left off. In this song, he mocks The Undertaker for being burned alive at Judgment Day; he describes Lesnar as being as dumb as a box of rocks and tells Ron Simmons to meet him at the lobby of the hotel to carry his bags for him, like the good old days in the Nation. The Rock ends his song and begins chatting to the crowd again. He says that in just over a week, he’ll have another name to add to that song. “Kurt Angle really thinks he’s going to take the WWE Championship from the Great One.”

As The Rock begins the third song of the night, a jazz ballad directed purely toward the gold medalist, he gets about halfway through when he is interrupted. “Medal” hits inside the arena, as Kurt Angle marches out toward the ring. The Rock kicks his chair out of the way and calls Angle down to the ring, his microphone still on his head. Angle charges toward the ring, and the fight is underway here on SmackDown! Angle and The Rock trade punches in the middle of the ring, Angle backing him up into the ropes. A whip into the opposite side works, and Angle takes the WWE Champion down with a clothesline. He rips his shirt off, tossing it to the crowd and sets himself up for the Angle Slam… only for the Samoan Death Squad to invade the ring. The tag team beats him down, forcing the gold medalist to his knees as The Rock pulls himself back up using the ring ropes.

There’s a wave of heat as The Rock tosses the microphone to the ground, before kicking Angle in the ribs while his cousins hold him. The Rock slaps Angle across the face, laughing at him with that million-dollar smile. In response, Angle lunges forward, breaking free of the grip just enough to headbutt The Rock right between his eyes. The WWE Champion stumbles, dropping to a knee and is furious. A trickle of blood appears on his face as his cousins regrip Angle. “Come on, Rock. I’m going to break your ankle, so do your worst. I’m back, and you’re afraid. I’m going to break your fucking ankle!” With a big swing, The Rock cracks Kurt Angle over the head with the guitar he was playing, leaving the gold medalist knocked out cold. To end the show, The Rock poses with the WWE Championship alongside his cousins, as a small trail of blood drops down his forehead.

END OF SHOW

***

Current Card for Vengeance:
Date: July 27, 2003
Location: Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado

WWE Championship Match:
WWE Champion, The Rock defends against;
Olympic Gold Medalist, Kurt Angle

!! WINNER FACES THE WWE CHAMPION AT SUMMERSLAM !!
Number One Contendership Match:
Edge vs. Brock Lesnar

~BEST OF SEVEN SERIES: MATCH 7 (ONLY IF REQUIRED) (3-2)~
WWE Tag Team Championship Match:
World’s Greatest Tag Team [c] vs. Los Guerreos
*Losing team must disband

WWE United States Championship Match:
~ Lumberjack Match ~
King of the Ring, John Cena [c] (with Paul Heyman) vs. Billy Kidman

WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match:
Nunzio [c] vs. Spanky

Singles Match:
Matt Hardy vs. Shannon Moore

Singles Match:
Mark Henry vs. Hulk Hogan​

 

[Haskell]

Umaga was and still is one of the most underrated talent in WWE history, and his match with Kurt was an absolute banger. The only thing I dislike about the SDS is that you have Jim Cornette as their mouthpiece. I’m not Cornette’s biggest fan, and I wish you thought outside the box and chose either Don Callis or Tully Blanchard as SDS’s mouthpiece.



Shannon Moore’s promo was surprisingly good. In a way, it reminded me of a Raven ECW promo.



The Edge/Brock Lesnar segment was utterly electrifying. Although his mic skills aren’t first-class, Lesnar’s promo was really good, and the pull apart brawl afterwards was glorious. Because of that segment, you’ve got me very, very excited for Lesnar/Edge at Vengeance.



The Rock Concert was amazing from start to finish. Hollywood Rock was a wasted opportunity in real life, and the way you’ve booked Dwayne as a top heel is probably some of the finest BTB booking I’ve ever seen. Angle ruining the concert and getting whacked with a guitar by Rock was a perfect way to end the show.



Finally, I’m a little bit disappointed by the way you’re handing Big Show. It’s a shame you’ve paired him with A-Train, as I think Show would be a perfect addition to the Cena/Heyman/WGTT faction. You probably have some ideas for Show going forward, but I think sticking him with A-Train is a waste of his talent.



Anyway, a great show as always.