WWE – 2008 Results
WWE (Raw) @ White Plains, NY – White Plains County Center – January 4, 2008 (3,000)
Betty Skaaland, wife of the late Arnold Skaaland who promoted White Plains for several decades, was in attendance
Brian Kendrick defeated Vladimir Kozlov
Atlas DaBone pinned Charlie Haas; Ashley appeared before the match and, afterwards, left ringside with DaBone
Royal Rumble Qualifying Match: Snitsky defeated Drew McIntyre
Nick Nemeth pinned Super Crazy
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Maria
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Trevor Murdoch & Santino Marella (sub. for an injured Lance Cade)
John Bradshaw Layfield pinned DH Smith with the Clothesline from Hell; prior to the bout, Ricky Steamboat appeared and gave Smith a pep talk, mentioning his father, the late Davey Boy Smith
Triple H pinned Ken Kennedy with the Pedigree after William Regal’s interference backfired
WWE World Champion Randy Orton pinned WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Canton, OH – Memorial Civic Center – January 5, 2008
Royal Rumble Qualifying Match: Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore defeated WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin in a non-title match; the win was never referred to on TV and Yang & Moore were not included as Rumble participants
Kenny Dykstra pinned Charles Evans by grabbing the tights for leverage
Kofi Kingston pinned Kevin Thorn
Elijah Burke & Shelton Benjamin defeated Tommy Dreamer & Nunzio
Jamie Noble defeated Deuce
Kelly Kelly defeated Victoria and Nattie Neidhart in a bikini contest
Finlay defeated WWE US Champion MVP via disqualification when MVP landed a low blow
ECW World Champion CM Punk pinned Chavo Guerrero Jr.
World Heavyweight Champion Edge pinned Batista after Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder interfered; mid-way through the match, Edge attempted to walk out until Teddy Long appeared and ordered Edge to continue the match or risk losing the title via count-out or disqualification
WWE (Raw) @ Poughkeepsie, NY – Mid-Hudson Civic Center – January 5, 2008 (matinee) (2,400; sell out)
William Regal defeated DH Smith; both men worked as babyfaces for the bout and shook hands afterwards
Super Crazy & Brian Kendrick defeated Charlie Haas & Nick Nemeth
WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Cody Rhodes defeated Vladimir Kozlov
Maria defeated Jillian Hall
Atlas DaBone defeated Santino Marella
Snitsky defeated Drew McIntyre
Royal Rumble Qualifying Match: WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Hardcore Holly defeated Trevor Murdoch
Triple H & WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy defeated WWE World Champion Randy Orton & Ken Kennedy
WWE (Raw) @ Poughkeepsie, NY – Mid-Hudson Civic Center – January 5, 2008
John Bradshaw Layfield pinned Drew McIntyre
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Trevor Murdoch & Santino Marella (sub. for Lance Cade)
Triple H pinned Ken Kennedy with the Pedigree
WWE World Champion Randy Orton pinned WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy with the RKO at the 7-minute mark; after the bout, Hardy dropped Orton with the Twist of Fate
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Johnstown, PA – Cambria County War Memorial Arena – January 6, 2008 (1,700)
Jamie Noble defeated Deuce
Royal Rumble Qualifying Match: WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore
Kofi Kingston defeated Kevin Thorn
Charles Evans pinned Kenny Dykstra
Shelton Benjamin & Elijah Burke defeated Tommy Dreamer & Nunzio
Finlay defeated WWE US Champion MVP via disqualification
Nattie Neidhart pinned Victoria; Kelly Kelly was the guest referee for the bout
ECW World Champion CM Punk defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr.
World Heavyweight Champion Edge pinned Batista after hitting him with the title belt after Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder interfered; mid-way through the match, Edge attempted to walk out until Teddy Long appeared and ordered Edge to continue the match or risk losing the title via count-out or disqualification
WWE (Raw) @ Utica, NY – The Aud – January 6, 2008 (5,300; sell out)
Rescheduled from 9/29/07
Brian Kendrick defeated Nick Nemeth
Vladimir Kozlov defeated Super Crazy
Atlas DaBone defeated Charlie Haas
Snitsky defeated Drew McIntyre
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix defeated Maria
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Santino Marella & Trevor Murdoch
John Bradshaw Layfield defeated DH Smith
Triple H defeated Ken Kennedy
WWE World Champion Randy Orton defeated WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Elmira, NY – First Arena – January 7, 2008 (4,000)
Jamie Noble pinned Deuce
Nattie Neidhart pinned Victoria with a roll up; Kelly Kelly was the guest referee for the match
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore when Mizanin pinned Yang with the Reality Check
Kenny Dykstra pinned Charles Evans with a roll up and grabbing the tights for leverage
Tommy Dreamer pinned Kevin Thorn with the DDT
Finlay defeated WWE US Champion MVP via disqualification when MVP hit the challenger in the knee with a steel chair as the referee grabbed the shillelagh from Finlay
ECW World Champion CM Punk defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. and Shelton Benjamin by pinning Benjamin with the Go To Sleep after Benjamin hit the Exploder suplex on Guerrero
Kofi Kingston pinned Nunzio with a spin kick to the face
World Heavyweight Champion Edge pinned Batista after hitting him with the title belt after Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder interfered; mid-way through the match, Edge attempted to walk out until Teddy Long appeared and ordered Edge to continue the match or risk losing the title via count-out or disqualification; after the contest, Batista laid out Edge, Hawkins & Ryder
WWE @ Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena – January 7, 2008 (7,000; sell out)
Atlas DaBone defeated Nick Nemeth
DH Smith defeated Greg Cardoza
Jim Duggan & Super Crazy defeated Mega & Big Daddy Flex via disqualification
Santino Marella defeated Brian Kendrick
Raw – featured an opening backstage segment with Vince McMahon and William Regal in which McMahon unveiled the Raw Roulette wheel and Regal said he cost Triple H a spot in the Royal Rumble as a way to redeem himself for not hitting Hornswoggle; after McMahon said he was pleased with that, McMahon spun the wheel to determine in what match Regal would face Triple H later in the show, with the wheel landing on ‘first blood match;’ Regal then left the office and was attacked in the hallway by Triple H until he was pulled off by referees and officials; included a backstage segment with Maria and McMahon in which Maria spun the wheel to determine what match the divas would have later in the show – with the wheel first landing on ‘submission’ until McMahon had her close her eyes so he could turn it to ‘lingerie pillow fight;’ featured Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy regarding the attack Matt Hardy sustained the previous week from WWE World Champion Randy Orton and his upcoming match with Orton at the Royal Rumble, with Jeff saying he would injure Orton; included a backstage segment with McMahon and Hornswoggle in which McMahon said Hornswoggle would have a chance to qualify for the Rumble match; the segment was cut short due to audio problems; after a commercial break, the segment reaired in full, with McMahon saying the qualifying match would be a tag team bout where Hornswoggle could pick his partner; featured an ad promoting the start of WWE HD on Raw in 2 weeks; included a backstage segment in which Super Crazy turned down Hornswoggle asking him to be his partner later in the show; featured a backstage segment in which Santino Marella turned down Hornswoggle; included the announcement that WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin qualified for the Royal Rumble at a recent live event; featured an ad for ‘Raw’s Greatest Hits: The Music’ and ‘The Best of Raw 15th Anniversary’ DVD; included the announcement Batista would be part of the 30-man Royal Rumble:
Raw Roulette: Shawn Michaels & Ken Kennedy defeated Charlie Haas & Trevor Murdoch (mystery opponents) in a strange bedfellows match at around the 6-minute mark when Kennedy pinned Haas after Michaels hit the superkick on Haas and Kennedy dropped his partner with the Mic Check before making the cover himself; after Michaels and Kennedy were introduced, Vince McMahon spun the wheel to determine their match with the wheel naming them as tag team partners against another makeshift team; during the bout, Haas briefly wore a red luchadore mask before Michaels eventually took it off (the bout began during the commercial break)
Raw Roulette: WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Hardcore Holly (dressed as Carlito Caribbean Cool) (w/ WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Cody Rhodes) pinned Carlito Caribbean Cool (dressed as Hardcore Holly) (w/ Santino Marella) in a Trading Places match with the Alabama Slam at 3:23; during the bout, it was announced Holly had qualified for the Royal Rumble over the weekend
Raw Roulette: Ashley defeated Maria, Mickie James, Melina, and Jillian Hall in a lingerie pillow fight at 3:03 by pinning Jillian with an elbow drop from the middle turnbuckle onto the bed in the ring, as Mickie and Maria held Jillian down (Ashley’s surprise return after a 6-month absence)
Raw Roulette: Triple H defeated William Regal in a first blood match at 5:24 following several punches to the forehead; after the match, Triple H dropped Regal with the Pedigree
Raw Roulette: Chris Jericho fought John Bradshaw Layfield & Snitsky to a no contest in a handicap match at around the 3-minute mark when JBL tied a mic cable around Jericho’s neck and dragged him near the entrance stage; JBL eventually tied the cable to a scaffold until referees and officials ordered him backstage
Royal Rumble Qualifying Match: Hornswoggle & Mick Foley (surprise partner) defeated Rory & Robbie McAllister at 3:45 when Hornswoggle pinned Robbie with the frog splash after Foley hit the double arm DDT; prior to the bout, Hornswoggle appeared with an unknown by the name of BK Jordan until Foley appeared and sent Jordan backstage
Raw Roulette: WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy pinned Umaga in a non-title steel cage match at 14:31 after a Whisper in the Wind off the top of the cage, despite interference from WWE World Champion Randy Orton, who appeared ringside before the match; Hardy and Orton locked eyes as the show came to a close, with Hardy perched on the top of the cage looking down (Twist of Fate: The Matt & Jeff Hardy Story, Wrestling’s Highest Flyers)
WWE @ Wilkes Barre, PA – Wachovia Arena – January 8, 2008 (7,000)
Sho Funaki & Kofi Kingston defeated Robbie & Rory McAllister
ECW – featured a vignette promoting the debut of Kofi Kingston; included Lena hosting a dance off between Kelly Kelly and Layla in which she herself became a participant, named herself the winner, and walked off; featured an ad for WWE HD, starting in 2 weeks on Raw; included a backstage promo by Shelton Benjamin in which he cut a promo on his participation in the upcoming Royal Rumble match:
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin fought Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore to a draw in a 15-minute Ironman match at 15:03; fall #1: Morrison pinned Yang with a roll up at 3:42 after Yang knocked Mizanin off the apron; fall #2: Yang pinned Morrison with a moonsault off the top at 8:44; the time limit expired as Yang had Mizanin covered following the moonsault off the top; Yang appeared to injure his leg hitting the move as the leg was the only part that connected with Mizanin
Mark Henry pinned Colin Delany with the powerslam at 1:08; prior to the bout, Tazz conducted an in-ring interview with Delany – his ribs taped after the previous week’s match against Big Daddy V – about his injuries; during the segment, Tazz said Delany wouldn’t have to face an ECW wrestler but would be facing a Smackdown! wrestler instead; after the match, it was announced Henry & Matt Striker would face the Undertaker in a handicap match Friday on Smackdown!
ECW World Champion CM Punk defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. via disqualification in a non-title match at 14:42 when the referee caught Chavo attempting to use the title belt as a weapon; during the bout, a crawl at the bottom of the screen advertised an uninterrupted version of the episode airing the following day at 4 p.m. on WWE.com; after the match, Punk dropped Guerrero with the Go To Sleep; pre-match stipulations stated Guerrero would earn a title shot if he won the bout
Smackdown! – featured an in-ring promo by Vickie Guerrero, with Teddy Long, in which Vickie introduced Rey Mysterio Jr. as the new #1 contender; moments later, Mysterio said he still cared about Vickie and her family, despite her relationship with World Heavyweight Champion Edge; Vickie then said Eddie Guerrero would want her to move on, that she was still young enough to have more children, and Edge would be a perfect father figure; Edge then appeared with the two trading words until Chavo Guerrero Jr. appeared; Chavo then told Mysterio to mind his own business and that the Guerrero family was disgusted by Vickie’s actions; Vickie then lashed out at both Mysterio and Chavo and ordered them to face each other later in the night; included the announcement the Undertaker would be part of the 30-man Royal Rumble; featured a backstage segment with Vickie and Edge, with Edge sending Long out of the room before the two discussed the earlier segment; included an ad for Smackdown! becoming HD in two weeks; featured the announcement that Ric Flair would face WWE US Champion MVP with Flair’s career at stake at the Royal Rumble; included a backstage segment with Vince McMahon and Hornswoggle in which McMahon encouraged Hornswoggle’s participation at the Royal Rumble and his arm wrestling contest later in the show; moments later, McMahon and Finlay spoke, with Finlay telling McMahon that he wasn’t living up to their “deal” and McMahon told Finlay to calm down and that he too would be in the Rumble match; featured an ad for ‘Raw’s Greatest Hits: The Music’ and ‘The Best of Raw 15th Anniversary’ DVD; included a vignette promoting the debut of 2007 Diva Contest Winner Eve:
Jamie Noble pinned Chuck Palumbo (w/ Michelle McCool) with a crucifix at 3:44; prior to the bout, it was announced Palumbo had apologized to McCool for blowing up at her the previous week; after the match, Palumbo cornered McCool as the fans chanted “Chuck’s a loser” until Noble appeared in the aisle
Batista defeated WWE US Champion MVP via count-out in a non-title match at 12:52 after knocking MVP off the apron as both men attempted to get back into the ring; prior to the bout, MVP cut an in-ring promo on facing Ric Flair at the Royal Rumble until Batista’s entrance interrupted; after the match, MVP attempted to hit Batista with a steel chair but Batista dropped him with a spear on the floor
The Undertaker defeated Mark Henry & Matt Striker in a handicap match at 2:25 by pinning Striker with the tombstone; after the bout, Big Daddy V appeared and helped in double teaming Taker but Taker eventually knocked V over the top rope to the floor and hit the chokeslam on Henry
Hornswoggle (w/ Finlay) defeated Runjin Singh (w/ the Great Khali) in an arm wrestling contest; after the bout, Khali attacked Finlay and attempted to chokeslam Hornswoggle until Finlay knocked him to the floor after two chairshots to the back
Kane pinned Domino (w/ Deuce & Cherry) at 1:34 with the chokeslam after catching Domino as he came off the top
Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned Chavo Guerrero Jr. at 11:15 with the 619 and a splash off the top; after the bout, World Heavyweight Champion Edge – who did guest commentary for the match – attacked Mysterio until he was fought off; moments later, Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder helped in triple teaming Mysterio as the show came to a close
Dark match after the taping: Batista defeated World Heavyweight Champion Edge via disqualification
WWE (Raw) @ Jacksonville, FL – Veterans Memorial Arena – January 11, 2008
Royal Rumble Qualifying Match: WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Cody Rhodes defeated William Regal
Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Charlie Haas
Super Crazy defeated Afa Jr.
DH Smith & Atlas DaBone defeated Robbie & Rory McAllister
Trevor Murdoch defeated Drew McIntyre
WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Hardcore Holly defeated Santino Marella
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix defeated Mickie James
WWE World Champion Randy Orton defeated WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy
Shawn Michaels & Triple H defeated Umaga & Snitsky
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Jonesboro, AR – Convocation Center – January 12, 2008 (3,500)
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore when Morrison pinned Yang by grabbing the tights for leverage
Jamie Noble defeated Deuce
Kelly Kelly & Michelle McCool defeated Nattie Neidhart & Layla
Royal Rumble Qualifying Match: Shelton Benjamin defeated Tommy Dreamer
ECW World Champion CM Punk pinned Chavo Guerrero Jr. with the Go To Sleep
Finlay defeated WWE US Champion MVP via disqualification when MVP hit the challenger in the leg with a steel chair
The Undertaker & Kane defeated Mark Henry & Big Daddy V when Henry was pinned following a double chokeslam
Kofi Kingston pinned Elijah Burke
World Heavyweight Champion Edge pinned Rey Mysterio Jr. after hitting him with the title belt
WWE (Raw) @ Tallahassee, FL – Donald L Tucker Center – January 12, 2008
Carlito Caribbean Cool & Santino Marella defeated DH Smith & Super Crazy
Drew McIntyre defeated Charlie Haas
Snitsky defeated Brian Kendrick
Atlas DaBone defeated Trevor Murdoch
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Robbie & Rory McAllister
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix defeated Mickie James
WWE World Champion Randy Orton pinned WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy
Shawn Michaels & Triple H defeated Umaga & William Regal
– 1/08: Developmental talent Derrick Neikirk was released.
– 1/12/08: Ken Kennedy was married. Matt Hardy and Gregory Helms were among those in attendance.
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Little Rock, AR – Alltel Arena – January 13, 2008
Elijah Burke pinned Kofi Kingston
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore
Kelly Kelly & Michelle McCool defeated Nattie Neidhart & Layla
Royal Rumble Qualifying Match: Jamie Noble defeated Deuce
Shelton Benjamin pinned Tommy Dreamer
ECW World Champion CM Punk defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr.
Finlay defeated WWE US Champion MVP via disqualification
The Undertaker & Kane defeated Mark Henry & Big Daddy V
World Heavyweight Champion Edge pinned Rey Mysterio Jr. after hitting him with the title belt
WWE (Raw) @ Dothan, AL – Civic Center – January 13, 2008
DH Smith & Super Crazy defeated Robbie & Rory McAllister
Brian Kendrick defeated Trevor Murdoch
Charlie Haas defeated Drew McIntyre
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix defeated Mickie James
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Santino Marella & Carlito
WWE World Champion Randy Orton defeated WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy
Triple H & Shawn Michaels defeated Umaga, William Regal, & Gene Snitsky in a handicap match
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Tupelo, MS – January 14, 2008 (2,000)
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore
Kofi Kingston defeated Deuce
Elijah Burke defeated Tommy Dreamer
Kelly Kelly & Michelle McCool defeated Nattie Neidhart & Layla
ECW World Champion CM Punk defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. and Shelton Benjamin
WWE US Champion MVP defeated Jamie Noble
The Undertaker & Kane defeated Mark Henry & Big Daddy V
World Heavyweight Champion Edge defeated Rey Mysterio Jr.
WWE @ Mobile, AL – Civic Center – January 14, 2008
Umaga defeated Drew McIntyre
WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Hardcore Holly defeated Carlito Caribbean Cool
Santino Marella defeated DH Smith
Jim Duggan & Super Crazy defeated Robbie & Rory McAllister
Brian Kendrick defeated Charlie Haas
Raw – featured an opening in-ring promo by WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy regarding his match against WWE World Champion Randy Orton at the Royal Rumble and said he would take Orton out later in the show; Orton then appeared and accepted Hardy’s challenge for later in the show but only if Hardy’s IC title was on the line; Hardy then accepted; included a backstage segment with Vince McMahon and William Regal in which they discussed Regal’s match against Ric Flair later in the night and McMahon said if the United States were to have an enema, they would put it right in Mobile; as McMahon then discussed HD, Snitsky appeared and said he wanted to make an impact; McMahon then stated he would face Triple H later in the show and gave the enema bag to Regal; featured an ad for WWE HD which would begin the following week on Raw; included an ad for the following night’s ECW in which it was announced World Heavyweight Champion Edge would host The Cutting Edge with guest ECW World Champion CM Punk; featured footage from the final moments of the 2007 Royal Rumble between Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker; included footage of the title vs. title Hulk Hogan / Ultimate Warrior match from WrestleMania VI and Triple H / Kane from No Mercy 02 to hype Hardy / Orton later in the night; featured a backstage segment with McMahon and Hornswoggle in which McMahon said there would be a mini Royal Rumble match held later to give Hornswoggle some experience in the match, with Ken Kennedy, Mankind, and Batista also involved; included the announcement Punk would face Chavo Guerrero Jr. the following night on ECW; featured an ad for the Armageddon 07 DVD, available the following day; included an in-ring promo by John Bradshaw Layfield, with an entrance that included balloons falling from the rafters, regarding his attack on Chris Jericho the previous week and then sent a message to Jericho’s children:
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix, Melina, & Jillian Hall defeated Ashley, Maria, & Mickie James at 3:31 when Phoenix pinned Mickie with the cradle suplex after dropping her throat-first across the top rope
Royal Rumble Qualifying Match: Shawn Michaels defeated Trevor Murdoch via submission with a modified figure-4 at 2:56 after setting Murdoch up for the superkick but then not using it; prior to the bout, Michaels cut an in-ring promo, upset over having won the Royal Rumble twice and being the runner up in 2007 and still having to qualify; he then said he was going to challenge Ken Kennedy anyway and proposed they have a match then and there to determine which would go on to the Rumble but Murdoch appeared instead; after the match, Ken Kennedy appeared on the big screen and said he had nothing left to prove to Michaels but would accept his challenge for the following week; Murdoch then attempted to sneak up on Michaels from behind but Michaels dropped him with the superkick
Snitsky defeated Triple H via disqualification at 10:07 when Triple H twice hit Snitsky with a steel chair on the floor after Snitsky attempted to hit him with the steel ring steps; after the bout, Triple H hit Snitsky with a sledgehammer and dropped him with the Pedigree; as Triple H made his way up the entrance ramp, Vince McMahon appeared on the big screen and told Triple H to calmn down, with Triple H then destroying the screen beside the entrance; after the commercial break, McMahon confronted Triple H backstage and said – because he couldn’t trust Triple H’s behavior – he was back in the Royal Rumble match but only if he could win his match the next week
Hornswoggle won a 6-man Royal Rumble match at around the 7-minute mark; order of entry: Hornswoggle (0:00); Mini Ken Kennedy (0:00); Mini Mankind (1:05); Mini Batista (2:34); Mini Kane (3:53); the Great Khali (w/ Runjin Singh) (6:35); order of elimination: Mini Mankind by Hornswoggle (1:47); Mini Kennedy by Hornswoggle via press slam onto Mankind on the floor (1:56); Mini Batista by Hornswoggle (4:31); Mini Kane by Hornswoggle after the Celtic Cross (5:48); Khali left ringside and Hornswoggle was declared the winner after Finlay appeared and repeatedly hit him with a shallalaugh, knocking him to the floor, before Hornswoggle knocked Singh to the floor; after the commercial break, Finlay confronted McMahon backstage over how Khali was a participant in the match against Hornswoggle; McMahon then said if Finlay needed to blow off some steam, he could face Khali on Smackdown!
Ric Flair pinned William Regal with a roll up and grabbing the tights for leverage at around the 4-minute mark, moments after Regal attempted to do the same but was caught by the referee; pre-match stipulations stated if Flair lost the match then his career would be over (the bout began during the commercial break)
WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy defeated WWE World Champion Randy Orton via disqualification at the 8-second mark when Orton immediately dropped Hardy with a low blow; only the IC title was on the line; after the match, Orton grabbed a mic and said the show wasn’t over, then tossed Hardy out of the ring onto the ramp; Orton then attempted to drop Hardy with the RKO onto the concrete floor but Hardy fought him off and brawled with Hardy up to the entrance stage; as Orton went to charge Hardy, Hardy backdropped Orton off the stage and – as referees tended to Orton – climbed nearby scaffolding and hit a Swanton off the top onto Orton; medics and officials then swarmed the area and both men were taken backstage in neckbraces and on stretchers; the show ended with Hardy raising his arm in response to the crowd’s applause as he was taken backstage (Royal Rumble 08, Jeff Hardy: My Life My Rules)
WWE @ Birmingham, AL – BJCC – January 15, 2008
Kofi Kingston defeated Paul Burchill (w/ Katie Lea)
ECW – featured an opening segment of The Cutting Edge in which World Heavyweight Champion Edge cut a promo on defending against Rey Mysterio Jr. at the Royal Rumble before introducing his guest, ECW World Champion CM Punk; Edge then said he had been watching Punk’s career closely but questioned who he had really beaten since winning the ECW title; Punk eventually said he would accept if Chavo Guerrero Jr., who he had beaten via count-out and disqualification in recent weeks, wanted a third bout and that he could beat Edge as well; as the two began to argue, Chavo appeared and accepted Punk’s offer for a match later in the show; Edge and Chavo then double teamed Punk and took turns throwing him shoulder-first into the ringpost; featured an ad for the Armageddon 07 DVD; included footage of Edge leaving the arena before the opening bout; featured a vignette promoting the debut of Kofi Kingston; included an in-ring promo by Kelly Kelly in which she mentioned a best body contest the next week between herself, Layla, and Lena to celebrate ECW’s first week in HD; featured a backstage segment with Punk and Armando Estrada in which Punk said he would be healthy enough to compete as scheduled later in the show; included the announcement WWE World Champion Randy Orton spent the night at a medical facility after sustaining a 30-foot Swanton from WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy the previous night; featured an ad for WWE HD starting Monday on Raw:
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Robbie & Rory McAllister in a non-title match at 2:58 when Mizanin pinned Robbie with the Reality Check
Kane pinned Colin Delany with the chokeslam at 1:00; prior to the bout, Tazz conducted an in-ring interview with Delany – heavily bandaged – regarding his recent beatings and losses and then said Delany would be facing a former WWE champion
Shelton Benjamin pinned Nunzio with the jumping facebuster at 3:06; prior to the bout, it was confirmed – following Benjamin’s comments the week before – that Benjamin would be part of the 30-man Royal Rumble match; after the match, Benjamin grabbed the mic, yelled “Ain’t no stopping me now!” and again hit the facebuster on Nunzio
Chavo Guerrero Jr. defeated ECW World Champion CM Punk via count-out in a non-title match at 11:19 after World Heavyweight Champion Edge – who did guest commentary for the match – hit Punk in the back of the head with the title belt behind the referee’s back; pre-match stipulations stated if Chavo won then he would earn a title shot
Smackdown! – featured opening footage of the final moments of the 2007 Royal Rumble between the Undertaker and Shawn Michaels followed by an in-ring promo by Taker regarding his participation in the upcoming Rumble match; moments later, Matt Striker & Big Daddy V appeared with Striker saying the main difference between last year’s and this year’s Rumble was the inclusion of Big Daddy V; V and Taker then began brawling at ringside until V was thrown into the ringsteps and advised by Striker to go backstage; included a backstage segment with World Heavyweight Champion Edge, Vickie Guerrero, and Teddy Long in which Edge talked about Vickie finally being able to take off her neckbrace and Vickie said Edge was her hero; Vickie then sent Long out to get them something to eat until Chavo Guerrero Jr. appeared, apologized to Vickie for what he said the previous week, and said Edge was a good guy; featured an ad promoting more WrestleMania 24 tickets being available; included a backstage segment with Vince McMahon and Finlay in which McMahon was upset that Finlay allowed Khali to put his hands on Hornswoggle during the earlier match, with McMahon then saying Finlay would face Khali the following week in a Belfast Brawl so he could try to gain some revenge; featured an ad promoting WWE HD the next week; included the announcement that Chavo Guerrero Jr. would challenge ECW World Champion CM Punk the following week on ECW; featured Ric Flair as a guest of the VIP Lounge in which Flair and WWE US Champion MVP discussed their upcoming match at the Royal Rumble as well as their match last year at Vengeance in which MVP won before Flair knocked MVP down in the ring and walked off; included a vignette promoting the debut of Eve; featured a backstage segment in which Vickie wished Rey Mysterio Jr. luck in the main event:
The Great Khali (w/ Runjin Singh) defeated Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) via KO with the head vice at 11:03 after hitting the tree slam after both Hornswoggle and Singh interfered; prior to the bout, it was announced Khali would be part of the 30-man Royal Rumble
Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore defeated Deuce & Domino (w/ Cherry) at 6:39 when Yang pinned Domino with an elbow to the face and moonsault off the top
Batista pinned Mark Henry with a spinebuster at 5:01; prior to the bout, footage was shown of Batista winning the 2005 Royal Rumble
Michelle McCool pinned Layla at 3:53 with the Angel’s Wings; after the commercial break, Jamie Noble spoke backstage with Michelle, during which Chuck Palumbo appeared, gave her several dozen roses, and apologized for his earlier behavior; Noble then said he saw right through Palumbo until Michelle broke the two men up before a fight ensued
Rey Mysterio Jr. & ECW World Champion CM Punk defeated World Heavyweight Champion Edge & Chavo Guerrero Jr. via disqualification at 10:47 when Edge hit Mysterio with a chair as Mysterio attempted the springboard splash on Chavo; before the bout, it was announced Edge would be on ECW the following week; after the match, Punk attempted to make the save for Mysterio until Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder joined in attacking Mysterio & Punk to close the show
WWE (Raw) @ Syracuse, NY – War Memorial Arena – January 18, 2008
Rescheduled from 9/28/07
Jim Duggan defeated Charlie Haas
Trevor Murdoch defeated DH Smith
Gene Snitsky defeated Super Crazy
Vladimir Kozlov defeated Brian Kendrick
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Santino Marella & Carlito
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix defeated Mickie James
Shawn Michaels defeated Umaga
WWE World Champion Randy Orton defeated WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ State College, PA – Bryce Jordan Center – January 19, 2008
Kane defeated Big Daddy V
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore
Kelly Kelly defeated Victoria
Elijah Burke defeated Tommy Dreamer
Kofi Kingston defeated Deuce
ECW World Champion CM Punk defeated Shelton Benjamin
Ric Flair defeated Mark Henry via count-out
Finlay pinned the Great Khali after Hornswoggle interfered with the shillelagh
World Heavyweight Champion Edge pinned Batista in a No DQ match
WWE (Raw) @ Jamestown, NY – Savings Bank Ice Arena – January 19, 2008 (3,200)
Rescheduled from 9/30/07
Jim Duggan defeated Charlie Haas
Snitsky defeated Super Crazy
Vladimir Kozlov defeated Brian Kendrick
DH Smith defeated Trevor Murdoch
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Carlito Caribbean Cool & Santino Marella
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix defeated Mickie James
Shawn Michaels defeated Umaga
WWE World Champion Randy Orton defeated WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Binghamton, NY – Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena – January 20, 2008 (1,250)
Brian Kendrick defeated Charlie Haas
Snitksy defeated Super Crazy
Vladimir Kozlov defeated Jim Duggan
DH Smith defeated Trevor Murdoch
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Santino Marella & Carlito Caribbean Cool
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix defeated Mickie James
Shawn Michaels defeated Umaga
WWE World Champion Randy Orton defeated WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Salisbury, MD – Wicomico Youth & Civic Center – January 20, 2008
Kane defeated Big Daddy V
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore
Kelly Kelly defeated Victoria
Elijah Burke defeated Tommy Dreamer
Kofi Kingston defeated Deuce
ECW World Champion CM Punk defeated Shelton Benjamin
Ric Flair defeated Mark Henry
Finlay defeated the Great Khali
World Heavyweight Champion Edge defeated Batista
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Upper Marlboro, MD – Show Place Arena – January 21, 2008
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore
Kofi Kingston defeated Elijah Burke
Kelly Kelly defeated Victoria
ECW World Champion CM Punk defeated Shelton Benjamin
Jamie Noble defeated Deuce
Kane defeated the Great Khali
Big Daddy V defeated Tommy Dreamer
World Heavyweight Champion Edge defeated Batista
WWE @ Hampton, VA – Coliseum – January 21, 2008
Vladimir Kozlov defeated an unknown
Heat:
Trevor Murdoch pinned DH Smith with a modified Canadian Destroyer
Jim Duggan defeated Wayne Costal
Charlie Haas defeated Super Crazy via submission with the Haas of Pain
Raw – the first episode to air in HD; featured an opening video package on Martin Luther King Jr.; included the debut of a stage, following the destruction of part of the video screen stage the previous week; featured a backstage segment with WWE World Champion Randy Orton and Vince McMahon regarding McMahon’s order for Orton and WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy to shake hands later in the show, with Orton protesting until McMahon convinced him it would give Orton an edge; included Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Triple H regarding his Royal Rumble qualifying match later in the show in which Triple H guaranteed he would qualify; featured a backstage segment with Brian Kendrick and WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Cody Rhodes regarding Kendrick’s Rumble qualifying match later in the show; moments later, WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Hardcore Holly appeared and talked about his match later in the show against Carlito Caribbean Cool and his upcoming participation in the Rumble; included a video package on Orton, highlighting his childhood, WWE debut, World Heavyweight Title win in 2004, and highlights of his career since to the tune of Disciple’s “Game On;” featured an in-ring promo by Chris Jericho regarding John Bradshaw Layfield’s promo the previous week in which he mentioned Jericho’s children, the attack Jericho sustained two weeks earlier, and his upcoming match with JBL at the Rumble; included a backstage segment with McMahon and Hardy regarding Hardy’s Swanton onto Orton the previous week and Hardy having to shake Orton’s hand later in the show; featured an ad promoting extra tickets going on sale for WrestleMania 24; included a backstage segment with Mickie James, Ashley, and Maria regarding Mickie being frustrated over not being able to beat WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix; after Ashley said she wanted to talk to Maria about something after going to a party at the Playboy Mansion, Santino Marella appeared and said he did not need a magazine subscription; featured footage of McMahon appearing on ‘Celebrity Appearance’ later that week on NBC; included a video package on Hardy’s career and feud with Orton to the tune of Lostprophets’ “Rooftops;” featured a closing in-ring segment with McMahon, Hardy, and Orton; during the segment, Orton said Hardy wouldn’t have the title after the Rumble but would have his respect; Hardy then said he wasn’t concerned with earning Orton’s respect, then went around ringside shaking the hands of Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Lilian Garcia, and went into the crowd doing the same with the fans; after Hardy got back into the ring, Orton extended him his hand to shake but Hardy instead dropped him with the Twist of Fate:
Shawn Michaels pinned Ken Kennedy at 14:20 with the superkick after Kennedy avoided Michaels’ leg submission hold; prior to the bout, it was announced Kennedy had been given a spot in the Royal Rumble match by William Regal
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Mickie James in a non-title match at 3:42 with the cradle suplex after dropping Mickie across the top rope
Finlay & Hornswoggle defeated Robbie & Rory McAllister at 1:26 when Hornswoggle pinned Rory with the frog splash after Finlay hit the Celtic Cross
Royal Rumble Qualifying Match: Umaga (mystery opponent) pinned Brian Kendrick at 2:20 with the thumb strike to the throat; prior to the bout, William Regal appeared on the big screen and told Kendrick he would have to face someone who had already qualified for the Rumble
Carlito Caribbean Cool (w/ Santino Marella & Maria) pinned WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Hardcore Holly (w/ WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Cody Rhodes) at 3:12 with the Back Stabber after Marella distracted Holly as he attempted the Alabama Slam
Royal Rumble Qualifyiing Match: Triple H won a 3-man over-the-top-rope gauntlet match at 5:48; prior to the bout, footage was shown of Triple H winning the 2002 Royal Rumble; following Triple H’s entrance, William Regal appeared and said he would face three men; Triple H eliminated Snitsky with a clothesline (1:16); Triple H eliminated Mark Henry by pulling down the top rope duing a charge (4:21); Triple H eliminated Regal, after Regal appeared to wave off the mystery third opponent, following a spinebuster
WWE @ Charlottesville, VA – John Paul Jones Arena – January 22, 2008
Paul Birchill (w/ Katie Lee) defeated Sho Funaki
ECW – the first episode to air in HD; the debut of a new stage; featured a backstage segment with World Heavyweight Champion Edge, Vickie Guerrero, and Chavo Guerrero Jr. regarding Chavo’s ECW World Title shot later in the show; included a video package highlighting the history of the Royal Rumble and various statistics regarding the match’s history:
Shelton Benjamin won a 5-man battle royal at 3:07 by last eliminating Kane; order of elimination: Tommy Dreamer by Kane via a choke throw (1:04); WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Mike Mizanin by Kane (3:00); WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion John Morrison by Kane (3:02); Kane by Benjamin via a headscissors; prior to the bout, it was announced Dreamer would be part of the 30-man Royal Rumble; after the match, Benjamin grabbed the mic and yelled “Ain’t no stopping me now!”
Kelly Kelly defeated Lena and Layla in a dance contest; Jonathan Coachman was the MC for the event; after the contest, Lena and Layla threw Kelly down by the hair and left ringside
Kofi Kingston pinned David Owens at 2:36 with a spinning enzuiguri (Kingston’s TV debut)
The Great Khali (w/ Runjin Singh) defeated Colin Delany via KO at the 38-second mark after applying the head vice; prior to the bout, Tazz conducted an in-ring interview with Delany – his shoulder, elbow, and waist heavily bandaged – about his recent beatings
Chavo Guerrero Jr. pinned ECW World Champion CM Punk to win the title in a No DQ match at 6:27 after World Heavyweight Champion Edge, who did guest commentary for the bout, hit the spear on Punk after Chavo sustained the Go To Sleep; the No DQ stipulation was not announced until during the ring introductions; after the match, Vickie Guerrero, Zack Ryder, and Curt Hawkins appeared to celebrate along with Edge and Chavo
Smackdown! – the first episode to air in HD; the debut of a new stage; featured a backstage promo by Jesse in which he commented on Festus’ two personalities and said Jesse was getting medial treatment; included a backstage segment with Jamie Noble and Chuck Palumbo in which they argued before noticing Michelle McCool was coming, with the two men then calming down; featured a video package on WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy to the tune of Lostprophets’ “Rooftops;” included an in-ring promo by WWE US Champion MVP regarding his upcoming bout at the Royal Rumble against Ric Flair and his opportunity to retire Flair; after MVP insulted Flair for several minutes, Flair eventually appeared in the aisle and said he would win their match; featured a vignette promoting the debut of Eve; included a backstage segment with Vince McMahon, Finlay, and Hornswoggle in which McMahon thanked Finlay for protecting Hornswoggle against the Great Khali but warned him Khali would be going after him in the Royal Rumble; moments later, McMahon told Hornswoggle that he couldn’t trust Finlay in the Rumble match; featured an in-ring promo by Batista in which he wished Rey Mysterio Jr. the best of luck against World Heavyweight Champion Edge at the Rumble and said he planned to win the Rumble match as he did in 2005; included footage from earlier in the night of Jamie Noble apologizing to Michelle McCool as she was led backstage on a stretcher; featured a video package highlighting the history of the Royal Rumble and various statistics regarding the match’s history:
Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins via disqualification in a handicap match at 6:34 when Hawkins brought a steel chair into the ring as Mysterio attempted the 619 on Ryder; during the bout, World Heavyweight Champion Edge was shown watching the match backstage; after the match, Mysterio cleared both men from the ring
Jimmy Wang Yang (w/ Shannon Moore) pinned Domino (w/ Deuce & Cherry) at 5:27 with the moonsault off the top after lifting his knees to block a bomb off the turnbuckle
Michelle McCool, Chuck Palumbo, & Jamie Noble fought Layla, WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin to a no contest at around the 2-minute mark when – following an arguement between Palumbo and Noble – Palumbo sent Noble into the ropes, knocking McCool off the apron to the floor; after the bout, Noble went to check on McCool and called for a medic before Palumbo assaulted him around ringside and hit the Full Throttle on the floor, tossing aside a referee that attempted to break it up; moments later, as Michelle was almost back to her feet, Palumbo kicked Noble in the ribs with Michelle grabbing him in an attempt to stop him; Palumbo flung her off – with McCool again hitting the floor – kicked Noble again and walked off; McCool was later taken backstage on a stretcher
Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) fought the Great Khali (w/ Runjin Singh) to a no contest in a Belfast Brawl at around the 5-minute mark when – after Khali attempted to chokeslam Hornswoggle off the apron and through the commentary table – Finlay brutalized Khali on the floor with the shillalaugh and a steel chair before leaving ringside with Hornswoggle
The Undertaker defeated Big Daddy V (w/ Matt Striker) via submission with an armbar at 6:12 (The Undertaker’s Most Dangerous Matches)
World Heavyweight Champion Edge (w/ Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins) pinned CM Punk (w/ Rey Mysterio Jr.) in a non-title match at 10:08 with the spear; Mysterio did guest commentary for the match
Dark match after the taping: Batista, Rey Mysterio Jr., & CM Punk defeated World Heavyweight Champion Edge, Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder
– 1/25/08: ECW head writer David Lagana was fired. Lagana had been with the company six years.
WWE (Raw, Smackdown!, & ECW) @ Providence, RI – Dunkin’ Donuts Center – January 26, 2008 (9,500)
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Carlito Caribbean Cool & Santino Marella when Holly pinned Santino with the Alabama Slam
Mark Henry defeated Nunzio via submission with the bearhug
Tommy Dreamer pinned Elijah Burke with the DDT
WWE US Champion MVP pinned Kane with a roll up and grabbing the ropes and tights for leverage
Royal Rumble Qualifing Match: CM Punk pinned ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. in a non-title match with the Go To Sleep; the bout was previously scheduled as a title match but was changed to a Rumble qualifying match immediately before the match by Armando Estrada
Triple H pinned Umaga with the Pedigree in a steel cage match
Maria defeated Kelly Kelly and Layla in a bikini contest; after the bout, WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix appeared and attacked Maria and Kelly Kelly until they cleared her from the ring
Chris Jericho & WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy defeated WWE World Champion Randy Orton & John Bradshaw Layfield when Hardy pinned Orton with the Twist of Fate and Swanton after Jericho and JBL brawled their way backstage
World Heavyweight Champion Edge defeated Batista and Rey Mysterio Jr. by pinning Batista after hitting him with the title belt after Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins interfered
Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore defeated Deuce & Domino (w/ Cherry) in under 5 minutes
Pay-per-view bouts – the first pay-per-view to air in HD; included Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler on commentary for Raw, Michael Cole & Jonathan Coachman on commentary for Smackdown!, and Joey Styles & Tazz on commentary for ECW; featured a backstage segment with Vince McMahon and Hornswoggle in which McMahon discussed the upcoming Royal Rumble match and told Hornswoggle he couldn’t trust anyone else in the match; moments later, Finlay appeared and McMahon suggested Hornswoggle could turn on him in the bout; included the debut of Mike Ademle as a new broadcaster, who introduced a video package on the Chris Jericho / John Bradshaw Layfield feud; featured a backstage segment with Ashley and Santino Marella in which Santino said Maria was too busy to talk with Ashley about Playboy and slammed the door in her face; included a backstage segment with Ric Flair – wearing a towel after getting out of the shower – and Ken Kennedy in which Kennedy congratulated Flair on his win until Shawn Michaels appeared, just as Kennedy implied he wanted to retire Flair, with Kennedy then walking off; Michaels then congratulated Flair on his win and Flair gave Michaels a pep talk before his participation in the Rumble; Batista and Triple H then appeared, with those two and Michaels chiming in on who would win the Rumble; featured an in-ring HD Kiss Cam, hosted by Maria, with Ashley then appearing and asking if Maria would be interested in posing for Playboy; Santino Marella then appeared with a person cloaked in black, insulted the crowd, especially the New York Giants by saying they were going to choke in the Super Bowl, and tried to take Maria backstage with him; after Ashley asked Maria again, Santino said they would discuss it more later and then brought the cloaked person into the ring, unveiling it as Big Dick Johnson wearing a Tom Brady Patriot’s jersey and thong; Ashley, who laughed outloud throughout the segment, then knocked Johnson to the floor; included a ‘Baywatch’ themed WrestleMania 24 ad with Kelly Kelly and Mae Young; featured Ademle introducing a Randy Orton / Jeff Hardy video package, accidentally calling Hardy ‘Harvey’ before correcting himself; the segment featured Hardy’s portion to the tune of Lostprophets’ “Rooftops”:
Ric Flair defeated WWE US Champion MVP via submission with the figure-4 in a non-title match at 7:50; prior to the match, Flair cut an in-ring promo on his career and thanked the MSG crowd for the respect they had shown him over the years; MVP originally won the match at the 4-minute mark following a boot to the face but referee Charles Robinson had the bout continue after noticing Flair’s foot was on the bottom rope during the cover; pre-match stipulations stated Flair would have to retire if he lost the match; Michael Cole & Jonathan Coachman provided commentary for the match
John Bradshaw Layfield defeated Chris Jericho via disqualification at 9:24 when Jericho hit JBL in the head with a steel chair as both men brawled on the floor; after the match, a bloody Jericho threw the chair into JBL’s face in the ring and choked him with a TV cable until he was pulled away by referees
World Heavyweight Champion Edge (w/ Vickie Guerrero) pinned Rey Mysterio Jr. at 12:36 by hitting the spear as Mysterio attempted a springboard into the ring, moments after hitting both Edge and an interfering Guerrero with the 619; Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins were in the champion’s corner early on but were ejected at the 3-minute mark as they attempted to attack Mysterio on the floor; after the bout, Ryder, Hawkins, and Edge tended to Guerrero outside the ring and helped her back into her wheelchair (Edge: A Decade of Decadence)
WWE World Champion Randy Orton pinned WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy at 14:06 by reversing the Twist of Fate into the RKO (Jeff Hardy: My Life My Rules)
John Cena won the 30-man Royal Rumble match at 51:30 by last eliminating Triple H; due to pre-match stipulations, Cena earned a world title match at WrestleMania 24; Michael Buffer was the guest ring announcer for the match; Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, Jonathan Coachman, Joey Styles, & Tazz did commentary for the bout (Cena’s surprise return after a 3-month absence)
Order of entry: The Undertaker (0:00); Shawn Michaels (0:00); Santino Marella (1:39); the Great Khali (w/ Runjin Singh) (3:34); upon Khali’s appearance, the crowd chanted “You can’t wrestle;” WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Hardcore Holly (5:06); WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion John Morrison (6:42); Tommy Dreamer (8:00); Dreamer received several chants of his name upon his appearance; Batista (9:36); Hornswoggle (36:49); Hornswoggle hid under the ring upon his entrance where he remained until much later; Chuck Palumbo (12:34); Jamie Noble, with his ribs taped (14:04); CM Punk (15:27); WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Cody Rhodes (17:00); Umaga (18:35); Snitsky (20:04); Mike Mizanin (21:32); Shelton Benjamin (22:49); Jimmy Snuka (24:17); Roddy Piper (25:59); Kane (26:53); Carlito Caribbean Cool (28:11); Mick Foley (29:28); Ken Kennedy (30:56); Big Daddy V (32:46) (not shown on camera); Mark Henry (34:13); ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. (35:47); Finlay (36:59); Finlay appeared before his number to save Hornswoggle from Henry & Big Daddy V, with Finlay laying out several men with the shillalagh before leading Hornswoggle backstage; Elijah Burke (38:47); Triple H (40:08); John Cena (43:02)
Order of elimination: Marella by Taker following Michaels’ superkick (2:05); Khali by Taker (4:43); Dreamer by Batista after fighting off a DDT attempt (10:10); Noble by Palumbo via a kick as Noble was on the apron (14:32); after the elimination, Noble was helped backstage by referees; Palumbo by Punk via a running knee to the head as Palumbo stood on the apron (16:34); Holly by Umaga via the thumb strike to the throat (18:52); Benjamin by Michaels via the superkick (23:07); Piper by Kane (27:00); Snuka by Kane (27:02); Snitsky by Taker via a clothesline (32:31); Taker by Michaels via the superkick (32:36); Michaels by Kennedy (32:42); after Taker’s elimination, Taker hit a legdrop onto Snitsky while he was laid atop the commentary table; Mizanin by Hornswoggle by pulling him down from the floor as Mizanin tried to keep himself on the top rope (34:39); Morrison by Kane via a boot to the face (36:06); Hornswoggle left ringside (38 minute mark); Finlay was disqualified for using a weapon (38 minute mark); Punk by Guerrero via a suplex (39:20); Rhodes by Triple H (40:16); Big Daddy V by Triple H following a kneelift (40:33); Foley & Burke by Triple H (40:58); Carlito by Cena (43:19); Guerrero by Cena (43:22); Henry by Cena (43:26); Kennedy by Batista via a clothesline (44:28); Umaga by Batista via a clothesline (44:41); Kane by Batista & Triple H (44:53); Batista by Triple H via a clothesline (47:18); Triple H by Cena via an FU to the floor
WWE @ Philadelphia, PA – Wachovia Center – January 28, 2008
Paul Birchill (w/ Katie Lea) defeated Nick Berk
Heat:
Charlie Haas defeated DH Smith via submission with the Haas of Pain; during the bout, Haas put on a luchador mask, which Smith then removed; later in the match, Haas put it back on
Jim Duggan defeated Rory McAllister
Trevor Murdoch pinned Super Crazy with a modified Canadian Destroyer
Raw – featured an opening in-ring promo by John Cena regarding his injury, winning the Royal Rumble, and going to WrestleMania; moments later, Cena issued a challenge to WWE World Champion Randy Orton for a title shot later in the night; Orton then appeared and turned down the offer, with Cena then arguing Orton has the advantage because waiting another two months will just give Cena more time to heal from his surgury; Orton again said no, citing he only defends when the fans pay to see it, but said Cena could face him at No Way Out; Cena then issued a warning to Orton for later that night; included an ad promoting more WrestleMania 24 seats being available; featured a backstage segment with Vince McMahon and William Regal in which McMahon agreed to Orton vs. Cena at No Way Out but questioning who would face the champion at WrestleMania, with Regal mentioning “that match” could determine the next challenger; included an ad for ‘The Legacy of Stone Cold Steve Austin,’ available Feb. 12; featured a promo by Regal on the stage in which he announced an Elimination Chamber match would be held at No Way Out to determine who would face the winner of Orton vs. Cena at WrestleMania; the participants would be: Umaga, Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, John Bradshaw Layfield, WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy, and Triple H; included Mike Adamle hyping Snitsky & Umaga vs. Triple H & an unknown partner and Orton & JBL vs. Hardy & Jericho for later in the night; featured a backstage segment with Triple H and Michaels in which they discussed their participation in the Elimination Chamber before Triple H asked Michaels to be his tag team partner later in the show; the two then showcased new DX clothing before leaving the dressing room; included footage of Candice Michelle filming her fourth straight GoDaddy.com SuperBowl commercial; featured a backstage segment with Orton and JBL regarding their tag team match, with JBL saying he expected to face Orton for the title at WrestleMania and Orton saying he hoped JBL won the Elimination Chamber because he knew he could beat him; included Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Hardy regarding his loss at the Rumble and his participation in the Elimination Chamber; featured a backstage segment with McMahon and Hornswoggle in which McMahon berated Hornswoggle for coming back from the Rumble a loser and said he was ashamed of him; included Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Jericho regarding his match with JBL at the Rumble, during which Jericho implied his feud with JBL would continue at WrestleMania; featured Adamle hyping the Cena vs. Orton and Elimination Chamber match scheduled for No Way Out:
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix & Jillian Hall defeated Mickie James & Ashley at 2:51 when Phoenix pinned Mickie with the cradle suplex; Ashley was never legally involved in the match
WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Cody Rhodes (w/ WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Hardcore Holly) pinned Carlito Caribbean Cool (w/ Santino Marella & Maria) with the Backstabber at 3:06 after Rhodes became distracted by Holly chasing Marella around ringside
Triple H & Shawn Michaels defeated Umaga & Snitsky at 12:14 when Triple H pinned Snitsky with the Pedigree; during the pre-match “Suck it” promo, Triple H made mention of Michael Buffer stealing their gimmick at the Royal Rumble
Ken Kennedy pinned Brian Kendrick with the Mic Check at 1:59; after the bout, Kennedy cut an in-ring promo saying he had asked William Regal for him not to be part of the Elimination Chamber because he wanted to end the career of Ric Flair at No Way Out; moments later, Flair appeared and wished Kennedy good luck
Maria (w/ Santino Marella) pinned Melina at 2:28 by blocking a roll up out of the corner; after the bout, Santino covered Maria’s butt – her thong was exposed during the finish – and insulted the crowd for taking pleasure in seeing Maria’s skin; Santino then said Maria would never be in Playboy
WWE World Champion Randy Orton & John Bradshaw Layfield defeated Chris Jericho & WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy at 10:58 when JBL pinned Jericho after Orton dropped Jericho with the RKO behind the referee’s back as JBL was caught in the Walls of Jericho; after the bout, John Cena appeared, with JBL acting as though he would back Orton up but then leaving the ring; moments later, Cena dropped Orton with the FU to close the broadcast
– 1/29/08: Chris Harris signed with the WWE.
WWE @ Reading, PA – Sovereign Center – January 29, 2008
Vladimir Kozlov defeated Sho Funaki
ECW – featured an ad for ‘The Legacy of Stone Cold Steve Austin,’ available Feb. 12; included a closing in-ring celebration of Chavo Guerrero Jr.’s ECW World Title victory the previous week, introduced by Armando Estrada; moments later, pre-taped footage was shown of World Heavyweight Champion Edge congratulating Chavo – as Vickie Guerrero recovered from the injury she sustained at the Royal Rumble – and introducing a Chavo tribute video; Chavo then cut an in-ring promo on his title win and then celebrated as a mariachi band played and balloons fell from the rafters; moments later, one of the band members hit a guitar over Chavo’s head and revealed himself as CM Punk as the show came to a close:
Kane defeated Shelton Benjamin via count-out at 6:38 when Benjamin left the ring after sustaining a boot to the face
Victoria pinned Kelly Kelly with the Widow’s Peak at 2:49; mid-way through the bout, Layla and Lena appeared ringside; after the match, Layla and Lena assaulted Kelly and left ringside with Victoria
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Colin Delany in a handicap match at 2:11 when Morrison made the cover with one finger after Mizanin hit the Reality Check and Morrison followed with the corkscrew neckbreaker; prior to the bout, Tazz conducted an in-ring interview with Delany – his head, shoulders, ribs, and arms heavily bandaged – and recapped Delaney’s beatings over the previous five weeks before telling Delaney he would have to face two men; after the match, Morrison & Mizanin continued to attack Delaney until Tommy Dreamer appeared
CM Punk pinned Elijah Burke at 3:30 with the Go To Sleep
Kofi Kingston pinned Rob Echoes with a spin kick to the head at 1:55; during the bout, a crawl at the bottom of the screen advertised an uninterrupted version of the show to air the following day on WWE.com at 4 p.m.
Smackdown! – featured an opening in-ring promo by Teddy Long – in control for the night in the absence of Vickie Guerrero, injured at the Royal Rumble by Rey Mysterio Jr. – in which he announced an Elimination Chamber would be held at No Way Out to determine the challenger to the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania; the participants would be: Batista, the Great Khali, Finlay, WWE US Champion MVP, Big Daddy V, and the Undertaker; Long then announced that World Heavyweight Champion Edge would defend against Mysterio in a rematch at No Way Out; Edge then appeared to protest, arguing that Mysterio shouldn’t get a rematch because he injured Vickie, but Long kept the match on; included an in-ring promo by Chuck Palumbo in which he said the injury Michelle McCool sustained the previous week – a concussion and whiplash – were an accident and that it was all Jamie Noble’s fault; Palumbo said he had been fined $10,000 for hitting a referee that wouldn’t get out of the way during the incident and then called Michelle to come out so he could publically apologize to her; Michelle said she didn’t believe Palumbo’s apology and slapped him, with Palumbo then cornering her and saying Noble would pay for the slap and Palumbo would make sure Michelle would be watching; featured an ad for ‘The Legacy of Stone Cold Steve Austin,’ available Feb. 12; included Eve conducting an in-ring interview with Batista regarding his participation in the No Way Out Elimination Chamber (Eve’s Smackdown! debut); featured a vignette of Jesse in which he said Festus had been cured and would be on Smackdown! the following week; included an ad for additional WrestleMania 24 tickets being on sale:
Ric Flair defeated WWE US Champion MVP via disqualification in a non-title match at 6:17 when MVP refused to break a reversal of the figure-4 after Flair was under the ring ropes; pre-match stipulations stated Flair would be forced to retire if he lost; after the bout, MVP repeatedly rammed Flair’s leg into the ringpost, then trapped Flair’s leg in the ring steps and kicked them; moments later, Flair was helped backstage by referees; after the commercial break, the trainer was shown looking at Flair’s leg backstage
Rey Mysterio Jr. & CM Punk defeated World Heavyweight Champion Edge & ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. at 15:09 when Punk pinned Chavo with the Go To Sleep after Chavo sustained Mysterio’s 619
Finlay & Hornswoggle defeated Deuce & Domino (w/ Cherry) at 1:50 when Hornswoggle pinned Domino with the frog splash after the Celtic Cross from Finlay; prior to the bout, Vince McMahon confronted Finlay & Hornswoggle backstage about how Finlay threw his Royal Rumble opportunity away to save Hornswoggle
Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder defeated Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore at 6:25 when Hawkins pinned Moore with an inverted suplex after avoiding a corkscrew moonsault off the top; Hawkins & Ryder’s entrance had to be taped three times before they got it right
The Undertaker & Kane defeated Mark Henry & Big Daddy V (w/ Matt Striker) at around the 13-minute mark when Henry submitted to Taker’s chokehold after Taker hit a chokeslam (the bout began during the commercial break)
– 2/4/08: Bobby Lashley was officially released from the company.
– 2/4/08: Rory McAllister had a son, named Ian.
WWE @ Austin, TX – Frank Irwin Center – February 4, 2008 (12,000; announced at 13,552; sell out)
Triple H and Stephanie McMahon missed the taping due to the death of Triple H’s sister’s husband, Gordon Oulette
Charlie Haas defeated Val Venis via submission with the Haas of Pain after avoiding the Money Shot
Raw – featured an opening in-ring promo by WWE World Champion Randy Orton in which he asked John Cena to appear and sign a contract for their bout at No Way Out so that Cena didn’t back out at the last minute to spend more time healing; moments later, Cena appeared and signed the contract, with Orton then saying that – if for some reason Mark Henry injured Cena’s pec later in the show during their scheduled arm wrestling contest – their match was still on; Henry then appeared at ringside, distracting Cena long enough for Orton to drop him with the RKO; included an ad for ‘The Legacy of Stone Cold Steve Austin;’ featured Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Orton and Henry regarding the attack on Cena earlier in the show; included a backstage segment with William Regal and Hornswoggle in which Regal talked about Hornswoggle having to join the Mr. McMahon Kiss My Ass Club later in the show; featured the announcement Triple H was not at the show due to a family emergency; included an in-ring promo by Shawn Michaels in which he referenced his almost winning the 2007 Royal Rumble and almost beating Cena for the title at WrestleMania and said he was done coming in 2nd place and put his opponents in the Elimination Chamber on notice; Chris Jericho then appeared and argued he was going to win the match until WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy interrupted and argued he would win; John Bradshaw Layfield then appeared and said he had bought off Umaga as a way to guarantee JBL would win the match and once again main event WrestleMania; Umaga then appeared, followed closely thereafter by Snitsky who argued he should be in the match; moments later, all six men began brawling, with William Regal then appearing and announcing Umaga, JBL, & Snitsky would face Michaels, Hardy, & Jericho later in the show; featured Mike Adamle hyping the Raw Elimination Chamber match for No Way Out; included Vince McMahon preparing for Hornswoggle to join the Mr. McMahon Kiss My Ass Club; featured an in-ring promo by McMahon in which he told the parents in the crowd the only way their kids would do as they say is if they literally kissed their ass, then called for Hornswoggle to appear to do the same; after demanding Hornswoggle to kiss his ass, Finlay eventually appeared, with McMahon telling him he could kiss his ass when Hornswoggle was finished; Hornswoggle evenually bit McMahon’s ass before leaving with Finlay; McMahon then announced he would face Hornswoggle the following week one-on-one in a No DQ match and Finlay would be fired if he interfered; included a WrestleMania 24 hype package to the tune of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ ‘Snow (Hey Oh);’ featured footage of Candice Michelle, Torrie Wilson, Maria, Michelle McCool, and Layla appearing on ‘Project Runway’ later in the week on BRAVO; included a vignette promoting the return of Candice:
Mickie James & Kelly Kelly defeated WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix & Victoria at 2:43 when Mickie pinned Victoria with a Tornado DDT
Ken Kennedy defeated Super Crazy via submission with an inverted figure-4 at 2:30; after the bout, Kennedy showed footage on the big screen of the previous week’s Smackdown! in which WWE US Champion MVP attacked Ric Flair after their match; Kennedy then offered Flair a chance to appear the next week and forfeit his match against Kennedy at No Way Out or face having to retire and limp the rest of his life
Carlito Caribbean Cool & Santino Marella (w/ Maria) defeated Brian Kendrick & Paul London at 1:18 when Carlito pinned Kendrick with the Backstabber; neither London or Marella were legally involved in the bout
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch in a non-title match at 2:16 when Rhodes pinned Murdoch with a DDT; after the bout, Carlito Caribbean Cool, Santino Marella, & Maria appeared with Carlito and Santino announcing they had been named the new #1 contenders and would take the belts from Holly & Rhodes
Shawn Michaels, WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy, & Chris Jericho defeated John Bradshaw Layfield, Umaga, & Snitsky at 15:12 when Hardy pinned Snitsky with the Twist of Fate and Swanton
John Cena fought Mark Henry to a no contest in an arm wrestling contest when – as Cena was about to win – WWE World Champion Randy Orton interfered; moments later, Cena easily sent Orton out of the ring and dropped Henry with the FU to close the broadcast
Raw – 2/11/08 – featured Mike Adamle in the crowd hyping the John Cena vs. WWE World Champion Randy Orton match at No Way Out, followed by a video package recapping the feud beginning with Cena’s injury in the fall; included a backstage segment with Vince McMahon and William Regal discussing firing Finlay later in the show, with McMahon saying he wouldn’t fire Finlay but would make Finlay watch as he fought Hornswoggle in a steel cage the following week; featured an anti-steroid commercial featuring Cena; included an ad for ‘The Legacy of Stone Cold Steve Austin;’ featured a WrestleMania 24 hype package to the tune of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ ‘Snow (Hey Oh);’ included an in-ring confrontation between Ken Kennedy and Ric Flair in which Kennedy asked if Flair was going to agree to his offer to forfeit their match at No Way Out, with Flair refusing and saying he would beat Kennedy; moments later, Kennedy kicked Flair in his bad leg and did the Flair strut before leaving the ring; featured a look at the taping of Cena taping a Nascar commercial with Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards, and several other drivers; included a Triple H vignette promoting his participation in the Elimination Chamber; featured a vignette promoting the return of Candice Michelle:
Hornswoggle pinned Vince McMahon in a No DQ match at 5:39 with the frog splash after Finlay hit McMahon with his shillalagh; Finlay appeared mid-way through the bout to make the save for Hornswoggle until McMahon threatened to fire him, with Finlay then appearing as though he would leave the ring; when McMahon turned to Hornswoggle and called Finlay a coward, Finlay hit him with the weapon; after the commercial break, William Regal spoke with McMahon – as his head was being iced down – backstage in which McMahon said they would fire Finlay later in the show
Chris Jericho pinned John Bradshaw Layfield with the Code Breaker at 13:53 after avoiding the Clothesline from Hell and sending JBL shoulder-first into the corner; after the bout, Umaga appeared, attacked Jericho, and dropped him with the thumb strike to the throat before doing the same to JBL
Paul Birchill (w/ Katie Lea) pinned Brian Kendrick with a reverse corkscrew neckbreaker at 2:55; prior to the bout, Birchill & Katie cut an in-ring promo on their brother-sister relationship (Katie’s debut; Birchill’s return after a nearly 2-year absence)
John Cena defeated Mark Henry via submission with the STFU at 2:51; after the bout, Cena confronted WWE World Champion Randy Orton, who provided guest commentary for the match, at ringside and said he was 100% healthy for their match at No Way Out
Melina (w/ Jillian Hall) pinned Maria (w/ Santino Marella) with a roll up at 2:45 when, after Maria hit the bulldog on Melina, Jillian grabbed Santino – who provided guest commentary for the bout – and kissed him, distracting Maria; after the bout, Santino apologized in the ring and said the loss was a curse because Maria had been thinking about doing Playboy; Santino then said Maria had one week to decide between himself and Playboy; Santino then kissed her and left the ring
WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy pinned Shawn Michaels in a non-title match with the Twist of Fate and Swanton at 19:51 (Jeff Hardy: My Life My Rules)
WWE @ Corpus Christi, TX – Amerian Bank Center – February 5, 2008 (6,500; sell out)
Vladimir Kozlov defeated Sho Funaki
ECW – featured an opening in-ring promo by CM Punk in which he said he was using his rematch clause for an immediate title shot against ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr., with Chavo then appearing and telling Punk he could get a rematch but it would be at No Way Out; Chavo then introduced Armando Estrada – outside the arena – who said Punk would face Chavo later in the show in a Gulf of Mexico Extreme Rules match where the winner would be the man to throw his opponent into the Gulf of Mexico beside the venue; included the announcement John Cena would face Mark Henry and WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy would face Shawn Michaels the following week on Raw; featured the announcement Kane would face Shelton Benjamin later in the week on Smackdown!; included a WrestleMania 24 hype package to the tune of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ ‘Snow (Hey Oh);’ featured footage of Joey Styles conducting an interview with Stevie Richards regarding his recent neck surgury; Richards said the initial injury happened in May 1997 in Buffalo, NY when Terry Funk dropped a guardrail across his neck; as a result of the injury, Richards’ vocal chords were paralyzed and he had to have a vocal chord implant; Richards said he went through a total of nine surguries and said he would make his return to the ring the following week; included an ad for ‘The Legacy of Stone Cold Steve Austin’:
Victoria & Layla (w/ Lena) defeated Kelly Kelly & Michelle McCool at 2:41 when Victoria pinned Kelly with the Widow’s Peak after Lena tripped Kelly from the floor; prior to the bout, it was announced McCool would be ringside when Chuck Palumbo faces Jamie Noble later in the week on Smackdown!
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion John Morrison (w/ WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Mike Mizanin) pinned Tommy Dreamer (w/ Colin Delaney, heavily bandaged) at 4:19 with the corkscrew neckbreaker after Dreamer knocked Mizanin down on the floor with a baseball slide after Mizanin kicked Delaney
Kofi Kingston pinned James Curtis with the spin kick to the face at 3:18
CM Punk defeated ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. in a non-title Gulf of Mexico Extreme Rules match at 11:32 following a Go To Sleep which knocked Guerrero into the water; pre-match stipulations stated the winner would be the man to send his opponent into the Gulf of Mexico outside the venue
Smackdown! – featured Michael Cole conducting an opening in-ring interview with Batista regarding his participation in the Elimination Chamber at No Way Out, with WWE US Champion MVP eventually interrupting; moments later, Big Daddy V and Matt Striker appeared and argued V would win until the Great Khali and Runjin Singh came out and said Khali would win; Finlay and Hornswoggle then appeared, with the Undertaker eventually appearing and scaring Khali, V, and MVP to the floor; included a WrestleMania 24 hype package to the tune of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ ‘Snow (Hey Oh);’ featured footage footage of the WWE opening an office in Shanghai the previous year and of footage the previous week of the WWE being honored in Guangzhou, China for corporate sponsorship; included Vickie Guerrero – wheeled to the ring by Teddy Long – as a guest of The Cutting Edge in which World Heavyweight Champion Edge said he had a “life-altering question” for Vickie the following week; moments later, Edge demanded Rey Mysterio Jr. come out and apologize for hurting her at the Royal Rumble; when Mysterio did appear, Vickie repeatedly slapped him before he finally grabbed her arm, with Edge then attacking Mysterio before Mysterio fought back with the 619 and a sit-down splash onto Edge on the floor; before leaving ringside, Mysterio grabbed the mic and sarcastically told Vickie he was sorry; featured Eve conducting a backstage interview with Edge as to whether he was going to propose to Vickie the next week, with Edge refusing to answer; included an ad for ‘The Legacy of Stone Cold Steve Austin’:
Shelton Benjamin defeated Kane via count-out at 6:06 when, after both men had fought on the floor, Kane knocked Benjamin off the top back into the ring just before the 10-count
Chuck Palumbo pinned Jamie Noble (w/ Michelle McCool) with the Full Throttle at 3:57 after avoiding a plancha off the top, with Noble crashing into Palumbo’s motorcycle parked at ringside; after the bout, Palumbo threw Noble into the ringpost – sending him to the floor – repeatedly rammed him into the ringpost, and hit the Full Throttle onto the barricade; moments later, Palumbo confronted McCool, told her it was her fault, and attempted to run Noble over with his motorcycle before eventually riding it backstage
Jesse & Festus defeated Deuce & Domino (w/ Cherry) at 4:03 when Festus pinned Domino with a fireman’s carry into a face-first slam; prior to the bout, Jesse brought Festus out with a bag over his face and claimed he had been treated by the best psychiatrists in the world to cure his mood swings; however, when the bell rang, Festus again changed personalities
Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder defeated Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore at 3:32 when Hawkins pinned Moore with an inverted suplex
The Undertaker, Batista, & Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) fought the Great Khali (w/ Runjin Singh), WWE US Champion MVP, & Big Daddy V (w/ Matt Striker) to a no contest at around the 17-minute mark after Finlay hit Khali with the shillalagh and the babyfaces cleared the heels from the ring; the broadcast ended with Batista, Finlay, and Taker in the ring in a three-way staredown (the bout began during the commercial break)
WWE @ Houston, TX – Toyota Center – February 6, 2008 (12,000; announced at 14,307; sell out)
Vladimir Kozlov defeated Sho Funaki
ECW – 2/12/08 – featured footage from after the previous week’s show of ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. being pulled out of the Gulf of Mexico by scuba divers; included an opening in-ring promo by Guerrero in which he said he suffered a sinus infection as a result of last week’s match with CM Punk but was a fighting champion and would defend the title against Punk later in the show, in addition to their bout at No Way Out; moments later, Armando Estrada appeared and said Punk would be facing Mark Henry instead; featured a WrestleMania hype package to the tune of Rev Theory’s “Light It Up;”; included a Henry vignette to promote his match later in the show against Punk; featured an ad for ‘The Legacy of Stone Cold Steve Austin;’:
Stevie Richards pinned Rory Fox with the Stevie-T at 2:21; prior to the bout, footage was shown from the previous week’s sit-down interview with Richards (Richards’ return after a several-month absence)
Kelly Kelly pinned Layla (w/ Lena) with a Rocker Dropper at 3:58
Kofi Kingston pinned Mike Knox at 3:49 with a spin kick to the face
Tommy Dreamer (w/ Colin Delany) pinned WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion John Morrison (w/ WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Mike Mizanin) at 3:37 after reversing the corkscrew neckbreaker into the DDT; after the bout, Morrison & Mizanin knocked Dreamer to the floor and double teamed Delany
CM Punk defeated Mark Henry via disqualification at 2:20 when Henry refused to stop choking Punk on the ropes; during the bout, a crawl at the bottom of the screen advertised an online airing of the show would be on WWE.com the following day at 4 p.m.; after the match, Punk knocked Henry to the floor and fought off ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. – who was at ringside for the duration of the match – before eventually dropping him with the Go To Sleep as the show came to a close
Smackdown – 2/15/08 – featured a backstage segment in which Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder went to World Heavyweight Champion Edge for advice on their upcoming match, with Edge saying he needed some time to himself; included a John Cena anti-steroids public service announcement; featured a backstage segment in which Jan the makeup woman got Vickie Guerrero ready as Teddy Long stood beside; included a backstage segment showing Edge in his locker room, visibly nervous; featured a video package hyping the double Elimination Chamber matches at No Way Out; included an ad for “The Legacy of Stone Cold Steve Austin;” featured a video package hyping the John Cena vs. WWE World Champion Randy Orton match at No Way Out; included a closing segment in which violinists performed at the entrance stage after the ring was decorated with a red mat and flowers; moments later, Edge appeared and asked for Vickie to come out because he had a very important question for her; Vickie was then wheeled to the ring by Long, with Long helping her into the ring before leaving ringside; Edge then Vickie an excerpt of Bryan Adams’ “Heaven” before kneeling and asking her to marry him, with Vickie accepting and the two kissing; moments later, Rey Mysterio Jr. appeared and said he was disgusted by Edge and Vickie’s actions, with Edge then demanding Mysterio apologize or he would put him in a wheelchair like Vickie’s; Mysterio then entered the ring, with the two briefly brawling until Mysterio accidentally hit a springboard sit-down splash on Vickie, knocking her out, when Edge moved out of the way; the show then ended with Mysterio walking up the aisle as Edge called for help from backstage:
Batista pinned WWE US Champion MVP in a non-title match with the sit-down powerbomb at 16:12 after hitting the spear and twice throwing MVP shoulder-first into the ringpost; after the bout, MVP had the ring announcer declare him still the US champion
Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore, Jesse & Festus defeated Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder, Deuce & Domino (w/ Cherry) at 2:52 when Yang pinned Domino with the top rope moonsault; after the match, Deuce & Domino, Hawkins & Ryder attacked their opponents until Jesse rang the timekeeper’s bell, waking up Festus who then cleared the ring; after Festus made the save, Jesse rang the bell again to calm him down
Victoria pinned Michelle McCool with the Widow’s Peak at 2:08; prior to the bout, Chuck Palumbo appeared ringside on his motorcycle and repeatedly revved it during the match to distract Michelle; after the contest, Palumbo took off his shirt, grabbed a mic, and stood on Michelle’s hair as he cut a promo on her and the beating he gave Jamie Knoble the previous week
The Undertaker pinned Big Daddy V (w/ Matt Striker) with a DDT at 5:06; after the bout, Taker slammed Striker into the ring steps, rolled him into the ring, dropped him with the chokeslam, and locked on the leg submission hold, causing blood to come out of Striker’s mouth
CM Punk & Kane defeated ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. & Shelton Benjamin at 4:52 when Punk pinned Guerrero with the Go To Sleep
Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) pinned the Great Khali (w/ Runjin Singh) at 4:57 after repeatedly hitting him with the shallelagh behind the referee’s back
– 2/7/08: It was announced that Smackdown!’s final episode on the CW Network would air 9/12.
– 2/7/08: It was announced the WWE was cutting all ties with Ohio Valley Wrestling, ending a nearly decade-long relationship.
WWE (Raw) @ Anchorage, AK – Sullivan Arena – February 7, 2008 (5,500)
John Cena (sub. for Triple H) won a battle royal by last eliminating Snitsky; due to pre-match stipulations, Cena earned a WWE World Title shot later in the show
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Mickie James
William Regal pinned DH Smith
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch when Rhodes pinned Murdoch with the DDT
Ric Flair defeated Umaga via count-out after Umaga hit the ringsteps when Flair moved out of the way; pre-match stipluations stated Flair would be forced to retire if he lost the match
WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy pinned Carlito Caribbean Cool with the Twist of Fate
Chris Jericho defeated Ken Kennedy via submission with the Walls of Jericho
John Cena defeated WWE World Champion Randy Orton via disqualification when Orton punched the referee; after the bout, Cena dropped Orton with the FU and cut a promo on facing him at No Way Out
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Guatemala City, Guatemala – February 9, 2008 (6,700; near sell out)
Kofi Kingston pinned Shelton Benjamin
Kelly Kelly & Michelle McCool defeated Victoria & Layla
Mark Henry defeated Jamie Noble
Kane defeated WWE US Champion MVP via disqualification when MVP hit a low blow as Kane attempted the chokeslam
Batista & Finlay defeated Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder
ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. pinned CM Punk
The Undertaker defeated Big Daddy V via submission
World Heavyweight Champion Edge pinned Rey Mysterio Jr. by hitting him with the title belt after Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder interfered
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Guadalajara, Mexico – February 10, 2008 (8,500; sell out)
Kofi Kingston pinned Shelton Benjamin
Kelly Kelly & Michelle McCool defeated Victoria & Layla
Mark Henry defeated Jamie Noble
Batista & Finlay defeated Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder; during the bout, Hornswoggle interfered on behalf of Batista & Finlay
ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. pinned CM Punk
The Undertaker & Kane defeated WWE US Champion MVP & Big Daddy V when Taker pinned Big Daddy V and Kane pinned MVP following simultaneous chokeslams
World Heavyweight Champion Edge pinned Rey Mysterio Jr. by hitting him with the title belt after Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder interfered
– 2/10/08: Rory McAllister underwent surgery for a complete pec tear.
WWE (Raw) @ Seoul, South Korea – February 10, 2008
WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy pinned Carlito Caribbean Cool
Snitsky pinned Brian Kendrick
DH Smith pinned Charlie Haas with a crossbody off the top after stealing Haas’ lucha libre mask and putting it on himself
Ken Kennedy pinned Val Venis with the Mic Check
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch when Holly pinned Murdoch with the Alabama Slam
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Mickie James with the cradle suplex
Ric Flair defeated William Regal via submission with the figure-4; pre-match stipulations stated Flair would retire if he lost the bout
Shawn Michaels & Chris Jericho defeated WWE World Champion Randy Orton & Umaga when Michaels pinned Orton with the superkick
WWE (Raw) @ Tokyo, Japan – Ariake Coliseum – February 11, 2008 (6,600)
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch at 8:54 when Holly pinned Cade with the Alabama Slam
Charlie Haas pinned DH Smith at 9:49 with a German suplex into a bridge
WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy pinned Snitsky at 7:18
Carlito Caribbean Cool pinned Brian Kendrick at 9:46
Ric Flair defeated Ken Kennedy via submission with the figure-4 at 13:52; pre-match stipulations stated Flair would retire if he lost the bout
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Mickie James at 13:00 with the cradle suplex
WWE World Champion Randy Orton pinned Chris Jericho with the RKO at 29:52
Triple H & Shawn Michaels defeated Umaga & William Regal at 19:50 when Triple H pinned Regal with the Pedigree after Regal sustained Michaels’ superkick
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Quito, Ecuador – February 12, 2008 (12,000; sell out)
Debut in the country
Kofi Kingston pinned Shelton Benjamin with the spin kick to the face
Kelly Kelly & Michelle McCool defeated Victoria & Layla
Mark Henry defeated Jamie Noble
Batista & Finlay defeated Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder; Hornswoggle interfered on behalf of Batista & Finlay during the bout
ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. pinned CM Punk
The Undertaker, Kane, & Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated World Heavyweight Champion Edge, WWE US Champion MVP, & Big Daddy V when Mysterio pinned Edge with the 619
WWE (Raw) @ Tokyo, Japan – Budokan Hall – February 12, 2008 (6,400)
WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy won a 15-man battle royal by last eliminating Snitsky; other participants included Shawn Michaels; due to pre-match stipulations, Hardy earned a WWE World Title shot later in the show
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Mickie James
Carlito Caribbean Cool defeated Brian Kendrick
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch
Ric Flair defeated William Regal via submission with the figure-4; pre-match stipulations stated Flair would retire if he lost the bout
Chris Jericho defeated Ken Kennedy via submission with the Walls of Jericho
WWE World Champion Randy Orton pinned WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy with a reversal into the RKO at 13:31
Triple H pinned Umaga in a streetfight with the Pedigree after using a sledgehammer
WWE (Raw) @ Honolulu, HI – Blaisdell Arena – February 13, 2008 (6,000)
Ric Flair defeated Ken Kennedy; pre-match stipulations stated Flair would retire if he lost the bout
Charlie Haas defeated DH Smith
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch
Snitsky defeated Brian Kendrick
WWE World Champion Randy Orton pinned Chris Jericho
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Mickie James
WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy defeated Carlito Caribbean Cool
Triple H & Shawn Michaels defeated Umaga & William Regal
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Santiago, Chile – February 13, 2008 (12,500; sell out)
Big Daddy V defeated Jamie Noble
WWE US Champion MVP pinned Finlay
Kelly Kelly & Michelle McCool defeated Victoria & Layla
Rey Mysterio Jr. & Kane defeated Zach Ryder & Curt Hawkins; during the bout, Mysterio sustained a torn right biceps
ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. defeated Shelton Benjamin and CM Punk
Batista pinned Mark Henry
World Heavyweight Champion Edge defeated the Undertaker via disqualification when Rey Mysterio Jr. interfered – to counter the interference of Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder behind the referee’s back – and hit Edge with the title belt
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Santiago, Chile – February 14, 2008 (12,500; sell out)
Kofi Kingston defeated Shelton Benjamin
Kelly Kelly & Michelle McCool defeated Victoria & Layla
WWE US Champion MVP defeated Kane via disqualification
Finlay & Jamie Noble defeated Zach Ryder & Curt Hawkins
ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. pinned CM Punk with the frog splash
The Undertaker pinned Mark Henry; after the match, Taker hit chokeslams on Henry, Matt Striker, and Big Daddy V
World Heavyweight Champion Edge pinned Batista after hitting him with the title belt after interference from Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder; earlier in the bout, Edge attempted to get himself counted-out until Teddy Long appeared and threatened to strip him of the title; after the match, the Undertaker appeared and – with Batista – laid out all three men
WWE (Raw) @ Fresno, CA – SaveMart Center – February 15, 2008 (8,000)
Super Crazy defeated Brian Kendrick and Carlito Caribbean Cool
Val Venis defeated Charlie Haas
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch
Snitsky defeated DH Smith
Ric Flair defeated Ken Kennedy; pre-match stipulations stated Flair would retire if he lost the bout
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Mickie James
WWE World Champion Randy Orton pinned WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy with the RKO
Triple H pinned Umaga in a steel cage match with the Pedigree
– 2/15/08: Mid-Atlantic wrestling legend Johnny Weaver died at the age of 72.
– 2/15/08: Ted Dibiase Jr., a developmental talent with Florida Championship Wrestling, was arrested for DUI in Tampa, FL after crashing into another car. His blood-alcohol level was 0.14.
FCW @ Tampa, FL – State Fairgrounds – February 15, 2008
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin vs. ?
WWE (Raw) @ Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center – February 16, 2008 (13,000)
Ric Flair defeated Ken Kennedy via submission with the figure-4; pre-match stipulations stated Flair would have to retire if he lost
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Mickie James with the cradle suplex; Val Venis was the guest referee for the bout
Super Crazy, Brian Kendrick, & DH Smith defeated Carlito Caribbean Cool, Charlie Haas, & Snitsky
WWE World Champion Randy Orton pinned WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy wih the RKO
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch
Chris Jericho pinned John Bradshaw Layfield in a streetfight following a Code Breaker onto a steel chair
Triple H & Shawn Michaels defeated Umaga & William Regal
Kane pinned Shelton Benjamin
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler on commentary for Raw, Michael Cole & Jonathan Coachman on commentary for Smackdown!, and Joey Styles & Tazz on commentary for ECW; included footage of Rey Mysterio Jr. injuring Vickie Guerrero earlier the week on Smackdown!; featured Mike Ademle conducting a backstage interview with Mysterio regarding Vickie’s injury, his upcoming World Heavyweight Title shot against Edge, and his own arm injury; moments later, WBC Walterweight Champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. appeared and wished Mysterio good luck in his match; included backstage footage of Chris Jericho preparing to be in the Elimination Chamber; featured a backstage segment with World Heavyweight Champion Edge, Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder regarding Edge having to face the Undertaker at WrestleMania, with Edge saying Vickie was watching at home and they had to focus on beating Rey Mysterio Jr.; moments later, Teddy Long appeared, said he was in charge in Vickie’s absence, and banned Hawkins & Ryder from ringside for Edge’s title defense; included a “Baywatch” WrestleMania ad with Kelly Kelly and Mae Young; featured footage from Ashley and Maria’s visit to a party at the Playboy Mansion the previous Tuesday, with appearances by David Hasselhoff, Hiro from “Heroes,” and Hugh Heffner; included a backstage segment in which Vince McMahon spoke with Finlay in the trainer’s room and cut a promo about facing Hornswoggle the following night on Raw in a steel cage match; featured backstage footage of John Bradshaw Layfield pacing in preparation for the Elimination Chamber; included a WrestleMania ad to the tune of Rev Theory’s “Light it Up;” featured backstage footage of WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy preparing for the Elimination Chamber; included Adamele in the crowd introducing a video package recapping the John Cena vs. Randy Orton feud; featured a backstage segment with Triple H and Shawn Michaels in which they discussed the upcoming Elimination Chamber; included the results of a text vote in which 38% of the fans thought Hardy would win the Elimination Chamber, over Triple H’s 31%:
ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. pinned CM Punk with the frog splash at 7:16 after Punk failed a huricanrana off the top and injured his knee
The Undertaker defeated the Great Khali (w/ Runjin Singh), Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle), Batista, WWE US Champion MVP, and Big Daddy V (w/ Matt Striker) in an Elimination Chamber at 29:28; Batista pinned Big Daddy on the steel gate outside the ring after Taker dropped Big Daddy with a DDT onto the gate (9:08); Khali submitted to Taker’s leg submission hold after Taker knocked Singh off the cage (12:36); Finlay pinned MVP after MVP sustained a chokeslam from the top of one of the pods (22:31); Taker pinned Finlay with a chokeslam from the ring onto the steel gate (24:13); Taker pinned Batista with a reversal into the tombstone; due to pre-match stipulations, Taker earned a World Heavyweight Title shot at WrestleMania
Ric Flair defeated Ken Kennedy via submission with the figure-4 at 7:14; pre-match stipulations stated Flair would have to retire if he lost; prior to the match, Floyd Mayweather Jr. was shown sitting at ringside; after the contest, Flair grabbed the mic and announced himself as the winner
World Heavyweight Champion Edge pinned Rey Mysterio Jr. at 5:28 with a spear as Mysterio attempted a springboard off the ropes; after the bout, as Mysterio was helped out of the ring, the Big Show appeared, cut an in-ring promo on being back in the WWE, and said it was only a matter of time before he became a champion again; moments later, Show went out to the floor – as Mysterio was being helped – held Mysterio in front of Floyd Mayweather at ringside, rolled him back inside the ring, and held Mysterio in a choke as Mayweather’s entourage held him back; Mayweather eventually jumped the rail and was held back by his men until Show took off his jacket and got down on one knee to let Mayweather have a free shot; Mayweather landed a number of blows to Show’s face – busting his nose – with Show then chasing Mayweather and his men into the crowd until Show was held off by Shane McMahon; Show eventually went backstage with Shane as Shane told him both Show and Mayweather were at fault for the incident (Show’s surprise return after a 14-month absence)
John Cena defeated WWE World Champion Randy Orton via disqualification at 15:49 when Orton slapped the referee seemingly for no reason after Cena sustained the RKO on the floor but made it back in the ring before the 10-count; many in the crowd cheered for Orton during the match and booed Cena; late in the match, Orton tried to get himself counted-out until Cena broke the count; after the contest, Cena dropped Orton with the FU and applied the STFU, with Orton tapping
Triple H defeated WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy, Shawn Michaels, John Bradshaw Layfield, Chris Jericho, and Umaga in an Elimination Chamber at 23:54; Jericho pinned JBL with the Code Breaker after JBL dropped Triple H with the Clothesline from Hell (13:44); after the fall, JBL returned to the ring and hit Jericho, Michaels, and Umaga over the head with a steel chair; Jericho pinned Umaga after Umaga sustained the superkick, Code Breaker, Pedigree, and a Swanton from the top of one of the pods (19:44); Hardy pinned Jericho after Jericho sustained Michaels’ superkick (19:53); Triple H pinned Michaels with the Pedigree after Michaels sustained Hardy’s Twist of Fate (20:24); Triple H pinned Hardy with a Pedigree onto a steel chair after avoiding a Twist of Fate onto the chair; during the final moments of the contest, Hardy kicked out of Triple H’s Pedigree; due to pre-match stipulations, Triple H earned a WWE World Title shot at WrestleMania
WWE @ Anaheim, CA – Honda Center – February 18, 2008 (matinee)
Jim Duggan defeated Rory McAllister
Heat:
WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Hardcore Holly defeated Charlie Haas
Mickie James defeated Melina
Lance Cade (w/ Trevor Murdoch) defeated Brian Kendrick (w/ Paul London)
Carlito Caribbean Cool defeated WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Cody Rhodes
Raw – featured an opening in-ring promo by Triple H regarding his Elimination Chamber win at No Way Out and his WWE World Title shot at WrestleMania 24; moments later, WWE World Champion Randy Orton appeared and said Triple H had always been jealous of him, even back in 2004 when Orton won his first world title; John Cena then appeared and said Orton’s title run would come with an asterisk as he was the first champion to lose his way into a WrestleMania main event and then challenged Orton to a title rematch later in the show, with the winner facing Triple H at Mania; William Regal then appeared and said it would be Cena vs. Orton later in the show in a non-title match, with Cena earning a spot in the WrestleMania main event alongside Triple H and Orton if he were to win; Regal then ordered Triple H to be the guest referee for the match; included a WWE Mobile poll as to whether the fans think Maria should pose for Playboy; featured Mike Adamle introducing Shawn Michaels, who announced Ric Flair as the first person for the 2008 WWE Hall of Fame, leading into a profile video on Flair’s career; included footage from previous Slammy Award ceremonies to promote a special on WWE.com the following Saturday night running down the top 10 moments in Slammy history; featured a ‘Baywatch’ WrestleMania 24 ad with Kelly Kelly and Mae Young; included a backstage segment with Triple H and Orton in which Orton tried to talk Triple H into costing Cena the match later in the show, bringing up Triple H’s loss at WrestleMania 22 against Cena, until Triple H said he would call the match in his own favor; featured an in-ring promo by Show in which he apologized to Floyd Mayweather for his actions at the pay-per-view and asked for Mayweather to come out; moments later, Mayweather appeared with his entourage, said he was a longtime fan of the WWE, and said he didn’t mean for the altercation to happen but had to stand up when called out; Show again said he was sorry and offered his hand for Mayweather to shake, which he did before leaving the ring; Show then said he could take Mayweather out in two minutes and repeatedly insulted him before challenging him to a one-on-one match; Mayweather then ran back inside the ring, alongside his entourage, and accepted the challenge; Mayweather then pulled back for a punch, causing Show to flinch, before again leaving the ring; included a WrestleMania 24 hype ad to the tune of Rev Theory’s “Light It Up;”; featured a video package on the history of the WrestleMania Money in the Bank matches; included an ad for ‘The Legacy of Stone Cold Steve Austin;’ featured the announcement Flair would appear on ECW the following night; featured footage from the commercial break of Finlay carrying Hornswoggle backstage; included the announcement that 94% of fans who participated in the Maria Playboy poll thought she should pose:
Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy pinned Snitsky with the Twist of Fate and Swanton at 10:28; prior to the bout, the band EndeverafteR, who performed Hardy’s new theme music, were shown at ringside (Hardy’s debut with a new theme)
Paul Birchill (w/ Katie Lee) pinned Super Crazy at 1:57 with a modified surfboard into a stomp to the back of the head; prior to the bout, Birchill & Lee cut an insert promo
Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Ken Kennedy pinned Val Venis with the Mic Check at 2:29 (Kennedy’s debut with a new theme)
Hornswoggle (w/ Finlay) fought Vince McMahon to a no contest in a steel cage match when – before the match began – John Bradshaw Layfield slammed the cage door on Finlay, attacked him in the ring, and handcuffed him to the ring ropes as McMahon whipped Hornswoggle with his leather belt; moments later, after McMahon left the cage, JBL made Finlay watch as he threw Hornswoggle face-first into the cage, kicked him in the head, and then hit a fallaway slam which drove Hornswoggle again into the cage; McMahon then called for JBL to leave the cage and sent for help before telling Hornswoggle through the cage that he was sorry
Maria (w/ Santino Marella) pinned WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix in a non-title match at 1:58 with a roll up after the champion became distracted by Candice Michelle at ringside; prior to the bout, Marella said Maria would be posing for Playboy and then announced she would also be facing Phoenix, which Maria was not informed of; following the champion’s entrance, Marella said he found fine print in Maria’s Playboy contract that stated she could only pose if she beat Phoenix (Candice’s surprise return after a 4-month absence)
John Cena pinned WWE World Champion Randy Orton in a non-title match at 14:05 with the FU after having a confrontation with guest referee Triple H; due to pre-match stipulations, Cena earned a spot in the WWE World Title match at WrestleMania with Orton and Triple H; after the bout, Triple H dropped Cena with the Pedigree before doing the same to Orton; Triple H then posed with the title belt as the show came to a close
WWE @ San Diego, CA – Sports Arena – February 19, 2008 (8,000; sell out)
Michelle McCool defeated Victoria
ECW – featured Tazz conducting an opening in-ring interview with Ric Flair regarding his being named as the first ever active wrestler to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame; moments later, Elijah Burke interfered, followed soon thereafter by Shelton Benjamin who praised Flair before claiming his time was over; Flair then said all the titles both men would win during their careers would never match his 16 world titles, with the two then attacking Flair before CM Punk made the save; included a backstage segment with Burke, Benjamin, and Armando Estrada in which Estrada announced they would face Flair & Punk later in the show; featured an ad for ‘The Legacy of Stone Cold Steve Austin,’ in which it was announced the best-selling DVD in WWE history; included a WrestleMania 24 hype video to the tune of Rev Theory’s “Light It Up;” featured the announcement Hornswoggle was in and out of consciousness and had suffered a concussion as a result of the assault he sustained Monday on Raw; included a backstage promo by Kelly Kelly regarding Maria posing for Playboy, followed by the announcement that footage of Maria’s Playboy photo shoot would air the following Monday on Raw; featured an ad for extra WrestleMania tickets being available:
Kofi Kingston pinned Jason Riggs at 2:31 with the spin kick to the face; after the bout, Joey Styles conducted an in-ring interview with Kingston
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Mike Mizanin pinned Colin Delaney (heavily bandaged w/ Tommy Dreamer) with the Reality Check at 2:30; WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion John Morrison was in Mizanin’s corner for the match but was ejected late in the bout for interfering; after the match, Dreamer attempted to make the save for Delaney but was double teamed, with Delaney then being double teamed as well
Stevie Richards pinned James Curtis with the Stevie-T at 2:03; prior to the bout, footage of Richards’ sit-down interview two weeks earlier was shown
Ric Flair & CM Punk defeated Elijah Burke & Shelton Benjamin at 10:15 when Burke submitted to Flair’s figure-4 after Flair avoided the Elijah Express
Smackdown! – featured an opening in-ring promo by World Heavyweight Champion Edge, with Zach Ryder & Curt Hawkins, in which he bragged about the injury Rey Mysterio Jr. sustained in Santiago, Chile and beating Mysterio at No Way Out; Edge then spoke of the Undertaker’s undefeated WrestleMania streak and claimed he would end it; moments later, the lights went off and when they came back on Taker was in the ring; Taker then fought off all three men and cleared the ring; included a backstage segment with Teddy Long and Maryse in which Maryse said she had a question for Long, then pulled him into his office; featured footage and media coverage from the recent tour of South America, with comments from Shelton Benjamin, CM Punk, Matt Striker, Rey Mysterio Jr., and Michelle McCool; included a WrestleMania 24 hype video to the tune of Rev Theory’s “Light It Up;” former WBC Featherweight Champion Erik Morales was shown in attendance; featured a video package highlighting each of the Undertaker’s 15 WrestleMania wins; included an ad promoting extra WrestleMania tickets being available:
Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Shelton Benjamin pinned Jimmy Wang Yang at 6:53 with the jumping facebuster; prior to the bout, it was announced the WrestleMania 24 press conference would be held the following Monday in Los Angeles at noon local time and would be streamed live on WWE.com
Jesse & Festus defeated Deuce & Domino (w/ Cherry) at 5:15 when Jesse pinned Domino with a Rocket Launcher
Big Daddy V (w/ Matt Striker) pinned Shannon Moore with an elbow drop at 3:10
Batista pinned WWE US Champion MVP in a non-title match with the sit-down powerbomb at 7:41; prior to the bout, MVP cut an insert promo on he and Batista recovering from the Elimination Chamber and claimed Batista couldn’t beat him twice
Kane pinned the Great Khali at 3:10 when Kane fell backwards and Khali pinned himself while having the head vice applied on Kane; after the bout, Khali kept the hold applied before releasing it, believing he had won
Chuck Palumbo pinned Matt Jackson at 2:00 with the Full Throttle; during the bout, Michelle McCool was shown watching the match backstage
Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. (w/ Vickie Guerrero & Teddy Long) in a non-title impromptu match at 9:07 with a rolling cradle after avoiding the frog splash; Mysterio initially was scheduled to address the fans on the heels of the announcement he sustained a torn biceps; prior to the promo, he gave one of his merchandise masks to his daughter at ringside; Mysterio then said his biceps on his right arm was completely torn, he would undergo surgery that weekend, and would be out of WrestleMania as a result; moments later, Vickie was wheeled out by Long and said – despite his injury – he would be competing and then called for a referee; after the match, Vickie said it was her turn to hurt Mysterio, with the Big Show then appearing, attacking Mysterio, and standing on and stomping his injured arm before hitting the chokeslam to end the broadcast
Dark match after the taping: The Undertaker, Kane, & Batista defeated World Heavyweight Champion Edge, Zach Ryder, & Curt Hawkins
WWE @ Phoenix, AZ – US Airways Center – February 25, 2008
Vladimir Kozlov defeated GQ Gallo
Heat – 500th episode – featured Jillian Hall singing a song in honor of the 500th episode:
Jim Duggan defeated Jason Riggs; after the bout, Paul Burchill and Katie Lea came ringside with Burchill attacking Duggan after he became distracted by Katie
Super Crazy, Brian Kendrick, & Val Venis defeated Snitsky, Robbie McAllister, & Charlie Haas when Haas was pinned
Raw – featured an opening in-ring segment with William Regal, Triple H, John Cena, and WWE World Champion Randy Orton in which Regal had the three pose for group photos to promote the upcoming WrestleMania match and then gave all three mics so they could give their comments on the match; after Cena and Triple H made mention of their WrestleMania 22 match, Orton made mention that he had fended off the challenge of both men, with Cena and Triple H then teaming up on Orton and throwing him over the top before brawling with one another; moments later, Orton slid back inside the ring, dropped both men with the RKO, and held the title belt in the air; included a WrestleMania 24 hype video to the tune of Rev Theory’s “Light It Up;” featured a backstage segment with Orton and Ken Kennedy in which Kennedy said he would win the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania and would cash it in later that night, even if that means going through Orton for the belt; included footage from earlier in the day of the WrestleMania press conference at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, with appearances from Cena, Orton, Triple H, Maria, Candice Michelle, Shane McMahon, Floyd Mayweather Jr., and the Big Show, during which Show and Mayweather came face to face; featured Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Regal in which Regal announced Kennedy & Orton would face Triple H & Cena later in the night; moments later, Chris Jericho appeared – with he and Regal making mention of their feud in 2001 and the infamous tea incident – before Regal gave into Jericho’s demands for a Money in the Bank qualifying match and said he would face WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy in the next segment; included an ad for extra WrestleMania tickets being available; featured an in-ring promo by Vince McMahon in which he admitted to making a mistake regarding the injury Hornswoggle sustained the previous week and called for John Bradshaw Layfield to come out and apologize as well; JBL eventually said he was sorry for not injuring Hornswoggle earlier and claimed Hornswoggle was not really McMahon’s son but instead was Finlay’s; JBL said while Hornswoggle didn’t know, Finlay did and he provide proof and would make Finlay admit the rumor is true; included a backstage segment with Cena and Triple H in which they discussed their match later in the show; featured the announcement Santino Marella & Layla would face Kofi Kingston & Kelly Kelly the following night on ECW; included comments taped earlier in the day from Shaquille O’Neal in which he favored Mayweather over Show in their WrestleMania bout; featured Mike Adamle introducing a video package on Peter Miavia and Rocky Johnson, announcing them as the next inductees for the 2008 WWE Hall of Fame and that the Rock would induct his father and grandfather during the ceremony; included the announcement that Maria & Candice Michelle would face WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix & Melina at WrestleMania; featured a video package on Maria’s Playboy photo shoot and the announcement the magazine cover would be unveiled the following week; included the announcement Show would face a professional boxer the following week:
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Carlito Caribbean Cool & Santino Marella (w/ Maria) at 3:49 when Holly pinned Santino with the Alabama Slam after Santino became distracted by Maria talking with Jerry Lawler at the commentary table; after the match, Santino yelled at Lawler at ringside
Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Chris Jericho pinned WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy with a roll over at 12:32 in a non-title match
Umaga pinned DH Smith with the thumb strike to the throat at 1:40; after the bout, William Regal, Paul Birchill, and Katie Lee were shown backstage with Regal reading a letter from Vickie Guerrero in which she challenged Regal to a Raw vs. Smackdown! match at WrestleMania, with Regal then choosing Umaga as his representative; Katie then argued Birchill should be the rep, with Regal saying he needed to see more out of Birchill first
Shawn Michaels defeated Lance Cade (w/ Trevor Murdoch) via disqualification at 3:33 when Murdoch attacked Michaels as Cade was trapped in Michaels’ leg submission; after the match, Michaels fought off both men, hitting the superkick on each; moments later, Ric Flair appeared, praised Michaels and then said he wanted to wrestle him at WrestleMania; Michaels then said he couldn’t live with being the man that retired Flair; Flair responded by saying Michaels’ compliments meant nothing if he didn’t get the chance to earn them by facing Michaels on the biggest stage, with Michaels then agreeing to the match, the two men shaking hands, and Michaels holding the ropes open for Flair
Triple H & John Cena defeated WWE World Champion Randy Orton & Ken Kennedy at 10:54 when Kennedy submitted to Cena’s STFU after Cena avoided the Mic Check; after the bout, Triple H and Cena had a confrontation in the ring, with Kennedy eventually jumping Cena from behind and hitting the Mic Check while Triple H watched
WWE @ Tucson, AZ – Convention Center – February 26, 2008 (5,200; sell out)
Vladimir Kozlov defeated an unknown
ECW- featured a video package on Maria’s Playboy photo shoot; included a WrestleMania 24 hype video to the tune of Rev Theory’s “Light It Up;” featured a backstage segment in which Tommy Dreamer gave a pep talk to Colin Delaney; included an anti-steroid public service announcement starring John Cena; several members of the Chicago White Sox were shown in attendance; included footage from the previous day of the WrestleMania press conference at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, with appearances from Cena, Orton, Triple H, Maria, Candice Michelle, Shane McMahon, Floyd Mayweather Jr., and the Big Show, during which Show and Mayweather came face to face; featured Lena conducting a backstage interview with WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin regarding a rumor they would have to defend their titles the following week against Tommy Dreamer & Colin Delany, as a result of Dreamer & Delany’s win earlier in the show; included a WrestleMania beach commercial starring Batista:
Kofi Kingston & Kelly Kelly defeated Santino Marella & Layla at 3:55 when Kelly pinned Layla with a Rocker Dropper; prior to the bout, Marella mimicked Layla’s stripper-like entrance into the ring
Stevie Richards pinned Mike Knox with the Stevie-T at 3:36
Tommy Dreamer & Colin Delaney defeated WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin in a non-title match at 5:13 when Dreamer pinned Mizanin with the DDT after Mizanin collided with Delaney on the ring apron
CM Punk defeated Shelton Benjamin and Elijah Burke at 11:29 by pinning Burke with the Go To Sleep after Benjamin hit Burke on the apron but was unable to break the count; after the match, ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. – who did guest commentary for the bout – confronted Punk in the ring; pre-match stipulations stated the winner would earn a title shot against Guerrero the following week
Smackdown! – featured an opening video package highlighting the appearances of Floyd Mayweather and the Big Show during the WrestleMania press conference earlier in the week; included a video package from the US Airways Arena in Phoenix of WWE talent meeting with children from the Make A Wish Foundation, followed by the announcement there would be a multi-year partnership between the two organizations and that 50 children – along with Raven Symone – would have their wishes granted and be in attendance at WrestleMania; John Cena was recognized for his efforts during the segment, where it was noted he had helped grant 100 wishes through the group; featured a backstage segment with World Heavyweight Champion Edge and Vickie Guerrero regarding their upcoming marriage, with Edge suggesting they go to Canada; moments later, Zach Ryder & Curt Hawkins appeared, with Edge telling Ryder he would get payback against the Undertaker for what Taker did to Edge the previous week; included a backstage segment with Teddy Long, Maryse, and Vickie in which Maryse praised Vickie before Batista interrupted and told Vickie he wanted to represent Smackdown! against Umaga at WrestleMania, with Vickie agreeing to the offer; featured a WrestleMania 24 hype video to the tune of Rev Theory’s “Light It Up;” included the announcement John Legend would perform “America the Beautiful” at WrestleMania; featured an anti-steroids public service announcement starring Cena; included an introduction by Eve, on the entrance stage, of a video package naming Peter Miavia and Rocky Johnson as the next persons named for the 2008 WWE Hall of Fame; featured a Baywatch-themed WrestleMania ad starring Kelly Kelly and Mae Young; included a closing announcement that Batista would face WWE US Champion MVP in a title match the following week:
The Big Show defeated Joey Ryans & Jay Garland in a handicap match at 1:39 by pinning Ryans following a right hand punch; prior to the bout, it was announced Show would face a professional fighter Monday on Raw; after the match, Show cut an in-ring promo saying there would be no chance Floyd Mayweather would face Oscar de la Hoya – as rumored – in September because he would squash Mayweather at WrestleMania; Show then said Mayweather’s pay for the match – $20 million – wouldn’t be worth it (Show’s return match after a 14-month absence)
Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore defeated Deuce & Domino (w/ Cherry) at 5:35 when Yang pinned Deuce with a moonsault onto a standing Deuce
Chuck Palumbo pinned Jamie Noble (w/ Michelle McCool) with a boot to the face and the Full Throttle at 7:06; during the bout, there were scattered chants of “Chuck”
Batista & Kane defeated WWE US Champion MVP & the Great Khali at 17:05 when Batista pinned Khali with the spear as Khali attempted to hit the chokeslam on Kane
Jesse & Festus defeated WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin in a non-title match at 3:36 when Festus pinned Morrison with a fireman’s carry into a face-first slam; prior to the bout, the champions introduced a clip from “The Dirt Sheet” – on WWE.com – two weeks ago in which they edited previous comments from Jesse as a way of insulting him; after the match, the champions argued over their second consecutive non-title loss
Big Daddy V (w/ Matt Striker) fought Balls Mahoney to a no contest at the 1:30 mark when the Undertaker appeared, kicked V to the floor, and hit the chokeslam on Mahoney; after the match, Taker grabbed the mic and told World Heavyweight Champion Edge to bring Zach Ryder to him for their scheduled match so he would lose just like Edge would lose at WrestleMania (Mahoney’s return after a 2-month absence and last appearance)
The Undertaker defeated Zach Ryder (w/ World Heavyweight Champion Edge & Curt Hawkins) via submission with the leglock choke at 6:46; after the match, Edge & Hawkins attacked Taker until he scared Edge from the ring and hit the chokeslam on Hawkins as Edge watched from the floor; moments later, Taker locked same submission hold on Hawkins, with Hawkins then coughing up blood, and held Edge’s title belt in the air as the show came to a close
OVW @ Louisville, KY – February 27, 2008
The last TV taping to include WWE talent
Josie defeated OVW Women’s Champion Katie Lea to win the title
Chris Cage defeated Jayden Jeter
JD Michael defeated Lupe Viscara
Johnny Punch defeated Drew McIntyre
Raul & Ramon defeated OVW Tag Team Champions Paul Birchill & Stu Sanders, Omar & Ali Akbar, and Adam Revolver & Ted McNailer to win the titles
Anthony Bravado defeated Justin LaRouche
Charles Evans & Matt Sydal defeated Mike Kruel & Vladimir Kozlov
Colt Cabana defeated Shawn Spears in a retirement match
OVW Champion Nick Dinsmore defeated Jay Bradley
Eric Doom defeated Armando Estrada
Dre Blitz defeated Andrew Vein
CM Punk & Colt Cabana defeated Seth Skyfire & Domino
WWE (Raw) @ Cape Girardeau, MO – Show Me Center – February 29, 2008 (5,000)
Super Crazy & DH Smith defeated Charlie Haas & Trevor Murdoch
Jim Duggan defeated Paul Birchill via disqualification when Katie Lea began choking Duggan on the ropes
Snitsky defeated Brian Kendrick
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Santino Marella & Carlito Caribbean Cool
Mickie James & Maria defeated WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix & Jillian Hall when James pinned Phoenix after Candice Michelle appeared ringside
Chris Jericho defeated Ken Kennedy via submission with the Walls of Jericho
WWE World Champion Randy Orton defeated WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardywith the RKO; after the bout, Hardy fought off Orton and hit the Twist of Fate
WWE (Raw) @ Louisville, KY – Broadbent Arena – March 1, 2008 (5,500; sell out)
Super Crazy & DH Smith defeated Charlie Haas & Trevor Murdoch
Paul Birchill pinned Jim Duggan
Snitsky defeated Brian Kendrick
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Santino Marella & Carlito Caribbean Cool
Mickie James & Maria defeated WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix & Jillian Hall
Chris Jericho defeated Ken Kennedy via submission with the Walls of Jericho
WWE World Champion Randy Orton pinned WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Ft. Wayne, IN – Allen County War Memorial Coliseum – March 1, 2008 (4,500)
Kofi Kingston defeated Shelton Benjamin
Big Daddy V defeated Kevin Thorn; Thorn worked the bout as a babyface
Jamie Noble defeated Domino
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jesse & Festus
WWE US Champion MVP pinned Jimmy Wang Yang; after the bout, Matt Hardy appeared and dropped MVP with the Twist of Fate (Hardy’s surprise return after a 4-month absence)
Michelle McCool & Kelly Kelly defeated Victoria & Layla
ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. defeated CM Punk
The Undertaker & Finlay defeated World Heavyweight Champion Edge & the Big Show
WWE (Raw) @ Danville, IL – Palmer Arena – March 2, 2008 (3,500; sell out)
Debut in the city
Super Crazy & DH Smith defeated Charlie Haas & Trevor Murdoch when Smith pinned Murdoch
Paul Birchill pinned Jim Duggan
Snitsky pinned Brian Kendrick
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Carlito Caribbean Cool & Santino Marella
Mickie James & Maria defeated WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix & Jillian Hall when Mickie pinned Phoenix after Candice Michelle distracted Phoenix from ringside
Chris Jericho defeated Ken Kennedy via submission with the Walls of Jericho
WWE World Champion Randy Orton pinned WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Muncie, IN – Worthen Arena – March 2, 2008 (matinee) (3,000)
Featured Michael Hayes as a guest of the VIP Lounge in which Hayes and WWE US Champion MVP shared words before Hayes brought out Matt Hardy, who dropped MVP with the Twist of Fate
Kofi Kingston pinned Shelton Benjamin
Big Daddy V pinned Kevin Thorn; Thorn was billed from Indianapolis for the match
Jamie Noble pinned Domino; prior to the bout, Eve – who sat ringside for the show – kissed Noble on the cheek
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jesse & Festus when Mizanin pinned Festus; Eve was the guest ring announcer for the bout
Michelle McCool & Kelly Kelly defeated Victoria & Layla
ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. pinned CM Punk
The Undertaker & Finlay defeated World Heavyweight Champion Edge & the Big Show when Taker pinned Edge with the tombstone
WWE @ Indianapolis, IN – Conseco Fieldhouse – March 3, 2008
Vladimir Kozlov pinned an unknown
Heat:
Melina (w/ WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix) pinned Mickie James; after the bout, Phoenix cut a promo on Candice Michelle & Maria before she and Melina hit a Doomsday Device on Mickie
Paul London & Brian Kendrick defeated Charlie Haas & Robbie McAllister
Snitsky pinned Val Venis
Paul Birchill (w/ Katie Lee) defeated Jim Duggan
Raw – featured an opening backstage segment with William Regal, Triple H, WWE World Champion Randy Orton, and John Cena in which Regal said for the next three weeks each of the men would be in charge of the show and it would start with Cena; Orton then attempted to make a pact to let the two men not in charge have the night off; included an ad for ‘Triple H: The King of Kings,’ available March 25; featured a backstage segment with Regal and Cena in which Cena said Triple H would face Orton later in the show and he himself would face Ken Kennedy; Cena then kicked Regal out of his own office, since Cena was in charge for the night; included the announcement the following week’s 3-hour Raw would feature WrestleMania rematches between Raw, Smackdown!, and ECW stars and an appearance from Floyd Mayweather; featured WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy as a guest of The Highlight Reel in which he and Chris Jericho discussed their match the previous week and their upcoming participation in the Money in the Bank ladder match, with Jericho then saying Hardy was a target and anything goes between now and WrestleMania; after Hardy agreed, he shook Jericho’s hand and then dropped him with the Twist of Fate (the return of The Highlight Reel after more than 2 years); included a WrestleMania ad with Carlito Caribbean Cool and Maria in Florida, with Carlito trying to steal Maria from Santino Marella until he was attacked by a seagull; featured a WrestleMania 24 hype video to the tune of Rev Theory’s “Light It Up;” included Jerry Lawler hosting an in-ring segment in which Maria, with Candice Michelle, unveiled her Playboy cover; during the segment, it was announced Snoop Dogg would officiate the Maria & Candice vs. WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix & Melina lumberjill match at WrestleMania; when Maria pulled the curtain off the giant cover, it was shown that Santino had put his face over her face, her chest, and between her legs; Santino then came out and said he had made up his mind and was taking Maria backstage with him; Maria then said it was her decision, with Lawler ultimately knocking Santino to the floor and throwing his vandalized cover poster on top of him; Candice then took the mic and introduced a giant poster of the cover which dropped from above the ring; featured footage from the previous day of Carl Edwards winning the UAW-Dodge 400 in Las Vegas and an appearance with John Cena; included the announcement the weigh-in for the Mayweather / Show match would take place the following week; featured Jim Ross & Lawler speaking with Mayweather in Vegas about his upcoming bout with Show, with Mayweather eventually saying he was the King – not Lawler – and that the WWE would need to change its name to MME – ‘Money Mayweather Entertainment;’ included Mike Adamele introducing a video package on Mae Young, with the announcement she would be inducted as part of the 2008 WWE Hall of Fame; featured an in-ring segment with Finlay and Vince McMahon in which Finlay admitted to being Hornswoggle’s father, with McMahon then announcing John Bradshaw Layfield would not be in the arena for his scheduled confrontation with Finlay and introducing JBL on the big screen; JBL was then shown in the hospital at Hornswoggle’s bedside, with JBL agreeing to Finlay’s challenge and said it would happen at WrestleMania; JBL then slapped Hornswoggle across the face and turned off the lights, with Hornswoggle then screaming:
The Big Show pinned Brandon Hill (w/ two cornermen) with the chokeslam in a MMA exhibition match at 1:50; Floyd Mayweather was shown watching the fight from Las Vegas; after the match, Show cut an in-ring promo on Mayweather, speaking to him on the big screen, and said Mayweather would need the $20 million he was being paid for the fight because he would need to retire; as Mayweather responded and said he would break Show’s jaw, Show lifted Hill and press slammed him to the floor as a message
Ric Flair & Shawn Michaels defeated Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch at 3:31 when Cade submitted to Flair’s figure-4 as Michaels had Murdoch in his own leglock; after the bout, Michaels told Flair he didn’t want to face Flair at WrestleMania because he was too conflicted over being the man that ended Flair’s career; Michaels then said if Flair continued to push him for the match Michaels would win, with Michaels then walking off and leaving Flair alone in the ring
Umaga pinned Super Crazy with the thumb strike to the throat at the 42-second mark; William Regal provided guest commentary for the match; prior to the match, it was announced Batista would face Umaga at WrestleMania in a battle between Raw and Smackdown! stars
John Cena defeated Ken Kennedy via submission with the STFU at 9:21 following a legdrop off the top
Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Carlito Caribbean Cool pinned WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Cody Rhodes with the Backstabber at 3:39
Triple H fought WWE World Champion Randy Orton to a no contest in a non-title match at 7:25 when John Cena, who provided guest commentary for the match, attacked Triple H as he attempted the Pedigree and dropped him with the FU; moments earlier, Orton attempted to walk out of the match only to be stopped by Cena, with Triple H then knocking Orton into Cena on the floor; after the bout, Orton dropped Cena with the RKO and held the title belt in the air as the show came to a close
WWE @ Cleveland, OH – Quicken Loans Arena – March 4, 2008
Kofi Kingston pinned Kevin Thorn at 5:15 with the spin kick to the face
ECW – included a WrestleMania ad with Carlito Caribbean Cool and Maria in Florida, with Carlito trying to steal Maria from Santino Marella until he was attacked by a seagull; featured a WrestleMania 24 hype video to the tune of Rev Theory’s “Light It Up;” included a backstage segment in which Kofi Kingston told Kelly Kelly she could be a Playboy cover girl just like Maria; moments later, Layla appeared and confronted Kelly, slapping her in the face before Kofi and a referee had to pull the two apart; featured the announcement Tommy Dreamer & Colin Delaney would face WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin the following week in an extreme rules match; included Lena conducting a backstage interview with CM Punk regarding his title shot later in the night against ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr.; featured an ad for ‘Triple H: The King of Kings,’ available March 25:
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Tommy Dreamer & Colin Delaney via disqualification at 4:22 when Delaney grabbed a steel chair and hit both champions with it after he was knocked off the apron
Shelton Benjamin pinned Stevie Richards with the jumping bulldog at 4:55; after the bout, Benjamin cut an in-ring promo on the upcoming Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania (Benjamin’s debut with new music)
Kane pinned James Curtis with the chokeslam at the 30-second mark; prior to the bout, Chuck Palumbo – Kane’s opponent the coming Friday on Smackdown! – drove around ringside on a motorcycle
ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. pinned CM Punk at 16:29 with the frog splash after causing Punk to crotch himself across the top rope
Smackdown! – featured an opening in-ring segment of The Cutting Edge, with Vickie Guerrero and Teddy Long appearing with World Heavyweight Champion Edge, in which Edge said two legacies would end at WrestleMania – the Undertaker’s undefeated streak and Ric Flair’s career; Vickie then announced Edge, Zach Ryder & Curt Hawkins would face Taker later in the show in a handicap match, with Edge then introducing Flair as his guest for the segment; after Edge claimed Shawn Michaels would retire Flair at WrestleMania, Flair said he would wrestle long after the pay-per-view; Edge then spoke of Flair’s loss to Taker at WrestleMania 18, with Flair responding by saying Edge wouldn’t be the one to end Taker’s streak; after Flair insulted Edge & Vickie’s relationship, Edge told Flair he would face Edge, Hawkins, & Ryder the following week in another handicap match, with Vickie adding a steel cage stipulation to the bout; Flair then punched Edge in the face – with Long shown smiling – and calmly left the ring; included a WrestleMania 24 hype video to the tune of Rev Theory’s “Light It Up;” featured a backstage segment with Jamie Noble and Michelle McCool in which Noble – believing McCool was interested in him – said he wasn’t a one-woman man and broke off whatever relationship they had, which came as a relief for McCool; included a backstage segment with Edge, Vickie, and Noble in which Noble said he wanted Chuck Palumbo later in the show, with Vickie saying Palumbo had a match with Kane but Noble could have the Big Show instead; featured a video package on the career of Mae Young, the latest name to be inducted as part of the WWE 2008 Hall of Fame; included the announcement Kim Kardashian would be a guest hostess as part of WrestleMania; featured an in-ring swimsuit contest between Eve, Cherry, Maryse, Victoria, and McCool with Jonathan Coachman as MC; during the segment, Coachman announced a diva would be eliminated each week via a fan text vote and the winner would receive a customized motorcycle from Beverly Hills Choppers; after the contest, the divas knocked each other to the floor one-by-one until only McCool remained; included a video package of Rey Mysterio Jr.’s surgery the previous week in San Diego; featured a video package with comments from Freddie Roach, Thomas Hearns, and Michael Buffer regarding the upcoming Big Show / Floyd Mayweather fight at WrestleMania; included the announcement WWE US Champion MVP would defend against Batista the following week in a no holds barred match:
Shannon Moore (w/ Jimmy Wang Yang) pinned Deuce (w/ Domino & Cherry) at 3:17 with the Mooregasm (not televised)
CM Punk, Jesse, & Festus defeated ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr., WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin at 8:27 when Festus pinned Mizanin with the fireman’s carry into the face-first slam
Shannon Moore (w/ Jimmy Wang Yang) pinned Deuce (w/ Domino & Cherry) with the Mooregasm at 3:17 (not televised)
WWE US Champion MVP defeated Batista via count-out at 15:11 after kicking Batista away, while the challenger was on the floor, after Batista assaulted MVP on the floor and into the crowd
Kane pinned Chuck Palumbo with the chokeslam at 3:18
The Big Show defeated Jamie Noble via disqualification when Noble hit a low blow out of self defense at the 42-second mark; after the match, Show laid Noble out with a series of punches to the ribs, with Noble then coughing up blood; moments later, Show cut an in-ring promo in which he said he would end Floyd Mayweather’s career at WrestleMania; Noble was tended to on the floor by a number of referees
World Heavyweight Champion Edge, Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder defeated the Undertaker in a handicap match at 5:29 when Edge scored the pin with the spear after Taker dropped Hawkins & Ryder with a double chokeslam
WWE (Raw) @ Madison, WI – Alliant Energy Center – March 8, 2008
Super Crazy pinned Charlie Haas as Haas adjusted his luchadore mask after Crazy took off a mask, revealing Haas was wearing two
Val Venis defeated DH Smith; Smith worked heel for the match
Ken Kennedy defeated William Regal; Kennedy played the face for the match due to it being his home state
Shawn Michaels & Triple H defeated Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Mickie James
Umaga defeated WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Hardcore Holly
WWE World Champion Randy Orton pinned Chris Jericho (sub. for WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy) in a streetfight with the RKO; the fans were given the option to choose the stipulation for the match between it being a streetfight, a Best 2 out of 3 falls match, or a No DQ match; after the match, Jericho dropped Orton with a Code Breaker onto a steel chair
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Oshkosh, WI – Kolf Sports Center – March 8, 2008 (2,600)
The return to Oshkosh after a 14-year absence; local advertising hyped an appearance from Hornswoggle, who is from Oshkosh, but he was out selling the attack from John Bradshaw Layfield
ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. pinned CM Punk
Finlay pinned Chuck Palumbo
Matt Hardy pinned Kevin Thorn (w/ Matt Striker) with the Twist of Fate (Hardy’s return match after a 4-month absence)
Jesse & Festus defeated Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder
Kane defeated the Big Show via disqualification when Show hit Kane with a steel chair
Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: WWE US Champion MVP pinned Jamie Noble
Tommy Dreamer pinned Shelton Benjamin
World Heavyweight Champion Edge pinned Batista
WWE (Raw) @ Green Bay, WI – Resch Center – March 9, 2008 (matinee) (5,500)
Super Crazy defeated Charlie Haas
Brian Kendrick defeated DH Smith; Smith worked heel for the match
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch
Paul Birchill (w/ Katie Lea) defeated Val Venis
Ken Kennedy pinned Santino Marella with the Mic Check in an impromptu match; Kennedy was the face since it was his hometown; prior to the match, Marella cut an in-ring promo on Green Bay until Kennedy interrupted
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix defeated Mickie James
Triple H & Shawn Michaels defeated Umaga & Snitsky when Snitsky was pinned
WWE World Champion Randy Orton defeated Chris Jericho (sub. for WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy) in a streetfight
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Dubuque, IA – Five Flags Center – March 9, 2008 (matinee) (3,000)
ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. pinned CM Punk by using the ropes for leverage
Jesse & Festus defeated Chuck Palumbo & Kevin Thorn
Jamie Noble defeated Zach Ryder
Tommy Dreamer & Kofi Kingston defeated Big Daddy V & Shelton Benjamin
Matt Hardy defeated WWE US Champion MVP via disqualification in an impromptu match
Kelly Kelly defeated Victoria
Finlay defeated John Bradshaw Layfield in a streetfight
Batista & Kane defeated World Heavyweight Champion Edge & the Big Show when Batista pinned Show with the sit-down powerbomb
WWE @ Milwaukee, WI – Bradley Center – March 10, 2008
Carlito defeated WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Cody Rhodes
Raw – 3 hour episode ‘WrestleMania Rewind;’ featured an opening in-ring promo by Ric Flair in which he asked for Shawn Michaels to come out, with Flair then telling Michaels he saw sympathy in Michaels’ eyes the previous week and said if he couldn’t hang with the top guys then he didn’t want to be part of the show; Flair then said – on a good day – he could beat Michaels and said he wanted Michaels at his absolute best for their match at WrestleMania; Michaels said they would steal the show, agreed, and shook Flair’s hand; Michaels then made mention of Flair’s upcoming handicap match on Smackdown! and said he would be in Flair’s corner; WWE World Champion Randy Orton then interrupted, said he was in charge for the night, Triple H would face Kane later in the show, and Michaels would wrestle John Cena; included highlights from the Undertaker / Mark Henry casket match at WrestleMania 22 to tease the casket match later in the show; featured a WrestleMania ad with Carlito Caribbean Cool and Maria in Florida, with Carlito trying to steal Maria from Santino Marella until he was attacked by a seagull; included footage of Floyd Mayweather and his entourage backstage; featured a video package with comments from Freddie Roach, Thomas Hearns, and Michael Buffer regarding the upcoming Big Show / Mayweather fight at WrestleMania; included a pre-taped promo by Triple H regarding his upcoming WrestleMania match against Cena and Orton, during which he mentioned he was supposed to face Cena last year for the title; featured a video package from the US Airways Arena in Phoenix of WWE talent meeting with children from the Make A Wish Foundation, followed by the announcement there would be a multi-year partnership between the two organizations and that 50 children – along with Raven Symone – would have their wishes granted and be in attendance at WrestleMania; Cena was recognized for his efforts during the segment, where it was noted he had helped grant 100 wishes through the group; included Mike Adamle introducing a video package on Jack & Jerry Brisco, the latest persons announced for the WWE 2008 Hall of Fame; featured a WrestleMania 24 hype video to the tune of Rev Theory’s “Light It Up;” included a video package of the Big Show with clips spanning his entire WWE career; featured footage from the WrestleMania XV match between Triple H and Kane to hype their match later in the show; included a backstage segment with Orton and Kane in which Orton reminded Kane of the many losses Triple H has given him, with Kane then putting Orton in a choke and saying he already remembered; featured a pre-taped promo by Cena regarding his return from injury, Royal Rumble win, and WrestleMania bout against Triple H and Orton; included a video package on Mayweather’s career and lifestyle; featured an in-ring weigh-in for the Show / Floyd Mayweather match – hosted by Shane McMahon – with Mayweather weighing in at 159lbs and Show at 441lbs; prior to the introductions, Shane introduced Show as a former WWE, WCW, and World Heavyweight Champion (a title he never won) but did not mention him as a former WCW titleholder; after the weigh-in, Show introduced his “posse” of WWE talent from Raw, Smackdown!, and ECW to balance Mayweather’s group; among those featured were Carlito Caribbean Cool, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes, Chuck Palumbo, Lance Cade, Kofi Kingston, Big Daddy V, Matt Striker, Charlie Haas, Shelton Benjamin, Tommy Dreamer, Trevor Murdoch, Snitsky, Super Crazy, Paul Birchill, and Brian Kendrick; Show then cut a promo on how the WWE talent didn’t like Mayweather for how much he was getting paid and suggested Mayweather throw some of that money to the crowd so they don’t hate him as much; Show then implied he would end Mayweather’s career, should he choose to; Mayweather then took a mic, smelled a handful of cash, and – as the crowd chanted “What?” – said he didn’t respect Show as a person and threw cash at Show, who then handed it to his entourage at ringside; Mayweather then said he would break Show’s jaw, with Show then press slamming the boxer onto several wrestlers at ringside, errupting into a brief brawl between the WWE talent and Mayweather’s group during which Shane was shoved to the ground; included a pre-taped promo by Orton regarding his upcoming match with Cena and Triple H; featured an in-ring promo by William Regal, discussing the WrestleMania bout between Batista and Umaga and introducing a video package on Umaga; after bringing Umaga out, Regal cut a promo on Batista until Batista appeared, with Batista and Umaga brawling until Batista cleared the ring, with Umaga then being held back by Regal and referees; included highlights from the previous WrestleMania’s Cena vs. Michaels match to build their rematch later in the show; featured the announcement Vince McMahon would be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame the coming Friday at 11:30 a.m.; included the announcement Mayweather suffered an elbow injury during the scuffle following the weigh-in:
WrestleMania Rewind: The Undertaker defeated Mark Henry in a casket match at 4:42 after applying the leglock choke – causing Henry to bleed from the mouth – and then stomping him into the casket
WrestleMania Rewind: Ken Kennedy defeated Finlay via disqualification at the 12-second mark when Finlay repeatedly assaulted Kennedy in and out of the ring with his shillalagh after John Bradshaw Layfield appeared on the big screen before the bout and cut a promo saying he would beat Finlay in their WrestleMania Belfast Brawl and put him in a hospital bed right next to his son Hornswoggle; after the match, Finlay continued to beat on Kennedy down the aisle with the weapon until referees intervened
Chris Jericho pinned WWE IC Champion Jeff Hardy to win the title with the Code Breaker at 11:03 after avoiding the Swanton (History of the Intercontinental Championship, Breaking the Code: Behind the Walls of Chris Jericho)
WrestleMania Rewind: Barry Windham & Mike Rotunda fought Nikolai Volkoff & the Iron Sheik to a no contest when Jillian Hall interrupted after both teams’ entrance and attempted to sing Windham & Rotunda’s former theme song – Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” – until Rotunda hoisted her into an airplane spin
WrestleMania Rewind: Triple H pinned Kane with a kick to the midsection as Kane came off the top and the Pedigree at 5:36; during the bout, WWE World Champion Randy Orton appeared at the entrance stage; after the bout, Orton and Triple H locked eyes
Melina (w/ WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix) pinned Maria (w/ Candice Michelle) with a modified reverse DDT at 2:00 after Santino Marella appeared on the apron and tore up a copy of Maria’s Playboy; prior to the bout, footage was shown of Melina and Ashley’s bout at WrestleMania 23, with Melina then cutting an in-ring promo saying Ashley was too injured to compete as scheduled and she would face Maria instead; a giant version of Maria’s Playboy cover was hung from the entrance stage for the match; after the match, Phoenix attacked Candice from behind, with Santino, Melina, and Phoenix all leaving together
WrestleMania Rewind: World Heavyweight Champion Edge (w/ Zach Ryder & Curt Hawkins) pinned CM Punk in a non-title match at 4:02 with the spear after Punk knocked one of Edge’s men off the apron and went to do the same to the second
WrestleMania Rewind: Shawn Michaels fought John Cena to a no contest at 15:55 when WWE World Champion Randy Orton interfered and threw Michaels into the ringpost as the two men battled on the floor; prior to the bout, it was announced Cena, WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho, Vince McMahon, the Big Show, and Floyd Mayweather would appear the coming Thursday on Larry King Live; after the bout, Orton attempted to drop Cena with an RKO onto a steel chair in the ring, with Cena then dropping Orton across the chair instead; moments later, Triple H appeared backstage and announced – since he was in charge for the following week’s show – Cena & Orton would face the entire Raw roster the next week
WWE @ Moline, IL – March 10, 2008
Postponed
– 3/11/08: Jeff Hardy was suspended for 60 days following his second violation of the wellness policy.
WWE @ Chicago, IL – AllState Arena – March 11, 2008 (15,121; announced as 15,149; sell out)
Shelton Benjamin pinned Chris Harris
ECW – featured a WrestleMania ad with Carlito Caribbean Cool and Maria in Florida, with Carlito trying to steal Maria from Santino Marella until he was attacked by a seagull; included an ad for ‘Triple H: King of Kings;’ featured Lena conducting a backstage interview with CM Punk regarding his Money in the Bank qualifying match later in the show against Big Daddy V; included footage from the previous Thursday of Maria holding a Playboy singing at the Virgin Megastore in Times Square:
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Tommy Dreamer & Colin Delaney in an extreme rules match at 8:19 when Mizanin pinned Dreamer after the champions hit a double spinebuster on Dreamer through a table set up in the corner
The Great Khali pinned Stevie Richards at the 19-second mark with a double choke throw; prior to the bout, Armando Estrada cut an in-ring promo stating a 24-man battle royal would take place at WrestleMania, with the winner immediately facing ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. for the title; Estrada then introduced Khali as one of the participants; after the match, Mike Knox appeared, attacked Richards, hit a legdrop off the top, and then a modified corkscrew DDT
Kofi Kingston pinned Deuce (w/ Domino & Cherry) with a spin kick to the head at 3:16
Festus (w/ Jesse) pinned Elijah Burke with a fireman’s carry into a face-first slam at 2:49
Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: CM Punk defeated Big Daddy V (w/ Matt Striker) via count-out at 3:52 after Punk avoided a charge and Big Daddy fell out to the floor; after the match, Punk fought off an interfering Striker and dropped him with the Go To Sleep; Shelton Benjamin provided guest commentary for the bout (V’s last appearance)
Smackdown! – featured an opening segment on the stage in which Maria cut a promo on her upcoming match at WrestleMania and then introduced the divas who would be competing in the Smackdown! diva contest – Victoria, Michelle McCool, Eve, Cherry, and Maryse; after the participants appeared, Maria announced Maryse had been eliminated from the contest; Maria then had the remaining divas take part in an obstacle course, with Michelle winning in 20 seconds; included a backstage segment with Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels in which they discussed their upcoming match at WrestleMania and their match as a team later in the show; featured a WrestleMania ad with Carlito Caribbean Cool and Maria in Florida, with Carlito trying to steal Maria from Santino Marella until he was attacked by a seagull; included Michael Cole conducting an interview with Finlay, backstage, regarding Hornswoggle’s injury and his upcoming match with John Bradshaw Layfield at WrestleMania; featured an ad promoting extra seats being available for WrestleMania; included a video package on Floyd Mayweather’s career and lifestyle; featured a WrestleMania 24 hype video to the tune of Rev Theory’s “Light It Up;” included a video package highlighting the careers of Jack & Jerry Brisco, the latest names to be inducted into the 2008 WWE Hall of Fame:
The Big Show defeated Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore in a handicap match at 2:03 by pinning Moore with a foot on his chest after a right hand punch; after the bout, Show press slammed Yang to the floor
Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion John Morrison pinned WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Mike Mizanin with the corkscrew neckbreaker at 4:36; prior to the bout, the other participants were mentioned for the Money in the Bank match with Jeff Hardy’s name excluded due to his suspension, though the suspension was not mentioned; it was also announced before the match that Morrison & Mizanin would defend the titles the following week against Jesse & Festus
WWE US Champion MVP pinned Batista in a no holds barred match at 17:37 after Umaga interfered and dropped Batista with the thumb strike to the throat; prior to the bout, still photos of MVP’s Money in the Bank qualifying win over Jamie Noble at a recent live event were shown
The Great Khali & Chuck Palumbo defeated Kane & Jamie Noble at 2:49 when Khali pinned Noble with one boot on his chest after the double choke throw; Noble’s ribs were heavily taped for the bout; prior to the match, it was announced all four men would be in the 24-man battle royal at WrestleMania, with the winner immediately facing ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr.
World Heavyweight Champion Edge, ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. (surprise participant), Zach Ryder & Curt Hawkins defeated Shawn Michaels & Ric Flair in a steel cage handicap match at around the 15-minute mark when Edge escaped over the top of the cage as the Undertaker – who appeared in the ring during the closing moments – laid out Edge’s partner’s inside the ring; prior to the bout, Vickie Guerrero – with Teddy Long – appeared on the stage and added Guerrero to the match (the match began during the commercial break)
Dark match after the taping: The Undertaker defeated the Big Show by pinning an interfering World Heavyweight Champion Edge; Edge replaced Show mid-way through the match
– 3/14/08: While home on suspension, Jeff Hardy’s house in Cameron, NC burned down. Virtually everything he owned was lost, including his pet dog.
– 3/14/08: “The Greatest Superstars of WrestleMania” premiered at Carmike Cinema theaters.
WWE (Raw) @ Waco, TX – Heart O’ Texas Fair Coliseum – March 14, 2008
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch when Holly scored the pin following the Alabama Slam
DH Smith pinned Charlie Haas with a crossbody
Carlito Caribbean Cool pinned Brian Kendrick with the Back Stabber
Super Crazy & Val Venis defeated William Regal & Paul Birchill when Crazy pinned Birchill with a roll up
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Mickie James with the cradle suplex; after the bout, Candice Michelle made the save for Mickie against Beth
Finlay pinned John Bradshaw Layfield in a streetfight after hitting him in the head with his shillalagh
Triple H & Shawn Michaels defeated WWE World Champion Randy Orton & Snitsky when Snitsky was pinned after sustaining the superkick and Pedigree
WWE (Raw) @ Tyler, TX – Oil Palace – March 15, 2008
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch
Paul Birchill defeated Brian Kendrick
Super Crazy defeated Charlie Haas
Santino Marella & Carlito Caribbean Cool defeated DH Smith & Val Venis
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Mickie James; after the bout, Candice Michelle made the save for Mickie against Beth
Finlay pinned John Bradshaw Layfield in a streetfight
Triple H & Shawn Michaels defeated WWE World Champion Randy Orton & Snitsky
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Alexandria, LA – Rapides Parish Coliseum – March 15, 2008
Batista did not appear as advertised; the card was changed somewhat due to problems flying out of Atlanta, with several wrestlers arriving late; the opening match was deemed a Best 2 out of 3 falls match as a result in order to stall for time
ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. defeated CM Punk in a Best 2 out of 3 falls match
Michelle McCool, Eve, and Kelly Kelly co-won a bikini contest
Jesse & Festus defeated Jamie Noble & WWE Smackdown! Champion John Morrison
Kofi Kingston defeated Matt Striker
Tommy Dreamer defeated Shelton Benjamin
Matt Hardy defeated WWE US Champion MVP via disqualification
The Undertaker & Kane defeated World Heavyweight Champion Edge & Mark Henry
– 3/16/08: Longtime manager and former WCCW booker Gary Hart died at the age of 68.
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Bossier City, LA – March 16, 2008
Kofi Kingston defeated Shelton Benjamin
John Morrison defeated Tommy Dreamer
Jesse & Festus defeated Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder
Jamie Noble defeated Matt Striker
Matt Hardy defeated WWE US Champion MVP via disqualification
Michelle McCool defeated Victoria
ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. defeated CM Punk
The Undertaker & Kane defeated World Heavyweight Champion Edge & Mark Henry
WWE @ Lafayette, LA – Cajundome – March 17, 2008 (announced as a sell out)
Vladimir Kozlov defeated Super Crazy
Heat:
Jim Duggan defeated Charlie Haas
Paul Burchill (w/ Katie Lea) defeated Val Venis
DH Smith defeated Robbie McAllister
Melina (w/ WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix) defeated Mickie James
Raw – featured an opening segment of The Highlight Reel with the Big Show as the guest in which Show and WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho discussed Show’s press slamming Floyd Mayweather to the floor during the previous week’s show; moments later, Show said Jericho couldn’t last 2 minutes with him and said that was proof Mayweather would have no chance against him at WrestleMania; Show then said Jericho was the WWE’s equivalent to Mayweather – loud, arrogant, and disrespectful – and challenged Jericho to a title match later in the show; Jericho then said Show was funny eight years ago when he co-hosted ‘Saturday Night Live’ but had bombed ever since, then accepted the match; included pre-taped comments from Vince McMahon regarding his getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and appearing on Larry King later in the week and then said he would top that by ending Ric Flair’s career later in the show by beating Flair in a streetfight; featured an ad for ‘Triple H: The King of Kings;’ included pre-taped comments from Snoop Dogg regarding his participation at WrestleMania, with Santino Marella then appearing and trying to get Snoop to read his cue cards saying he didn’t approve of Maria posing for Playboy; featured the announcement Triple H, Floyd Mayweather, Jericho, Vince, Show, and John Cena would appear together Wednesday on the Larry King Show; included a backstage segment with William Regal and Triple H in which Triple H said if either Cena or WWE World Champion Randy Orton walked out of their tag team match later in the show then they would be out of the WrestleMania main event, and if Orton walked out then he would be stripped of the title and Cena and Triple H would fight for the vacant title at Mania; when Regal asked why Triple H didn’t just strip Orton of the title since he was in charge for the night, Triple H said there was no satisfaction in that and that he wanted to win it in the ring; featured a video package highlighting Triple H’s leg injury in 2007 which forced him out of WrestleMania 23 as well as his win at No Way Out’s Elimination Chamber; included footage from the previous Friday’s ceremony in which McMahon was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, during which McMahon thanked the fans and then cut a heel promo; featured a backstage segment with Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels in which Flair said he would beat Michaels at WrestleMania and he didn’t want his help later in the show against McMahon and then walked off; included a WrestleMania 24 hype video to the tune of Rev Theory’s “Light It Up;” featured a video package highlighting Cena’s injury during the fall and his win at the Royal Rumble; included Jerry Lawler conducting a ringside interview with Jared, the spokesman for Subway, in which Jared spoke about the 10-year anniversary of his weight loss and the Subway commercial he did the previous year with Cena and then gave Lawler a Subway sandwich; featured a video package on Mayweather focusing on his rough upbringing, amateur boxing career, getting a bronze medal at the 1996 Olympics, and his pro career; during the bout, Mayweather was seen with a replica of the Million $ Belt and said he wanted the WWE World Title; included comments from Roy Jones Jr., Evander Holyfield, and Michael Buffer regarding the Mayweather vs. Show match at WrestleMania; featured an ad for the WWE Hall of Fame TV special; included the announcement that the next inductee into the 2008 WWE Hall of Fame would be announced the following night on ECW; featured pre-taped comments from Kim Kardashian regarding her participation at WrestleMania, with Big Dick Johnson then appearing and Kim saying he wasn’t invited but all the fans were; included a video montage highlighting Orton’s world title reign and dominance over Triple H, Jeff Hardy, Michaels, and Jericho; featured a backstage segment with Cena and Orton regarding their tag team match later in the show, in which Orton suggested they lose on purpose so as not to get hurt before WrestleMania and that Cena should be the one to do it, with Cena then telling him off; moments later, Triple H appeared and said they had no chance; included the announcement that CM Punk, Jesse & Festus would face Shelton Benjamin, WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin the following night on ECW:
CM Punk pinned Carlito Caribbean Cool with the Go To Sleep at 5:23 after catching Carlito as he attempted a springboard into the ring
Umaga defeated Paul London & Brian Kendrick in a handicap match at 2:18 by pinning London with the thumb strike to the throat after throwing London in the air; prior to the bout, William Regal introduced Umaga on the entrance stage; footage of Umaga attacking Batista on the previous week’s Smackdown! was shown before the match; late in the bout, Kendrick slid to the floor and left ringside during the finish
John Bradshaw Layfield pinned Colin Delaney with a short-arm Clothesline from Hell at 1:17; prior to the bout, Finlay’s promo from the previous week’s Smackdown! was shown; moments later, JBL cut an in-ring promo saying he wanted to confront Finlay but Hornswoggle was having complications and Finlay couldn’t make the show; JBL then said he went out and found the second toughest Irishman in the company to face him on St. Patrick’s Day; after the bout, JBL cut another in-ring promo on he and Finlay’s ancestors and finished by saying, “Irish need not apply”
Ric Flair pinned Vince McMahon in a streetfight at 8:29 with a splash off the top through a table set up in the ring; prior to the bout, McMahon’s confrontation with Flair in November was shown in which McMahon made the career-ending stipulation; Shawn Michaels appeared ringside at the 6-minute mark and pulled the referee out of the ring as McMahon covered Flair, with the referee then ejecting Michaels from ringside; pre-match stipulations stated Flair would have to retire if he lost the bout
Maria & Candice Michelle defeated Jillian Hall & Victoria at 3:00 when Candice pinned Jillian with the Candy Wrapper; a giant poster of Maria’s Playboy cover was hung over the entranceway for the duration of the match; prior to the bout, Santino Marella appeared ringside to do guest commentary; after the match, Santino attacked Jerry Lawler, stole his Subway sandwich, and left ringside with Jillian & Victoria
The Big Show defeated WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho via disqualification at 3:05 when Jericho hit Show with the title belt; prior to the bout, it was announced Show would appear the coming Friday on ‘Late Night with Conan O’Brien;’ after the match, Show knocked Jericho out with a right hand punch and followed with the chokeslam
WWE World Champion Randy Orton & John Cena fought Umaga, Val Venis, Snitsky, Santino Marella, Lance Cade, Trevor Murdoch, Brian Kendrick, Carlito Caribbean Cool, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes, DH Smith, Paul Birchill, Robbie McAllister, Charlie Haas, John Bradshaw Layfield, Jim Duggan, & Super Crazy to a no contest in a 17-on-2 handicap elimination match at around the 12-minute mark; pre-match stipulations stated if either Orton or Cena walked out of the match they would be out of the main event at WrestleMania, with Orton also being stripped of the title; Cena pinned Marella with a roll up at the 52-second mark; Murdoch submitted to Cena’s STFU at 1:27; Cena pinned Cade at 1:43 after Orton dropped Cade with the RKO; Orton pinned Crazy with the RKO (during the commercial break); Cena pinned Robbie with a legdrop off the top at 7:23; Cena pinned Smith with the FU at 7:54; Orton pinned Birchill with the RKO at 8:04; Orton pinned Venis with the RKO at 8:13; Orton pinned Rhodes at 8:29 with the RKO after Cena threw Rhodes into the air; the bell rang at 8:36 when nearly all the opposing team ganged up on Cena & Orton in the ring; moments later, after Cena cleared the ring of all save Umaga and JBL – with Umaga then chasing JBL backstage after a miscommunication – Triple H came out as a surprise participant and dropped both Cena and Orton with Pedigrees before posing with the title belt as the show went off the air
WWE @ Biloxi, MS – Coast Coliseum – March 18, 2008
Vladimir Kozlov defeated Jamie Noble
ECW – featured a backstage segment with Mark Henry and Armando Estrada, with ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. then appearing and Estrada telling him Henry would be part of the WrestleMania 24 battle royal with an ECW World Title shot on the line; moments later, Colin Delaney came in and said he had a meeting with Estrada to discuss getting an ECW contract, with Guerrero then insulting him; Estrada then suggested Chavo face Delaney later in the show in a non-title match, with Delaney earning a contract if he won; included a WrestleMania 24 hype video to the tune of Rev Theory’s “Light It Up;” featured a video package on Floyd Mayweather focusing on his rough upbringing, amateur boxing career, getting a bronze medal at the 1996 Olympics, and his pro career; included a backstage segment with CM Punk, Jesse & Festus regarding their match later in the show; featured a Baywatch-themed WrestleMania ad starring Kelly Kelly & Mae Young; included a video package on the career of Eddie Graham, the latest person named for induction in the 2008 WWE Hall of Fame; it was announced during the segment that Dusty Rhodes would induct Graham at the ceremony; featured a video package on the Big Show to hype his match with Mayweather, with comments of Show taken at his home with his wife and shown in training:
Kane pinned Elijah Burke with the chokeslam as Burke attempted the Elijah Express at 3:26
Kofi Kingston pinned James Curtis with the spin kick to the head at 3:46
CM Punk, Jesse & Festus defeated Shelton Benjamin, WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin at 11:48 when Festus pinned Mizanin with the fireman’s carry into a slam after avoiding the Reality Check; prior to the bout, it was announced Morrison & Mizanin would defend against Jesse & Festus the coming Friday on Smackdown!
ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. pinned Colin Delaney in a non-title match with the Gory Bomb at 4:33; pre-match stipulations stated Delaney would earn an ECW contract if he won; prior to the bout, Tazz conducted an in-ring interview with Delaney on the match as well as the beating he took the night before against John Bradshaw Layfield, in which Delaney said the beatings would be worth it if he could get a contract
Smackdown! – featured an opening video package of Batista facing Umaga on the Raw vs. Smackdown 2008 video game; included a backstage segment with Cherry and Maryse in which Maryse complained that the divas contest was fixed because Maryse was voted off first and Cherry was still in it; featured Teddy Long hosting the diva competition in which Michelle McCool won the arm wrestling contest over Victoria, Eve, and Cherry, with Victoria then being voted out of the contest; moments after leaving the ring, Victoria returned and began fighting with Michelle, with Michelle knocking her to the floor with a kick to the head; included a video package of Floyd Mayweather’s rise to fame, winning a bronze medal at the 1996 Olympics, and turning pro; featured comments from Roy Jones Jr., Evander Holyfield, and Michael Buffer regarding Show’s upcoming match with Mayweather; included a video package from the US Airways Arena in Phoenix the announcement that 50 children – along with Raven Symone – would have their wishes granted and be in attendance at WrestleMania, followed by comments from Raven; featured a WrestleMania ad with Carlito and Maria; included a segment of the VIP Lounge in which WWE US Champion MVP cut a promo on his upcoming participation in the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania and said he was better than everyone else in the contest; moments later, WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho appeared and had several names appear on the big screen which initials spelt out “ZIT,” “LOSER,” and “JACKASS” instead of MVP; eventually MVP climbed the ladder set up in the ring, with Jericho knocking him off and taking the Money in the Bank briefcase which was used in a prop during the segment; featured a video package on the career of Eddie Graham, the latest person named for induction in the 2008 WWE Hall of Fame; it was announced during the segment that Dusty Rhodes would induct Graham at the ceremony; included the announcement that Jericho would face MVP the following week; featured an ad for “Triple H: The King of Kings,” available Tuesday:
Batista defeated Deuce & Domino in a handicap match at 2:10 by pinning Domino with the sit-down powerbomb
The Big Show defeated Chase Stevens, Andy Douglas, & Luke Hawx in a handicap match at 1:20 by pinning Stevens after a right hand punch to the face; prior to the bout, footage was shown from WWE.com of WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho commenting on Show knocking him out on Raw, with Jericho claiming Floyd Mayweather would be overmatched at WrestleMania
World Heavyweight Champion Edge (w/ Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder) pinned Sho Funaki in a non-title match with the spear and tombstone at 5:38; after the bout, Edge cut an in-ring promo stating the Undertaker would realize what he was capable of later in the show
Kane fought Chuck Palumbo to a no contest at the 11-minute mark when the Great Khali interfered and dropped both men with the tree slam; prior to the bout, it was announced both men as well as Khali, Big Daddy V, and Mark Henry would be part of the WrestleMania 24-man battle royal to determine who would face ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. later in the show; after the bout, Henry appeared, slammed Khali, and further assaulted Kane and Palumbo
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jesse & Festus at 7:31 when Mizanin pinned Jesse with the Reality Check after Morrison caused Festus to fall to the floor
The Undertaker defeated ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. (w/ World Heavyweight Champion Edge, Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder) in a non-title match via submission with the leglock choke at 5:21 following the chokeslam; after the bout, Taker fought off Edge, Hawkins & Ryder until he sustained Edge’s spear; moments later, all three assaulted Taker with steel chairs before Edge knocked Taker out with a chairshot to the face; Edge then had Hawkins & Ryder hold Taker down as he delivered a Con-Chair-Two to end the broadcast
WWE @ Columbia, SC – Colonial Center – March 24, 2008
Ron Killings defeated Paul London
Heat:
Paul Burchill (w/ Katie Lea) defeated Super Crazy
Lance Cade defeated Jim Duggan
Snitsky defeated Val Venis
WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Cody Rhodes defeated Trevor Murdoch
Raw – featured an opening in-ring promo by John Cena regarding his upcoming WrestleMania match against Triple H and WWE World Champion Randy Orton until he was interrupted by the Big Show, who said Mania would go down in history for one reason – that being the end of Floyd Mayweather’s boxing career; after Show said him knocking out Mayweather would replace Hulk Hogan slamming Andre the Giant as the most replayed Mania moment, John Bradshaw Layfield appeared and cut a promo on how he had already made history by revealing Hornswoggle’s father and then hospitalizing him; JBL went on to say he would make more history at Mania because his was the match with no rules; after JBL confronted Cena, Cena admitted to not having been paying attention but rather remembering how he beat JBL at WrestleMania 21; Orton then appeared and said everyone would remember him retaining his title at Mania; Umaga then came out and cut a promo in Samoan on facing Batista at Mania; Cena then translated by saying Orton was a weird man who listened to boy bands and loved sperm whales and watching ‘My Two Dads’ reruns; moments later, Triple H appeared and said the reason everyone was in the company was to win the WWE Title, with all the wrestlers then arguing until William Regal interrupted and ordered an 8-man No DQ match for later in the show pitting Orton, Umaga, JBL, & Show vs. Triple H, Cena, Shawn Michaels, & Ric Flair; included an ad for the WWE Hall of Fame TV special; featured an ad for ‘WWE The Music Vol. 8,” in stores the following day; included a WrestleMania 24 hype video to the tune of Rev Theory’s “Light It Up;”; featured a pre-taped promo by Ken Kennedy in which he said Flair would retire, Taker would lose, and he would win the Money in the Bank match; included a Ric Flair music video to the tune of Fuel’s “Leave the Memories Behind,” spanning his entire career; several of Flair’s children were then shown sitting ringside; featured footage of Show at home preparing for his fight with Mayweather, along with comments from his trainer, Artie Artwell; included an in-ring promo by Flair in which he said he had lost respect for Michaels for having interfered in his match the week before, then had Michaels come out; Michaels then praised Flair before Flair cut him off and pulled out his NWA World Title won in 1981 and said he needed Michaels to bring out the best in him; after Michaels said he would bring his best, Flair shook his hand; Michaels then compared Flair to Old Yeller and said he would put him out of his misery at Mania; moments later, Flair unbuttoned his shirt and repeatedly slapped Michaels and dared him to take him out behind the woodshed and put him down, with Michaels repeating his statement and leaving ringside; included footage of Mayweather in training, mocking the size of Show’s pants, playing with a Big Show action figure; featured footage of Show appearing the previous week on ‘Late Night with Conan O’Brian;’ included a backstage segment with Cena speaking with Val Venis and WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Cody Rhodes in which Triple H interrupted and told Cena he may have lost to Cena at WrestleMania 22 but he was still the better man; featured a vignette promoting John Legend performing at WrestleMania; included the announcement that the final name to be inducted into the 2008 WWE Hall of Fame would be given the following night on ECW; featured the announcement that Ashley would replace Candice Michelle’s spot as Maria’s tag team partner at WrestleMania; included a video montage to hype the Triple H vs. Cena vs. Orton match at WrestleMania; featured an ad for ‘Triple H: The King of Kings’:
WWE US Champion MVP & Carlito Caribbean Cool defated WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho & CM Punk at 9:59 when MVP pinned Punk after Jericho accidentally hit an enzuiguri on his partner when MVP ducked the move; prior to the bout, footage of Jericho shoving MVP off the top of a ladder during the previous Friday’s Smackdown! was shown; it was also announced before the match that a WrestleMania press conference would be held Wednesday at noon at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square
The Great Khali pinned WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Hardcore Holly at 1:51 with the tree slam; prior to the bout, it was announced Holly would be part of the 24-man battle royal at WrestleMania
Santino Marella, Melina, & WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix defeated Jerry Lawler, Maria, & Ashley in an impromptu match at 6:41 when Santino pinned Maria after Melina and Phoenix both clipped Maria behind the referee’s back; the match was originally between Maria and Melina but was changed when Ashley appeared to counter Phoenix being at ringside, with Marella then appearing ringside, prompting Lawler to leave the announce table and get into a fight with Marella, with Lawler, Maria, & Ashley quickly knocking the other three to the floor; moments later, William Regal appeared and ordered a six-person tag team match to take place immediately; prior to the bout, it was announced Candice Michelle would not be competing at WrestleMania after re-breaking her clavicle and undergoing surgery earlier in the day; a giant poster of Maria’s Playboy cover was hoisted above the entrance stage for the match John Cena, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, & Ric Flair defeated WWE World Champion Randy Orton, Umaga, John Bradshaw Layfield, & the Big Show in a No DQ match at 11:39 when Orton submitted to Flair’s figure-4 after Flair hit a low blow on Michaels, knocking him to the floor, moments after Michaels punched Flair; prior to the bout, it was announced Show and Floyd Mayweather would appear Wednesday on ‘The Today Show;’ JBL left the match at the 2-minute mark after Finlay appeared ringside, with the two men then battling backstage; Umaga left the match at the 7-minute mark after Batista came ringside, with the two also battling backstage; Show left the match at the 10-minute mark after tossing Orton into the ring and hitting the chokeslam on him after Orton began giving him orders from the apron; Triple H and Cena left the match at the 11-minute mark when they began fighting with one another
WWE @ Fayetteville, NC – Crown Coliseum – March 25, 2008
Ron Killings defeated Kenny Dykstra
ECW – featured an ad promoting Saturday’s Hall of Fame telecast on the USA Network; included a video package hyping the Big Show / Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight at WrestleMania with comments from Bert Sugar, Michael Buffer, Antonio Tarver, Ricky Hatton, and Evander Holyfield; featured a WrestleMania ad to the tune of Rev Theory’s “Light it Up;” included a backstage segment with ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr., Colin Delaney, and Tommy Dreamer in which Chavo made fun of Dreamer losing the opening match, with Dreamer then challenging Chavo to a non-title match later in the show; featured a video package hyping the John Cena vs. Triple H vs. WWE World Champion Randy Orton match at WrestleMania; included the announcement that the 24-man battle royal at WrestleMania would be shown for free at WWE.com Sunday at 6:30 p.m.; featured the announcement that Gordon Solie would be inducted into the 2008 WWE Hall of Fame; included an ad for “Triple H: King of Kings;” featured footage of Mayweather in training for his fight with Show:
The Great Khali, WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Mike Mizanin, Chuck Palumbo, Matt Striker, Mark Henry, Snitsky, Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch, Brian Kendrick, Deuce & Domino, & Elijah Burke defeated Kane, Tommy Dreamer, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes, Kofi Kingston, Jesse & Festus, Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore, Jim Duggan, Val Venis, & Jamie Noble at 9:22 when Snitsky pinned Dreamer with a boot to the face; after the match, all the participants – who would be part of the 24-man battle royal at WrestleMania – faced off inside the ring
Shelton Benjamin pinned Carlito with a facebuster off the top at 11:04; prior to the bout, it was announced the Big Show and Floyd Mayweather Jr. would appear the following day on NBC’s “The Today Show;” the Money in the Bank briefcase was hung above the ring during the contest; Benjamin was cheered in the match
Mike Knox & Layla defeated Stevie Richards & Kelly Kelly at 2:32 when Knox pinned Richards with a corkscrew DDT; prior to the bout, it was announced the WrestleMania 24 press conference would air live on WWE.com the following day at noon EST from the Hard Rock Cafe in New York City
ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. pinned Tommy Dreamer in a non-title match with the frog splash at 3:01; the ring was surrounded by the 23 other men that would compete in the WrestleMania battle royal; after the contest, all the battle royal participants ganged up on the champion and brawled amongst themselves as the show went off the air
Smackdown! – featured a WrestleMania ad to the tune of Rev Theory’s “Light it Up;” included a backstage segment with Cherry, Eve, Michelle McCool, and Teddy Long in which Long said Eve had been eliminated from the competition; moments later, Maryse and Victoria interrupted, with Long then announcing the divas would compete in a waterfight later in the show; included comments from Roy Jones Jr., Evander Holyfield, Ricky Hatton, Thomas Hearns, Bert Sugar, and Michael Buffer regarding the Floyd Mayweather vs. Big Show match at WrestleMania; featured footage from Wednesday’s WrestleMania press conference at Times Square, with comments from Triple H, WWE World Champion Randy Orton, World Heavyweight Champion Edge, Mayweather, and Show; included the announcement Gordon Solie would be inducted into the 2008 WWE Hall of Fame; featured a vignette recapping the Undertaker’s undefeated WrestleMania streak and feud with Edge stemming back to the previous spring; included an ad promoting “WWE: The Music Vol. 8;” featured an ad promoting the WWE Hall of Fame broadcast the following night on USA; included footage of WrestleMania ads playing at Times Square in New York City; featured a vignette of John Legend promoting his appearance at WrestleMania; included a closing in-ring segment in which Edge – alongside Vickie Guerrero, Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder – held a funeral for Taker’s undefeated WrestleMania streak; Guerrero wore a veil and the others, including Long who wheeled Guerrero to the ring, were dressed for the ocassion; Edge then spoke of the impending end of Taker’s streak and said no one would remember the streak because all the attention would be focused on Edge; moments later, Guerrero praised Edge’s abilities before introducing a video package she, Hawkins, & Ryder put together previewing Edge’s victory; eventually, Edge and Vickie began making out in the ring until Taker’s gong sounded; Edge sent Hawkins & Ryder to fend Taker off from the ring but Taker sat up from the casket already placed in the ring, fought off Edge, Hawkins & Ryder, and then chokeslamed Edge into the same casket; Guerrero then ran backstage as Taker dropped Hawkins and Ryder with the tombstone and lunged for Edge, who slid out of the ring:
Mark Henry won a 4-man battle royal by last eliminating the Great Khali at 2:46; order of elimination: Chuck Palumbo by Kane (0:35); Kane by Henry via a slam over the top after Khali dropped Kane with the tree slam (2:04); Khali by Henry via a slam over the top; ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. provided guest commentary for the match; after the bout, Guerrero attacked Henry from behind and repeatedly targetted his knee until Henry caught him coming off the top and dropped him with the powerslam
CM Punk pinned WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion John Morrison at 13:16 with the Go To Sleep after avoiding the Moonlight Drive; the Money in the Bank briefcase was hung above the ring for the match; during the bout, a crawl at the bottom of the screen announced the rules for the Floyd Mayweather vs. Big Show match at WrestleMania, noting there must be a winner, anything goes, and the match can only end by pinfall, submission or knockout
Kofi Kingston, Jesse & Festus defeated WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Mike Mizanin, Trevor Murdoch, & Lance Cade at 6:18 when Kingston pinned Mizanin with the Jamaican Buzzsaw (the first time the spin kick is referred to by name)
Batista pinned Snitsky with two spears and the sit-down powerbomb at the 24-second mark; after the match, Batista hit the sit-down powerbomb a second time, this time onto a steel chair
Michelle McCool & Cherry defeated Maryse & Victoria at 3:06 when McCool pinned Victoria with the Wings of Love; Eve was the guest referee for the match; Victoria wore flippers and a snorkel out to the ring; the three wore swimsuit apparal for the bout and water balloons and water guns were placed in buckets in the corners (the debut of the move)
WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho defeated WWE US Champion MVP via disqualification in a non-title match at 13:50 when MVP charged Jericho with his title belt, with Jericho then hitting the Code Breaker; prior to the bout, MVP cut a promo saying the world would refer to him as “Money in the Bank” after WrestleMania; the Money in the Bank briefcase was hung above the ring for the duration of the contest; during the bout, a crawl at the bottom of the screen announced the rules for the Floyd Mayweather vs. Big Show match at WrestleMania, noting there must be a winner, anything goes, and the match can only end by pinfall, submission or knockout; after the match, Jericho pulled a ladder out from under the ring and hit MVP with it
– 3/27/08: Robbie McAllister was caught on camera during a live TNA telecast in Orlando. Following the incident, WWE sent McAllister home.
– 3/29/08: Ric Flair, Gordon Solie, Jack & Jerry Brisco, Eddie Graham, Peter Maivia, Rocky Johnson, & Mae Young were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame at Orlando’s Amway Arena.
WrestleMania 24 – Orlando, FL – Citrus Bowl – March 30, 2008 (announced at 74,635; 63,100 paid; 11,500 freebies)
Shown live on WWE.com: Kane won a 24-man battle royal by last eliminating Mark Henry with a boot to the face at 6:23; stipulations stated the winner would earn a ECW World Title shot later in the night; order of elimination: Deuce by Festus via a boot as Deuce was on the ring apron (0:33); Domino by Festus via a hiptoss (0:38); Jim Duggan by the Great Khali (1:08); Stevie Richards by Elijah Burke after sustaining the Elijah Express as Richards was on the apron (1:30); Burke by Kane via a choke throw (1:41); WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Mike Mizanin by Jamie Noble via a headscissors over the top (1:57); Shannon Moore & Jimmy Wang Yang by Henry via a double backdrop (2:51); Jesse by Trevor Murdoch (2:57); Murdoch by Festus (3:12); Festus by Lance Cade after grabbing Festus’ boot as he attempted to kick Cade (3:27); Brian Kendrick and Cade were eliminated when both men fell over the top following a Kendrick cross body (3:36); Kofi Kingston by Henry via a press slam (4:08); WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Cody Rhodes by Chuck Palumbo via a boot to the face as Rhodes sat on the top rope (4:21); Noble by Palumbo via a boot to the face as Noble was on the apron after being knocked over the top but climbing on the backs of eliminated wrestlers to avoid touching the floor (4:50); Palumbo by Khali following a chop to the head (4:55); Khali by Tommy Dreamer, WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Hardcore Holly, Henry, & Snitsky (5:15); Holly by Snitsky (5:22); Dreamer by Henry (5:22); Snitsky by Henry following a clothesline from behind (5:54); Henry by Kane following a boot to the face (WrestleMania 24, The Twisted, Disturbed Life of Kane)
Pay-per-view bouts – featured an opening segment where four fighter jets flew over the stadium; included John Legend performing “America the Beautiful;” featured Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler on commentary for Raw, Michael Cole & Jonathan Coachman on commentary for Smackdown!, and Joey Styles & Tazz on commentary for ECW; included Kim Kardashian conducting a backstage interview with Ken Kennedy regarding his participation in the upcoming Money in the Bank match; featured footage from the previous night’s WWE Hall of Fame induction; included Howard Finkel introducing the Hall of Fame Class of 2008 – Jack & Jerry Brisco, Gordon Solie, Rocky Johnson, Peter Maivia, Eddie Graham, Mae Young, and Ric Flair; the families of Solie and Flair represented them while Mike Graham represented his father; featured Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Snoop Dogg regarding his participation as a guest referee later in the show, with Dogg noting he had a lot in common with Festus, who stood beside him; moments later, Santino Marella interrupted and threatened Snoop if he tried anything illegal during the women’s tag team match; moments later, Snoop pulled out a timekeeper’s bell and rang it, with Festus then chasing off Santino; Dogg then said he got the bell from Mick Foley, with Foley then talking like Snoop before pulling out a Snoop Dogg Mr. Socko; included a text poll asking fans who they thought would win the bout between John Cena, Triple H, and WWE World Champion Randy Orton; featured backstage footage of Floyd Mayweather and his entourage; included a tale of the tape to hype the Mayweather vs. Big Show match; included an in-ring segment in which Raven Symone announced 50 kids from 50 states were in attendance for WrestleMania thanks to the WWE and the Make A Wish Foundation; featured Mike Adamle conducting a backstage interview with Ric Flair regarding his upcoming career threatening match against Shawn Michaels; included Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with World Heavyweight Champion Edge regarding his upcoming title defense against the Undertaker, during which Edge made mention of being in attendance for WrestleMania VI and seeing his hero Hulk Hogan lose and, with it, he lost his innocence; he then said he would crush everyone else’s hopes and dreams by beating Taker; featured a WrestleMania vignette in which Batista speared a man on the beach and then left with his woman; included an in-ring announcement by Kardashian in which it was announced a new attendance record had been made in the venue, with 74,635 fans on hand; Freddie Prinze Jr. was shown in attendance:
John Bradshaw Layfield pinned Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) in a Belfast Brawl at 8:37 with the Clothesline from Hell after hitting Finlay in the knee with a kendo stick as Finlay attempted to use the ring steps as a weapon (Hornswoggle’s surprise return after a 3-week absence)
CM Punk defeated WWE US Champion MVP, WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho, WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion John Morrison, Shelton Benjamin, Ken Kennedy, and Carlito in a Money in the Bank match at 13:54 after Jericho’s legs became stuck in the ladder; all three commentary teams provided commentary for the match; stipulations stated the winner would receive a world title shot to be used anytime within the following year; late in the match, Matt Hardy came out of the crowd and dropped MVP with a Twist of Fate off the top of the ladder (Hardy’s surprise return after a 5-month absence) (The True Story of WrestleMania Blu-ray, CM Punk: Best in the World)
Batista pinned Umaga at 7:07 in an interpromotional match with a spinebuster and botched sit-down powerbomb after Umaga struck his head on the ringpost; prior to the bout, Teddy Long and William Regal were introduced in the ring; Long and Regal then introduced Batista and Umaga, respectively; Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler provided commentary for the bout; Umaga received some audible cheers and Batista some boos during the contest
Kane pinned ECW World Champion Chavo Guerrero Jr. with the chokeslam to win the title at the 11-second mark after Kane came out of the crowd and up behind Guerrero to begin the contest; Armando Estrada served as the guest ring announcer for the bout (The Twisted, Disturbed Life of Kane)
Shawn Michaels pinned Ric Flair with the superkick at 20:25 after waiting on Flair to stagger to his feet and then saying, “I’m sorry, I love you;” pre-match stipulations stated Flair would have to retire if he lost; prior to the bout, Flair’s family was shown sitting ringside; Smackdown! referee Charles Robinson was the official for the match; after the bout, Flair embraced his family and aknowledged the crowd as the audience chanted “Thank you, Ric;” voted PWInsider.com Match of the Year (Flair’s last match) (Nature Boy Ric Flair: The Definitive Collection)
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix & Melina (w/ Santino Marella) defeated Maria & Ashley in a lumberjack match at 5:58 when Phoenix pinned Maria with a fisherman buster after Maria became distracted by Jerry Lawler punching an interfering Santino on the floor; lumberjacks for the bout included Mickie James, Jillian Hall, Layla, Cherry, Victoria, Maryse, Kelly Kelly, Katie Lea, Michelle McCool, and Eve; prior to the bout, Snoop Dogg, the MC for the match, drove ringside in a pimped out golf cart, escorted by the lumberjacks; before giving the ring introductions, Snoop had the fans “Whooo” in tribute to Ric Flair; he then took a ringside seat in a throne; mid-way through the bout, the lights in the arena went out, with a spotlight then being used to light the remainder of the match; after the contest, Snoop dropped Santino with a clothesline, helped Maria to her feet, and then kissed her
WWE World Champion Randy Orton defeated Triple H and John Cena in a No DQ, No Count-Out match at 14:10 by pinning Cena after Triple H dropped Cena with the Pedigree and Orton kicked Triple H in the head as Triple H had Cena covered; prior to the bout, the Jones High School marching band, out of Orlando, performed Cena’s theme song to bring him to the ring; following Cena’s entrance, the results of the fan text poll were shown in which 52% said Cena would win, 40% said Triple H would win, and 8% said Orton would win (Randy Orton: The Evolution of a Predator)
WBC Welterweight Champion Floyd Mayweather (w/ several cornermen) defeated the Big Show in a no holds barred match via KO at 11:36 after landing a low blow, three chair shots to the head, and finishing by punching Show in the face with a pair of brass knucks; stipulations stated the bout could be won via pinfall, submission, or knock out; late in the bout, Show fought off one of Mayweather’s corner men and dropped him with the chokeslam after he hit Show with a chair (The Big Show: A Giant’s World)
The Undertaker defeated World Heavyweight Champion Edge via submission to win the title at 23:48 with the leglock choke as Edge attempted a cover on the challenger after hitting the spear; during the champion’s entrance, Teddy Long wheeled Vickie Guerrero onto the entrance stage where she kissed Edge good luck; during the final moments of the match, Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder attempted to interfere on behalf of the champion but were easily fought off by Taker (WWE’s Top 50 Superstars of All Time, You Think You Know Me? The Story of Edge)
WWE @ Orlando, FL – Amway Arena – March 31, 2008
Kofi Kingston pinned Kenny Dykstra with the spin kick to the head
Heat:
Snitsky pinned JT Flash with the pumphandle slam
Charlie Haas defeated Super Crazy via submission with the Haas of Pain
Paul Birchill (w/ Katie Lea) pinned Val Venis
DH Smith pinned Jim Duggan with his feet on the ropes for leverage
Raw – featured an in-ring promo by WWE World Champion Randy Orton regarding his win at WrestleMania until he was interrupted by John Bradshaw Layfield, who claimed Orton’s title reign was due to luck; JBL then issued a challenge to Orton before leaving ringside; moments later, as Orton cut a promo on JBL, Matt Hardy came trough the crowd and attacked Orton from behind; Orton eventually gained the advantage and left ringside:
Cryme Tyme defeated Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch (Cryme Tyme’s surprise return)
Brian Kendrick & Paul London defeated WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes in a non-title match when Kendrick pinned Rhodes with a roll over into a bridge
WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho pinned CM Punk in a non-title match with the Code Breaker
WWE World Champion Randy Orton pinned Matt Hardy in a non-title match with the RKO when Hardy rolled Orton back into the ring after hitting the Twist of Fate on the floor
Maria pinned Santino Marella in a No DQ match
WWE @ Miami, FL – American Airlines Arena – April 1, 2008
Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) pinned Kenny Dykstra after hitting him with the shillelagh; after the bout, Hornswoggle hit the frog splash on Dykstra
ECW – featured an opening in-ring promo by ECW World Champion Kane regarding his battle royal and ECW World Title win at WrestleMania; moments later, CM Punk interrupted and alluded that he could, if he wanted, cash in his Money in the Bank title match immediately until Chavo Guerrero Jr. appeared at the entrance stage and said Kane beating him at WrestleMania was a fluke; after Punk made fun of the fact Chavo now held the record for the shortest WrestleMania match, Chavo said he would beat Kane in the rematch and that he spoke to Armando Estrada and Estrada ordered Punk & Kane to face Chavo & Shelton Benjamin later in the show; Benjamin then appeared and cut a promo on Punk; included highlights from the 2008 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony; featured an ad for WrestleMania 25 being held in Houston, Texas; included an ad for ‘Triple H: The King of Kings;’ featured highlights of the Ric Flair / Shawn Michaels match at WrestleMania and Flair’s farewell address on Raw:
Mike Knox pinned Stevie Richards with a corkscrew DDT at 3:54; prior to the bout, footage was shown from three weeks ago of Knox attacking Richards during a post-show backstage interview on WWE.com and of Richards attacking Knox backstage a week ago on WWE.com
The Big Show defeated Colin Delaney via submission with a Cobra Clutch at the 45-second mark; prior to the bout, Tazz conducted an in-ring interview with Delaney in which Delaney said he wanted to be in a match at WrestleMania 25 as a contracted wrestler; Armando Estrada then appeared and said Delaney had impressed him in recent weeks and he had earned a contract, only to say it was an April Fool’s joke and that Delaney could only get a contract if he could beat Show
ECW World Champion Kane & CM Punk defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. & Shelton Benjamin at 15:17 when Punk pinned Benjamin with a jump kick to the head and the Go To Sleep; during the bout, a crawl at the bottom of the screen advertised an online airing of the show would be on WWE.com the following day at 4 p.m.
Smackdown! – featured an opening segment with Edge, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Zach Ryder, Curt Hawkins, and Vickie Guerrero – wheeled out by Teddy Long – in which Edge and Chavo said they felt like they let their loved ones down for not winning at WrestleMania and promised they would win their respective World Heavyweight and ECW World championships back; Vickie then stated that both men would get their chance at Backlash, with Edge facing World Heavyweight Champion the Undertaker and Chavo facing ECW World Champion Kane, and then said Taker would face Kane later in the show; featured highlights of the Ric Flair / Shawn Michaels match at WrestleMania and Flair’s farewell address on Raw; included an ad for ‘WWE The Music: Vol. 8;’ featured an in-ring promo by Michaels in which he spoke of Flair’s farewell address until Batista appeared and said he was taking Flair’s retirement personally; Batista then said Michaels’ ego got in the way and said Michaels was the most selfish man he knew for not laying down for Flair; he then referenced Michaels’ calling Flair Old Yeller, dropped the mic, and left Michaels alone in the ring; included a vignette showing Kane and Taker backstage together; featured an ad for ‘Triple H: King of Kings;’ included an ad for WrestleMania 25 in Houston, TX; featured the announcement Finlay & Hornswoggle would appear the following week; included Long hosting the finals of the Smackdown! Divas contest, with the owners of Beverly Hills Choppers in the ring with him to award the winner with a custom motorcycle; after both Michelle McCool and Cherry were introduced, Michelle was named the winner and presented with the motorcycle; moments later, Victoria appeared, said the contest was a joke, called Michelle ‘McDrool,’ and then attempted to attack her with Michelle eventually gaining the advantage; moments later, an unknown blonde woman (Nattie Neidhart) attacked Michelle at ringside, with Cherry then looking over Michelle as the woman left ringside (Neidhart’s surprise debut); featured a WrestleMania 24 recap video to the tune of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Hey Yo,” Fuel’s “Leave the Memories Alone,” and Rev Theory’s “Light it Up”:
Matt Hardy pinned WWE US Champion MVP in a non-title match at 11:41 with a kick to the mid-section and the the Twist of Fate (Hardy’s return match after a 4-month absence)
Festus (w/ Jesse) pinned Zach Ryder (w/ Curt Hawkins) at 3:51 with the fireman’s carry into the face-first slam; prior to the bout, Ryder & Hawkins cut an insert promo on the match
Vladimir Kozlov pinned Matt Bentley with a drop-down Torture Rack at 1:13 (Kozlov and Bentley’s TV in-ring debut)
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore at 1:32 when Morrison pinned Moore with the corkscrew neckbreaker after Mizanin hit Moore behind the referee’s back; after the match, the Great Khali appeared, laid out the champions, press slammed Yang to the floor, and dropped Moore with the tree slam; moments later, Khali cut an in-ring promo on the Big Show, with Show appearing and coming face-to-face with Khali and Khali then leaving the ring
World Heavyweight Champion the Undertaker fought ECW World Champion Kane to a no contest at 9:07 when Edge, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder attacked both men; neither title was on the line; pre-match stipulations stated if either man refused to compete they would be stripped of their title; after the bout, Taker and Kane sat up, cleared Hawkins & Ryder from the ring, and hit chokeslams and tombstones on Edge and Chavo, respecitvely, to end the broadcast (The Twisted, Disturbed Life of Kane)
WWE @ Albany, NY – Times Union Center – April 7, 2008
Ron Killings defeated Robbie McAllister
Heat:
Cryme Tyme defeated Brian & Matt Logan
Jim Duggan defeated Charlie Haas
Snitsky defeated Super Crazy
Paul Birchill (w/ Katie Lea) defeated DH Smith
Raw – featured an opening in-ring announcement by William Regal that WWE World Champion Randy Orton would defend against John Bradshaw Layfield at Backlash; after introducing both men, Regal was interrupted by Triple H, who claimed it was a lousy main event, that Orton didn’t really beat anyone at WrestleMania because he didn’t do anything to Cena to get the win, and that JBL didn’t deserve the match because all he had done since returning was slap a midget; Regal then announced that Triple H could face Orton & JBL in a handicap match later in the show, with the stipulation being that if he won he would be included in the Backlash main event; included the announcement that fans could text whether or not they agreed that Shawn Michaels did the right thing by retiring Ric Flair at WrestleMania; featured highlights of the Flair / Michaels match at WrestleMania and Flair’s farewell address the previous week on Raw; included an ad for WrestleMania 25 being held in Houston, TX; featured a backstage segment with Orton and JBL in which Orton said they would beat Triple H as long as JBL stayed out of his way; included an ad for ‘Triple H: King of Kings;’ featured a backstage segment in which Cryme Tyme in which they attempted to sell WrestleMania-related items: a shaker of soul from Rocky Johnson, an autographed copy of Maria’s Playboy, and a pair of Kim Kardashian’s panties until JTG realized they were really Mae Young’s; included a video recap of the confrontations between the Big Show and the Great Khali over the past week; featured a backstage segment with JBL and Triple H regarding their upcoming match with Cena; included Batista and Michaels as guests of the Highlight Reel, during which it was announced 65% of the fans who texted thought Michaels did the right thing at WrestleMania; Jericho then reviewed Michaels’ failed moonsault to the floor at WrestleMania which reportedly broke ribs that sidelined Michaels for a few weeks; he then argued that perhaps Michaels wasn’t as sorry as he pretended at the end of the match, with Batsita blaming Michaels’ ego for his actions; after Jericho questioned whether Batista wouldn’t have done the same in the same situation, Batista said he wouldn’t; Michaels then said Batista should have talked Flair out of the match when he had the chance and the reason Flair picked him instead of Batista was Flair knew Batista didn’t have the nerve; Batista said he trusted Michaels to do the right thing and would never trust him again, with Michaels then challenging Batista to do something if he didn’t like what he did and Batista saying he already had; Batista then left the ring to boos; featured a backstage segment with Regal and Orton in which Regal announced he had spoken with Vickie Guerrero and Michaels would face Batista at Backlash; Orton then said Regal needed to treat him with more respect, with Regal saying he would face Orton the following week when Raw is in London:
Umaga pinned Val Venis with the thumb strike to the throat at 3:10; prior to the bout, an on-screen graphic advertised the upcoming Antonio Tarver vs. Clinton Woods IBF Light Heavyweight Championship boxing fight the coming Saturday and it was mentioned Tarver was in attendance at WrestleMania
Mickie James & Ashley defeated Melina & Jillian Hall at 2:13 when Mickie pinned Melina with the jumping DDT
Brian Kendrick & Paul London defeated Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch at 3:15 when Kendrick pinned Murdoch with an inside cradle, moments after Kendrick sustained a sit-down spinebuster from Cade behind the referee’s back; after the match, Cade and Murdoch argued over the loss
Triple H defeated WWE World Champion Randy Orton & John Bradshaw Layfield in a handicap match at 7:53 by pinning Orton with the Pedigree after reversing an attempt at the RKO; pre-match stipulations stated Triple H would earn a spot in the Backlash main event against Orton and JBL if he won; after the bout, William Regal – who sat ringside for the match – announced it would be JBL vs. Triple H vs. Orton at Backlash until John Cena appeared and argued that since he had beaten the other three men in the past then he too should be in the Backlash main event; Regal then ordered that Cena face JBL & Triple H later in the show and if he won then he could be in the match
Carlito Caribbean Cool & Santino Marella defeated WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes in a non-title match at 4:51 when Santino pinned Rhodes with a diving headbutt after knocking Rhodes off the top
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Maria in a non-title match with a Hot Shot and the cradle suplex at 2:49
John Cena defeated Triple H & John Bradshaw Layfield in a handicap match at 8:04 by pinning JBL after WWE World Champion Randy Orton – who was at ringside for the duration of the match – dropped JBL with the RKO behind the referee’s back after JBL knocked Orton down on the floor; pre-match stipulations stated Cena would earn a spot in the Backlash main event against Triple H, JBL, and Orton if he won; late in the contest, Triple H and JBL brawled in the ring and to the floor after Triple H refused to tag in
WWE (Raw) @ Trenton, NJ – Sovereign Bank Arena – April 8, 2008
Brian Kendrick defeated Carlito
Paul Burchill defeated DH Smith
Ron Killings defeated Charlie Haas
Snitsky defeated Val Venis
Mickie James & Maria defeated WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix & Katie Lea
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch
Umaga defeated Santino Marella
Triple H defeated WWE World Champion Randy orton via disqualification
WWE @ Boston, MA – TD Banknorth Garden – April 8, 2008
ECW – featured a backstage segment with Armando Estrada, Tommy Dreamer, and Colin Delaney in which Delaney again asked for a chance to earn a WWE contract, with Estrada then agreeing and forcing Delaney to face Dreamer for the contract; Estrada then told Dreamer that if he went easy on Delaney then he was fired and if he lost he was also fired; included an ad promoting the 3-hour Raw for April 21, during which Sen. Barak Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton were invited to compete to settle their differences; featured an in-ring contract signing for the ECW World Champion Kane vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr. match for Backlash, with Chavo escorted to the ring by Zach Ryder & Curt Hawkins and Estrada overseeing the singing; after Kane signed, Chavo said he would have someone watching his back at Backlash, with an unknown man in a suit then coming out; as Kane fought off Chavo, Hawkins & Ryder, the man laid Kane out and hit Kane in the face with the title belt; moments later, the man, Hawkins & Ryder held Kane down on the contract singing table, allowing Chavo to hit a frog splash off the top through the table; included an ad for ‘Triple H: King of Kings;’ featured Layla confronting Eve and Kelly Kelly backstage in which Layla said there was only room for one Diva Search winner and if she saw Eve on ECW again then she would be sorry; included the announcement that Kane would bring World Heavyweight Champion the Undertaker to ECW the next week:
CM Punk pinned WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Mike Mizanin with the Go To Sleep at 14:30; WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion John Morrison provided guest commentary for the match until he was ejected at the 6-minute mark after distracting Punk from the ring apron
Elijah Burke pinned Nunzio at 2:47 with a clothesline / legsweep combo
Kofi Kingston pinned Domino with the spin kick to the face at 4:04; prior to the bout, Kingston cut an insert promo
Tommy Dreamer pinned Colin Delaney with the DDT at 4:38; pre-match stipulations stated Delaney would earn a WWE contract if he won but that Dreamer would be fired if he lost or if he went easy on Delaney; Armando Estrada sat ringside for the match; after the bout, Dreamer helped Delaney to his feet
Smackdown! – featured an opening in-ring segment in which the Great Khali was surrounded in the ring by several people having a Punjabi celebration, with a spokesman then saying Khali had a peace offering for the Big Show before their conflict became worse; as Khali began to speak to Show, Show appeared, scaring everyone from the ring except Khali; Khali then offered Show water from the desert, a bottle of scotch, a live chicken, and a goat; Show then offered his hand to Khali to shake, which he did before Show knocked him out with a punch and left the ring; included the announcement that the Smackdown! fans could text whether or not they agreed that Shawn Michaels did the right thing by retiring Ric Flair at WrestleMania after a similar vote was held on Raw for the Raw fans; the results would be made available the following day on WWE.com; featured footage of Vickie Guerrero and Edge, with Teddy Long, getting massages together at a spa; included an ad for ‘Triple H: King of Kings;’ featured an in-ring segment with Batista and Shawn Michaels regarding their upcoming match at Backlash, during which Batista admitted his issue with Michaels went beyond what happened at WrestleMania and said he didn’t like Michaels getting to the top by stabbing people in the back; Michaels responded by saying he did what he had to do, with Michaels then attempting the superkick and Batista attempting the sit-down powerbomb until Michaels slid out of the ring; included footage of Edge and Vickie getting facials, with Long bringing them drinks; featured an ad for WWE: The Music Vol. 8; included Eve conducting a backstage interview with Jesse & Festus regarding Festus facing World Heavyweight Champion the Undertaker later in the show; featured the announcement Show would face Khali at Backlash; included footage of Edge and Vickie in bed together, with Long turning on the lights and saying he would not be witness to it and leaving:
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore in a non-title match at 8:04 when Mizanin pinned Yang with a neckbreaker after Yang sent Morrison to the floor; prior to the bout, footage was shown of Morrison & Mizanin making fun of Yang & Moore on WWE.com’s ‘The Dirt Sheet’
Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) pinned Matt Striker at 4:59 after hitting him with the shallalagh; after the match, Hornswoggle hit a frog splash onto Striker
Victoria (w/ Natalya Neidhart) pinned Michelle McCool at 2:20 with a roll up and grabbing the tights for leverage after Natalya threw a jacket at McCool; prior to the bout, Victoria introduced Natalya as the daughter of Jim Neidhart and showed a video package of Neidhart
Vladimir Kozlov pinned Matt Logan with a reverse DDT at the 57-second mark
Matt Hardy pinned Chuck Palumbo at 11:58 with the Twist of Fate; WWE US Champion MVP did guest commentary for the match, issued a challenge for a non-title match against Hardy the following week, and asked why Michael Cole & Jonathan Coachman were regarded as the worst announce team ever when Cole & John Bradshaw Layfield were ranked the sixth best of all time; after the match, Hardy gestured for MVP to get in the ring but MVP left ringside
World Heavyweight Champion the Undertaker defeated Festus (w/ Jesse) via KO at 9:19 in a non-title match when Festus passed out while in the armbar choke; after the match, Jesse slid in the ring and covered Festus’ body as Taker stood with the title belt
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Valencia, Spain – Plaza de Toros – April 10, 2008
Kofi Kingston defeated Shelton Benjamin
Zack Ryder (w/ Curt Hawkins) defeated Jamie Noble
Victoria defeated Michelle McCool
Tommy Dreamer defeated Mike Knox
Finlay defeated Kenny Dykstra
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore
Matt Hardy defeated WWE US Champion MVP via disqualification
World Heavyweight Champion the Undertaker, Batista, & the Big Show defeated Edge, the Great Khali, & Mark Henry when Taker scored the pin
WWE (Raw) @ Liverpool, England – Arena – April 11, 2008
Brian Kendrick defeated Paul Burchill
Mickie James & Maria defeated WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix & Katie Lea; Val Venis was the guest referee for the bout
Santino Marella defeated DH Smith
CM Punk defeated Carlito
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch
ECW World Champion Kane defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr.
WWE World Champion Randy Orton defeated William Regal in an impromptu match; the match came about after Regal interrupted an in-ring promo by Orton
Triple H & WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho defeated Umaga & Snitsky
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Torrevieja, Spain – April 11, 2008
Kofi Kingston defeated Kenny Dykstra
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore
Jamie Noble defeated Mike Knox
Michelle McCool defeated Eve, Kelly Kelly, and Victoria in a bikini contest
Shelton Benjamin defeated Tommy Dreamer
Finlay defeated the Great Khali
Mark Henry defeated Matt Hardy
The Big Show defeated Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder in a handicap match
World Heavyweight Champion the Undertaker & Batista defeated Edge & WWE US Champion MVP
WWE (Raw) @ Cardiff, Wales – International Arena – April 12, 2008
Paul Birchill defeated Val Venis
CM Punk defeated Santino Marella
Carlito Caribbean Cool defeated Brian Kendrick
Snitsky pinned DH Smith
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix defeated Mickie James
ECW World Champion Kane defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr.
Triple H & WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho defeated WWE World Champion Randy Orton & Umaga
WWE (Raw) @ Nottingham, England – Arena – April 13, 2008
DH Smith defeated Carlito Caribbean Cool
Paul Birchill defeated Val Venis
Santino Marella pinned Brian Kendrick with a roll up and grabbing the ropes for leverage
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch; after the bout, Cade and Murdoch argued over the loss
ECW World Champion Kane pinned Chavo Guerrero Jr. with the chokeslam
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Mickie James with the cradle suplex; prior to the bout, Beth attacked Maria, who had been throwing t-shirts into the crowd
John Bradshaw Layfield pinned William Regal with the Clothesline from Hell in a No DQ match; the match came about when JBL cut an in-ring promo on England
WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho & CM Punk defeated Umaga & Snitsky when Jericho pinned Snitsky with the Codebreaker
Triple H defeated WWE World Champion Randy Orton via disqualification when Orton hit the challenger with the title belt; after the match, Triple H hit Orton with the belt and dropped him with the Pedigree
WWE @ Strasbourg, France – Zenith – April 13, 2008 (8,680; sell out)
Debut in the city
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore
Kofi Kingston defeated Shelton Benjamin and Kenny Dykstra; after the match, Benjamin and Dykstra shook hands before Dykstra attacked Benjamin from behind; Benjamin then retaliated
Michelle McCool defeated Victoria
Finlay & Jamie Noble defeated Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder
Matt Hardy defeated WWE US Champion MVP via disqualification when MVP hit Hardy with a chair; after the bout, Hardy attacked MVP
Tommy Dreamer pinned Mike Knox with the DDT
World Heavyweight Champion the Undertaker, the Big Show, & Batista defeated Edge, the Great Khali, & Mark Henry when Taker pinned Edge with the chokeslam and tombstone
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Cardiff, Wales – International Arena – April 14, 2008
ECW World Champion Kane pinned Shelton Benjamin
Kofi Kingston pinned Kenny Dykstra
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Shannon Moore & Jimmy Wang Yang
Michelle McCool defeated Victoria, Kelly Kelly, and Eve in a bikini contest
Tommy Dreamer pinned Mike Knox
Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) & Jamie Noble defeated Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder
Matt Hardy defeated WWE US Champion MVP via disqualification when MVP hit Hardy with a steel chair
CM Punk defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr.
World Heavyweight Champion the Undertaker, the Big Show, & Batista defeated Edge, the Great Khali, & Mark Henry
WWE @ London, England – 02 Arena – April 14, 2008 (announced at 17,363; sell out)
WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Hardcore Holly pinned Chad Collyer with the Alabama Slam
Heat:
Jillian Hall & Melina defeated Maria & Ashley when Melina pinned Maria
WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Cody Rhodes pinned Charlie Haas with a DDT
DH Smith pinned Super Crazy with the running powerslam
Snitsky pinned Val Venis
Raw – featured an opening backstage segment with William Regal and John Bradshaw Layfield in which JBL called Regal a spineless puppet and blamed Regal for changing the Backlash main event to include Triple H and John Cena; JBL then asked for a chartered plane back to the United States, with Regal then putting JBL against Triple H for later in the show; included an in-ring promo by Shawn Michaels regarding his upcoming match with Batista at Backlash; moments later, Ric Flair’s theme music hit, with WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho eventually appearing, blaming Michaels for the fact that music would never be heard again, and then said Batista thinks Michaels is a phoney; Jericho then said, somewhere deep inside, Michaels enjoyed ending Flair’s career just like he enjoyed screwing Bret Hart and turning on Marty Jannetty; after Jericho questioned whether Michaels himself came up with the win-or-retire stipulation for Flair, Michaels dropped Jericho with the superkick; featured the announcement that the following week’s episode would feature a one-night King of the Ring tournament; included the announcement that the new WWE Kids magazine would debut the following day; featured an ad promoting the 3-hour episode the following week, during which Sen. Barak Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton were invited to compete to settle their differences; included Mike Adamle conducting a backstage interview with Regal regarding his match later in the show against WWE World Champion Randy Orton; moments later, Jericho appeared and said he now wanted to be part of the Michaels vs. Batista match at Backlash with Regal naming him the guest referee; when Jericho objected and said he wanted to wrestle, Regal said Jericho would defend later in the show against Umaga; featured footage of Mick Foley appearing in the new Willem Dafoe film ‘Anamorph;’ included the announcement that talent from Raw, Smackdown!, and ECW would take part in the following week’s KOTR tournament; featured a backstage promo by Umaga in Samoan; included the announcement Batista would face World Heavyweight Champion the Undertaker Friday on Smackdown!; featured an ad for ‘Triple H: King of Kings;’ included Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Triple H regarding his match later in the show against JBL:
Carlito Caribbean Cool & Santino Marella defeated Brian Kendrick & Paul London at 4:03 when Carlito pinned London with the Backstabber after London knocked Santino to the floor with the Dropsault; pre-match stipulations stated the winning team would be named the #1 contenders for the Raw Tag Team titles; during and after the bout, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes were shown watching from backstage; after the contest, Carlito cut an in-ring promo in Spanish on Holly & Rhodes with Santino then cutting one in English
Mickie James pinned WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix to win the title at 5:13 by reversing a double elevated chicken wing into a victory roll; after the commercial break, Ashley and Maria celebrated with Mickie at the entrance stage; moments later, Todd Grisham conducted an interview with Mickie in which she said words couldn’t describe how she felt and then kissed Grisham
JTG (w/ Shad) pinned Trevor Murdoch (w/ Lance Cade) at 1:23 when the momentum of a crossbody off the top by Murdoch put JTG on the top for the win; prior to the bout, footage was shown of Cade giving Murdoch a pep talk backstage; after the match, Murdoch apologized to Cade for letting him down, with Cade eventually patting him on the back and leaving the ring
WWE World Champion Randy Orton pinned William Regal in a non-title match with the RKO at 5:48; prior to the match, Orton cut an in-ring promo on his win at WrestleMania and said his reputation would only grow with his win over three men at Backlash and by beating Regal in his own backyard
WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho pinned Umaga with a roll up and putting his feet on the ropes for leverage at 14:55 after Umaga missed a charge in the corner and struck his head on the ringpost
Paul Birchill (w/ Katie Lea) pinned Jim Duggan at 1:08 by stomping Duggan’s face into the mat
Triple H defeated John Bradshaw Layfield via disqualification at around the 8-minute mark when WWE World Champion Randy Orton attacked Triple H as he and JBL brawled in the aisle; after the bout, Triple H fought off Orton and attempted the Pedigree only to be double teamed by Orton and JBL and sustain Orton’s RKO; moments later, Orton attempted to kick Triple H in the head only for JBL to drop Orton with the Clothesline from Hell and do the same to Triple H before posing with the title belt as the show came to a close (the bout began during the commercial break)
– 4/15/08: The first issue of WWE Kids magazine was released.
WWE @ London, England – 02 Arena – April 15, 2008 (announced at 17,422; sell out)
Stevie Richards defeated Nunzio
Smackdown! – featured an opening segment of The Highlight Reel with guest Batista, during which WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho discussed being the guest referee for the Batista vs. Shawn Michaels match at Backlash and Michaels dropping him with the superkick on Raw; moments later, Batista argued over Jericho being the referee for the upcoming match, with Jericho then asking whether Batista wanted to retire Ric Flair himself as a reason why Batista was so upset with Michaels; after Jericho asked the crowd whether Batista was more selfish than Michaels, Batista dropped Jericho with the sit-down powerbomb; included an ad promoting Raw, Smackdown!, and ECW talent participating in the following week’s King of the Ring tournament on Raw; featured a backstage segment where Finlay prepared Hornswoggle for his match later in the show; included an ad for WWE The Music: Vol. 8; featured Eve conducting a backstage interview with the Big Show regarding his match against Mark Henry later in the show and his altercation the previous week with the Great Khali; featured an ad promoting the 3-hour Raw the following week, during which Sen. Barak Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton were invited to compete to settle their differences; included a video package highlighting the Undertaker and Batista’s battles in 2007, from WrestleMania, Backlash, the steel cage match on Smackdown! and Cyber Sunday; featured footage of Mick Foley appearing in the new Willem Dafoe film ‘Anamorph’:
WWE US Champion MVP pinned Tommy Dreamer in a non-title match at 5:39 with the running boot to the face; prior to the bout, it was announced Matt Hardy, who provided guest commentary for the bout, would face MVP at Backlash
Hornswoggle (w/ Finlay) pinned Matt Striker with the frog splash at 3:02 after Finlay hit Striker with the shallalagh; prior to the bout, Striker cut an in-ring promo regarding his loss to Finlay the previous week
Chavo Guerrero Jr. (w/ Bam Neely) pinned Jamie Noble with the frog splash at 6:01; after the bout, Neeley dropped Noble with a uranage (Wrestling’s Highest Flyers)
The Big Show defeated Mark Henry via disqualification at 3:35 when the Great Khali appeared and began brawling with Show at ringside, moments after Show dropped Henry with the chokeslam; after the bout, Khali threw Show into the ring steps and dropped him with the tree slam inside the ring; following the commercial break, footage was shown of Show crawling out of the ring
Cherry (w/ Michelle McCool) pinned Victoria (w/ Natalya Neidhart) at 4:29 with a roll up and grabbing the tights for leverage after Victoria became distracted by Michelle on the apron (Cherry’s in-ring debut)
Vladimir Kozlov pinned Leroy Kincaid with a reverse DDT at 1:57
Batista fought World Heavyweight Champion the Undertaker to a double count-out in a non-title match at 12:23 when both men began brawling on the floor; prior to the bout, Edge, Zach Ryder, & Curt Hawkins took front row seats to watch the match; after the contest, the two continued to brawl around ringside until Taker threw Edge over the barrier and into the ring; moments later, Taker and Batista scared Edge from the ring and laid out Hawkins & Ryder, Chavo Guerrero Jr., and Bam Neely; moments later, Teddy Long wheeled Vickie Guerrero out to the stage, with Vickie saying Edge, Hawkins & Ryder could file civil and criminal charges since they were part of the audience; instead of that, she said, they would see Taker vs. Batista the following week in a title match
WWE @ Linz, Austria – Linzer Sports Stadium – April 15, 2008
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Birmingham, England – NEC – April 16, 2008
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore
Kofi Kingston defeated Shelton Benjamin
Kelly Kelly defeated Eve and Victoria in a bikini contest
Batista, the Big Show, & Matt Hardy defeated WWE US Champion MVP, Zach Ryder & Curt Hawkins
ECW World Champion Kane defeated CM Punk and Chavo Guerrero Jr.
Finlay defeated the Great Khali
Mark Henry defeated Tommy Dreamer
Kenny Dykstra defeated Jamie Noble
World Heavyweight Champion the Undertaker defeated Edge
– 4/16/08: Ric Flair was honored on the U.S. House floor by Representative Sue Myrick of Charlotte.
WWE (Raw) @ Vienna, Austria – Wiener Town Hall – April 16, 2008
William Regal pinned DH Smith with the running knee to the head
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Carlito Caribbean Cool & Santino Marella and Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch when Holly pinned Murdoch with the Alabama Slam; after the bout, Cade argued with Murdoch over the loss
Paul Birchill pinned Val Venis
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James & Maria defeated Beth Phoenix & Katie Lea when Mickie pinned Katie with the DDT
Umaga & Snitsky defeated Paul London & Brian Kendrick when Umaga pinned Kendrick with the thumb strike to the throat
WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho pinned John Bradshaw Layfield with the Code Breaker
Triple H defeated WWE World Champion Randy Orton via disqualification when William Regal interfered after Triple H hit the champion with the title belt behind the referee’s back; after the match, Triple H dropped both Orton and Regal with the Pedigree
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Sheffield, England – Arena – April 17, 2008
Kofi Kingston defeated Kenny Dykstra and Jamie Noble
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore
Kelly Kelly defeated Victoria
Mark Henry defeated Tommy Dreamer
Batista & Finlay defeated Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder
CM Punk defeated Shelton Benjamin
WWE US Champion MVP defeated Matt Hardy
World Heavyweight Champion the Undertaker, ECW World Champion Kane, & the Big Show defeated Edge, the Great Khali, & Chavo Guerrero Jr.
WWE (Raw) @ Granada, Spain – Bullring – April 17, 2008
Brian Kendrick pinned Snitsky
Val Venis & Maria defeated Paul Birchill & Katie Lea
William Regal pinned Paul London with a running knee to the head
Umaga defeated DH Smith
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Carlito Caribbean Cool & Santino Marella and Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch when Holly pinned Carlito with the Alabama Slam
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James pinned Beth Phoenix with the DDT
WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho pinned John Bradshaw Layfield with the Code Breaker
Triple H defeated WWE World Champion Randy Orton via disqualification when William Regal interfered
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Newcastle, England – Metro Radio Arena – April 18, 2008
Kofi Kingston defeated Jamie Noble and Kenny Dykstra
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore
Kelly Kelly defeated Victoria
Mark Henry defeated Tommy Dreamer
Batista & Finlay defeated Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder
CM Punk defeated Shelton Benjamin
WWE US Champion MVP defeated Matt Hardy
World Heavyweight Champion the Undertaker, ECW World Champion Kane, & the Big Show defeated Edge, the Great Khali, & Chavo Guerrero Jr.
WWE (Raw) @ La Coruna, Spain – Coliseum – April 18, 2008 (sell out)
WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Cody Rhodes pinned William Regal with a small package
Val Venis & Maria defeated Paul Birchill & Katie Lea when Maria pinned Katie after Birchill and Venis reversed the cover behind the referee’s back
Snitsky pinned DH Smith with the pumphandle slam
Brian Kendrick & Paul London defeated Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch and Carlito Caribbean Cool & Santino Marella when London pinned Carlito with the standing shooting star press after Kendrick hit Carlito with Sliced Bread #2
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James pinned Beth Phoenix with the DDT
John Bradshaw Layfield pinned WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Hardcore Holly with the Clothesline from Hell
Triple H & WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho defeated WWE World Champion Randy Orton & Umaga when Triple H pinned Orton with the Pedigree
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Glasgow, Scotland – Braehead Arena – April 19, 2008
Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore defeated Zach Ryder & Curt Hawkins when Yang scored the pin with a moonsault
Kofi Kingston pinned Kenny Dykstra with the spin kick to the head
The Big Show pinned the Great Khali with the chokeslam
Kelly Kelly pinned Victoria with a roll up
Finlay & Jamie Noble defeated WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin in a non-title match when Finlay pinned Mizanin with the Celtic Cross
ECW World Champion Kane pinned Chavo Guerrero Jr. with the chokeslam immediately after sustaining Guerrero’s frog splash
Shelton Benjamin defeated Tommy Dreamer and CM Punk by pinning Dreamer after Punk dropped Dreamer with the Go To Sleep and Benjamin knocked him out of the ring
World Heavyweight Champion the Undertaker, Batista, & Matt Hardy defeated Edge, WWE US Champion MVP, & Mark Henry when Taker pinned Edge with the tombstone
WWE (Raw) @ Lisbon, Portugal – Atlantic Pavilion – April 19, 2008
WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Cody Rhodes defeated William Regal
Maria & Val Venis defeated Katie Lea & Paul Burchill
Snitsky defeated DH Smith
Paul London & Brian Kendrick defeated Carlito & Santino Marella and Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James defeated Beth Phoenix
John Bradshaw Layfield defeated WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly
Triple H & WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho defeated WWE World Champion Randy Orton & Umaga
WWE @ Greenville, SC – BiLo Center – April 21, 2008
Ron Killings pinned Trevor Murdoch with an axe kick
Raw – 3-hour episode – featured a clip of create-a-wrestler Barack Obama, as Batista, and Hillary Clinton, as Mickie James, wrestling on the Smackdown! vs. Raw 2008 video game; included the announcement that the match between WWE World Champion Randy Orton, John Cena, Triple H, and John Bradshaw Layfield at Backlash would be an elimination match; featured a pre-taped promo by JBL regarding the Backlash main event, during which he mentioned he made the front page of the day’s New York Times’ business section; included footage of the recent European tour stops in Belfast, Nottingham, Austria, Linz, Lisbon, La Caruna, Granada, and Manchester; featured an in-ring promo by Shawn Michaels in which he asked for Batista to come out; after Batista did, Michaels asked whether his real problem was that he wanted to face Ric Flair at WrestleMania in Michaels’ place; Batista then said he was done talking about it and his answer wouldn’t absolve Michaels from any responsibility for retiring Flair; Michaels responded by wishing Batista luck in their match at Backlash because he was going to need it, with Batista then shrugging Michaels aside as he left the ring; included pre-taped comments from Senator Hillary Clinton, speaking to the WWE fans, in which she referred to herself as “Hill Rod” and said she might have to deliver the People’s Elbow if elected president and that Orton didn’t have to worry about her, for now; featured a pre-taped promo by Triple H regarding the Backlash elimination match; included the announcement that ECW World Champion Kane would appear as a guest of The Cutting Edge the following night on ECW; featured pre-taped comments from Senator Barack Obama in which he said the reign of Orton might be coming to an end and said – to the special interests groups in Washington DC – “Do you smell what Barack is cooking?”; included pre-taped comments from Senator John McCain in which he said “If you want to be the man, you have to beat the man” and said he would introduce Osama bin Laden to the Undertaker and finished with “And that’s the bottom line because John McCain said so;” featured pre-taped comments from Cena regarding the Backlash elimination match; included footage of from the WrestleMania Reading Challenge, in which 30,000 teens participated, with 10 students recognized during WrestleMania weekend, with comments from CM Punk and appearances from WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Mike Mizanin and Matt Striker; featured an in-ring segment in which Maria, Cherry, Michelle McCool, Ashley, and Kelly Kelly introduced WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James as the new title holder, with Mickie then appearing and celebrating with the other divas; moments later, Mickie cut a promo on her title win until she was interrupted by Beth Phoenix, alongside Melina, Jillian Hall, Victoria, Natalya Neidhart, and Layla; Beth then told Mickie her time as champion would be limited, with Michelle slapping Beth and all the women brawling until the babyfaces sent the heels to the floor; included a vignette promoting the return of Ken Kennedy the following week; featured an ad for “Twist of Fate: The Matt & Jeff Hardy Story” DVD, available April 29:
King of the Ring Quarter-Finals: WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho defeated WWE US Champion MVP in a non-title match at 5:13 via submission with the Walls of Jericho after reversing an attempt at the Playmaker; after the bout, Jericho sat in the King of the Ring throne positioned on the entrance stage
King of the Ring Quarter-Finals: CM Punk pinned Matt Hardy at 3:51 by blocking a sunset flip reversal of the Go To Sleep; after the match, Punk sat in the throne at the entranceway
King of the Ring Quarter-Finals: Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) defeated the Great Khali via disqualification at 2:01 when Khali repeatedly rammed Finlay’s leg into the ringpost; prior to the bout, footage was shown from the previous Friday’s Smackdown! of Khali dropping the Big Show with the tree slam; after the match, the Big Show appeared and scared Khali to the floor; after the commercial break, as Finlay was helped out of the ring by Hornswoggle and referees, William Regal was introduced as the next participant and would face Hornswoggle, despite Finlay’s objections
King of the Ring Quarter-Finals: William Regal defeated Hornswoggle via submission with the Regal Stretch at the 18-second mark; after the match, Finlay returned to the ring to check on his son, with Regal then kicking Finlay in his injured leg; moments later, both Finlay and Hornswoggle were attended to by officials
Carlito Caribbean Cool (w/ Santino Marella) pinned WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Hardcore Holly (w/ WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Cody Rhodes) with the Back Stabber at 5:02 when Holly failed an attempt at the Alabama Slam due to a back injury; after the match, Marella cut an in-ring promo, saying he and Carlito would soon beat Holly & Rhodes for the belts; Rhodes then stole the mic away, cut his own promo, then he and Holly knocked Carlito & Marella to the floor
King of the Ring Semi-Finals: CM Punk pinned WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho in a non-title match with the Go To Sleep at 6:23 after kicking Jericho in the head as Jericho was on the top rope
King of the Ring Semi-Finals: William Regal defeated Finlay via KO with the Regal Stretch at 3:38 after a running knee to the head; Finlay’s leg was heavily taped due to the injury he sustained earlier in the night from the Great Khali
“Barack Obama” fought “Hillary Clinton” (w/ “Bill Clinton”) to a no contest at 2:12 when Umaga appeared, dropped “Barack” with the thumb strike to the throat, scared “Bill” backstage, and dropped “Hillary” with a Samoan Drop; prior to the match, “Hillary” cut an in-ring promo as Hulk Hogan while “Barack” did the same as the Rock; “Hillary” used “Real American” as her theme music while “Barack” used the Rock’s
King of the Ring Finals: William Regal defeated CM Punk via submission with the Regal Stretch at 4:06 following a knee to the head; after the bout, Regal sat in the throne on the stage (The Best of King of the Ring)
WWE World Champion Randy Orton, Edge, Chavo Guerrero Jr., & John Bradshaw Layfield defeated World Heavyweight Champion the Undertaker, Triple H, John Cena, & ECW World Champion Kane when Edge pinned Kane with the spear at 10:05 immediately after Kane dropped Guerrero with the chokeslam as Chavo came off the top; prior to the bout, Orton cut an in-ring promo on the upcoming Backlash elimination match in which he ran down his successful title defenses on pay-per-view; after the match, Cena dropped Edge with the FU, with JBL dropping Triple H with the Clothesline from Hell and Orton hitting Cena with the RKO; Taker then hit a double chokeslam on JBL and Orton to close the broadcast
WWE @ Greensboro, NC – Coliseum – April 22, 2008
Sho Funaki defeated an unknown; after the bout, Chuck Palumbo came out and challenged Funaki to a match
Chuck Palumbo defeated Sho Funaki
ECW – featured clips of the pre-taped comments from Sen. Hillary Clinton, Sen. Barack Obama, and Sen. John McCain which aired on Raw; included a backstage segment with Kofi Kingston and Shelton Benjamin regarding their match later in the show and Kingston’s undefeated streak; featured footage of the recent European tour stops in Belfast, Nottingham, Austria, Linz, Lisbon, La Caruna, Granada, and Manchester; included a closing segment of The Cutting Edge with guest ECW World Champion Kane in which Edge made mention of Kane’s history in the WWE alongside World Heavyweight Champion the Undertaker, their shared history with Lita, and Kane injuring Edge the previous year and forcing him to forfeit the World Heavyweight Title; Edge, alongside Zach Ryder and Curt Hawkins, thanked Kane for the injury because it led to him falling in love with Vickie Guerrero and finding a new family, alongside Chavo Guerrero Jr. and Bam Neely; after Edge said his family would retake their titles at Backlash, Kane said he would lay out Chavo and Bam, Taker would do the same to Edge, Ryder, & Hawkins, and they would both take good care of Vickie; moments later, Kane was beaten down by Hawkins, Ryder, Guerrero, Edge, and Neeley; as the other men held Kane down, Chavo repeatedly hit Kane over the knee with a steel chair before leaving the ring:
Tommy Dreamer & Kelly Kelly defeated Mike Knox & Layla at 2:09 when Kelly pinned Layla with a Rocker Dropper; after the match, Knox dropped Dreamer with a corkscrew DDT
Jimmy Wang Yang (w/ Shannon Moore) pinned WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion John Morrison (w/ WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Mike Mizanin) at 2:59 with a moonsault off the top after avoiding Morrison’s corkscrew splash off the top; Mizanin provided guest commentary for the match
Kofi Kingston pinned Shelton Benjamin at 3:56 with the spin kick to the face
Mark Henry pinned Nunzio with the powerslam at 1:21; during the bout, a crawl at the bottom of the screen mentioned an uninterrupted replay fo the show would air the following day at 4 p.m. on wwe.com
Smackdown! – featured an opening in-ring segment with Vickie Guerrero, Teddy Long, World Heavyweight Champion Edge, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Bam Neely, Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder during which Vickie announced that the Batista vs. World Heavyweight Champion the Undertaker match later in the show would now be a No DQ contest; Edge then said regardless of who walks out with the title later in the show, he would take it at Backlash and Chavo would take the ECW World Title as well; moments later, CM Punk interrupted and talked about how he could cash in his Money in the Bank title shot whenever and wherever he wanted, then said he was thinking about perhaps cashing it in against Batista or Taker, both of which could beat Edge; after Edge and Punk traded words, Vickie made a match between the two for later in the show; included an ad for “Twist of Fate: The Matt & Jeff Hardy Story;” featured a video package highlighting the Big Show vs. Great Khali feud; featured Michael Cole conducting an in-ring interview with Matt Hardy regarding his return to the WWE and US title match with MVP at Backlash, with MVP eventually coming out, sending Cole out of the ring, and confronting Hardy, claiming he was jealous and was riding his coat tails; after Hardy refused MVP’s offer to forget about the match, move on, and be friends, MVP took off his title belt, held it in the air, then kicked Hardy’s bad leg and hit him in the face with the title belt; included footage of from the WrestleMania Reading Challenge, in which 30,000 teens participated, with 10 students recognized during WrestleMania weekend, with comments from Punk and appearances from WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Mike Mizanin and Matt Striker; featured a video package highlighting the men Taker has injured with his leg choke; included Batista speaking backstage with Vickie in which he said he appreciated the title shot with Taker but knew exactly what she was up to Shannon Moore (w/ Jimmy Wang Yang) pinned WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Mike Mizanin (w/ WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion John Morrison) at 4:35 with a backslide after avoiding the Reality Check; Morrison provided guest commentary for the match
Natalya Neidhart (w/ Victoria) defeated Cherry (w/ Michelle McCool) via submission with the Sharpshooter at 4:24; prior to the match, it was announced WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James, Maria, Kelly Kelly, Cherry, Ashley, & Michelle would face Beth Phoenix, Melina, Victoria, Jillian Hall, Layla, & Natalya at Backlash (Natalya’s TV in-ring debut)
Edge pinned CM Punk at 16:19 with the spear after Punk became distracted on the floor by Zach Ryder, moments after Punk hit the Go To Sleep which knocked Edge to the floor
Vladimir Kozlov pinned Marty Garner with the reverse DDT at 1:35
World Heavyweight Champion the Undertaker pinned Batista in a No DQ match with the tombstone at 13:23 after Shawn Michaels came out of the crowd and hit the superkick on the challenger as Batista had Taker set up for the sit-down powerbomb
– 4/23/08: Maria was named one of FHM’s 100 Sexiest Women in the World, ranking at #84.
– 4/23/08: Rob Van Dam’s wife, Sonya, was diagnosed with colon cancer.
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore when Mizanin pinned Moore with the Reality Check
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler on commentary for Raw, Michael Cole & Mick Foley on commentary for Smackdown!, & Mike Adamle & Tazz on commentary for ECW (Foley’s debut as the new Smackdown! color commentator); included a text poll to determine who fans thought would win the WWE World Title match later in the show; featured Eve conducting a backstage interview with WWE US Champion Matt Hardy regarding his title win, during which Hardy said it was the biggest win of his career and then said he was better than MVP; included Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with WWE World Champion Randy Orton regarding defending the title against Triple H, John Cena, and John Bradshaw Layfield later in the show; featured Orton confronting Cena backstage, as Cena was speaking with Jimmy Wang Yang, and claimed Cena would go home without the belt just like at WrestleMania; Cena responded by saying one way or another, Orton would leave a broken man; included a backstage segment with Orton and Triple H in which Orton claimed he would leave Triple H broken in the ring later in the show; several members of the Baltimore Falcons were shown in atteandance; featured a backstage segment in which Orton knocked on John Bradshaw Layfield’s door, with CM Punk then approaching with his Money in the Bank briefcase and wishing Orton good luck; included the results of the text poll, with Cena leading at 48%, then Triple H at 36%, Orton at 12%, and JBL at 4%; featured a music video to hype the night’s main event to the tune of Mark Collie’s “In Time”:
Matt Hardy pinned WWE US Champion MVP to win the title at 11:25 with the Twist of Fate after avoiding the boot to the face while in the corner
ECW World Champion Kane pinned Chavo Guerrero Jr. (w/ Bam Neely) at 8:49 with the chokeslam after catching Guerrero coming off the top as the challenger attempted the frog splash
The Big Show pinned the Great Khali with the chokeslam at 8:06 after avoiding the double choke throw
Shawn Michaels pinned Batista with the superkick at 14:56, moments after avoiding the sit-down powerbomb but landing awkwardly, appearing to injure his knee; WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho was the guest referee for the bout; after the contest, Jericho and two other referees helped Michaels backstage
Beth Phoenix, Jillian Hall, Melina, Layla, Victoria, & Natalya Neidhart defeated WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James, Michelle McCool, Kelly Kelly, Ashley, & Cherry at 6:31 when Phoenix pinned Ashley with the cradle suplex after Ashley knocked Layla to the floor
World Heavyweight Champion the Undertaker defeated Edge via submission with the leglock choke at 18:24, after countering Edge’s attempt of a sunset flip reversal of the powerbomb; late in the bout, both Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder interfered on behalf of the challenger; after the bout, Teddy Long wheeled Vickie Guerrero ringside, with Vickie then tending to a bloody Edge; moments later, medics helped Edge onto a stretcher and took him backstage
Triple H defeated WWE World Champion Randy Orton, John Cena, and John Bradshaw Layfield in a No DQ, No Count-Out elimination match to win the title at 28:12; JBL submitted to Cena’s STFU at 10:31; Orton pinned Cena with the kick to the head at 10:42; Triple H pinned Orton with the Pedigree following a series of reversals
– 4/28/08: Dave Taylor and Balls Mahoney were released.
WWE @ East Rutherford, NJ – IZOD Center – April 28, 2008 (17,166; 14,000 paid; sell out)
Ron Killings defeated Nic Nemeth
Heat:
Shad (w/ JTG) defeated Charlie Haas; after the match, Cryme Tyme sold Haas’ luchadore mask to someone in the crowd
Snitsky defeated Jim Duggan
WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Hardcore Holly defeated DH Smith
Raw – featured an opening video package highlighting the results of the WWE World Title match at Backlash; included an in-ring promo by the new WWE World Champion Triple H regarding his return from injury in August and ending the ‘Age of Orton’ until he was interrupted by Randy Orton; after Orton complained the odds were against him at Backlash, he said he would get his rematch at Judgment Day; moments later, when Orton refused to leave the ring, Triple H hit him with the mic and knocked him to the floor, with Orton then demanding the title shot later in the show instead of at the pay-per-view; featured the announcement ECW World Champion Kane would face Chavo Guerrero Jr. & Bam Neely in a handicap match the following night on ECW; included a look at the national coverage the previous week’s appearances of Sen. John McCain, Sen. Barack Obama, and Sen. Hillary Clinton received; featured Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Orton regarding his match with Triple H later in the show; included the in-ring coronation of William Regal as ‘King’ in which he said he was the most powerful man in the company; moments later, Ken Kennedy appered and complained that he wasn’t even invited to participate and if he had been, he would have won; Regal then told him to apologize, then repeatedly punched Kennedy until he was out of the ring, with the two men brawling in the ring until the fight was broken up by referees; featured an ad for “Twist of Fate: The Matt & Jeff Hardy Story” DVD, available the following day; included a segment of The Highlight Reel in which WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho presented the award for ‘Best Actor in Sports Entertainment’ – with the nominees as Don Muraco & Mr. Fuji for ‘Fuji General,’ Michael Cole in ‘Deliverance Part 2′ (a segment with Heidenreich on Smackdown! from Sept. 16, 2004), and Shawn Michaels faking a knee injury the night before at Backlash; after announcing Michaels as the winner, Jericho introduced him as the night’s guest; Michaels confessed he was really hurt but Jericho continued to brag about Michaels’ acting ability and called for Michaels’ music to play before Jericho left the ring; featured a backstage segment in which Santino Marella bumped into Roddy Piper, with Santino mentioning Piper was in the Goonies’ music video and then asking Piper to dance like the fat kid in the movie, with Piper then slapping him:
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James, Maria, Ashley, Michelle McCool, Cherry, & Kelly Kelly defeated Beth Phoenix, Melina, Jillian Hall, Victoria, Natalya Neidhart, & Layla at 3:14 when Mickie pinned Jillian with a waistlock into a roll over
John Bradshaw Layfield pinned Robbie McAllister (w/ Rory McAllister) with the Clothesline from Hell at 1:05; after the match, Rory backed off when JBL approached him; moments later, JBL put on a headset at the commentary table, challenged the winner of the Triple H vs. Randy Orton match later in the show, and blamed John Cena for him not being WWE World Champion
Paul London & Brian Kendrick defeated Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch at 1:59 when Kendrick pinned Murdoch with a roll up after avoiding a clothesline; after the match, Cade yelled at Murdoch before Murdoch grabbed the mic, stood on the commentary table, and sang a verse from Garth Brooks’ “Friends in Low Places,” with Cade then leaving ringside
Paul Birchill & Katie Lea defeated Super Crazy in a handicap match at 2:00 when Katie scored the pin after Paul hit the Curb Stop; prior to the match, Katie announced William Regal had granted their request to make the bout a handicap match
WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Cody Rhodes (w/ WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Hardcore Holly) pinned Santino Marella (w/ Carlito Caribbean Cool) with the DDT at 3:16; prior to the match, Marella cut an in-ring promo saying he didn’t like New Jersey and didn’t like ‘The Soppranos’ because of their fake Italian accents; after the bout, Rhodes cut an in-ring promo on Santino until Carlito came in behind him, dropped Rhodes with the Back Stabber, and then slid out of the ring before Holly was able to make the save
WWE World Champion Triple H fought Randy Orton to a no contest at around the 22-minute mark when, as Triple H had Orton in the Crippler Crossface, William Regal was shown in the director’s truck complaining about how the fans didn’t deserve to see the ending of the match because of how they disrespected him earlier in the show; moments later, Regal assaulted the director until he gave in to Regal’s demands to take the show off the air; in footage shot exclusively for WWE Home Video, Regal appeared two minutes after the show went off the air and told the fans he would not be disrespected and stopped the bout after the champion hit a spinebuster on Orton; moments later, Triple H attacked Orton on the ramp, took him back to the ring, and dropped him with the Pedigree
WWE @ Atlantic City, NJ – Boardwalk Hall – April 29, 2008
Elijah Burke defeated Jamie Noble
ECW – featured the announcement that WWE US Champion Matt Hardy, WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin, and World Heavyweight Champion the Undertaker would all defend their titles the coming Friday on Smackdown!; included an ad for “Twist of Fate: The Matt & Jeff Hardy Story” DVD; featured Mick Foley as a guest of Matt Striker’s Classroom in which Striker made fun of Foley’s appearance and then questioned Foley about his knowledge of technical wrestling moves since he was the newest color commentator for Smackdown!; moments later, Foley pulled out Mr. Socko and applied the Mandible Claw; Foley then tossed the sock to Mike Adamle at the commentary table; included the announcement that Colin Delaney would face Armando Estrada with an ECW contract on the line for Delaney and Tommy Dreamer would face Mike Knox in an extreme rules match the following week as part of ECW’s 100th episode:
Kofi Kingston pinned Shelton Benjamin with the spin kick to the face at 3:43; prior to the match, Benjamin cut an in-ring promo claiming Kingston’s win over him the previous week was a fluke
Mike Knox pinned Tommy Dreamer (w/ Colin Delaney) with the Roll of the Dice at 2:30
CM Punk defeated Chuck Palumbo via disqualification at 3:28 when Palumbo refused to stop punching Punk in the corner; after the match, the two men continued to brawl with Palumbo eventually gaining the upper hand with a clothesline
Chavo Guerrero Jr. & Bam Neely defeated ECW World Champion Kane in a non-title handicap match at 9:49 when Chavo scored the pin with the frog splash after Neely kicked Kane in his injured knee and followed with a boot to the face; prior to the contest, Mike Adamle’s headset went out during Chavo & Neely’s introduction; Adamle then got up and walked away from the commentary table but remained ringside; moments later, Tazz did the same, leaving no one on commentary for the match; during the bout, a crawl at the bottom of the screen advertised an uninterrupted version of the show airing the following day on WWE.com at 4 p.m.
Smackdown! – featured an opening announcement by Teddy Long that all three Smackdown! titles would be defended on the broadcast; included Michael Cole introducing Mick Foley as the show’s new color commentator; featured a backstage segment with Mark Henry and Nunzio in which Henry reminded Nunzio of their match later in the show; included footage from Edge’s injury sustained at the hands of World Heavyweight Champion the Undertaker at Backlash; featured Foley conducting an in-ring interview with Batista regarding his match with Shawn Michaels at Backlash and the comments made by WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho on Raw, with Batista then saying he hoped Michaels really was hurt and not faking because if he was faking Batista would hurt him legit; included an ad for “Twist of Fate: The Matt & Jeff Hardy Story;” featured a video package highlighting Taker’s victims he’s choked out since debuting his new finisher in January:
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore at 7:58 when Morrison pinned Moore with the corkscrew neckbreaker (the first time the finisher is referred to as the Moonlight Drive)
Vladimir Kozlov pinned Colin Delaney with a reverse DDT at 1:51; Armando Estrada was the guest ring announcer for the bout
Victoria & Natalya Neidhart defeated Michelle McCool & Cherry at 5:04 when Natalya pinned Michelle by grabbing the tights for leverage after Victoria shoved Michelle off the top behind the referee’s back; prior to the match, footage was shown from earlier in the night of the two teams speaking backstage, during which it was mentioned Michelle was recently the most searched person on Yahoo!
Mark Henry pinned Nunzio (w/ the Big Show) with the powerslam at 1:19; after the match, Show climbed in the ring, scaring Henry to the floor, and then made a vague challenge to Henry over the mic
WWE US Champion Matt Hardy pinned MVP with the Twist of Fate at 16:19
Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder defeated Jesse & Festus at 5:11 when Hawkins pinned Jesse with a corkscrew facebuster, moments after Hawkins struck Festus in the throat
Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) pinned Julio Dinero with the Celtic Cross at 2:04; after the bout, Hornswoggle hit the frog splash on Dinero
The Undertaker fought the Great Khali to a no contest; prior to the match, Vickie Guerrero was wheeled out onto the stage by Teddy Long, alongside Edge, and said the scheduled title match would not take place because Taker had been stripped of the World Heavyweight Title due to the number of people he injured with the choke hold and that the hold was now banned; moments later, Vickie sent Khali to the ring to recover the title belt, with Taker then taking Khali down and locking the choke as Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder came out of the crowd and stole back the belt; moments later, after Khali began bleeding from the mouth, Taker released the hold and starred at Edge & Vickie as the show went off the air
– 5/1/08: Santino Marella was arrested for DUI around 3 a.m. in Tampa, FL. Marella’s blood-alcohol level was 0.06, below the 0.08 legal limit.
– 5/1/08: Ron Simmons was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
WWE @ Montreal, Quebec – Bell Centre – May 2, 2008
The return to Canada following Chris Benoit’s death 11 months earlier; JTG, Paul Birchill, Santino Marella, Ken Kennedy, and Beth Phoenix did not appear as scheduled due to travel problems
Paul London & Brian Kendrick defeated Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch
Carlito Caribbean Cool defeated Shad
William Regal defeated Super Crazy
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James defeated Katie Lea
WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Cody Rhodes pinned Nic Nemeth
WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho defeated Snitsky
WWE World Champion Triple H pinned Randy Orton in a steel cage match with the Pedigree
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Moncton, New Brunswick – Coliseum – May 3, 2008 (3,500)
WWE US Champion Matt Hardy defeated MVP
Kofi Kingston defeated Matt Striker
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore
Kelly Kelly defeated Cherry, Lena, and Maryse in a bikini contest
Kenny Dykstra defeated Ted Dibiase Jr.
Finlay & Jamie Noble defeated Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder
CM Punk defeated Chuck Palumbo and Mike Knox
ECW World Champion Kane & the Big Show defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. & Bam Neely
Batista defeated Edge in a No DQ match
WWE (Raw) @ Hamilton, Ontario – Copps Coliseum – May 3, 2008 (7,000)
Cryme Tyme defeated Trevor Murdoch & Lance Cade when JTG pinned Murdoch; after the match, Cade yelled at Murdoch for the loss, with Murdoch then singing Garth Brooks’ “Friends in Low Places”
WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Cody Rhodes pinned Nick Nemeth
Paul Birchill & Katie Lea defeated Super Crazy in a handicap match when Paul scored the pin
Paul London & Brian Kendrick defeated Santino Marella & Carlito Caribbean Cool via disqualification when Carlito continued to assault London after the referee repeatedly told him to return to his corner
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James pinned Beth Phoenix; a fan was chosen to be the guest timekeeper for the match
WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho & Ken Kennedy defeated William Regal & Snitsky when Jericho pinned Snitsky; the bout was originally Kennedy against Regal & Snitsky in a handicap match, per Regal’s orders, but Jericho came out to make it a tag team match
WWE World Champion Triple H pinned Randy Orton in a streetfight; the stipulations was chosen by fans in attendance; other options were a Best 2 out of 3 falls match and a last man standing match
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Fredericton, New Brunswick – Aitken Centre – May 4, 2008 (matinee) (2,500)
CM Punk defeated Chuck Palumbo
Kenny Dykstra defeated Ted Dibiase Jr.
Jamie Noble defeated Matt Striker
Kelly Kelly defeated Cherry, Natalya, Lena, and Maryse in a bikini contest
The Big Show & Finlay defeated Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Shannon Moore & Jimmy Wang Yang
Kofi Kingston defeated Mike Knox
ECW World Champion Kane defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr.
Batista & WWE US Champion Matt Hardy defeated Edge & MVP
WWE @ Barrie, Ontario – Molson Centre – May 4, 2008
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ St. John, New Brunswick – Harbour Station – May 4, 2008 (5,000)
Finlay & Jamie Noble defeated Zach Ryder & Curt Hawkins
Kenny Dykstra defeated Ted Dibiase Jr.
Kofi Kingston defeated Matt Striker
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Shannon Moore & Jimmy Wang Yang
WWE US Champion Matt Hardy defeated MVP
Chuck Palumbo defeated CM Punk and Mike Knox by pinning Punk
ECW World Champion Kane & the Big Show defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. & Bam Neely
Batista defeated Edge in a No DQ match
– 5/5/08: Gregory Helms was involved in a bar fight in Smithfield, NC. Dustin Narron was arrested in conjunction with the incident and charged with assault.
WWE @ Toronto, Ontario – Air Canada Centre – May 5, 2008 (16,664; 13,000 paid; sell out)
Kofi Kingston pinned Nic Nemeth
Heat:
Jim Duggan & Super Crazy defeated Charlie Haas & Robbie McAllister
Snitsky defeated Phil Atlas
Paul London & Brian Kendrick defeated Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch
Raw – featured an opening promo by Vince McMahon, on the stage, in which he praised William Regal’s actions the previous week by ending the broadcasat prematurely; moments later, Lilian Garcia introduced Regal, who further emphasized his power by having the lights turned on and off and said he would not tolerate being disrespected any longer; Ken Kennedy then appeared and challenged Regal to a match later in the night; as a lesson to Kennedy, Regal announced Kennedy would be in the main event against ECW World Champion Kane, WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Bam Neely, & CM Punk in a handicap match; moments later, WWE World Champion Triple H appeared and said Regal’s actions the previous week were a mistake; Regal then said Triple H was far too busy to go to war with Regal since, not only was he going to face Randy Orton in a steel cage match at Judgment Day but he would also team with Kennedy to face the ECW roster later in the show; included a backstage segment with Regal and WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho in which Jericho further argued Shawn Michaels wasn’t hurt, with Regal then saying Jericho would team with Michaels later in the show against Morrison & Mizanin; featured a backstage segment with Trevor Murdoch, singing Tammy Wynette’s “Stand By Your Man,” with Trish Stratus then appearing at a loss for words and Ron Simmons then appearing and saying “Damn;” included the announcement Simmons had been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, with clips from his football days; featured Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Orton about the previous week’s match with Triple H and facing CM Punk later in the show; included a backstage segment with Jericho and Michaels about their tag team match later in the show and Michaels’ apparent injury; featured Roddy Piper as a guest of Carlito’s Cabana in which Carlito Caribbean Cool confronted Piper for slapping Santino Marella the previous week; moments later, Santino appeared and said while it took Piper 8 years to win the IC belt, he did it his first night; Piper then told Marella he needed a designated driver; WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Cody Rhodes appeared and said that while WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Hardcore Holly wasn’t in the arena, he brought with him two other guys that wanted to meet Piper, with Cryme Tyme then appearing and scaring Carlito & Santino to the floor; included an ad for the WrestleMania 24 DVD / Blu Ray available May 20; featured the announcement John Cena would face John Bradshaw Layfield at Judgment Day; included Regal speaking backstage with the ECW roster in which he told them to put their differences aside and beat Triple H & Kennedy for the name of ECW:
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James pinned Beth Phoenix in a No DQ lumberjack match at 9:08 with an inside cradle after Melina accidentally hit the challenger with her boot when Mickie moved out of the way; lumberjacks for the match included Victoria, Melina, Ashley, Maria, Michelle McCool, Cherry, Kelly Kelly, Jillian Hall, Layla, and Natalya
Paul Birchill & Katie Lea defeated John Cutler in a handicap match at 3:31 when Katie scored the pin following Birchill’s Curb Stomp; prior to the match, William Regal appeared, said he was cutting Jim Ross’ mic, and introduced Mike Adamle as someone who – like himself – had been disrespected to take Ross’ spot for the contest
Shawn Michaels & WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho defeated WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin in a non-title match at 4:12 when Jericho pinned Morrision with the Lionsault after Morrison sustained Michaels’ superkick; Michaels was never legally in the match; immediately after the fall, Michaels limped backstage, leaving Jericho alone in the ring
Randy Orton fought CM Punk to a no contest at the 4-minute mark when William Regal appeared and, because of the fans’ disrespect towards him, turned off the lights and ended the match; after the commercial break, Todd Grisham conducted a backstage interview with Orton in which he said he was going to Regal’s office to confront him
John Bradshaw Layfield pinned DH Smith at 1:00 with the Clothesline from Hell; prior to the match, JBL cut a promo in his limo as it was being driven to ringside, commenting on facing John Cena at Judgment Day; moments later, JBL cut a promo on Smith and the Hart family, citing they nor God could help him right now; after the contest, JBL continued to attack Smith until he was pulled away by referees
ECW World Champion Kane, CM Punk, WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin, Kofi Kingston, Mike Knox, Stevie Richards, Tommy Dreamer, Shelton Benjamin, Elijah Burke, Matt Striker, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Bam Neely defeated WWE World Champion Triple H & Ken Kennedy in a handicap match at 5:45 when Guerrero pinned Kennedy with the frog splash after Kane and Neely began fighting on the floor; after the bout, several ECW wrestlers began fighting amongst themselves, with Triple H laying out the rest with a steel chair; moments later, the lights went out in the arena; when they came back on, Randy Orton was in the ring and dropped Triple H with the RKO
WWE @ London, Ontario – Labatt Centre – May 6, 2008 (6,000)
Jamie Noble pinned Ted Dibiase Jr.
ECW – 100th episode; featured an opening in-ring promo by Mike Adamle in which he apologized to the fans and Tazz for walking out during the previous week’s main event; despite his experience with the NFL and the Olympics, he said he had no idea how hard his new job was and the wrestlers backstage were not shy about letting him know when he screwed up; included a clip of the Sandman attacking the Zombie on the first episode from 6/13/06; featured an in-ring segment of Extreme Expose with Kelly Kelly, with Layla eventually appearing and the two having an impromptu dance-off before brawling in the ring; moments later, officials broke up the fight; included a clip of the Rob Van Dam vs. Hardcore Holly match from 9/26/06; featured a clip of Roddy Piper shoving a birthday cake into Matt Striker’s face from 6/26/07, followed by the Boogeyman attacking Striker; included Lena conducting a backstage interview with Chuck Palumbo regarding his attack on CM Punk the previous week; featured a backstage segment in which Colin Delaney was greated by several wrestlers who wished him good luck before his match, among them CM Punk, Jimmy Wang Yang, Jamie Noble, Shannon Moore, Michelle McCool, Eve, Nunzio, and Stevie Richards; included a clip of the New Breed vs. ECW Originals extreme rules match from 4/3/07; featured an ad for “Twist of Fate: The Matt & Jeff Hardy Story” DVD:
Mike Knox pinned Tommy Dreamer in an extreme rules match at 6:31 with the corkscrew DDT onto a steel chair after a low blow; Stevie Richards provided guest commentary for the match
Kofi Kingston pinned Matt Striker with the spin kick to the head at 1:08; after the match, Shelton Benjamin – who did guest commentary for the match – dropped Kingston with the jumping facebuster
Colin Delaney pinned Armando Estrada at 2:24 with a roll up after sliding into the ring; due to pre-match stipulations, Delaney earned an ECW contract; after the match, Delaney ran around the ring in celebration before being interviewed by Tazz at ringside, during which he thanked all the fans and Tommy Dreamer
ECW World Champion Kane & CM Punk defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. & Bam Neely; WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin provided guest commentary for the match
Smackdown! – featured an opening statement by Vickie Guerrero on the stage, alongside Teddy Long and Edge, in which she said the vacant World Heavyweight Title would be determined at Judgment Day where the Undertaker would face the winner of a battle royal later in the night; the participants in the battle royal would be chosen later in the show with one-on-one matches featuring the Big Show, John Morrison, Finlay, CM Punk, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Tommy Dreamer, MVP, ECW World Champion Kane, WWE US Champion Matt Hardy, and Batista; Vickie mentioned that the Great Khali would have been part of the competition if he weren’t in India recovering from Taker’s attack the previous week and noted that Edge was still not medically cleared to wrestle following his injury at Backlash; included pre-taped comments from fans outside the arena before the show over the decision to strip Taker of the world title; featured a backstage promo by Vickie in which she announced that both MVP and Finlay would compete in the battle royal main event due to their draw earlier in the show; included an ad for the WrestleMania 24 DVD and Blu-ray; featured WWE.com exclusive footage from the previous Friday of Deuce & Domino kicking Cherry out of their group and aligning with Maryse; moments later, Maryse insulted Cherry, with Cherry then knocking her to the ground with a slap; included the results of a WWE.com poll as to whether Vickie was justified in stripping Taker of the title, with 74% of those polled saying no:
WWE US Champion Matt Hardy pinned CM Punk in a non-title match at 4:45 by blocking an Oklahoma side roll attempt; due to pre-match stipulations, Hardy advanced to the battle royal later in the show
MVP fought Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) to a draw at 14:43 when both men’s shoulders were counted down following a back suplex by Finlay; due to pre-match stipulations, both men advanced to the battle royal later in the show
Natalya (w/ Victoria) defeated Kelly Kelly via submission with the Sharpshooter at 2:40; during the match, Michelle McCool was seen watching the bout backstage
Batista pinned WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion John Morrison with the sit-down powerbomb at 6:34; prior to the bout, Morrison sent WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Mike Mizanin backstage, opting to go the match alone, as he made his way to the ring; due to pre-match stipulations, Batista advanced to the battle royal later in the show
The Big Show pinned Tommy Dreamer with the chokeslam at 1:33; Dreamer’s wrist and elbow were bandaged as a result of his extreme rules match against Mike Knox on ECW; due to pre-match stipulations, Show advanced to the battle royal later in the show
ECW World Champion Kane pinned Chavo Guerrero Jr. (w/ Bam Neely) in a non-title match by blocking a sunset flip at 5:53; prior to the match, it was announced Kane & CM Punk would face WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin at Judgment Day; after the contest, Kane knocked Neely off the apron and scared Guerrero from the ring; due to pre-match stipulations, Kane advanced to the battle royal later in the show
Vladimir Kozlov pinned Phil Atlas with the reverse DDT at 1:21
Edge won a 7-man battle royal by last eliminating Batista at 16:00; order of elimination: WWE US Champion Matt Hardy by MVP (9:56); Finlay by ECW World Champion Kane via a boot to the face (11:58); MVP eliminated himself when Batista avoided the running kick in the corner and MVP fell over the top to the floor (12:38); Kane by Big Show via a clothesline (12:49); Show by Batista via a headscissors as Show attempted to eliminate Batista (15:05); Batista by Edge via a spear as Batista was on the apron; Batista originally won the match by eliminating Show but Vickie Guerrero then appeared and said Edge had just been medically cleared to wrestle and would be part of the match as well; due to pre-match stipulations, Edge earned a match with the Undertaker for the vacant World Heavyweight Title at Judgment Day; after the contest, lightning struck the title belt – on display at the entrance – before the container which held it went up in flames and Taker’s gong was sounded
– 5/8/08: Torrie Wilson was released.
WWE (Raw) @ Saginaw, MI – Dow Event Center – May 9, 2008
Snitsky defeated Super Crazy
WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Cody Rhodes defeated Nic Nemeth
Cryme Tyme defeated Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch
WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Hardcore Holly defeated Santino Marella
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James defeated Beth Phoenix
ECW World Champion Kane defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr.
Shawn Michaels & WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho defeated William Regal & John Bradshaw Layfield
– 5/9/08: Nick Bollea, son of Hulk Hogan, was sentenced to eight months in jail, five years probation, and 500 hours of community service after pleading guilty in the vehicle wreck that left friend John Graziano on life support.
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Huntington, WV – Big Sandy Superstore Arena – May 10, 2008 (3,500)
Eve was the host for the show
Finlay & Jamie Noble defeated Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder after Finlay used his shallelagh
Kofi Kingston pinned Ted Dibiase Jr. with the spin kick to the face
Mike Knox pinned Tommy Dreamer with the corkscrew DDT
Victoria & Natalya defeated Michelle McCool & Cherry
CM Punk defeated Chuck Palumbo and Shelton Benjamin by pinning Benjamin with the Go To Sleep
The Big Show pinned Mark Henry with the chokeslam
WWE US Champion Matt Hardy pinned MVP with the Twist of Fate
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jesse & Festus
The Undertaker pinned Edge with the tombstone in a No DQ match, despite interference from Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder; fans could choose the stipulation via text messaging
WWE (Raw) @ Kalamazoo, MI – Wings Stadium – May 10, 2008
WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Cody Rhodes defeated Nic Nemeth
Super Crazy defeated Santino Marella
WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Hardcore Holly defeated Snitsky
Cryme Tyme defeated Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James defeated Beth Phoenix
ECW World Champion Kane defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr.
Shawn Michaels & WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho defeated Umaga & John Bradshaw Layfield
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Dayton, OH – Nutter Center – May 11, 2008 (4,500)
Finlay & Jamie Noble defeated Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder
Ted Dibiase Jr. pinned Tommy Dreamer
Kofi Kingston defeated Mike Knox
Victoria & Natalya defeated Michelle McCool & Cherry
CM Punk pinned Shelton Benjamin with the Go To Sleep
The Big Show pinned Mark Henry
WWE US Champion Matt Hardy pinned MVP with the Twist of Fate
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jesse & Festus
The Undertaker pinned Edge in a No DQ match with the tombstone, despite interference from Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder; fans could choose the stipulation via text messaging
WWE @ East Lansing, MI – Breslin Center – May 11, 2008 (3,500)
Ashley was the host for the show; Randy Orton and WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho did not appear as advertised
Super Crazy pinned Santino Marella with a sunset flip; after the bout, Snitsky attacked Crazy, with William Regal then appearing and stating Crazy was the first victim for the night
WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Cody Rhodes pinned Snitsky with the DDT
WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Hardcore Holly pinned Nic Nemeth with the Alabama Slam
Cryme Tyme defeated Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch when Shad pinned Murdoch with a boot to the face; after the match, Murdoch began singing Garth Brooks’ “Friends in Low Places” until Cade cut him off and left ringside
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James (w/ a young girl from the crowd) pinned Beth Phoenix with a Thesz Press off the top
ECW World Champion Kane pinned Chavo Guerrero Jr. (w/ Bam Neely) in a No DQ match with the chokeslam; the fans picked the stipulation by text messaging over a Best 2 out of 3 falls match and a falls count anywhere match
WWE World Champion Triple H & Shawn Michaels defeated John Bradshaw Layfield & Umaga when Triple H pinned Umaga with the Pedigree after Umaga sustained Michaels’ superkick
WWE @ Detroit, MI – Joe Louis Arena – May 12, 2008
Ron Killings defeated Nic Nemeth
Heat:
Jim Duggan defeated an unknown
Paul Burchill & Katie Lea defeated Super Crazy in a handicap match when Katie scored the pin
Paul London & Brian Kendrick defeated Charlie Haas & Robbie McAllister when Kendrick pinned Haas with the Sliced Bread #2; after the bout, Kendrick took the mic, said their opponents were jokes, and they were coming to Raw to face the WWE Raw Tag Team Champions
Raw – featured an opening segment with William Regal in the ring with Lilian Garcia, with Garcia then singing “God Save the Queen;” moments later, Regal said he would eject fans from the arena because of the disrespect they had shown both him and his country, with Regal calling for two fans at ringside to be kicked out; WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James then appeared, arguing it was her brother and his girlfriend and they had done nothing wrong, with Regal saying he didn’t care; when Mickie refused to leave the ring, Regal threatened to strip her of her title; John Cena then appeared, helped Mickie out of the ring, and said Regal was going about his position the wrong way; Cena then read e-mails from fans wanting Regal fired, with one e-mail saying Regal in charge was “WCW Thunder bad;” Regal then agreed that he wouldn’t turn off the lights in any matches and then made a match for the main event pitting Cena against Randy Orton, and whomever interferes in the match will be automatically suspended; as Regal attempted to leave ringside, Cena argued over the performance of “God Save the Queen” and said if Regal didn’t stop making mistakes then the fans would rip him apart; Cena then had Lilian sing Aretha Franklin’s “Respect,” since they were in Detroit; included a text poll in which fans were asked to voice their opinion as to whether Shawn Michaels really had an injured knee; featured Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Santino Marella in which Marella complained over Roddy Piper’s interference in his match earlier in the night, with Marella claiming he would find Piper and make him pay; included a backstage segment in which Mickie asked Cena if he wanted to go out for drinks with her, her brother, and his girlfriend after the show, with Cena saying yes; featured an ad for the WrestleMania 24 DVD and Blu-ray; featured the results of the text poll, which saw 72% of the fans polled agree that Michaels’ injury was legit; included an in-ring promo by WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho in which he said, following the previous week’s tag team match with Michaels, he believed Michaels’ injury was legit and he apologized for all his accusations; Jericho then said he would understand if Michaels wanted to call off their scheduled match at Judgment Day and would even go to Regal himself to ask for it to be cancelled; Michaels then came out, selling the injury, and admitted he wasn’t hurt and Jericho was right; Jericho then argued he knew Michaels wasn’t hurt and continued to claim Michaels was merely trying to trick him until Michaels hit the superkick and again repeated that he wasn’t hurt; featured a backstage segment with Jillian Hall and Melina, with Beth Phoenix then appearing and arguing with Melina over her costing her the Women’s Title the previous week; Melina then attacked Beth, with Beth then assaulting Melina on the ground until she was pulled away by referees and Mike Rotundo; included Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Randy Orton regarding his WWE World Title shot against Triple H at Judgment Day; featured the announcement CM Punk would face WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Mike Mizanin and ECW World Champion Kane would face Smackdown! Tag Team Champion John Morrison the following night on ECW:
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Carlito & Santino Marella at 3:01 when Rhodes pinned Santino with the DDT after Marella became distracted by Roddy Piper, who sat ringside for the match after being invited to come out by Marella; after the bout, Piper celebrated with the champions
Ken Kennedy pinned Snitsky with the Mic Check at 3:26
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James & Maria defeated Beth Phoenix & Melina at 2:26 when Mickie pinned Melina with a neckbreaker after Phoenix walked out on her partner
Jeff Hardy pinned Umaga with the Whisper in the Wind at 1:25 after Umaga missed a back splash in the corner; prior to the bout, Hardy attempted to cut an in-ring promo on how excited he was to be back and to explain his absence when his mic went out suddenly; moments later, William Regal appeared and said Hardy should have to be punished for his sins and then brought out Umaga as Hardy’s opponent (Hardy’s surprise return from a 60-day suspension)
Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch defeated Cryme Tyme at 2:28 when Murdoch pinned GTG by blocking a sunset flip attempt; after the bout, Cade congratulated Murdoch for the win and asked him to sing, with Murdoch then singing Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler” before Cade knocked Murdoch down with a punch; as Murdoch struggled to his feet, Cade punched him again and left ringside
Randy Orton pinned John Cena at 9:29 after guest referee John Bradshaw Layfield kicked Cena in the face as Cena had Orton up for the FU, with JBL then making a fast count; JBL was named the guest referee moments earlier after William Regal appeared with JBL on the stage; after the bout, Cena was double teamed until WWE World Champion Triple H made the save, with Cena and JBL then brawling into the crowd and leaving Triple H and Orton in the ring; moments later, a steel cage was lowered from the rafters, with Triple H eventually throwing Orton into the cage and Orton falling out of the ring; Triple H then scaled the cage and looked down on Orton on the floor as the show came to a close (the debut of new theme music for Orton)
Dark match after the show: WWE World Champion Triple H, John Cena, & Shawn Michaels defeated Randy Orton, Umaga, & John Bradshaw Layfield with triple pinfalls after Michaels hit the superkick on Umaga, Triple H dropped JBL with the Pedigree, and Cena dropped Orton with the FU
WWE @ Toledo, OH – SeaGate Convention Centre – May 12, 2008
Kofi Kingston pinned Shelton Benjamin with the spin kick to the face
Victoria & Natalya defeated Michelle McCool & Cherry when Natalya pinned Cherry
Tommy Dreamer defeated Mike Knox
Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Chuck Palumbo via disqualification
Finlay & Jamie Noble defeated Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder after Finlay used his shillelagh as a weapon
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jesse & Festus when Morrison pinned Festus after hitting him with one of the title belts
WWE US Champion Matt Hardy pinned MVP with the Twist of Fate in a NO DQ match after MVP attempted to hit the champion with the title belt; fans could choose the stipulation via text messaging
The Undertaker, ECW World Champion Kane, & the Big Show defeated Edge, Chavo Guerrero Jr. (w/ Bam Neely), & Mark Henry when Taker pinned Edge with the Tombstone
WWE @ Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena – May 13, 2008
ECW – featured an opening backstage segment in which Armando Estrada offered Colin Delaney his ECW contract to sign, with Delaney then signing it; Estrada then said Delaney would face Mike Knox later in the show in Delaney’s first match as an active member of the ECW roster; included Lena conducting a backstage interview with Shelton Benjamin regarding his rivalry with Kofi Kingston, with Benjamin saying he would beat Kingston; moments later, Kingston appeared, with the two men fighting until Kingston knocked Benjamin back against the wall; featured a video package to hype the Triple H / Randy Orton steel cage match at Judgment Day; included a video package on Delaney’s effort to obtain an ECW contract; featured the announcement Kingston would face Benjamin the following week:
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Mike Mizanin pinned CM Punk with the Reality Check after avoiding the Go To Sleep at 5:40; Mizanin was led to the aisle by WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion John Morrison before the bout, with Mizanin sending Morrison backstage opting to go the match alone; prior to the bout, it was announced Punk & ECW World Champion Kane would face Mizanin & Morrison for the titles at Judgment Day; after the contest, Morrision congratulated Mizanin on the stage
Michelle McCool, Kelly Kelly, & Cherry defeated Victoria, Natalya, & Layla at 3:48 when Cherry pinned Victoria with a roll up after Victoria tried to knock McCool off the apron
Mike Knox pinned Colin Delaney with the corkscrew DDT at 1:00; after the bout, Armando Estrada appeared and said that while Delaney had his first match as an active member of the roster, Estrada announced he himself had become the newest member of the roster and called for an immediate match between he and Delaney
Armando Estrada pinned Colin Delaney with a reverse suplex at the 32-second mark
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion John Morrison (w/ WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Mike Mizanin) pinned ECW World Champion Kane in a non-title match at 15:07 with a springboard kick off the middle rope after hitting Kane with one of the title belts; CM Punk appeared at the 7-minute mark to be in Kane’s corner; after the contest, Morrison & Mizanin laid out Kane & Punk as the show came to a close
Smackdown! – featured an opening in-ring promo by Edge, accompanied by Vickie Guerrero, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Bam Neely, Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder, regarding his World Heavyweight Title match against the Undertaker at Judgment Day; moments later, Teddy Long appeared, with Vickie verbally insulting him for being late and for not being available earlier in the day; Long then said he had been in Stamford, CT meeting with the Board of Directors about Vickie’s decision to strip Taker of the title; Long then read a letter from the board in which she was made to wrestle later in the show or be stripped of her title; Vickie then fired Long but Long said she couldn’t do that because he quit; on his way backstage, Long stopped to let Vickie know that her opponent later in the show would be Taker; included a backstage segment with Edge, Vickie, and Chavo in which MVP, Finlay, and the Big Show interrupted and argued the title shot competition the previous week was rigged; to force them out of her office, Vickie made a match for later in the show pitting Finlay & Show against MVP & a mystery opponent; moments later, Chavo himself argued over the title shot as well and that he was left out of the loop on Edge and Vickie’s plans; featured an in-ring promo by Batista regarding Shawn Michaels’ announcement on Raw that he had faked his leg injury, with Batista reminding Michaels of Batista’s promise that if Shawn wasn’t hurt then he would be; Batista then said since he had no plans for Sunday, he would be at Judgment Day; included a backstage promo by Vickie in which she announced that while she couldn’t get out of the match later in the show, she could change it; she then announced that Taker would face her, Chavo, Neely, Hawkins, Ryder, & Edge in a handicap match; featured an ad for the WrestleMania 24 DVD and Blu-ray; included a video package to hype the WWE World Champion Triple H vs. Randy Orton steel cage match at Judgment Day; featured a backstage segment in which Kofi Kingston and Eve wished WWE US Champion Matt Hardy well on his match later in the show; moments later, after the other two left, Shelton Benjamin confronted Hardy about their match later in the show:
CM Punk pinned Chuck Paulmbo with the Go To Sleep at 5:42
Michelle McCool defeated Layla via submission with a heel hook at 2:07
The Big Show & Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) defeated MVP & Mark Henry (surprise partner) at 9:56 when Show pinned MVP with the chokeslam
Vladimir Kozlov pinned Sho Funaki with the reverse DDT at 2:28
Cherry pinned Maryse (w/ Deuce & Domino) with a bulldog at 2:18
WWE US Champion Matt Hardy pinned Shelton Benjamin in a non-title match at 6:34 with the Twist of Fate
The Undertaker defeated Edge, Curt Hawkins, Zach Ryder, & Vickie Guerrero via count-out in a handicap match at around the 4-minute mark when Edge pulled Vickie from the ring, after Taker attempted a chokeslam on Vickie, and all four remained in the aisle as the show came to a close; Chavo Guerrero Jr. & Bam Neely were to be part of Edge’s team but left ringside before the match out of protest to Edge and Vickie
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Carlito & Santino Marella
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler on commentary for Raw, Michael Cole & Mick Foley on commentary for Smackdown!, & Mike Adamle & Tazz on commentary for ECW; included a text poll in which fans could vote on who they thought would win the World Heavyweight Championship match; featured footage from WWE.com’s “The Dirt Sheet” in which WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin in which they dressed up as CM Punk & ECW World Champion Kane, respectively, to make fun of them; included Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James regarding her upcoming title defense, during which John Bradshaw Layfield interrupted – scaring Mickie off – and claimed he beat John Cena earlier in the show because Cena was the one being tended to in the trainer’s room; featured a backstage segment with Shawn Michaels and Batista in which Batista said he would pick the time and the place to hurt Michaels for faking his knee injury; included the results of the text poll in which 85% voted the Undertaker to win; featured a pre-taped promo by Randy Orton regarding his WWE World Title reign and rematch against Triple H later in the show:
John Cena pinned John Bradshaw Layfield with the FU at 15:05 after avoiding a short-arm clothesline; after the bout, William Regal was shown watching the show from the skybox
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated ECW World Champion Kane & CM Punk at 7:13 when Morrison pinned Punk with the Moonlight Drive after Kane hit a chokeslam on Mizanin outside the ring
Shawn Michaels pinned WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho in a non-title match at 15:54 by reversing the Walls of Jericho into a roll up; after the match, Jericho offered his hand to Michaels, who relunctantly shook it before leaving the ring (WWE Superstar Collection: Shawn Michaels)
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James defeated Melina and Beth Phoenix by pinning Melina with the DDT at 4:43 after Melina knocked Phoenix to the floor
The Undertaker defeated Edge via count-out at 16:17 after pulling Edge off the apron into the barricade after both men began fighting on the floor; Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder appeared ringside at the 10-minute mark, distracting referee Charles Robinson as Edge took the protective covering off one of the turnbuckles; the match was to have decided the held up World Heavyweight Title but Vickie Guerrero appeared, alongside Hawkins & Ryder, after the match and announced that because the title can only be won via pinfall or submission then the title remained vacant; following the announcement, Taker dragged Edge back into the ring and dropped him with the tombstone, with Vickie then calling him a son of a bitch; Hawkins & Ryder then pulled Edge from the ring and helped him backstage as Taker stood in the ring with the title belt
Jeff Hardy pinned MVP with the Whisper in the Wind in an unadvertised match at 9:44; prior to the bout, MVP cut an in-ring promo claiming it was wrong of him to be left off the show and made an open challenge to anyone backstage; moments later, WWE US Champion Matt Hardy appeared and said that, while he had already proven he was better than MVP, someone else backstage wanted to prove he was better than MVP too; Michael Cole & Mick Foley provided commentary for the match
WWE World Champion Triple H pinned Randy Orton in a steel cage match at 21:12 with the Pedigree after avoiding Orton’s kick to the head and hitting him over the head with a steel chair; after the match, Triple H climbed to the top of the cage and posed with the title belt
WWE @ Kansas City, MO – Kemper Arena – May 19, 2008 (9,300)
Carlito defeated Ron Killings
Heat:
Cryme Tyme defeated Charlie Haas & Snitsky
Super Crazy defeated Robbie McAllister
Paul London & Brian Kendrick defeated WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes in a non-title match
Raw – featured a backstage segment with Batista and WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho regarding their match later in the show, with the added stipulation that the winner would face Shawn Michaels at One Night Stand; included an in-ring promo by William Regal in which he said Jeff Hardy would face Umaga in a falls count anywhere match at One Night Stand; moments later, Regal addressed Randy Orton and John Bradshaw Layfield on the big screen, with Regal saying they would get their respective rematches against WWE World Champion Triple H & John Cena if they beat Triple H & Cena later in the show; if Orton & JBL won, they could choose their stipulations for One Night Stand and if Triple H & Cena won then they would face each other at the pay-per-view in an extreme rules match; moments later, Ken Kennedy interrupted and again challenged Regal for a match later in the show; Regal responded by saying he was above Kennedy and the next man to interrupt him would be fired; Vince McMahon then appeared and said that while he had endorsed Regal, WWE was receiving more complaint mail than ever before and the ratings were hurting because of Regal’s presence; McMahon then made a match between Kennedy and Regal for later in the night, with the loser being fired; featured an ad for the WrestleMania 24 DVD and Blu-ray; included footage from a recent episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” in which Roddy Piper appeared to wish Kimmel’s Cousin Sal a happy birthday, during which Santino Marella interrupted; moments later, Marella slapped Kimmel’s brother before he was knocked to the ground; featured a backstage segment with WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James and Katie Lea in which Katie accused Mickie of sleeping her way to the top because of her date with John Cena the previous week; included a backstage segment with Regal and Shawn Michaels in which Regal told Michaels his match at ONS would be a stretcher match; featured footage from the previous Friday’s GI Film Festival in which WWE was recognized for their efforts; the segment featured comments from John Ratzenberger and Ric Flair, who accepted on behalf of the WWE; included a backstage segment with McMahon, Regal, and Ted Dibiase in which McMahon had Regal leave so he could discuss money matters with Dibiase; featured an in-ring segment of the Piper’s Pit, with Santino Marella dressed as an overweight Piper; Marella then showed the footage from “Jimmy Kimmel Live” before having Cousin Sal appear as his guest; Sal then went on to list all the things Santino claimed but never accomplished, finishing by saying Maria said Santino was hung like a 4th grader; Ron Simmons then appeared on the big screen and said “Damn;” Marella then showed off an “I’m Sorry” cake and threatened to put it in Sal’s face if he didn’t apologize; moments later, Piper appeared behind Marella, with both men putting the cake in Marella’s face before he fell to the floor; Marella then challenged Sal to a match, with Piper accepting but Sal appearing reluctant; included Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Triple H regarding the tag team main event:
Jeff Hardy fought Umaga to a double count-out at 5:14 after both men began brawling outside the ring and Umaga dropped Hardy with a spinning sidewalk slam onto the floor; after the bout, Hardy was attended to by trainers
Beth Phoenix defeated Maria via submission with the Glam Slam at 2:09; after the bout, Melina – who did guest commentary for the match – attacked Phoenix from behind in the aisle but was eventually thrown onto the rampway (debut of the submission hold)
Batista pinned WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho at 13:23 in a non-title match with the sit-down powerbomb after blocking an attempt at the Code Breaker; pre-match stipulations stated the winner would face Shawn Michaels at One Night Stand in a stretcher match; after the bout, Michaels appeared on the entrance stage and locked eyes with Batista
Ken Kennedy pinned William Regal with the Mic Check at 6:08 after blocking Regal’s attempt to hit him with brass knuckles; Regal made the match a No DQ bout at the 4-minute mark; pre-match stipulations stated the winner would be fired; after the bout, Regal begged to be let back into his office backstage, only for Teddy Long to appear leaving the office
Randy Orton & John Bradshaw Layfield defeated WWE World Champion Triple H & John Cena at 9:36 when JBL pinned Cena after Orton kicked Cena in the head as JBL was caught in the STFU; pre-match stipulations stated Orton and JBL would earn rematches against Triple H and Cena, respectively, at One Night Stand if they won and would be able to pick their own stipulations or Triple H would face Cena for the title at the pay-per-view if he and Cena won; after the bout, JBL and Orton double teamed Triple H, with JBL hitting the Clothesline from Hell and Orton following with the RKO; moments later, JBL grabbed the mic and said he would face Cena in a first blood match at One Night Stand, with Orton then saying he would face Triple H in a last man standing match
– 5/20/08: William Regal was suspended for 60 days following his second violation of the wellness policy.
WWE @ Des Moines, IA – Wells Fargo Arena – May 20, 2008 (6,300)
Matt Sydal defeated Jamie Noble
ECW – featured an opening in-ring segment with Armando Estrada, CM Punk, Tommy Dreamer, WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion John Morrison, and Chavo Guerrero Jr., with Estrada announcing the four would compete in a four-way Singapore cane match at One Night Stand for the #1 contender spot for the ECW World Title; Estrada then announced the men would compete later in the night in a tag team match; included an ad for the WrestleMania 24 DVD and Blu-ray:
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Mike Mizanin defeated ECW World Champion Kane via disqualification in a non-title match at 4:23 after Kane hung Mizanin upside down in the corner and, from the floor, pulled backwards on his neck beyond the referee’s 5-count; after the bout, Kane grabbed a steel chair, trapped Mizanin’s neck in it, and attempted to come off the top until WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion John Morrison pulled his partner from the ring
Shelton Benjamin pinned Kofi Kingston at 4:24 with the jumping facebuster after avoiding the spin kick to the face (the end of Kingston’s undefeated streak)
Colin Delaney & Kelly Kelly defeated Mike Knox & Layla at 1:02 when Kelly pinned Layla with a Rocker Dropper; after the bout, Knox dropped Delaney with the corkscrew DDT; moments later, Armando Estrada appeared and ordered the referee to ring the bell for his own match with Delaney (Delaney’s first appearance with entrance music)
Armando Estrada pinned Colin Delaney (w/ Kelly Kelly) at the 16-second mark with a reverse suplex
CM Punk & Tommy Dreamer fought Chavo Guerrero Jr. & WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion John Morrison to a no contest when the Big Show appeared, attacked all four men, and cut an in-ring promo in which he put himself into the Singapore cane match at One Night Stand
Smackdown! – featured an opening promo on the entrance stage by Vickie Guerrero, accompanied by Edge, in which she defended her ruling at Judgment Day to keep the World Heavyweight Title vacant and announced Edge would face the Undertaker at One Night Stand in a TLC match for the title; she then said if Taker lost then he would be gone from the WWE; included a backstage segment with Edge, Vickie, and Chavo Guerrero Jr. in which Chavo said he hoped there were no hard feelings for him not going to the ring with them the previous week and said he had his reasons; Vickie then booked Chavo in a match against Taker, with Bam Neely, Zach Ryder, Curt Hawkins, and Edge at ringside; featured Teddy Long as a guest on the VIP Lounge in which MVP was going to let Long give his side of the story over his quitting Smackdown! but then prepared to say everything he could to his former boss since there could be no reprocussions; moments later, Batista appeared and wished Long well with whatever he decided to do; after MVP claimed Batista was being disrespectful, Batista trashed the VIP set as MVP left ringside; included an ad for the WrestleMania 24 DVD and Blu-ray; featured a backstage segment with Edge, Vickie, and MVP:
Maryse, Deuce & Domino defeated Cherry, Jesse & Festus at 3:17 when Maryse pinned Cherry with a kick to the face
Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) pinned Chuck Palumbo at 9:45 by hitting him with the shillalagh after Hornswoggle sprayed green mist into Palumbo’s face
Batista pinned MVP with the sit-down powerbomb at 14:03
Vladimir Kozlov pinned Nunzio with the reverse DDT at 1:59
WWE US Champion Matt Hardy & Kofi Kingston defeated Shelton Benjamin & Elijah Burke at 4:51 when Kingston pinned Benjamin with the spin kick to the head
The Undertaker pinned Chavo Guerrero Jr. (w/ Bam Neely) at 5:26 with the tombstone after catching Guerrero as he came off the top; Edge, Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder were initially in Guerrero’s corner but were ejected by referee Charles Robinson mid-way through the match
WWE (Raw) @ Monterrey, Mexico – Monumental Bullring – May 21, 2008 (12,000; sell out)
Super Crazy & Maria defeated Paul Burchill & Katie Lea when Crazy pinned Burchill with the moonsault
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Carlito & Santino Marella when Holly pinned Carlito with the Alabama Slam
WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho pinned Jeff Hardy at 16:25 with the Code Breaker; Jericho had to have stitches after the match
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James pinned Beth Phoenix
John Cena pinned John Bradshaw Layfield with the FU
WWE World Champion Triple H & Shawn Michaels defeated Umaga & Snitsky when Triple H pinned Snitsky with the Pedigree
WWE (Raw) @ Queretaro, Mexico – Santa Maria Bullring – May 22, 2008 (8,500)
Super Crazy defeated Paul Burchill
Trevor Murdoch defeated Charlie Haas
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Paul London & Brian Kendrick
Jeff Hardy defeated Carlito
Shawn Michaels pinned WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho in a non-title match at 18:27
John Cena defeated John Bradshaw Layfield at 6:50
WWE World Champion Triple H pinned Umaga with the Pedigree at 17:35
WWE (Raw) @ Mexico City, Mexico – Sports Palace – May 23, 2008 (15,600) Super Crazy defeated Paul Birchill & Katie Lea in a handicap match by pinning Birchill with the moonsault
Ken Kennedy pinned Lance Cade with the Mic Check
Trevor Murdoch pinned Charlie Haas at 6:12
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James pinned Beth Phoenix with the DDT
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Paul London & Brian Kendrick
Shawn Michaels pinned WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho in a non-title match at 20:15 with the superkick
John Cena & Jeff Hardy defeated John Bradshaw Layfield & Snitsky when Hardy pinned Snitsky after Cena dropped Snitsky with the FU
WWE World Champion Triple H pinned Umaga at 13:18 with the Pedigree
WWE (Raw) @ Mexico City, Mexico – Sports Palace – May 24, 2008 (18,750)
Super Crazy pinned Charlie Haas with the moonsault
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James & Maria defeated Beth Phoenix & Katie Lea when James pinned Lea with the DDT
Ken Kennedy pinned Paul Birchill with the Mic Check
Jeff Hardy pinned Paul London at 14:10 with the Twist of Fate
WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho defeated Lance Cade after Trevor Murdoch distracted Cade from ringside
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Carlito & Santino Marella when Holly pinned Carlito with the Alabama Slam
John Cena pinned John Bradshaw Layfield with the FU in a streetfight at 16:27
WWE World Champion Triple H & Shawn Michaels defeated Umaga & Snitsky at 20:19 when Triple H pinned Umaga with the Pedigree and Michaels pinned Snitsky with the superkick; Triple H & Michaels wore luchadore masks for the match
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Cheyenne, Wyoming – Taco John’s Events Center – May 24, 2008 (1,800; sell out)
Kofi Kingston defeated Shelton Benjamin
Vladimir Kozlov defeated Sho Funaki
Cherry defeated Natalya Neidhart
Mark Henry defeated Jamie Noble
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore
WWE US Champion Matt Hardy defeated MVP
The Big Show defeated Edge via disqualification
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Loveland, CO – Budweiser Event Center – May 25, 2008 (matinee) (3,000)
Kofi Kingston defeated Shelton Benjamin
Vladimir Kozlov defeated Sho Funaki
Cherry defeated Natalya Neidhart
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore
CM Punk defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr.
WWE US Champion Matt Hardy defeated MVP
The Big Show defeated Mark Henry
The Undertaker pinned Edge in a No DQ match; the stipulation was decided by the fans through a text poll
WWE @ Denver, CO – Pepsi Center – May 26, 2008 (16,524; 13,500 paid; sell out)
Ron Killings defeated Nic Nemeth
Heat – the final episode:
Snitsky defeated Super Crazy
Santino Marella defeated Jim Duggan
Lance Cade defeated Jeff McAllister
Raw – featured an opening video package paying tribute to the American military on Memorial Day; included a backstage promo by Vince McMahon regarding William Regal’s firing the previous week and said the audience deserved more and he would show them true appretiation by the end of the night; featured Todd Grisham hosting an in-ring confrontation between WWE World Champion Triple H and Randy Orton regarding their last man standing match at One Night Stand, during which Triple H alleged Orton continued to brag about his victories in order to convince himself he was as good as he thinks while Orton claimed he had surpassed the champion; Triple H ended by saying if he wins at One Night Stand, it would be like the Age of Orton never existed; included McMahon speaking backstage with WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho in which Jericho said the fans deserved to see a rematch later in the show between he and Shawn Michaels, with McMahon agreeing; Jericho then offered to update McMahon’s theme song, with Cryme Tyme then appearing and taking Regal’s possessions from his office to auction them off; during the commercial break, Cryme Tyme auctioned the items off at ringside, with Ron Simmons appearing and saying “Damn;” featured footage of Roddy Piper training Cousin Sal the previous week in Hollywood in preparation for Sal’s match the following week against Santino Marella on Smackdown!, during which Jimmy Kimmel showed up to watch and ate popcorn as he requested various made up moves for Piper to put on his cousin; after Sal said he wanted to take a nap, Piper put him out with the sleeper and Kimmel drew a mustache on his face; included WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James speaking with McMahon backstage, with Mickie suggesting the WWE do a program with schools to give back to the fans; moments later, John Bradshaw Layfield appeared, compared the divas to escorts, and suggested McMahon cut up the mat after One Night Stand to give back to the fans – then looked at Mickie and claimed he would bloody her “boyfriend” John Cena; featured comments from Pvt. Justin Nickels, Cpl. Ben Eberle, Sgt. Angiene Myers, and Cpt. John Yun in which they sent messages to their loved ones back home; included a backstage segment with Michaels and McMahon in which Michaels said he doubted McMahon’s intentions in giving back to the fans; several members of the Denver Bronkos were shown in attendance; featured footage from the recent Mexico tour, with comments from Mickie, Super Crazy, Ken Kennedy, Jeff Hardy, Triple H, Michaels, and fans; included a backstage segment in which Trevor Murdoch sang McMahon’s theme song, with McMahon telling him he wanted all the WWE talent and officials out in the arena after the Michaels vs. Jericho match to hear his announcement; featured a video package hyping the Triple H vs. Orton match at One Night Stand, with clips from their No Mercy 07 and Backlash 08 bouts; Sgt. included comments from 1st class David Barrera, 1st Sgt. Steve Harris, 2nd Lt. Joel McMichael, Spec. Timothy Moffitt, and P.O. William Bailey in which they sent messages to loved ones back home; featured a closing in-ring segment in which McMahon announced – as the talent and officials stood on the stage – that the 2008 WWE Draft would be held June 23 and that he would be giving away cash money every week, with McMahon eventually raising the stakes to the sum of $1 million per week:
Melina defeated Jillian Hall via submission at 2:03 with an Indian Death Lock into a bridge and chinlock; prior to the match, it was announced Melina would face Beth Phoenix, who did guest commentary for the match, in an I Quit match at One Night Stand
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Paul London & Brian Kendrick at 3:33 when Holly pinned London with the Alabama Slam as London attempted to skin the cat after knocking Rhodes to the floor; after the bout, Ted Dibiase appeared, said Holly & Rhodes’ title run would soon be ending, and then introduced his son – Ted Dibiase Jr.; Dibiase Jr. then appeared and guaranteed he would be a champion in his first match, at their expense (Dibiase Jr.’s surprise TV debut)
John Bradshaw Layfield & Umaga defeated John Cena & Jeff Hardy at 9:33 when JBL pinned Hardy with the Clothesline from Hell after avoiding the Swanton
Ken Kennedy pinned Carlito at 2:43 with the Mic Check; after the bout, Katie Lea appeared and said she took exception to Kennedy getting William Regal fired the week before; with Kennedy distracted, Paul Burchill attacked Kennedy from behind, with Burchill grabbing a mic and saying there would be serious consequences for Kennedy’s actions; moments later, Burchill hit the Curb Stomp on Kennedy
Shawn Michaels fought WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho to a double count-out in a non-title match at 9:59 after Jericho applied the Walls of Jericho on Michaels outside the ring; moments later, Jericho shoved the referee aside and attempted to hit Michaels with a steel chair but instead extended his hand and helped Michaels to his feet before walking off
Dark match after the show: WWE World Champion Triple H & Shawn Michaels defeated Randy Orton & Umaga
WWE @ Colorado Springs, CO – World Arena – May 27, 2008
Jesse & Festus defeated two unknowns
ECW – featured a video package highlighting the Big Show’s ECW World Title win over Rob Van Dam on 7/4/06; included an ad for the WrestleMania 24 DVD and Blu-ray; featured a video package highlighting CM Punk’s ECW World Title win over John Morrison on 9/4/07; included a video package highlighting Chavo Guerrero Jr.’s ECW World Title win over Punk on 1/22/08; featured footage of Taz congratulating Tommy Dreamer after Dreamer won the ECW World Title on 4/22/00, followed by an emotional Dreamer cutting an in-ring promo with the belt; included Lena conducting a backstage interview with Colin Delaney regarding Vince McMahon’s million dollar giveaways and the upcoming draft; featured a video package of Morrison winning the ECW World Title at Vengeance 07:
The Big Show pinned Tommy Dreamer with the chokeslam at 2:32; during the bout, it was announced the winner of the Singapore cane match at One Night Stand would receive an ECW World Title shot at Night of Champions
Kofi Kingston pinned Mike Knox with the spin kick to the face at 3:20; late in the bout, Knox bled heavily from the area around his left eye; after the match, Shelton Benjamin, who provided guest commentary, attacked Kingston with Kingston laying him out until Knox dropped Kingston with the corkscrew DDT; after Knox left ringside, the referee ordered Benjamin out of the ring
Chavo Guerrero Jr. (w/ Bam Neely) pinned CM Punk at 11:23 with a roll up and grabbing the tights for leverage after avoiding Punk’s running knee in the corner
ECW World Champion Kane defeated WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin via disqualification in a handicap match at 2:17 when the champions continued to double team Kane; after the bout, Tommy Dreamer, CM Punk, the Big Show, and Chavo Guerrero Jr. interfered, with Show and Kane clearing the ring before facing off with one another
Smackdown! – featured an opening backstage promo by Edge in which he said he would present a look at the Undertaker’s career throughout the broadcast and that Taker would appear on The Cutting Edge, marking what Edge said would be Taker’s last appearance on Smackdown!; included an in-ring promo by Batista in which he said he would hurt Shawn Michaels at One Night Stand and then issued a challenge to the winner of the Taker / Edge TLC match; moments later, Vickie Guerrero, with Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder, interrupted, reminded Batista he might not even remain on Smackdown! because of the WWE Draft, and said all of Smackdown! would look bad if he lost to Michaels; after Batista told her to go backstage and worry about things that don’t concer him, Hawkins told Batista to shut his mouth, with Vickie then making a match between Batista & a partner against Hawkins & Ryder; featured highlights of Taker’s debut at the 1990 Survivor Series; included Eve conducting a backstage interview with MVP, arguing he was still the best star on Smackdown!, with Jamie Noble then interrupting and saying MVP was blaming everyone but himself for his situation; moments later, the two shared words, with Noble eventually challenging MVP to a match later in the show; featured a backstage segment with Hawkins, Ryder, & Vickie in which Noble appeared and asked for a match against MVP, with Vickie giving it to him and all three sending him out of her office; included highlights of Taker throwing Mankind off the roof of Hell in a Cell during the 1998 King fo the Ring; featured highlights of Taker eliminating Michaels to win the 2007 Royal Rumble; included a backstage segment showing Cherry, her face bruised, being checked out by the medic backstage, with Maryse then appearing and making fun of her kicking Cherry in the face the previous week; featured an ad promoting the WrestleMania 24 DVD and Blu-ray; included highlights of Taker winning the World Heavyweight Title from Batista at WrestleMania 23; featured highlights of Edge cashing in the Money in the Bank to beat Taker for the World Heavyweight Title; included a closing in-ring segment of The Cutting Edge in which Edge showed a video preview of his TLC match at One Night Stand, in the style of Indiana Jones; moments later, Edge introduced Taker and then had Chavo Guerrero Jr., Bam Neely, Hawkins & Ryder bring a casket to ringside; moments later, Taker scared Edge to the floor and brawled with La Familia at ringside until gaining the upper hand and setting Chavo up for a chokeslam onto the casket; at that moment, Edge attacked Taker from behind with a steel chair, repeatedly hitting him with the weapon until rolling him into the casket and having it shut; moments later, Edge cut an in-ring promo saying Taker’s career would be dead at One Night Stand, then climbed the ladder set up in the ring and looked to the title belt hung from the rafters; the lights then flickered and Taker’s gong was sounded, with Taker then appearing at the top of the ladder with Edge; Taker then scared Edge ot the floor before powerbombing Ryder through a table set up inside the ring:
WWE US Champion Matt Hardy pinned Elijah Burke in a non-title match with the Twist of Fate at 5:29
Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) defeated Chuck Palumbo via disqualification at 4:37 after Palumbo hit Finlay in the face with his chain as the two fought on the floor
CM Punk pinned WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion John Morrison with the Go To Sleep at 2:58; WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Mike Mizanin was initially in Morrison’s corner but was ejected before the match after the referee repeatedly told him to get out of the ring
Batista & the Big Show (mystery partner) defeated Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder at 3:21 when Batista pinned Ryder with the sit-down powerbomb after Show dropped Hawkins with the chokeslam; prior to the bout, Vickie Guerrero appeared with Hawkins & Ryder and, thinking Batista didn’t have a partner, made the match a handicap bout; moments later, Batista took the mic and said he did have a partner, with Show then appearing, wheeling Vickie from the stage to backstage, and returning for the match
MVP pinned Jamie Noble at 4:17 with a kick to the head after dropping Noble chest-first across the top rope
Vladimir Kozlov pinned Shannon Moore with the reverse DDT at 1:24
Michelle McCool defeated Maryse (w/ Deuce & Domino) via submission at 2:13 by reversing a half crab into a heel hook after Deuce & Domino became distracted by Cherry on the entrance stage
– 5/29/08: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and wife Dany officially divorced.
One Night Stand 08 – San Diego, CA – Sports Arena – June 1, 2008 (matinee) (10,000; sell out)
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler on commentary for Raw, Michael Cole & Mick Foley on commentary for Smackdown!, and Mike Adamle & Tazz on commentary for ECW; included footage from earlier in the night of Foley in the empty arena analyzing the upcoming stretcher match between Shawn Michaels and Batista; featured a text poll over who the fans think would win the stretcher match; San Diego Chargers’ Shawne Marriman was shown in attendance; included Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Vince McMahon regarding his $1 million giveaway, during which McMahon named the contest “McMahon’s Million Dollar Giveaway;” featured a backstage segment with Batista and Randy Orton in which Orton said the two could be drafted to the same brand in a few weeks and proposed they join forces, with Batista then walking away; included a backstage segment with John Cena and WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James, with Mickie suggesting they try submission holds later in the night; moments later, Adamle came out of the bathroom, giving Cena a bottle of JBL’s Mamajuana, and doing Cena’s “You can’t see me” pose; featured the results of the text poll in which 59% of the fans picked Michaels to win the stretcher match:
Jeff Hardy pinned Umaga in a falls count anywhere match at 9:06 after knocking Umaga off a production truck outside the arena and then hitting a Swanton from the top of the truck (Jeff Hardy: My Life My Rules)
The Big Show defeated CM Punk, Tommy Dreamer, Chavo Guerrero Jr., and WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion John Morrison in a Singapore cane match at 8:56 by pinning Dreamer with one foot on his chest following the chokeslam and a cane shot to the head; pre-match stipulations stated the winner would face ECW World Champion Kane at Night of Champions; during the bout, the San Diego Chargers’ Shawne Marriman hit Guerrero with one of the canes moments after Chavo accidentally hit him when Punk moved out of the way; WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Mike Mizanin interfered on behalf of Morrison during the match; after the contest, Kane was shown watching backstage
John Cena defeated John Bradshaw Layfield in a first blood match at 14:18 when JBL bled from the mouth after Cena applied the STFU using a steel chain
Beth Phoenix defeated Melina in an I Quit match at 9:07 with a modified Boston Crab and crossface
Batista defeated Shawn Michaels in a stretcher match at 16:55 after hitting a spinebuster onto the steel ring steps in the aisle; Michael Cole & Mick Foley provided commentary for the bout; WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho appeared twice late in the match and attempted to encourage Michaels before he was ejected from ringside; late in the contest, Batista told Michaels “I don’t love you and I’m not sorry” before dropping Michaels with the sit-down powerbomb inside the ring
WWE World Champion Triple H defeated Randy Orton in a last man standing match at 13:15 after hitting the challenger in the face with a sledgehammer on the floor; late in the bout, Orton fell to the floor and complained to the referee of breaking his collarbone; after the bout, Orton was tended to by medics
Edge defeated the Undertaker in a TLC match at 23:21 after shoving Taker off the top of the ladder and sending him through several tables set up in the aisle; pre-match stipulations stated the winner would earn the vacant World Heavyweight Title and that Taker would be banned from the WWE if he lost; Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder interfered on be half of Edge at the 17-minute mark and Chavo Guerrero Jr. & Bam Neely interfered on behalf of Edge at the 21-minute mark; after the contest, Edge, Hawkins, Ryder, Guerrero, & Neely celebrated at the entranceway, with Vickie Guerrero then appearing and hugging the new champion; after they all left ringside, Taker struggled to his feet and walked backstage as the show came to a close (Edge: A Decade of Decadence, Ladder Match 2: Crash & Burn)
– 6/1/08: John Bradshaw Layfield’s wife, financial analyst Meredith Whitney, was rated #38 on the New York Post’s “The 50 Most Powerful Women in New York City.”
WWE @ Bakersfield, CA – Rabobank Arena – June 2, 2008
Ron Killings defeated Robbie McAllister
Super Crazy defeated Joey Ryan
Paul London & Brian Kendrick defeated Charlie Haas & Snitsky
Raw – included the announcement that Randy Orton broke his clavicle during the previous night’s last man standing match against WWE World Champion Triple H; featured an in-ring promo by Triple H regarding his win over Orton, Orton’s injury, and not knowing who his next challenger would be; John Cena then appeared and challenged Triple H to a title match, with Triple H accepting; moments later, Jeff Hardy came out, said they weren’t the only two from Raw to win their matches at the pay-per-view, and that he was also in the running for the belt; after Triple H said he didn’t care who the challenger was, Hardy proposed a match with Cena to determine the top contender, with Cena agreeing; moments later, Vince McMahon appeared and said what the fans wanted were details on how they could win $1 million cash and then passed off Hardy’s idea as his own; included an ad promoting the WWE Draft June 23; featured McMahon, accompanied by armed and plain clothed security, putting the $1 million into a clear case on the stage and then said the only way to win the money would be to register at WWE.com; he then said his intention behind giving the money away was to attract more people to WWE – both those that used to watch and those that never have before; McMahon referred to those that wouldn’t be caught dead watching WWE as elitists and snobs and said the WWE fans represented a cross-section of America; included a backstage segment in which WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly and Cody Rhodes argued over Rhodes knowing Roddy Piper would be the guest timekeeper for their match and it ended up costing them their match; after Holly stormed off, Ted Dibiase Jr. appeared and said he was three weeks away from picking a partner to take Holly & Rhodes’ titles; featured Jim Ross, from the broadcast booth, conducting a backstage interview with WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho about his encouraging Shawn Michaels the night before at One Night Stand, during which Jericho said he would be defending the title more frequently and dedicated his match later in the show against John Bradshaw Layfield to Michaels; included a segment on the stage of Cryme Tyme trying to get close to McMahon’s $1 million; featured an ad for “The Rock: The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment;” included a video package highlighting the Undertaker vs. Edge TLC match at One Night Stand; featured a backstage segment with WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James and Cena in which Cena apologized for the comments Mickie had received about hanging out with him as of late, during which Cena handed her a pair of her panties she left behind the night before:
Ken Kennedy defeated Umaga via count-out at 2:06 after Umaga missed a splash from the apron to the commentary table, hurting his injured ribs in the process; prior to the bout, Kennedy challenged Paul Burchill to face him, following Burchill’s attack on Kennedy the week before; moments later, Burchill and Katie Lea appeared, with Burchill saying he had to prepare for Katie’s in-ring debut later in the show but had picked a suitable opponent for Kennedy to face in his place, then brought out Umaga; Umaga’s ribs were heavily taped for the match; after the bout, Burchill jumped Kennedy from behind
Carlito & Santino Marella defeated WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes in a non-title match at 2:18 when Carlito pinned Holly with a roll over after Carlito kicked Holly – behind the referee’s back as Holly attempted the Alabama Slam – as the referee was distracted by guest timekeeper Roddy Piper on the floor; after the commercial break, Carlito and Santino spoke backstage, with Todd Grisham then interviewing Santino about his win and upcoming match on Smackdown! against Cousin Sal
WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho defeated John Bradshaw Layfield via disqualification at 5:19 when JBL shoved the referee on the floor after grabbing a steel chair; after the bout, Jericho stole the chair away and almost hit JBL with it but, much like the week before with Shawn Michaels, opted not to and walked off
Beth Phoenix & Katie Lea defeated WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James & Melina at 3:40 when Katie pinned Mickie after Phoenix shoved Mickie face-first to the mat behind the referee’s back; after the bout, Paul Burchill came out and congratulated Katie’s win from the floor until he was attacked from behind by Ken Kennedy, with Kennedy jumping Burchill in the ring until Burchill kicked him away and slid out of the ring
Lance Cade pinned Trevor Murdoch with a sit-down spinebuster at 2:20 (Murdoch’s debut with new entrance music)
John Cena pinned Jeff Hardy at 13:44 with the FU after catching Hardy coming off the top with a crossbody, rolling through, and then lifting Hardy up off the mat; pre-match stipulations stated the winner would be the #1 contender to the WWE World Title; after the bout, WWE World Champion Triple H appeared on the entrance stage, with he and Cena coming face to face after Cena made his way up the ramp and Triple H holding the title belt up in the air as the show came to a close (Jeff Hardy: My Life My Rules)
WWE @ Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center – June 3, 2008 (10,000)
MVP pinned Jamie Noble with the running kick
ECW – featured an opening backstage segment in which movers were seen taking things from Armando Estrada’s office; when Estrada arrived and questioned them, they said they were only doing what the general manager told them to do; after saying he was the GM, Teddy Long appeared; included a backstage segment with Long and Estrada in which Estrada read a letter from the board of directors that named Long the new ECW GM, with Long then making a match between Estrada and WWE US Champion Matt Hardy for later in the show; featured an ad for Mr. McMahon’s Million Dollar Mania and info on how to register at WWE.com; included an ad for “The Rock: The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment;” featured a backstage segment with Long and Estrada in which Estrada begged Long to keep him around long enough for the draft, with the hopes he would be traded; Long then said Estrada would have to earn a contract and would continue to wrestle on the show, just not as a contracted superstar; after Long left, Ron Simmons appeared and said “Damn,” referring to Estrada’s bad luck; included footage from a press conference held earlier in the day in Los Angeles regarding Raw’s million dollar giveaway, with appearances from Vince McMahon, Triple H, John Cena, and Maria; featured an ad promoting the WWE draft on June 23:
CM Punk defeated Tommy Dreamer, Chavo Guerrero Jr., and WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion John Morrison at 5:07 by pinning Guerrero with the Go To Sleep after Guerrero hit the frog splash on Dreamer; pre-match stipulations stated the winner would face ECW World Champion Kane later in the show in a non-title match; prior to the bout, it was announced the Big Show sustained a cracked orbital bone and eight stitches above his left eye as a result of the Singapore cane match at One Night Stand
Shelton Benjamin defeated Matt Sydal via count-out at 3:40 after Benjamin lifted Sydal up for a powerbomb on the floor and threw him into Kofi Kingston, who provided guest commentary for the match; after the bout, Kingston attacked Benjamin in the ring before the fight went to the floor, with Benjamin then throwing Kingston into the ring steps
WWE US Champion Matt Hardy pinned Armando Estrada in a non-title match with the Twist of Fate at 1:03; after the bout, Teddy Long appeared and said he was giving Estrada another chance to show he’s worth the money in his contract and then brought out Colin Delaney to face Estrada in a second match
Colin Delaney (w/ WWE US Champion Matt Hardy) pinned Armando Estrada by reversing a reverse suplex into a roll over and grabbing the tights for leverage at the 26-second mark; after the match, Delaney celebrated in the ring with Hardy
ECW World Champion Kane pinned CM Punk in a non-title match with the chokeslam; during the bout, a crawl at the bottom of the screen advertised an uninterrupted version of the show airing the following day on WWE.com at 4 p.m.; after the match, WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin attacked Kane and Punk, knocking Punk to the floor and double teaming the champion
Smackdown! – featured an opening in-ring segment with Vickie Guerrero, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Bam Neely, Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder – drinking champagne – in which Vickie introduced Edge as the new World Heavyweight Champion; after appearing, Edge thanked La Familia for their support and bragged over his win at One Night Stand over the Undertaker, ending Taker’s career in the process; moments later, as Edge attempted a toast to Taker’s memory, the lights went out; when they came back on, Edge admitted it was a joke on his part; Vickie then announced that her and Edge’s wedding would take place July 11; the other members of La Familia then doused Edge with champagne to celebrate, with Batista appearing, insulting both Edge and Vickie, and challenging Edge to a title match; Vickie responded by having Hawkins, Ryder, Chavo, & Edge face Batista and two partners of Vickie’s choosing later in the show, with the stipulation that if he lost he wouldn’t get a title shot; included an ad promoting the WWE Draft June 23; featured an in-ring promo by the Big Show, his left eye heavily bruised, regarding his win at One Night Stand and earning an ECW World Title shot at Night of Champions in the process; moments later, Mark Henry interrupted and showed footage of Show sustaining his injury and of it being stitched up; moments later, Show challenged Henry to a fight but Henry laughed it off and refused to get in the ring; included a backstage segment showing Roddy Piper preparing Cousin Sal for his upcoming match with Santino Marella; featured footage from the recent GI Film Festival in which WWE was recognized for their efforts; the segment featured comments from John Ratzenberger and Ric Flair, who accepted on behalf of the WWE; producer Rick Rubin was shown in attendance for the show; included a backstage segment with Vickie, Cherry, Kelly Kelly, Victoria, Natalya Neidhart, Michelle McCool, Layla, and Maryse in which Vickie said Smackdown! would soon have its own Women’s Title; she then said a match would take place later in the show to determine one of the women who would compete for the title; featured footage from Cousin Sal’s birthday party, which was interrupted by Marella, and of Piper appearing on Raw after Marella confronted Sal; included an ad for the WrestleMania 24 DVD and Blu-ray; featured an ad promoting McMahon’s Million Dollar Mania beginning the following week on Raw; included a backstage segment in which WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin kept Hornswoggle’s hat away from him until Finlay appeared, with Hornswoggle then spraying the tag team champions with a water gun; featured a backstage segment with La Familia, during which Edge asked Chavo to be his best man at the wedding; included an ad for “The Rock: The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment;” featured footage from a press conference held earlier in the day in Los Angeles regarding Raw’s million dollar giveaway, with appearances from Vince McMahon, Triple H, John Cena, and Maria; included Eve conducting a backstage interview with Batista regarding his upcoming match:
Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) pinned Chuck Palumbo in a Belfast Brawl at 4:45 after hitting Palumbo with his own chain after Palumbo became distracted by Hornswoggle; after the bout, MVP was shown watching the show from the skybox
The Great Khali defeated Deuce & Domino in a handicap match at 1:49 by pinning Domino after hitting the two-handed choke throw on each
Cousin Sal (w/ Roddy Piper & Jimmy Kimmel) pinned Santino Marella at 3:22 with a roll up after Kimmel tripped Marella behind the referee’s back; Sal used Huey Lewis & the News’ “Workin for a Living” as his theme song for the match; prior to the bout, Sara Silverman was shown sitting in the front row; Sal wore a kilt to the ring before the contest; after the match, Marella attacked Sal from behind and cornered Kimmel until Piper knocked him to the floor; after the commercial break, Eve conducted a backstage interview with Kimmel and Sal regarding the win, with Kimmel answering all Sal’s questions before introducing the Big Show as Sal’s next opponent; Sal then put Kimmel in a headlock until Show carried him away
Natalya defeated Cherry, Maryse, Victoria, Layla, and Michelle McCool in a Golden Star on a pole match at 2:25 after knocking Victoria and Michelle off the turnbuckle; pre-match stipulations stated the winner would be one of the two women to compete for the newly-created Smackdown! Women’s Title
Vladimir Kozlov pinned Jimmy Wang Yang with a belly to belly suplex at 2:02
Batista, Colin Delaney, Sho Funaki, & Nunzio (mystery partners) defeated World Heavyweight Champion Edge (w/ Vickie Guerrero), Curt Hawkins, Zach Ryder, & Chavo Guerrero Jr. (w/ Bam Neely) at 13:56 when Batista pinned Ryder with the sit-down powerbomb after kicking him as he came off the turnbuckle; pre-match stipulations stated Batista would not receive a title shot against Edge if his team lost
Dark match after the taping: Batista defeated World Heavyweight Champion Edge & Vickie Guerrero in a handicap match by pinning Edge after a low blow; after the bout, Batista press slammed Vickie to the floor, onto Curt Hawkins, Zach Ryder, & Chavo Guerrero Jr. who were at ringside
– 6/5/08: D-Lo Brown signed a contract to rejoin the WWE.
WWE (Raw) @ Redding, CA – Convention Center – June 7, 2008 (2,000; 100 short of a sell out)
During the show, fans were picked out of the crowd to be guest seconds and referees; to tie into McMahon’s Million Dollar Mania, the fans were paid $200 for their efforts
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James defeated Beth Phoenix
Lance Cade defeated Trevor Murdoch
Paul Burchill & Katie Lea defeated Super Crazy in a handicap match
Jeff Hardy defeated Snitsky
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Carlito & Santino Marella
Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Jim Duggan
John Cena defeated John Bradshaw Layfield
WWE World Champion Triple H defeated Umaga
WWE @ Fresno, CA – Save Mart Center – June 7, 2008 (6,000)
Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore defeated Jason Styles & Brian Cage; Cage had to be helped backstage after the match after sustaining an injury
ECW – featured a backstage segment in which a blonde woman known as Tiffany was shown in Teddy Long’s office, with Armando Estrada then appearing and trying to impress the girl until Long came into the office; Long then said Estrada would get a WWE contract if he could beat Finlay later in the show; included an ad promoting the WWE draft June 23; featured an ad for “The Rock: The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment;” included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE programming can be seen in 465 million homes worldwide; featured an in-ring promo by Mark Henry regarding his recent confrontation with the Big Show and then called Show out; after Show appeared, Henry congratulated him on his win at One Night Stand and said if Show were to win the ECW World Title from Kane then he wanted the first title shot; Henry then asked to shake Show’s hand, with Show shaking it before giving Henry a warning, with Henry then leaving ringside; Show then cut a promo that he would win the title at Night of Champions; as Show left ringside, Kane appeared for his scheduled match, with the two men coming face to face before Show let Kane pass:
Kofi Kingston & Evan Bourne (Matt Sydal) defeated Mike Knox & Shelton Benjamin at 4:25 when Bourne pinned Knox with a springboard missile dropkick as Knox was down on the mat; prior to the bout, Bourne cut an insert promo on his history as a wrestler and now being in the WWE (Sydal’s debut as Bourne)
Victoria defeated Kelly Kelly via referee’s decision at 3:56 when referee Scott Armstrong stopped the match after Victoria shoved Kelly off the apron as she had a headscissors applied on the apron, with Kelly hitting the floor face-first
Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) pinned Armando Estrada with the Celtic Cross at the 51-second mark; after the bout, Teddy Long appeared and gave Estrada another chance to prove himself by facing Colin Delaney, with Finlay then hitting Estrada with the shillalagh
Colin Delaney pinned Armando Estrada with a DDT at the 9-second mark; after the bout, Finlay congratulated Delaney on the win; moments later, Teddy Long told Estrada he would have one more chance to prove himself by facing Hornswoggle
Hornswoggle (w/ Finlay & Colin Delaney) pinned Armando Estrada with the frog splash at the 7-second mark; after the bout, as Finlay, Hornswoggle, and Delaney celebrated, Finlay hit Delaney with the shillalagh and then continued to celebrate
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated ECW World Champion Kane & CM Punk at 11:20 when Morrison pinned Punk with a kick to Punk’s injured ribs and the Moonlight Drive as Mizanin prevented Kane from breaking the cover; during the bout, a crawl at the bottom of the screen advertised an uninterrupted version of the show airing the following day on WWE.com at 4 p.m.
Smackdown! – 6/13/08 – featured an opening in-ring segment in which Vickie Guerrero signed the contract for the World Heavyweight Champion Edge vs. Batista match at Night of Champions before informing Batista he would have to wrestle one more match in order to receive the title shot and it would be against the Great Khali; Batista agreed, signed the document, and left ringside until Vickie announced that a stipulation of the contract read Batista would be banned from the WWE if he didn’t beat Khali later in the show; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE programming is watched by more than 15 million people each week in the US; featured highlights of Batista winning the 2005 Royal Rumble; included an ad for “The Rock: The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment;” featured Eve conducting a backstage interview with Edge regarding Batista’s match with Khali later in the show and facing Edge at Night of Champions, during which CM Punk interrupted, congratulated Edge on his wedding July 11, and showed off his Money in the Bank, implying he would cash in his title shot during Edge’s wedding; included a backstage segment with Edge, Vickie, wedding planner Alicia Fox, and MVP in which Edge complained to Vickie about Punk’s challenge before MVP asked for his contract to be renegotiated; Vickie said she would be willing to look at the contract if MVP could take care of Punk; featured an ad for registering for McMahon’s Million Dollar Mania at WWE.com; included a video package on Khali; featured an ad promoting the WWE draft June 23; included footage of Edge winning the title at One Night Stand and banning the Undertaker from the WWE; featured footage of Batista winning the World Heavyweight Title from Triple H at WrestleMania 21; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE broadcasts in 23 languages to more than 130 nations worldwide; featured Eve conducting a backstage interview with Vladimir Kozlov with Kozlov replying to her question in Russian; included footage of Batista winning the World Heavyweight Title from Booker T at the 2006 Survivor Series; featured footage of Khali assaulting Batista with the head vice in Sept. 2007; included an ad for the WrestleMania 24 DVD and Blu-ray:
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion John Morrison (w/ WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Mike Mizanin) pinned Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) with a roll up at 5:24 after Finlay became distracted by Mizanin going after Hornswoggle on the floor
Mark Henry pinned Tommy Dreamer with the powerslam at 2:30; prior to the bout, Henry cut a promo on the Big Show, during which he showed a photo of Show’s bruised face after One Night Stand and then an altered version which symbolized what Show would look like if he were to face Henry
Cherry pinned Maryse at 2:42 with a hammerlock DDT
MVP defeated CM Punk via disqualification at 18:43 when referee Charles Robinson turned around to find Punk holding his Money in the Bank briefcase after kneeing it into MVP’s face as MVP attempted to use it as a weapon behind the referee’s back
WWE US Champion Matt Hardy pinned Chuck Palumbo in a non-title match with the Twist of Fate at 3:25; prior to the bout, Chavo Guerrero Jr., with Bam Neely, cut an in-ring promo announcing he would be Edge’s best man for the wedding and then introduced Hardy as the man he would challenge at Night of Champions; after the contest, Guerrero, who remained ringside with Neely, announced Hardy as the winner and the man that would lose the US title at the pay-per-view
Jesse & Festus defeated Deuce & Domino at 3:56 when Festus pinned Domino with a sit-down splash after an uppercut; after the bout, Deuce & Domino argued over the loss with the two coming to blows until Domino left ringside
Batista pinned the Great Khali with the spear at 5:12; early in the bout, Vickie Guerrero and World Heavyweight Champion Edge appeared on the entrance stage to watch the match; late in the bout, Batista kicked out of the two-handed choke throw; pre-match stipulations stated Batista would be banned from the WWE if he lost
Dark match after the taping: Batista defeated World Heavyweight Champion Edge & the Great Khali in a handicap match by pinning Edge with the sit-down powerbomb
WWE @ Stockton, CA – Arena – June 8, 2008 (4,500; sell out)
During the show, fans were picked out of the crowd to be guest seconds and referees; to tie into McMahon’s Million Dollar Mania, the fans were paid $200 for their efforts
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Carlito & Santino Marella
Ted Dibiase Jr. pinned Jim Duggan with his feet on the ropes for leverage
Brian Kendrick pinned Snitsky; after the bout, Snitsky attacked Kendrick
Paul Birchill & Katie Lea defeated Super Crazy in a handicap match
Lance Cade pinned Trevor Murdoch
WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho pinned Jeff Hardy with the Code Breaker; Jericho worked heel as the match progressed
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James pinned Beth Phoenix
John Cena pinned John Bradshaw Layfield
WWE World Champion Triple H pinned Umaga in a No DQ match with the Pedigree after hitting the challenger with the sledgehammer; the stipulation was decided by the fans through a text poll, beating out a Best 2 out of 3 falls match and falls count anywhere match
WWE @ San Jose, CA – HP Pavilion – June 8, 2008
Elijah Burke defeated Sho Funaki
ECW – 6/17/08 – featured WWE.com exclusive video of Layla dancing during the first commercial break; included an ad promoting the WWE draft the following Monday; featured an ad for “The Rock: The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment;” included a backstage segment with Teddy Long, Tiffany, Finlay, & Hornswoggle in which Finlay & Hornswoggle signed their contract to face WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin at Night of Champions; moments later, Mizanin appeared and protested the title match, with Finlay then knocking him onto a couch with the shellalagh; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read ECW is the highest rated show on the Sci-Fi Network among all key demographics:
Hornswoggle pinned Armando Estrada at 2:03 with the frog splash after Finlay interfered from underneath the ring; after the match, Tazz interviewed Finlay at ringside about what’s under the ring
Evan Bourne pinned Matt Striker with a Shooting Star Press at 2:34; after the bout, Mike Knox attacked Bourne
Kofi Kingston defeated Mike Knox via disqualification at 2:54 when Shelton Benjamin interfered and brawled with Kingston; moments later, Benjamin accidentally kicked Knox in the face when Kingston moved; after Kingston left ringside, Knox argued with Benjamin over the miscommunication
CM Punk pinned WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion John Morrison with the Go To Sleep at 7:22; after the bout, WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Mike Mizanin appeared – covering his swollen face – announced Morrison as still one half of the tag team champions and said he and Morrison would remain the title holders after Night of Champions
Smackdown! – 6/20/08 – featured an opening segment of the VIP Lounge in which MVP discussed the upcoming WWE Draft and said, without mentioning her name, that Vickie Guerrero was holding him back on Smackdown!; moments later, Vickie was wheeled out by Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder to respond; MVP then brought up his win the previous week over CM Punk, something Vickie asked him to do, and said that when his agent called to renegotiate his contract he was told Vickie wasn’t available; MVP then said he was feeling like Vickie didn’t want him on Smackdown!, with Vickie then putting him in a match with ECW World Champion Kane; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read that WWE DVD releases in 2007 reached #1 on the Sports DVD charts 15 times, with the WrestleMania 23 DVD being the top selling of the year; featured a backstage segment in which Vickie, with Edge, confronted referee Charles Robinson and claimed he had been biased against Edge and Chavo Guerrero Jr.; as punishment, Vickie said Robinson would be in a match later in the show; included an ad promoting the WWE Draft the coming Monday; featured an ad for “The Rock: The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment;” included a backstage segment in which Chavo wished Robinson good luck on his upcoming match; featured a video package highlighting WWE’s efforts with the Make A Wish Foundation, with footage of 50 Wish children in attendance at WrestleMania 24 and footage of the children with Rey Mysterio Jr., John Cena, Steve Austin, Michelle McCool, Linda McMahon, and others; included footage of Finlay hitting WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Mike Mizanin with his shillelagh during Tuesday’s ECW:
WWE US Champion Matt Hardy pinned Bam Neely (w/ Chavo Guerrero Jr.) in a non-title match with the Twist of Fate at 6:32; during the final moments of the match, Chavo was ejected by referee Charles Robinson for trying to interfere; after the commercial break, Guerrero, with Neely, complained to World Heavyweight Champion Edge backstage, during which Edge said Vickie made a match between himself and Hardy for the following week and she would take care of Robinson for his ejecting Chavo; in return for facing Hardy the following week, Edge had Chavo face Batista later in the show
Michelle McCool defeated Layla via submission with a heel hook at 4:01; Natalya Neidhart appeared on the entrance stage mid-way through to watch the match
Vladimir Kozlov pinned Jamie Noble at 3:42 with a headbutt to the chest as Noble jumped off the middle turnbuckle
ECW World Champion Kane defeated MVP via count-out in a non-title match at 6:57 when MVP opted not to get back in the ring after being knocked to the floor with a clothesline; after the match, Mark Henry appeared and hit the powerslam on the champion inside the ring
The Great Khali (mystery opponent) defeated Charles Robinson via KO with the head vice after landing the chop to the head at 1:26; prior to the match, Robinson attempted to run backstage but was cut off by Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder, who punched Robinson and threw him back into the ring; after the bout, Robinson was fitted with a neckbrace and taken backstage on a stretcher
Jesse & Festus defeated Deuce & Domino at 1:39 when Festus pinned Domino with a fireman’s carry into a face-first slam; after the bout, Deuce hit a running boot to the face on Domino as Domino attempted to get to his feet; moments later, Deuce dropped his and Domino’s leather jackets on his partner’s face
Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) pinned WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Mike Mizanin (w/ WWE Smackdown! Tag Team John Morrison) with the Celtic Cross at 4:39 after Mizanin & Morrison became distracted by Hornswoggle on the floor; Morrison provided guest commentary for the match until late in the match
Batista defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. (w/ Bam Neely) via count-out at 5:37 when guest referee, World Heavyweight Champion Edge, gave Batista a fast count as Batista confronted an interfering Neely on the floor; prior to the bout, Vickie Guerrero appeared on the stage and said since Charles Robinson couldn’t referee the match as scheduled, she named Edge as the stand-in official; Vickie remained on the stage for the duration of the match; pre-match stipulations stated Batista couldn’t touch Edge during the match or he would forfeit his title match at Night of Champions; after the contest, Curt Hawkins, Zach Ryder, Chavo, Neely, and Edge ganged up on Batista, with Edge eventually hitting the spear on Batista after the other men held Batista in place
– 6/9/08: Only weeks after his win at WrestleMania 24, Floyd Mayweather announced his retirement from boxing.
– 6/9/08: Jimmy Wang Yang (James Yun) was suspended for 30 days for violating the Wellness Policy.
WWE @ Oakland, CA – ORACLE Arena – June 9, 2008 (8,500)
The return to Oakland after a 5-year absence
Bryan Danielson pinned Lance Cade at around the 10-minute mark with Cattle Mutilation
Raw – featured the announcement that “WWE Universe” was the password for McMahon’s Million Dollar Mania; included Vince McMahon calling someone to offer them $200,000 and getting the ringtone to the tune of Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up;” after hanging up and trying again, McMahon gave the money to Daniel Premise from Twenty Nine Palms, CA; several members of the Oakland Raiders were shown in attendance; featured McMahon calling Justin Black and awarding him $75,000; included an ad for the WrestleMania 24 DVD and Blu-ray; featured a backstage segment with John Cena and WWE World Champion Triple H regarding their upcoming match at Night of Champions; included Charlie Haas assisting McMahon as he tried several times to make a call, with the line ultimately being busy; Haas then dialed Donna Rose and awarded her $50,000, with McMahon offering Donna $100 for every diva Haas kissed; Maria then appeared, with Haas kissing her and McMahon offering to up the prize if he kissed another diva, with Mae Young then appearing; as Mae kissed Haas, Ron Simmons appeared and said “Damn;” featured a backstage promo by John Bradshaw Layfield in which he said none of the fans deserved McMahon’s money but Cena deserved the beating he was about to receive; included an ad promoting the WWE Draft June 23; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE broadcasts in 23 languages to more than 130 nations; featured the announcement ECW World Champion Kane would team with someone to face WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin the following night on ECW; included McMahon asking Lilian Garcia to stand up, gave her measurements, added them up to get 98, and then called Stephanie Green and gave her $98,000; featured Shawn Michaels as a guest of the Highlight Reel in which WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho pointed out that Michaels is adored no matter what he does while he himself is booed for no apparent reason; moments later, Jericho clotheslined Michaels, with the two men rolling around and brawling until Jericho landed a low blow and threw Michaels head-first into the flat screen TV on his set; Jericho then left ringside as Michaels was tended to in the ring; included a video package highlighting WWE’s efforts with the Make A Wish Foundation, with footage of 50 Wish children in attendance at WrestleMania 24 and footage of the children with Rey Mysterio Jr., John Cena, Steve Austin, Michelle McCool, Linda McMahon, and others; featured Jillian Hall and Trevor Murdoch in an in-ring sing off before McMahon called Sarah Fuhrmann and awarded her $2; moments later, McMahon called Joshua Smith in Long Beach, MS and gave him $200,000, with Joshua cussing in excitement; the on-air audio was cut off when he said it; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read Raw is the most-watched regularly scheduled program on US cable TV; featured a closing segment in which McMahon thanked the fans and the USA Network, announced he would give another $1 million the following week, and then called Steve Rosenzweig and awarding him $250,000:
Ken Kennedy pinned Paul Burchill (w/ Katie Lea) at 3:13 with the Mic Check; after the bout, Katie slapped Kennedy inside the ring, with Burchill then attacking Kennedy from behind and dropping him with the Twisted Sister
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James pinned Beth Phoenix in a non-title match at 2:30 with a Thesz Press off the top; after the bout, Phoenix attacked Mickie until Melina appeared, attacked Beth, and dropped her with a facebuster from the top
John Cena pinned John Bradshaw Layfield at 10:08 with an inside cradle; WWE World Champion Triple H provided guest commentary for the match; after the bout, Triple H stood on the broadcast table and held the title belt in the air at Cena, with Cena then getting on the table as well to come face to face with the champion; Triple H then stepped off the table but tripped Cena, causing him to fall
Umaga & Snitsky defeated WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes in a non-title match at 3:04 when Umaga pinned Rhodes with the thumb strike to the throat; after the bout, Ted Dibiase Jr. appeared on the stage and said ever since he issued a challenge to the champions they’ve been losing; he then said he and his mystery partner would have the titles at Night of Champions
Cryme Tyme defeated Carlito & Santino Marella at 3:22 when Shad pinned Santino with a modified side Russian legsweep; prior to the bout, footage was shown from the previous week’s Smackdown! of Cousin Sal beating Marella; after the contest, Vince McMahon invited Cryme Tyme to the stage, said he would give $250,000 after the main event, and had them help him call Will Frank and award him $51,998
Jeff Hardy defeated WWE World Champion Triple H via count-out in a non-title match at 8:24 when John Cena, who provided guest commentary for the match, pulled the champion off the apron, moments after Triple H hiptossed Hardy onto Cena at ringside; after the contest, Triple H and Cena confronted each other at ringside, with Hardy eventually hitting a plancha onto both men
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Auckland, New Zealand – Vector Arena – June 11, 2008 (8,500)
Featured an opening segment in which Shane McMahon appeared and said that while Undertaker lost his match at One Night Stand, he had spoken with Vickie Guerrero and the two agreed to have Taker on the tour; included Bushwhacker Butch and Tony Garea as guests of the VIP Lounge, with MVP eventually sustaining the battering ram
WWE US Champion Matt Hardy pinned Chuck Palumbo
Michelle McCool defeated Victoria
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Finlay & Hornswoggle; after the bout, the challengers used the shillelagh and water gun on Morrison & Mizanin
CM Punk defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr.
The Undertaker & ECW World Champion Kane defeated the Great Khali & Mark Henry when Taker pinned Henry after Taker and Kane hit simultaneous chokeslams
Vladimir Kozlov defeated Shannon Moore
World Heavyweight Champion Edge defeated Batista by hitting him with the title belt after Bam Neely and Chavo Guerrero Jr. interfered; after the bout, the Undertaker appeared and dropped Edge with the tombstone
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Christchurch, New Zealand – Westpac Arena – June 12, 2008
ECW World Champion Kane defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr.
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Finlay & Hornswoggle
The Great Khali defeated Sho Funaki & Shannon Moore in a handicap match
Kofi Kingston defeated Shelton Benjamin
Vladimir Kozlov defeated Jamie Noble
Michelle McCool defeated Natalya Neidhart
CM Punk defeated Chuck Palumbo
The Undertaker, Batista, & WWE US Champion Matt Hardy defeated World Heavyweight Champion Edge, Mark Henry, & MVP
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Melbourne, Australia – Rod Laver Arena – June 13, 2008 (16,000; sell out)
CM Punk defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr.
Vladimir Kozlov defeated Jamie Noble & Shannon Moore in a handicap match
Kofi Kingston defeated Shelton Benjamin
Michelle McCool defeated Victoria
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Finlay & Hornswoggle
WWE US Champion Matt Hardy defeated Chuck Palumbo
The Undertaker & ECW World Champion Kane defeated MVP & Mark Henry when Taker pinned MVP with the tombstone
The Great Khali defeated Sho Funaki
Batista defeated World Heavyweight Champion Edge via disqualification when Chavo Guerrero Jr. and Bam Neely interfered; after the bout, the Undertaker appeared and dropped Edge with the tombstone
WWE (Raw) @ Boise, ID – Taco Bell Arena – June 14, 2008 (4,000)
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Cryme Tyme and Paul London & Brian Kendrick
Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Jim Duggan
Trevor Murdoch defeated Charlie Haas
Super Crazy defeated Santino Marella
Jeff Hardy defeated Lance Cade
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James defeated Beth Phoenix
Shawn Michaels defeated Snitsky
John Cena defeated Umaga in a No DQ match
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Adelaide, Australia – Entertainment Centre – June 14, 2008
Kofi Kingston defeated Shelton Benjamin
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jamie Noble & Shannon Moore
CM Punk defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr.
Michelle McCool & Kelly Kelly defeated Victoria & Natalya Neidhart
Finlay pinned the Great Khali after a low blow from Hornswoggle and using the shillelagh as a weapon
WWE US Champion Matt Hardy pinned Chuck Palumbo
Vladimir Kozlov defeated Sho Funaki
The Undertaker & ECW World Champion Kane defeated MVP & Mark Henry when Taker pinned MVP with the tombstone
Batista defeated World Heavyweight Champion Edge via disqualification when Chavo Guerrero Jr. and Bam Neely interfered; after the bout, the Undertaker appeared and dropped Edge with the tombstone
WWE (Raw) @ Ogden, UT – Golden Spike Event Center – June 15, 2008
– 6/15/08: A McMahon’s Million Dollar Mania press conference was held at Times Square’s Hard Rock Cafe, with appearances from Vince McMahon, John Cena, WWE World Champion Triple H, Maria, and contest winners Steve Rosenzweig and Sarah Fuhrmann.
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Sydney, Australia – Acer Arena – June 15, 2008 (16,000; sell out)
WWE US Champion Matt Hardy pinned MVP
Michelle McCool & Kelly Kelly defeated Victoria & Natalya Neidhart
CM Punk defeated Shelton Benjamin
Mark Henry defeated Jamie Noble
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Finlay & Hornswoggle when Morrison pinned Finlay
Kofi Kingston defeated Chuck Palumbo
The Undertaker & ECW World Champion Kane defeated the Great Khali, Chavo Guerrero Jr., & Bam Neely in a handicap match when Taker pinned Guerrero with the tombstone
Vladimir Kozlov defeated Shannon Moore
Batista defeated World Heavyweight Champion Edge via disqualification when Chavo Guerrero Jr. and Bam Neely interfered; during the contest, Edge attempted to leave ringside until Shane McMahon appeared and threatened to strip him of the title if he didn’t continue the match; after the bout, the Undertaker appeared and dropped Edge with the tombstone
WWE @ Salt Lake City, UT – E-Center – June 16, 2008 (matinee) (11,000; sell out)
Paul London & Brian Kendrick defeated Santino Marella & Snitsky
Ron Killings defeated Mike Matson
Raw – featured an opening in-ring promo by John Cena in which he compared his upcoming match with WWE World Champion Triple H at Night of Champions to Hulk Hogan slamming Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III and Shawn Michaels winning the WWE World Title at WrestleMania XII; moments later, Triple H appeared and warned Cena over his costing Triple H a match against Jeff Hardy the previous week and said things have changed since Cena beat him at WrestleMania 22; Cena then responded by saying until Triple H beats him, despite having the title, he is nothing; after Triple H continued to make fun of Cena, Cena shoved the champion with the two men almost coming to blows until Vince McMahon interrupted to make sure the two men saved their fight for the pay-per-view; McMahon then announced the password as “Watch Raw & Win” as security guards appeared with McMahon’s $1,000,000; McMahon then said Cena would face Umaga in the opening match and it would be a streetfight; Triple H then wished Cena good luck and said he hoped Cena doesn’t get hurt; included McMahon calling Denzel Parker from Virginia Beach, VA and awarding him $125,000, but only after getting Parker to bark like a dog; featured an ad promoting the next week’s 3-hour WWE draft episode; included McMahon calling Michael Layva in Monroe, NC and awarding him $100,000; featured an ad for “The Rock: The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment;” included Jim Duggan, dressed in a tux and with his 2×4 wearing a tux, helping McMahon call a man to award him $50,000; the call went to voice mail, with McMahon letting the man know he blew it by not picking up; moments later, Duggan dialed a second number – with a DX ringtone – and Jesse Jordan in Bethel, OH won the money instead; Jordan then did a Duggan impression to end the call; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read there were over 300 live events in 2007, including 75 international shows; included McMahon calling Kyle Mathisen in Hoyt Lakes, MN and awarding him $175,000; featured an in-ring promo by WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho regarding his attack on Shawn Michaels the previous week, during which Jericho blamed the crowd for his actions; after challenging Michaels to come out, and he didn’t, Jericho called Michaels a coward until Ric Flair appeared; after the commercial break, Flair challenged Jericho to fight him in the parking lot, with Jericho following him backstage; after Jericho went to open the exit door, he was met by Triple H; moments later, Triple H said he wanted to fight Jericho, with Jericho then walking away (Flair’s first appearance in 3 months); after the commercial break, Flair met with Triple H backstage until McMahon appeared and had Flair kicked out of the building by security since he was retired; McMahon then ordered Triple H to face Jericho later in the show; included McMahon calling Becky Carmon in Advance, NC and awarding her $16 instead of the expected larger figure; featured McMahon calling Alana Ayres in Westmont, IL and awarding her $174,984; included an ad for the WrestleMania 24 DVD and Blu-ray; featured McMahon calling Peter Maurer in Bloomville, NY and awarding him $75,000; included the announcement Finlay & Hornswoggle would face WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin at Night of Champions; featured a backstage segment with Triple H and Cena in which Cena wished Triple H good luck in his main event match and said he doesn’t get hurt; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE has published 40 books since 1999, 22 of which have been on the New York Times’ Best Seller list and three reached the #1 spot; featured McMahon calling Frank Turbeville in Haddon Township, NJ and awarding him $300,000:
John Cena pinned Umaga in a streetfight at 10:28 with the FU as Umaga attempted to hit him with the steel ringsteps
Maria defeated Eve, Jillian Hall, Lena, Layla, Melina, and Maryse in a bikini contest; Charlie Haas was the guest MC for the contest
Jeff Hardy pinned Carlito with the Twist of Fate and Swanton at 5:49 after avoiding the Back Stabber
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Cryme Tyme in a non-title match at the 12-second mark when Holly pinned JTG with a roll up after Cryme Tyme became distracted by Ted Dibiase Jr. at ringside
Paul Burchill & Katie Lea defeated Ken Kennedy & WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James at 4:06 when Katie pinned Mickie with a modified backbreaker after avoiding a move off the top
WWE World Champion Triple H defeated WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho via disqualification in a non-title match at 9:44 when Lance Cade attacked Triple H on the floor as the champion and Jericho fought outside the ring; after the bout, John Cena attempted to make the save until he and Triple H began fighting each other, with Jericho and Cade laying them out as the show came to a close
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Newscastle, Australia – Entertainment Centre – June 16, 2008
ECW World Champion Kane pinned Shelton Benjamin at the 5-minute mark with the chokeslam
CM Punk defeated Chuck Palumbo
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jamie Noble & Sho Funaki
Michelle McCool defeated Natalya Neidhart
Finlay defeated the Great Khali
Kofi Kingston defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr.
Vladimir Kozlov defeated Shannon Moore
The Undertaker, Batista, & WWE US Champion Matt Hardy defeated World Heavyweight Champion Edge, Mark Henry, & MVP when Taker pinned Edge with the tombstone
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Brisbane, Australia – Entertainment Centre – June 17, 2008
CM Punk defeated Jamie Noble and Chavo Guerrero Jr.
Kofi Kingston defeated Shelton Benjamin
Michelle McCool & Kelly Kelly defeated Natalya Neidhart & Victoria
The Great Khali defeated Shannon Moore
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Finlay & Hornswoggle
WWE US Champion Matt Hardy defeated Chuck Palumbo
The Undertaker & Kane defeated MVP & Mark Henry
Vladimir Kozlov defeated Sho Funaki
Batista defeated World Heavyweight Champion Edge via disqualification
– 6/18/08: WWE officially opened an office in Tokyo.
WWE (Raw) @ Las Cruces, NM – Pan American Center – June 20, 2008
Jim Duggan and Maria hosted the show and gave out $250 cash prizes for various questions asked to the audience
Ken Kennedy defeated Charlie Haas
Lance Cade pinned Trevor Murdoch
Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Super Crazy via submission with the Million $ Dream
Beth Phoenix defeated Melina
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes (w/ a fan from the crowd in their corner) defeated Paul London & Brian Kendrick when Holly pinned London with the Alabama Slam
Jeff Hardy pinned Paul Burchill
Shawn Michaels pinned Snitsky with the superkick
WWE World Champion Triple H defeated John Cena and Umaga in a No DQ match by pinning Umaga with the Pedigree after Cena dropped Umaga with the FU and Triple H knocked Cena to the floor; fans chose the stipulation at the begining of the show over a Best 2 out of 3 falls match and a falls count anywhere match
– 6/20/08: “Get Smart,” starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, opened in US theaters. The film also featured the Great Khali.
WWE @ Albuquerque, NM – The Pit – June 21, 2008
Jeff Hardy pinned Snitsky
Paul Burchill defeated Jim Duggan
Ken Kennedy defeated Charlie Haas
Lance Cade defeated Trevor Murdoch
Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Super Crazy
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Paul London & Brian Kendrick; London & Kendrick worked the match as heels
Beth Phoenix defeated Melina
WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho pinned Shawn Michaels with a roll up after Lance Cade distracted Michaels from the floor
WWE World Champion Triple H defeated John Cena and Umaga in a No DQ match by pinning Umaga with the Pedigree after Cena dropped Umaga with the FU and Triple H knocked Cena to the floor; fans chose the stipulation at the begining of the show over a Best 2 out of 3 falls match and a falls count anywhere match
WWE @ Amarillo, TX – Civic Center – June 22, 2008
Jeff Hardy defeated Snitsky
Paul Burchill defeated Jim Duggan
Ken Kennedy defeated Charlie Haas
Lance Cade defeated Trevor Murdoch
Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Super Crazy
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Brian Kendrick & Paul London
Melina defeated Beth Phoenix
WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho defeated Shawn Michaels
WWE World Champion Triple H defeated Umaga and John Cena
WWE @ San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center – June 23, 2008 (announced as 15,183; 12,000; sell out)
Shad Gaspard defeated Domino
Raw – 3-hour WWE Draft – featured Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler on commentary for Raw, Michael Cole & Mick Foley on commentary for Smackdown!, and Mike Adamle & Tazz on commentary for ECW; included the announcement that “Night of Champions” would be the password for McMahon’s Million Dollar Mania; featured Vince McMahon announcing he would award 5 people $100,000 each and then another person $500,000; moments later, he had Kelly Kelly come out and help him call Crystal Vega in Bronx, NY – with McMahon initially saying she lost because he misheard her – but then awarded her $100,000, with Kelly then dancing; included a backstage segment with Rey Mysterio Jr. and WWE World Champion Triple H in which Triple H welcomed Mysterio to Raw, with John Cena then appearing and arguing over their altercation the previous week; Triple H then argued he hadn’t gotten over WrestleMania 22 and knew Cena wasn’t as good as him, with Cena then using Ric Flair’s “To be the man, you have to beat the man;” Triple H responded by saying Cena was nothing until he took the title from him; featured McMahon introducing Randy Orton, his arm in a sling, who cut a promo on the stage saying it would be in Cena and Triple H’s best interests if he was drafted because he would be back to take the title, no matter who holds it; Orton then walked off and told McMahon he wasn’t in the mood to help him give away money; McMahon then announced the main event would be Cena vs. World Heavyweight Champion Edge; moments later, McMahon called Samira in Hamtramck, MI, awarding him $100,000; McMahon then asked who Samira thought would win the match between Cena and Triple H, with Samira saying Triple H; included an in-ring promo by WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho in which he blamed the fans for thinking Shawn Michaels was a decent human being while at the same time treating Jericho so poorly; Jericho then showed a video package of Michaels throwing Marty Jannetty through a plate glass window on 1/11/92, turning on Diesel during the 1994 Survivor Series, superkicking Hulk Hogan on 7/4/05 and Cena on 3/26/07, and faking his knee injury against Batista at Backlash as proof Michaels was a liar; Jericho then said he refused to let the fans continue to cheer for him and then introduced Lance Cade, who appeared on the big screen; Jericho then spoke to Cade about training at Michaels’ wrestling academy, with Cade saying he wasn’t going to give Michaels the chance to turn on him; Jericho then mentioned he didn’t have an opponent for Night of Champions, with Michaels then appearing, with the area around his right eye bandaged; the two brawled out to the floor where Jericho caused Michaels to fall face-first into the Smackdown! commentary table, hurting his eye again; moments later, medics tended to Michaels on the floor; featured an ad for the WrestleMania 24 DVD and Blu-ray; included Ric Flair appearing to help McMahon call Donna in Selden, NY and award her $100,000, with Flair then giving a “Whoooo;” featured footage of WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James taking part in the “Dreams Take Flight” program at Disney World; included the Great Khali helping McMahon call a man who said they had the wrong number; moments later, McMahon tried again and called Justin in Somerset, NJ and awarded him $100,000; featured an ad for “The Rock: The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment;” … included a closing segment in which McMahon called Michael and awarding him $500,000; moments later, a piece of the stage fell, followed by McMahon falling off the stage and part of the scaffolding falling on top of him; moments later, Triple H, Cena, Edge, and others helped hold it up while McMahon was tended to underneath; moments later, after he was fitted with a neckbrace, McMahon came to and asked for Paul (Triple H):
WWE World Champion Triple H (Raw) pinned Mark Henry (Smackdown!) with the Pedigree in a non-title match at 5:21 after avoiding a splash; Jim Ross & Mick Foley provided commentary for the match; during the bout, it was announced Henry had challenged the winner of the ECW World Champion Kane vs. Big Show match at Night of Champions; as a result of the win, Raw drafted Rey Mysterio Jr.; after the contest, Mysterio came out to the ring and shook Triple H’s hand (Mysterio’s first appearance in 4 months)
Finlay & Hornswoggle (Smackdown!) defeated Santino Marella & Carlito (Raw) at 2:19 when Hornswoggle pinned Marella with the frog splash after Finlay dropped Marella with the Celtic Cross behind the referee’s back; Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler provided commentary for the match; as a result of the win, Smackdown! drafted Jeff Hardy; after the contest, Hardy appeared on the stage; moments later, Randy Orton, his arm in a sling, was shown watching backstage
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes (Raw) defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. & Bam Neely (ECW) in a non-title match at 2:06 when Holly pinned Guerrero with the Alabama Slam; Mike Adamle, Lawler, & Ted Dibiase Jr. provided commentary for the match; Dibiase had his father’s new autobiography at the broadcast table with him; as a result of the win, Raw drafted CM Punk; after the contest, Punk appeared on the stage
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin (ECW) defeated Jeff Hardy & WWE US Champion Matt Hardy (Smackdown!) in a non-title match at 8:15 when Morrison pinned Matt with a roll up and grabbing the tights for leverage; prior to the bout, Vickie Guerrero appeared on the stage with Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder and said she initially was going to have the ECW team face Hawkins & Ryder but recent developments forced her to change her mind; the three then went backstage, with the Hardys then appearing; as a result of the win, ECW drafted Matt Hardy
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James & Melina (Raw) fought Natalya Neidhart & Victoria (Smackdown!) to a double disqualification at 2:58 when all four began brawling on the floor; prior to the bout, it was announced Mickie would defend against Katie Lea at Night of Champions; Melina sustained a legit knee injury mid-way through the bout after she fell off the top to the floor, injuring her ankle; as a result of the decision, both brands received drafts – Michael Cole to Raw and Jim Ross to Smackdown!; after the commercial break, footage was shown of Melina being helped to the back (Melina’s last appearance for 5 months)
John Cena (Raw) defeated World Heavyweight Champion Edge (Smackdown!) via count-out in a non-title match at 7:44 after Cena knocked the champion into the ringpost and Edge refused to return to the ring; after the bout, Batista attacked Edge in the aisle, chased Edge back into the ring, and then knocked him to the floor; as a result of the win, Raw drafted Batista
MVP (Smackdown!) pinned Tommy Dreamer (w/ Colin Delaney) (ECW) with the running boot to the face at 2:39; as a result of the win, Smackdown! drafted Umaga; after the bout, Umaga appeared and laid out both Dreamer and Delaney
John Bradshaw Layfield (Raw) pinned Kofi Kingston (ECW) with the Clothesline from Hell at 5:03; as a result of the win, Raw drafted ECW World Champion Kane; after the bout, Kane appeared on the stage
World Heavyweight Champion Edge (Smackdown!) won a battle royal by last eliminating John Cena (Raw) at around 17:41; as a result of the win, Smackdown! drafted Ken Kennedy and WWE World Champion Triple H; other participants included: ECW World Champion Kane (Raw), CM Punk (Raw), Kane (Raw), Batista (Raw), WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin (ECW), WWE US Champion Matt Hardy (ECW), Shelton Benjamin (ECW), Chavo Guerrero Jr. (ECW), the Big Show (Smackdown!), the Great Khali (Smackdown!), Jeff Hardy (Smackdown!), and MVP (Smackdown!); order of elimination: Khali by Batista, Cena, Kane, Punk, Benjamin, Hardy, Benjamin, Morrison, Guerrero, & Mizanin (2:20); Benjamin by Punk (3:44); Morrison & Mizanin by Batista (6:10); Show by Punk via a choke throw (during the commercial break); Guerrero by Jeff via a spin kick as Guerrero held Jeff’s other leg (11:09); MVP by Matt after MVP missed a running kick in the corner to Jeff (11:51); Matt by Jeff via a spin kick which knocked Matt off the apron (12:30); Jeff by Triple H via an elbow to the head, knocking Jeff off the apron (14:34); Batista by Show after being knocked off the apron (15:25); Kane by Show (16:01); Show by Triple H & Cena (17:28); Triple H by Cena after Edge knocked Cena into Triple H from behind (17:35); Cena by Edge (elimination times are approximate since the bout began during the commercial break)
WWE @ Houston, TX – Toyota Center – June 24, 2008 (11,500; announced at 14,748; sell out)
Tommy Dreamer pinned Kevin Thorn
ECW – featured an ad for “The Rock: The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment”:
CM Punk & WWE US Champion Matt Hardy defeated WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin in a non-title match at 11:22 when Hardy pinned Morrison with the Twist of Fate moments after Hornswoggle distracted Mizanin from the floor; prior to the bout, Teddy Long cut an in-ring promo in which he said he wished Vince McMahon a speedy recovery from his accident the night before on Raw and then introduced Hardy as the newest member of the ECW roster
Kofi Kingston pinned Shelton Benjamin in an extreme rules match at 8:16 with the spin kick to the face after Benjamin hit a trashcan in the corner face-first
Mike Knox pinned Evan Bourne with the Knox Out at 3:42 after catching Bourne in mid-air and hitting a backbreaker
Mark Henry pinned ECW World Champion Kane in a non-title match at 3:26 with the powerslam; the Big Show provided guest commentary for the bout; during the bout, a crawl at the bottom of the screen stated news on the supplemental draft would be available on WWE.com the following day at noon
Smackdown! – featured opening backstage comments by Vickie Guerrero in which she said her prayers and those of her family were with Vince McMahon following the stage accident Monday and said Smackdown! was the better brand following the draft; she then introduced Jim Ross as the new play-by-play announcer for the show; Ross then appeared and joined Mick Foley at ringside; included an in-ring promo by WWE World Champion Triple H regarding his arrival to the brand, praised Ross as the greatest announcer of all time, and said he’s home as long as he’s performing for the WWE fans; he then cut a promo on defending against John Cena Sunday at Night of Champions; World Heavyweight Champion Edge then interrupted and said they could both co-exist on Smackdown! and could get along; Triple H responded by saying it couldn’t happen because their egos were both too big and that Edge would be losing his title to Batista Sunday; Edge said he had always beaten Batista while Triple H had yet to prove he could beat Cena and then said Smackdown! was his house; moments later, Batista appeared, speared Edge on the floor, and then held up Edge’s title inside the ring as Triple H held up his own; featured a backstage segment with Vickie in which she was speaking with the wedding planner until Edge interrupted, complaining about Batista spearing him and taking his title; Vickie then told Edge to focus on facing WWE US Champion Matt Hardy later in the show; included a video package on Umaga to hype his match later in the night against Batista; featured a video package on Jeff Hardy set to Lostprophets’ “Rooftops,” followed by the announcement Hardy would return to Smackdown! the following week; included an ad for “The Rock: The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment;” featured the announcement that Ken Kennedy would return to Smackdown! the following week; included a backstage segment in which Hornswoggle gave Rey Mysterio Jr. his hat as a goodbye gift; featured an in-ring promo by Mysterio in which he said goodbye to the Smackdown! fans, thanked them for their support over the past 6 years, and invited them to watch him take on all new opponents on Raw; moments later, Batista, in possession of the World Heavyweight Title belt, came out for the main event and hugged Mysterio:
The Big Show & ECW World Champion Kane defeated MVP & Mark Henry at 5:24 when Kane pinned MVP with the chokeslam after Henry threw his partner back into the ring when he attempted to leave; prior to the bout, it was announced Henry would be added to the Show vs. Kane match at Night of Champions Finlay & Hornswoggle defeated Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder at 2:31 when Hornswoggle pinned Hawkins with the frog splash after Finlay hit the Celtic Cross; after the bout, WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin appeared at the entrance stage
World Heavyweight Champion Edge pinned WWE US Champion Matt Hardy in a non-title match at 12:58 with the spear after avoiding the Twist of Fate
Natalya Neidhart, Maryse, & Victoria defeated Michelle McCool, Cherry, & Kelly Kelly at 6:14 when Maryse pinned Cherry with a roll up
Vladimir Kozlov pinned Domino at 2:46 following a headbutt to the chest as Domino came off the top
Batista defeated Umaga via disqualification at 6:59 when World Heavyweight Champion Edge, Curt Hawkins, Zach Ryder, and Chavo Guerrero Jr. attacked Batista after Batista signalled for the sit-down powerbomb; prior to the match, Batista came out in possession of Edge’s title belt but Edge regained it during the melee after the contest; moments later, WWE World Champion Triple H came out and, with Batista, cleared the ring; Triple H and Batista then hit the Pedigree and sit-down powerbomb, respectively, on Hawkins & Ryder
WWE (Raw, Smackdown!, & ECW) @ Lubbock, TX – City Bank Coliseum – June 27, 2008
Kofi Kingston pinned Shelton Benjamin
Ted Dibiase Jr. pinned Super Crazy
Lance Cade pinned Trevor Murdoch; the match ended quickly because one of the ring ropes broke
The Big Show & WWE US Champion Matt Hardy defeated MVP & Mark Henry when Show pinned MVP with the chokeslam
ECW World Champion Kane pinned Chavo Guerrero Jr. with the chokeslam; after the bout, Kane laid out Bam Neely as well
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James defeated Katie Lea
WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho pinned Jeff Hardy with a roll up and grabbing the tights for leverage after Lance Cade distracted Hardy from ringside
WWE World Champion Triple H & Batista defeated World Heavyweight Champion Edge & John Bradshaw Layfield when Batista pinned Edge with the sit-down powerbomb
WWE (Raw, Smackdown!, & ECW) @ Abilene, TX – Taylor County Expo Center – June 28, 2008 (4,000)
Kofi Kingston defeated Shelton Benjamin
Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Super Crazy
Lance Cade defeated Trevor Murdoch
The Big Show & WWE US Champion Matt Hardy defeated MVP & Mark Henry
ECW World Champion Kane defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr.
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James defeated Katie Lea
WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho pinned Jeff Hardy with a roll up and grabbing the tights for leverage after Lance Cade distracted Hardy from ringside as Hardy attempted the Swanton
WWE World Champion Triple H & Batista defeated World Heavyweight Champion Edge & John Bradshaw Layfield when Batista pinned Edge with the sit-down powerbomb
Night of Champions 08 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center – June 29, 2008 (matinee) (announced at 16,151; 13,000 paid; sell out)
Jeff Hardy pinned MVP with the Swanton
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Jim Ross & Mick Foley on commentary for Smackdown!, Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler on commentary for Raw, and Mike Adamle & Tazz on commentary for ECW; included footage of John Cena defeating Triple H at WrestleMania 22; featured a text poll in which fans were asked whether it would be Cena or Batista that would bring a world title back to Raw; NFL Hall of Famer Tony Dorsett was shown in attendance; included a video package on the injury Vince McMahon sustained the previous week on Raw; featured Eve conducting a backstage interview with Batista regarding his title shot later in the show and being back on Raw; moments later, John Cena appeared and said by the end of the night Batista might not be the only world champion on Raw; CM Punk then appeared and said he hoped they both won, implying he would cash in his Money in the Bank against one of the two; included Todd Grisham conducting an interview with John Bradshaw Layfield in one of the luxury suites in which JBL complained over not having a match on the show and that it was only a matter of time before he had a title; featured a backstage segment with World Heavyweight Champion Edge, Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder, Vickie Guerrero, and the wedding planner in which Edge told Hawkins & Ryder he didn’t need anyone’s help beating Batista; included the results of the text poll in which 32 percent said Batista would win, 30 percent said Cena would win, 31 percent said both, and 7 percent said neither:
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Finlay & Hornswoggle at 8:48 when Morrison pinned Hornswoggle after throwing him off the top after Mizanin prevented Finlay from setting Morrison up for Hornswoggle’s frog splash
WWE US Champion Matt Hardy pinned Chavo Guerrero Jr. (w/ Bam Neely) at 9:21 by reversing the Three Amigos into the Twist of Fate
Mark Henry defeated ECW World Champion Kane and the Big Show to win the title at 8:19 by pinning Kane with a splash immediately after Kane hit a superplex on Show; late in the bout, Kane kicked out of Show’s chokeslam
Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes (mystery partner) defeated WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Hardcore Holly to win the titles at 1:34 when Dibiase pinned Holly with a Million $ Dream into a side Russian legsweep after Rhodes attacked Holly and dropped him with the DDT; prior to the bout, Dibiase came out alone for his match against Rhodes & Holly and said his partner was running late and asked to postpone the bout for later in the show; after agreeing to let the match go on, Dibiase said he wanted Holly in the ring with him first, with Rhodes then jumping Holly (Dibiase’s in-ring debut)
Kofi Kingston pinned WWE IC Champion Chris Jericho (w/ Lance Cade) to win the title in an unadvertised match at 11:01 with the spin kick to the face after Jericho knocked Shawn Michaels off the apron, moments after Michaels appeared ringside and dropped Cade with the superkick; prior to the bout, Jericho cut an in-ring promo claiming Michaels wasn’t going to be at the show because of the eye injury he sustained at the hands of Jericho, but that if the roles were reversed Jericho would have still shown up; after the contest, Michaels, his eye bandaged from the injury, was tended to by the referee and trainer; moments later, Jericho approached Michaels, with several referees running out to stand between the two but Jericho was able to punch Michaels in the injured eye (WWE Superstar Collection: Kofi Kingston)
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James pinned Katie Lea (w/ Paul Burchill) with the DDT at 7:17
World Heavyweight Champion Edge pinned Batista at 16:48 after hitting him with the title belt, moments after pulling Vickie Guerrero into the ring and then press slamming her onto replacement referee Chavo Guerrero Jr., Bam Neely, Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder on the floor; referee Mickey Henson was taken out of the match during the final moments after Edge pulled him out of the ring and punched him in the face, with Vickie – who appeared ringside late in the match with Hawkins & Ryder – then bringing out Chavo, alongside Neely, to be the replacement official
WWE World Champion Triple H pinned John Cena at 19:37 with the Pedigree after avoiding the FU (The John Cena Experience)
WWE @ Oklahoma City, OK – Ford Center – June 30, 2008 (9,800)
D-Lo Brown defeated Charlie Haas
Snitsky defeated Paul London
Raw – featured an opening pre-taped promo by Shane McMahon in which he said the McMahon family was keeping Vince McMahon’s condition private but asked the WWE talent and employees to pull together despite the previous week’s accident; the debut episode for the Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler commentary team; included an in-ring promo by Jim Ross in which he said he was excited to be part of Smackdown! but said he would miss his role on Raw and working with Lawler; he then said Cole would do a great job, which drew boos from the crowd, and hoped his fans would follow his career on Smackdown!; as Ross summed up his thoughts, World Heavyweight Champion Edge, Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder appeared, with Edge claiming no one cared about JR’s farewell address and would now have the opportunity to call his matches; after JR dropped the mic, protesting Edge’s comments, Hawkins & Ryder escorted Ross backstage; Edge then cut an in-ring promo which lead into the opening contest; featured an in-ring promo by Rey Mysterio Jr. in which he congratulated CM Punk on his title win and then discussed having spent his entire WWE career on Smackdown!; moments later, Santino Marella appeared, claimed only ugly or stupid people wear masks or Batman, and claimed Mysterio wasn’t Batman; Marella then showed Mysterio’s new WWE Magazine cover and compared it to his own photo he tried to get on the magazine cover; moments later, Marella tried to attack Mysterio but Mysterio fought him off and hit the 619; included an ad for “Nature Boy Ric Flair: The Definitive Collection;” featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE video games have sold more than 39 million copies during the decade; included Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Punk regarding his title win until John Bradshaw Layfield interrupted, claimed Punk beat a defenseless man, and challenged him to a title match later in the show; featured an in-ring promo by John Cena in which he commented on his loss the previous night at Night of Champions, praised Punk’s title win, and then questioned whether Punk should face JBL or himself later in the show, leaving the option up to the champion; moments later, JBL appeared, said he was declaring martial law, and brought out several of his own security guards to escort Cena out of the building before his title match; Cena attempted to fight off the guards but was held back, with JBL landing several free shots before the guards pulled Cena backstage and out the door; included a backstage segment with Katie Lea and Paul Burchill in which Burchill said Katie Lea would be the next Women’s Champion and then went off to make sure she gets her title shot; moments later, Jamie Noble appeared and tried to impress Katie until Kane appeared and scared Noble ringside; moments later, Kane followed Noble ringside and dropped Noble with a chokeslam across the commentary table; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read that WWE DVD releases in 2007 reached #1 on the Sports DVD charts 15 times, with the WrestleMania 23 DVD being the top selling of the year; included backstage footage of Edge blaming Hawkins & Ryder for him losing the title before the three left the arena:
CM Punk pinned World Heavyweight Champion Edge to win the title in an unscheduled match at the 12-second mark with the Go To Sleep; prior to the bout, Edge cut an in-ring promo noting Raw didn’t have a world champion or general manager; as he went to leave ringside, Edge was confronted by Batista, who attacked Edge in and out of the ring before dropping him with the sit-down powerbomb; after Batista left ringside, Punk appeared to cash in his Money in the Bank title shot
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James pinned Jillian Hall in a non-title match with the Mick Kick at 2:14
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes defeated Steve Anthony & Darren Wade at 1:14 in a non-title match when Rhodes scored the pin with the DDT; after the bout, Rhodes cut an in-ring promo regarding his turn on Hardcore Holly at Night of Champions, claiming the advice from his father Dusty Rhodes put him in the wrong direction and he went out to find Dibiase before he even debuted; Dibiase then claimed they took what they wanted, which set them apart from others in their age group who were nothing but sheep
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston defeated Chris Jericho (w/ Lance Cade) via disqualification at around the 5-minute mark after referee Mike Chioda caught Jericho grabbing the tights for leverage during a pin attempt; prior to the bout, Jericho cut an in-ring promo on Shawn Michaels and challenged him to a match at the Great American Bash; after the bout, Jericho attacked Kingston from behind and injured his eyes (the bout began during the commercial break)
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk pinned John Bradshaw Layfield with the Go To Sleep at 5:34 after the challenger became distracted by John Cena & Cryme Tyme brawling with JBL’s security guards at ringside; after the bout, Punk jumped to the floor to aid Cena and Cryme Tyme in the fight
WWE @ Tulsa, OK – Convention Center – July 1, 2008
The return to Tulsa after a 2-year absence; in an untelevised segment, Michael Cole cut an in-ring promo to say goodbye to the Smackdown! brand, during which he was heavily booed, with Jim Ross then coming out and throwing Cole out of the ring
Vladimir Kozlov defeated Trevor Murdoch (Murdoch’s last match)
ECW – featured an opening in-ring promo by ECW World Champion Mark Henry regarding his title win over Kane and the Big Show; moments later, Tommy Dreamer, with Colin Delaney, interrupted, challenged Henry to a title match and then said Delaney represents the heart and soul of ECW; Dreamer then spoke of the history of the title and the sacrifices made to obtain it; Henry then said Dreamer would only get a title shot if Delaney could beat him later in the show; included a backstage segment with Dreamer and Delaney in which Delaney said he knew he didn’t have to go through with the match but he wanted to as a way to give back to Dreamer for what he’s done for him; featured a backstage segment with Teddy Long, Tiffany, and Atlas Ortiz with Long welcoming Atlas to ECW, during which Armando Estrada interrupted, complaining about his contract status; Long then ordered a match between Atlas and Estrada for later in the show; included an ad for “The Rock: The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment;” featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE broadcasts in 23 languages to more than 130 nations worldwide:
WWE US Champion Matt Hardy, Finlay, & Hornswoggle defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. (w/ Bam Neely), WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin at 11:28 when Finlay pinned Guerrero with the Celtic Cross after Hornswoggle hit the frog splash
Atlas Ortiz pinned Armando Estrada with a backslide at 5:06 (Ortiz’ debut)
ECW World Champion Mark Henry pinned Colin Delaney (w/ Tommy Dreamer) in a non-title match with the powerslam at 2:36; pre-match stipulations stated Dreamer would receive a title shot if Delaney won; after the bout, Dreamer checked on Delaney in the ring as Henry held the title belt in the air and left ringside
Smackdown! – featured an opening video package focusing on July 4 and involving the Smackdown! talent; included an in-ring segment of the VIP Lounge with guest World Heavyweight Champion Triple H, in which MVP congratulated Triple H on his win over John Cena at Night of Champions and welcomed him to Smackdown!; after the two traded words, Triple H showed footage from the previous Monday of CM Punk beating Edge for the WWE World Title and then defending against John Bradshaw Layfield, with the two then making fun of Edge losing the belt; moments later, Vickie Guerrero appeared, with Triple H congratulating her on her upcoming wedding and praising Edge for marrying the boss; he then suggested getting married at a drive-thru in Las Vegas, and noted you don’t even need to be conscious to go through; Vickie then praised Edge’s accomplishments, with Triple H then implying Vickie was fatter than the girls Edge typically goes out with; Vickie then announced Edge would challenge Triple H at the Great American Bash; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE held over 300 live events in 2007, 75 of which were held internationally; included a backstage segment with Vickie and the wedding planner in which Zach Ryder & Curt Hawkins appeared, with Vickie dressing them down for not helping Edge keep the title on Raw and then putting them in a match against Jesse & Festus; featured a backstage segment showing Edge arriving to the arena with his bags and staring down the backstage crew as he walked past them; included a video package highlighting Vladimir Kozlov; featured a backstage segment with Vickie and Edge in which she said what happened Monday was stupid and she didn’t give him permission to be on Raw, with Vickie then yelling back that she was still his boss; included a Jeff Hardy video package, to the tune of Lostprophets’ “Rooftops,” to hype his appearance later in the show; featured an ad promoting “Nature Boy Ric Flair: The Definitive Collection;” included a vignette promoting Maria’s Smackdown! debut the following week; featured a backstage segment with Edge, Hawkins & Ryder in which Edge complained about Vickie yelling at him; moments later, a stagehand told Edge that Vickie wanted to see him; Edge then walked into her office and told her he was the real GM of Smackdown!, with the two trading words until Vickie yelled at him to get out, with Edge then being locked out of the office; included a closing in-ring promo by Edge, claiming what happened to him Monday wasn’t fair but he would survive, despite lack of any support from Vickie, Hawkins & Ryder; as Edge prepared to tell a few “dirty little secrets” about Vickie, Vickie interrupted on the entrance stage; moments later, Edge confronted Vickie on the stage and said the wedding was off, with Vickie then going hysterical as the show came to a close:
Michelle McCool defeated Victoria, Cherry, Maryse, and Kelly Kelly in a Star on a pole match at 3:24; pre-match stipulations stated the winner would face Natalya Neidhart to determine the WWE Diva’s Champion; Neidhart provided guest commentary for the match (Natalya’s debut as a redhead)
Jesse & Festus defeated Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder at 3:18 when Festus pinned Ryder with the sit-down splash and fireman’s carry into a face-first slam; Festus dressed as Uncle Sam for the match; after the contest, Edge appeared, distracting Jesse while he was attacked from behind by Hawkins & Ryder; moments later, Edge dropped the prone Festus with the spear before whipping and stomping him; as Hawkins & Ryder held Jesse back, Edge went to the floor, returned with a steel chair, and hit Festus over the head with it, knocking him out
Jeff Hardy pinned WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion John Morrison at 12:50 with the Swanton after reversing the Moonlight Drive into a face-first suplex
Umaga pinned Sho Funaki with the thumb strike to the throat at 1:58
WWE US Champion Matt Hardy defeated Ken Kennedy, Chavo Guerrero Jr. (w/ Bam Neely), and Shelton Benjamin at 10:22 by pinning Guerrero after dropping Benjamin with the Twist of Fate onto Guerrero
Dark match after the taping: WWE World Champion Triple H & the Big Show defeated Edge & ECW World Champion Mark Henry when Triple H pinned Henry with the Pedigree after Edge walked out of the match
WWE (Raw) @ Santiago, Chile – Arena – July 2, 2008 (12,000; sell out)
Featured an opening in-ring segment in which Rey Mysterio Jr. apologized for not being able to wrestle on the show, with Carlito eventually interrupting; moments later, Batista appeared, with Carlito then sustaining the 619 and sit-down powerbomb
Lance Cade defeated Paul London
Jim Duggan defeated Charlie Haas
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Cryme Tyme
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James pinned Beth Phoenix; Santino Marella was the guest referee for the match
Shawn Michaels pinned Chris Jericho with the superkick, despite interference from Lance Cade
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk pinned Kane after a botched Go To Sleep
John Cena pinned John Bradshaw Layfield with the FU; both men received mixed reactions from the crowd
WWE (Raw) @ Lima, Peru – National Stadium – July 3, 2008 (20,000; 12,000 paid)
Jim Duggan defeated Carlito
Santino Marella defeated Charlie Haas
Lance Cade pinned Paul London
Jeff Hardy pinned John Bradshaw Layfield with the Twist of Fate and Swanton
WWE World Champion Triple H pinned John Cena following the second Pedigree of the match; Cena received a mixed reaction from the crowd
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James pinned Beth Phoenix
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Cryme Tyme
Shawn Michaels pinned Chris Jericho with the superkick, despite interference from Lance Cade
WWE @ Panama City, Panama – Figali Convention Center – July 4, 2008 (3,000 paid)
Included an in-ring promo by Rey Mysterio Jr. which was interrupted by Carlito, who challenged Mysterio to a match; Batista then appeared, dropped Carlito with the sit-down powerbomb, and Mysterio followed with the 619
Lance Cade defeated Paul London
Jim Duggan defeated Charlie Haas
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Cryme Tyme
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James defeated Beth Phoenix; Santino Marella was the guest referee for the match
Shawn Michaels defeated Chris Jericho
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk defeated Kane
John Cena defeated John Bradshaw Layfield
– 7/4/08: Trevor Murdoch was released.
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Albany, GA – Civic Center – July 5, 2008
Ken Kennedy pinned Shelton Benjamin with the Mic Check
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jesse & Festus
Evan Bourne pinned Mike Knox with the Shooting Star Press
WWE US Champion Matt Hardy defeated Umaga and MVP
Maria & Cherry defeated Victoria & Natalya
The Great Khali defeated Ron Killings at around the 4-minute mark
The Big Show & Finlay defeated ECW World Champion Mark Henry & Chavo Guerrero Jr. when Show pinned Henry with the chokeslam
WWE (Raw) @ San Salvador, El Salvador – Adolfo Pineda National Gymnasium – July 5, 2008 (3,000 paid)
Featured an opening in-ring segment in which Rey Mysterio Jr. apologized for not being able to wrestle on the show, with Carlito eventually interrupting; moments later, Batista appeared, with Carlito then sustaining the 619 and sit-down powerbomb
Lance Cade defeated Paul London
Jim Duggan defeated Charlie Haas
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Cryme Tyme
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James pinned Beth Phoenix; Santino Marella was the guest referee for the match
Shawn Michaels pinned Chris Jericho with the superkick, despite interference from Lance Cade
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk pinned Kane with the Go To Sleep; after the bout, the two shook hands
John Cena pinned John Bradshaw Layfield with the FU; both men received mixed reactions from the crowd
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Pensacola, FL – Civic Center – July 6, 2008
Ken Kennedy pinned Shelton Benjamin with the Mic Check
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jesse & Festus
Evan Bourne pinned Mike Knox with the Shooting Star Press
WWE US Champion Matt Hardy defeated Umaga and MVP
Maria & Cherry defeated Victoria & Natalya
The Great Khali defeated Ron Killings at around the 4-minute mark
The Big Show & Finlay defeated ECW World Champion Mark Henry & Chavo Guerrero Jr. when Show pinned Henry with the chokeslam
WWE @ New Orleans, LA – Arena – July 7, 2008
Jim Duggan defeated Matt Striker
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Paul London & D-Lo Brown
Raw – featured an opening pre-taped promo by Stephanie McMahon in which she spoke of Shane McMahon’s message the previous week and encouraged the WWE staff to work together; included an in-ring promo by Vickie Guerrero in which she demanded World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk surrender the title to her and apologize; after Punk appeared, he argued he didn’t do anything to Edge that Edge hadn’t done to others and then suggested Vickie find someone else on Smackdown! to marry, like the Great Khali; after Vickie stood up from her wheelchair to slap Punk, John Bradshaw Layfield appeared, said he would have beaten Punk the previous week if it wasn’t for outside interference, and then challenged Punk to a title shot later in the show; Punk said JBL had his shot and lost, with JBL blaming the loss on John Cena; Cena then appeared and suggested he and JBL fight to determine Punk’s challenger at the Great American Bash; moments later, Batista appeared, with Cena then adding Batista to the #1 contenders match, despite JBL’s protest; Kane then came out and said he wanted in too, with Punk setting up a four-way match later in the broadcast; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read Raw is watched by more people on cable than baseball, basketball, and hockey; included Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Punk regarding the #1 contender match later in the show, during which a crew member dropped some equipment before Snitsky appeared and said Punk didn’t deserve to have the title in his first match on Raw; featured a backstage segment with Cena and WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James talking about the previous night, with Kelly Kelly then appearing and getting Mickie ready for their upcoming tag team match; included an ad for “Nature Boy Ric Flair: The Difinitive Collection;” featured a segment where John Cena came out of JBL’s limo, as JBL tried to get inside it after it was driven into the arena; Cena, armed with a crowbar, then said state laws wouldn’t permit JBL to drive his limo, with Cryme Tyme then appearing with baseball bats as Cena listed off the items on the limo that would have to be removed for it to be street legal; Shad & JTG then busted several windows, the windshield, and a side mirror before Cena spraypainted “JBL is poopy” on the hood; included an in-ring segment in which Shawn Michaels accepted Chris Jericho’s challenge for a match at the Great American Bash, with Jericho and Lance Cade then appearing; Jericho then cut a promo in which he said Michaels was being a martyr to the fans, for wrestling while injured, with Michaels replying that he could retire and be remembered forever while Jericho, despite his own accomplishments, wasn’t at peace and would never be what Michaels is; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE is consistantly in the Top 10 of Yahoo searches; included a shot of Batista preparing for the main event backstage, during which someone jumped in his shot and did a Batista pose before he was chased away by security:
Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned Santino Marella at 2:55 with the 619 and splash off the top
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James & Kelly Kelly defeated Jillian Hall & Layla at 3:29 when Kelly pinned Jillian with a victory roll after avoiding a handspring elbow
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk pinned Snitsky in a non-title match at 2:51 with the Go To Sleep; prior to the bout, Punk posed with the title belt on John Bradshaw Layfield’s vandalized limo; Snitsky broke his nose during the match
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston pinned Charlie Haas in a non-title match with the spin kick to the face at 3:19; after the bout, Paul Burchill attacked Kingston from behind, dropped him with the Twisted Sister, and the Curb Stomp
Batista defeated John Bradshaw Layfield, John Cena, and Kane at 12:40 by pinning Kane with the spear after avoiding a clothesline off the top; pre-match stipulations stated the winner would face Punk for the World Heavyweight Title at the Great American Bash; after Batista left ringside, an upset Kane kicked the ring steps, spoke jibberish to the commentary team, kicked a stage hand in the face, scared off Lilian Garcia, and then pulled Michael Cole into the ring; moments later, Kane attempted the chokeslam on Cole until Jerry Lawler clipped Kane in the leg, with Kane then assaulting Lawler before leaving ringside
WWE @ Baton Rouge, LA – River Center – July 8, 2008 (5,000)
Brian Kendrick (w/ Rycklon Stephens) defeated Sho Funaki
ECW – featured a backstage segment with Teddy Long and his assistant Tiffany, during which Armando Estrada interrupted and said he wanted his contract back; moments later, Braden Walker appeared, with Long making a match between Walker and Estrada for later in the show (the debut of TNA’s Chris Harris); included a backstage segment with Long and WWE Hall of Famer Tony Atlas, in which Long asked Atlas to be the guest ring announcer for the night’s main event; moments later, ECW World Champion Mark Henry appeared and declined to shake Atlas’ hand before walking off; featured Lena conducting a backstage interview with Atlas Ortiz regarding his debut victory the previous week, during which Ortiz asked to be referred to as Ricky; included a video package on WWE US Champion Matt Hardy to the tune of Sum 41’s “With Me;” featured a backstage segment with Atlas, Tommy Dreamer, and Colin Delaney, during which Dreamer praised Atlas for helping him in his younger days; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE has published 40 books since 1999, 22 of which have been on the New York Times’ Best Seller list and three reached the #1 spot; featured a backstage segment with Henry and Atlas in which Henry offered to let Atlas carry his bags if Atlas was looking for a pay day; included an ad for “Nature Boy Ric Flair: The Difinitive Collection”:
Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) pinned WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Mike Mizanin (w/ WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion John Morrison) at around the 10-minute mark with the Celtic Cross in an impromptu match after Mizanin became distracted by Hornswoggle in the ring; prior to the bout, Morrison & Mizanin cut an in-ring promo until they were interrupted by Finlay; after the two had words with Finlay, Hornswoggle appeared from underneath the ring and squirted the champions with a water gun before Finlay scared them from the ring (the bout began during the commercial break)
Braden Walker pinned Armando Estrada with a crossbody off the top (Walker’s in-ring debut)
Evan Bourne pinned Nunzio with the Shooting Star Press at 3:53; prior to the bout, an insert promo from Bourne aired
Tommy Dreamer (w/ Colin Delaney) fought ECW World Champion Mark Henry to a double count-out at 2:41 when, after guest ring announcer Tony Atlas threw Delaney into the commentary table after appearing to come to his air, Henry dropped Dreamer with the powerslam on the floor; after the bout, Atlas announced Henry as the winner
Smackdown! – featured an opening in-ring promo by Edge in which he said he stood by his actions the previous week in calling off his marriage to Vickie Guerrero and said Vickie wasn’t good enough for him; Edge then said he would prove all his doubters wrong by beating WWE World Champion Triple H at the Great American Bash; moments later, Vickie Guerrero, wheeled out by Zach Ryder & Curt Hawkins, said Edge would have a tune up match later in the show by facing the Big Show in a No DQ match; after Edge responded, Vickie called for his mic to be cut off; included a vignette promoting the Smackdown! debut of Maria; featured a backstage segment with Vickie, Ryder & Hawkins in which Ryder & Hawkins said Edge had abused them and they were behind Vickie; they then asked for a rematch with Jesse & Festus, which Vickie agreed to; included a backstage segment with Chavo Guerrero Jr., Bam Neely, and Edge in which Chavo supported Edge and said he would go to Vickie and straighten things out; featured a backstage segment with Chavo, Bam, and Vickie in which Chavo claimed Edge was a liar, going back on his comments with Edge moments earlier; Vickie then told Chavo to cut the crap and put him in a match later in the show against Triple H; included a video package of Jeff Hardy’s photo shoot for the cover of WWE Magazine, inspired by Tom Cruise in “Mission Impossible;” featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE video games have sold more than 39 million copies during the decade; included the announcement that Michelle McCool would face Natalya Neidhart at the Great American Bash to determine the first WWE Diva’s Champion; featured a vignette of Triple H, set to his theme music; included a backstage segment with Edge, Hawkins & Ryder, Chavo, and Neely in which all the men began arguing until Edge told them Vickie had been screwing with all of them and then asked for their help against Show later in the show, which they laughed at; Vickie then appeared and threatened to fire anyone who interfered on behalf of Edge, then threatened to fire Edge if he didn’t go through with the match:
Shelton Benjamin pinned WWE US Champion Matt Hardy in a non-title match at 5:02 with a reverse bulldog after blocking the Twist of Fate by grabbing the ring ropes
Ken Kennedy pinned Domino with the Mic Check at 3:01; MVP provided guest commentary for the match and, afterwards, starred at Kennedy from the floor before Umaga appeared, kicked Kennedy, and dropped him with the thumb strike to the throat
Finlay & Hornswoggle defeated WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin in a non-title match at 3:12 when Hornswoggle pinned Mizanin with the frog splash after Finlay hit Mizanin in the head with the shillalagh behind the referee’s back
WWE World Champion Triple H pinned Chavo Guerrero Jr. (w/ Bam Neely) in a non-title match with a reversal into the Pedigree at 3:54 after knocking Neely off the apron
Natalya Neidhart & Maryse defeated Michelle McCool & Cherry at 2:13 when Cherry submitted to Natalya’s Sharpshooter; after the bout, Natalya attacked Michelle, threw her to the floor, and hit a snap suplex outside the ring before noting she would take the WWE Diva’s Title at the Great American Bash
Jesse & Festus defeated Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder via count-out at 2:11 when Hawkins & Ryder got themselves counted-out so that the bell would ring and Festus would become stoic; moments later, Hawkins & Ryder laid out their opponents until Jesse was knocked to the floor and rang the bell a second time, with Festus then clearing the ring
Vladimir Kozlov pinned Stevie Richards at 2:44 with a headbutt to the back of the neck after Richards hit the corner (Kozlov’s debut with ring music)
The Big Show fought Edge to a no contest in a No DQ match at 11:27 when, as Show set Edge up for a Con-Chair-Two, Vickie Guerrero, who sat ringside for the duration of the contest, ordered referee Charles Robinson to stop the match and then covered Edge with her own body; prior to the bout, Vickie was wheeled ringside by Hawkins & Ryder; after the match, Vickie helped Edge up and then apologized for the way she had been acting, with Edge then apologizing back and agreeing to go ahead with their wedding; moments later, the two kissed as the broadcast ended
– 7/9/08: Ashley was released.
WWE (Raw) @ Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena – July 11, 2008
Kelly Kelly hosted the show
D-Lo Brown pinned Santino Marella
Paul London pinned Chuck Palumbo with the Shooting Star Press
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston pinned Paul Burchill with the spin kick to the face
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James pinned Beth Phoenix
Shawn Michaels pinned Lance Cade with the superkick
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk pinned Batista in a No DQ match after avoiding a spear, with the challenger then hitting a steel chair; fans chose the stipulation over a falls count anywhere bout and a Best 2 out of 3 falls match; after the contest, Batista attacked Punk and dropped him with the sit-down powerbomb
John Cena & Cryme Tyme defeated Kane, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. when Cena pinned Rhodes with the FU; during the bout, JTG was taken backstage after Kane assaulted him
WWE (Raw) @ Charleston, WV – Civic Center – July 12, 2008
Kelly Kelly hosted the show
D-Lo Brown pinned Santino Marella
Chuck Palumbo pinned Paul London
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston pinned Paul Burchill with the spin kick to the face
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James pinned Beth Phoenix
Shawn Michaels pinned Lance Cade with the superkick
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk pinned Batista in a No DQ match after avoiding a spear, with the challenger then hitting a steel chair; fans chose the stipulation over a falls count anywhere bout and a Best 2 out of 3 falls match; after the contest, Batista attacked Punk and dropped him with the sit-down powerbomb
John Cena & Cryme Tyme defeated Kane, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. when Cena pinned Rhodes with the FU; during the bout, JTG was taken backstage after Kane assaulted him
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Savannah, GA – Martin Luther King Jr. Center – July 12, 2008
Finlay pinned Carlito after Hornswoggle interfered and hit the frog splash (Carlito’s debut with a corn row haircut)
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jesse & Festus
WWE US Champion Matt Hardy defeated Shelton Benjamin and MVP by pinning MVP with the Twist of Fate
ECW World Champion Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas) pinned Tommy Dreamer with the powerslam after Dreamer went to attack Atlas on the apron
Jeff Hardy pinned Edge in a No DQ match with the Swanton; fans chose the stipulation via a text message poll
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Augusta, GA – James Brown Arena – July 13, 2008 (3,000)
Finlay defeated Carlito
The Great Khali defeated Evan Bourne
Ken Kennedy pinned Mike Knox
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jesse & Festus
WWE US Champion Matt Hardy defeated Shelton Benjamin and MVP by pinning MVP with the Twist of Fate
ECW World Champion Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas) pinned Tommy Dreamer
Jeff Hardy pinned Edge in a No DQ match after avoiding the spear, hitting a Twist of Fate onto a steel chair, and following with the Swanton; fans chose the stipulation via a text message poll
WWE (Raw) @ Roanoke, VA – Civic Center – July 13, 2008
Jamie Noble defeated Charlie Haas
D-Lo Brown defeated Santino Marella
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston defeated Paul Burchill
Paul London defeated Chuck Palumbo
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James defeated Beth Phoenix
Shawn Michaels defeated Lance Cade
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk defeated Batista in a No DQ match
John Cena & Cryme Tyme defeated Kane, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr.
WWE @ Raleigh, NC – RBC Center – July 14, 2008
D-Lo Brown defeated Matt Striker
Charlie Haas defeated Carl Oulette
Raw – featured an opening message from Shane & Stephanie McMahon in which they again urged the WWE talent to stick together and said that if things didn’t change then actions would be taken; immediately after, Shawn Michaels was shown brawling with Chris Jericho in the aisle, with Lance Cade then appearing before officials broke up the fight; after the three went backstage, Kane appeared with a bag, confronted Jerry Lawler at the broadcast table, and said he was sorry for the previous week’s attack on Lawler; Kane then left ringside, with cameras then picking up Michaels again brawling with Jericho backstage; included a backstage segment with Santino Marella and Matt Striker, with Kane then appearing and demanding Santino tell him where World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk was; after Kane left, Santino ate a handful of TUMS; featured the announcement that Jeff & WWE US Champion Matt Hardy would face WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin the following night on ECW; included a backstage segment with Kane and Punk in which Kane said he needed Punk in the ring, but not for the title, with Punk agreeing; featured a text poll over whether WWE World Champion Triple H, Punk, or ECW World Champion Mark Henry were in jeopardy of losing the title at the Great American Bash; included Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with John Cena regarding John Bradshaw Layfield’s challenge to face him in a New York City Parking Lot Brawl at the Bash, with Cena accepting and then challenging JBL to face Cena & Cryme Tyme later in the show in a six-man tag team match; featured WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. interrupting a Kelly Kelly match after Kelly made her entrance, with Rhodes & Dibiase telling her to leave because they had something to say; Rhodes then said he and Dibiase weren’t bad people, they were realistic people and they weren’t their fathers, they were better; after Dibiase said they were the future, Jim Duggan interrupted and said he had known Rhodes & Dibiase since they were kids and he, like their fathers, appreciated those that paved the way for them; Duggan then praised them for their ability but said they had a lot of growing up to do; Rhodes then said Duggan was a 54-year-old washed up guy trying to relive his glory days when they weren’t so glorious to begin with; Dibiase then pointed out Duggan was carrying around the same 2×4 he had 25 years ago and said he was pathetic; they then said Duggan needed to grow up and left the ring; moments later, JBL appeared on the big screen, praised Dibiase & Rhodes for their behavior, and offered them a spot as his tag team partners for the night’s main event, with them accepting; included an ad for “Nature Boy Ric Flair: The Difinitive Collection;” featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE.com gets more monthly hits than NFL.com, UFC.com, Maxim.com, FHM.com, and NASCAR.com combined; included a backstage segment with Jamie Noble and Layla in which Noble said they could be Raw’s power couple, with Layla turning him down and asking him to prove himself; Noble then said he would take the next guy to walk past and take him down in the ring; Snitsky then appeared and yelled at Noble to shut up, with Noble backing down until he challenged Snitsky to a match, despite Layla’s objections; the three then went out to the ring for a fight between Noble and Snitsky; it was noted during the fight that Snitsky broke his nose the previous week against World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk; Snitsky eventually won the fight following the pumphandle slam and left the ring; featured the results of the text poll in which Punk won with 55% to Triple H’s 20% and Henry’s 25%:
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James pinned Katie Lea (w/ Paul Burchill) with a Thesz Press off the top at 3:22; after the bout, Burchill held Mickie from behind as Katie landed several blows, with WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston then coming out and clearing the ring; moments later, Kingston challenged Burchill to an immediate title match
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston (w/ WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James) pinned Paul Burchill (w/ Katie Lea) in an impromptu match with the spin kick to the face at around the 8-minute mark after Mickie knocked Katie off the apron when she attempted to interfere (the bout began during the commercial break)
Beth Phoenix (surprise opponent) pinned Santino Marella with a roll up at 1:28; prior to the bout, Santino made an open challenge for anyone backstage to face him
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk defeated Kane via count-out in a non-title match at 6:23 after hitting a bulldog from the apron to the floor; after the bout, Kane threw a steel chair into the ring and then attacked Punk before trapping his head in the chair; as Kane attempted to come off the top onto Punk, Batista ran out, hit a spear on Kane, and knocked him out of the ring with the chair; Batista then helped Punk to his feet, with Punk extending his hand to Batista but Batista responding that he wasn’t his friend and he would take Punk’s belt; after Batista patted Punk on the cheek, Punk shoved him, with Batista then dropping Punk to the mat
Chris Jericho (w/ Lance Cade) defeated Paul London via submission with the Walls of Jericho at 2:59; after the bout, Jericho took the mic and told London he should learn from his loss and follow Jericho’s road that leads to greatness or follow Shawn Michaels’ road that leads to deciet and lies; moments later, Michaels appeared on the entrance stage and said neither he or Jericho would change each other’s mind and the worst is yet to come at the Great American Bash
John Cena & Cryme Tyme defeated John Bradshaw Layfield, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. via disqualification at 14:44 when JBL kicked Cena as Cena had Rhodes in the STFU; after the bout, JBL goaded Cena into chasing him backstage and outside the arena; moments later, JBL jumped Cena, knocking him out with a pipe, and then sat him against a nearby car; JBL then jumped inside his car and drove it into the car Cena was leaned against; moments later, JBL got out of his car and looked at the damage, appearing remorseful, as the show ended
Dark match after the show: Batista pinned World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk in a non-title match at the 2-minute mark with the sit-down powerbomb
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Asheville, NC – Civic Center – July 14, 2008
Finlay defeated Carlito
The Great Khali defeated Evan Bourne
Ken Kennedy pinned Mike Knox
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jesse & Festus
WWE US Champion Matt Hardy defeated Shelton Benjamin and MVP by pinning MVP with the Twist of Fate
ECW World Champion Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas) pinned Tommy Dreamer
Jeff Hardy pinned Edge in a No DQ match after avoiding the spear, hitting a Twist of Fate onto a steel chair, and following with the Swanton; fans chose the stipulation via a text message poll
WWE @ Charlotte, NC – Time Warner Cable Arena – July 15, 2008
R Truth pinned Domino with a sit-down face-first suplex
ECW – featured Tazz conducting an opening in-ring interview with ECW World Champion Mark Henry & Tony Atlas regarding the events of the previous week, with Atlas then prompting a fan from the crowd to try to bend a frying pan; after the fan failed, Atlas sent him back to his seat, with Henry then folding the pan into a taco shape; moments later, Tommy Dreamer appeared and said he had been working out and wanted a shot to try to bend the pan as well; after Dreamer failed, he hit Henry over the head with the weapon and left the ring; following the commercial break, Teddy Long had Dreamer ejected from the building as a result of his actions; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE video games have sold more than 39 million copies during the decade; featured a backstage segment in which Henry and Atlas confronted Colin Delaney, with Henry locking Delaney in a bearhug before throwing him:
Mike Knox pinned Shannon Moore at 2:28 with a Russian legsweep into a facebuster
Evan Bourne pinned Chavo Guerrero Jr. (w/ Bam Neely) with the Shooting Star Press at 3:04; prior to the bout, Bourne cut an insert promo on the match
Jeff & WWE US Champion Matt Hardy defeated WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin in a non-title match at around the 20-minute mark when Matt pinned Morrison after Jeff hit the Swanton behind the referee’s back following Morrison hitting the Moonlight Drive on Matt and making the cover; during the bout, a crawl at the bottom of the screen advertised an uninterrupted version of the show airing the following day on WWE.com at 4 p.m. (the bout began during the commercial break)
Smackdown! – featured opening footage from earlier in the day of Edge and Vickie Guerrero getting married, with Chavo Guerrero Jr. serving as Edge’s best man; included an introduction of Chavo, Vickie, and Edge as they joined the rest of the wedding guests – Zach Ryder & Curt Hawkins, Bam Neeley, and Alicia Fox – on the entrance stage; the stage was decorated for the evening with a wedding cake and flowers; moments later, Chavo grabbed the mic and said Edge was now a member of the Guerrero family, wished Edge & Vickie his best, and said he knew Edge would win the WWE World Title from Triple H at the Great American Bash; Chavo then showed a cover of the WWE Magazine he had made which named Edge as the new world champion; the wedding party and guests remained at the entrance stage for the rest of the show; featured Edge & Vickie’s first dance as a married couple, with a man and woman just off stage singing “Together;” moments later, the Big Show interrupted and began dancing with Vickie until Edge said Show would be wrestling momentarily against unnamed opponents; included a backstage segment in which Edge spoke with Gary, the Slim Jim guy, who gave Edge a box of Slim Jims as his wedding present; featured the debut of Edge’s new Slim Jim commercial; included a closing in-ring segment in which Edge, surrounded by the wedding party, introduced a video package he put together in tribute to his love for Vickie; after it played, Triple H appeared at the entrance stage with a gift box and said he made a video of his own for the situation; the video showed Edge meeting with Alicia in his hotel room; after the two were shown discussing the wedding plans, Edge began hitting on Alicia; when Triple H paused the video, Edge ordered his men to stop Triple H, with the champion then pulling a sledgehammer out of the gift box; when Triple H continued the video, Edge was shown giving Alicia a back massage and spoke about Vickie’s large underwear size; Triple H then pulled out a large pair of panties as a gift to Vickie and then skipped ahead to later in the video where Edge and Alicia were shown kissing; Triple H then went backstage as Vickie attacked Edge and screamed and yelled at him as the show ended:
Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder defeated Finlay & Hornswoggle at 2:13 when Hawkins pinned Finlay after guest referee Edge dropped Finlay with the spear; prior to the bout, it was announced WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin would defend against Finlay & Hornswoggle, Ryder & Hawkins, and Jesse & Festus at the Great American Bash; after Finlay & Hornswoggle’s entrance, Edge but a promo from the entrance stage in which he named himself the guets referee for the match; after the ring entrances, Edge took Finlay’s shillelagh and threw it up the aisle; Hawkins & Ryder wrestled the match in their tuxedos
The Big Show fought the Great Khali, Shelton Benjamin, MVP, & Vladimir Kozlov to a no contest in a handicap match at 1:52; during the match, it was announced Benjamin would face WWE US Champion Matt Hardy at the Great American Bash; after the bout, Show was ganged up on, with Khali eventually dropping him with the tree slam
Natalya Neidhart defeated Cherry via submission with the Sharpshooter at the 38-second mark; prior to the bout, Vickie prepared to throw the bouquet to Eve, Victoria, Michelle McCool, Maryse, Cherry, and Natalya on the floor, with Michelle being ejected from ringside after briefly fighting with Natalya outside the ring; Cherry caught the bouquet, with Vickie then saying Cherry would wrestle her but would face Natalya first
Vickie Guerrero pinned Cherry at the 5-second mark
The Brian Kendrick (w/ Ezikiel) pinned Jimmy Wang Yang with the Sliced Bread #2 after Yang became distracted by Ezikel on the floor
Umaga pinned Ken Kennedy at 13:12 with the thumb strike to the throat after avoiding the Mic Check
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jesse & Festus in a non-title match at 3:58 when Mizanin pinned Jesse with the Reality Check after Festus dropped Morrison with the fireman’s carry into a face-first slam on the floor
Jeff Hardy fought WWE US Champion Matt Hardy to a no contest in a non-title match at 4:35 when Edge, Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder, Chavo Guerrero Jr., and Bam Neely interfered and attacked both men; during their ring entrances, the Hardys threw the wedding cake into Chavo Guerrero Jr.’s face; after the bout, Edge dropped both Hardys with the spear
In an untelevised segment, Ric Flair cut an in-ring promo on Charlotte being his home for the past 25 years and praised the WWE and the wrestlers backstage
Dark match after the taping: WWE World Champion Triple H pinned Edge with the Pedigree after Vickie Guerrero interfered and speared the challenger
WWE (Raw, Smackdown!, & ECW) @ Springfield, MA – MassMutual Center – July 19, 2008
Evan Bourne defeated Mike Knox
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Finlay & Hornswoggle, Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder, and Jesse & Festus
Divas dance contest involving Kelly Kelly, Maryse, Layla, Natalya Neidhart, and Jillian Hall
ECW World Champion Mark Henry defeated Tommy Dreamer
WWE World Champion Triple H & the Big Show defeated the Great Khali & Umaga
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston defeated Paul Burchill
WWE US Champion Matt Hardy & Jeff Hardy defeated MVP & Shelton Benjamin
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk defeated Batista in a No DQ match
Umaga pinned Ken Kennedy with the thumb strike to the throat at 4:00
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Jim Ross & Mick Foley on commentary for Smackdown!, Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler on commentary for Raw, and Mike Adamle & Tazz on commentary for ECW; included an ad for “The Definitive Ric Flair Collection;” featured footage of Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk following the previous week’s Raw in which Punk responded to Batista interfering in his match with Kane and commented on his upcoming match with Batista; included a text poll in which fans were asked who they sympathized with more, Edge or Vickie Guerrero; featured Ross conducting an interview with Edge, backstage, regarding WWE World Champion Triple H causing his relationship with Vickie to end and his upcoming title match with Triple H, during which Edge said he had no more personal life and only his professional life remained; included the results of the text poll in which 45 percent sided with Vickie and 55 percent with Edge; featured Eve conducting a backstage interview with Triple H in which he said he didn’t regret his actions to Edge during the previous Smackdown!:
Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder defeated WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin, Jesse & Festus, and Finlay & Hornswoggle to win the titles at 9:14 when Hawkins pinned Jesse after causing him to fall off the top, moments after Ryder prevented Jesse & Festus from hitting a Rocket Launcher
Shelton Benjamin pinned WWE US Champion Matt Hardy to win the title at 9:35 with the Paydirt after raising his knee to block a moonsault and hitting Hardy in the face
ECW World Champion Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas) defeated Tommy Dreamer (w/ Colin Delaney) at 5:30 with the powerslam after Delaney pulled Dreamer off the turnbuckle and throat-first across the top rope
Chris Jericho defeated Shawn Michaels via referee’s decision at 18:19 when the referee stopped the bout after Jericho repeatedly attacked a bloody gash near Michaels already injured eye; Lance Cade appeared at the 10-minute mark to be in Jericho’s corner; after the bout, Michaels was tended to by medics and helped backstage
Michelle McCool defeated Natalya Neidhart via submission with a heel hook at 4:40; stipulations stated the winner would be the first WWE Divas Champion; after the contest, Michelle was congratulated by Cherry and Eve until Chris Jericho appeared on the entrance stage and cut a promo telling the fans to take good care of their ticket stubs because Shawn Michaels’ career was over and he had sustained a detached retna
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk fought Batista to a double disqualification at 11:04 when, after Batista caught Punk coming off the apron and hit a spinebuster on the floor, Kane attacked Batista on the floor and threw him into the ringpost and then dropped Punk with the chokeslam; after the bout, Kane, with a sack in his hand, starred at the camera and asked “Is he alive or is he dead?”; Kane then kicked a cameraman in the face and left ringside; moments later, following the decision, Punk held the title belt up in Batista’s face before Batista dropped the champion with the sit-down powerbomb and left the ring
John Bradshaw Layfield pinned John Cena in a parking lot brawl at 16:17 after throwing Cena off the stage onto a car, which Cena brought into the arena late in the bout via a forklift; there was no commentary until the 13-minute mark, when Cena used a forklift to drive a car with JBL inside from backstage into the arena; following the bout, both men were attended to by referees
WWE World Champion Triple H pinned Edge with the Pedigree at 16:46 after Edge attempted to hit the spear on an interfering Alicia Fox but speared Vickie Guerrero instead; after the bout, Chavo Guerrero Jr. came out to tend to Vickie
WWE @ Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena – July 21, 2008 (announced as a sell out)
Charlie Haas defeated Karl Wells
Jamie Noble defeated Tyrone Jones
Raw – featured an opening segment in which Batista was shown in the production area watching footage of the ending of his match against World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk the night before at the Great American Bash and the interference of Kane; after the clip ended, Batista left the production area; included an in-ring promo by Batista in which he put himself in charge and made a rematch between himself and Punk for later in the show and said Kane should find him before he found Kane; moments later, John Bradshaw Layfield interrupted on the big screen and said he, not Batista, was worthy of the next title match; Punk then appeared, told JBL he didn’t have to listen to him, and then challenged Batista to a rematch for later in the show; when JBL tried to interrupt, Batista called for his audio to be cut, which it was; Batista then accepted the match and left the ring; included comments from Jenny McCarthy regarding her upcoming appearance on Saturday Night’s Main Event to promote Generation Rescue; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read Raw has run 750 episodes, more than “ER” and “The Simpsons” combined; included an in-ring promo by Jim Duggan in which he said he was contemplating retirement after the comments the previous week from WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr.; moments later, Jerry Lawler interrupted and said Duggan should continue for as long as he wants; moments later, Rhodes & Dibiase appeared, with the two making fun of Lawler and Duggan until Rhodes referenced Lawler slapping Andy Kaufman on “The David Letterman Show,” with Lawler then slapping Rhodes across the face; Dibiase then said they would continue the situation later, after their scheduled match; featured a backstage segment in which Jericho and Cade attempted to leave the building but were stopped by Kane at the door, who then walked past them; included footage from the previous Saturday of McCarthy holding a fundraiser for Generation Rescue, with appearances from Jim Carrey, Maria, Howie Mandel, Tim Allen, Britney Spears, and several others; featured a backstage segment with Jamie Noble and Layla in which Noble attempted to pick Layla up until Batista appeared and asked where Kane was; when Noble told him off, Batista pinned him against the wall by his throat; included Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Punk regarding his upcoming title defense against Batista, during which JBL appeared and said he intended on having a title shot at Summer Slam against whomever the champion was; featured the announcement that Matt Hardy, John Morrison, Mike Mizanin, and Finlay would compete in a four-way match the following night on ECW to determine the #1 contender to the ECW World Title at Summer Slam; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE gives free tickets to all military personnel:
Lance Cade pinned Paul London at 2:48 with the sit-down spinebuster after throwing London ribs-first into the ringpost; prior to the bout, Cade cut an in-ring promo on Shawn Michaels in which he said he wanted Michaels to come out so they could have words they should have had a long time ago; after the match, Cade introduced Chris Jericho as the man who possibly ended Michaels’ career; after the commercial break, Jericho showed footage of his attack on Michaels the night before and then blamed the fans for Michaels’ injury, which included a detached retna; Jericho then said he was proud of what he had done and that, through his actions, he had saved himself
Beth Phoenix pinned Kelly Kelly with a reverse powerbomb at 3:02
John Cena & Cryme Tyme defeated John Bradshaw Layfield, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. at 9:55 by pinning Dibiase with the FU after hoisting both Dibiase & Rhodes in a fireman’s carry and throwing Rhodes off; during the final moments of the match, JBL walked out and left through the crowd; after the contest, Cena hugged his dad at ringside
Paul Burchill & Katie Lea defeated WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston & WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James at 3:25 when Paul pinned Kingston with the Twisted Sister, moments after Kingston injured his ankle on the ringpost
D-Lo Brown pinned Santino Marella with the Lo Down at 1:33; prior to the bout, Marella issued an open challenge, noting he didn’t want to wrestle women; Beth Phoenix then appeared ringside after Brown made his entrance; after the contest, Beth punched Santino, with Santino then grabbing Beth around the waist; after the two traded wasit locks, they awkwardly kissed before Santino left the ring (D-Lo’s surprise TV return after a 5-year absence)
Batista defeated World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk via disqualification at 8:59 when John Bradshaw Layfield appeared ringside and brawled with the challenger after Batista hit the spear on Punk; prior to the bout, Kane attacked Batista until Punk appeared, with Kane then being sent backstage by officials; after the contest, John Cena came out to make the save against JBL but accidentally struck Batista, with the two facing off until they were held back by referees
WWE @ Philadelphia, PA – Wachovia Center – July 22, 2008
ECW – featured an opening in-ring promo by Teddy Long in which he unveiled the new design of the ECW World Title and then introduced Mark Henry to present it to; moments later, Henry and Tony Atlas appeared; Atlas then said it was a belt with prestigue and credibility that the fans in the home of the old ECW could be proud of; Atlas then brought out Colin Delaney, who shook both men’s hands before cutting a promo on Tommy Dreamer to explain his actions at the Great American Bash; Long then said Delaney would face Dreamer immediately; Delaney initially seemed confident since he would have Henry & Atlas in his corner but they quickly left ringside; included a backstage segment with John Morrison & Mike Mizanin in which they complained over their WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Title loss at the Great American Bash before wishing each other luck in the night’s main event; included comments from Jenny McCarthy regarding her upcoming appearance on Saturday Night’s Main Event to promote Generation Rescue; featured a backstage segment with Finlay & Hornswoggle discussing the night’s main event; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE outsells MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, college sports, and NASCAR when it comes to sports DVD sales; featured a backstage segment with Ricky Ortiz and Tiffany in which Ortiz said he had catch phrases and t-shirt ideas he wanted to run by Long; Long then said he would have Ortiz in the ring the following week to see if Ortiz could make his record 2-0; included a vignette on Mike Knox; featured a backstage promo by Matt Hardy regarding his participation in the night’s main event:
Tommy Dreamer pinned Colin Delaney with the DDT at 2:59
Evan Bourne pinned James Curtis with the Shooting Star Press at 4:35; after the bout, Bourne narrowly escaped the ring after Chavo Guerrero Jr., who did guest commentary for the match, and Bam Neely attempted to attack him
Matt Hardy defeated Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle), John Morrison, and Mike Mizanin at 16:39 by pinning Morrison with a kick to the mid-section and the Twist of Fate after catching Morrison as he attempted a springboard into the ring; pre-match stipulations stated the winner would earn an ECW World Title shot at Summer Slam; after the bout, ECW World Champion Mark Henry & Tony Atlas appeared at the entrance stage, with Henry holding the title belt in the air as the show came to a close
Smackdown! – featured an opening in-ring segment of the VIP Lounge with guest Jeff Hardy, during which MVP brought up that Hardy would be taking part in a battle royal later in the program against the Great Khali, the Big Show, Ken Kennedy, and himself, with the winner facing WWE World Champion Triple H at Summer Slam; MVP then said Jeff was a risk taker and while it brought him success, it also got him suspended for 60 days and he had to miss WrestleMania; MVP then questioned Hardy about losing his home in a fire and whether Jeff felt responsible for the death of his dog Jack; after MVP said Jeff was reckless, a detriment to his friends and family, and would never be WWE World Champion, Jeff said if there’s anyone that should be thankful for second chances it would be MVP; after MVP told Jeff to settle down, Jeff scared him out of the ring; included a backstage segment with Edge and WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder in which Edge tried to apologize for the previous week but they said they didn’t need one and then went to get ready for their match; featured footage from the previous weekend’s fundraiser for Generation Rescue, with comments from Maria, Jenny McCarthy, Leah Remini, Charlie Sheen, Tim Allen, Howie Mandel, and Jim Carey, during which it was announced McCarthy would be part of the upcoming Saturday Night’s Main Event; included a backstage segment with Edge and Alicia Fox, with Bam Neeley overhearing the conversation; featured a vignette promoting the debut of R Truth, with Truth being shown on the streets where he came from; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the new WWE set is comprised of 1.2 million LED lights, it takes eight hours to assemble, and is transported by 14 tractor trailers; featured footage of Chavo Guerrero Jr. wheeling Vickie Guerrero into the arena, with Neeley then appearing after overhearing Edge’s conversation earlier in the night with Alicia; included a vignette promoting Maria coming to Smackdown! the following week; featured a backstage segment with Bam and Edge in which Edge said he did need to apologize to Vickie but he needed to do it in public; included a backstage segment with Bam, Vickie, and Chavo in which Bam said Edge either wanted to apologize to Vickie or Vickie apologize to Edge but that he wanted to do it in the ring; featured a promo by Ben Stiller regarding Generation Rescue and McCarthy being part of Saturday Night’s Main Event; included a closing in-ring segment in which Edge asked Vickie to come out to the ring so he could apologize face to face, with Chavo, Vickie, and Bam then coming out to the ring; moments later, Chavo and Bam left the ring as Edge said he repeatedly told Alicia no but she was too aggressive and he couldn’t leave because he wanted all the wedding plans to be perfect; Vickie then said she understood, with the two hugging but Vickie turned away when Edge went to kiss her; Vickie then said when she was really mad at Edge, she did something he might not like; after Edge asked what she did, she said she reinstated the Undertaker; following a lengthy “Undertaker” chant by the fans, Vickie said Edge would face Taker at Summer Slam in a Hell in a Cell match and then burst into laughter:
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin pinned Jimmy Wang Yang in a non-title match with the Paydirt at 2:13; prior to the bout, still photos were shown from Benjamin’s title victory over Matt Hardy the previous Sunday at the Great American Bash; following his entrance, Benjamin cut an in-ring promo on his title win
Festus (w/ Jesse) pinned WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Curt Hawkins (w/ WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Zach Ryder) at 1:49 with the fireman’s carry into the face-first slam; after the bout, Hawkins & Ryder laid out Jesse and then dropped Festus with a double DDT before leaving the ring
Vladimir Kozlov pinned Stevie Richards at 2:59 with a headbutt to the chest as Richards ran the ropes; after the bout, Kozlov approached the commentary table and said he wanted competition
The Great Khali (w/ Runjin Singh) won a 6-man battle royal by last eliminating Jeff Hardy at 10:25; other participants included: Ken Kennedy, MVP, the Big Show, and Umaga; stipulations stated the winner would face WWE World Champion Triple H at Summer Slam; order of elimination: MVP by Hardy via a clothesline (6:35); Umaga by Show via a clothesline (7:19); Kennedy by Show (8:03); after being eliminated, Umaga returned and dropped Show with the thumb strike to the throat; Show by Hardy via a hurricanrana over the ropes (9:18); Hardy by Khali; after the match, Triple H came out to the ring and faced off against Khali until Singh got in front of Khali and told him now was not the time
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool defeated Maryse in a non-title match via submission with the heel hook at 2:03; prior to the bout, footage was shown of McCool beating Natalya Neidhart at the Great American Bash to win the newly created title
The Brian Kendrick (w/ Ezikial Jackson) pinned Shannon Moore at 1:57 with The Kendrick; prior to the bout, Kendrick said he was the fastest, best trained, and smartest WWE wrestler and the fans should be priviledged to see him and then said Ezikial was the biggest, baddest man around to protect him; during Moore’s entrance, it was announced that Ric Flair’s new segment on WWE.com – Styling and Profiling – was a huge success in its first episode (the first time Sliced Bread #2 is referred to as The Kendrick)
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Hampton Beach, NH – Casino Ballroom – July 25, 2008 (1,800; sell out)
Carlito pinned Ricky Ortiz with the Back Stabber
Ron Killings defeated Nic Nemeth
Tiffany defeated Victoria, Cherry, and Maryse in a dance contest
The Great Khali pinned Finlay following the chop to the head
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin pinned Jimmy Wang Yang
Evan Bourne pinned Bam Neely with the Shooting Star Press
ECW World Champion Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas & Colin Delaney) pinned Matt Hardy with the powerslam
WWE (Raw) @ Youngstown, OH – Chevrolet Centre – July 25, 2008 (6,200)
Layla served as the host for the show
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston & Kelly Kelly defeated Paul Burchill & Katie Lea
Johnny Curtis pinned Matt Striker
Lance Cade defeated D-Lo Brown
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James pinned Beth Phoenix
Jim Duggan pinned Santino Marella at the 18-second mark; after the match, Beth Phoenix kissed Marella, with him fainting and her carrying him backstage
Kane pinned Jamie Noble at the 37-second mark; prior to the bout, Noble came out to ask Layal out, which she accepted after the fans cheered her on
John Cena & Cryme Tyme defeated Chris Jericho, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. at 18:30 when Dibiase submitted to Cena’s STFU
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk pinned Batista in a No DQ match after the challenger speared Punk as Punk held a steel chair, knocking Batista out; after the bout, Batista dropped Punk with the sit-down powerbomb
WWE @ Cohasset, MA – South Shore Music Circus – July 26, 2008
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Poughkeepsie, NY – Mid-Hudson Civic Center – July 26, 2008 (2,500)
Tommy Dreamer defeated Armando Estrada
Vladimir Kozlov defeated Shannon Moore
The Brian Kendrick defeated Sho Funaki
Umaga defeated Nunzio & Stevie Richards in a handicap match
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool defeated Natalya
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder defeated Jesse & Festus and John Morrison & Mike Mizanin
Jeff Hardy pinned Edge in a No DQ match with the Swanton after a Twist of Fate onto a steel chair
WWE (Raw) @ Wheeling, WV – WesBanco Arena – July 26, 2008 (4,000)
D-Lo Brown defeated Lance Cade
Johnny Curtis defeated Matt Striker
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James & Kelly Kelly defeated Beth Phoenix & Katie Lea
Jim Duggan defeated Santino Marella; after the match, Beth Phoenix kissed Marella, with him fainting and her carrying him backstage
Kane defeated Jamie Noble
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston defeated Paul Burchill
John Cena & Cryme Tyme defeated Chris Jericho, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr.
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk defeated John Bradshaw Layfield and Batista
WWE @ White Plains, NY – Westchester County Center – July 27, 2008 (2,500)
Tommy Dreamer defeated Armando Estrada
Vladimir Kozlov defeated Stevie Richards
The Brian Kendrick defeated Sho Funaki
Umaga defeated Nunzio & Shannon Moore in a handicap match
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool defeated Natalya
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder defeated Jesse & Festus and John Morrison & Mike Mizanin
Jeff Hardy defeated Edge
WWE @ Hyannis, MA – Cape Cod Melody Tent – July 27, 2008 (1,800; sell out)
Carlito pinned Ricky Ortiz with the Back Stabber
Ron Killings defeated Nic Nemeth
Cherry defeated Tiffany, Maryse, and Victoria in a dance contest
The Great Khali pinned Finlay with the chop to the head
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin pinned Jimmy Wang Yang
Evan Bourne pinned Chavo Guerrero Jr.
ECW World Champion Mark Henry pinned Matt Hardy with the powerslam
WWE (Raw) @ Altoona, PA – Jaffa Shrine Center – July 27, 2008
Lance Cade defeated D-Lo Brown
Johnny Curtis defeated Matt Striker
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James & Kelly Kelly defeated Beth Phoenix & Katie Lea
Jim Duggan defeated Santino Marella
Kane defeated Jamie Noble
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston defeated Paul Burchill
John Cena & Cryme Tyme defeated Chris Jericho, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr.
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk defeated John Bradshaw Layfield and Batista
WWE @ Washington DC – Verizon Center – July 28, 2008 (14,722; 12,000 paid; sell out)
Freddie Prinze Jr.’s first day as part of the creative team
Paul London defeated Charlie Haas
Raw – featured an opening in-ring promo by John Cena, who received a mixed reaction, in which he admitted he made a mistake the previous week in accidentally hitting Batista and then asked that Batista come out so they could settle their dispute face-to-face; Batista then appeared, said he saw the video footage, knew Cena didn’t mean to hit him, and said they were cool; Batista then said, after he takes the World Heavyweight Title from CM Punk at Summer Slam, he wanted Cena to get the first shot against him; Cena then reminded Batista that he already had two title shots and came up short, noting he himself has been in a slump as of late; Batista replied by saying he knew Punk couldn’t beat him and the same could be said for Cena; Cena then noted Batista was in front of a hometown crowd, said he versus Batista could headline WrestleMania, and then suggested they go ahead and have that match later in the show; as Batista went to accept the challenge, Shane McMahon interrupted, said he and Stephanie McMahon had chosen a new general manager of Raw and that person would be named later in the show; Shane then said the GM had already made matches for later in the night, saying World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk would face one of the most technically sound free agents today and that Cena & Batista would face John Bradshaw Layfield & Kane; included comments from Jeff Foxworthy regarding Generation Rescue and Jenny McCarthy being part of Saturday Night’s Main Event that weekend; featured a backstage segment with Shane and JBL in which Shane refused to speak on Vince McMahon’s condition with JBL then saying neither Batista or Cena deserve a world title shot but he did; Shane then said JBL needed to take that up with the new GM; Shane then received a phone call from the new GM and refused to let JBL speak to him; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read Raw was the most wateched show on cable TV the previous week; featured an ad promoting “The Difinative Ric Flair Collection;” included an in-ring segment of “The Highlight Reel,” noted as the final edition of the talk segment, in which Chris Jericho, alongside Lance Cade, said for years he was known as a showman and entertainer rather than a world class performer and that he hosted his own show rather than going back after the world title; Jericho, with the shattered Jeritron 5000 behind him, then introduced a farewell video package for Y2J, recapping his rivalries with William Regal, Stephanie McMahon, and Randy Orton; Jericho then said he is embarassed by who he was as a performer but that ending the career of Shawn Michaels was one of the proudest moments of his career; Cade then took the mic and said he appreciated Jericho even though the crowd didn’t and that he would be forever grateful for Jericho having saved him; as some in the crowd chanted “boring,” Jericho told Michaels to stay home, move on with his life, and spend time with his family, prompting loud chants of “HBK” from the crowd; Jericho then said he deserved a world title match at Summer Slam, not JBL, Cena, or Batista; featured comments from Piers Morgan regarding Generation Rescue and McCarthy being part of Saturday Night’s Main Event; included a backstage segment with Shane and Todd Grisham in which Grisham tried to find out who the new GM was, with Shane only saying the new GM was already in the building; featured comments from McCarthy, Toby Keith, Ben Stiller, James Roday, Morgan, Leah Remini, Rose McGowan, Viginia Madsen, Shannon Elizabeth, Charlie Sheen, Howie Mandel, Tim Allen, Jm Carrey, and Foxworthy regarding Generation Rescue; included a backstage segment with Cena and Cryme Tyme in which Cryme Tyme offered to be Cena’s backup but he said he was fine; moments later, Batista appeared and said he knew the two didn’t trust each other; featured the announcement Michaels would appear live the following week; included the announcement Edge would face Jeff Hardy and that Cena, Batista, & Cryme Tyme would face JBL, Kane, & WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase during the following weekend’s Saturday Night’s Main Event on NBC:
Santino Marella & Beth Phoenix defeated D-Lo Brown & Kelly Kelly at 2:07 when Marella pinned Kelly with a roll up after knocking Brown off the apron; prior to the bout, backstage footage was shown of Marella and Phoenix talking, with Phoenix saying their relationship was strictly professional; after the contest, Marella hugged Phoenix, with Phoenix then yelling at him and the two then shaking hands instead; Santino then tried several times to kiss Phoenix but was too shy, with Phoenix then grabbing Marella by the hair and kissing him instead
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Jerry Lawler & Michael Cole (sub. for Jim Duggan) at 3:56 when Rhodes pinned Cole with a clothesline; prior to the match, Lilian Garcia was handed a note from a referee – sent from the new Raw GM – that Lawler would team with Cole instead of the previously announced Duggan; there was no commentary for the bout as a result of Lawler & Cole being in the ring; after the contest, Cole was tended to in the ring by the referee, Lawler, and a trainer; as a result of Cole’s injury, Mike Adamle joined Lawler on commentary for the remainder of the show
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston pinned Jamie Noble (w/ Layla) with a spin kick to the head at 1:21; prior to the bout, Noble said the new Raw GM should take notice of him and that he was going to show off for Layla against Kingston
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk pinned William Regal in a non-title match at 5:22 with the Go To Sleep; John Bradshaw Layfield provided guest commentary for the match; after the bout, JBL confronted Punk in the ring until Kane appeared, carrying a bag, and laid out JBL; moments later, Punk kicked Kane in the head and JBL then laid out Punk; Kane and JBL then stared at each other to end the segment (Regal’s surprise return after a 60-day suspension)
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James pinned Jillian Hall with the DDT at 2:37; prior to the bout, Jim Ross joined Mike Adamle and Jerry Lawler on commentary for the remainder of the show; following her entrance, Mickie hugged her dad, Stewart, who was sitting ringside; after the match, Mickie hugged her dad again before she was jumped from behind by Katie Lea; moments later, Paul Burchill joined Katie Lea on the ramp, with Katie saying she did it especially for the new Raw GM, noting Paul would soon be the IC champion and she would soon be the women’s champion
John Cena & Batista defeated John Bradshaw Layfield & Kane at 12:19 when Cena pinned Kane with the FU after tagging himself into the match; after the bout, Shane McMahon appeared at the entrance stage and announced that Adamle was the new Raw GM; Adamle, in the ring, then announced Cena would face Batista at Summer Slam
Saturday Night’s Main Event #36 – 8/2 – one-hour episode – featured pre-taped comments throughout the show from Ben Stiller, Jeff Foxworthy, and Carmen Elektra; included an in-ring promo by Jenny McCarthy about Autism:
Kane, John Bradshaw Layfield, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated John Cena, Batista, & Cryme Tyme when JBL pinned JTG with the Clothesline from Hell
The Great Khali pinned Jimmy Wang Yang
Edge pinned Jeff Hardy with the spear after MVP interfered and kicked Hardy in the head
– 7/28/08: Triple H and Stephanie McMahon’s second child, Murphy Claire Levesque, was born.
WWE @ Hershey, PA – Giant Center – July 29, 2008
Sho Funaki pinned Nic Nemeth at 5:17
ECW – featured Todd Grisham’s debut as one half of the ECW commentary team, replacing Mike Adamle, alongside Tazz; included an opening in-ring promo by Matt Hardy regarding his upcoming match at Summer Slam against ECW World Champion Mark Henry; moments later, Henry & Tony Atlas appeared, with Atlas giving Henry a steel bar, which Henry bent into a u-shape; Hardy then said, unlike the bar, he fought back and would take the title at Summer Slam; included an ad promoting the line up for Saturday Night’s Main Event; featured a backstage segment with Henry, Atlas, and Colin Delaney in which Delaney questioned why they left him the week before during his match with Tommy Dreamer; Atlas then said Delaney would have to do something impressive to be able to be in their group; Atlas then suggested Delaney face Hardy later in the show, with Henry & Atlas in Delaney’s corner; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s episode was the Sci-Fi Channel’s most watched program; featured an ad for “Nature Boy Ric Flair: The Definitive Collection;” included comments from Jenny McCarthy, Ben Stiller, Jeff Foxworthy, Toby Keith, Piero Morgan, James Roday, Leah Remini, Rose McGowan, Virginia Madsen, Shannon Elizabeth, Charlie Sheen, Howie Mandel, Tim Allen, and Jim Carrey regarding McCarthy’s upcoming involvement with Generation Rescue at Saturday Night’s Main Event; featured a backstage segment in which Braden Walker said he would have Hardy’s back when Hardy faced Delaney later in the show:
Ricky Ortiz defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. (w/ Bam Neely) via disqualification at 4:14 when the referee caught Neely holding onto Guerrero’s foot for leverage during a pin attempt; after the bout, Neely attacked Ortiz and hit a full nelson slam; Neely then held Ortiz down as Guerrero hit the frog splash; moments later, Evan Bourne made the save and knocked Guerrero and Neely down before leaving the ring
John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Finlay & Hornswoggle at 11:59 when Morrison pinned Hornswoggle with a reversal into a face-first throw; prior to the bout, it was announced new episodes of “The Dirt Sheet” would start to air the coming Friday on WWE.com; after the contest, Mike Knox came out of the crowd and twice kicked Finlay in the face; following the commercial break, Lena conducted a backstage interview with Knox regarding his actions, with Knox claiming Finlay had become soft
Matt Hardy pinned Colin Delaney with the Twist of Fate at 2:58; after the bout, ECW World Champion Mark Henry & Tony Atlas, who watched the match from the entranceway, came to the ring with Henry gorilla press slamming Delaney to the floor; moments later, Henry and Hardy faced off, with Hardy saying he wasn’t afraid; Henry & Atlas then left the ring, passing by Delaney’s body, as the show came to a close
Smackdown! – featured a backstage segment with Vickie Guerrero, Chavo Guerrero Jr., and Bam Neeley, during which Vickie spotted Alicia Fox backstage; included a backstage segment with Chavo and WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder in which Chavo questioned why Alicia was backstage and whether they knew who Edge’s guest would be later in the show on The Cutting Edge; featured an ad promoting Jenny McCarthy being part of the following night’s Saturday Night’s Main Event; included footage of Edge arriving to the arena; featured a vignette promoting the debut of R Truth, with Truth talking about his time spent in prison; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s Smackdown! was the most watched show by male viewers; featured a backstage segment with Edge and Alicia in which he questioned why she was backstage, with Edge saying he got her a ticket so she could be up close for The Cutting Edge; included a vignette on WWE World Champion Triple H; featured a promo by Toby Keith regarding Generation Rescue; included a backstage segment with Chavo, Vickie, and Bam in which Chavo said no one knew who Edge’s guest was going to be; featured a closing in-ring segment of The Cutting Edge in which he had the ring filled with a ladder, a chair, and a table as a way to set his mind right for the upcoming Hell in a Cell match against the Undertaker; he then said his guest knew Taker better than anyone and would teach him how to thrive in Hell in a Cell, then rolled out to the ring and said his guest was Mick Foley; after Foley reluctantly agreed, Edge showed a video highlighting 1998 in the WWE and the Hell in a Cell match between Foley and Taker, with Edge then saying he knew what that match did to Foley physically and mentally and he could gain some revenge by helping Edge against Taker; Foley replied by saying he might like to help but Edge had hurt Foley’s credibility after Foley repeatedly said Edge was the greatest superstar in WWE; Foley said the Edge of today relied on his wife and took too many shortcuts and said he wouldn’t help him; he then said the only person that could help Edge was Edge himself and then brought up Edge’s accomplishments and said that Edge could put on one of the most violent matches at Summer Slam; Foley then said if Edge went to Summer Slam as he was, Taker would tear him apart; Edge then said he understood and then punched and kicked Foley to the floor; Foley then slammed Edge’s face into the commentary table but Edge responded by kicking a steel chair into Foley’s face and spearing him into the ring steps; the crowd chanted “Undertaker” as Foley crawled back in the ring and briefly applied the Mandible Claw; moments later, Edge laid Foley across the table in the ring, climbed the ladder, and jumped off with a steel chair, putting Foley through the table; Edge then stood over Foley’s body as the broadcast ended (Foley’s last appearance):
MVP pinned Jimmy Wang Yang with the Drive By at 2:30 after hitting a gutbuster as Yang came off the top with a crossbody; prior to the bout, Jeff Hardy took a ringside seat, at which time it was announced Hardy would face Edge the following night as part of Saturday Night’s Main Event; following MVP’s entrance, MVP grabbed the mic and said he was trying to enlighten Hardy the previous week as part of the VIP Lounge and that he would never be WWE World Champion; after the contest, Hardy got in the ring and said threatened MVP to never mention his home, dog, or house fire again; MVP then tried to attack Hardy but Hardy dropped him with the Twist of Fate and said MVP made him sick
Ken Kennedy pinned WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin in a non-title match at 14:05 with the Mic Check after kicking Benjamin in the face; after the bout, Eve conducted a ringside interview with Benjamin regarding the loss, with Benjamin saying he wasn’t going to make excuses but then said he was suffering from bronchitis
The Brian Kendrick (w/ Ezikiel Jackson) pinned Stevie Richards at 3:45 after dropping Richards throat-first across the top rope and hitting The Kendrick after Richards became distracted by Jackson on the floor; prior to the bout, Kendrick cut an in-ring promo in which he said he hadn’t changed, has always been the same guy, and never cared about the fans; after the bout, Jackson put Richards in a Torture Rack
The Great Khali (w/ Runjin Singh) defeated Jeff Hardy via KO with the head vice at 11:32 after Khali picked Hardy up by the head and pulled him into the ring after Hardy began fighting on the floor with MVP, who appeared ringside after Hardy hit the Swanton on Khali; after the match, MVP posed in the ring as Hardy was knocked out
Maria pinned Victoria at 3:19 with a clothesline from the middle turnbuckle (Maria’s Smackdown! debut)
The Big Show pinned Domino with the chokeslam at 1:17; after the bout, Umaga came out to the ring and faced off with Show
Dark match after the taping: The Big Show defeated Edge via count-out
WWE (Raw) @ Springfield, IL – Prairie Capital Convention Center – August 1, 2008
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston pinned Paul Burchill with the spin kick to the face
Snitsky pinned Jim Duggan with a boot to the face
Lance Cade pinned Paul London with the sit-down spinebuster
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James pinned Beth Phoenix with the DDT; after the bout, Santino Marella challenged D-Lo Brown to impress Phoenix
D-Lo Brown pinned Santino Marella with the frog splash
Batista pinned Kane with the spear
John Cena defeated WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase in a non-title handicap match when Dibiase submitted to the STFU
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk pinned Chris Jericho with the Go To Sleep in a No DQ match; the stipulation was chosen by a fan text poll
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Johnson City, TN – Freedom Hall – August 2, 2008
Finlay defeated Mike Knox
The Brian Kendrick pinned Ron Killings
ECW World Champion Mark Henry pinned Matt Hardy
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder defeated Jesse & Festus
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin defeated Ken Kennedy and MVP
Maria & Cherry defeated Natalya Neidhart & Maryse
The Big Show pinned the Great Khali
Jeff Hardy pinned Umaga in a No DQ match
WWE (Raw) @ Evansville, IN – Roberts Stadium – August 2, 2008
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston pinned Paul Burchill with the spin kick to the face
Snitsky pinned D-Lo Brown with the boot to the face after avoiding the Low Down
Lance Cade pinned Paul London with the sit-down spinebuster; Cade broke his nose during the match
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James (w/ a fan chosen before the bout) & Kelly Kelly defeated Beth Phoenix & Katie Lea when James scored the pin following the DDT; after the bout, Santino Marella came out and challenged Jim Duggan to try to impress Phoenix
Jim Duggan pinned Santino Marella with the running clothesline at around the 10-second mark
Batista pinned Kane with the spear
John Cena defeated WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase in a non-title handicap match when Dibiase submitted to the STFU
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk pinned Chris Jericho with the Go To Sleep in a No DQ match; the stipulation was chosen by a fan text poll
– 8/3/08: Ric Flair left WWE.
WWE (Smackdown!) @ Chattanooga, TN – McKenzie Arena – August 3, 2008
Finlay defeated Mike Knox
ECW World Champion Mark Henry defeated Matt Hardy
Eve & Cherry defeated Maryse & Natalya Neidhart
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin defeated Ken Kennedy
The Big Show defeated the Great Khali
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder defeated Jesse & Festus
R Truth defeated The Brian Kendrick
Jeff Hardy defeated MVP
WWE (Raw) @ Bowling Green, KY – EA Diddle Arena – August 3, 2008
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston defeated Paul Burchill
Snitsky defeated D-Lo Brown
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James & Kelly Kelly defeated Beth Phoenix & Katie Lea; after the bout, Santino Marella came out and challenged Jim Duggan to try to impress Phoenix
Jim Duggan pinned Santino Marella with the running clothesline at around the 10-second mark
Batista pinned Kane with the spear
John Cena defeated WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase in a non-title handicap match when Rhodes submitted to the STFU
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk pinned Chris Jericho with the Go To Sleep in a No DQ match; the stipulation was chosen by a fan text poll
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Macon, GA – Coliseum – August 4, 2008
Finlay defeated Mike Knox
ECW World Champion Mark Henry defeated Matt Hardy
Cherry & Eve defeated Natalya Neidhart & Maryse
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin defeated Ken Kennedy; during the bout, Kennedy sustained a dislocated right shoulder
The Big Show defeated the Great Khali
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder defeated Jesse & Festus
R Truth defeated The Brian Kendrick; after the bout, Ezikial Jackson attacked Truth
Jeff Hardy defeated MVP in a falls count anywhere match
WWE @ Knoxville, TN – Thompson-Boling Arena – August 4, 2008
Cryme Tyme defeated Adam Armor & Sal Rinauro
D-Lo Brown defeated Phil Shatter
Raw – featured an opening promo by Mike Adamle on the entrance stage in which he compared himself to President Ronald Reagan and said he had made mistakes but would learn from his mistakes; Adamle then ran down his NFL career and said three championships would be on the line later in the show – WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes vs. John Cena & Batista; before Adamle could continue, John Bradshaw Layfield interrupted, congratulated Adamle on his new role, and said he wanted World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk at Summer Slam; Chris Jericho then appeared in a suit and said he deserved the title match with Punk due to his putting Shawn Michaels on the shelf; Adamle then made a match for later in the show pitting Jericho & JBL against Punk in a handicap match, with the stipulation being if one of them beat Punk then they would earn a title shot at Summer Slam and if Punk won neither man would get the title shot; included a “WWE Classics on Demand” feature on the Sept. 8, 1997 Raw, which featured WWF IC Champion Steve Austin confronting Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter and dropping him with the Stunner; featured a backstage segment in which Adamle spoke with Stephanie McMahon on the phone, with Santino Marella & Beth Phoenix then appearing and suggesting they both receive title shots at Summer Slam; after Adamle said there was only room for one more title match at the pay-per-view, he said they could face WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston & WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James in a tag team match with both titles on the line; included a video package on John Cena; featured Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Batista regarding his upcoming Summer Slam match with Cena and teaming with Cena later in the show; included Layla dancing in the ring, with WWE.com footage then being shown from earlier in the day of Jamie Noble hitting on Layla backstage in which Layla told him she doesn’t associate with losers; moments later, William Regal interrupted Layla’s performance; before Regal could get his point across, Noble appeared and brawled with Regal until referees broke up the fight; featured the announcement that John Morrison & Mike Mizanin would host The Dirt Sheet the following night on ECW with guests ECW World Champion Mark Henry and Matt Hardy; included a video package recapping the eye injury Shawn Michaels sustained at the hands of Jericho at the Great American Bash; featured an interview via satellite with Michaels from his San Antonio, TX home in which he said he would listen to what the doctors had to tell him, even if that meant he shouldn’t return to the ring, and would make a decision at Summer Slam as to what his future would be; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read more than 1,000,000 people watch the previous week’s Raw than watched any MLB game; featured an ad for the Summer Slam anthology box set, available the following day; included a video package on Batista; featured Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Cena regarding his facing Batista at Summer Slam and teaming with him later in the show; included a backstage segment with Adamle and Kelly Kelly in which Adamle said he would find out the next week what was inside Kane’s bag, with the two then sitting down to watch the night’s main event:
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston pinned Paul Burchill (w/ Katie Lea) with the spin kick to the face at 3:48; after the bout, Kingston ran Burchill backstage, with WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James then appearing to face Katie
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James pinned Katie Lea at around the 6:30 mark with the DDT; after the bout, Beth Phoenix attacked Mickie from behind, assaulted her in and outside the ring, and dropped her with a reverse powerbomb; moments later, Santino Marella appeared on the entrance stage and applauded Phoenix; Phoenix then walked up the ramp, grabbed Marella by the butt, with Marella then doing the same to her moments later (the bout began during the commercial break)
John Bradshaw Layfield & Chris Jericho defeated World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk in a non-title handicap match at 10:00 after Jericho dropped his partner throat-first across the top rope, with JBL falling backwards ontop of Punk for the cover after Punk had been caught in the Walls of Jericho for about 20 seconds; prior to the bout, the new issue of Fortune magazine was featured with JBL’s wife Meredith Whitney on the cover; after the ring entrances, Mike Adamle appeared on the big screen and noted that the match had a 10-minute time-limit and if there was no decision before the bell then Jericho, Punk, and JBL would face off in a triple threat match at Summer Slam; stipulations stated that if JBL or Jericho defeated Punk then they would earn a title shot at Summer Slam and if Punk won then neither man would earn a title shot
Kane pinned Matt Striker with the chokeslam at 1:32; prior to Kane’s entrance, Striker cut an in-ring promo in which he thanked Adamle for letting him compete on the Raw roster; after the contest, Kane grabbed a mic and said he had been in a bad place but was better now and that, while staring at his bag, said “He’s not alive, he’s dead.”
John Cena & Batista defeated WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes to win the titles at 14:14 when Batista pinned Dibiase with the spear and sit-down powerbomb after Cena knocked Rhodes to the floor; after the bout, Cena and Batista took turns holding up their belt in the other’s face and to the crowd
Saturday Night’s Main Event – 8/2/08:
Edge pinned Jeff Hardy
WWE @ Atlanta, GA – Philips Arena – August 5, 2008
R Truth pinned Kenny Dykstra with an axe kick at 5:00
ECW:
Evan Bourne & Ricky Ortiz defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. & Bam Neely
Armando Estrada defeated Tommy Dreamer
Braden Walker defeated James Curtis
Smackdown! – featured Tazz on guest commentary, subbing for Mick Foley; included a backstage segment where WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Zach Ryder & Curt Hawkins, Chavo Guerrero Jr., & Vickie Guerrero found a black rose after finding Bam Neely knocked out backstage; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read more males watched the previous week’s Smackdown! than NBC, CBS, ABC, and Fox; included Eve conducting a backstage interview with MVP regarding his upcoming match at Summer Slam against Jeff Hardy, during which footage was shown of MVP interfering during Hardy’s match with Edge at Saturday Night’s Main Event; featured a backstage segment with Hawkins, Chavo, & Vickie in which Hawkins said he couldn’t find Ryder following their match; included an in-ring segment with WWE World Champion Triple H and the Great Khali, with Runjin Singh in which the champion and Singh cut promos on the upcoming Summer Slam match between Triple H and Khali; moments later, the two competed in a broken glass arm wrestling contest, with Khali hitting a headbutt as Triple H was about to win; the champion fought off Khali and attempted the Pedigree but instead sustained the chop to the head and then passed out after being caught in the head vice; featured a backstage segment where Hawkins was shown knocked out beside a black rose; included a vignette showing R Truth on a basketball court; featured a backstage segment with Chavo and Vickie in which Chavo suggested they find Edge to help them against the Undertaker’s attacks; included a backstage segment with Chavo and Vickie in which Chavo said Edge had agreed to help them but Vickie would have to be civil; featured a backstage segment with Edge, Vickie, and Chavo in which Edge said he had a plan but it would have to be done his way, with Vickie reluctantly agreeing; included a closing in-ring segment in which Edge, along with Vickie and Chavo, demanded Taker show himself; moments later, when Chavo had his back turned, Edge repeatedly hit Chavo with a steel chair and then hit the Con-Chair-Two as Vickie looked on helplessly; Edge then grabbed Vickie’s wheelchair, tipped it backwards knocking her to the mat, backed Vickie into the corner, and said Vickie needed to worry about him and not Taker; Edge then said he would take Taker, La Familia, and Vickie to hell with him:
Natalya Neidhart, Victoria, & Maryse defeated WWE Diva’s Champion Michelle McCool, Maria, & Cherry at 2:35 when Maria submitted to Natalya’s Sharpshooter; all six women were dressed for various Olympic competitions
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder defeated Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore in a non-title match at 4:12 when Ryder pinned Moore following a double DDT behind the referee’s back
Jeff Hardy defeated WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin via disqualification at 17:58 when MVP interfered and kicked the challenger in the face after Hardy hit the Swanton
Vladimir Kozlov pinned Jesse (w/ Festus) with a headbutt off the top at 1:42
Brian Kendrick (w/ Ezikial Jackson) pinned Super Crazy with The Kendrick at 4:38; after the bout, Jackson put Crazy in an overhead backbreaker before dropping his body to the mat
Dark matches after the taping:
WWE World Champion Triple H defeated Vladimir Kozlov (sub. for Edge) with the Pedigree; after the bout, Edge attacked the champion to set up an immediate match
WWE World Champion Triple H defeated Edge via count-out
– 8/7/08: Braden Walker (Chris Harris) was released.
– 8/8/08: Nunzio, Big Daddy V, Shannon Moore, James Curtis, Domino, and Nick Patrick were released.
WWE (Raw) @ Wildwood, NJ – Convention Center – August 8, 2008 (7,000; sell out)
Kane defeated Matt Striker
Johnny Curtis pinned Charlie Haas
D-Lo Brown pinned Snitsky
William Regal defeated Jamie Noble
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston defeated Santino Marella
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James defeated Katie Lea
John Cena & Cryme Tyme defeated Chris Jericho, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr.
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk defeated John Bradshaw Layfield in a No DQ match
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Syracuse, NY – War Memorial Arena – August 9, 2008 (3,000)
Evan Bourne defeated Kenny Dykstra
R Truth defeated The Brian Kendrick
Jeff Hardy defeated WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin via disqualification (same finish as Smackdown the night before)
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool defeated Victoria
Finlay defeated Mike Knox
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder defeated Jesse & Festus in a lumberjack match
ECW World Champion Mark Henry pinned Matt Hardy after Hardy became distracted by Tony Atlas at ringside
The Big Show pinned Edge in a streetfight following a chokeslam onto a garbage can after Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder prevented Edge from leaving ringside; after the bout, Hawkins & Ryder returned ringside to congratulate Show but he dropped them with a double chokeslam
WWE (Raw) @ Newark, DE – Bob Carpenter Center – August 9, 2008 (3,800)
Kane defeated Matt Striker
D-Lo Brown pinned Snitsky
Johnny Curtis pinned Charlie Haas
William Regal pinned Jamie Noble with a Shining Wizard
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston pinned Santino Marella with the spin kick to the face
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James pinned Katie Lea with the Chick Kick
John Cena & Cryme Tyme defeated Chris Jericho, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. when Dibiase submitted to Cena’s STFU after Cena dropped Jericho with the FU
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk pinned John Bradshaw Layfield in a No DQ match with the Go To Sleep
WWE (Raw) @ Salisbury, MD – Wicomico Civic Center – August 10, 2008
Kane defeated Matt Striker
D-Lo Brown defeated Charlie Haas
William Regal defeated Jamie Noble
Snitsky defeated an unknown
WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston defeated William Regal
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James defeated Katie Lea
John Cena defeated WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. in a handicap match
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk defeated Chris Jericho in a No DQ match
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Binghamton, NY – Broome County Arena – August 10, 2008
Evan Bourne defeated Kenny Dykstra
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool defeated Victoria
Jeff Hardy defeated WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin via disqualification
R Truth defeated The Brian Kendrick
Finlay pinned Mike Knox after hitting him with the shillelagh
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder defeated Jesse & Festus in a lumberjack match
ECW World Champion Mark Henry defeated Matt Hardy
The Big Show defeated Edge in a streetfight
– 8/10/08: Randy Orton re-broke his collarbone in a motorcycle accident near his home in St. Louis, MO.
WWE @ Richmond, VA – Coliseum – August 11, 2008
Raw – featured an opening in-ring promo by WWE Raw Tag Team Champion John Cena in which he discussed his upcoming match with the other half of the tag team champions, Batista, at Summer Slam and having won the titles the previous week; Cena eventually asked for Batista to come out, with the two then discussing their rematch later in the show against Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. and facing off at Summer Slam; Cena then said he had been watching Batista the past six years and his progress as part of Evolution; after Cena asked who was better between the two, the wrestlers looked to the vocal crowd; after Cena argued he was better, Batista said he had been watching Cena the past six years, he respected Cena but that he wouldn’t be caught dead doing some of Cena’s trademark moves, and that he would prove at Summer Slam that he was the better of the two; the two then shook hands before Cena left the ring; included a WWE Mobile text poll asking who was the bigger star between Cena and Batista; featured a video package noting the WWE’s recent CINE television production awards for WrestleMania 24 and the Tribute to the Troops special; included a backstage segment with Mike Adamle and Todd Grisham in which Kane interrupted, with Adamle saying Kane would be facing Chris Jericho later in the show and Kane would have to hand over his burlap bag at the conclusion of the bout; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read three times as many viewers watched the previous Friday’s Smackdown! than the X-Games on ESPN; included a WWE Classics on Demand segment focusing on the Tito Santana & Ivan Putski vs. WWF Tag Team Champions Johnny & Jerry Valiant match from Oct. 22, 1979 at Madison Square Garden; featured a backstage promo by Rhodes & Dibiase regarding the Santana & Putski match and their own tag team title shot later in the night; included the announcement ECW World Champion Mark Henry & Matt Hardy would face John Morrison & Mike Mizanin the following night on ECW; featured the announcement Randy Orton was injured in a motorcycle accident; included an in-ring segment with World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk and John Bradshaw Layfield in which they discussed their upcoming title match at Summer Slam, with Punk saying he would walk in and out of the pay-per-view with the title while JBL said Punk got the spotlight with a no name group and has gotten fluke wins since; JBL then proposed a drinking contest between the two, knowing Punk doesn’t drink; Punk then said he didn’t want to be like JBL but then proposed a toast, throwing the shot glass of whiskey into JBL’s face; featured the results of the text poll which said Cena won with 73% to Batista’s 27%:
Beth Phoenix (w/ Santino Marella) pinned Kelly Kelly with the Glam Slam at 2:11; prior to the bout, George Thorogood was shown in attendance; Marella provided guest commentary for the match; after the contest, Marella grabbed the mic and told Beth to hit the move again to send a message to WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James and WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston; Kingston and Mickie then ran out to clear the ring, with Marella then challenging Mickie to a match and noting they were in her hometown
Santino Marella (w/ Beth Phoenix) pinned WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James (w/ WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston) in a non-title match at 2:44 with a roll up after Beth interfered as the referee was distracted by Santino arguing with Kingston, who was outside the ring; during the bout, Michael Cole noted that WWE.com cameras captured footage of Marella insulting Mickie’s parents who were ringside (the bout began during the commercial break)
Cryme Tyme defeated Robbie & Rory McAllister at 1:59 when Shad pinned Robbie with a modified side Russian legsweep (the McAllisters’ last appearance)
Chris Jericho (w/ Lance Cade) pinned Kane with the Code Breaker at 4:24 with the Code Breaker after Kane became distracted by Mike Adamle and several members of security at ringside; after the contest, Adamle said the person Kane had been talking about for weeks was Kane himself and that he could in fact lead a normal life but he would have to hand over the burlap bag; Kane then grabbed the mic and said there was a mask inside his bag and that the man that wore it has been scarred beyond human recognition – but it wasn’t Kane himself; Kane then pulled out Rey Mysterio Jr.’s mask and left the ring
William Regal pinned Jamie Noble with the running knee to the head at 1:19
Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated WWE Raw Tag Team Champions John Cena & Batista to win the titles at 8:05 when Dibiase pinned Cena with a roll up as Cena was arguing with Batista on the ring apron; after the bout, Cena and Batista faced off but then cleared the ring of Rhodes & Dibiase and threw them into the ring steps; moments later, the two went after each other in the ring until the ring filled with security guards and officials who attempted to break up the fight as the broadcast ended
WWE @ Norfolk, VA – Scope – August 12, 2008
Elijah Burke pinned Stevie Richards
ECW – featured Lena conducting a backstage interview with John Morrison & Mike Mizanin regarding their match later in the show against ECW World Champion Mark Henry & Matt Hardy and Henry & Hardy appearing on The Dirt Sheet the previous week; included a backstage segment with Teddy Long, Tiffany, and Armando Estrada in which Long officially signed Estrada’s ECW contract and then told him he would be wrestling Finlay later in the show; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read more people watched Raw the previous night than Monday Night Football; included a backstage segment with Long, Tiffany, and Ricky Ortiz in which Ortiz debuted a rally towel as his new piece of merchandise; featured a backstage segment with Hardy and Henry regarding their tag team match later in the show:
Tommy Dreamer pinned Colin Delaney in an extreme rules match with a DDT onto a STOP sign at 3:13 (Delaney’s last appearance)
Evan Bourne pinned Bam Neely (w/ Chavo Guerrero Jr.) with the Shooting Star Press at 3:09
Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) pinned Armando Estrada with the Celtic Cross at 5:28; during the bout, Mike Knox appeared on the stage to watch the match and made eye contact with Finlay when the contest was over; moments later, Finlay brought a young fan into the ring to celebrate the win
ECW World Champion Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas) & Matt Hardy defeated John Morrison & Mike Mizanin at 8:45 when Hardy pinned Morrison with a Side Effect from the middle turnbuckle; after the bout, Henry threw Mizanin to the floor; moments later, Henry celebrated with Hardy until he dropped Hardy with the powerslam
Smackdown! – 8/14/08 – featured a backstage segment with Vickie Guerrero and Victoria in which Vickie asked whether she had seen either Edge or the Undertaker, with Victoria then consoling an emotional Vickie; included Eve conducting a backstage interview with WWE World Champion Triple H regarding his title defense at Summer Slam against the Great Khali and wrestling later in the show; moments later, Kenny Dykstra interrupted and told Triple H not to overlook him; featured an ad for the Summer Slam Anthology; included Eve conducting a backstage interview with MVP, with MVP taking the mic and saying he tried to help Jeff Hardy but he would now bury him at Summer Slam; featured a backstage segment with Vickie and Victoria in which Vickie asked Victoria to wheel her back to her limo; included a vignette promoting the debut of R Truth; featured a backstage segment in which Victoria helped Vickie to her limo, only to find Edge inside; after Victoria ran off, Edge said he had big plans for Vickie and then helped her back to her wheelchair; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read more people watched the previous week’s Raw than Monday Night Football; featured a video package recapping the history between John Cena and Batista to hype their Summer Slam match; included a backstage segment in which Edge was seen wheeling Vickie around backstage and scaring her before saying they were going to the ring; featured a closing segment in which Edge wheeled Vickie to the ring before showing her a video package recapping the past month between he and her and then said everything that had happened during that time was Vickie’s fault; Edge then said it felt like he was burning in hell but he would make sure the Undertaker would burn with him:
Jeff Hardy defeated WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin via disqualification at 15:32 when MVP came out of the crowd and shoved the challenger off the top as Hardy attempted the Swanton; prior to the bout, it was announced Hardy would face MVP at Summer Slam; after the contest, MVP attempted to hit the Drive By but hit Benjamin instead, with Hardy then dropping MVP with the Twist of Fate and Swanton before also hitting the Swanton on Benjamin
Natalya Neidhart & Maryse defeated WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool & Maria at 3:06 when Natalya pinned McCool with a double leg pickup
The Brian Kendrick (w/ Ezikiel Jackson) pinned Scotty Goldman (Colt Cabana) with The Kendrick at 2:40 after ramming Goldman face-first into the middle turnbuckle; prior to the bout, Kendrick cut an in-ring promo in which he said he was the future; before the match, Goldman cut an insert promo; after the contest, Kendrick held Goldman up so Jackson could drop him with a tackle (Goldman’s TV debut)
WWE World Champion Triple H pinned Kenny Dykstra in a non-title match with the Pedigree at 1:24; prior to the bout, the Great Khali & Runjin Singh cut an in-ring promo in which they said Triple H wouldn’t have his title or health after Summer Slam; Khali stood ringside for the duration of the bout and Singh provided guest commentary; after the contest, the champion dared Khali to come in the ring and eventually grabbed Singh as bait for Khali to enter the ring; moments later, the two fought with Triple H eventually knocking Khali to the floor with a clothesline
The Big Show defeated Ryan Braddock (Jay Bradley) with the right hand punch at 1:28 (Braddock’s debut)
Vladimir Kozlov pinned Festus (w/ Jesse) at 3:25 with the headbutt to the chest as Festus ran the ropes
– 8/15/08: Stevie Richards, Colin Delaney, Robbie & Rory McAllister, Cherry, and referee Wes Adams were released.
WWE (Raw, Smackdown!, & ECW) @ Rockford, IL – Metro Centre – August 15, 2008
The return to the city after a 2-year absence
Evan Bourne pinned Chavo Guerrero with the Shooting Star Press at the 11-minute mark
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James & Kelly Kelly defeated Beth Phoenix & Katie Lee Burchill when Mickie pinned Katie with the DDT at around the 10-minute mark; Santino Marella was the guest referee for the bout
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin pinned Jimmy Wang Yang with the Paydirt at around the 9-minute mark
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase defeated Cryme Tyme when Dibiase pinned Shad at around the 14-minute mark following the Million $ Dream into a Russian legsweep
The Big Show pinned Carlito with the chokeslam at around the 7-minute mark
ECW World Champion Mark Henry pinned Finlay with the powerslam at the 13-minute mark
Batista pinned Kane with the spear at the 18-minute mark in a No DQ match; the stipulation was chosen by fans via a text poll
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk, John Cena, & WWE World Champion Triple H defeated William Regal, John Bradshaw Layfield, & the Great Khali at around the 20-minute mark when Triple H pinned Regal with the Pedigree after Cena hit the FU on JBL
The Big Show defeated Bam Neely (w/ Chavo Guerrero Jr.)
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Jim Ross & Tazz on commentary for Smackdown!, Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler on commentary for Raw, and Todd Grisham & Matt Striker on commentary for ECW; included Maria conducting a backstage interview with Santino Marella & Beth Phoenix regarding their upcoming title match against WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston & WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James, during which Maria made note of Marella’s unibrow; featured a text poll asking fans whether Edge and Vickie Guerrero would divorce; included an ad for “Twist of Fate: The Matt & Jeff Hardy Story;” featured an in-ring segment in which Shawn Michaels and his wife Rebecca appeared with Michaels saying he would heed his doctor’s advice and walk away from the sport; moments later, Chris Jericho, in a suit, appeared and demanded Michaels admit to his family, himself, and to Jericho that Jericho was the reason Michaels was leaving; after Michaels admitted it, he told Jericho to go home and admit to his own family that he would never bee Michaels; Rebecca then tugged at Michaels to leave the ring, with Jericho then attempting to punch Michaels until he moved, with Jericho accidentally punching Rebecca in the lip; Michaels immediately tended to his wife as Jericho slowly left ringside; moments later, Rebecca – her lip swollen – was helped backstage by Michaels and officials; featured an ad for “Street Kings;” included an ad for the Summer Slam Anthology box set; featured the results of the text ad in which 78% of those polled said Edge and Vickie would divorce:
MVP pinned Jeff Hardy after avoiding the Swanton and hitting the Drive By kick to the face at 10:13 after Hardy hit a splash off the top onto WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin on the floor
Santino Marella & Beth Phoenix defeated WWE IC Champion Kofi Kingston & WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James to win both titles at 5:41 when Phoenix pinned James with a double chicken wing into a face-first slam, moments after James hit the DDT on Marella; after the bout, the winners celebrated with Phoenix hoisting Marella on her shoulders
Matt Hardy defeated ECW World Champion Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas) via disqualification at the 34-second mark when Atlas pulled Hardy out of the ring as Hardy had Henry covered following the Twist of Fate; after the bout, Atlas attacked Henry at ringside until Jeff Hardy made the save, laid out Atlas, and hit a Swanton from the apron to the floor
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk pinned John Bradshaw Layfield at 11:14 with the Go To Sleep; late in the bout, Punk bled from the back of the head after knocking heads with the challenger
WWE World Champion Triple H pinned the Great Khali (w/ Runjin Singh) with a kick to the midsection and the Pedigree at 9:21 after the challenger hit the corner
Batista pinned John Cena at 13:43 with the sit-down powerbomb after hitting a sit-down powerbomb as Cena came off the top and then kicking him in the face when Cena kicked out of that pin attempt (Batista: I Walk Alone)
The Undertaker pinned Edge in a Hell in a Cell match at 26:44 with the tombstone after breaking a video camera over him; during the bout, Vickie Guerrero, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Bam Neely, WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder were shown watching backstage; after the match, they were shown cheering Taker’s win; moments later, Taker left ringside until he noticed Edge coming to his senses on the big screen; Taker then returned to the ring, hoisted Edge to the top of a ladder, climbed to the top of a second ladder, and told Edge he was going to hell; Taker then hit a chokeslam from the top of the ladder through the ring, with the hole then bursting into flames as the show came to a close (Undertaker’s return after a 2-month absence) (Edge’s last appearance for 3 months) (Edge: A Decade of Decadence, The Undertaker’s Most Dangerous Matches)
WWE @ Chicago, IL – AllState Arena – August 18, 2008 (14,957; announced as a sell out)
Takeshi Morishima defeated Charlie Haas
William Regal defeated Jake Hager
Raw – featured an opening in-ring segment in which Chris Jericho, in a suit, cut a promo stating he wouldn’t apologize for what happened to Shawn Michaels’ wife at Summer Slam because it was Michaels’ own fault Rebecca was injured and he had it coming; included the announcement that the following week’s episode would air live on the Sci-Fi Channel; featured Mike Adamle conducting a backstage interview with Primo Colon, Carlito’s brother, until he ran down John Cena backstage to give him a heads up about his match later in the show; moments later, Cena approached Batista, said the better man won their match at Summer Slam, and extended his hand, with the two then shaking hands before Cena walked off; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read more people watched Raw the previous week than Monday Night Football; featured an ad for Smackdown! moving to MyNetworkTV Oct. 3; several players of the Chicago Cubs were shown in attendance; included a promo by Adamle on the stage in which he announced World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk would face Chris Jericho later in the show and that Shane & Stephanie McMahon said that at Unforgiven five men would compete in a 20-minute match in which the title would change hands with each pinfall and that the last man to score a pinfall before the time-limit would walk out with the title; Adamle then announced the participants as Kane, Punk, John Bradshaw Layfield, Batista, and John Cena; WWE Hall of Famer Harley Race was shown in attendance; featured a video package highlighting Jericho punching Rebecca at Summer Slam; included footage of Michael Cole conducting a backstage interview with Michaels, with Rebecca, immediately following Summer Slam in which Michaels initially walked off but returned to say he was going home to take care of his family and implied he would take revenge; featured Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Punk regarding his match later in the show against Jericho in his hometown; included the announcement that Matt Hardy would challenge ECW World Champion Mark Henry the following night on ECW; featured a WWE Classics on Demand segment which featured the May 16, 2002 episode of Smackdown! in which WWE Women’s Champion Trish Stratus outshined Stacy Keibler in a bikini contest; included an in-ring promo by Kane in which he said he had been carrying Mysterio’s mask around for quite a while and questioned whether he was alive or dead; moments later, Batista appeared, with the two brawling until Kane gained the upper hand and then left the ring:
Batista pinned Paul Burchill with the sit-down powerbomb at 1:54
Mickie James & Kelly Kelly defeated Jillian Hall & Katie Lea at 4:55 when Mickie pinned Katie with the DDT; prior to the bout, Jillian sang Chicago’s “You’re the Inspiration”
John Bradshaw Layfield defeated Jamie Noble via referee’s decision at 2:51 when the referee stopped the match after JBL hit the Clothesline from Hell and two short-arm clotheslines; the referee made a one count when JBL made a cover but then immediately called for the bell because Noble couldn’t defend himself
John Cena defeated WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. in a handicap match at 12:02 when Rhodes submitted to the STFU after Cena knocked Dibiase to the floor with a clothesline; prior to the bout, Cryme Tyme appeared at ringside, with Shad distracting the champions while JTG stole the title belts and ran backstage
D-Lo Brown defeated WWE IC Champion Santino Marella (w/ WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix) via disqualification in a non-title match at 1:35 when Phoenix slapped D-Lo after she refused to leave the ring; after the contest, Kofi Kingston, who did guest commentary for the bout, had a confrontation with Marella on the floor until Phoenix helped Marella backstage
Chris Jericho (w/ Lance Cade) pinned World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk in a non-title match with the Code Breaker at 13:09 after knocking Punk into Cade on the ring apron; prior to the bout, it was announced Punk had more than 100 family and friends in attendance
WWE @ Moline, IL – iWireless Center – August 19, 2008
Takeshi Morishima (w/ Tony Atlas) defeated Jamie Noble
ECW – featured an ad promoting the following week’s Raw airing on the Sci-Fi Channel; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read that for the second straight week, more people watched Raw than Monday Night Football; featured an in-ring promo by Finlay, with Hornswoggle, in which he responded to Mike Knox’ claims that he had lost his edge; after challenging Knox to appear, Knox came out on the stage and acted like he was going to take Finlay up on his challenge for a fight but eventually went to leave ringside; Finlay then said he gave Knox his chance and then slid out to the floor, where the two brawled in the aisle until the fight was broken up by Mike Rotundo, Dean Malenko, and referees; included the announcement that Rebecca Michaels sustained a fractured jaw as a result of the injury she sustained at Summer Slam by Chris Jericho; featured the announcement that Finlay would face Mike Knox the following week:
Chavo Guerrero Jr. (w/ Bam Neely), John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Tommy Dreamer, Super Crazy, & Evan Bourne at 5:09 when Mizanin pinned Dreamer with a knee to the back and neckbreaker after Morrison tripped up Dreamer as he attempted to step back inside the ring
Ricky Ortiz pinned Gavin Spears (Shawn Spears) at 3:36 with the Big O splash; prior to the bout, Spears cut an insert promo on his debut in ECW (Spears’ surprise debut)
ECW World Champion Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas) pinned Matt Hardy at 14:18 with the powerslam after raising his knees to block a moonsault; during the bout, a crawl at the bottom of the screen said an uninterrupted airing of the program would be shown on WWE.com the following day at 4 p.m. EST; during the final moments of the match, Hardy hit the Twist of Fate but Atlas pulled the challenger out of the ring, preventing the pinfall, without the referee seeing it (Summer Slam 08)
Smackdown! – featured an opening video package recapping the Smackdown! results from Summer Slam; included a promo by Vickie Guerrero on the big screen in which she said all her actions over the past months were because of Edge and that the fans had not seen the real Vickie; she then said she was proud to have the Undertaker back on Smackdown! and that there would be a Championship Scramble at Unforgiven with participants to be decided later in the show; featured a backstage segment with the Big Show, Vickie, Chavo Guerrero Jr., and Bam Neely in which Show said he was excited to be in the Championship Scramble until Vickie apologized and said it was an oversight that he wasn’t a part of it; included an ad promoting Smackdown! moving to MyNetwork TV; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read more people watched Smackdown! the previous week than the NFL on Fox; included a vignette promoting the debut the following week of R Truth; featured a WWE Classics on Demand segment which featured the May 16, 2002 episode of Smackdown! in which WWE Women’s Champion Trish Stratus outshined Stacy Keibler in a bikini contest; featured a video recap of Chris Jericho punching Rebecca Michaels at Summer Slam; included a backstage segment with Vickie, Chavo, and Bam in which Chavo alluded that he wanted in the Championship Scramble and then said Taker might hold a grudge against Vickie’s previous actions against him; featured an in-ring promo by WWE World Champion Triple H regarding facing WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin, Jeff Hardy, The Brian Kendrick, and MVP at Unforgiven, with Kenny Dykstra interrupting; after Dykstra complained of not even being considered for the Championship Scramble, Triple H dropped him with the Pedigree; included a backstage segment in which WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder informed Vickie, Chavo, and Bam that the Undertaker had arrived, as Vickie prepared a written apology to read to Taker; featured a closing in-ring segment with Vickie, Chavo, Bam, Hawkins & Ryder in which Vickie introduced Taker, cited she gave Edge to him at Summer Slam, and then got down on her knees to beg his forgiveness; moments later, Taker took the mic and said he didn’t come for an apology – he came for her soul; the four men then went after Taker, with Taker fighting them off and then staring at Vickie, on the entrance stage, as the show came to a close:
Maria defeated Natalya via disqualification at 3:25 when Maryse appeared and helped double team Maria; moments later, WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool made the save and cleared the ring
Championship Scramble Qualifying Match: The Brian Kendrick (w/ Ezikial Jackson) won an 11-man battle royal at 3:21; order of elimination: Vladimir Kozlov by Armando Estrada, Jimmy Wang Yang, WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder, & Ryan Braddock (0:59); Scotty Goldman by Hawkins & Ryder via a double clothesline (1:23); Braddock by Show (1:45); Super Crazy, Hawkins & Ryder by Show (1:51); Estrada by Show (2:05); Sho Funaki (2:29); Yang by Show via a press slam to the floor (2:42); Show, thinking he had won, then stepped out to the floor and left ringside before Jackson, who caught Kendrick before he touched the floor, rolled Kendrick back in the ring for the win; the match was scheduled as a 10-man battle royal but Show, who sat ringside for the bout, interfered mid-way through
Championship Scramble Qualifying Match: MVP defeated Festus (w/ Jesse) via count-out at 8:10 after MVP kicked Jesse in the face outside the ring, with Festus tending to him as MVP rolled back in the ring; prior to the bout, footage was shown of Eve conducting a backstage interview with MVP following his win over Jeff Hardy at Summer Slam in which he said he was going after the WWE World Title; after the contest, MVP kicked Festus over the top to the floor
Championship Scramble Qualifying Match: WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin pinned Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) in a non-title match at 16:18 with the Paydirt after Finlay became distracted by Mike Knox trying to grab at Hornswoggle on the floor; after the contest, Knox climbed in the ring and assaulted Finlay after Finlay struggled to his feet
Championship Scramble Qualifying Match: Jeff Hardy pinned the Great Khali (w/ Runjin Singh) at 5:19 with the Whisper in the Wind and Swanton after Khali released the head vice to go after WWE World Champion Triple H on the floor – after Triple H pulled an interfering Singh off the apron – with Triple H hitting Khali in the head with a steel chair behind the referee’s back; Triple H provided guest commentary for the bout
Dark match after the taping: WWE World Champion Triple H pinned the Great Khali in a streetfight at 3:59 after hitting him in the face with a sledgehammer
WWE @ Bridgeport, CT – Harbor Yard Arena – August 22, 2008 (7,000; 6,500 paid)
Primo Colon pinned Snitsky with a roll up at around the 5-minute mark
Lance Cade pinned D-Lo Brown with the sit-down spinebuster at around the 6-minute mark after avoiding the Sky High
Jamie Noble pinned William Regal at around the 7-minute mark with a backslide
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Cryme Tyme when Dibiase pinned Shad at around the 12-minute mark after Rhodes came off the top onto Shad behind the referee’s back as Shad had Dibiase covered; the challengers appeared ringside before the bout in possession of the title belts and kept them after the bout
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Mickie James at around the 5-minute mark with the double chickenwing into a facebuster
WWE IC Champion Santino Marella pinned Kofi Kingston at around the 7-minute mark with a roll up and putting his feet on the ropes for leverage after WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix tripped Kingston from the floor
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk pinned John Bradshaw Layfield in a No DQ match with the Go To Sleep at around the 20-minute mark; the stipulation was chosen by the fans
John Cena & Batista defeated Chris Jericho & Kane at around the 15-minute mark when Batista pinned Kane with the spinebuster after Cena dropped Kane with the FU; late in the bout, Jericho walked out of the match
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Erie, PA – Louis J. Tullio Arena – August 23, 2008 (3,400; 3,000 paid)
Evan Bourne defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr.
John Morrison defeated Tommy Dreamer
R Truth defeated Carlito
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool defeated Maryse
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder defeated Jesse & Festus
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin defeated Jeff Hardy
Matt Hardy defeated ECW World Champion Mark Henry via disqualification
WWE World Champion Triple H & the Undertaker defeated the Great Khali & MVP
WWE @ New York City, NY – Madison Square Garden – August 23, 2008 (19,068; sell out)
Primo Colon pinned William Regal with a backslide at 8:42 (Colon’s MSG debut)
Lance Cade pinned D-Lo Brown at 8:30 with the sit-down spinebuster
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Mickie James at 8:47 with the double chickenwing into the facebuster
Jamie Noble defeated Snitsky via submission at 6:45 with a front headlock chokehold
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Cryme Tyme at 8:48 when Dibiase pinned Shad after Rhodes hit an elbow drop onto Shad behind the referee’s back as Shad had Dibiase covered
WWE IC Champion Santino Marella pinned Kofi Kingston at 9:34 with a roll up after WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix interfered
John Cena & Batista defeated Chris Jericho & Kane at 17:28 when Cena pinned Kane with the FU (Cena’s last match for 3 months)
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk defeated John Bradshaw Layfield in a steel cage match at 16:35 when JBL accidentally punched the champion out of the door as the two were fighting on the apron; before the bout, Punk hugged ROH owner Cary Silkin, who sat ringside with Larry Sweeney
WWE @ Canton, OH – Civic Center – August 24, 2008
Evan Bourne defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr.
John Morrison defeated Tommy Dreamer
R Truth defeated Carlito
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool defeated Maryse
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin pinned Jeff Hardy with the Paydirt; after the bout, Hardy fought off Benjamin and hit the Swanton
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder defeated Jesse & Festus in a lumberjack match
Matt Hardy defeated ECW World Champion Mark Henry via disqualification when Tony Atlas interfered; after the bout, Jeff Hardy made the save and hit the Swanton on Atlas
WWE World Champion Triple H & the Undertaker defeated the Great Khali & MVP when Triple H pinned Khali with the Pedigree as Taker pinned MVP with the chokeslam
WWE @ Bethlehem, PA – Stabler Arena – August 24, 2008
Primo Colon pinned Snitsky with a roll up
Lance Cade pinned D-Lo Brown with the sit-down spinebuster
Jamie Noble pinned William Regal mark with a backslide
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Cryme Tyme when Dibiase pinned Shad at around the 12-minute mark after Rhodes came off the top onto Shad behind the referee’s back as Shad had Dibiase covered
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Mickie James with the double chickenwing into a facebuster
WWE IC Champion Santino Marella pinned Kofi Kingston with a roll up and putting his feet on the ropes for leverage after WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix tripped Kingston from the floor
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk pinned John Bradshaw Layfield in a No DQ match with the Go To Sleep; the stipulation was chosen by the fans
John Cena & Batista defeated Chris Jericho & Kane when Batista pinned Kane with the spinebuster after Cena dropped Kane with the FU; late in the bout, Jericho walked out of the match
WWE @ Wilkes Barre, PA – Wachovia Center – August 25, 2008
D-Lo Brown pinned Jake Hager with the frog splash at 5:00
Raw – aired live on the Sci-Fi Channel, as a result of US Open tennis coverage, with a replay airing on the USA Network; featured an ad promoting Smackdown! moving to MyNetworkTV Oct. 3; included a promo by Mike Adamle in which he announced John Cena sustained a herniated disc in his neck during Summer Slam and would be out of action indefinitely but would name a suitable replacement for Cena’s spot in the Unforgiven Championship Scramble; featured a backstage promo by Kane in which he said what Batista did to Cena was nothing compared to what he has done to Rey Mysterio Jr.; included a backstage segment in which Adamle spoke with Primo Colon, in which he apologized for his behavior the previous week; Primo then said he was nothing like his brother Carlito and that Carlito was a jerk to everyone; moments later, Shawn Michaels appeared and asked where Chris Jericho was; when Adamle asked about the condition of Michaels wife, Michaels stared him down; featured a WWE Classics on Demand segment focusing on the 4/23/89 match between Bret Hart and Mr. Perfect at Maple Leaf Gardens; included a video package recapping Jericho hitting Michaels’ wife at Summer Slam and his subsequent comments about it on Raw; featured an in-ring promo by Michaels in which he said he tried to explain Jericho’s actions as being an accident until he heard him come out on Raw the previous week and blame Michaels and the fans for Rebecca Michaels’ injury; Michaels then said he wasn’t leaving the WWE, as planned, with Jericho then appearing, wearing a suit, on the big screen to respond; Michaels said the reason he wanted the match was because if he did what he wants to do outside of wrestling, he goes to jail; Michaels then said he would sign any document needed to make the match happen; Jericho eventually agreed to a non-sanctioned match at Unforgiven, but then warned Michaels to not let his wife or kids watch the match; Michaels said he couldn’t care less about pinning Jericho or “stealing the show” and said he only had one goal – “An eye for an eye;” included the announcement that ECW would hold Championship Scramble qualifying matches the following night for their match at Unforgiven; featured Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Batista in which Batista wished Cena a speedy recovery and cut a promo on his upcoming match with Kane and his participation in the Championship Scramble; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read Raw attracted more viewers than Monday Night Football for the second week in a row; featured footage of Josh Matthews and Candice Michelle in Denver, CO for the Democratic Naitonal Convention in Denver, CO, with the two encouraging fans to register to vote as part of the Smackdown Your Vote campaign; during the segment, footage was shown of the two and WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin meeting notable people at the convention, including Katie Couric and Anderson Cooper; included Adamle announcing that Rey Mysterio Jr. would fill Cena’s spot at Unforgiven:
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk pinned John Bradshaw Layfield in a non-title match at 13:17 with the Go To Sleep after the referee stole a steel chair away from JBL before JBL was able to use it
Kelly Kelly pinned WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix (w/ WWE IC Champion Santino Marella) in a non-title match at 2:32 with a roll up after Phoenix became distracted by Santino pulling her out of the way of Kelly’s handspring elbow in the corner; after the match, Marella attempted to apologize but was beaten down by Phoenix until Marella ran backstage
Primo Colon pinned Charlie Haas with a crossbody off the top at 2:31; Haas worked the match as Carlito’s character; prior to the contest, Haas cut a backstage promo as Carlito (Colon’s TV debut)
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Jerry Lawler & Jim Duggan in a non-title match at 3:48 when Dibiase pinned Duggan with a Million $ Dream into a side Russian legsweep; after the bout, the champions cut an in-ring promo on Cryme Tyme regarding the theft of their tag team title belts; moments later, Cryme Tyme appeared in one of the box seats with the belts and challenged Rhodes & Dibiase to a title shot at Unforgiven; moments later, Dibiase accepted the match
WWE IC Champion Santino Marella pinned Kofi Kingston at 3:28 after WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix appeared, tripped Kingston behind the referee’s back and caused the challenger to fall onto Marella’s knee and knock himself out; after the contest, Phoenix cornered Marella and eventually kissed him, with Marella then kissing her back
Batista defeated Kane via disqualification at 15:29 when Kane began repeatedly hitting Batista’s knee with a steel chair; after the bout, Batista fought off another attack with the chair, dropped him with the spear, and then assaulted Kane’s own knee with the chair before collapsing
ECW – 8/26/08 – included an opening segment in which Tiffany introduced Teddy Long on the entrance stage, in which Long said ECW would also have a Championship Scramble match at Unforgiven and that matches later in the show would determine who would qualify for the contest; featured a backstage segment in which ECW World Champion Mark Henry & Tony Atlas protested Long’s Championship Scramble match; included a segment in which Josh Matthews interviewed Batista and Candice Michelle outside the Democratic Naitonal Convention in Denver, CO, with the two encouraging fans to register to vote as part of the Smackdown Your Vote campaign; during the segment, footage was shown of the two and WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin meeting notable people at the convention, including Katie Couric and Anderson Cooper; prior to introducing the segment, Matt Striker gave a thumbs up when Todd Grisham mentioned the Republican Party and then an ugly face when Grisham mentioned the Democratic Party; featured an ad promoting Smackdown! moving to MyNetworkTV Oct. 3:
Championship Scramble Qualifying Match: Matt Hardy pinned John Morrison with the Twist of Fate at 12:25
Championship Scramble Qualifying Match: Mike Mizanin pinned Evan Bourne with the Reality Check after crotching Bourne on the top rope at 7:03
Championship Scramble Qualifying Match: Chavo Guerrero Jr. (w/ Bam Neely) pinned Tommy Dreamer with the frog splash at 3:38 after Dreamer collided with Neely on the apron and then dropped Dreamer throat-first across the top rope
Championship Scramble Qualifying Match: Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) pinned Mike Knox at 12:19 by hitting him with a shillelagh behind the referee’s back after the referee took away the first shillelagh Finlay attempted to use
– 8/26/08: John Cena underwent neck surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
WWE @ Pittsburgh, PA – Mellon Arena – August 26, 2008 (6,500; heavily papered)
Jake Hager pinned Jamie Noble
Sho Funaki pinned Nic Nemeth
Smackdown! – featured an opening in-ring promo by the Undertaker – with Vickie Guerrero, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Bam Neely, and WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder watching on backstage – in which he said he wouldn’t forgive Vickie for her past sins and that she would eventually burn in hell; after the promo, everyone except Vickie left the backstage office, with Vickie quickly realizing she was locked alone inside; included a vignette promoting the debut of R Truth later in the show; featured a backstage segment in which Maryse interrupted WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool’s photo shoot and said the photo shoot would be her last as champion; included a video package highlighting the feud between Jeff Hardy and MVP; featured Eve conducting a backstage interview with Jeff regarding his upcoming match with MVP; included a backstage segment in which Vickie tried calling out of her office but found the line was dead; several members of the Pittsburgh Steelers were shown in attendance; featured footage of Candice Michelle and Josh Matthews at the Democratic National Convention, on behalf of the Smackdown Your Vote campaign; included a backstage segment of Vickie in her office alone and breathing heavy; featured a backstage promo by The Brian Kendrick, with Ezikial, regarding his opponents in the upcoming Championship Scramble fighting each other while he studied the art of war; included a closing segment showing Vickie alone in her office until the lights went out R Truth pinned Kenny Dykstra with an axe kick at 2:15; on his way to the ring, Dykstra cut a promo complaining that the WWE should be building the company around him and not a “convict” like R Truth (Ron Killings’ TV return after a 7-year absence)
Maryse & Natalya Neidhart defeated WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool & Maria at 2:29 when Maryse pinned Maria with a DDT; after the match, McCool tended to Maria until Maryse attacked her from behind, with the two brawling out to the floor and Natalya helping double team the champion
Jeff Hardy pinned MVP with the Whisper in the Wind and Swanton at 20:11; after the bout, WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin appeared and dropped Hardy with the Paydirt before doing the same to MVP
Jesse & Festus fought WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder to a no contest in a non-title match at 1:02 when the Big Show appeared and laid out both champions and Jesse, as Festus was on the floor; after the match, Show cut an in-ring promo on being overlooked by Vickie Guerrero
Brie Bella pinned Victoria with an inside cradle at 2:37 (Bella’s surprise debut)
WWE World Champion Triple H pinned WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin in a non-title match at 19:16 by reversing the Paydirt into the Pedigree, moments after the Great Khali & Runjin Singh appeared ringside; prior to the bout, Benjamin cut a backstage promo; after the contest, Benjamin hit Triple H from behind with the US title belt, knocking him out; moments later, Benjamin left ringside with Khali and dropped Triple H with the tree slam
ECW – 9/1/08 – featured an opening still image tribute to the passing of Killer Kowalski; included an opening in-ring segment of The Dirt Sheet, hosted by John Morrison & Mike Mizanin, in which they brought out ECW World Champion Mark Henry, with Tony Atlas; moments later, Chavo Guerrero Jr. was introduced, with Morrison & Mizanin’s version of Chavo’s theme song playing over the PA; Guerrero & Bam Neely then appeared, with Morrison & Mizanin claiming it was a mix up in the production truck; Morrison & Mizanin then claimed Finlay couldn’t be at the show because he couldn’t find a babysitter for Hornswoggle; they then turned to the big screen, where Morrison & Mizanin dressed as Finlay appeared and claimed to be Finlay’s brothers who claimed Finlay was a loser and bed wetter; Finlay & Hornswoggle then came out, with Hornswoggle kicking the two hosts in the shin; Matt Hardy then appeared and ran down everyone else in the ring before turning to Henry, who said he would clear the ring if Hardy said the wrong thing; moments later, all the men began brawling until Tommy Dreamer and Evan Bourne made the save for Hardy, Finlay, and Hornswoggle; following the commercial break, Teddy Long, Barry Windham, and Mike Rotundo broke up the fight backstage and set up an eight man tag team match for later in the show; featured an ad for “The Life and Times of Mr. Perfect,” available the following Tuesday; included footage from earlier in the day of Josh Matthews, Mickie James, and Ken Kennedy at the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis, MN, with footage of several notables in attendance; following the segment, Matt Striker told the fans to vote Republican; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read that WWE DVD releases in 2007 reached #1 on the Sports DVD charts 15 times, with the WrestleMania 23 DVD being the top selling of the year; :
Super Crazy pinned Gavin Spears with the moonsault at 4:15; prior to the bout, Spears cut an insert promo
Ricky Ortiz pinned Ryan Braddock with the Big O at 4:40
Matt Hardy, Tommy Dreamer, Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle), & Evan Bourne defeated ECW World Champion Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas), John Morrison, Mike Mizanin, & Chavo Guerrero Jr. (w/ Bam Neely) at 14:34 when Hardy pinned Henry with the Twist of Fate after Henry sustained Bourne’s Shooting Star Press, a splash off the top by Dreamer, and a sit-down splash by Finlay
Dark match after the taping: WWE World Champion Triple H pinned the Great Khali (w/ Runjin Singh) in a streetfight at around the 7:30 mark after hitting him in the head with a sledgehammer
FCW @ ? – August 28, 2008 (125)
FCW Tag Team Champions Nic Nemeth & Gavin Spears defeated Primo Colon & Eric Perez
Vladimir Kozlov defeated Kafu
Sheamus defeated Gabe Tuft, Johnny Curtis, and Tyrone Jones; stipulations stated the winner would face FCW Champion Jake Hager the following week
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix & Natalya Neidhart defeated the Bella Twins
WWE (Raw & ECW) @ Cedar Rapids, IA – US Cellular Center – August 29, 2008
D-Lo Brown defeated Lance Cade
Snitsky defeated Primo Colon
WWE IC Champion Santino Marella & WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix defeated Kofi Kingston & Candice Michelle; both titles were on the line in the match
Jamie Noble defeated Jake Hager
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase defeated Cryme Tyme
Batista pinned William Regal
ECW World Champion Mark Henry pinned Matt Hardy in a No DQ match after Tony Atlas interfered
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk defeated Kane
– 8/30/08: WWE Hall of Famer Walter “Killer” Kowalski died at the age of 81.
WWE (Raw & ECW) @ Peoria, IL – Civic Center – August 30, 2008 (matinee) (3,000)
D-Lo Brown defeated Lance Cade
Snitsky defeated Primo Colon
WWE IC Champion Santino Marella & WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix defeated Kofi Kingston & Mickie James; both titles were on the line in the match
Jamie Noble defeated Jake Hager
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase defeated Cryme Tyme
Batista defeated William Regal
ECW World Champion Mark Henry defeated Matt Hardy
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk pinned Kane with a springboard clothesline
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Jonesboro, AR – Convocation Center – August 30, 2008 (matinee) (3,400)
The Big Show defeated Carlito
R Truth defeated The Brian Kendrick via disqualification when Ezekiel interfered; during the bout, the power in the arena and part of the city temporarily went out; ring announcer Justin Roberts used a bullhorn to announce the next match until power restored
WWE Diva’s Champion Michelle McCool & Maria defeated Maryse & Natalya Neidhart
Vladimir Kozlov defeated Super Crazy
Finlay defeated Kenny Dykstra
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder defeated Jesse & Festus
Jeff Hardy defeated MVP
WWE World Champion Triple H & the Undertaker defeated the Great Khali & WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin
WWE @ St. Louis, MO – Stottrade Center – August 31, 2008
Jimmy Wang Yang pinned Go Shiozaki (w/ Tony Atlas) with the moonsault
Raw – Labor Day; featured an opening still image tribute to the passing of Killer Kowalski; included an in-ring promo by Randy Orton in which he said a brand was only as strong as its champions – then ran down WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix, WWE IC Champion Santino Marella, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr.; moments later, Orton singled out World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk and said that when Orton won his first world title in 2004, Punk was wrestling in no-name towns for a no-name organization and wasn’t anyone until he won the WrestleMania ladder match and got a lucky world title win; Orton then said he would take Punk’s title once he was cleared to wrestle; Punk then came out, said he didn’t smoke, didn’t drink, and didn’t take joy rides on his motorcycle to get himself re-injured; Punk said he had a battle royal to win later in the show and a Championship Scramble match to win at Unforgiven, but afterwards they could continue their conversation; Orton then left ringside as John Bradshaw Layfield appeared and cut a promo stating he would come out of Unforgiven with the title; Kane then appeared and claimed Rey Mysterio Jr. would not be at Unforgiven because he was in hell; Batista then came out, acted like he was about to respond to Kane’s comments, and then dropped JBL, Kane, and Punk with spears before leaving the ring; featured an ad promoting Smackdown! moving to MyNetworkTV Oct. 3; included a backstage segment where Rhodes & Dibiase responded to Orton and his comments earlier in the show, with Orton slapping Rhodes across his face just as he did to Dusty Rhodes the previous year; Orton then said they were two of the most talented wrestlers in the locker room and they needed to grow a set and steal back their stolen tag team titles; featured Mike Adamle speaking backstage with Teddy Long and Tiffany regarding the Raw and ECW battle royals later in the show, featuring the Championship Scramble participants; moments later, Kane walked into the office and confronted Adamle about Mysterio being back; Adamle said he hoped the invitation to be in the Championship Scramble would be enough to get Mysterio back in action; included the announcement that all the ECW Championship Scramble participants would appear the following night on ECW in The Dirt Sheet; featured backstage footage of Chris Jericho and Lance Cade reviewing Jericho’s contract for his Unforgiven match against Shawn Michaels; included a video package recapping the feud between Jericho and Michaels dating back to Summer Slam; featured backstage footage of Michaels reviewing the contract; included a WWE Classics In Demand segment focusing on the 9/22/97 Raw at Madison Square Garden and Steve Austin dropping Vince McMahon with the Stunner; several members of the St. Louis Rams were shown in attendance; featured footage from earlier in the day at the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis, MN, with appearances by Ken Kennedy, Mickie James, and several of the notable people in attendance; included Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Batista regarding his upcoming battle royal and the Championship Scramble at Unforgiven; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read Raw has been seen over 3 billion times in the United States alone, making it the most watched weekly series in cable TV history; included an ad for “The Life and Times of Mr. Perfect,” available the following Tuesday; featured a closing in-ring segment in which Jerry Lawler hosted the contract signing for the Michaels vs. Jericho unsanctioned match at Unforgiven; after both men signed the contract, Jericho and Michaels agreed to have the security, Lawler, and their attorneys leave ringside; Jericho then said he did what Michaels told him to do – he sat his wife and kids down and told them he would never be self-obsessed like Michaels and then told them not to watch what Jericho does to him at Unforgiven; he then said, like Michaels said to Ric Flair before WrestleMania, he would put Michaels out of his misery; Michaels said he took comfort in the fact Jericho’s family wouldn’t be watching the show and that he would never apologize for the man that he is and the life he has lived and he would have no regrets for what happens to Jericho; Michaels then said he hoped one day that God would forgive him for what he does to Jericho; moments later, the two stood up as though they were fought to fight, with Michaels jumping an interfering Lance Cade; Michaels then lunged for Jericho but fell awkwardly to the floor; the show then ended with Michaels atop of Cade’s body while staring at Jericho on the ramp; Michaels sustained a small tear to his left triceps as a result of the fall:
Kofi Kingston pinned Charlie Haas (as John Cena) with the spin kick to the face at 1:42
ECW World Champion Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas) won a 5-man battle royal by last eliminating Matt Hardy at 3:26; other participants included: Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle), Chavo Guerrero Jr. (w/ Bam Neely), and Mike Mizanin; order of elimination: Mizanin & Guerrero by Henry (1:45); Finlay by Henry (3:01); Hardy by Henry after blocking the Twist of Fate
Jamie Noble pinned William Regal with an inside cradle at 1:47; after the bout, Noble left ringside with Layla, who he had come out to watch his match; Layla appeared impressed by the win
Candice Michelle, Mickie James, & Kelly Kelly defeated WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix, Jillian Hall, & Katie Lea at 4:18 when Candice pinned Phoenix with a reversal into an inside cradle; prior to the bout, Phoenix cut an in-ring promo responding to Randy Orton’s comments earlier in the show and said she was the most powerful and most beautiful diva, with Michelle then appearing (Candice’s surprise in-ring return after a 10-month absence)
WWE IC Champion Santino Marella pinned D-Lo Brown in a non-title match at 1:17 after moving out of the way of Brown’s frog splash; prior to the bout, Marella responded to Orton’s comments about he and Phoenix earlier in the show; moments later, Marella then put up a graphic on the big screen comparing his 2-week title reign to that of the Honkytonk Man’s 64-week run and said he would soon exceed that record
Cryme Tyme fought John Morrison & Mike Mizanin to a no contest when both teams began brawling on the floor before the match began, with WWE Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. then attacking Cryme Tyme; moments later, JTG was thrown into the ringpost while Shad sustained a DDT onto one of the tag title belts; Rhodes & Dibiase then reclaimed possession of the championship belts; after the commercial break, the two showed off the title belts to Randy Orton while passing him backstage
Kane won a 4-man battle royal by last eliminationg World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk at 4:16; other participants included Batista and John Bradshaw Layfield; order of elimination: Batista by Punk via a clothesline (1:12); JBL by Punk (1:34); Punk by Kane after Kane caught him in a choke as Punk attempted a springboard, then threw Punk over the ropes; after the bout, Punk confronted Randy Orton, who sat ringside for the match, and threw Orton’s own bottle of water in his face; moments later, Rey Mysterio Jr. – who was scheduled as the fifth participant – came out and fought with Kane in and around the ring, eventually hitting a 619 around the ringpost and sending Kane over the ringside barrier with a hurricanrana
Smackdown! – 9/4/08 – included an opening still image tribute to the passing of Killer Kowalski; featured an opening in-ring promo by WWE World Champion Triple H regarding the upcoming Championship Scramble at Unforgiven; moments later, WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin interrupted and brought up the fact he laid out Triple H, MVP, and Jeff Hardy the previous week with the Paydirt; moments later, as Benjamin approached the ring to fight Triple H, MVP appeared and argued with Benjamin; moments later, Triple H said the plan for the show leading up to the pay-per-view called for MVP and Benjamin to come out, interrupt him, rush the ring, and get knocked to the floor by Triple H; moments later, Triple H fought off an attack from behind by The Brian Kendrick, with Ezikial Jackson distracting the champion while Kendrick attacked him from behind and MVP and Benjamin joined in; Jeff Hardy made the save until Jackson knocked him off the top, with Ezikial no selling a chair shot from the champion before leaving ringside with Kendrick; included an in-ring promo by the Undertaker in which he said he would send Vickie Guerrero to hell so she could join her husband, Edge; featured a backstage segment with Maria and Maryse regarding their their match later in the show; included a backstage segment where Vickie arrived to the arena and yelled at a stagehand who brought her wheelchair to her, claiming she didn’t need it; featured footage from earlier in the week of Josh Matthews, Ken Kennedy, and Mickie James at the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis, MN; included Eve conducting a backstage interview with WWE World Champion Triple H regarding his upcoming lumberjack match with the Great Khali and defending the title at Unforgiven in the Championship Scramble; moments later, Hardy appeared and said Triple H had a big problem at Unforgiven and it was him; the champion responded by saying Hardy already had two strikes against him and would be “out of the game” with his third:
R Truth pinned Bam Neely (w/ Chavo Guerrero Jr.) with the axe kick at 2:15
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin pinned MVP in a non-title match with the Paydirt at 3:45; prior to his entrance, Benjamin cut a promo on the big screen
Maryse pinned Maria with a DDT at 3:00; prior to the bout, it was announced Maryse would challenge WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool at Unforgiven; after the bout, McCool confronted Maryse on the entrance stage
The Brian Kendrick (w/ Ezikial Jackson) pinned Jeff Hardy at 4:58 with The Kendrick after Jackson threw Hardy back-first into the ringside barrier
Super Crazy pinned Ryan Braddock with the moonsault at 1:20; after the bout, Vladimir Kozlov appeared, said something in Russian to Crazy, and kicked him to the floor; Kozlov then cut a promo that he wanted more of a challenge, with the Big Show then coming out; Show then challenged Kozlov, with the two squaring off until Vickie Guerrero appeared, yelled at Kozlov to get out of the ring, and then told Show to leave or he would be fined and indefinately suspended; moments later, Vickie cut a promo on the Undertaker and said she wouldn’t be intimidated and that at Unforgiven Taker would apologize to her
Brie Bella pinned Victoria with a roll up at 2:49
WWE World Champion Triple H pinned the Great Khali (w/ Runjin Singh) in a non-title lumberjack match with the Pedigree at 9:58; lumberjacks for the bout included Jeff Hardy, The Brian Kendrick, Ezikial Jackson, MVP, and WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin; after the bout, Hardy climbed in the ring and congratulated Triple H on the win before dropping him with the Twist of Fate
– WWE World Champion Triple H served as a pall bearer during Killer Kowalski’s funeral.
WWE (Raw, Smackdown!, & ECW) @ Rochester, NY – September 5, 2008
Evan Bourne pinned Chavo Guerrero Jr. with the Shooting Star Press
WWE IC Champion Santino Marella & WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix defeated Kofi Kingston & Kelly Kelly when Beth tripped Kingston as he attempted to suplex Marella into the ring; both titles were at stake in the match
Primo Colon defeated William Regal
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin defeated R Truth and Carlito in an elimination match; Truth pinned Carlito; Benjamin pinned Truth with the Paydirt
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Cryme Tyme when Dibiase pinned Shad after Rhodes dropped Shad with a DDT
ECW World Champion Mark Henry pinned Matt Hardy in a No DQ match with the powerslam after Hardy became distracted by Tony Atlas
WWE World Champion Triple H, the Big Show, & Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated the Great Khali, Kane, & MVP when Triple H pinned Khali with the Pedigree as Show hit a chokeslam on Kane
WWE (Raw, Smackdown!, & ECW) @ Jamestown, NY – Savings Bank Ice Arena – September 6, 2008 (4,000; sell out)
The Big Show pinned Carlito
ECW World Champion Mark Henry pinned Matt Hardy in a hardcore match; the stipulation was decided through a fan text poll
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Cryme Tyme
WWE World Champion Triple H, World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk, & Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Kane, MVP, & the Great Khali
Unforgiven 08 – Cleveland, OH – Quicken Loans Arena – September 7, 2008 (9,500; heavily papered)
Evan Bourne pinned John Morrison with the Shooting Star Press at 5:15
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Todd Grisham & Matt Striker on commentary for ECW, Jim Ross & Tazz on commentary for Smackdown!, and Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler on commentary for Raw; included the announcement that WrestleMania 25 tickets would go on sale Sept. 20; featured a text poll in which the fans were asked whether Vickie Guerrero should have allowed the Big Show in the Smackdown! Championship Scramble; included an ad for “The Rock: The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment” on pay-per-view; featured backstage footage of the trainer taping up Shawn Michaels’ arm after he sustained a small tear to his left triceps Monday during Raw; included an ad for No Mercy 08; featured a backstage segment with Randy Orton, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr, and Manu, son of Afa, with Orton congratulating Rhodes & Dibiase for their win but then insulted the three and told them that luck would eventually run out; included an ad for “The Life and Times of Mr. Perfect” DVD; featured Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Michaels regarding his victory, with Michaels saying for Jericho the worst was yet to come; included Eve conducting a backstage interview with World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk regarding his upcoming title defense, with Orton interrupting and claiming Punk was a fluke; moments later, Rhodes, Dibiase, & Manu jumped Punk, with Kofi Kingston attempting to make the save but also beaten down; moments later, Orton kicked Punk in the head, knocking him out; featured the results of the text poll in which 77% claimed Vickie should have put Show in the match; included a promo by Mike Adamle in which he said Punk may not be able to compete due to the injury he sustained earlier in the show but that a suitable replacement would be found if Punk couldn’t wrestle; featured an in-ring promo by the Big Show in which he said Adamle could pick him and that he was sick and tired of Vickie running Smackdown!; moments later, Vickie came out, confronted Show, called him a big, dumb giant; moments later, the lights dimmed as several druids carried a casket to ringside; the Undertaker then appeared on the big screen and said Vickie could get in the casket voluntarily or he would come out to put her in it; Taker then came out as Show held Vickie; as Taker went to grab Vickie, Show punched Taker, with the two brawling around ringside until Show knocked Taker out with a series of punches; Show then held Taker up as Vickie slapped and spat in Taker’s face, with the two then leaving ringside together; included a backstage segment with Adamle and William Regal in which Regal said he could fill Punk’s spot if Punk couldn’t compete:
Matt Hardy defeated ECW World Champion Mark Henry, Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle), Mike Mizanin, and Chavo Guerrero Jr. in a Championship Scramble at 20:06 to win the title; order of entry: Hardy (0:00); Mizanin (0:00); Guerrero (5:19); Henry (10:44); Finlay (15:01); decisions: Guerrero pinned Hardy with the frog splash (5:35); Hardy pinned Guerrero with the Side Effect (8:55); Henry pinned Guerrero with the powerslam (11:54); Finlay pinned Hardy with the Celtic Cross (16:17); Hardy pinned Mizanin with the Twist of Fate (16:47); all managers were banned from ringside; after the bout, Hardy celebrated backstage with Jeff Hardy and wished Jeff well in his match later in the show
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Cryme Tyme at 11:35 when Rhodes pinned JTG after Dibiase reversed JTG’s inside cradle behind the referee’s back; after the bout, Cryme Tyme attacked the champions until a man with an afro came out, attacked Shad & JTG, and knocked them to the floor (Manu’s surprise debut)
Shawn Michaels defeated Chris Jericho in an unsanctioned match at 26:53 when the referee stopped the match after Michaels repeatedly jabbed Jericho in the face with his belt buckle; mid-way through the bout, Lance Cade interfered on behalf of Jericho but Michaels knocked him out minutes later; after the bout, Michaels again stabbed Jericho with the weapon and then superkicked the referee when he told Michaels to stop; moments later, several referees came out to tend to Jericho and the referee as Michaels got down on his knees (Shawn Michaels: His Journey)
WWE World Champion Triple H defeated Jeff Hardy, MVP, The Brian Kendrick, and WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin in a Championship Scramble match at 20:14; order of entry: Hardy (0:00); Benjamin (0:00); Kendrick (5:55); MVP (10:25); Triple H (15:15); decisions: Hardy pinned Kendrick with a modified face-first powerbomb (7:17); Kendrick pinned Hardy with The Kendrick after Benjamin dropped Hardy with the Paydirt and Kendrick knocked Benjamin to the floor (9:31); Triple H pinned Kendrick with the Pedigree (16:02); Hardy pinned MVP with the Twist of Fate (17:11); Triple H pinned Kendrick with the Pedigree (18:13); Hardy pinned Kendrick with the Swanton (18:30); Triple H pinned MVP with the Pedigree, just as Hardy had Benjamin covered (20:14); prior to the bout, Benjamin cut an insert promo claiming he would win the title
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool pinned Maryse with a sit-down face-first suplex at 5:44
Chris Jericho (sub. for World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk) defeated Batista, Kane, and Rey Mysterio Jr. in a Championship Scramble to win the title at 17:18; order of entry: Batista (0:00); JBL (0:00); Kane (4:28); Mysterio (8:18); Jericho (13:07); decisions: Kane pinned JBL with the chokeslam (7:22); Batista pinned Kane with a spinebuster (16:41); Jericho pinned Kane as Batista fought with Mysterio (17:09)
WWE @ Ft. Wayne, IN – Allen County War Memorial Coliseum – September 8, 2008
Jake Hager defeated D-Lo Brown
Raw – featured an opening in-ring promo by World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho in which he took off his shirt to show the cuts and bruises caused by his match against Shawn Michaels at Unforgiven and then bragged about his title win in the Championship Scramble over Batista, Rey Mysterio Jr., Kane, and John Bradshaw Layfield; moments later, Mike Adamle appeared and said that Jericho would defend against CM Punk, out injured with a concussion, the following week in a steel cage; Jericho then went to leave ringside but Adamle stopped him and said Jericho would face Batista later in the show; included a backstage segment with Layla and Jamie Noble, during which Jillian Hall began singing “Layla” until Noble told her to go away, with Layla and Noble then talking about Noble’s upcoming match with William Regal; featured a “Did you know?” graphich which read Raw is the longest running weekly entertainment program, with more episodes than “Seinfeld,” “ER,” and “The Simpsons” combined; included an ad promoting WrestleMania 25 tickets going on sale Sept. 20; featured Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Rey Mysterio Jr. regarding Kane’s attack on him in a parking lot, with Mysterio saying he was no one’s victim; included an ad promoting Smackdown! moving to MyNetworkTV Oct. 3; featured an in-ring promo by Randy Orton in which he said his attack on Punk at Unforgiven saved Punk a beating in the ring and then said Jericho should thank him for taking Punk out of the match; moments later, Manu, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. came out and claimed Orton was taking credit for their attack; Orton then slapped Dibiase and left the ring; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE broadcasts in 23 languages to more than 130 nations; featured a WWE Classics on Demand segment focusing on the 11/24/83 Starrcade steel cage bout between Ric Flair and NWA World Champion Harley Race; included a backstage segment with Adamle and Kelly Kelly, with Jericho interrupting and trying to get out of his scheduled match with Batista:
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Mickie James at 3:27 after throwing the challenger to the mat as Mickie attempted to flip over Phoenix in the corner; after the bout, Candice Michelle, who sat ringside for the match, stared at Phoenix; stipulations stated the winner would defend against Candice at No Mercy
William Regal pinned Jamie Noble (w/ Layla) at 2:49 with a knee to the head after blocking a cannonball in the corner; after the bout, Regal cut an in-ring promo asking Noble if he actually expected to win; moments later, Regal went out to the floor and left ringside with a reluctant Layla; as Layla was about to walk backstage, she turned around to look at Noble
Charlie Haas (as John Bradshaw Layfield) defeated John Bradshaw Layfield via count-out at the 48-second mark when JBL walked out of the match; prior to the contest, Haas came out of JBL’s limo and cut a promo on his way to the ring putting over Mamajuana; moments later, JBL grabbed the mic and said he deserved better than to be mocked by Haas; after the commercial break, JBL walked backstage to find Batista and Kelly Kelly laughing at him; moments later, JBL argued that, since they were both main eventers, Batista should agree that what Haas did was disrespectful; Batista agreed that Haas and JBL had nothing in common because Haas won his match
Rey Mysterio Jr. & Evan Bourne defeated John Morrison & Mike Mizanin at 6:22 when Bourne pinned Morrison with the Shooting Star Press after Mysterio hit Morrison with the 619; prior to the bout, Mike Adamle, Teddy Long, & Tiffany were shown watching on backstage; after the contest, Kane appeared on the big screen and cut a promo on facing Mysterio the following week, then held up his old mask as a clue as to why he picked Mysterio to be his victim
Manu, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Kofi Kingston & Cryme Tyme at 4:04 when Manu pinned Shad with a back suplex into a neckbreaker (Manu’s TV in-ring debut)
WWE IC Champion Santino Marella (w/ WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix) pinned Snitsky in a non-title match with a roll up at the 47-second mark; prior to the bout, Marella cut an in-ring promo again comparing his title reign to the length of the Honkytonk Man’s IC title run and noted he was already 19 days better than the Mountie
World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho (w/ Lance Cade) fought Batista to a no contest in a non-title match at the 1:30 mark when Mike Adamle came out, stopped the contest, and said he made a bad desicion in making the match despite Jericho’s injury; Adamle then said Jericho would team with John Bradshaw Layfield to face Batista in a handicap match
World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho (w/ Lance Cade) & John Bradshaw Layfield defeated Batista in a handicap match at around the 5:15 mark when Jericho scored the pin after Batista attacked Cade on the apron and JBL hit Batista with the Clothesline from Hell; after the bout, JBL and Cade double teamed Batista until Batista dropped JBL with the spear and then Cade with the sit-down powerbomb; moments later, Batista stared at Jericho, at the top of the ramp
– 9/9/08: Shane McMahon announced during a press conference that a Raw replay would soon air on Televisa in Mexico, Saturday from 3 to 5 p.m. That timeslot was the regular timeslot of CMLL matches from Arena Mexico.
WWE @ Milwaukee, WI – Bradley Center – September 9, 2008
D-Lo Brown pinned Nic Nemeth
ECW – featured an opening in-ring promo by the new ECW World Champion Matt Hardy in which he thanked the fans for their years of support; moments later, Mark Henry & Tony Atlas appeared, with Henry challenging Hardy to a rematch; Henry then attacked Hardy, with Hardy eventually causing him to fall out to the floor and then hitting the Twist of Fate on Atlas; included an ad promoting CM Punk vs. World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho in a steel cage match the following week on Raw; featured a video package recapping the feud between Finlay and Mike Knox; included a backstage segment with Hardy, Finlay, Hornswoggle, and Ricky Ortiz in which Ortiz gave them one of his Ricky O rally towels for good luck in their upcoming match; featured an ad promoting WrestleMania 25 tickets going on sale Sept. 20:
John Morrison (w/ Mike Mizanin) pinned Evan Bourne at 14:52 with a springboard kick to the head, knocking him off the apron to the floor, after Bourne came off the top to knock an interfering Mizanin to the floor
Jack Swagger pinned Josh Daniels at 2:13 with a Blue Thunder Bomb (Swagger’s debut)
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy & Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) defeated Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas) & Mike Knox at 13:27 when Henry pinned Knox with the Twist of Fate after Finlay hit Henry with the shillelagh; during the bout, a crawl at the bottom of the screen said an uninterrupted airing of the program would be shown on WWE.com the following day at 4 p.m. EST
Smackdown! – featured an opening in-ring promo by WWE World Champion Triple H regarding being the only world champion to walk into Unforgiven and walk out still with the title; moments later, Jeff Hardy interrupted, with the two praising each other until the champion noted that Hardy always comes close to “taking the brass ring” but always fails; Hardy then said perhaps if he had the Klique, DX, and “the family,” then maybe he would have what Triple H has; the champion responded by saying while many people thought Jeff was a better wrestler than Matt Hardy, Matt was the one making sure Jeff was keeping on the straight and narrow and that without Matt, Jeff can’t stay focused on business; Triple H then said he hoped Jeff would win the fatal fourway later in the show but the result would be the same at No Mercy and Triple H would still walk out with the belt; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE is watched by more than 15 million people each week in the US; featured a backstage segment with WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin and Eve in which Triple H interrupted, with Benjamin and Triple H discussing the fatal four way later in the show and the fact Benjamin was the only man not pinned during the Smackdown! Championship Scramble at Unforgiven; included an in-ring promo by Vickie Guerrero in which she discussed the Big Show’s attack on the Undertaker at Unforgiven, with Show coming out moments later and saying Taker had to follow the rules of Smackdown! like everyone else and that his newfound partnership with Vickie would gain her an apology from Taker and him a shot at the WWE World Title; featured an ad promoting WrestleMania tickets going on sale Sept. 20; included a backstage segment with Triple H, The Brian Kendrick, and Ezikial Jackson in which Kendrick said he was the rightful #1 contender after his performance at Unforgiven; featured a backstage segment with Triple H and MVP in which Triple H said he wasn’t sure why MVP was in the fatal four way later in the show; included an ad promoting “The Life and Times of Mr. Perfect;” featured a WWE Classics on Demand segment focusing on the 11/24/83 Starrcade steel cage bout between Ric Flair and NWA World Champion Harley Race:
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool, Maria, & Brie Bella defeated Maryse, Victoria, & Natalya Neidhart at 3:59 when Brie pinned Victoria with a roll up
R Truth defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. (w/ Bam Neely) via disqualification at 3:24 when Neely grabbed Truth and shoved him off the top; after the contest, Guerrero argued with Neely over his interference, with Neely eventually shoving Guerrero to the mat; as Neely turned around, Truth dropped Neely with the axe kick and then dropped Guerrero with a spinning body block
Festus (w/ Jesse) fought Kenny Dykstra to a no contest at around the 1-minute mark when Festus & Jesse tied Dykstra up in moving tape, wrapped him in saran wrap, and carried him backstage; prior to the bout, Jesse & Festus came out dressed as movers
Vladimir Kozlov defeated Scotty Goldman & Sho Funaki in a handicap match at 1:04 by pinning Funaki with a headbutt as Funaki came off the top; after the bout, Kozlov cut an in-ring promo stating if he could not find a better challenge then he would go find one
Carlito & Primo Colon defeated WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder in a non-title match at 6:51 when Carlito pinned Ryder with the Back Stabber; prior to the bout, the Colons cut an insert promo on their first teaming on Smackdown!
Jeff Hardy defeated WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin, MVP, and The Brian Kendrick (w/ Ezikial Jackson) at 15:33 by pinning Kendrick with the Swanton as Kendrick had Benjamin covered following The Kendrick; prior to his entrance, Benjamin cut a promo on the big screen; stipulations stated the winner would earn a WWE World Title shot at No Mercy; after the bout, Vladimir Kozlov appeared, faced off with Hardy, assaulted him, and eventually hit the reverse DDT
Dark match after the taping: WWE World Champion Triple H & the Undertaker defeated MVP & the Big Show when Triple H pinned MVP with the Pedigree
WWE (Raw) @ Texarkana, AR – Four States Entertainment Center – September 12, 2008
D-Lo Brown defeated Snitsky
William Regal defeated Jim Duggan
Jamie Noble defeated Jack Swagger
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix defeated Mickie James
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Cryme Tyme
WWE IC Champion Santino Marella defeated Charlie Haas; Haas played the role of Marella for the bout
Kofi Kingston defeated Lance Cade
World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho defeated Kane, John Bradshaw Layfield, and Rey Mysterio Jr.
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Monroe, LA – Civic Center – September 13, 2008
Featured Eve giving away prizes while quzzing fans in-between matches; Karl Malone sat ringside for the show
Evan Bourne pinned Chavo Guerrero Jr. with a cradle at 9:48; after the bout, Guerrero attacked Bourne and yelled at Bam Neely for not helping him; moments later, Neely hit a clothesline on Guerrero, with Bourne following with the Shooting Star Press
Jeff Hardy pinned Vladimir Kozlov at 5:57 with the Swanton
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool pinned Maryse (w/ Victoria) at 8:37 with the Wings of Love; late in the bout, Victoria attempted to interfere but Eve prevented her; a fan was the guest timekeeper for the bout
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin pinned Jimmy Wang Yang at 15:02 with Paydirt after avoiding the moonsault
Finlay pinned Mike Knox at 12:25 after hitting him with the shillelagh
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder defeated Jesse & Festus, John Morrison & Mike Mizanin and Carlito & Primo Colon at 15:54 when Hawkins pinned Festus with a roll up
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy pinned Mark Henry with the Twist of Fate in a No DQ match at 11:34; the stipulations was decided upon through a fan text poll; prior to the contest, Teddy Long announced that Henry would automatically lose if Tony Atlas interfered on behalf of the challenger
WWE World Champion Triple H & the Undertaker defeated the Great Khali & MVP at 22:00 when Triple H pinned Khali with the Pedigree as Taker dropped MVP with the chokeslam
WWE (Raw) @ Little Rock, AR – Alltel Arena – September 13, 2008
Jamie Noble pinned William Regal with a crossbody off the top
Snitsky pinned Jim Duggan with a boot to the face
WWE IC Champion Santino Marella pinned Charlie Haas; Haas played the role of Marella for the bout
D-Lo Brown pinned Jack Swagger with the Low Down
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Mickie James with the double elevated chickenwing into a facebuster
Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned Kane in a No DQ match with the 619 and a splash off the top; the stipulation was chosen by fans via a text poll
Manu, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Kofi Kingston & Cryme Tyme when Rhodes pinned JTG with the DDT
World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho defeated Batista and John Bradshaw Layfield by pinning JBL after Batista fought off an interfering Lance Cade
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Jackson, MS – Oman Arena – September 14, 2008
Featured Eve giving away prizes while quzzing fans in-between matches; Karl Malone sat ringside for the show
Evan Bourne pinned Chavo Guerrero Jr. with a cradle; after the bout, Guerrero attacked Bourne and yelled at Bam Neely for not helping him; moments later, Neely hit a clothesline on Guerrero, with Bourne following with the Shooting Star Press
Jeff Hardy pinned Vladimir Kozlov with the Swanton
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool pinned Maryse (w/ Victoria) with the Wings of Love; late in the bout, Victoria attempted to interfere but Eve prevented her; a fan was the guest timekeeper for the bout
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin pinned Jimmy Wang Yang at 15:02 with Paydirt after avoiding the moonsault
Finlay pinned Mike Knox after hitting him with the shillelagh
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder defeated Jesse & Festus, John Morrison & Mike Mizanin and Carlito & Primo Colon when Hawkins pinned Festus with a roll up
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy pinned Mark Henry with the Twist of Fate in a No DQ match; the stipulations was decided upon through a fan text poll; prior to the contest, Teddy Long announced that Henry would automatically lose if Tony Atlas interfered on behalf of the challenger
WWE World Champion Triple H & the Undertaker defeated the Great Khali & MVP when Triple H pinned Khali with the Pedigree as Taker dropped MVP with the chokeslam
WWE (Raw) @ Jackson, TN – September 2008
D-Lo Brown pinned Jack Swagger
WWE IC Champion Santino Marella pinned Charlie Haas; Haas played the role of Marella for the bout
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Mickie James with a fisherman suplex
Manu, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Kofi Kingston & Cryme Tyme when Rhodes pinned JTG with a DDT
Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned Kane in a No DQ match with a springboard splash
World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho defeated Batista and John Bradshaw Layfield by pinning JBL after Batista fought off an interfering Lance Cade; after the bout, Batista attacked Jericho and Cade
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Montgomery, AL – Garrett Coliseum – September 15, 2008
Carlito & Primo Colon defeated John Morrison & Mike Mizanin
Chavo Guerrero Jr. defeated Jimmy Wang Yang; after the bout, Bam Neely held Yang down so Guerrero could hit the frogsplash but then pulled Yang out of the way; moments later, Yang hit the moonsault on Guerrero
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder defeated Jesse & Festus
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool defeated Maryse after Eve countered Victoria’s interference
Jeff Hardy defeated WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin via disqualification when Vladimir Kozlov interfered; after the bout, Hardy hit the Swanton on Kozlov
Finlay pinned Mike Knox after hitting him with the shillelagh
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy pinned Mark Henry with the Twist of Fate in a No DQ match; the stipulations was decided upon through a fan text poll; prior to the contest, Teddy Long announced that Henry would automatically lose if Tony Atlas interfered on behalf of the challenger
WWE World Champion Triple H & the Undertaker defeated MVP & the Great Khali when Triple H pinned Khali with the Pedigree
WWE @ Memphis, TN – FedEx Forum – September 15, 2008
Eric Escobar pinned Snitsky
Raw – featured still photos from the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, with a narration by Shawn Michaels on how to donate to the American Red Cross; included a backstage segment with Mike Adamle and Kelly Kelly in which Dolph Siggler came by and introduced himself; moments later, World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho appeared and complained about Adamle working him too hard (Siggler’s debut); featured a backstage promo by Kane in which he initially wore his original mask before taking it off and cutting a promo on the fans; moments later, Evan Bourne appeared and said he couldn’t wait to see Rey Mysterio Jr. beat Kane later in the show; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE Magazine sells more copies at newsstands than Sports Illustrated and ESPN Magazine combined; featured an ad promoting Smackdown! moving to MyNetworkTV Oct. 3; included an ad promoting “The Life and Times of Mr. Perfect” DVD; featured a backstage segment with Jericho and John Bradshaw Layfield in which JBL attempted to make friends with Jericho until Jericho said he remembered when JBL prevented him from taking the title from Randy Orton the previous year; included a backstage segment with Adamle and Lance Cade in which Batista appeared, questioned whether Adamle was going to make him the #1 contender, and then pinned Cade against the wall; featured a backstage segment in which Siggler introduced himself to Jericho & Cade; included the announcement that WrestleMania 24 would air Thursday, Oct. 2 on MyNetworkTV and the following day’s Smackdown! would include a series of champion vs. champion matches, highlighted by WWE World Champion Triple H vs. World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho vs. ECW World Champion Matt Hardy; featured the announcement Finlay would face Mark Henry the following night on ECW; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE superstars had visited 200 military installations, bases, hospitals, aircraft carriers, and submarines in the past 5 years; featured a closing in-ring promo by Jericho, alongside Cade, in which he said neither Batista or JBL were worthy of facing him at No Mercy but he had suggested to Adamle that the two men wrestle at No Mercy to decide which would challenge him later in the show; Adamle then appeared and approved Jericho’s suggestion but the winner of Batista vs. JBL would get a title shot but not at No Mercy; Adamle then said Jericho would defend against someone else at the pay-per-view and then went backstage; moments later, Shawn Michaels appeared and said he would face Jericho in a match that some people said he put on the map; moments later, two stagehands brought out a ladder, with Michaels scaling it and confirming it would be a ladder match:
World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho defeated CM Punk in a steel cage match at 15:03 after Jericho fell out of the door after receiving a headbutt from the challenger; after the bout, Batista was shown watching on backstage
Candice Michelle pinned Jillian Hall at 4:00 with the Candy Wrapper after blocking a handspring elbow; prior to the bout, Jillian sang several Elvis Presley songs until Candice’s ring entrance; after the contest, Candice challenged WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix, who sat ringisde for the match, into the ring only to knock her to the floor with a dropkick
John Bradshaw Layfield pinned Tommy Dreamer with the Clothesline from Hell at 1:21 after avoiding a clothesline in the corner; after the contest, JBL grabbed a chair from ringside, acted like he was going to hit Dreamer with it, and instead grabbed a mic and sat in the chair; JBL then cut a promo saying he would not leave until Mike Adamle made him the #1 contender; following the commercial break, Randy Orton appeared and said that while CM Punk wasn’t much of a champion, JBL wouldn’t be much better; WWE IC Champion Santino Marella & WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix then came out, with Marella cutting a promo saying Orton was always hurt just like his dad and then demanded he apologize for his comments to them; as Orton attempted to respond, JBL then apologize Orton apologize to himself and claimed it was his time; moments later, Batista appeared and claimed everyone else was in the ring was talking like they were politicians making promises they couldn’t keep; Batista then quoted Barack Obama by saying you could put lipstick on a pig but it was still a pig, directing the comment to Phoenix; Batista then said he would beat JBL to get his title shot, win the title, and then beat Orton once he got his doctor’s note to wrestle again; Adamle then appeared on the big screen and said he would announce the #1 contender following the Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Kane match later in the show; Batista then attacked everyone in the ring, with Orton and JBL leaving, Phoenix twice slapping Batista, and Batista dropping her with a spinebuster onto Marella; moments later, Orton was shown passing by Manu, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. backstage
Manu, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Kofi Kingston, Jerry Lawler, & Charlie Haas at 3:20 when Dibiase pinned Haas with the Million $ Dream into a side Russian legsweep after Haas hit the corner chest-first; Haas played the role of Jim Ross for the match and briefly joined Michael Cole on commentary; Lawler returned to commentary duties following the contest
Jamie Noble defeated Paul Burchill (w/ Katie Lea) via submission with an armbar at 1:12; after the contest, Layla appeared on the entrance stage and said she apologized for taking so long in realizing she wanted William Regal more than Noble; Regal then appeared and said Layla never wanted Noble, she wanted nobility
Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Kane via disqualification at 9:35 after Kane repeatedly stomped Mysterio in the corner; after the bout, Kane attempted to rip Mysterio’s mask off until Evan Bourne helped in making the save, with Bourne and Mysterio hitting a series of top rope moves before leaving the ring together
WWE @ Nashville, TN – Sommet Center – September 16, 2008
Johnny Curtis defeated Armando Estrada
ECW – featured a backstage segment with Mark Henry and Tony Atlas in which Henry complained ECW World Champion Matt Hardy never beat him for the title; included still photos from the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, with a narration by Shawn Michaels on how to donate to the American Red Cross; featured an ad promoting WrestleMania airing on MyNetworkTV Oct. 2 and Smackdown! moving to the channel the following day:
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy pinned Mike Knox in a non-title match at 12:54 with the Twist of Fate; prior to the bout, it was announced Mark Henry would face Hardy at No Mercy
Evan Bourne (w/ Ricky Ortiz) pinned Mike Mizanin (w/ John Morrison) with a roll up and bridge at 5:28 after Mizanin became distracted by Ortiz knocking Morrison down outside the ring
Jack Swagger pinned Chase Stevens with a Blue Thunder Bomb at 1:48
Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas) pinned Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) with the powerslam at 14:10 after throwing Finlay into the corner; during the bout, a crawl at the bottom of the screen said an uninterrupted airing of the program would be shown on WWE.com the following day at 4 p.m. EST
Smackdown! – featured a backstage segment with the Big Show and Vickie Guerrero, with Eve then appearing, asking Vickie about the Undertaker, and then noting she was training to compete; Show then showed footage of him attacking Taker at Unforgiven to prove how Taker was not going to be appearing later in the broadcast; included still photos from the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, with a narration by Shawn Michaels on how to donate to the American Red Cross; featured footage from across the street of the arena inside Tootsie’s Bar; included a backstage segment with the Big Show and Vickie in which they said they would humiliate Taker if he showed up later in the show, with Show again showing footage of his attack on Taker at Unforgiven; featured a backstage segment with Show and Vickie in which Show said he just saw Taker backstage and then began to stand guard; a first-person camera angle then portrayed Taker coming into the office, getting down in his knees, and apologizing to Vickie, with Taker’s actual voice being heard; moments later, it was revealed Chavo Guerrero Jr. had dressed up like Taker to mock him; included an ad promoting the Oct. 2 airing of WrestleMania on MyNetworkTV and Smackdown’s premiere Oct. 3; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE had produced 20 books that reached the New York Times Best-Seller list; included Primo Colon as a guest of Carlito’s Cabana in which Primo & Carlito commented on their win the previous week over WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder; moments later, Hawkins & Ryder made their way to the ring, with Hurricane Helms appearing on screen to briefly make fun of them; Hawkins & Ryder then claimed Carlito & Primo got lucky the previous week and eventually agreed to give them a title shot the next week; Carlito then asked for someone to come pack up the show props, with Jesse & Festus appearing; Hawkins & Ryder attacked Carlito & Primo from behind until Primo rang the timekeeper’s bell, with Festus then chasing the champions backstage with a fake palm tree from the set; featured a backstage segment with Maria and Brie Bella, with Victoria and Natalya Neidhart then appearing and challenging Maria & Bella to a match the following week; included an ad for “The Life and Times of Mr. Perfect;” featured a backstage segment with Chavo Guerrero Jr., Bam Neely, Hawkins & Ryder in which Chavo sent everyone else out of the room so he could watch Show beat up Taker from Unforgiven; moments later, Taker appeared at the screen looking back at Chavo, with Chavo turning around and being choked out by Taker, who was not shown on screen:
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool pinned Maryse with the Wings of Love at 5:12
Ryan Braddock defeated Festus (w/ Jesse) via disqualification at 2:22 when both Jesse & Festus tied Braddock up in bubble wrap and dragged him backstage; prior to the bout, Jesse & Festus came out dressed as movers
R Truth pinned WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin in a non-title match at 6:38 by reversing a German suplex attempt into a forward roll; prior to his entrance, Benjamin cut a backstage promo regarding R Truth’s prison record; after the bout, Gregory Helms appeared on screen, referred to himself as the Hurricane, and noted that the price of gold had just gone down
Jeff Hardy pinned The Brian Kendrick (w/ Ezikial Jackson) at 7:38 by reversing The Kendrick into a backslide; prior to the bout, Hardy cut an in-ring promo in which he said the comments from WWE World Champion Triple H the previous week had inspired him and then began to speak about the previous week’s attack by Vladimir Kozlov until Kendrick interrupted; after the bout, Kozlov kicked Hardy in the face on the stage
The Great Khali (w/ Runjin Singh) pinned Scotty Goldman at 1:36 with one foot on the chest following the tree slam; prior to the bout, Goldman cut an insert promo on the match in which he spoke to a paper bag dressed up as a puppet; after the contest, it was announced Khali would face Vladimir Kozlov the following week
WWE World Champion Triple H pinned MVP in a non-title match with the Pedigree at 14:04 after kicking MVP as he came off the top; after the bout, Vladimir Kozlov appeared, attacked the champion from behind after a distraction from MVP, and eventually hit the headbutt to the mid-section to end the broadcast
WWE @ Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena – September 21, 2008
Tommy Dreamer defeated Eric Escobar
ECW – 9/23/08 – featured Jim Ross, subbing for Todd Grisham, & Matt Striker on commentary; included an opening in-ring promo by John Morrison & Mike Mizanin in which they argued over Mizanin’s loss the previous week to Evan Bourne and complained they shouldn’t be having to babysit “the freshmen” like Bourne and Ricky Ortiz; after they began making comments about Teddy Long’s decision making, Long appeared and said the new superstar initiative had been successful; Morrison then brought up Braden Walker, who was fired after two matches; moments later, Mizanin then made a challenge for his team to face Bourne & Ortiz later in the night; Long then said they knew Bourne wasn’t in the building, with Ortiz then coming out and accepting a challenge to face either Morrison or Mizanin; after Morrison and Mizanin both said they could beat anyone, Long ordered them to wrestle each other later in the show, with the winner then facing Ortiz; included a backstage segment with Long and Ortiz discussing Ortiz’ match later in the show; moments later, Tiffany appeared and put Ortiz’ rally towel around her neck; featured a WWE 24/7 Classics on Demand segment focusing on the 3/23/92 bout between Hulk Hogan & Roddy Piper and WWF World Champion Ric Flair & Sid Justice at Madison Square Garden; included a promo on the entrance stage by Mark Henry, with Tony Atlas, in which he argued that ECW World Champion Matt Hardy can’t beat him that he would take the title back at No Mercy; featured an ad promoting WrestleMania 24 and Smackdown! airing on MyNetworkTV the following week; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE had produced 20 books that reached the New York Times Best-Seller list:
Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) pinned Bam Neely at 2:31 after hitting him with the shillelagh behind the referee’s back; during the bout, a crawl at the bottom of the screen advertised ECW moving to 9 p.m. the following Tuesday; after the bout, two young fans were brought in the ring to celebrate with Finlay & Hornswoggle
Maryse pinned WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool in a non-title match at 3:29 with a DDT after throwing her off the top
Mike Knox pinned Chase Stevens with the spinning neckbreaker at 1:38; after the bout, Jack Swagger passed by Knox on the rampway and dropped Stevens with a gutwrench into a sit-down powerbomb; moments later, Tommy Dreamer ran out to make the save but, after being distracted by Knox, also sustained Swagger’s powerbomb
John Morrison fought Mike Mizanin to a draw at 11:16 when neither man was able to meet the referee’s standing 10-count after falling off the top; stipulations stated the winner would immediately face Ricky Ortiz; after the contest, Ortiz came out and laid out both wrestlers as the show came to a close
Smackdown! – 9/26/08 – the last episode to air on The CW Network; featured an opening backstage segment with Vickie Guerrero and Chavo Guerrero Jr. in which Chavo told Vickie that the previous week the Undertaker told him he was coming for Vickie, with Vickie then telling him to go find the Big Show; moments later, Jeff Hardy appeared and asked for a match with Vladimir Kozlov, with Vickie telling him that he needed to focus on his tag team match later in the show and WWE World Title match with Triple H at No Mercy; the Big Show then came into the office as Hardy left; included a vignette on the Great Khali to promote his match later in the show against Vladimir Kozlov; featured a WWE 24/7 Classics on Demand segment focusing on the 3/23/92 bout between Hulk Hogan & Roddy Piper and WWF World Champion Ric Flair & Sid Justice at Madison Square Garden; included an in-ring promo by WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin in which he called R Truth a “street urchin” and said his act was all smoke and mirrors; moments later, Truth came through the crowd, eventually getting in Benjamin’s face and saying “What’s up?”; Benjamin then left the ring; featured the announcement that WWE IC Champion Santino Marella would face Benjamin the following week; included a vignette on Kozlov to promote his match with Khali; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read Raw beat out the combined episode count of “ER,” “Cheers,” and “Seinfeld” by recently airing its 800th episode; included an ad promoting WrestleMania 24 and Smackdown! airing on MyNetworkTV the following week; members of the Ohio State Buckeyes were shown in attendance; featured a backstage segment with Show, Vickie, and Chavo in which Chavo said the Undertaker would get to Vickie, with Show then replaying his knocking Taker out at Unforgiven as an example why Taker would never get to Vickie; Vickie then told Chavo he had a match up next; included an ad promoting “The Life and Times of Mr. Perfect;” featured a backstage segment with Show, Chavo, and Vickie in which Chavo said Taker was coming after him; Vickie and Show then said they were going out to the ring, with Chavo reluctantly following; included footage during a commercial break of Jesse & Festus moving more items into their moving van, which had Ryan Braddock and Kenny Dysktra tied up inside; featured a closing in-ring segment with Vickie, Chavo, and Show in which Vickie and Show bragged about Taker not appearing because of their earlier attack; moments later, the lights went out and when they came back on, Taker was seen attacking Chavo backstage before the video feed went out, with Shown then going backstage; moments later, Tazz attempted to go in the ring to interview Vickie but the lights went out again and Taker appeared in the ring behind Vickie and dropped her with the tombstone to end the broadcast:
WWE World Champion Triple H & Jeff Hardy defeated MVP & The Brian Kendrick (w/ Ezikial Jackson) at 14:01 when Triple H pinned MVP with the Pedigree; prior to the bout, it was mentioned MVP was recently featured in USA Today; after the contest, Hardy brought Triple H the title belt before the two men shook hands
Maria & Brie Bella defeated Victoria & Natalya Neidhart at 5:11 when Maria pinned Victoria with a crossbody off the top
The Great Khali (w/ Runjin Singh) fought Vladimir Kozlov to a no contest at the 3-minute mark when WWE World Champion Triple H appeared, with Kozlov leaving the ring until he and Khali eventually double teamed the champion; moments later, Jeff Hardy attempted to make the save but was also beaten down; Triple H then pulled a sledgehammer out from under the ring, scaring Kozlov to the floor, and hit Khali with the weapon until he was knocked to the floor; Kozlov then signalled that he wouldn’t get in the ring as long as the champion had the sledgehammer, with Triple H giving him a crotch chop
Chavo Guerrero Jr. pinned Jimmy Wang Yang at 4:56 with a running Liger kick after avoiding a spin kick from Yang; during Chavo’s entrance, Hurricane Helms cut an insert promo telling Chavo to go home since the Undertaker was after Chavo; after the bout, the lights in the arena briefly went out
Carlito & Primo Colon defeated WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder to win the titles at 11:36 when Carlito pinned Ryder with the Back Cracker after Primo made a blind tag
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Bowling Green, OH – Anderson Arena – September 22, 2008
Jesse & Festus defeated WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins in a non-title match
The Brian Kendrick defeated Jimmy Wang Yang
Jeff Hardy defeated Vladimir Kozlov via count-out when Kozlov left ringside
Finlay defeated Jack Swagger
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy defeated Mark Henry in a No DQ match; stipulations stated Henry would lose the match if Tony Atlas interfered
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin defeated R-Truth
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool defeated Maryse (w/ Natalya Neidhart); Maria was the guest referee for the bout
The Undertaker & WWE World Champion Triple H defeated MVP & the Big Show when Triple H pinned MVP with the Pedigree after Show walked out of the match
WWE @ Cincinnati, OH – US Bank Arena – September 22, 2008
Rory Fox defeated Snitsky
D-Lo Brown defeated Eric Escobar
Raw – 800th episode; featured an opening in-ring promo by World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho, sitting at the top of a ladder with the title belt hanging overhead, in which he argued he had won more ladder matches than Michaels had ever participated in; moments later, Randy Orton interrupted and claimed the only reason Jericho had the title was because Orton sidelined CM Punk; he then said he went to Mike Adamle and Adamle ruled that no one could hurt Orton without facing suspension but Orton in turn couldn’t hurt anyone; Jericho eventually left ringside, with Orton throwing the ladder into the aisle; Punk then appeared, went nose to nose with Orton, and then slapped him twice across the face; Adamle then appeared then indefinately suspended Punk; following Adamle’s ruling, Shane McMahon came out and said he would usually not interfere with Adamle’s decisions but overruled Punk’s suspension; McMahon then said Orton’s no-hitting edict would be upheld but would begin at that instant, thus negating Punk violating the policy; McMahon then told Punk he would be facing WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Cody Rhodes in the opening match; McMahon then stated Jericho & John Bradshaw Layfield would face Batista & Shawn Michaels; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read Raw has aired more episodes than “Seinfeld,” “Cheers,” and “ER” combined and was the longest running weekly sports entertainment program; members of the Cincinnati Bengals were shown in attendance; featured a backstage segment with Shane and Adamle in which Kane appeared and demanded a match with Rey Mysterio Jr., with Adamle stating the match would happen at No Mercy; Kane then told Shane to say hi to Linda for him; included a backstage segment with Kelly Kelly, WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix and WWE IC Champion Santino Marella, wearing a protective face mask, in which Beth and Santino confronted her for making fun of them the previous week after they were beaten up by Batista; as Santino made fun of Batista, he appeared behind them; Beth then told Batista that Santino would beat him up if he tried to interfere in her match; as Batista turned to Santino, Santino’s music played, giving him a reason to leave; featured a backstage segment with Mysterio and Evan Bourne in which Mysterio wished Bourne good luck in his upcoming match with Kane; included a backstage segment with Jamie Noble and Shane, with Dolph Ziggler briefly interrupting to introduce himself; moments later, Orton appeared and said Shane made a bad call in not suspending Punk; featured an ad promoting MyNetworkTV’s premiere Oct. 3 and the airing of WrestleMania 24 the day before; included footage from the respective WWE.com programs of Cryme Tyme and John Morrison & Mike Mizanin in which the two teams made fun of each other; featured an ad promoting “The Life and Times of Mr. Perfect;” included a backstage segment with Jericho, Adamle, and Lance Cade in which Jericho hinted at having an idea for the scheduled main event; featured the announcement the Undertaker would face the Big Show at No Mercy; included footage of Charlie Haas at Dave and Busters earlier in the day in which he wore a wig to look like Mr. Perfect and then was shown playing the various games, but losing at each one; the last shot was of Haas spitting out his gum and accidentally slapping it into a woman’s salad and her eating it; featured the announcement that the Smackdown! divas would be part of ECW the following night:
CM Punk pinned WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Cody Rhodes with the Go To Sleep at 10:39; after the bout, Manu and WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Ted Dibiase Jr. attacked Punk until Kofi Kingston made the save and cleared the ring
WWE IC Champion Santino Marella pinned Deuce in a non-title match at 1:17 by reversing a lift into a sunset flip; prior to the bout, Marella noted the Honkytonk Man’s IC title reign of 64 weeks and compared that to his 5-week reign; Marella wore a protective face mask for the match as a result of the attack he sustained from Batista the previous week; after the match, Marella cut a promo on the entrance stage that WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix would beat Kelly Kelly later in the show; Phoenix then came out and embraced Santino
Kane pinned Evan Bourne with the chokeslam at 5:05; after the bout, Kane went to attack Bourne but Rey Mysterio Jr. made the save; moments later, Kane kicked Mysterio as he attempted a springboard, hit the chokeslam, and then called Mysterio a coward for wearing a mask
Kelly Kelly pinned WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix (w/ WWE IC Champion Santino Marella) in a non-title match at 3:01 with a roll up after Phoenix almost accidentally ran into Marella on the apron; during the bout, Candice Michelle was shown watching backstage; after the contest, Phoenix attacked Kelly, with Batista then coming out, hurting Marella’s injured face, and dropping him with the spear before then staring at Phoenix in the corner
John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Cryme Tyme at 9:48 when Mizanin pinned Shad after Morrison hit an enzuiguri on the apron behind the referee’s back
World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho, Lance Cade, & John Bradshaw Layfield defeated Shawn Michaels & Batista in a handicap match at 9:03 when Cade pinned Michaels with the sit-down spinebuster; Cade’s participation wasn’t announced until his ring entrance
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Lisbon, Portugal – Atlantic Pavilion – September 24, 2008 (4,500)
Jeff Hardy pinned Vladimir Kozlov with the Swanton
Jesse & Festus defeated Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder
The Brian Kendrick defeated Jimmy Wang Yang
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool & Maria defeated Maryse & Natalya Neidhart
Finlay pinned Jack Swagger
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin defeated R Truth
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy pinned Mark Henry in a No DQ match with the Twist of Fate after hitting Tony Atlas with a steel chair
WWE World Champion Triple H & the Undertaker defeated MVP & the Big Show when Triple H pinned MVP with the Pedigree after Show walked out of the match
WWE (Raw) @ Bilbao, Spain – Bizkaia Arena – September 24, 2008
Jim Duggan defeated Charlie Haas
Manu defeated D-Lo Brown
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Cryme Tyme
Mickie James & Candice Michelle defeated WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix & Katie Lea
WWE IC Champion Santino Marella defeated Kofi Kingston
Jamie Noble defeated William Regal
Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Kane in a No DQ match
Shawn Michaels & CM Punk defeated World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho & Lance Cade
WWE (Raw) @ Madrid, Spain – Community Sports Palace – September 25, 2008
Jim Duggan defeated Charlie Haas
Manu defeated D-Lo Brown
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Cryme Tyme
Mickie James & Candice Michelle defeated WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix & Katie Lea
WWE IC Champion Santino Marella defeated Kofi Kingston
Jamie Noble defeated William Regal
Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Kane in a No DQ match
Shawn Michaels & CM Punk defeated World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho & Lance Cade
FCW @ Tampa, FL – September 25, 2008 (125)
Television taping:
Jack Gabriel & Alicia Fox defeated Scotty Goldman & Tiffany
Evan Bourne pinned Dolph Ziggler with the Shooting Star Press
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Barcelona, Spain – Pavello Olympic Arena – September 25, 2008 (5,000)
The Brian Kendrick defeated Jimmy Wang Yang
Jesse & Festus defeated Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder
Jeff Hardy defeated Vladimir Kozlov via disqualification; Hardy was busted open hardway during the bout and required six stitches
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool & Maria defeated Maryse & Natalya Neidhart
Finlay defeated Jack Swagger
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin defeated R Truth
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy defeated Mark Henry in a No DQ match
WWE World Champion Triple H & the Undertaker defeated MVP & the Big Show
WWE (Raw) @ Barcelona, Spain – Pavello Olympic Arena – September 26, 2008 (7,000)
Jim Duggan defeated Charlie Haas
Manu defeated D-Lo Brown
William Regal defeated Jamie Noble
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Cryme Tyme
Kofi Kingston defeated WWE IC Champion Santino Marella in a non-title match
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix defeated Mickie James and Katie Lea
Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Kane in a No DQ match
Shawn Michaels & CM Punk defeated World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho & Lance Cade
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Innsbruck, Austria – September 26, 2008
Jimmy Wang Yang defeated The Brian Kendrick
Jesse & Festus defeated Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder
Jeff Hardy defeated Vladimir Kozlov via disqualification
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool defeated Maryse
Finlay defeated Jack Swagger
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin defeated R Truth
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy defeated Mark Henry in a No DQ match
WWE World Champion Triple H & the Undertaker defeated MVP & the Big Show
WWE (Raw) @ Paris, France – Bercy Arena – September 27, 2008 (13,000; sell out)
Jim Duggan defeated Charlie Haas
Manu defeated D-Lo Brown
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Cryme Tyme
Jamie Noble defeated William Regal
Mickie James & Candice Michelle defeated WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix & Katie Lea
WWE IC Champion Santino Marella defeated Kofi Kingston
Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Kane in a No DQ match
Shawn Michaels & CM Punk defeated World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho & Lance Cade
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Munich, Germany – Olympia Hall – September 27, 2008 (7,000)
Jeff Hardy pinned The Brian Kendrick with the Swanton
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool & Maria defeated Maryse & Natalya Neidhart
Festus defeated Jack Swagger
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin defeated MVP, R Truth, and Jimmy Wang Yang
Finlay & Hornswoggle defeated Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy pinned Mark Henry in a No DQ match with the Twist of Fate
The Undertaker defeated the Big Show via submission with the leglock choke
WWE World Champion Triple H pinned Vladimir Kozlov with the Pedigree
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Stevens Point, WI – Quandt Fieldhouse – September 29, 2008 (2,500)
The advertised main event was WWE World Champion Triple H & the Undertaker vs. the Great Khali & MVP; both Triple H and Khali were on Raw instead
Jesse & Festus defeated Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder
The Brian Kendrick defeated Jimmy Wang Yang
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool defeated Eve defeated Maryse & Natalya Neidhart; Maria was the guest referee for the bout
Vladimir Kozlov pinned Jeff Hardy with the reverse DDT
Finlay defeated Jack Swagger
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin defeated R Truth and MVP by pinning Truth
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy pinned Mark Henry in a No DQ match with the Twist of Fate
The Undertaker defeated the Big Show via submission with the leglock choke
WWE @ Minneapolis, MN – Target Center – September 29, 2008 (7,000)
Dolph Ziggler pinned D-Lo Brown
Raw – featured Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Shawn Michaels regarding his facing World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho & Lance Cade later in the show and having a mystery partner; during the segment, Michaels alluded to Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, Bret Hart, and said he would settle for someone who actually likes him to have as a partner; included an ad promoting MyNetworkTV airing WrestleMania 24 on Thursday and Smackdown! the coming Friday; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE superstars wrestled in Munich, Barcelona, Lisbon, Innsbruck, and Paris the previous week; included a backstage segment with Jamie Noble and Jillian Hall in which Noble insulted Jillian’s singing but then asked if she would be his partner; after Jillian turned him down, Dolph Ziggler appeared and introduced himself to the two; featured a backstage segment with Manu, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. in which they approached Kane backstage to make sure they were all on the same page regarding their upcoming match, during which Rhodes mentioned Kane was a second generation superstar like them because his father was Paul Bearer; moments later, Kane told them to stay out of his way; included a promo at the entranceway by Lance Cade in which he bragged over his win the previous week over Shawn Michaels, said he had learned more from Jericho in 3 months than he had learned from Michaels in 10 years, and cut a promo on the tag team main event; featured an in-ring announcement by Mike Adamle in which he said, due to Kane’s victory earlier in the show, he would agree to Kane’s request to add a stipulation to his upcoming match at No Mercy against Rey Mysterio Jr. – if Kane beat Mysterio then Mysterio would have to unmask; moments later, Randy Orton appeared and said Adamle would need him on his good side once he’s healthy and takes the World Heavyweight Title; John Bradshaw Layfield then came out, vented over having lost money in the stock market, and then said Adamle should make it a stipulation that when he takes the title then Orton can never have a title shot; Batista’s music then hit, with Batista coming out of the crowd and dropping JBL with the spear; Batista then took the mic and said JBL’s week would be worse at No Mercy; included a backstage segment with WWE IC Champion Santino Marella and WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix, with Marella claiming to have spoke to a “Frankie” when Beth caught him on the phone; Phoenix then said it would be a bad idea for him to go out to ringside with her because of her recent losses, with Marella saying it was a good thing she didn’t have a Fabulous Moolah Meter because Beth was trailing her by 22 years; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read more people watched the previous week’s Raw than watched TNT, Fox News, the Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, and TBS; included a WrestleMania history video package, to promote WrestleMania 24 airing on MyNetworkTV, set to Saliva’s “Ladies and Gentlemen”:
Batista pinned WWE IC Champion Santino Marella (w/ WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix) in a non-title match with the sit-down powerbomb at the 48-second mark; prior to the bout, Marella had the Honky Meter appear on the big screen which compared the Honkytonk Man’s 64-week IC title run to his 6-week run, with Santino saying he only needed 58 more weeks to break the record; he then had a Brain Barometer meter appear on the big screen which listed the average human’s brain cell count at 6 trillion, Santino’s at 10 trillion, and Batista’s at 12; after the contest, John Bradshaw Layfield appeared from behind as Batista was distracted by Phoenix, with JBL dropping Batista with the Clothesline from Hell
Mike Mizanin (w/ John Morrison) pinned JTG (w/ Shad Gaspard) with the Reality Check at 3:46 after JTG became distracted by Morrison on the apron; prior to the bout, footage was shown of WWE.com’s latest Dirt Sheet in which Mizanin & Morrison pretended to be Cryme Tyme’s fathers
Jamie Noble & Mickie James (surprise partner) defeated Paul Burchill & Katie Lea at 3:45 when Burchill submitted to Noble’s arm bar; prior to the bout, William Regal & Layla appeared, with Regal sitting at a throne near the entrance way to watch the match
Kane, Manu, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated CM Punk, Rey Mysterio Jr., Kofi Kingston, & Evan Bourne at 12:42 when Kane caught Kingston as he attempted a jump in the corner and hit the chokeslam
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix & Jillian Hall defeated Candice Michelle & Kelly Kelly at 4:26 when Phoenix pinned Kelly with the double elevated chicken wing into the facebuster
Charlie Haas (w/ Runjin Singh) pinned Deuce with a clothesline off the top at 1:29; Haas played the role of the Great Khali for the bout; prior to the match, Haas cut an in-ring promo as Khali, with Singh then translating; following the contest, the real Khali appeared, with Khali laughing at Haas’ act; moments later, when Haas extended his hand for Khali to shake, Khali gave Haas a chop to the head
WWE World Champion Triple H (mystery partner) & Shawn Michaels defeated World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho & Lance Cade via disqualification at 4:55 when referee Mike Chioda stopped the bout following illegal double teaming of Michaels; prior to the bout, Jericho cut an in-ring promo on his upcoming ladder match with Michaels at No Mercy as he and Cade used a ladder as a visual aid to what Jericho would do to Michaels’ body; after the match, Jericho pulled a ladder out from under the ring only for Triple H to drop Cade with a sledgehammer; after Jericho left the ring, Michaels dropped Cade with the superkick, Triple H dropped him with the Pedigree, and then Michaels scaled the ladder and hit an elbow drop off the top as Jericho watched
WWE @ Green Bay, WI – Resch Center – September 30, 2008
ECW – the first episode to air at 9 p.m.; featured an opening in-ring segment in which Tiffany, with Teddy Long, introduced ECW World Champion Matt Hardy and Mark Henry, with Tony Atlas, with both men coming out and talking to the other about their upcoming match at No Mercy; moments later, John Morrison & Mike Mizanin came out and demanded a match against Ricky Ortiz & Evan Bourne after Ortiz interfered in their singles match the previous week; Long then made a match for later in the show pitting Hardy, Bourne, & Ortiz against Henry, Morrison, & Mizanin; included an ad promoting WrestleMania 24 airing Thursday on MyNetwork TV and Smackdown! premiering on the network Friday; featured a WrestleMania history video package, to promote WrestleMania 24 airing on MyNetworkTV, set to Saliva’s “Ladies and Gentlemen”:
Jack Swagger pinned Lenny Lane with the gutwrench powerbomb at 1:23; after the bout, Swagger hit a neckbreaker as Lane was positioned on the ropes; moments later, Tommy Dreamer ran out to clear Swagger from the ring
Tommy Dreamer pinned Mike Knox at 3:02 with the corkscrew neckbreaker after Dreamer struck the ringpost shoulder-first; after the bout, Jack Swagger returned to the ring and dropped Dreamer with the gutwrench powerbomb
Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas), John Morrison, & Mike Mizanin defeated ECW World Champion Matt Hardy, Evan Bourne, & Ricky Ortiz at 18:08 when Henry pinned Bourne with the powerslam after catching Bourne in mid-air
Smackdown! – 10/3/08; the debut episode on MyNetworkTV; featured a new show opening; included a video package highlighting the feud between the Undertaker and the Big Show; featured a backstage segment with Mike Adamle, Teddy Long, Tiffany, and Show in which Show sent the rest out of “his” office; moments later, Chavo Guerrero Jr. appeared, with Show telling him to shut up and that he was in charge in Vickie Guerrero’s absence; Show then said Chavo would be wrestling later in the show and if he didn’t like it then he would be wrestling Show; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read five times as many people watched the previous week’s Smackdown! than watched UFC 75 on Spike TV; featured backstage footage of Jesse & Festus finally done “moving” everything over to MyNetworkTV:
Batista, Jeff Hardy, Rey Mysterio Jr., & Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) defeated John Bradshaw Layfield, MVP, Kane, & The Brian Kendrick (w/ Ezikial Jackson) at 20:11 when Hardy pinned MVP with the Swanton after Mysterio hit MVP with the 619 and then a sit-down splash from the apron to the floor onto Kane; during MVP’s entrance, Hurricane Helms appeared on screen and cut an insert promo on him (The Best of Smackdown: 10th Anniversary)
WWE IC Champion Santino Marella (w/ WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix) pinned WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin in a non-title match at 2:12 with a roll up from the middle turnbuckle as Benjamin was distracted by R Truth coming out of the crowd and rapping; prior to the bout, Hurricane Helms cut an insert promo on Santino in which he said the Honkytonk Man would be rolling over in his grave, until he was told Honky wasn’t dead; following his entrance, Santino had the Honk-a-Meter put up on the screen comparing his 6.71 week IC title run to Honky’s 64-week run; he then compared the land Benjamin was champion of to the land he was champion of, citing his belt was more important; before his entrance, Benjamin cut a promo on the big screen in which he said Marella was Beth’s girlfriend; after the bout, Truth stared at Benjamin from the entrance stage and said “What’s up” over the mic
The Great Khali (w/ Runjin Singh) & Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas) (mystery opponents) defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. in a handicap match at 1:41 when the referee stopped the bout after Guerrero was caught in Khali’s head vice; prior to the bout, the Big Show came out and cut a promo saying that Vickie Guerrero, said to be recovering at home, would understand why Chavo was put in the match; after the contest, Guerrero was knocked to the floor and Show, who remained ringside for the bout, knocked him out with a right hand punch; Show then cut an in-ring promo on facing the Undertaker at No Mercy; moments later, Taker’s gong sounded and the lights flickered; when they came back on, Show was in the entranceway and Taker was in the ring
CM Punk, WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon defeated Manu, WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes at 4:16 when Punk pinned Dibiase with the Go To Sleep; prior to the bout, Manu, Rhodes, & Dibiase cut an insert promo claiming they would prove Raw was the stronger brand; following his and Primo’s entrance, Carlito cut an in-ring promo saying he decided to make the previously scheduled 2-on-2 match into a six man tag since Manu was just going to be standing outside the ring looking stupid
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix pinned WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool in a non-title lumberjack match with the Glam Slam at 3:47 after McCool kicked an interfering Maryse off the apron; lumberjacks for the bout included Kelly Kelly, Candice Michelle, Natalya Neidhart, Lena, Mickie James, Maria, Maryse, Victoria, Eve, Brie Bella, Jillian Hall, Katie Lea, and Layla
WWE World Champion Triple H defeated World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho and ECW World Champion Matt Hardy in a non-title match at 12:23 by pinning Hardy with the Pedigree after Hardy dropped Jericho with the Side Effect; after the bout, Jericho dropped Triple H with the Code Breaker, brought a ladder out from under the ring and knocked Hardy out with it; moments later, Jeff Hardy made the save and knocked Jericho to the floor; Triple H then went after Jeff but Jeff hit him with the Twist of Fate and scaled the ladder; Vladimir Kozlov then appeared, with Hardy leaping onto him but Kozlov knocking him out with a headbutt to the chest; Kozlov then dropped Triple H with the reverse DDT as the show went off the air (No Mercy 08)
– 10/2/08: WrestleMania 24 aired as a one-hour special on MyNetworkTV. Matches featured, spliced in with several songs, included John Cena vs. Triple H vs. WWE World Champion Randy Orton, Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels, the Big Show vs. Floyd Mayweather, and World Heavyweight Champion Edge vs. the Undertaker.
No Mercy 08 – Portland, OR – Rose Garden – October 5, 2008 (matinee) (10,000 paid)
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon defeated John Morrison & Mike Mizanin
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Todd Grisham & Jerry Lawler, sub. for Matt Striker, on commentary for ECW, Jim Ross & Tazz on commentary for Smackdown!, and Michael Cole & Lawler on commentary for Raw; included a text poll in which fans were asked who they thought would win between WWE World Champion Triple H and Jeff Hardy; featured Eve conducting a backstage interview with Hardy and Triple H regarding their upcoming bout; included a backstage promo by Kane regarding his upcoming match with Rey Mysterio Jr.; featured a backstage segment with MVP on the phone complaining about not being on the night’s card; moments later, MVP banged on Vickie Guerrero’s office door, with the Big Show answering; after MVP complained to Show, Show eventually told him to go away before Vickie then called for Show’s help; featured an ad promoting Cyber Sunday; included an in-ring promo by MVP complaining about not working the pay-per-view, with Randy Orton eventually interrupting and claiming he already was what MVP claimed to be; MVP then said, because he didn’t work for Raw, he had no problem beating Orton up on behalf of the Raw locker room; moments later, Manu, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes appeared, with Rhodes claiming Orton was coasting on his reputation because that’s all he had; Orton then said he would take the three a little more seriously once they accomplished half of what he had done and then left ringside; moments later, Dibiase talked MVP down to the point that MVP left the ring; CM Punk and Kofi Kingston then appeared, with Punk talking MVP into helping clear the ring of Dibiase, Rhodes, & Manu; Punk, Kingston, & MVP then rushed the ring, with Punk and Kingston stopping short and MVP going in the ring alone and being briefly beaten down until Punk and Kingston made the save and beat down Dibiase, Rhodes, & Manu; featured an ad for WWE 24/7 Classics On Demand; included the results of the text poll in which 72% of those polled said Hardy would win the night’s match:
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy pinned Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas) at 8:10 with the Twist of Fate after hitting Henry’s injured knee as Henry had the champion set up for a powerslam
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix (w/ WWE IC Champion Santino Marella) pinned Candice Michelle with the Glam Slam at 4:49 after Phoenix blocked the Candy Wrapper
Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Kane via disqualification at 10:10 when Kane hit Mysterio with a steel chair as Mysterio came off the top onto Kane on the floor; stipulations stated Kane would have to unmask if he lost; after the contest, Mysterio was tended to by referees
Batista pinned John Bradshaw Layfield with the sit-down powerbomb at 5:19; stipulations stated the winner would be the #1 contender to the World Heavyweight Title; after the bout, JBL grabbed the mic and said his heart wasn’t into the match after his bad week due to the financial crisis; moments later, he thanked Nancy Pelosi, John McCain, and Barack Obama for voting for the government bailout and than thanked the fans for use of their taxpayer dollars so he could keep his penthouse apartment; Cryme Tyme then appeared on the big screen and said, while JBL was enjoying the bailout, they would take his limo for a night out; Mickie James, WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool, Lena, Kelly Kelly, Maria, Tiffany, Brie Bella, and Sgt. Slaughter then appeared to join Cryme Tyme in the limo
The Big Show defeated the Undertaker at 10:04 via KO when referee Charles Robinson stopped the match after Taker hit his head on an unprotected turnbuckle and sustained two right hand punches, which knocked him out, followed by a third punch to the back of the head
WWE World Champion Triple H pinned Jeff Hardy at 17:02 with a crucifix as Hardy had the champion covered following the Twist of Fate and Swanton; after the bout, the two shook hands; moments later, Arn Anderson congratulated the champion backstage before Triple H came face to face with Vladimir Kozlov, who also congratulated Triple H before walking off (Jeff Hardy: My Life My Rules)
World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho defeated Shawn Michaels in a ladder match at 22:19 following a headbutt as both men grabbed hold of the belt at the top of the ladder; early in the match, Jericho had a tooth knocked out; late in the bout, Lance Cade interfered on behalf of the champion but Michaels knocked him out with the superkick (voted Match of the Year by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter) (Breaking the Code: Behind the Walls of Chris Jericho, Ladder Match 2: Crash & Burn)
– Matt Striker’s father passed away.
WWE @ Seattle, WA – Key Arena – October 6, 2008 (matinee)
Dolph Ziggler defeated Charlie Haas; Haas played the role of Roddy Piper for the bout
Raw – featured an opening in-ring promo by World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho, in a suit, in which, with Mike Adamle in a meeting with Shane and Stephanie McMahon, he had been asked to run the show in Adamle’s absence; Jericho then spoke of his win the previous night over Shawn Michaels in a ladder match but then showed that Michaels had left him with a cracked tooth; Jericho then said he was done with Michaels but would have Michaels face Lance Cade in a No DQ match later in the show; moments later, Batista interrupted and asked Jericho how many days it would be before he got his title shot, following his win over John Bradshaw Layfield the previous night; after Jericho told Batista to leave, Batista dropped him with a spinebuster and left ringside; during the commercial break, Jericho announced Batista would face JBL in a #1 contenders match later in the show with Jericho as the referee; included Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Michaels regarding his match against Cade later in the show, during which he noted Jericho wasn’t defending the title later in the show because he was hurting just as bad as Michaels was following the ladder match; featured the announcement that CM Punk, Kofi Kingston, Evan Bourne, & Ricky Ortiz would face John Morrison, Mike Mizanin, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes the following night on ECW; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read that the previous week’s Raw was the most watched entertainment program on cable television; featured a backstage segment with Jericho and Randy Orton in which Jericho said Batista as the top contender didn’t help either man and he would put Orton to work later in the show; included a video package highlighting the Batista vs. John Cena match at Summer Slam, with comments from Batista and referee Mike Chioda regarding the match and Cena’s neck injury, as well as comments from Dr. Joseph Maroon regarding Cena’s neck surgery and recovery, during which it was estimated Cena would be out three to four months; featured a backstage segment with Mark Henry, Tony Atlas, and Kane walking to the ring, during which Dolph Ziggler attempted to introduce himself but they passed him by; included the announcement that WWE World Champion Triple H would face the Big Show Friday on Smackdown!; featured a WWE 24/7 Classics On Demand segment focusing on Kane assaulting Pete Rose at WrestleMania XIV; included an ad promoting the “Hell in a Cell” DVD; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read Smackdown!’s debut was the most watched show ever on MyNetworkTV; included an in-ring segment in which Jerry Lawler announced that the fans could choose Roddy Piper, Goldust, or the Honkytonk Man to face WWE IC Champion Santino Marella at Cyber Sunday; featured an in-ring promo by the Great Khali, with Runjin Singh, in which Khali responded to his recent interview by Johnny Knoxville on jackassworld.com; footage from the interview was then shown, with Khali then challenging Knoxville to appear on Raw the following week; Khali then hosted a segment of the Kiss Cam to prove he has a sense of humor, finishing with Khali kissing Lilian Garcia; included comments from Batista, Shawn Michaels, Maria, Triple H, Jeff Hardy, Mike Mizanin, Candice Michelle, and Maroon in which they spoke about Cena showing up at Smackdown! hours after having neck surgery:
WWE IC Champion Santino Marella & WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix defeated Jamie Noble & Mickie James at 1:43 when Marella pinned Noble with a roll up after Noble became distracted by Phoenix grabbing his tights from the corner; prior to the bout, Marella cut an in-ring promo claiming he had been criticized for being too ethnic and had made an effort to become more American by finding a favorite NBA team; he then took off his shirt to reveal an Oklahoma City Thunder shirt underneath, referring to the new home of the former Seattle Seahawks; after the match, Noble knocked Santino into the crowd before brawling around ringside with William Regal, who sat ringside for the match with Layla
WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Ted Dibiase Jr. (w/ WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Cody Rhodes & Manu) pinned Kofi Kingston (w/ CM Punk) at 2:45 with the Million $ Dream into a Russian legsweep after Kingston became distracted by Punk knocking Rhodes off the apron
Kane & Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas) defeated ECW World Champion Matt Hardy & Rey Mysterio Jr. at 10:34 when Kane pinned Hardy with the chokeslam after Henry threw Mysterio from the floor onto the top rope, knocking Hardy off the top turnbuckle
Shawn Michaels pinned Lance Cade at 2:57 in a No DQ match after repeatedly hitting him in the head and body with a steel chair; after the bout, Michaels again assaulted Cade with the chair
Kelly Kelly pinned Jillian Hall at 3:43 with a victory roll; John Morrison, Mike Mizanin, and Cryme Tyme provided guest commentary for the match; after the bout, Cryme Tyme celebrated with Kelly
Batista pinned John Bradshaw Layfield with the spear and sit-down powerbomb at 7:34; World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho was the guest referee for the bout but referee Mike Chioda replaced Jericho late in the bout after Mike Adamle appeared, moments after Jericho was knocked to the floor; William Regal was the guest timekeeper for the bout, and interfered on behalf of JBL, and Randy Orton was the guest commentator; after the bout, Adamle announced that Jericho would defend against Batista at Cyber Sunday with either Orton, Shawn Michaels, or Steve Austin as the guest referee
Dark match after the show: Batista & Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho & Kane
WWE @ Spokane, WA – Arena – October 7, 2008 (matinee)
ECW – featured a backstage segment with Tiffany, as a devil, and Teddy Long, as a vampire, with Jamie Noble then appearing and saying he was dressed as the best wrestler of all time, himself; Mark Henry and Tony Atlas then appeared with Henry demanding a match with ECW World Champion Matt Hardy; Noble then told Henry never to disrespect him, with Henry then challenging Noble to a match later in the show; Noble then told Long to make the match happen; included a vignette promoting the return of the Boogeyman; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s ECW was seen by more viewers than those of ESPN, FX, Spike, the Discovery Channel, and TNT during the same timeslot:
Tommy Dreamer & Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) defeated Mike Knox & Jack Swagger at 8:58 when Finlay pinned Knox after hitting him with the shillalagh as the referee was distracted by Hornswoggle in the ring
Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas) pinned Jamie Noble at 3:20 with the powerslam after catching Noble as he came off the top rope; after the bout, Henry hit the move twice more until ECW World Champion Matt Hardy made the save and dropped Atlas with the Twist of Fate; moments later, Henry dropped Hardy with the powerslam and followed with a splash
John Morrison & Mike Mizanin, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. (w/ Manu) defeated CM Punk, Kofi Kingston, Evan Bourne, & Ricky Ortiz at 11:28 when Morrison pinned Punk with the Moonlight Drive after Dibiase dropped Punk neck-first across the top rope after Punk knocked Manu off the apron
Smackdown! – featured an opening in-ring promo by Vickie Guerrero, with Chavo Guerrero Jr., in which she discussed the injury she sustained two weeks earlier from the Undertaker, as a result of the tombstone, that put her in a wheelchair and neckbrace; she then said Taker was humiliated by the Big Show at No Mercy and Show would get a WWE World Title shot against Triple H later in the program as his reward; Show then came out and cut a promo on knocking Taker out with his fist and then showed video from No Mercy of the incident before commenting on facing Triple H later in the show for the championship; Vladimir Kozlov then appeared and said he didn’t care who the champion was – Show or Triple H – but was challenging the winner to a title match; Show then responded by saying, while not everyone likes him, at least he’s American; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read Smackdown! was the #1 show the past week for viewers age 2-17, beating every other show on ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox; featured a video package highlighting the Batista vs. John Cena match at Summer Slam, with comments from Batista and referee Mike Chioda regarding the match and Cena’s neck injury, as well as comments from Dr. Joseph Maroon regarding Cena’s neck surgery and recovery, during which it was estimated Cena would be out three to four months; included a backstage segment with R Truth and Sho Funaki in which Truth asked Funaki what his full name was, with Funaki saying his middle name was “Fu,” his last name was “Naki,” and his first name was “Kung;” Truth then noted that Funaki’s name was Kung Funaki and then sang in the tune of “Kung Fu Fighting;” featured a backstage segment with Jeff Hardy and Triple H in which they discussed their match at No Mercy, with Hardy then challenging the winner to a title match; included footage of Show knocking out the Great Khali with a punch earlier in the year to promote his upcoming match with Triple H; featured a Triple H vignette to promote his match with Show later in the night; included a vignette promoting the debut of Kizarny; featured footage of Show knocking out Chris Jericho earlier in the year to promote his match later in the program against Triple H; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s Smackdown! was the highest rated show ever on MyNetworkTV; featured comments from Batista, Shawn Michaels, Maria, Triple H, Jeff Hardy, Mike Mizanin, Candice Michelle, and Maroon in which they spoke about Cena showing up at Smackdown! hours after having neck surgery; included an ad for “Hell in a Cell;” featured the announcement Hardy would face Kozlov the following week, followed by a backstage promo by Kozlov regarding the match:
Brie Bella pinned Natalya Neidhart (w/ Victoria) with a crucifix at 3:03, moments after Natalya became distracted by “Brie” coming out the other end of the ring; late in the bout, Victoria attempted to go under the ring after Brie but was scared off by Hornswoggle, who came out from under the ring and ran Victoria backstage
R Truth pinned WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin in a non-title match at 5:00 with a rolling cradle; prior to his entrance, Benjamin cut a backstage promo in which he said he was the “gold standard” while the economy was in a slump
Jeff Hardy pinned MVP with the Swanton at 10:47; prior to the bout, Gregory Helms cut an insert promo in which he told MVP to please win a match; during the contest, it was noted MVP would earn a giant incentive package through his contract if he wins one more match; after the contest, Vladimir Kozlov came out, fought off Jeff, and laid him out with a headbutt as Jeff came off the top rope
Jesse & Festus, WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon defeated Kenny Dykstra, Ryan Braddock, Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder at 3:19 when Festus pinned Dykstra with the fireman’s carry into the face-first slam; Maria was the guest ring announcer for the match; during their ring entrance, Gregory Helms cut an insert promo making fun of Dykstra’s team; after the contest, Festus stared at Maria until Jesse took him backstage
The Great Khali (w/ Runjin Singh) defeated three unknowns in a handicap match at the 16-second mark by stepping on one of his opponent’s chest following the chop to the head; prior to the bout, Singh showed footage from jackassworld.com of Johnny Knoxville upsetting Khali during an interview and then from Raw of Khali hosting the Kiss Cam to prove that he was as entertaining as Knoxville; Singh then said Khali would prove after the match that he was the better entertainer; after the match, Khali picked an overweight woman from the crowd to be part of the kiss cam
WWE World Champion Triple H fought the Big Show to a no contest at the 10-minute mark after the Undertaker appeared in the ring, brawled with Show all the way backstage, and Triple H was then assaulted by Vladimir Kozlov; after the contest, Jeff Hardy came out and helped clear the ring, only to then drop Triple H with the Twist of Fate before locking eyes with Kozlov to end the broadcast
– 10/10/08: Dolph Ziggler was suspended for 30 days for violating the wellness policy.
WWE (Raw) @ Reno, NV – Lawlor Events Center – October 11, 2008
Jamie Noble & Mickie James defeated William Regal & Layla when Noble pinned Regal with a backslide after blocking a European uppercut
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Candice Michelle with the Glam Slam
Lance Cade pinned D-Lo Brown with the sit-down spinebuster
WWE IC Champion Santino Marella pinned Kofi Kingston with a roll up
CM Punk pinned Manu with the Go To Sleep
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Cryme Tyme when Dibiase pinned Shad with the Million $ Dream into a Russian legsweep after Manu came ringside
Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned Kane in a No DQ match with the 619 and springboard splash
World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho pinned Batista with the Code Breaker after Lance Cade came ringside; after the bout, Batista dropped both Jericho and Cade with the spear
WWE (Raw) @ San Bernardino, CA – Coussoulis Arena – October 12, 2008 (matinee) (3,700; near sell out)
Jamie Noble & Mickie James defeated William Regal & Layla when Noble pinned Regal
Lance Cade pinned D-Lo Brown (Cade’s last match)
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Candice Michelle
CM Punk pinned Manu with the Go To Sleep
Kofi Kingston defeated WWE IC Champion Santino Marella via disqualification when WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix interfered
Rey Mysterio & Cryme Tyme defeated Kane, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes when Mysterio pinned Rhodes following the 619; after the bout, Kane dropped both his teammates with the chokeslam
World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho defeated Batista after Lance Cade interfered; after the bout, Batista laid out both Jericho and Cade with spinebusters (Cade’s last appearance)
WWE @ Anaheim, CA – Honda Center – October 13, 2008 (matinee) (8,500; 7,000 paid)
William Regal defeated D-Lo Brown
Raw – featured an opening backstage segment with World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho and Mike Adamle in which Jericho argued over Adamle’s decision the previous week in making Jericho face Batista at Cyber Sunday with the fans being able to choose the guest referee; Adamle then stated Batista would choose Jericho’s opponent later in the show, with Jericho choosing Batista’s opponent; Jericho then stormed down the hallway, passing Candice Michelle, Mickie James, and Jamie Noble, with several of them shown texting their vote for the guest referee poll; moments later, Jericho cut an in-ring promo on Randy Orton, Shawn Michaels, and Steve Austin being the choices for the guest referee spot at Cyber Sunday and pleaded to Shane and Stephanie McMahon to abolish the stipulation; Michaels then appeared and said he would love to say he would call things down the middle if he was chosen as the referee, but couldn’t; Michaels then attacked Jericho, with Jericho then leaving ringside until he returned moments later to tell Michaels he would be Batista’s opponent later in the show; included Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Batista regarding facing Michaels later in the show; featured Grisham conducting an interview with Knoxville and Chris Pontius regarding recent photos they posted on their website making fun of the Great Khali; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read ECW was the Sci-Fi Channel’s most watched program the previous Tuesday; featured a video package promoting the return of John Cena, with comments from Triple H, Edge, Batista, John Bradshaw Layfield, Jeff Hardy, Dan Cena, Jim Ross, Shawn Michaels, Mickie James, and Maria; included a promo by Randy Orton on the entrance stage in which he complained about everyone caring about Cena’s injury but not his own, then told the fans not to vote for him as the guest referee at Cyber Sunday; featured an ad for the “Hell in a Cell” DVD; included an in-ring promo by WWE IC Champion Santino Marella, with WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix, regarding possibly facing Goldust, Roddy Piper, or the Honkytonk Man at Cyber Sunday, with Marella comparing his title run to that of Honky’s and saying all three were perverted; moments later, Marella called attention to Knoxville at ringside and brought him into the ring; after Knoxville accidentally called Phoenix a “dude,” Phoenix bodyslammed him before the two left ringside; Hornswoggle then came out and hit a frog splash on Knoxville; Pontius then tended to Knoxville until Big Dick Johnson appeared and began dancing, with Pontius then stripping down as well; the Boogeyman then appeared, clotheslined Pontius, and poured worms on him; moments later, Knoxville staggered to his feet and said the beating wasn’t so bad, with Khali and Runjin Singh then appearing and Khali dropping Knoxville with the tree slam; moments later, referees tended to Knoxville in the ring; featured a backstage segment with Cryme Tyme & Kelly Kelly; included an ad promoting WrestleMania 25 tickets going on sale Nov. 8; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s Raw was the most watched cable program for the third consecutive week; included the announcement the Undertaker would face the Big Show at Cyber Sunday, with the stipulations being named Friday on Smackdown!:
Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas) & Kane defeated ECW World Champion Matt Hardy & Rey Mysterio Jr. at 5:16 when Kane pinned Mysterio by kicking him in the chest as Mysterio came off the top, moments after Hardy battled Henry all the way bakstage; prior to the bout, it was announced Rey Mysterio Jr. would face Kane at Cyber Sunday in either a falls count anywhere, no holds barred, or best 2 out of 3 falls match; Johnny Knoxville was shown sitting ringside before the contest; after the match, Kane continued to attack Mysterio until Mysterio eventually cleared him from the ring
John Bradshaw Layfield pinned Charlie Haas with the Clothesline from Hell at 1:26 after avoiding a legdrop; prior to the match, Nancy O’Dell from “Acess Hollywood” was shown in the crowd; before Haas’ introduction, JBL cut an in-ring promo praising the Congressional bailout and said rich people must be taken care of at all costs; Haas played the role of Hulk Hogan for the match and came out to “Real American”
Batista fought Shawn Michaels to a no contest in a lumberjack match at around the 17-minute mark when the lumberjacks attacked the participants on the floor and inside the ring; the stipulation wasn’t announced until World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho appeared on the big screen after both men’s introduction; lumberjacks for the match included Snitsky, Paul Burchill, Deuce, Tony Atlas, Mark Henry, Bam Neely, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Manu, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr., Mike Knox, John Bradshaw Layfield, Randy Orton, and William Regal; during and after the bout, Jericho was shown watching on backstage; after the contest, Batista and Michaels eventually cleared the ring of the lumberjacks; moments later, the two shook hands (the bout began during the commercial break)
Cryme Tyme & Kelly Kelly defeated John Morrison, Mike Mizanin, & Jillian Hall at 3:20 when Shad pinned Morrison with a reverse Russian legsweep after JTG hit Morrison in the head with a Mighty Ducks goalie mask; prior to the bout, Morrison & Mizanin cut an in-ring rap, with Jillian singing in-between their verses
CM Punk (mystery opponent) pinned World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho in a non-title match at 6:11 after guest referee Batista dropped Jericho with the sit-down powerbomb, moments after Jericho yelled at Batista for ignoring his cover after hitting the Code Breaker on Punk; Batista being the guest referee wasn’t announced until after the participants’ entrance
Dark match after the show: Batista & Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho & Kane
– 10/14/08: Lance Cade was released. His firing followed an incident in which Cade had a seizure while on a plane.
WWE @ Las Vegas, NV – Thomas & Mack Center – October 14, 2008 (matinee) (6,500; 5,400 paid)
Ricky Ortiz defeated Gavin Spears
ECW – featured an opening in-ring promo by Tony Atlas & Mark Henry in which Atlas claimed Henry deserved the ECW World Title; moments later, Teddy Long came out and said Henry would be one of the three men the fans could vote in as ECW World Champion Matt Hardy’s opponent at Cyber Sunday; Long then said there would be qualifying matches later in the show to determine the other two candidates; included a vignette promoting the ECW return of the Boogeyman; featured a backstage segment with Long and Tiffany, dressed as a show girl, in which Long said she would surely win the costume contest at Cyber Sunday; Tiffany then showed Long an Elvis outfit he should try on; moments later, Jack Swagger appeared and said he should be one of the three who the fans should choose to face Hardy at Cyber Sunday; Tommy Dreamer then came in and asked for a title shot after Cyber Sunday, with Long taking it under advisement; Dreamer and Swagger then had words before Swagger left the office; included an ad promoting WrestleMania 25 tickets going on sale Nov. 8:
Evan Bourne pinned Chavo Guerrero Jr. with the Shooting Star Press at 12:44 after knocking Guerrero off the top with a hurricanrana; stipulations stated the winner would be one of three possibilities to face ECW World Champion Matt Hardy at Cyber Sunday; prior to the bout, Mark Henry & Tony Atlas were still in the ring from the opening promo; upon his entrance, Bourne extended his hand for Henry to shake but then pulled it away when Henry went to shake it; after the bout, Henry and Atlas returned ringside, with Henry assaulting Bourne before lifting up Bourne’s hand to shake it
Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) pinned John Morrison (w/ Mike Mizanin) at 15:55 after Cryme Tyme, who were hiding underneath the ring, passed Finlay his shillalagh behind the referee’s back, who then hit Morrison with it; during the bout, the fans started a brief “Johnny Nitro” chant; late in the bout, both Mizanin and an interfering Mike Knox were pulled underneath the ring by Cryme Tyme; stipulations stated the winner would be one of three men to possibly face ECW World Champion Matt Hardy at Cyber Sunday; after the bout, Finlay hit both Shad & JTG with the weapon but he himself was attacked from behind on the stage by Mark Henry as the show came to a close
Smackdown! – featured comments from Batista, Shawn Michaels, Maria, Triple H, Jeff Hardy, Mike Mizanin, Candice Michelle, and Maroon in which they spoke about John Cena showing up at Smackdown! hours after having neck surgeryincluded Eve conducting a backstage interview with MVP regarding his recent losing streak and facing R Truth later in the night; featured a backstage segment with Vickie Guerrero, in a neckbrace, and the Big Show in which Sho Funaki came in and said he was known as “Fung Funaki;” moments later, they ordered him out; Maryse then came in dressed as a French maid and argued she shouldn’t have to compete in the divas match later in the show because she had already beaten WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool; Vickie then ordered her out as well; the Great Khali & Runjin Sing then appeared, with Vickie telling Khali she was proud of him and he had a match later in the show against the Undertaker; Khali then argued he was being used as a puppet in Vickie and Show’s vendetta; Show then told Khali that Vickie could make his life very difficult if he didn’t go through with the match; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read Smackdown!, two weeks in the row, broke MyNetworkTV’s ratings record; featured vignettes promoting the debut of Kizarny; included an ad promoting WrestleMania 25 tickets going on sale Nov. 8; featured Eve conducting a backstage interview with WWE World Champion Triple H regarding the attack he sustained from Vladimir Kozlov the previous week and potentially facing Jeff Hardy and Kozlov at Cyber Sunday; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read Raw was the most watched entertainment program on Monday for the third consecutive week; featured the announcement Triple H would face the Undertaker the following week; included a video package promoting the return of Cena, with comments from Triple H, Edge, Batista, John Bradshaw Layfield, Jeff Hardy, Dan Cena, Jim Ross, Shawn Michaels, Mickie James, and Maria; featured several clips throughout the show recapping the history between Hardy and Kozlov; included an ad promoting the “Hell in a Cell” DVD; featured a backstage segment with Maria and WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool in which they talked about their upcoming title match; moments later, Jesse & Festus appeared with Festus giving her a flower to congratulate her win:
The Big Show defeated Joey Ryan in a knock out match at the 17-second mark following a punch; prior to the bout, Show cut an in-ring promo on his WWE World Title match the previous week and said he had Triple H beat until the Undertaker interfered; Show then questioned whether he beat Taker stupid at No Mercy; he then addressed their upcoming match at Cyber Sunday in which the fans would choose via WWE.com the two to either face off in a last man standing, I Quit, or knock out match
The Big Show defeated Ryan Taylor in an I Quit match at the 23-second mark with a cobra clutch
The Big Show defeated Matt Jackson in a last man standing match at 1:33 after hitting a chokeslam through a table set up in the ring by Chavo Guerrero Jr., who appeared during the three contests; after the bout, one of the men was fitted with a neckbrace; as the unknown made his way to the ring, Hurricane Helms appeared and cut an insert promo asking whether the unknown had seen the previous two matches
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon defeated Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder when Primo pinned Hawkins with a dropkick off the top at 3:40
R Truth pinned MVP with the axe kick at 2:46; prior to the bout, MVP stated his incentive package would kick in on his contract if he won one more match; after the contest, WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin was shown watching on backstage
Ezikial Jackson (w/ The Brian Kendrick) (sub. for The Brian Kendrick) pinned Super Crazy with a uranagi at the 42-second mark; prior to the bout, Kendrick cut an in-ring promo stating the WWE doctors ruled he was too sick to compete and that Crazy would face Jackson in Kendrick’s place; during Crazy’s entrance, Hurricane Helms cut an insert promo; after the contest, Kendrick dropped Crazy with The Kendrick
The Undertaker defeated the Great Khali (w/ Runjin Singh) via disqualification at 3:23 when the Big Show interfered and hit the chokeslam on Taker; moments later, Show grabbed a steel chair from ringside and yelled at Khali to take it and hit Taker with it, with Khali instead knocking the chair out of Show’s hands and leaving ringside; as Khali left ringside, Taker knocked Show out of the ring with the chair
Maria defeated Maryse, Victoria, Brie Bella, and Natalya Neidhart at 2:10 in a fuzzy dice on a pole match after knocking Maryse off the top rope; stipulations stated the winner would receive a future WWE Divas title match
Jesse & Festus defeated Kenny Dykstra & Ryan Braddock at 3:42 when Festus pinned Dykstra with a fireman’s carry into a face-first slam; during the bout, Hurricane Helms cut an insert promo on Dykstra’s complaining
Vladimir Kozlov pinned Jeff Hardy at 8:17 with a headbutt to the chest; during his entrance, Kozlov cut an insert promo on challenging WWE World Champion Triple H; after the bout, Triple H, who provided guest commentary for the bout, climbed in the ring and held up the title belt in Kozlov’s face
Dark match after the taping: The Undertaker defeated the Big Show
WWE (Raw) Arecibo, Puerto Rico – Coliseo Manueo Petaca Iguina – October 16, 2008 (9,000)
Jamie Noble & Mickie James defeated William Regal & Layla when Noble pinned Regal
Manu defeated D-Lo Brown
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix defeated Candice Michelle
WWE IC Champion Santino Marella defeated Kofi Kingston
CM Punk defeated Snitsky
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes defeated Cryme Tyme
Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned Kane in a No DQ match
Shawn Michaels & Batista defeated World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho & John Bradshaw Layfield when Batista pinned JBL
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Monterrey, Mexico – Arena – October 16, 2008 (14,000; sell out)
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon defeated Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder
Finlay defeated Jack Swagger
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin defeated The Brian Kendrick and R Truth by pinning Truth
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool defeated Maryse
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy pinned Mark Henry with the Twist of Fate at 8:40
Super Crazy pinned Chavo Guerrero Jr.
The Undertaker & Jeff Hardy defeated MVP & Vladimir Kozlov at 16:34 when Taker pinned MVP with the tombstone
WWE World Champion Triple H pinned the Big Show with the Pedigree
– 10/16/08: Former WWF ring announcer Jack Reynolds died at the page of 71.
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Monterrey, Mexico – Arena – October 17, 2008 (10,500)
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy & Jeff Hardy defeated Mark Henry & Chavo Guerrero Jr. when Jeff pinned Henry following the Swanton
Finlay pinned Ezikial Jackson after hitting him with the shillelagh
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin defeated MVP and Super Crazy
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool pinned Maryse with the Wings of Love
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon defeated Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder when Carlito pinned Ryder with the Back Stabber
R Truth pinned Jack Swagger with the axe kick
The Undertaker defeated the Big Show via submission with the leglock choke
WWE World Champion Triple H defeated Vladimir Kozlov via disqualification after the challenger hit Triple H with a steel chair; after the bout, Triple H dropped Kozlov with the Pedigree
WWE (Raw) @ Ponce, Puerto Rico – Auditorio Pachin Vicens – October 17, 2008 (5,500)
Kofi Kingston defeated Snitsky
Manu defeated Jamie Noble
Candice Michelle & Mickie James defeated WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix & Layla
WWE IC Champion Santino Marella (w/ WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix) pinned D-Lo Brown
CM Punk pinned William Regal with the Go To Sleep
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. defeated Cryme Tyme
Batista fought John Bradshaw Layfield to a no contest when World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho and Kane interfered; moments later Shawn Michaels and Rey Mysterio Jr. made the save
Shawn Michaels, Batista, & Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho, Kane, & John Bradshaw Layfield when Batista pinned JBL with the spinebuster
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Aguascalientes, Mexico – October 17, 2008
Cancelled due to low ticket sales
WWE (Raw) @ San Juan, Puerto Rico – October 18, 2008 (17,500; sell out)
Jamie Noble defeated Snitsky
WWE IC Champion Santino Marella & WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix defeated Kofi Kingston & Candice Michelle at the 8-minute mark; both titles were on the line in the match
William Regal defeated D-Lo Brown
CM Punk & Cryme Tyme defeated Manu, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes when Punk pinned Manu with the Go To Sleep at the 16-minute mark
Mickie James defeated Layla
Batista & Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Kane & John Bradshaw Layfield when Batista pinned JBL as Mysterio pinned Kane after Mysterio hit the 619 on both opponents
World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho pinned Shawn Michaels in a No DQ match at the 27-minute mark after hitting him with the title belt; after the match, Michaels dropped Jericho with the superkick
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Mexico City, Mexico – Palacio de los Deportes – October 18, 2008 (15,000)
Chavo Guerrero Jr. defeated R Truth
Finlay pinned Jack Swagger after hitting him with the shillelagh
The Brian Kendrick defeated Super Crazy
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool defeated Maryse
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon defeated Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin defeated MVP and Jeff Hardy by pinning MVP
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy defeated Mark Henry
WWE World Champion Triple H & the Undertaker defeated the Big Show & Vladimir Kozlov
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Mexico City, Mexico – Palacio de los Deportes – October 19, 2008 (12,000)
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy & Jeff Hardy defeated Mark Henry & Chavo Guerrero Jr. when Jeff pinned Guerrero following the Swanton; Matt & Jeff wore luchadore masks to and from the ring
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon defeated Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder when Carlito pinned Ryder with the Back Cracker
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool pinned Maryse with the Wings of Love
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin defeated MVP and Super Crazy
WWE World Champion Triple H defeated Vladimir Kozlov via disqualification after the challenger hit Triple H with the mic
The Undertaker defeated the Big Show via submission with the leglock choke
– 10/19/08: Former Hawaiian wrestling promoter, wife of WWE Hall of Famer Peter Maivia, mother-in-law of WWE Hall of Famer Rocky Johnson, and grandmother of the Rock, Leah Maivia died at the age of 81.
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Hidalgo, TX – Dodge Arena – October 20, 2008 (6,800; sell out)
Super Crazy pinned Chavo Guerrero Jr. with a small package as Guerrero attempted the Three Amigos
Finlay pinned Jack Swagger after hitting him with the shillelagh
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool pinned Maryse with the Wings of Love
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin pinned MVP with the Paydirt; the match was advertised to also included Jeff Hardy
Ezikial Jackson pinned Sho Funaki (the in-ring debut of the Kung Fu Naki gimmick)
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon defeated Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder after Carlito hit the Back Cracker
R Truth pinned The Brian Kendrick with the axe kick
WWE World Champion Triple H defeated Vladimir Kozlov via disqualification after Kozlov hit the champion with the mic; after the bout, Triple H dropped Kozlov with the Pedigree
The Undertaker defeated the Big Show via submission with the leglock choke after Show attempted to cover Taker following the chokeslam
WWE @ Corpus Christi, TX – American Bank Center – October 20, 2008
Raw – featured a clock counting down how much time until WrestleMania 25 tickets go on sale Nov. 8; included an in-ring segment with World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho in which, before saying anything, he went out to the floor and demanded Lilian Garcia introduce him as the champion; Jericho then said he had been disrespected by Mike Adamle as well as every wrestler backstage and then listed every recent victory he had attained; moments later, Batista came out and told Jericho that he would get respect if Jericho beats him at the pay-per-view; Adamle then came out and said Jericho and Batista would face the same opponents later in the show in a gauntlet match; after Adamle left, Jericho slapped Batista in the face and left the ring; featured a vignette promoting the return of John Cena, with comments from Carl Edwards, Snoop Dogg, John Salley, Maria Menounos, Kelly Carlson, Rob Thomas, Sara Jean Underwood, Gabrielle Reece, Ben Stiller, Robert Patrick, Renny Harlin, Marc Ecko, the Jonas Brothers, Bobby Lee, Tony Hawk, Kasey Kahne, and Jerry Ferrara, and appearances by Regis Philbin, Shaggy, and Conan O’Brian, among others; included a backstage segment with Jericho and Adamle in which Jericho complained he wasn’t getting respect while previous champions like Hulk Hogan and Bret Hart were; Adamle then said he was giving Jericho a chance to earn it with the match later in the show; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WrestleMania sponsorship beats the Kentucky Derby, the NBA Playoffs, the Indy 500, X-Games and The Masters; included an in-ring promo by WWE IC Champion Santino Marella, with WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix, in which he came out dressed as the Honkytonk Man, Roddy Piper, and Goldust and insulted all three of his potential opponents at Cyber Sunday; Jim Duggan then came out and said he didn’t appreciate Santino making fun of his generation; Marella then compared his 10-week IC title run to the Honkytonk Man’s 64-week run; after Duggan called Phoenix Santino’s boyfriend, Santino took off his Honkytonk Man wig and Piper’s kilt to prepare to fight Duggan; he then threw the kilt in Duggan’s face before smashing the guitar over Duggan’s head; Marella busted his mouth open in the process; Marella then cut a promo on his title defense at the pay-per-view; featured an ad promoting Raw’s 800th episode in two weeks; included footage of the recent Raw tour in Puerto Rico; featured an ad promoting WrestleMania 25 tickets going on sale Nov. 8; included the announcement Finlay, Mark Henry, and Evan Bourne would wrestle in a three-way the following night on ECW:
Candice Michelle & Kelly Kelly defeated Jillian Hall & Katie Lea at 3:33 when Kelly pinned Jillian with a Rocker Dropper; prior to the bout, it was announced all the divas would compete in a Halloween costume contest at Cyber Sunday, with the fans determining the winner through a WWE.com vote during the pay-per-view; it was also announced that Candice would be dressed as Marilyn Monroe, Kelly as a sailor, and Katie as a vampire
John Bradshaw Layfield pinned Charlie Haas with the Clothesline from Hell at 1:04; Haas played the role of Steve Austin for the match; prior to the bout, JBL cut an in-ring promo saying it was beneath him to face a “has-been impersonator;” after the contest, JBL grabbed the mic and said “And that’s the bottom line because JBL said so”
Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned Snitsky at 1:52 with the 619 and springboard splash; prior to the bout, Snitsky cut an insert promo
John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated CM Punk & Kofi Kingston at 12:22 when Mizanin pinned Punk with a roll up, immediately after Morrison made the blind tag and then sustained Punk’s Go To Sleep; prior to the bout, Morrison & Mizanin cut an in-ring promo stating they should be voted to be part of Cyber Sunday and then insulted the Fabulous Freebirds, the Legion of Doom, and DX, arguing they are a better team; they then mocked the DX intro by saying “Are you fifty?”; during the bout, it was announced Lilian Garcia would be Bat Girl, Victoria would be a banana, and Tiffany would be a nun in the costume contest at Cyber Sunday
Cryme Tyme fought WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes (w/ Manu) to a no contest when Dibiase, Rhodes, & Manu triple teamed the opponents before the match and laid them out Batista and World Heayvyweight Champion Chris Jericho defeated William Regal (w/ Layla), Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas), and Kane in a gauntlet match; Batista pinned Regal with the sit-down powerbomb at the 31-second mark; Jericho pinned Regal with the Code Breaker at the 4-second mark; Henry defeated Jericho via disqualification at 1:55 after Jericho hit Henry in the head with the title belt; Batista pinned Henry with a spinebuster at the 15-second mark; Kane pinned Jericho with a boot to the face at around the 6-minute mark (the bout began during the commercial break); Batista pinned Kane with the spear at the 7-second mark
WWE @ Laredo, TX – Entertainment Center – October 21, 2008
Tommy Dreamer defeated Gavin Spears
ECW – featured an opening in-ring promo by ECW World Champion Matt Hardy regarding his title defense at Cyber Sunday in which he said the fans wouldn’t vote for Mark Henry to be his challenger but he wanted to face Henry at the pay-per-view as payback for Henry’s recent attack on him; moments later, Finlay and Hornsowggle appeared, with Finlay saying that if he was voted in then he would take Hardy’s title; moments later, Evan Bourne appeared to argue why he should get the title shot instead, with Finlay then making jokes about Bourne’s small stature; Mark Henry and Tony Atlas then appeared at the entrance way and said he would dominate Finlay and Bourne later in the show in their three-way contest and then take Hardy’s title at Cyber Sunday; Hardy then said that whomever won the vote at Cyber Sunday would lose against him; included an ad promoting WrestleMania 25 tickets going on sale Nov. 8; featured Lena conducting a backstage interview with John Morrison & Mike Mizanin regarding possibly facing Cryme Tyme at Cyber Sunday, in which Mizanin said Sen. John McCain should have picked him as his running mate because he appealed to women voters more than Gov. Sarah Palin; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read more viewers watched ECW the previous week than any other show on ESPN, BET, Bravo, FX, the History Channel, VH1, or Spike TV; featured a vignette promoting the return of John Cena, with comments from Carl Edwards, Snoop Dogg, John Salley, Maria Menounos, Kelly Carlson, Rob Thomas, Sara Jean Underwood, Gabrielle Reece, Ben Stiller, Robert Patrick, Renny Harlin, Marc Ecko, the Jonas Brothers, Bobby Lee, Tony Hawk, Kasey Kahne, and Jerry Ferrara, and appearances by Regis Philbin, Shaggy, and Conan O’Brian, among others; included a backstage segment with Tiffany, Ricky Ortiz, Finlay, and Hornswoggle in which Hornswoggle knocked on Teddy Long’s door for Trick or Treating, with Long then coming out dressed as Shaft:
Jack Swagger pinned Brett Badery with a gutwrench into a sit-down powerbomb at 1:11; after the bout, Todd Grisham conducting an in-ring interview with Swagger regarding his recent run-ins with Tommy Dreamer and eventually facing Dreamer in the ring, with Swagger then asking “Tommy who?” before leaving the ring
Shad Gaspard (w/ JTG) defeated Mike Mizanin (w/ John Morrison) via disqualification at 4:56 when Morrison kicked Shad in the back of the head after both Morrison and JTG interfered behind the referee’s back
Evan Bourne defeated Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) and Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas) at 13:53 when Bourne pinned Henry with the Shooting Star Press, moments after Finlay hit Henry with the shillelagh
Smackdown! – featured an opening still image in tribute to the passing of Leah Maivia; included an opening in-ring promo by WWE World Champion Triple H in which he insulted Vickie Guerrero, and claimed she wouldn’t interrupt him because a big Twinkie truck pulled up and she would be busy for hours; he then mentioned his match later in the show against the Undertaker and said nothing would stop him from defending his title at Cyber Sunday, as scheduled; moments later, Jeff Hardy interrupted and argued he would take Triple H’s title at the pay-per-view, with Vladimir Kozlov then appearing at the entrance stage and said the fans wouldn’t pick him because they knew he would beat Triple H for the title; the champion then said it didn’t matter who got the shot at Cyber Sunday and then dropped Hardy with the Pedigree, citing that would be the end result to whatever match the fans decide upon; moments later, Triple H and the Undertaker had a confrontation backstage; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE Magazine sells more copies at newsstands than Sports Illustrated and ESPN Magazine combined; featured vignettes promoting the debut of Kizarny; included a clock counting down the time until WrestleMania 25 tickets go on sale; featured a vignette promoting the return of John Cena, with comments from Carl Edwards, Snoop Dogg, John Salley, Maria Menounos, Kelly Carlson, Rob Thomas, Sara Jean Underwood, Gabrielle Reece, Ben Stiller, Robert Patrick, Renny Harlin, Marc Ecko, the Jonas Brothers, Bobby Lee, Tony Hawk, Kasey Kahne, and Jerry Ferrara, and appearances by Regis Philbin, Shaggy, and Conan O’Brian, among others; included a backstage segment with Maria and WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool in which Michelle tried to talk about their loss earlier in the show, with Maria walking off to find Festus; moments later, WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon were speaking with Brie Bella, with Brie eventually leaving for a photo shoot; after she left, Carlito and Primo aruged over who made her leave, with Festus then chasing his mariachi band past them and Jesse and Maria trying to catch up; featured a bakstage segment in which Primo approached who he thought was Brie but she blew him off; moments later, the Great Khali & Runjin Singh appeared, with Khali claiming Primo had no game; included an in-ring segment in which Singh read a letter from “Helga from Berlin, Germany” who claimed she had a crush on Khali and another letter from “Bruce in San Francisco, CA;” Singh then used the Kiss Cam to find two women in the crowd to kiss Khali; before Khali kissed the prettier of the two, Singh pulled her out of the way and replaced her with the heavier girl; Singh then had the crowd chant Khali’s name to give him encouragement before kissing the girl; featured an ad promoting the 800th episode of Raw; included a backstage promo by Taker regarding his match with the Big Show at Cyber Sunday and facing Triple H later in the show; featured an ad promoting WrestleMania 25 tickets going on sale Nov. 8; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WrestleMania sponsorship beats the Kentucky Derby, the NBA Playoffs, the Indy 500, X-Games and The Masters; featured footage from Smackdown! & ECW’s recent tour of Mexico:
Maryse & Natalya Neidhart defeated WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool & Maria at 2:14 when Maryse pinned Michelle with a roll up as Michelle went for a tag when Maria was distracted by Festus, dressed as a mariachi performer and with Jesse, giving her a flower at ringside; prior to the bout, Hurricane Helms cut an insert promo on the divas; during the match, it was announced Michelle would be an Army soldier, Maria would be a bunny, Maryse would be a French maid, and Eve would be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle at Cyber Sunday in the divas Halloween costume contest; after the bell rang to end the match, Festus chased the rest of the mariachi band backstage, with Jesse following
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. & Bam Neely in a non-title match at 4:44 when Carlito pinned Bam with the Back Stabber after Chavo slapped his partner and Neely scared his partner off the apron; after the bout, Hurricane Helms cut an insert promo on Chavo and Neely possibly breaking up
R Truth & Sho Funaki defeated WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin & MVP at 3:58 when Funaki pinned MVP with a kick to the face; prior to the bout, Hurricane Helms cut an insert promo on MVP; during the match, it was announced that Benjamin would either defend against MVP, Truth, or Festus at Cyber Sunday and the match would air exclusively on WWE.com at 7:45 p.m. Sunday (Funaki’s in-ring TV debut as Kung Fu Naki)
The Brian Kendrick (w/ Ezikial Jackson) pinned Super Crazy with The Kendrick at 1:07; after the bout, Jackson hit a uranage on Crazy
The Undertaker defeated WWE World Champion Triple H via disqualification in a non-title match at 13:52 when the Big Show attacked Taker and laid him out in the corner after Taker dropped the champion with the powerbomb; after the bout, Triple H hit Show with a steel chair but Show brushed it off and dropped Triple H with the chokeslam; Show then laid Taker out with a series of chairshots to the body and head; after the commercial break, Triple H struggled to his feet only for Vladimir Kozlov to appear, assault the champion, and drop him with the headbutt to the sternum; moments later, Kozlov hit the reverse DDT
– 10/26/08: SD Jones (Conrad Efraim) died at the age of 63.
Cyber Sunday 08 – Phoenix, AZ – US Airways Center – October 26, 2008 (matinee) (12,500)
Shown live on WWE.com: WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin pinned R Truth at 3:24 after hitting the Paydirt as the challenger ran the ropes; Truth was chosen as the challenger with 59% of the vote, beating MVP (15%) and Festus (26%); Jim Ross & Tazz provided commentary for the match (Cyber Sunday 08)
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler on commentary for Raw, Jim Ross & Tazz on commentary for Smackdown!, and Todd Grisham & Matt Striker on commentary for ECW; Grisham introduced the stipulation choices and announced the results before each match; included backstage footage of WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool as an army soldier, Katie Lea as a vampire, Lena as a ninja, and Candice Michelle as Marilyn Monroe asking for votes in the diva Halloween costume contest; featured a backstage segment with World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho, Manu, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase Jr. in which Jericho praised the three and said they should do the same thing they did to CM Punk to Batista later in the show; Rhodes & Dibiase rejected the offer, citing they might have to defend their titles later in the show, and sarcastically wished Jericho good luck in his title defense; included a clock counting down the time until WrestleMania 25 tickets go on sale; featured backstage footage of WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix as a knight, Jillian Hall as Bat Girl, Maria as a bunny, and Kelly Kelly as a sailor in which they asked for votes in the costume contest; included backstage footage of Tiffany as a nun, Brie Bella as Cleopatra, Natalya Neidhart as a cop, and Eve as a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle in which they asked for votes in the costume contest; featured backstage footage of Jericho asking the Great Khali, with Runjin Singh, to be in his corner later in the show to make sure his match was fair, with Khali rejecting the offer; included vignettes promoting the return of John Cena at Survivor Series; featured an ad promoting the 3-hour Raw on Nov. 3; included backstage footage of Maryse as a French maid, Layla as Princess Leia, Victoria as a banana, and Mickie James as Lara Croft asking for votes in the costume contest; featured an ad promoting WrestleMania 25 tickets going on sale Nov. 8; included a backstage segment with Jericho and Mike Adamle in which Jericho argued Adamle should get rid of the guest referee stipulation for the better of the company; moments later, Jericho, after receiving a phone call, told Adamle they could continue the conversation later:
Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned Kane in a no holds barred match at 10:22 with the 619 and springboard splash after avoiding the chokeslam; the stipulation was chosen with 39% of the vote, beating out a falls count anywhere match (35%) and a Best 2 out of 3 falls match (26%)
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy pinned Evan Bourne at 11:05 with the Twist of Fate, moments after Bourne reversed the move into a backslide; prior to the bout, Teddy Long, with Tiffany, introduced the match; Bourne was chosen as the challenger with 69% of the vote, beating Mark Henry (6%) and Finlay (25%); after Bourne was named as the challenger, Bourne and Finlay shook hands backstage; after the match, Hardy helped Bourne to his feet
John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Cryme Tyme at 10:22 when Morrison pinned Shad with the Moonlight Drive after Mizanin kicked Shad in the back of the leg behind the referee’s back; the match was chosen with 38% of the vote, beating out Jamie Noble & Mickie James vs. William Regal & Layla (27%) and CM Punk & Kofi Kingston vs. WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes (35%)
The Honkytonk Man defeated WWE IC Champion Santino Marella (w/ WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix) via disqualification at 1:06 when the refere caught Phoenix tripping Honky from the floor; prior to the bout, Marella compared his 11-week IC title run to that of the Honkytonk Man’s 64-week run and said Phoenix was the place athletes go to retire, with Shaquille O’Neal then being shown in the crowd; Honky was named as challenger with 35% of the vote, beating out Roddy Piper (34%) and Goldust (31%); prior to the bout, Honky cut an in-ring promo saying Santino could hold the title 10 years and still not be as great as Honky; after the contest, Santino argued with Beth over the loss before Goldust and Piper came out, scared Santino back into the ring, and double teamed him before Honky hit Santino with the Shake, Rattle, and Roll
The Undertaker defeated the Big Show in a last man standing match at 19:25 when Show passed out while in the leglock choke; the stipulation was chosen with 49% of the vote, beating out an I Quit match (42%) and a Knock Out match (9%); prior to the bout, Vickie Guerrero was wheeled out to the entrance stage by Chavo Guerrero Jr. and announced the results of the WWE.com poll, first accidentally saying the match would be an I Quit bout; Vickie and Chavo remained on the stage for the duration of the bout
Mickie James won a diva Halloween costume contest; other participants included: WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix, WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool, Layla, Lena, Brie Bella, Jillian Hall, Victoria, Kelly Kelly, Maryse, Candice Michelle, Katie Lea, Maria, and Tiffany; after the winner was revealed by Tazz during an in-ring segment with all the participants, a fight broke out among the divas with the babyfaces quickly clearing the ring
WWE World Champion Triple H pinned Jeff Hardy at 15:39 after crotching the challenger on the top, dragging him off the top, and hitting the Pedigree; Hardy was named as the challenger with 57% of the vote, beating out Vladimir Kozlov (5%) and Hardy & Kozlov (38%)
Batista pinned World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho to win the title at 17:08 with the spinebuster and sit-down powerbomb after Jericho shoved guest referee Steve Austin into the corner as Austin attempted the Stunner on the champion; Austin was chosen as the referee with 74% of the vote, beating Orton (4%) and Shawn Michaels (22%); early in the match, Jericho attempted to get himself counted-out but Austin ruled that if he did get counted-out or disqualified then Batista would win the title; Michaels briefly took over officiating at the 15-minute mark after Austin was knocked to the floor but John Bradshaw Layfield interfered and laid Michaels out on the floor with the Clothesline from Hell before leaving ringside; moments later, Orton jumped Austin as he was getting back in the ring and took over officiating until Austin eventually dropped Orton with the Stunner; after the bout, Batista and Austin shared a beer
WWE @ Tucson, AZ – Convention Center – October 27, 2008 (matinee) (4,500)
Mike Knox defeated Jamie Noble
Raw – featured an opening still image tribute to the passing of SD Jones; included an in-ring promo by Chris Jericho in which he said he was ripped off the previous night at Cyber Sunday by Steve Austin and that Batista needed the help of Shawn Michaels, Austin, Mike Adamle, and the fans to take the title off Jericho; Jericho then said he would challenge Batista for the title the following week; Adamle then appeared and said the Jericho vs. Batista rematch would be in a steel cage; Jericho then stormed off, with Randy Orton then coming out and blaming Adamle for his sustaining a Stunner the night before; Orton then turned to the camera and told Shane and Stephanie McMahon to fire Adamle the next week or Orton would quit the company; Orton then called Adamle a failure as an interviewer, a failure as a commentator, a failure as a general manager and said if he took a flight to Chicago to meet Adamle’s family he would learn Adamle was a failure as a husband and father too; Adamle then slapped Orton, with Orton staring Adamle down before leaving the ring; featured footage of WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes, Manu, and Randy Orton attacking CM Punk and Kofi Kingston at Unforgiven; included a clock counting down until WrestleMania 25 tickets go on sale; featured a vignette promoting the Raw debut of Mike Knox; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE.com gets more monthly hits than NFL.com, UFC.com, Maxim.com, FHM.com, and NASCAR.com combined; featured Michael Cole conducting an in-ring interview with World Heavyweight Champion Batista regarding his title win and defending against Jericho the following week in a cage match; included an ad promoting the Undertaking taking part in a casket match the coming Friday on a Halloween edition of Smackdown!; featured a WWE 24/7 Classics on Demand segment focusing on the 8/9/80 event at Shea Stadium; included a backstage promo by John Bradshaw Layfield in which he said he and Jericho had a deal that if JBL helped Jericho retain the title then he would get the next title shot; JBL then said Michaels would pay for interfering with those plans; featured an ad promoting the following week’s 800th episode; included a video package promoting the Survivor Series return of John Cena focusing on Cena’s childhood and early years in wrestling, with comments from friends and members of Cena’s family; featured a promo on the entrance stage by John Morrison & Mike Mizanin in which they commented on their insults directed at DX the previous week, said they would face DX the following week, and would examine the rise and fall of WWE World Champion Triple H & Michaels the next night on ECW as part of “The Dirt Sheet”:
CM Punk & Kofi Kingston defeated WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes (w/ Manu) to win the titles at 12:34 when Punk pinned Dibiase with the Go To Sleep after holding the ropes to avoid the Million $ Dream into the Russian legsweep (CM Punk: Best in the World, WWE Superstar Collection: Kofi Kingston)
WWE IC Champion Santino Marella (w/ WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix) fought Charlie Haas to a no contest when the champion attacked Haas, who dressed the part of Phoenix for the match, and knocked him to the floor before the match began; moments later, guest commentators Goldust and Roddy Piper circled the ring, with guest commentator the Honkytonk Man then sneaking up behind Marella and breaking a guitar over his head; prior to the bout, Marella compared his 11-week title run to that of Honky’s 64-week title run
Mickie James, Candice Michelle, & Kelly Kelly defeated Jillian Hall, Layla, & Katie Lea at 3:09 when Kelly pinned Katie with the K2 (the first time the Rocker Dropper was referred as the K2)
Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned Evan Bourne at 11:14 by rolling through on a victory roll by Bourne, moments after Bourne avoided the 619; during his entrance, footage was shown of Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Mysterio regarding his win the previous night at Cyber Sunday; moments later, Bourne appeared and said he had every intention of winning, with the two shaking hands; after the contest, Kane appeared and attacked Mysterio but was eventually double teamed by Mysterio and Bourne; moments later, Mark Henry appeared ringside, with Kane then hitting the chokeslam on Mysterio before Henry dropped Bourne with the powerslam
World Heavyweight Champion Batista & Shawn Michaels defeated Chris Jericho & John Bradshaw Layfield at 12:55 when Batista pinned JBL with the sit-down powerbomb; Michaels didn’t appear until the final minute of the match because he was attacked backstage before the match by JBL
Dark match after the show: World Heavyweight Champion Batista pinned Chris Jericho with a spinebuster in a steel cage match at 4:30
WWE @ San Diego, CA – Sports Arena – October 28, 2008 (matinee) (4,500)
Sho Funaki defeated Curt Hawkins
ECW – included an opening still image tribute to the passing of SD Jones; featured an opening backstage segment in which Teddy Long, dressed as Ron Burgandy, promoed the night’s card before finishing with “Stay classy, San Diego. I’m a moron;” Long then questioned who put the final line in the teleprompter, with Hornswoggle then appearing; included an ad promoting the following week’s 800th episode of Raw; included a video package promoting the Survivor Series return of John Cena focusing on Cena’s childhood and early years in wrestling, with comments from friends and members of Cena’s family; featured footage from the previous week of Jack Swagger replying “Tommy who?” when asked about Tommy Dreamer; included Lena conducting a backstage interview with Dreamer regarding Dreamer’s match later in the show against Swagger in which Dreamer said today was his 19th anniversary in wrestling; featured an ad promoting WrestleMania 25 tickets going on sale Nov. 8; included the announcement that Mike Mizanin would be part of Friday night’s live Ghost Hunters episode on Sci-Fi; featured a closing in-ring segment of The Dirt Sheet with John Morrison & Mizanin in which they noted DX was formed in 1997, when they both were in high school, and then showed negative “political ads” focusing on both Shawn Michaels and WWE World Champion Triple H in which they made light of Michaels’ mullet and claimed Triple H used a sledgehammer because he felt inadequate; moments later, two men dressed as Michaels and Triple H came out, with Morrison telling them that he wasn’t into fart jokes; moments later, Morrison & Mizanin then laid out the two imposters before cutting a promo on facing DX Monday on Raw:
Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas), Chavo Guerrero, & Bam Neely defeated ECW World Champion Matt Hardy, Evan Bourne, & Finlay (w/ Hornsowggle) at 11:21 when Guerrero pinned Hardy with the Twist of Fate after knocking him off the top, moments after Henry dropped Hardy with the powerslam; during the bout, Bourne sustained torn ligaments in his ankle
Jack Swagger pinned Tommy Dreamer at 9:25 with the gutwrench into the sit-down powerbomb
Smackdown! – featured an opening backstage promo by the Big Show in which he said the Undertaker had to use an illegal choke hold to beat him at Cyber Sunday and he would bury Taker if given the chance; the camera then panned to Chavo Guerrero Jr. and Vickie Guerrero, in a neckbrace and wheelchair, in which Vickie said Taker’s casket match later in the show would be his last and then said Chavo would be his opponent; Jim Ross dressed as a sailor and Tazz as an Army man for the show; included an ad promoting Monday’s 800th episode of Raw; featured a clock counting down until WrestleMania 25 tickets go on sale; included a backstage segment with Maria, Jesse & Festus and MyNetworkTV’s Masked Magician in which the Magician put Maria in a box and then spun her head around; moments later, he opened up the box to reveal her body was twisted, with Jesse then telling him to put her back right or Festus would beat him up; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read Smackdown! broke the record for the most watched show in MyNetworkTV history for the third time that month; included a backstage segment with the Great Khali, Runjin Singh, and Sho Funaki in which Funaki asked Khali for help in the art of seduction, with Singh then telling Funaki that Khali said size matters; featured an in-ring segment with Khali and Singh in which they had a female fan in the crowd, dressed as a witch, come in the ring to kiss Khali; after the woman said her name was Beatrix, Khali kissed her on the lips, with the woman then asking for a French kiss; Singh then said she would have to take off her mask – noting her warts – with the woman then saying it wasn’t a mask; after cheering from the fans, Khali then kissed her again, with the woman falling onto her back; included a vignette promoting the debut of Kizarny; featured an in-ring promo by Vladimir Kozlov in which he challenged WWE World Champion Triple H to a title shot; during the segment, Hurricane Helms appeared in an insert and mocked Kozlov as he spoke; moments later, Triple H appeared and mentioned “Rocky 4” and how the American beat up the big Russian guy; Triple H then said Kozlov would have to go through Vickie for a title shot but the two could fight then and there; Kozlov then left ringside; included a video package promoting the Survivor Series return of John Cena focusing on Cena’s childhood and early years in wrestling, with comments from friends and members of Cena’s family; featured the announcement R Truth would face WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin the following week:
John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon in a non-title match at 11:04 when Mizanin pinned Carlito with the Reality Check after Morrison tripped Carlito as he attempted a springboard
Jimmy Wang Yang defeated The Brian Kendrick (w/ Ezikial Jackson) via disqualification at 2:47 when Jackson pulled Kendrick out of the ring as Yang had him covered with the moonsault; Yang came out as John Wayne for the match; after the contest, Jackson caught Yang attempting a crossbody to the floor, dropped him across the apron and hit a uranage in the ring; Kendrick followed by hitting The Kendrick moments later
Rey Mysterio Jr., ECW World Champion Matt Hardy, & Jeff Hardy defeated Kane, Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas), & MVP at 11:06 when Jeff pinned MVP with the Swanton after Matt hit MVP with the Twist of Fate; during MVP’s entrance, Hurricane Helms cut an insert promo in which he said MVP should try winning for a change
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool, Maria, & Brie Bella defeated Maryse, Natalya Neidhart, & Victoria at 4:00 when Maria pinned Victoria with a crossbody off the top after Maria tagged Michelle without Michelle realizing it; during the bout, Hurricane Helms cut an insert promo on the divas; Michelle dressed as an Army soldier, Maria as a bunny, Brie as Cleopatra, Maryse as a French maid, Natalya as a cop, and Victoria as a banana for the match
The Undertaker defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. in a casket match at 7:02 after fighting off an interfering Big Show and hitting the tombstone on Guerrero; prior to the bout, several druids brought the casket ringside; Show appeared ringside following Taker’s entrance and interfered late in the match; late in the bout, Show stood in the aisle after falling to the floor and opted not to make the save for Guerrero; after the contest, Vickie Guerrero was shown backstage telling Vladimir Kozlov he could have WWE World Champion Triple H at Survivor Series if he could beat the Undertaker the following week
Dark match after the taping: Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Kane
– 10/29/08: Vince McMahon was inducted into the CableFax Hall of Fame during a ceremony held in Washington DC.
WWE @ Tampa, FL – St. Pete Times Forum – November 3, 2008 (12,000)
Mike Knox pinned D-Lo Brown
Raw – 3-hour episode celebrating 800 episodes, though it was the 806th episode – featured an opening in-ring promo by Randy Orton regarding his statement that if Shane and Stephanie McMahon don’t fire Mike Adamle then he would quit; Orton then took a seat in front of the commentary table where he remained for the first two matches; included a segment highlighting the debut episode of Raw; featured highlights of the Razor Ramon vs. 1-2-3 Kid match from May 17, 1993; included backstage footage of Shane and Stephanie McMahon arriving to the arena, with Stephanie telling Shane he could handle the situation himself; featured an ad promoting WrestleMania 25 tickets going on sale Saturday; included a segment focusing on Vince McMahon announcing his purchase of WCW on March 26, 2001, during which Shane interrupted from WCW Monday Nitro in Panama City, FL to announce he bought WCW out from under his father; featured an in-ring segment in which Shane came out to talk to Orton about Adamle, with Adamle then appearing and saying while every GM before him had an agenda, he aimed to remain neutral; Adamle said the job corrupts and he didn’t want that to happen to him; Adamle then resigned as GM and left ringside; Orton then demanded an apology from Adamle but Shane said Adamle deserves an apology; Shane said he had spoke with Orton’s doctors and they say Orton has been cleared to wrestle for weeks; Shane then said Survivor Series was weeks away but if Orton was ready to go, then he could wrestle later in the show against CM Punk; included highlights of pre-recorded comments from Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain which aired on the April 21, 2008 episode; featured a clock counting down until WrestleMania 25 tickets go on sale; included footage of Batista beating World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho to win the title at Cyber Sunday; featured Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Batista regarding his title win and defending it later in the night against Jericho in a steel cage match; included footage of DX trying to invade WCW Monday Nitro in Norfolk, VA; featured a Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 scenario of WWE World Champion Triple H & Shawn Michaels vs. John Morrison & Mike Mizanin; included a backstage segment with Shane and John Bradshaw Layfield in which JBL campaigned to be Raw’s new GM; Shane then said he had plans to have JBL face the Undertaker later in the show; featured footage of Mike Tyson appearing during the Jan. 19, 1998 Raw, which was later interrupted by Steve Austin; included footage from the Feb. 18, 2002 episode in which the Rock challenged Hulk Hogan to a match at WrestleMania; featured footage of the weigh-in for the Big Show vs. Floyd Mayweather WrestleMania match, from the March 10, 2008 Raw; included a backstage segment with Stephanie and Adamle in which Adamle said the reason he was leaving was because Stephanie was too controlling, with Stephanie saying that running Raw was her birth right; moments later, Shane came in and said he had a major announcement later in the show for Survivor Series (Adamle’s last appearance); featured footage from the July 1, 2002 ladder match between Jeff Hardy and the Undertaker; included a backstage segment with Jericho and Shane in which Jericho tried to figure out what the big surprise was, with Shane announcing John Cena would face the winner at Survivor Series; featured footage of Steve Austin giving a beer bath to the Rock and Vince McMahon during the April 19, 1999 Raw; included an in-ring segment in which Sho Funaki, Hornswoggle, and the Boogeyman danced, with Jesse & Festus, Goldust, Sgt. Slaughter, Dusty Rhodes, Lilian Garcia, Jim Duggan, Michael Cole, and Teddy Long then joining in; moments later, Ron Simmons appeared at the entrance way and said “Damn;” featured footage from the March 31, 2008 Raw in which Ric Flair’s career was celebrated; included footage from the June 20, 2008 Raw of Kane interrupting Edge & Lita’s wedding; several of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were shown in attendance; featured a video package hyping Cena’s Survivor Series return, with comments from Edge, the Big Show, Batista, John Bradshaw Layfield, Triple H, Chris Jericho, Rey Mysterio Jr., Vince McMahon, and Cena’s friends regarding his WWE run and move from Smackdown! to Raw; included a backstage segment with Shane and Stephanie in which they said Vince would be very proud of them if he was there to see them at work; featured footage from the 2007 Tribute to the Troops:
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy & Jeff Hardy defeated The Brian Kendrick (w/ Ezikial Jackson) & MVP at 4:19 when Matt pinned MVP following the Swanton / Twist of Fate combo behind the referee’s back as the referee sent Kendrick out of the ring, not realizing MVP had tagged out moments earlier; prior to the bout, footage was shown of episode #764 in which Jeff came off the entrance way scaffolding onto Randy Orton
William Regal won an 8-man battle royal by last eliminating Ted Dibiase Jr. at 3:28; order of elimination: Snitsky by Manu, Dibiase & Cody Rhodes (1:41); Manu & Rhodes by Dibiase (1:43); Jamie Noble by William Regal via knocking him off the apron (2:03); following the elimination, Regal and Noble briefly fought on the floor; JTG by Dibiase via a backdrop (2:46); Shad Gaspard by Dibiase via a dropkick after Gaspard crotched himself on the top rope (3:23); Dibiase by Regal from behind after Dibiase thought he had won the match; stipulations stated the winner would receive a WWE IC Title match the following week; WWE IC Champion Santino Marella, with WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix, provided commentary for the match
Vladimir Kozlov pinned Charlie Haas with the headbutt to the sternum at the 25-second mark; Haas played the role of Bret Hart for the match and cut an in-ring promo before the bout claiming the fans didn’t screw Kozlov at Cyber Sunday but that Kozlov screwed Kozlov
WWE World Champion Triple H & Shawn Michaels defeated John Morrison & Mike Mizanin at around the 8-minute mark when Triple H pinned Mizanin with the Pedigree after Michaels hit the superkick; prior to the bout, Michaels interrupted Triple H’s in-ring introduction and then showed footage of Morrison & Mizanin mocking them the previous week on ECW; Triple H then made fun of the fact they had two guys dress up as them; after the two noted Triple H’s big nose, Michaels’ losing his hair, and his chaps, Triple H put a high school photo of Mizanin on the big screen and a photo of Morrison; after Triple H and Michaels said they were ready, Triple H asked Mizanin, with a video clip from No Mercy 06 then airing in which Mizanin got a lap dance from Big Dick Johnson; Triple H then said Morrison & Mizanin had a dream to enjoy the same rights and priviledges as every other couple in the US (the bout began during the commercial break) (John Morrison: Rock Star)
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix, Jillian Hall, Lena, Katie Lea, Layla, Victoria, Natayla Neidhart, & Maryse defeated Mickie James, Candice Michelle, Michelle, Eve, Brie Bella, Tiffany, Kelly Kelly, & Mae Young at 1:38 when Beth pinned Mae with a roll up; after the bout, WWE IC Champion Santino Marella came out to congratulate Beth; after the contest, Mae’s teammates tended to her in the ring until she got up to her feet
WWE Raw Tag Team Champion CM Punk defeated Randy Orton via disqualification at 2:51 when Ted Dibiase Jr. ran in the ring and began punching Punk as Orton was setting Punk up for the RKO; prior to the bout, footage was shown of Orton kicking Punk in the head backstage at Unforgiven; after the bout, Cody Rhodes & Manu also appeared ringside, just as Orton kicked Dibiase in the head, knocking him out; Orton then left ringside as Rhodes, Manu, and referees tended to Dibiase; during the commercial break, Dibiase was taken backstage on a stretcher; after the break, Rhodes and Manu confronted Orton backstage, with Orton saying he was trying to kick some sense into Dibiase and then dared either of them to do something about it if they didn’t like it; when neither did anything, Orton said they were smart and then walked away
The Undertaker defeated John Bradshaw Layfield via count-out at 2:54 when JBL opted not to get back in the ring after being knocked to the floor; Jim Ross & Tazz provided commentary for the match; after the contest, Shawn Michaels came out and threw JBL back into the ring, with Taker then dropping JBL with the tombstone
Kane & Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas) defeated Rey Mysterio Jr. & WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston (sub. for an injured Evan Bourne) at 2:15 when Henry pinned Kingston with the powerslam after Kane kicked Mysterio in the face; prior to the bout, footage from ECW was shown in which Bourne sustained torn ligaments in his ankle; after the bout, Kane threw Mysterio to the floor, with the Great Khali & Runjin Singh then appearing and Khali making the save; moments later, Mysterio hit the 619 on Henry with Khali following with a chop to the head
Chris Jericho defeated World Heavyweight Champion Batista to win the title in a steel cage match at 15:32 by escaping over the top, moments after hitting the champion repeatedly in the head with a piece of the cage (The Greatest Cage Matches of All Time)
WWE @ Orlando, FL – Amway Arena – November 4, 2008 (5,000)
Kizarny defeated Ryan Braddock
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Primo Colon pinned Low Ki with a missile dropkick
ECW – featured a vignette promoting the ECW return of the Boogeyman; included a clock counting down until WrestleMania 25 tickets go on sale; featured Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 footage of WWE World Champion Triple H & Shawn Michaels wrestling John Morrison & Mike Mizanin; included footage of Evan Bourne sustaining an ankle injury the previous week and would be out at least four months; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s episode gained more viewers than college football on ESPN2 by 150%; included an in-ring promo by Jack Swagger in which he said while Tommy Dreamer had been in ECW since the beginning but hadn’t accomplished very much, brought up the Sandman’s caning of Dreamer, and then trashed a replica of the old ECW World Title, which Dreamer held about 30 minutes; Swagger then took out a photo of Beaulah McGillicutty and brought up the fact she was Dreamer’s wife and the mother of his children; Swagger then spoke to Beulah by saying she married a failure but she could still find a role model in Swagger; Dreamer then ran out and knocked Swagger to the floor with a cane shot; featured an ad promoting WrestleMania 25 tickets going on sale Saturday:
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy pinned Bam Neely in a non-title match at 5:16 with the Twist of Fate; after the bout, Finlay, with Hornswoggle, appeared and challenged Hardy to a title match; moments later, Mark Henry, with Tony Atlas, interrupted at the entrance stage and said the title shot should be his; Finlay and Hardy then made fun of the fact Henry only got four votes at Cyber Sunday; as Henry and Finlay almost came to blows, Teddy Long appeared and said Hardy would defend the title the following week against the winner of a Finlay vs. Henry match which would take place later in the night
Ricky Ortiz pinned Jon Davis with the Big O at 1:20
Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) pinned Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas) at 14:55 after hitting him with the shillelagh as the referee was busy trying to get Hornswoggle out of the way after Henry failed a splash to both Finlay and Hornswoggle; stipulations stated the winner would receive an ECW World Title shot the following week
Smackdown! – 11/7/08 – featured an opening in-ring segment of the VIP Lounge in which MVP responded to his recent losing streak and comments made by Hurricane Helms, with Helms then appearing in an insert and mocking MVP; moments later, MVP said there was a clause in his contract stating if he won a certain number of matches within a certain timeframe then he would get an incentive package; the Great Khali, alongside Runjin Singh, then appeared with Singh saying it was now time for the Kiss Cam and that MVP was boring; Singh offered MVP a chance to stick around but he stormed out of the ring but remained ringside for the duration of the segment; moments later, Singh found a large black woman, Cassandra, and a large white woman, Susan, in the crowd and brought them into the ring to kiss Khali; after kissing them both, Singh suggested Khali kiss both of them at the same time, with Khali then kissing them seperately but going back and forth; moments later, MVP jumped Khali from behind and quickly left the ring; Vickie Guerrero and the Big Show were then shown watching on backstage, with Guerrero suggesting Show couldn’t get the job done against the Undertaker and Show storming out; moments later, MVP walked in and complained about Khali’s behavior, with Vickie saying the Kiss Cam was one of the highest rated segments of the show and reminded MVP he had to win a match before Survivor Series or he would have to pay back his signing bonus; after MVP said he wanted a match later in the show to get back to his winning ways, Vickie made a match between he and Khali; included a backstage segment with Jimmy Wang Yang, The Brian Kendrick, and Ezekiel Jackson in which Kendrick quoted Ezekiel 25:17; featured a vignette of Vladimir Kozlov; included a backstage segment with Eve and WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool in which Eve asked McCool how she should go about training for wrestling, with McCool saying she would be defending against Maria the following week and implied she wasn’t very smart; moments later, Maria walked by with her and McCool hugging; featured a backstage segment with Jeff Hardy and Guerrero in which he asked for one more title shot against WWE World Champion Triple H, with Vickie saying he didn’t deserve it and that he was better off in a tag team; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE video games have sold more than 39 million copies this decade; featured clips from Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 showing Triple H & Hardy vs. John Morrison & Mike Mizanin, as a preview of their match later in the show; included Eve conducting a backstage interview with Kozlov regarding his match later in the show against Taker; featured an ad promoting WrestleMania 25 tickets going on sale the following day; included a promo at the entrance stage by Show regarding his feud with Taker and then challenged Taker to a casket match for Survivor Series; featured an ad for “Viva La Raza: The Legacy of Eddie Guerrero;” featured a video package hyping Cena’s Survivor Series return, with comments from Edge, Show, Batista, John Bradshaw Layfield, Triple H, World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho, Rey Mysterio Jr., Vince McMahon, and Cena’s friends regarding his WWE run and move from Smackdown! to Raw:
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin pinned R-Truth with Paydirt at 4:07 after the challenger landed ribs-first across the top rope; prior to the match, a clock was shown dating down the fact tickets for WrestleMania 25 would be on sale within 15 hours
Ezekiel Jackson (w/ The Brian Kendrick) pinned Jimmy Wang Yang with the uranage at 1:04; prior to the match, Hurricane Helms cut an insert promo making fun of Jackson; after the contest, Kendrick dropped Yang with The Kendrick
John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated WWE World Champion Triple H & Jeff Hardy via disqualification at 10:28 when Hardy assaulted both opponents with a steel chair; after the match, Hardy chased Morrison backstage with the chair, eventually throwing it at him, with Triple H then dropping Mizanin with the Pedigree; following the commercial break, Hardy confronted Vickie Guerrero backstage and asked whether his actions were extreme enough for her, then noting that if Vladimir Kozlov couldn’t get the #1 contender spot later in the show then he would; Guerrero responded by saying she already had a deal with Kozlov and that Hardy was out of luck
The Great Khali (w/ Runjin Singh) pinned MVP with the tree slam at 2:19
Brie Bella pinned Victoria (w/ Natalya Neidhart) with an inside cradle at 2:28; after the match, Brie slid under the ring with Victoria and Natalya then pulling out Brie and her twin sister; moments later, the Bellas fought off Victoria and Natalya and hit double facebusters in the ring; moments later, WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon were shown watching on backstage (surprise debut of Nikki Bella)
Vladimir Kozlov defeated the Undertaker via disqualification at 6:35 when Jeff Hardy ran out, assaulted Kozlov with a steel chair, and then did the same to Taker; stipulations stated Kozlov would earn a WWE World Title shot at Survivor Series if he won; immediately after the bout, Hardy went backstage; moments later, Taker dropped Kozlov with the chokeslam; Hardy then confronted Vickie backstage and said he would take out Taker the following week in an extreme rules match, with Vickie agreeing
– 11/5/08: Super Crazy was released.
WWE (Raw) @ Mannheim, Germany – SAP Arena – November 5, 2008 (5,000)
Charlie Haas pinned Snitsky with a roll up at 3:30; Haas portrayed Bret Hart for the match
Mike Knox defeated D-Lo Brown at 5:38
Mickie James & Candice Michelle defeated WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix & Layla at 10:00; Kelly Kelly was the guest referee for the match
Manu defeated Jamie Noble 7:32
Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Kane in a No DQ match at 11:32
WWE IC Champion Santino Marella defeated William Regal at 6:23
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions CM Punk & Kofi Kingston defeated Randy Orton & Cody Rhodes at 14:00 when Punk pinned Rhodes
World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho pinned Batista at 12:32 with the Code Breaker; after the bout, Batista hit Jericho with the sit-down powerbomb
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Nice, France – Nikaia Palace – November 6, 2008
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon defeated John Morrison & Mike Mizanin in a non-title match
The Great Khali defeated Ryan Braddock
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool & Maria defeated Natalya Neidhart & Maryse
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin defeated R Truth and The Brian Kendrick
Finlay defeated Jack Swagger
Ezikial Jackson defeated Sho Funaki
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy & Jeff Hardy defeated MVP & Mark Henry
WWE World Champion Triple H defeated Vladimir Kozlov
The Undertaker defeated the Big Show in a No DQ match
WWE (Raw) @ Milan, Italy – PalaSharp – November 6, 2008
WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston defeated Cody Rhodes
Mike Knox defeated D-Lo Brown
Charlie Haas defeated Snitsky; Haas played the role of Hulk Hogan for the match
Mickie James & Kelly Kelly defeated WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix & Layla; Candice Michelle was the guest referee for the match
Manu defeated Jamie Noble
Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Kane in a No DQ match
Tommy Dreamer defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr.
WWE IC Champion Santino Marella defeated William Regal
Batista defeated World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho via disqualification when Randy Orton interfered; after the bout, WWE Raw Tag Team Champion CM Punk made the save
Batista & WWE Raw Tag Team Champion CM Punk defeated World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho & Randy Orton in an impromptu match
WWE (Raw) @ Rome, Italy – PalaLottomatica – November 7, 2008 (6,500)
WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston defeated Cody Rhodes
Manu defeated D-Lo Brown
Charlie Haas defeated Snitsky; Haas played the role of Hulk Hogan for the match
Mike Knox defeated Jamie Noble
Mickie James & Candice Michelle defeated WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix & Layla; Kelly Kelly was the guest referee for the match
Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Kane in a No DQ match
Tommy Dreamer defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr.
WWE IC Champion Santino Marella defeated William Regal
Batista fought World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho to a no contest when both Randy Orton and WWE Raw Tag Team Champion CM Punk interfered
Batista & WWE Raw Tag Team Champion CM Punk defeated World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho & Randy Orton in an impromptu match
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Brussels, Belgium – Forest National – November 7, 2008 (sell out)
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon defeated John Morrison & Mike Mizanin
The Great Khali defeated Ryan Braddock
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool & Maria defeated Natalya Neidhart & Maryse
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin defeated R Truth and The Brian Kendrick
Finlay defeated Jack Swagger
Ezikial Jackson defeated Sho Funaki
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy & Jeff Hardy defeated MVP & Mark Henry
WWE World Champion Triple H defeated Vladimir Kozlov
The Undertaker defeated the Big Show in a No DQ match via submission with the leglock choke
– 11/7/08: Paul London and Chuck Palumbo were released.
WWE (Raw) @ Minehead, England – Skyline Pavilion – November 8, 2008 (sell out)
Cody Rhodes defeated William Regal
Manu defeated D-Lo Brown
Snitsky defeated Charlie Haas; Haas played the role of Bret Hart for the match
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix defeated Candice Michelle
Mike Knox defeated Jamie Noble
Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Kane in a No DQ match
Tommy Dreamer defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr.
WWE IC Champion Santino Marella defeated WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston
Batista fought World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho to a no contest when both Randy Orton and WWE Raw Tag Team Champion CM Punk interfered
Batista & WWE Raw Tag Team Champion CM Punk defeated World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho & Randy Orton in an impromptu match
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Luxembourg City, Luxembourg – D’Coque Sports & Cultural Centre – November 8, 2008
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon defeated John Morrison & Mike Mizanin
The Great Khali defeated Ryan Braddock
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool & Maria defeated Natalya Neidhart & Maryse
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin defeated R Truth and The Brian Kendrick
Finlay defeated Jack Swagger
Ezikial Jackson defeated Sho Funaki
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy & Jeff Hardy defeated MVP & Mark Henry
WWE World Champion Triple H defeated Vladimir Kozlov
The Undertaker defeated the Big Show in a No DQ match via submission with the leglock choke
WWE (Raw) @ Sheffield, England – Arena – November 9, 2008 (7,000; sell out)
Charlie Haas pinned Snitsky with a legdrop; Haas played the role of Hulk Hogan for the match
Mike Knox pinned D-Lo Brown with the spinning facebuster
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Mickie James with the Glam Slam
Manu pinned Jamie Noble
Tommy Dreamer pinned Chavo Guerrero Jr. by reversing the Three Amigos into the DDT
Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned Kane in a No DQ match with the 619 and springboard splash
William Regal pinned WWE IC Champion Santino Marella in a non-title match with the running knee to the head
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions CM Punk & Kofi Kingston defeated Randy Orton & Cody Rhodes when Punk pinned Rhodes following the Go to Sleep
World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho pinned Batista with the Code Breaker
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Cardiff, Wales – International Arena – November 9, 2008 (6,400; sell out)
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy & Jeff Hardy defeated MVP & Mark Henry after Jeff hit the Swanton
The Great Khali pinned Ryan Braddock following the tree slam
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin pinned R Truth with the Paydirt
Finlay pinned Jack Swagger
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool & Maria defeated Maryse & Natalya Neidhart
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon defeated John Morrison & Mike Mizanin when Primo scored the pin following a headbutt off the top
The Brian Kendrick pinned Sho Funaki following The Kendrick
WWE World Champion Triple H defeated Vladimir Kozlov via disqualification after the challenger brought a steel chair into the ring; after the bout, Triple H hit the Pedigree on Kozlov
The Undertaker defeated the Big Show via submission with the leglock choke in a No DQ match
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ London, England – 02 Arena – November 10, 2008 (16,000; sell out)
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Carlito defeated The Brian Kendrick
The Great Khali defeated Ryan Braddock
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool & Maria defeated Natalya Neidhart & Maryse
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin defeated R Truth and WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Primo Colon
Jeff Hardy defeated MVP
Ezikial Jackson defeated Sho Funaki
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy & Jeff Hardy defeated MVP & Mark Henry
WWE World Champion Triple H defeated Vladimir Kozlov
The Undertaker defeated the Big Show in a falls count anywhere match
– 11/10/08: Lena, Kenny Dykstra, and Elijah Burke were released.
WWE @ Manchester, England – Evening News Arena – November 10, 2008 (14,925; announced at 15,000; sell out)
Charlie Haas defeated Snitsky; Haas played the role of Roddy Piper for the match
Raw – featured an opening in-ring promo by Batista in which he said he would envoke his rematch clause against World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho for later in the show; moments later, Stephanie McMahon appeared on the big screen from Stamford, CT and said Batista couldn’t have a title shot because Jericho would be defending against John Cena at Survivor Series and there would not be a title match before then; Stephanie then announced that Kane would face Rey Mysterio Jr. in a No DQ match and Shawn Michaels would face Jericho in a last man standing match later in the show; Stephanie then thanked Batista for his understanding; moments later, Randy Orton appeared and said Batista would have to get in line for a title shot because he was getting the title shot after Cena; the two then argued over who was better when they were in Evolution before Batista challenged Orton to a match later in the show, with Orton accepting; Batista then threw the mic to Orton, with Orton catching it and then narrowly escaping the sit-down powerbomb; included a backstage promo by Kane regarding his upcoming match with Mysterio; featured the announcement over 40,000 tickets had sold during the opening weekend of WrestleMania 25 tickets going on sale, followed by footage of fans in Houston the previous Saturday buying tickets; included a backstage segment with Santino Marella and WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix in which Santino said he went off on Shane McMahon for having to defend his title and, as a result, Phoenix would have to defend her title against Mickie James later in the show; Phoenix then destroyed Santino’s phone and walked off; featured a video package hyping Cena’s return at Survivor Series and recapping his debut on Raw, with comments from WWE World Champion Triple H, Batista, John Bradshaw Layfield, Shawn Michaels, Maria, Jim Ross, Carl Edwards, Cena’s father, brothers, and friends; included a promo at the entrance stage by Jericho regarding his upcoming title defense against Cena and facing Michaels later in the show; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read Raw airs in 28 languages to 145 nations worldwide; included a backstage segment with Orton, Cody Rhodes, and Manu in which Rhodes said Ted Dibiase Jr. sustained a concussion the previous week; moments later, Orton claimed Dibiase was the weak link of their group and that neither were in his league; Rhodes then slapped Orton, with Manu then stepping in Orton’s way; featured a video package recapping the Jericho vs. Michaels feud dating back to Summer Slam; included the announcement WWE Raw Tag Team Champion CM Punk would face Orton the following week:
William Regal (w/ Layla) pinned WWE IC Champion Santino Marella (w/ WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix) at the 30-second mark with the running knee to the head; prior to the match, Santino debuted the Honk-A-Perfect Mountie Meter in which he compared his 13-week reign to the 123-week combined reigns of the Honkytonk Man, Mr. Perfect, and the Mountie; after the contest, Michael Cole conducted an in-ring interview with Regal regarding his title win in which he said he would wear the belt with the pride and dignitiy of an Englishman
Mike Knox pinned D-Lo Brown at the 51-second mark with the spinning facebuster
Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned Kane in a No DQ match at 12:12 by coming off the top moments after Kane hit his head on an unprotected turnbuckle
Batista pinned Cody Rhodes (w/ Manu) (sub. for Randy Orton) at 2:40 with the sit-down powerbomb; prior to the bout, Rhodes & Manu came out, with Rhodes saying Orton couldn’t beat him and Orton couldn’t beat Batista but he could beat Batista; after the contst, Batista dropped Manu with the spear and then starred at Orton until Orton went backstage
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix (w/ Santino Marella) pinned Mickie James at 1:56 after ramming the challenger into the ringpost after Mickie kicked Santino from the apron; after the match, Santino hoisted Beth on his shoulders to celebrate
World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho defeated Shawn Michaels in a non-title last man standing match at 18:33 when John Bradshaw Layfield, wearing a neckbrace, hit Michaels with a steel chair on the floor moments after Michaels dropped Jericho with the superkick
ECW – 11/11/08 – featured an opening video montage in honor of Veterans Day; included Todd Grisham conducting an interview from the broadcast table with ECW World Champion Matt Hardy, backstage, regarding his title defense against Finlay later in the show; featured footage from Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 of Hardy facing Finlay; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE superstars had visited 200 military installations, bases, hospitals, aircraft carriers, and submarines in the past 5 years; featured a video package hyping Cena’s return at Survivor Series and recapping his debut on Raw, with comments from WWE World Champion Triple H, Batista, John Bradshaw Layfield, Shawn Michaels, Maria, Jim Ross, Carl Edwards, Cena’s father, brothers, and friends; included an ad for “The Legacy of Eddie Guerrero;” featured an ad promoting WrestleMania 25 tickets being on sale:
Jack Swagger, John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Tommy Dreamer & Cryme Tyme at 10:11 when Morrison pinned Dreamer with the Moonlight Drive after avoiding the DDT
Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas) pinned Oliver Biney with the powerslam at 1:26; after the contest, Todd Grisham conducted an in-ring interview with Henry regarding who he thought would win the night’s main event, with Henry then staring him down before leaving the ring
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy pinned Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) with the Twist of Fate at 20:04; mid-way through the match, Hornswoggle was knocked off the apron and appeared to have injured his ankle but remained ringside; after the bout, the two shook hands and hugged
WWE (Raw) @ Birmingham, England – NEC – November 11, 2008
WWE IC Champion William Regal pinned Santino Marella with the running knee to the head
Snitsky pinned D-Lo Brown with a boot to the chest
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Candice Michelle with the Glam Slam; Mickie James was the guest referee for the bout
Kane pinned Charlie Haas; Haas played the role of Hulk Hogan for the match
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions CM Punk & Kofi Kingston defeated Cody Rhodes & Manu when Punk pinned Rhodes following the Go To Sleep
Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned Randy Orton following the 619 and West Coast Pop; Kelly Kelly was the guest ring announcer for the match
Shawn Michaels pinned John Bradshaw Layfield with the superkick
World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho pinned Batista with the Code Breaker; after the bout, Batista hit Jericho with the sit-down powerbomb
WWE @ Manchester, England – Evening News Arena – November 11, 2008 (14,700; announced at 14,599; sell out)
Chavo Guerrero Jr. pinned Ryan Braddock
Smackdown! – 11/14/08 – featured an opening segment in which a casket was left inside the ring as the Undertaker’s voice could be heard cutting a promo on facing the Big Show in a casket match at Survivor Series; moments later, Taker sat up out of the casket; Jeff Hardy, his face painted, then appeared on the big screen and said Taker should be more concerned in facing him in an extreme rules match later in the show; Taker responded by saying Hardy would rest in peace; included Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 footage of Hardy facing Taker in an extreme rules match; featured a vignette promoting the debut of Kizarny; included a video package hyping John Cena’s return at Survivor Series and recapping his debut on Raw, with comments from WWE World Champion Triple H, Batista, John Bradshaw Layfield, Shawn Michaels, Maria, Jim Ross, Carl Edwards, Cena’s father, brothers, and friends; featured an in-ring contract signing between Vladimir Kozlov and Triple H for their match at Survivor Series, overseen by Vickie Guerrero, with Chavo Guerrero Jr. at her side; prior to the contract signing, Vickie noted that should Hardy defeat the Undertaker later in the show then he might be added to the match; moments later, after both men signed the contract and traded words, Hardy appeared, sent Kozlov through the table used for the signing, and then tore up the contract in Triple H’s face; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s Smackdown! was the most watched program in MyNetworkTV’s history, breaking the record for the fourth time in five weeks:
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy pinned WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin in a non-title match at 14:08 with the Twist of Fate; prior to the bout, it was announced Batista, Hardy, R Truth, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions CM Punk & Kofi Kingston would face Randy Orton, Benjamin, Mark Henry, WWE IC Champion William Regal, & Cody Rhodes in an elimination match at Survivor Series; during Benjamin’s entrance, Hurricane Helms cut an insert promo stating Benjamin looked like the love child of Butch Reed and Gary Coleman
The Brian Kendrick (w/ Ezikial Jackson) pinned WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Carlito (w/ WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Primo Colon) at 5:50 with The Kendrick after Carlito became distracted by Jackson attacking Primo on the floor
Sho Funaki pinned MVP at 1:22 with a crane kick after MVP became distracted by the Great Khali and Runjin Singh at ringside; prior to the bout, it was announced Shawn Michaels, Cryme Tyme, Khali, & Rey Mysterio Jr. would face John Bradshaw Layfield, MVP, Kane, John Morrison & Mike Mizanin in an elimination match at Survivor Series; after the contest, Khali knocked MVP out with a chop to the head; moments later, Singh picked a woman from the crowd, named Tallulah, to kiss Khali as Khali dropped MVP with a second chop to the head; as the crowd cheered Khali on to kiss the woman, MVP staggered to his feet and was dropped with Khali’s tree slam; Khali then proposed that Tallulah kiss MVP instead, with MVP and Tallulah rolling around on the mat until MVP escaped the ring
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool defeated Maria via submission with the heel hook at 1:39; during McCool’s entrance, Hurricane Helms cut an insert promo on the divas; to begin the match, the two shook hands; after the bout, Festus, who came ringside early in the match with Jesse, chased Michelle out of the ring, then helped Maria to her feet and gave her a stuffed animal dog
Jeff Hardy pinned the Undertaker in an extreme rules match at 15:54 after hitting Taker with a steel chair and following with a legdrop off the top over a ladder set up in the ring; late in the bout, the Big Show came out and hit the chokeslam on Taker but was knocked to the floor moments later after Taker hit Show over the back with a chair as Hardy held onto Show; after the contest, Hardy confronted Vickie Guerrero, with Chavo Guerrero Jr., backstage with Vickie saying Hardy wasn’t in the Survivor Series main event yet but he would be if he beat WWE World Champion Triple H in a non-title match the following week, during which Vladimir Kozlov interrupted and said Triple H’s days as champion were coming to an end (Survivor Series 08, Jeff Hardy: My Life My Rules)
Smackdown! – 11/21/08 – featured a video package hyping John Cena’s hometown return at the Survivor Series, set to Ryan Star’s “This Could Be The Year,” with comments from Cena’s family, friends, Carl Edwards, Rey Mysterio Jr., WWE World Champion Triple H, and Marc Ecko; included Eve conducting a backstage interview with WWE World Champion Triple H regarding his non-title match later in the night against Jeff Hardy; featured a backstage segment with Maria and Festus, with John Morrison & Mike Mizanin interrupting and talking about their match later in the show against Jesse & Festus and Morrison alleged new photos of Maria on WWE.com had been Photoshoped; included an ad for “Viva La Raza: The Legacy of Eddie Guerrero;” featured a video package of the European Smackdown! & ECW tour; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE.com receives more monthly page views than CBS.com, ABC.com, FOX.com, and NBC.com; featured a backstage segment in which The Brian Kendrick and Ezikial Jackson stared down a stagehand after he told them they were going the wrong way; included a vignette promoting the debut of Kizarny; featured a video package hyping the Undertaker vs. Big Show casket match at Survivor Series; included a backstage segment in which Hardy cut a promo on facing Vladimir Kozlov and Triple H at Survivor Series; featured a closing in-ring segment with Taker in which he, beside a casket, cut a promo on facing Show; moments later, Show appeared at ringside with Vickie Guerrero, Chavo Guerrero Jr. pushing her wheelchair; Show then claimed he would knock Taker out at Survivor Series, with the lights then flickering; when they came back on, Vickie was in the ring and stuffed in the casket by Taker; Chavo then yelled at Show to save Vickie, with Show then throwing Chavo into the ring which distracted Taker long enough for Show to pull Vickie from the ring; Taker then dropped Chavo with the tombstone and stuffed him inside the casket as Show and Vickie watched from ringside:
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy & R Truth defeated WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin & Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas) at 12:31 when Truth pinned Benjamin with the scissors kick
John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jesse & Festus at 2:46 when Mizanin pinned Festus with the Reality Check moments after Morrison rang the bell to turn Festus into his comatose state; after the bout, Morrison dropped Jesse with the Moonlight Drive; moments later, Morrison took the timekeeper’s bell up the entranceway and rang it, with Festus then chasing them backstage
Jeff Hardy pinned WWE World Champion Triple H in a non-title match at 15:41 with a roll up after blocking a suplex into the ring; late in the bout, Vladimir Kozlov appeared but was knocked down following a Hardy splash to the floor; after the contest, Triple H and Hardy shook hands before Kozlov attacked and laid out both men (Triple H: Thy Kingdom Come)
The Brian Kendrick & Ezikial Jackson defeated WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon in a non-title match at 3:47 when Jackson pinned Primo with the uranage; prior to the bout, Gregory Helms cut an insert promo on Kendrick’s dancing
James Mason pinned MVP with a roll up at 1:15 after MVP became distracted by the Great Khali, with Runjin Singh, who appeared ringside late in the bout; stipulations stated MVP would have to win to earn his incentive package or be forced to pay back his signing bonus; after the match, Khali knocked MVP out with a chop to the head; moments later, Gregory Helms cut an insert promo on MVP
Brie & Nikki Bella defeated Natalya Neidhart & Victoria at 3:45 when Victoria was pinned with a crucifix after the Bellas switched places in the ring behind the referee’s back after the legal Bella sustained the Widow’s Peak; prior to the bout, footage was shown from two weeks before of Victoria & Natalya Neidhart pulling both twins out from under the ring, revealing there were two Bellas
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Nottingham, England – Trent FM Arena – November 12, 2008
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon defeated John Morrison & Mike Mizanin
The Great Khali defeated MVP
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool & Maria defeated Natalya Neidhart & Maryse
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin defeated R Truth and Chavo Guerrero Jr.
Finlay defeated Ryan Braddock
Jeff Hardy defeated Vladimir Kozlov
The Brian Kendrick defeated Sho Funaki
WWE World Champion Triple H defeated the Big Show
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy defeated Mark Henry
WWE (Raw) @ Newcastle, England – Metro Radio Arena – November 12, 2008
WWE IC Champion William Regal pinned Santino Marella with the running knee to the head
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Candice Michelle with the Glam Slam; Mickie James was the guest referee for the bout
Charlie Haas pinned D-Lo Brown with a roll up; Haas played the role of Hulk Hogan for the match
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions CM Punk & Kofi Kingston defeated Cody Rhodes & Manu when Punk pinned Rhodes following the Go To Sleep
Kane pinned Snitsky; Kelly Kelly was the guest ring announcer for the match; Kane played the face in the bout
Shawn Michaels pinned John Bradshaw Layfield with the superkick
Batista & Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho & Randy Orton when Batista pinned Orton with the sit-down powerbomb
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Zurich, Switzerland – Indoor Stadium – November 13, 2008
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon defeated John Morrison & Mike Mizanin
The Great Khali defeated MVP
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool & Maria defeated Natalya Neidhart & Maryse
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin defeated R Truth and Chavo Guerrero Jr.
Finlay defeated Ryan Braddock
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy defeated Mark Henry
Jeff Hardy defeated Vladimir Kozlov via disqualification
WWE World Champion Triple H defeated the Big Show
WWE (Raw) @ Belfast, Northern Ireland – Odyssey Arena – November 13, 2008
Charlie Haas pinned Snitsky with a roll up; Haas played the role of Steve Austin for the match
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix defeated Candice Michelle; Kelly Kelly was the guest referee and Mickie James was the guest time keeper
Kane pinned D-Lo Brown with the chokeslam
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions CM Punk & Kofi Kingston defeated Cody Rhodes & Manu
WWE IC Champion William Regal defeated Santino Marella
Shawn Michaels defeated John Bradshaw Layfield
Batista & Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho & Randy Orton
WWE (Raw) @ Glasgow, England – Braehead Arena – November 14, 2008 (sell out)
Charlie Haas pinned Snitsky with a roll up; Haas played the role of Roddy Piper for the match
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Candice Michelle with the Glam Slam; Kelly Kelly was the guest referee for the bout and Mickie James was the guest timekeeper
Kane pinned D-Lo Brown with the chokeslam
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions CM Punk & Kofi Kingston defeated Cody Rhodes & Manu when Punk pinned Rhodes with the Go To Sleep
WWE IC Champion William Regal pinned Santino Marella with the running knee to the head
Shawn Michaels pinned John Bradshaw Layfield with the superkick
Batista & Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho & Randy Orton when Batista pinned Orton with the sit-down powerbomb
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Nurnberg, Germany – Versicherung Arena – November 14, 2008
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon defeated John Morrison & Mike Mizanin
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool defeated Natalya Neidhart (w/ Maryse); Maria was the guest referee for the bout
The Great Khali defeated Ryan Braddock
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin defeated R Truth
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy & Finlay defeated Mark Henry & Chavo Guerrero Jr.
The Brian Kendrick defeated Sho Funaki
Jeff Hardy defeated Vladimir Kozlov via disqualification when Kozlov hit Hardy with a steel chair
WWE World Champion Triple H defeated the Big Show
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Berlin, Germany – 02 Arena – November 15, 2008
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon defeated John Morrison & Mike Mizanin following Carlito’s Back Stabber
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool pinned Maryse with a roll up; Maria was the guest referee for the match
The Great Khali pinned Ryan Braddock with the tree slam
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin pinned R Truth with a roll up
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy & Finlay defeated Mark Henry & Chavo Guerrero Jr. when Hardy pinned Guerrero with the Twist of Fate
The Brian Kendrick pinned Sho Funaki with The Kendrick
Jeff Hardy defeated Vladimir Kozlov via disqualification after Kozlov hit Hardy with a steel chair
WWE World Champion Triple H pinned the Big Show with the Pedigree
WWE (Raw) @ Aberdeen, Scotland – Exhibition & Conference Centre – November 15, 2008 (sell out)
Charlie Haas pinned Snitsky with a roll up; Haas played the role of Roddy Piper for the match
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Mickie James with the Glam Slam; Kelly Kelly was the guest timekeeper and Mickie James was the guest referee for the match
Jamie Knoble defeated D-Lo Brown via submission
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions CM Punk & Kofi Kingston defeated Manu & Cody Rhodes after Kingston hit the spin kick
Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned Kane in a No DQ match following the 619
WWE IC Champion William Regal defeated Santino Marella
Shawn Michaels pinned Randy Orton with the superkick
World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho defeated Batista and John Bradshaw Layfield
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Dortmund, Germany – Westfalen-Halle – November 16, 2008
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Carlito pinned The Brian Kendrick with the Back Stabber
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin pinned R Truth with the Paydirt
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool & Maria defeated Natalya Neidhart & Maryse when McCool pinned Natalya with the Wings of Love
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Primo Colon pinned Ryan Braddock with a crossbody off the top
The Great Khali pinned Chavo Guerrero Jr. with the tree slam
Ezikial Jackson pinned Sho Funaki with the uranage
Jeff Hardy defeated Vladimir Kozlov via disqualification when Kozlov hit Hardy with a chair
WWE World Champion Triple H pinned the Big Show with the Pedigree
WWE @ Atlanta, GA – Philips Arena – November 17, 2008
Raw – featured an opening segment in which all the Raw talent stood in the ring as Stephanie McMahon, at the entrance stage, hosted an open forum to field questions from the talent; Randy Orton first questioned why John Cena, insted of him, was getting the WWE World Title shot at Survivor Series; Stephanie then said Cena was a top contender before his injury and a multiple former champion; Cody Rhodes then questioned why Rhodes was the captain of his team at Survivor Series after Orton gave Ted Dibiase Jr. a concussion; Stephanie then said the Orton vs. WWE Raw Tag Team Champion CM Punk match later in the show would be a 30-man lumberjack match; Santino Marella, with WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix, then noted Acon was in attendance and rapped a challenge for a rematch against WWE IC Champion William Regal; Stephanie then noted Santino had two rematches overseas and lost them both so he would not get another title shot; John Bradshaw Layfield then questioned where Vince McMahon was because he needed advice about Shawn Michaels, with Stephanie then saying Vince was out of the picture; Michaels then said he wanted payback for being hit with a chair the previous week, with Stephanie then telling Shawn to have patience; Michaels responded by leaping onto JBL, with Michaels knocking JBL to the floor and putting on his cowboy hat as the rest of the roster left the ring; included a “Did you know” graphic which read the previous week’s Raw was the most wanted program on cable TV for the fourth week in a row, beating out shows on MTV, TBS, TNT, VH1, and NBC; featured Stephanie introducing Chief Jay Strongbow to the crowd; included a backstage segment with Orton and Rhodes in which Orton said if Rhodes kept up his actions then he could ask Stephanie to be kicked off his Survivor Series team; Orton then said Rhodes should watch his match against Punk later in the show to see how it should be done; Rhodes then said talking was what Orton does best and then walked off; featured a highlight package on Evan Bourne which recapped his ankle injury sustained weeks earlier; moments later, Todd Grisham conducted an interview with Borne at the entrance stage in which Bourne, on crutches, said he was looking forward to returning to the ring; moments later, Mike Knox appeared, stared Bourne down, and then returned backstage; included a backstage segment with Michaels and Rey Mysterio Jr. in which Michaels said it was the first time he would walk down the hall and to the ring with Mysterio as his partner; moments later, the two bumped into Dolph Ziggler (Ziggler’s return from suspension); featured a video package hyping John Cena’s hometown return at the Survivor Series, set to Ryan Star’s “This Could Be The Year,” with comments from Cena’s family, friends, Carl Edwards, Rey Mysterio Jr., WWE World Champion Triple H, and Marc Ecko; moments later, Stephanie and World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho were shown watching the video, with Jericho saying Cena is a bad influence and that she and the roster secretly hopes he keeps the title; included Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Punk regarding his match later in the show against Orton; featured a backstage segment with JBL and Kane in which Kane said he didn’t take orders from anyone; included a “Did you know” graphic which read Smackdown! has been the most watched show in MyNetworkTV’s history the past 5 of 7 weeks; featured a backstage segment in which WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston spoke with Bourne, only for Knox to jump Kingston from behind, assault him, and then hit Bourne’s injured ankle with his own crutch; included an ad for “Viva La Raza: The Legacy of Eddie Guerrero;” featured footage and still photos from the recent Raw European tour; included an in-ring promo by Jericho in which he showed footage of himself beating the Rock and Steve Austin at Vengeance 2001, winning the Championship Scramble at Unforgiven, beating Punk in a steel cage match, beating Michaels in a ladder match at No Mercy, and regaining the title from Batista in a cage match two weeks before; Jericho then said Cena was being treated as a savior but Jericho had overcome every challenge and still walked out with the title; Jericho then said he was the centerpiece of Raw, not Cena, and that he would save Raw by ending Cena at Survivor Series; featured the announcement that ECW World Champion Matt Hardy, Finlay, & Kingston would face Regal, Mark Henry, & Rhodes the following night on ECW:
Kelly Kelly pinned Victoria with a reversal into a roll up at 1:27; prior to the bout, it was announced WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix, Mickie James, Kelly, Candice Michelle, & Jillian Hall (Raw) would face WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool, Maryse, Natalya Neidhart, Maria, & Victoria (Smackdown!) in an elimination match at Survivor Series; after the contest, Victoria attacked Kelly from behind and dropped her with the Widow’s Peak; moments later, Jillian, Candice, & Mickie ran out to make the save; as Victoria attempted to leave ringside, Phoenix threw her back in the ring where she was double teamed before Phoenix dropped her with the Glam Slam
Batista pinned Manu (w/ Cody Rhodes) at 4:09 with the spear and sit-down powerbomb; during Manu’s entrance, a highlight clip was shown of the Wild Samoans; early in the match, Randy Orton appeared at the entranceway to watch the bout; after the match, Rhodes acted like he was going to get in the ring with Batista but opted out and helped Manu past Orton, who gave a disapproving look; moments later, Batista grabbed the mic and said Orton had badmouthed he and Evolution for the past three years and would finally get to whip his ass at Survivor Series
John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Shawn Michaels & Rey Mysterio Jr. at 11:26 when Mizanin pinned Michaels after Morrison hit Michaels with a superkick behind the referee’s back immediately after Michaels hit Mizanin with the superkick (Allied Powers)
John Bradshaw Layfield & Kane defeated Cryme Tyme at 2:55 when JBL pinned JTG with the Clothesline from Hell following tagging himself in after Kane hit a clothesline off the top; prior to the bout, footage was shown from the commercial break in which Cryme Tyme met with Acon at ringside
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy fought WWE IC Champion William Regal to a double count-out in a non-title match at 1:11 when both men began fighting on the floor; prior to the bout, Regal cut an in-ring promo noting the American crowd was disrespectful; after the contest, the two men had to be held apart by referees
Randy Orton pinned WWE Raw Tag Team Champion CM Punk in a lumberjack match at 9:23 with the RKO after WWE IC Champion William Regal, who served as a lumberjack for the bout, distracted Punk from the floor; other lumberjacks for the match included: Kane, John Morrison, Mike Mizanin, Finlay, Jamie Noble, Santino Marella, Paul Burchill, Manu, Batista, Deuce, Dolph Ziggler, Tony Atlas, Jack Swagger, Jim Duggan, Cryme Tyme, ECW World Champion Matt Hardy, Finlay, Rey Mysterio Jr., Ricky Ortiz, Cody Rhodes, D-Lo Bown, Mike Knox, Tommy Dreamer, Charlie Haas, Shawn Michaels, John Bradshaw Layfield, and Snitsky; after the bout, Batista dropped Orton with a spear as Orton attempted the kick to the head on Punk, with JBL, Michaels, Kane, Mysterio, and others then becoming involved; the show then ended as all the lumberjacks brawled in and out of the ring; WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston was scheduled to be a lumberjack but did not appear due to the backstage attack he sustained earlier in the show from Knox; that fact was not alluded to by the commentary team
ECW – 11/18/08 – featured an opening in-ring promo by John Morrison & Mike Mizanin in which they discussed their three tag team partners at the Survivor Series – John Bradshaw Layfield, Kane, & MVP – before insulting their opponents the Great Khali, Rey Mysterio Jr., Cryme Tyme, & Shawn Michaels and saying they planned to use Michaels as a stepping stone; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE.com receives more monthly visits than NFL.com, UFC.com, Maxim.com, FHM.com, and NASCAR.com combined; featured a video package hyping John Cena’s hometown return at the Survivor Series, set to Ryan Star’s “This Could Be The Year,” with comments from Cena’s family, friends, Carl Edwards, Rey Mysterio Jr., WWE World Champion Triple H, and Marc Ecko; included a vignette promoting the ECW return of the Boogeyman; featured an ad promoting “Viva La Raza: The Legacy of Eddie Guerrero;” included a backstage segment with Ricky Ortiz and Tiffany in which Jack Swagger interrupted while looking for Teddy Long; as Ortiz and Swagger had words, Long walked with Swagger saying he wanted a rematch against Dreamer the following week; Long then said it would be an extreme rules match; featured an in-ring segment in which Matt Striker, using a chalkboard, analyzed the upcoming Survivor Series match pitting Batista, ECW World Champion Matt Hardy, R Truth, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions CM Punk & Kofi Kingston against Randy Orton, Mark Henry, WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin, Cody Rhodes, & WWE IC Champion William Regal:
DJ Gabriel (w/ Alicia Fox) pinned Sal Rinauro at 1:42 following a European uppercut from the middle turnbuckle (Gabriel’s debut)
Jack Swagger defeated Tommy Dreamer in an amateur challenge via disqualification at 3:44 when Dreamer kicked Swagger instead of mounting him; the match was scored on points, in which Swagger gained 8 to Dreamer’s 4; late in the contest, Swagger took out his mouthpiece and took off his head gear to give Dreamer more of an advantage; after the bout, Dreamer took the mic and sarcastically apologized for breaking the rules
Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas), WWE IC Champion William Regal, & Cody Rhodes defeated ECW World Champion Matt Hardy, Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle), & WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston at 12:28 when Henry pinned Kingston after catching him in mid-air as Kingston attempted a reverse crossbody from the middle turnbuckle and hitting the powerslam
Dark match after the taping: World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho defeated Batista and Shawn Michaels at the 6-minute mark by pinning Batista with the Code Breaker after Batista hit Michaels with the spear
– 11/19/08: Armando Estrada was released.
The Brian Kenrick (w/ Ezikial Jackson) defeated Sho Funaki
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Jim Ross & Tazz on commentary for Smackdown!, Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler on commentary for Raw, and Todd Grisham & Matt Striker on commentary for ECW; included opening comments from Ross regarding Jeff Hardy being found unconscious earlier in the day at his hotel room and being hospitalized and released; Ross said various news sources including CNN, AOL, and TMZ had reported the news and that WWE officials were investigating the matter; featured Eve conducting a backstage interview with WWE World Champion Triple H regarding Hardy’s situation and possibly facing Vladimir Kozlov in a one-on-one match; included Grisham conducting a backstage interview with ECW World Champion Matt Hardy regarding Jeff’s situation in which Matt said Jeff was struck in the back of the head with a blunt object but knew nothing more than that and didn’t know whether he could compete later in the night; featured a backstage segment with WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon and Brie & Nikki Bella in which the Colons hit on the Bellas until the Gobbeldy Gooker interrupted; the Colons thought it was Charlie Haas in disguise until Haas walked in; moments later, the Gooker unmasked himself as the Boogeyman; included a backstage segment with Randy Orton, Mark Henry, WWE IC Champion William Regal, WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin, & Cody Rhodes in which Orton said he didn’t ask to be the team captain but they could beat Batista’s team if they just followed his lead; during the segment, Orton and Rhodes traded words until Benjamin and Henry stepped between them; featured an ad for the following month’s Armageddon; included Eve conducting a backstage interview with Kozlov regarding the WWE World Title match later in the night and whether Hardy would compete, with Kozlov saying it didn’t matter if Hardy participated because he would win the title; it was announced moments later that Hardy would not be able to take part in the title match:
Shawn Michaels, Cryme Tyme, Rey Mysterio Jr., & the Great Khali (w/ Runjin Singh) defeated John Bradshaw Layfield, John Morrison, Mike Mizanin, Kane, & MVP in an elimination match at 18:14; MVP pinned JTG at 1:40 with a kick to the face; Khali pinned MVP with one boot on his chest following the chop to the head at 1:55; Mysterio pinned Kane at 3:26 following a dive off Khali’s shoulders after Khali hit Kane with the chop to the head; Mizanin pinned Shad with the Reality Check at 6:41; Mysterio pinned Mizanin at 11:46 with the 619 and splash off the top; JBL received chants of “You can’t wrestle” after the fall; JBL was counted-out after brawling on the floor with Michaels (17:55); Michaels pinned Morrison with the superkick after avoiding Morrison’s superkick; prior to the bout, it was announced MVP might collect some of his incentive package if his team won
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix (w/ Santino Marella), Candice Michelle, Mickie James, Kelly Kelly, & Jillian Hall (Raw) defeated WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool, Maryse, Natalya Neidhart, Maria, & Victoria (Smackdown!) in an elimination match at 9:40; within the opening minute, Michelle and Maryse briefly brawled after Maryse shoved Michelle off the ring apron to the floor; Kelly pinned Victoria with a hurricanrana at 2:55; Maryse pinned Kelly with a backbreaker at 3:23; Mickie pinned Michelle with the DDT at 5:07 after Maria accidentally struck Michelle while attempting to break Mickie’s pin attempt; Maryse pinned Mickie with a roll up and grabbing the tights for leverage at ; Candice pinned Natalya with a spear and roll up at 6:46 after Jillian broke Natalya’s Sharpshooter; Maria pinned Jillian with a victory roll at 7:44; Candice pinned Maria with a northern lights suplex at 7:56; Maryse defeated Candice via submission with a modified figure-4 at 8:36; Phoenix pinned Maryse with the Glam Slam
The Undertaker defeated the Big Show in a casket match at 12:45 after throwing Show into the casket, set upright, with the casket falling down and the lid shutting; prior to the bout, several druids brought the casket ringside; late in the match, Show destroyed the casket and attempted to walk out of the contest until he was blocked by flames at the entranceway; moments later, the druids brought another casket out
Randy Orton, Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas), WWE IC Champion William Regal (w/ Layla), WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin, & Cody Rhodes (w/ Manu) defeated Batista, ECW World Champion Matt Hardy, R Truth, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions CM Punk & Kofi Kingston in an elimination match at 16:14; Punk pinned Regal with the Go To Sleep at the 12-second mark; after the fall, Layla threw her shoe at Punk’s head; Benjamin pinned Truth with the Paydirt at 6:39 after avoiding the scissors kick; Orton pinned Kingston at 10:45 with a DDT as Kingston’s feet were hooked on the middle rope; Rhodes pinned Punk with the DDT at 13:11 after throwing Punk off the top as Punk was distracted by Manu on the ring apron; Henry pinned Hardy at 14:22 by catching him in mid-air and hitting the powerslam; Batista pinned Henry at 14:33 with the spear; Batista pinned Benjamin at 15:07 with the sit-down powerbomb; Orton pinned Batista with the RKO after Batista dropped Rhodes with the sit-down powerbomb, not realizing Rhodes made a blind tag to Orton
Edge (sub. for Jeff Hardy) defeated WWE World Champion Triple H and Vladimir Kozlov to win the title in a No DQ match at 14:22 by pinning Triple H moments after Jeff Hardy ran out to attack Edge and hit both Triple H and Kozlov with a steel chair before Edge dropped Hardy with the spear; the match was to have included Hardy but it was announced just before the match that he could not compete due to injury, with Triple H and Kozlov then wrestling a one-on-one match; within the last two minutes of the match, Vickie Guerrero came out and said that it would be a triple threat match as promised, with Edge then coming out; after the contest, Edge and Vickie celebrated at the entrance stage as referees tended to Triple H and Hardy in the ring (Edge’s surprise return after a 3-month absence)
John Cena pinned World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho to win the title at 21:21 with the FU after lifting Jericho off the mat from an inside cradle position; after the bout, Cena hugged his father at ringside and celebrated with friends and family (The History of the World Heavyweight Championship)
WWE @ Providence, RI – Dunkin Donuts Center – November 24, 2008
Raw – featured an opening segment in which Shane McMahon pulled into the arena and said hello to Cryme Tyme, Dolph Ziggler, and Kelly Kelly on his way out to the entrance stage; moments later, Shane said both Batista and Chris Jericho had rematch clauses in their contract and would wrestle later in the show to determine which would challenge World Heavyweight Champion John Cena at Armageddon; moments later, Stephanie McMahon appeared and added Randy Orton to the main event contest; Stephanie then announced that John Morrison & Mike Mizanin would face Shawn Michaels & Rey Mysterio Jr. later in the show; moments later, Stephanie reminded Shane that Raw was her show, with Shane asking if she wanted to run Raw or sleep with another wrestler and find a new husband; Stephanie then slapped Shane across the face, with Shane saying Stephanie would run Raw into the ground; included a promo at the entrance stage by Ken Kennedy regarding his new movie “Behind Enemy Lines: Columbia;” moments later, Kennedy showed footage of fans the previous night at Survivor Series in which they gave their thoughts on which WWE superstar reminded them of President-elect Barack Obama; after the segment, Kennedy said he was surprised no one named him; featured Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Batista regarding his main event later in the show and of Cena being the new world champion; included an ad for the 2008 Slammy Awards 3-hour episode of Raw, which would take place in 2 weeks; featured a backstage segment in which Orton walked past Cody Rhodes & Manu backstage after losing the #1 contender match; included Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Mysterio regarding his match the following week against Mizanin in the WWE IC Championship #1 Contender tournament; moments later, Mike Knox appeared and stared down Mysterio before leaving; featured a backstage segment in which Shawn Michaels & Triple H advertised their DX merchandise as Christmas presents and used Kelly Kelly as a model; included a backstage segment in which Jericho spoke with Stephanie and said he was heading to the ring to welcome Cena back; featured a closing backstage segment in which Jericho said he would end 2008 as the champion and would regain the title from Cena as he regained it from Batista; moments later, Cena appeared surrounded by fans elsewhere in the arena, noted that Jericho thought he was better than everyone else, and then walked through the crowd and into the ring; Cena then told Jericho that he has no idea how many championships he’s won or lost because his goal was to give 100% to the fans each time he’s in the ring; after Jericho listed the names of the men he’s defeated, Cena took his shirt off as if to challenge Jericho then and there; Jericho then left the ring as Cena insulted him for claiming the fans weren’t good enough; Jericho reentered the ring and said he would take the title back at Armageddon, with Cena then assaulting Jericho before throwing him to the floor; Cena further assaulted Jericho around the ring and knocked him over the barricade after hitting him with the ring steps; moments later, Cena locked Jericho in a full nelson inside the ring before then applying the STFU and forcing Jericho to pass out; Kane was then shown watching on backstage as Cena stood over Jericho and held the title belt in the air:
Shawn Michaels & Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated John Morrison & Mike Mizanin at 8:33 when Mysterio pinned Mizanin with a sunset flip off the top into a powerbomb; early in the bout, John Bradshaw Layfield was shown getting into his limo backstage and telling his driver to take him ringside; moments later, JBL was driven ringside and then got out of the limo to watch the match; after the contest, Morrison threw Mysterio to the floor and assaulted Michaels in the ring before holding him up for JBL to continue the assault; JBL then kicked Morrison to the mat and left ringside; following the commercial break, Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with JBL in which JBL said he offered Michaels a deal earlier in the day and his actions were as a sign of good faith
WWE IC Championship #1 Contender Tournament Quarter-Finals: WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston defeated Kane via disqualification at 2:38 when Kane refused to stop wrapping Kingston’s body around the ringpost; Pat Patterson provided guest commentary for the match; before the ring entrances, footage was shown of Patterson from “The History of the Intercontinental Championship” DVD; after the contest, Kane struck Kingston in the head with the ring steps; moments later, Stephanie McMahon came out and offered Kane a match with World Heavyweight Champion John Cena for the following week if he agreed to stop assaulting Kingston
Chris Jericho defeated Batista and Randy Orton at 11:25 by pinning Orton after Batista hit the spear on Orton and Jericho dropkicked Batista from making the cover; stipulations stated the winner would face WWE World Champion John Cena at Armageddon
Goldust (mystery opponent) pinned Santino Marella (w/ WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix) with the Final Cut at 1:59; prior to the match, Marella cut an in-ring promo saying he should have been featured in “The History of the Intercontintal Championship” DVD and should have been entered into the IC title shot tournament
WWE IC Championship #1 Contender Tournament Quarter-Finals: WWE Raw Tag Team Champion CM Punk pinned Snitsky at 5:15 with the Go To Sleep after avoiding a pumphandle slam; WWE IC Champion William Regal, with Layla, provided guest commentary for the match; after the bout, Regal applauded Punk’s win as Punk stared at him from inside the ring
Mickie James, Candice Michelle, & Melina (surprise partner) defeated WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix, Jillian Hall, & Katie Lea at 3:24 when Melina pinned Katie with a modified reverse DDT; prior to the bout, Phoenix cut an in-ring promo on her being the sole survivor the night before at her match at Survivor Series until Jillian interrupted and said she would win awards in two weeks at the Slammys, with Jillian then singing as the show went to commercial; before Melina’s entrance, Melina’s name accidentally appeared on screen during Candice’s entrance (Melina’s surprise return after a 5-month absence)
ECW – 11/25/08 – featured a backstage promo by John Morrison & Mike Mizanin in which they said their new matching outfits made Survivor Series the greatest Survivor Series of all time; moments later, the Boogeyman appeared behind them and scared them off; included a backstage promo by ECW World Champion Matt Hardy regarding Jeff Hardy’s situation at Survivor Series; moments later, Jack Swagger interrupted and said that now that he was done with Tommy Dreamer, he was going after Matt’s title; featured a backstage segment in which Mark Henry & Tony Atlas cornered Hornswoggle, with Henry cutting a promo on what he would do to Finlay later in the show; included an ad promoting the Slammy Awards in two weeks; featured the same Shawn Michaels, Triple H, & Kelly Kelly backstage DX merchandise segment from Raw; included footage of Ricky Ortiz appearing on Sci-Fi’s “The Chase,” which would air immediately after ECW:
Jack Swagger pinned Tommy Dreamer in an extreme rules match at 13:39 following a gutwrench into a sit-down powerbomb through a table set up in the ring
DJ Gabriel (w/ Alicia Fox) pinned Jared Ganim with an uppercut from the middle turnbuckle at 2:47; after the bout, Tod Grisham conducted an in-ring interview with Alicia in which she said she took her business to Europe after the Edge and Vickie Guerrero situation over the summer and that’s how she met DJ
Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas) fought Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) to a no contest at 12:28 when Finlay attacked both Atlas and Henry in the aisle with the shillelagh as they attempted to take Hornswoggle backstage
WWE @ Albany, NY – Times Union Center – November 25, 2008
Smackdown! – 11/28/08 – featured an opening in-ring segment by Vickie Guerrero in which she introduced the new World Heavyweight Champion Edge; moments later, Edge appeared, hugged Vickie, and claimed he still wasn’t 100% healthy but had to take actions into his own hands after reading on WWE.com about what happened to Jeff Hardy; Edge then said Hardy has a history of letting people down but Edge didn’t want to let Vickie down; Vickie then said Hardy would return to compete when he was cleared to wrestle and that what happened in the hotel stairwell was still under investigation; moments later, Hardy ran out but was held off by several members of security; Triple H then came out but was also held off, with Vladimir Kozlov then coming into the ring from behind and saying he was through with games and triple threat matches and that he would beat Edge up then and there; Vickie then said there would be a Beat the Clock series to determine who would challenge Edge at Armageddon; included Eve conducting a backstage interview with ECW World Champion Matt Hardy in which Matt claimed Edge and Vickie were behind Jeff’s injury and that he would do everything he could to see Jeff gets his title shot; featured the announcement that the Undertaker would face the Big Show the following week in a steel cage match; included footage of a Show vs. Taker steel cage match from Smackdown vs. Raw 2009; featured footage from Linda McMahon appearing the previous Friday at the New York Stock Exchange and ringing the bell and the announcement she had been named one of the top 50 most powerful women in cable by CableFax; included the same Shawn Michaels, Triple H, & Kelly Kelly backstage DX merchandise segment from Raw; featured Ken Kennedy conducting a backstage interview with Triple H regarding his final match in the Beat the Clock Challenge against WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin:
Beat the Clock Challenge: Jeff Hardy pinned The Brian Kendrick (w/ Ezikial Jackson) at 12:13 with an overhead wheelbarrow slam and the Swanton after knocking Jackson off the apron
Maryse, Victoria, & Natalya Neidhart defeated WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool, Brie & Nikki Bella at 4:13 when Maryse pinned Michelle after one of the Bellas accidentally hit a clothesline on Michelle when Maryse moved out of the way; prior to the bout, footage was shown of Victoria & Natalya Neidhart pulling both Bellas out from under the ring three weeks earlier, revealing that there were two twins; during the match, it was announced the Bellas were recently on Yahoo!’s most searched list; moments later, Michelle argued with both the Bellas until Maria came out to calm her down; Michelle then shoved Maria to the mat and left the ring
Beat the Clock Challenge: Vladimir Kozlov fought ECW World Champion Matt Hardy to a time-limit draw at 12:14 in a non-title match; prior to the bout, Gregory Helms cut an insert promo saying he would return to Smackdown! the following week; after the match, Jeff Hardy was shown watching backstage before coming face to face with Triple H
Jesse & Festus defeated John Morrison & Mike Mizanin via disqualification at 4:59 when Morrison & Mizanin double teamed Jesse on the floor after both teams took turns ringing the timekeeper’s bell, causing Festus to become angry and then comatose; after the bout, Morrison & Mizanin took turns ringing the bell and making fun of Festus before then knocking Jesse out with the bell; moments later, Mizanin accidentally rang the bell, with Festus then clearing the ring
Beat the Clock Challenge: Triple H pinned WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin in a non-title match at 12:13 with the Pedigree; Triple H hit the move with 30 seconds remaining and had to revive referee Mike Chioda to make the pinfall; during the contest, Jeff Hardy was shown watching the match backstage; after the contest, referee Charles Robinson came out to determine who had won the Beat the Clock series and had replays shown of both Hardy and Triple H’s pinfalls; Hardy then appeared and had words with Triple H as the show went off the air
Smackdown! – 12/5/08 – featured an opening video package recapping the Beach the Clock series and an announcement by Vickie Guerrero that both Jeff Hardy and Triple H would challenge WWE World Champion Edge at Armageddon; included ads promoting Monday’s Slammy Awards; featured a trailer for “Behind Enemy Lines: Columbia,” starring Ken Kennedy; featured a backstage promo by the Big Show regarding his steel cage match with the Undertaker later in the show, during which he showed footage of him knocking Taker out at Unforgiven; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE was #2 in Yahoo! searches for 2008, beating out Barack Obama, American Idol, Miley Cyrus, Lindsay Lohan, and Angelina Jolie; featured a backstage segment in which Triple H and Hardy had words; included a backstage segment with Hardy, Edge, and Vickie in which Edge claimed Triple H was the one responsible for attacking Hardy before the Survivor Series; moments later, as Triple H walked in the door, Hardy jumped him with the two fighting until referees broke it up and pulled them out of the office; Vickie then announced that Triple H would face Hardy the following week; included the same backstage segment with Triple & Shawn Michaels from Raw in which they plugged the Elimination Chamber playset, with Michaels losing it out of anxiety of having to put all 40 pieces together after only two hours sleep Christmas Eve; featured an in-ring segment of the Great Khali’s Kiss Cam, with Runjin Singh, in which Eve later came out dressed as Santa’s Helper and kissed Khali under the mistletoe:
WWE World Champion Edge (w/ Vickie Guerrero) pinned Sho Funaki in a non-title match with the spear at 1:40; after the bout, Vickie said it was only fair if Triple H and Jeff Hardy wrestled later in the show since Edge had to wrestle as well; she then said Triple H & Hardy would compete in a tag team gauntlet match where the match would continue until they lose
Maria pinned WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool in a non-title match with a roll up at 3:18 after avoiding a kick to the head; after the commercial break, Maria celebrated backstage with the Bella twins, WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon until Michelle came up behind her, kicked her in the mid-section, and said Maria got what she deserved
Hurricane Helms pinned MVP at 3:51 following a Shining Wizard; prior to the bout, MVP cut an in-ring promo regarding him having to pay back his incentive package and no longer having his expensive introduction (Helms’ in-ring return)
Triple H & Jeff Hardy defeated Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder at 1:17 when Triple H pinned Hawkins after Hardy attempted to hit the Swanton on his partner but hit Hawkins instead, moments after Triple H dropped Hawkins with the Pedigree
John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Triple H & Jeff Hardy via count-out at around the 9-minute mark when Triple H and Hardy began brawling on the floor; after the contest, Triple H knocked Hardy into the front row until both men were held back by officials (the bout began during the commercial break)
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. via disqualification in a non-title match at 3:12 when Vladimir Kozlov interfered, attacked Hardy, and trapped him in the ring ropes until several referees forced him out of the ring
The Undertaker defeated the Big Show in a steel cage match via submission with the Hell’s Gate at 16:14
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ State College, PA – Bryce Jordan Center – November 29, 2008
The Great Khali defeated MVP via KO with the head vice at 4:11
Brie & Nikki Bella defeated Maryse & Natalya Neidhart at 8:24 after the Bellas switched places in the ring and Natalya was pinned with a crucifix
Tommy Dreamer pinned Ricky Ortiz at 7:08 with the DDT; Ortiz worked the match as a heel
The Big Show pinned Finlay at 9:23 following a right hand punch; after the bout, Show knocked Hornswoggle out with a punch as well
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon defeated John Morrison & Mike Mizanin at 11:27 when Primo pinned Mizanin with a crossbody from the middle turnbuckle
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin pinned R Truth at 10:52 with the Paydirt; after the bout, the two shook hands until Benjamin attempted to attack Truth from behind; Truth then hit the scissors kick
Jeff Hardy defeated WWE World Champion Edge via disqualification at 1:21 when Vladimir Kozlov attacked Hardy; after the bout, Edge and Kozlov double teamed Hardy until Triple H made the save
Triple H & Jeff Hardy defeated WWE World Champion Edge & Vladimir Kozlov at 10:44 when Triple H pinned Kozlov after Hardy hit the Swanton
WWE (Raw) @ Elmira, NY – November 29, 2008
WWE Raw Tag Team Champion CM Punk defeated Santino Marella
Snitsky defeated Jamie Noble
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix defeated Candice Michelle
Cody Rhodes & Manu defeated Cryme Tyme
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy defeated Mark Henry in an extreme rules match
Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Mike Knox
WWE World Champion John Cena pinned Randy Orton
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Johnstown, PA – Cambria County War Memorial Arena – November 30, 2008 (matinee) (2,000)
The Great Khali pinned MVP with the tree slam
Brie & Nikki Bella defeated Maryse & Natalya Neidhart when Neidhart was pinned with a crucifix after the Bellas switched places in the ring
Tommy Dreamer pinned Ricky Ortiz with the DDT; Ortiz worked the match as a heel
The Big Show pinned Finlay with the right hand punch; after the bout, Show knocked Hornswoggle out with a punch as well
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon defeated John Morrison & Mike Mizanin when Primo pinned Mizanin with a springboard crossbody off the top
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin pinned R Truth with the Paydirt
Jeff Hardy defeated WWE World Champion Edge via disqualification when Vladimir Kozlov interfered; after the bout, Triple H made the save
Triple H & Jeff Hardy defeated WWE World Champion Edge & Vladimir Kozlov when Triple H pinned Kozlov following the Pedigree and Swanton
WWE (Raw) @ Reading, PA – Sovereign Center – November 30, 2008 (matinee) (2,500)
Jamie Noble defeated Snitsky
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Candice Michelle with the Glam Slam
WWE Raw Tag Team Champion CM Punk pinned Santino Marella with the Go To Sleep
Randy Orton & Manu (w/ Cody Rhodes) defeated Cryme Tyme when Orton pinned Shad with the RKO after tagging himself in
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy pinned Mark Henry in an extreme rules match following a drop toe hold onto the ringsteps, set up insde the ring
Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Mike Knox; after the bout, Kane appeared and attacked Mysterio
Kane pinned WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston with the chokeslam; after the bout, Rey Mysterio Jr. made the save for Kingston
World Heavyweight Champion John Cena pinned Chris Jericho with the FU after avoiding the Lionsault; after the bout, Cena dropped ring announcer Tony Chimmel with the FU as well
WWE @ Washington DC – Verizon Center – December 1, 2008 (8,500)
Cryme Tyme defeated Snitsky & Shawn Rutger
Raw:
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions CM Punk & Kofi Kingston defeated Cody Rhodes & Manu in a non-title match
Melina defeated Jillian Hall
Batista defeated Dolph Ziggler
WWE IC Championship #1 Contender Tournament Quarter-Finals: John Morrison defeated Finlay
WWE IC Championship #1 Contender Tournament Quarter-Finals: Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Mike Mizanin
World Heavyweight Champion John Cena defeated Kane in a non-title match
ECW – 12/2/08 – featured a backstage segment with MVP, Teddy Long, and Tiffany in which Long made fun of the fact MVP hadn’t attained his incentive package that Long himself put in his original contract; included an ad promoting the Slammy Awards the following Monday; featured an ad for the DVD release of “Behind Enemy Lines: Columbia,” staring Ken Kennedy; included an in-ring promo by Finlay, with Hornswoggle, in which Finlay mentioned he came from a family of men and women in the wrestling business and then called out Mark Henry for what happened to Hornswoggle the week before; Henry, with Tony Atlas, then appeared with Henry saying Finlay and the shillelagh had cost him many big matches and that eventually he would leave Hornswoggle in a broken heap; Henry then suggested Finlay & Hornswoggle face Henry & Atlas in a tag team match; Finlay initially said no but changed his mind after Henry questioned whether or not Hornswoggle came from a fighting background; featured the same backstage segment with Triple & Shawn Michaels from Raw in which they plugged the Elimination Chamber playset, with Michaels losing it out of anxiety of having to put all 40 pieces together after only two hours sleep Christmas Eve; included an ad for “The History of the Intercontinental Championship”:
Jack Swagger pinned Ricky Ortiz at 8:05 with the gutwrench into the sit-down powerbomb; prior to the bout, Swagger cut an in-ring promo asking Teddy Long to appear and officially name him the #1 contender to the ECW World Title after his win the previous week over Tommy Dreamer in an extreme rules match; after Teddy Long and Tiffany appeared, Tiffany argued that Ricky Ortiz should be the top contender instead since he too was undefeated; after Ortiz appeared, Long ordered them to face off immediately (Ortiz’ first TV loss)
DJ Gabriel (w/ Alicia Fox) pinned Josh Daniels with the uppercut from the middle turnbuckle at 2:25
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy pinned MVP in a non-title match at 13:39 with the Twist of Fate
– 12/4/08: Former developmental wrestler Steve Bradley, 32, was found dead in his car.
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Greenville, SC – Bi-Lo Center – December 5, 2008 (4,500)
Finlay pinned Mark Henry after hitting him with the shillelagh
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy pinned Jack Swagger by reversing the Doctor Bomb into the Twist of Fate
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon defeated The Brian Kendrick & Ezikial Jackson when Carlito pinned Kendrick
Joey Braddock pinned Sho Funaki
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool defeated Maryse
The Great Khali pinned WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin in a non-title match with the tree slam
Triple H pinned Vladimir Kozlov in a streetfight after hitting him with a sledgehammer and dropping him with the Pedigree (Kozlov’s first pinfall loss)
The Undertaker defeated WWE World Champion Edge via disqualification at around the 25-minute mark when Edge hit a low blow as the challenger attempted the powerbomb; after the bout, Taker dropped Edge with the tombstone
WWE @ Baghdad, Iraq – Camp Liberty – December 5, 2008
Tribute to the Troops – aired as a 1-hour special on 12/20/08 on NBC – featured an opening video package featuring Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Marilyn Monroe as several entertainers who have performed overseas for American troops; included pretaped comments from President George W. Bush, shown to the crowd, in which he thanked WWE for their constant support of troops and their families over the years; the first Tribute to the Troops event to have a video wall as part of the production; featured Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler on commentary; included footage of Kelly Kelly, Rey Mysterio Jr., Eve, World Heavyweight Champion John Cena, and R Truth at Camp Echo; featured footage of JBL, Mickie James, Chris Jericho, Maria, CM Punk, Eve, the Big Show, Truth, Batista, Cryme Tyme, John Morrison & Mike Mizanin, Cena, Kelly, Jeff Hardy, Mysterio, and Alicia Fox, set to Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me” and Nickelback’s “Gotta Be Somebody;” included Lilian Garcia introducing Cryme Tyme, who appeared dressed as Santa Claus; after Cryme Tyme said they loved every person in attendance, they had Santa’s Little Helpers – Maria, Eve, Kelly, Mickie, and Alicia – come out, greet the troops, and throw merchandise out to the soldiers; featured the reading of letters from children to the soldiers serving overseas, to the tune of Shinedown’s “Second Chance;” included holiday greetings from 225 PSD in Camp Korean Village; featured footage of Jericho, JBL, Show, and other talent visiting sites in the area that had been bombed but were being repaired, set to Staind’s “Believe;” included still photos from the tour set to Bob Dylan’s “Ring Them Bells;” featured a closing music video recapping the tour, set to Needtobreathe’s “Shine On”:
Jeff Hardy, WWE Raw Tag Team Champion CM Punk, & R Truth defeated John Bradshaw Layfield, John Morrison & Mike Mizanin at 7:41 when Hardy pinned JBL with the Twist of Fate and Swanton; prior to the bout, JBL was escorted to the ring in a Humvee and wearing his cowboy hat on top of a helmet; the bout was taped before Hardy won the WWE World Title and Morrison & Mizanin won the WWE Raw Tag Team Titles but they were referred to as champions by the commentary team; after the bout, Director of Armed Forces Entertainment Art Myers was shown in the crowd
World Heavyweight Champion John Cena, Batista, & Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Chris Jericho, the Big Show, & Randy Orton at 9:50 when Cena pinned Orton with the FU as Batista pinned Jericho with the sit-down powerbomb, following a double 619 from Mysterio; late in the match, Show walked out of the match after fighting off his two partners (History of WWE)
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ North Charleston, SC – Coliseum – December 7, 2008 (matinee) (3,500)
Finlay pinned Mark Henry after hitting him with the shillelagh
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy pinned Jack Swagger by reversing the Doctor Bomb into the Twist of Fate
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon defeated The Brian Kendrick & Ezikial Jackson when Carlito pinned Kendrick
Joey Braddock pinned Sho Funaki
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool defeated Maryse
The Great Khali pinned WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin in a non-title match with the tree slam
Triple H pinned Vladimir Kozlov in a streetfight after hitting him with a sledgehammer and dropping him with the Pedigree (Kozlov’s first pinfall loss)
The Undertaker defeated WWE World Champion Edge via disqualification when Edge hit a low blow as the challenger attempted the powerbomb; after the bout, Taker dropped Edge with the tombstone
WWE @ Philadelphia, PA – Wachovia Center – December 8, 2008 (11,000)
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin defeated Tommy Dreamer in a non-title match
Raw – Slammy Awards – 3-hour episode – included Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler on commentary for Raw and Jim Ross & Tazz on commentary for Smackdown!; featured an opening segment in which Maria & Festus presented the “Tag Team of the Year” award to John Morrison & Mike Mizanin; other nominees included WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon, Ted Dibiase Jr. & Cody Rhodes, and Cryme Tyme; moments later, Morrison & Mizanin came out, with Mizanin making fun of Festus before they then thanked Mr. T, Chuck Norris, Admiral Akbar for their support; included Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with World Heavyweight Champion John Cena regarding the attack he sustained the previous week from Chris Jericho and facing Jericho at Armageddon; featured Candice Michelle & Cryme Tyme presenting the “Best Finishing Manuever” award to Evan Bourne for his Shooting Star Press; other nominees included: the Undertaker’s Hell’s Gate, Randy Orton’s RKO, and Big Show’s Knockout Punch; after Candice announced Bourne couldn’t make it due to his injury, Mike Knox appeared and took the trophy; included a promo on the stage by Orton in which he complained about not being nominated for “Superstar of the Year” and then suggested that instead of Triple H facing Batista later in the show, Orton, Cody Rhodes, & Manu should face Triple H & Batista in a handicap match instead; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read ECW was the Sci-Fi Channel’s most watched show the previous week for the 10th week in a row; included an ad for “The Twisted, Disturbed Life of Kane;” featured ECW World Champion Matt Hardy & Tiffany awarding the “Extreme Moment of the Year” award to Jeff Hardy for the Swanton off the stage onto Orton; other nominees included: Chris Jericho putting Shawn Michaels through the Jeritron, John Cena vs. John Bradshaw Layfield in a parking lot brawl, and the Undertaker falling through tables during his TLC match with Edge; included the announcement that Finlay & Hornswoggle would face Mark Henry & Tony Atlas the following night on ECW; featured Kane & Kelly Kelly presenting with the “Couple of the Year” award to WWE World Champion Edge & Vickie Guerrero; other nominees included: Finlay & Hornswoggle, WWE IC Champion William Regal & Layla, and Santino Marella & WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix; moments later, Vickie accepted; Santino & Beth then appeared with Santino calling Vickie the cougar of the year and then challenged any other couple to a match later in the night; included an ad for the Saturday, Dec. 20 NBC “Tribute to the Troops;” featured Joey Styles & Alicia Fox presenting WWE Raw Tag Team Champion CM Punk with the “Oh My God Moment of the Year” for his World Heavyweight Title win over Edge; other nominees included: the Undertaker sending Edge to Hell, Floyd Mayweather breaking the Big Show’s nose, and John Cena winning the Royal Rumble; moments later, Punk came out to accept and said he would add the WWE IC Title to his list of accomplishments and gave a list of people he wanted to thank, including Scotty Goldman and Rocky Balboa; Punk then brought Styles back out to the stage to repeat “Oh my god!”; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE offers all US military personnel free tickets to live events in the US; featured Ken Kennedy & Eve presenting Shawn Michaels & Ric Flair with the “Match of the Year” award for their match at WrestleMania; other nominees included: the Money in the Bank ladder match; the Royal Rumble, and the Undertaker vs. Edge in Hell in a Cell; moments later, Michaels came out to accept with John Bradshaw Layfield interrupting moments later and taking the trophy, claiming his match with John Cena at the Great American Bash was the match of the year; Michaels made no attempt to stop him; included an ad for the DVD release of “Behind Enemy Lines: Columbia;” featured Ron Simmons & Mickie James presenting the “Damn Moment of the Year” to the Great Khali for his Kiss Cam segment; other nominees included: Punk attacking Chavo Guerrero Jr. while dressed as a mariachi performer, Jim Ross as a sailor for Halloween, and Santino failing an entrance into the ring while doing the splits; moments later, Khali and Runjin Singh appeared to accept; Khali then attempted to kiss Mickie until Jillian Hall interrupted while singing “My Heart Will Go On;” Howard Finkel, Sgt. Slaughter, Jim Duggan, and Sho Funaki then appeared as Khali picked Mickie up and kissed her, with Simmons then saying “Damn!”; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE had produced 11 DVDs that had hit #1 on the sports chart in 2008, more than the NFL, UFC, NBA, NHL, and the Olympics combined; featured Stephanie McMahon presenting Chris Jericho with the “Superstar of the Year” award; other nominees included: Jeff Hardy, Batista, Edge, Triple H, and World Heavyweight Champion John Cena; moments later, Jericho appeared and cut an in-ring promo claiming he was glad none of the fans had any say about who won the award because they were sheep; after Jericho ran down his accomplishments over the course of the year, Cena appeared and chased Jericho into the crowd, leading into the main event match; during the show, it was also mentioned that other Slammy winners included Charlie Haas as Beth Phoenix (Best Impersonation), beating out Haas’ as Hulk Hogan, John Bradshaw Layfield, and Mr. Perfect, Matt Striker & Todd Grisham (Best Announce Team), beating out Jerry Lawler & Michael Cole and Jim Ross & Tazz, R Truth (Best Musical Performance), beating out Santino Marella’s rap against Akon, Edge singing Bryan Adams’ “Heaven” to Vickie, and Morrison & Mizanin rapping, and Vladimir Kozlov (Breatkout Star of the Year), beating out WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston, Bourne, and Ted Dibiase Jr.:
WWE IC Championship #1 Contender Tournament Semi-Finals: WWE Raw Tag Team Champion CM Punk pinned John Morrison with the Go To Sleep at 8:19; during the bout, WWE IC Champion William Regal & Layla were shown watching backstage
Charlie Haas pinned MVP at 3:13 with a roll up after avoiding a boot in the corner; prior to the bout, MVP noted Jimmy Rollins of the Philadelphia Phillies in the crowd and said his losing streak was nothing compared to that of Philadelphia’s; Haas played the role of MVP for the match
Chris Jericho pinned Jeff Hardy at around the 7-minute mark after reversing the Twist of Fate into the Code Breaker (the bout began during the commercial break)
Finlay & Hornswoggle defeated Santino Marella & WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix at 1:17 when Hornswoggle pinned Santino with the frog splash after a reversal into a DDT; after the bout, as Santino & Beth were still in the ring, Teddy Long & Melina appeared to present Beth with the “Diva of the Year” award; other nominees included: Mickie James, Kelly Kelly, and WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool; upon the announcement Beth had won, she accidentally dropped Santino to the mat and ran up the stage to accept the trophy; moments later, Beth and Melina had a staredown with the two fighting until Beth was knocked into Santino, with Santino sustaining a low blow
WWE IC Championship #1 Contender Tournament Semi-Finals: Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Kofi Kingston at 3:12 with an Oklahoma side roll after avoiding a reverse crossbody from the middle turnbuckle; after the bout, it was announced Mysterio would face Punk in the finals at Armageddon; moments later, Kingston raised Mysterio’s arm in victory
Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, & Manu defeated Triple H & Batista in a handicap match at 10:16 when Orton pinned Batista with the RKO after Rhodes attacked Batista from behind as he attempted the sit-down powerbomb on Orton
Dolph Ziggler defeated R Truth via count-out at 3:59 after landing a knee to the side of the head as Truth attempted to get back into the ring after the two fought on the floor
World Heavyweight Champion John Cena defeated WWE World Champion Edge via disqualification in a non-title match when Cena began brawling with Chris Jericho at around the 8-minute mark outside the ring; after the bout, once Cena and Jericho battled into the crowd, both Triple H and Jeff Hardy came out to fight with Edge, with all three staring at each other from the stage to the ring as the show came to a close
WWE @ Bridgeport, CT – Harbor Yard Arena – December 9, 2008 (5,000)
Kizarny defeated Jamie Noble
ECW – featured an opening in-ring promo by Tommy Dreamer, with Vladimir Kozlov appearing within seconds and dropping Dreamer with the headbutt to the chest; Kozlov then grabbed the mic and issued a challenge to ECW World Champion Matt Hardy; Kozlov then dropped Dreamer with a modified spinebuster and said that punishment was in Hardy’s future; moments later, Jack Swagger appeared and hit Dreamer with the gutwrench into the powerbomb before then leaving the ring; included footage of John Morrison & Mike Mizanin winning the Tag Team of the Year Slammy on Raw; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read the previous week’s ECW was the most watched telecast on Sci-Fi for the 10th week in a row; included a backstage segment with Mark Henry and Tony Atlas in which Atlas was excited about putting on his old outfit until Henry talked down to him and reminded him to put his bag beside his locker; featured footage highlighting Shawn Michaels accepting the Match of the Year award the previous night for his WrestleMania match with Ric Flair, only for John Bradshaw Layfield to take the trophy; included the announcement that Kozlov would face Hardy at Armageddon, followed by backstage comments by Hardy in which he claimed Kozlov couldn’t beat him; featured a backstage segment with Finlay & Hornswoggle preparing for their main event match; included footage of Chris Jericho winning the Superstar of the Year Slammy the previous night on Raw:
John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jimmy Wang Yang & Sho Funaki at 12:37 when Morrison pinned Yang with a springboard kick to the head; prior to the bout, Morrison & Mizanin came out with both the Slammy for Tag Team of the Year and Best WWE.com Exclusive
The Boogeyman pinned Scott Reid with the tree slam at the 56-second mark; after the contest, the Boogeyman ate a mouthful of worms and then spat them into Greed’s mouth (Boogeyman’s in-ring return after more than a year’s absence)
Mark Henry & Tony Atlas defeated Finlay & Hornswoggle at 14:30 when Henry pinned Finlay with a splash and the powerslam (Atlas’ in-ring return after a 17-year absence)
Smackdown! – included an opening segment in which Triple H and Jeff Hardy brawled in the aisle until Vickie Guerrero, with Chavo Guerrero Jr., called for referees to break up the fight; during the segment, Vickie was accidentally knocked to the ground before she told the two to save it for the main event; Triple H and Hardy then landed several more shots on each other until they were escorted backstage; featured an ad for “The Twisted, Disturbed Life of Kane;” included a video package recapping the Slammys, which was interrupted by an unknown man who cut a promo; featured a backstage segment in which The Brian Kendrick began hitting on the Bella Twins until WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon interrupted; Ezikial Jackson then appeared, with he and Kendrick then walking off; included an ad for MyNetworkTV’s “WrestleMania Spectacular” the following Thursday; featured a backstage promo by Triple H & Shawn Michaels in which they advertised their DX holiday merchandise, including their sweatshirt and stuffed bears; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE offers all US military personnel free tickets to live events in the US; featured ECW World Champion Matt Hardy as a guest of “The Cutting Edge” in which Edge offered up such names as John Morrison & Mike Mizanin, the Undertaker, and Triple H as men who had motive to take Jeff out at Survivor Series; moments later, Edge claimed no one cared about Matt in comparison to Jeff; Matt then punched Edge off his stool but was then laid out by Vladimir Kozlov; included Eve conducting a backstage interview with Triple H in which he claimed if he was responsible for jumping Jeff then Jeff wouldn’t still be wrestling; featured Eve conducting a backstage interview with Kozlov regarding his upcoming match with Matt, during which he said Matt wasn’t competition and he would turn to the WWE World Champion when he was done with Hardy; included an ad for “Behind Enemy Lines: Columbia”:
R Truth pinned MVP at 3:44 with a roll up; after the bout, MVP cut an in-ring promo upset over his failures but said he was still better than and had more money than the fans; moments later, Ken Kennedy appeared, told MVP he should be in the holiday spirit, and cut a promo on his movie, “Behind Enemy Lines: Columbia”
The Brian Kendrick (w/ Ezikial Jackson) pinned WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Primo Colon (w/ WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Carlito) at 7:31 with a kick to the face and inside cradle after Primo became distracted by Jackson throwing Carlito into the ringpost
Hurricane Helms pinned WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin in a non-title match at 4:48 with a crossbody off the top after knocking Benjamin off the top; after the bout, Tazz conducted an in-ring interview with Helms regarding his return, during which Helms said he wanted the US title
The Great Khali (w/ Runjin Singh) defeated Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder in a handicap match at 1:20 by pinning both men with one boot after hitting the tree slam on Hawkins onto Ryder
Brie & Nikki Bella defeated Maryse & Natalya Neidhart at 4:49 when Natalya was pinned after one of the Bellas dropkicked her partner onto Natalya behind the referee’s back
Triple H fought Jeff Hardy to a no contest at 16:49 when WWE World Champion Edge interfered and laid out both men with spears to close the broadcast
Dark match after the taping: The Undertaker defeated the Big Show in a steel cage match
– 12/11/08: Snitsky was released.
WWE (Raw, Smackdown!, & ECW) @ Hamilton, Ontario – Copps Coliseum – December 13, 2008 (3,500)
Featured Santino Marella giving ringside seats to a family in the lower bowl; included Marella issuing an open challenge which was accepted by the Boogeyman; after the Boogeyman appeared, Marella ran away
John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated WWE Raw Tag Team Champions CM Punk & Kofi Kingston to win the titles when Mizanin pinned Kingston with the Reality Check after Kingston hit Morrison with the spin kick to the face
Kane pinned Charlie Haas with the chokeslam after kicking out of the Sharpshooter; Haas played the role of Bret Hart for the match
Kelly Kelly & Eve defeated WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix & Maryse when Kelly pinned Phoenix with a roll up after Eve hit a modified jawbreaker
Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned Mike Knox with the 619 and splash off the top
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin pinned Hurricane Helms with the Paydirt
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy pinned Jack Swagger with the Twist of Fate
WWE World Champion Edge pinned Jeff Hardy with the spear after dropping him face-first onto an exposed turnbuckle
World Heavyweight Champion John Cena pinned Chris Jericho with the FU
– 12/14/08: Former WWF enhancement wrestler and ECW regular Mike Bell died at the age of 37.
Armageddon 08 – Buffalo, NY – HSBC Arena – December 14, 2008 (11,000 paid)
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Jesse & Festus
Pay-per-view bouts – featured Jim Ross & Tazz on commentary for Smackdown!, Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler on commentary for Raw, and Todd Grisham & Matt Striker on commentary for ECW; included a backstage segment with Vickie Guerrero, WWE World Champion Edge, and Chavo Guerrero Jr. in which Edge went to get ready for his match; moments later, Chavo asked Vickie how she and Edge were able to take Jeff Hardy out the night before Survivor Series, with Vickie insisting they had nothing to do with it; featured a text poll in which fans could vote on who they thought was responsible for attacking Jeff – Edge, Triple H, Vladimir Kozlov, or other; included a backstage segment with Eve, Finlay, and Hornswoggle in which Finlay asked that Hornswoggle stay backstage during his match with Mark Henry; featured ads for the 2009 Royal Rumble; included a backstage promo by Jeff regarding his WWE World Title match later in the show; featured an in-ring segment in which John Bradshaw Layfield introduced Shawn Michaels as his newest employee; moments later, Michaels came out and said he had invested a lot of money in the stock market and had given to every cause he could; Michaels said he took JBL up on his offer because he didn’t know how many years he had left and didn’t want to become another wrestling tragedy; he then said if the price he had to pay was to hear the fans call him a sell out, then he would pay it; JBL and Michaels then shook hands before JBL left the ring; included Eve conducting a backstage interview with Randy Orton regarding his match with Batista later in the night, with Cody Rhodes & Manu then appearing and saying Batista wasn’t on their level; Orton ended up not speaking during the segment; several members of the Buffalo Bills were in attendance for the show; featured an ad for the Dec. 20 “Tribute to the Troops” on NBC; included a backstage segment with Melina, Candice Michelle, Brie & Nikki Bella, and Tiffany, with Charlie Haas, as Santa Claus, then appearing with gifts for all of them; moments later, Santino Marella & WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix appeared, with Santino bragging about Phoenix being the Diva of the Year and claiming he would get the next present; the Boogeyman then appeared, scaring Santino out of the locker room where Goldust appeared and kissed Santino underneath the mistletoe; several referees, IRS, Jesse & Festus then appeared and helped sing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas;” Ken Kennedy then appeared and advised the fans not to do drugs, in reference to the previous segment, and to watch “Behind Enemy Lines: Columbia,” on DVD Jan. 6; featured a video package highlighting the previous Monday’s Slammy Awards; included an ad for “Prince of Persia;” featured the results of the text poll in which Edge took 65%, Triple H took 7%, Kozlov took 5%, and other took 23%:
Vladimir Kozlov pinned ECW World Champion Matt Hardy in a non-title match at 9:03 with a headbutt and spinebuster after dropping Hardy face-first onto the ringpost
WWE IC Championship #1 Contender Tournament Finals: CM Punk pinned Rey Mysterio Jr. at 12:16 with a reversal into the Go To Sleep; prior to the bout, still photos were shown from Punk & Kofi Kingston losing the WWE Raw Tag Team Titles the previous night to John Morrison & Mike Mizanin in Hamilton, Ontario; Lilian Garcia introduced Punk as one half of the tag team champions; WWE IC Champion William Regal & Layla sat ringside for the match; Mysterio busted his mouth as a result of the finish; after the bout, Punk and Mysterio hugged
Finlay pinned Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas) in a Belfast Brawl at 9:40 after hitting him with a shillelagh, thrown to him by Hornswoggle, who appeared late in the match; during the final minutes, Henry broke both Finlay’s initial shillelagh and a kendo stick over his knee
Batista pinned Randy Orton with the sit-down powerbomb at 16:42 after holding onto the ropes to prevent a move by Orton; prior to the bout, Orton was escorted to the ring by Cody Rhodes & Manu but they were ejected from ringside early in the match after attacking Batista on the floor (Batista: I Walk Alone)
WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool, Kelly Kelly, Maria, & Mickie James defeated Maryse, Victoria, Natalya Neidhart, & Jillian Hall at 4:35 when Michelle pinned Jillian with a piledriver into a face-first slam, moments after tagging Maria out of the match; all three commentary teams provided play-by-play for the match; after the bout, the Great Khali, with Runjin Singh, came out for the Kiss Cam, with Michelle being picked to kiss Khali but Michelle then leaving ringside; moments later, Singh said Mickie, Maria, and Kelly were too intimidated to kiss Khali but he had a back up; Mae Young then came out, jumped on Khali, and kissed him
World Heavyweight Champion John Cena defeated Chris Jericho via submission with the STFU after reversing the Walls of Jericho at 12:44; after the bout, Cena celebrated with several members of the Buffalo Bills who sat ringside (WWE Superstar Collection: John Cena)
Jeff Hardy defeated WWE World Champion Edge and Triple H to win the title in a No DQ match at 17:20 by pinning Edge following a Swanton onto both opponents after Triple H dropped the champion with the Pedigree and made the cover; late in the bout, Vladimir Kozlov interfered, with ECW World Champion Matt Hardy then brawling with Kozlov all the way backstage; after the bout, Hardy scaled to the top of the entrance stage set to celebrate (Jeff Hardy: My Life My Rules)
WWE @ Pittsburgh, PA – Mellon Arena – December 15, 2008
Tomko pinned Paul Burchill (w/ Katie Lea) with a powerslam at around the 5:30 mark; late in the bout, fans chanted “Let’s go, Tomko”
Raw – featured an ad promoting the following Saturday’s “Tribute to the Troops” on NBC; included a backstage promo with Triple H & Shawn Michaels in which they advertised their DX holiday merchandise, including their sweatshirt and stuffed bears; featured a backstage segment with Kane and Kelly Kelly in which Kane questioned her comments the previous week and said she felt something for him; included Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Randy Orton in which Orton said he challenged Batista but Batista was a coward; moments later, Batista appeared, with Orton slapping him and then leading Batista out to ringside; as Batista followed Orton out, Cody Rhodes & Manu jumped Batista from behind until World Heavyweight Champion John Cena made the save; following the commercial break, Cena and Batista spoke backstage, with Grisham then appearing and saying Stephanie McMahon had ordered a match for later in the show pitting Cena & Batista against Orton, Manu, & Rhodes; featured a backstage segment with Kane and Kelly in which Kelly admitted she liked someone else but refused to say who; included a backstage segment with Kane and Kelly in which it was implied Kelly told him the person’s name during the commercial break, with Kane walking off after Kelly asked Kane not to hurt the unnamed man; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE superstars had visited more than 200 military installations, forward operating bases, aircraft carriers, submarines, and military hospitals in the past five years; several of the Pittsburgh Steelers were shown in attendance; included a segment in which John Bradshaw Layfield reviewed footage of Michaels’ comments made the previous night at Armageddon, admitting he now worked for JBL after falling on hard times; featured a backstage segment with Kelly, Candice Michelle, and Mickie James in which Candice and Mickie made sure Kelly was OK, during which Kelly implied she lied to Kane about having a relationship with WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Mike Mizanin; included a look at the filming of “Behind Enemy Lines: Columbia;” featured the announcement that WWE World Champion Jeff Hardy would appear on Friday Night Smackdown!; included a backstage segment with Jim Duggan and Cryme Tyme in which they told him it was time and then walked off with him; featured a backstage segment with Stephanie and Jericho in which they argued over Jericho’s match earlier in the show against Duggan, during which Stephanie said all former world champions would compete the following week in singles matches, with the winners advancing to another match and that winner earning a World Heavyweight Title shot; included a backstage segment with Orton, Manu, & Rhodes in which Orton said if the other two couldn’t get the job done then the group was over:
Melina & Kelly Kelly defeated WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix (w/ Santino Marella) & Jillian Hall at 1:39 when Kelly pinned Jillian with a roll up; prior to the bout, a ringside fan asked to have her photo taken with Beth, with Beth then making Santino take the photo; after the contest, Kane appeared, backed Kelly into the corner, and offered his hand to help her up but she slid under the ring; Kane then followed her backstage; after the commercial break, footage was shown of Kelly walking past Jamie Noble backstage, with Kane then shoving Noble out of the way, catching up to Kelly, and telling her they needed to talk
Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Sim Snuka to a no contest at 3:32 when Cody Rhodes and Manu, who sat ringside for the match, began fighting with Mysterio on the floor; prior to the bout, Deuce, as he was introduced by Lilian Garcia, took the mic and said he was the son of Jimmy Snuka and wanted to be introduced by his real name; after the bout, Knox attacked Mysterio from behind on the floor and dropped him with the Hard Knox outside the ring (Deuce’s debut as Sim Snuka)
Chris Jericho fought Jim Duggan to a no contest when Jericho came out dressed in a suit and said he refused to wrestle, saying it was a slap in the face he would have to compete against Duggan after carrying Raw on his shoulders single-handedly for the past year; Jericho then said he refused to wrestle until he had a title match or an opponent worthy of his caliber and then walked off
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated CM Punk & Kofi Kingston at 11:25 when Morrison pinned Kingston with the Moonlight Drive after Kingston knocked Mizanin to the floor; prior to the bout, still photos were shown of Morrison & Mizanin winning the titles from Punk & Kingston two days earlier in Hamilton, Ontario; the champions came to the ring in possession of their 2008 Slammy for Tag Team of the Year; WWE IC Champion William Regal & Layla watched the match from the entrance stage; after the contest, Kane came out to the ring, dropped Mizanin with a chokeslam and the tombstone
Dolph Ziggler pinned Charlie Haas at 3:45 with the jumping reverse bulldog after Haas hit the corner; Haas worked the match dressed as Santa Claus and handed out presents to ringside fans before the bout; after the contest, Ziggler ripped up Haas’ suit
World Heavyweight Champion John Cena & Batista defeated Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, & Manu via disqualification in a handicap match at 18:09 when Orton shoved referee Mike Chioda out of the way so he could kick Batista in the head; during the bout, it was noted the following week’s show would feature Shawn Michaels vs. Kane, Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. John Bradshaw Layfield, Chris Jericho vs. CM Punk, and Orton vs. Batista, with the winners advancing to a match the week after to determine Cena’s next challenger; after the contest, Cena and a trainer tended to Batista in the ring as Legacy celebrated at ringside (Batista’s last appearance for 4 months)
Dark match after the show: World Heavyweight Champion John Cena pinned Chris Jericho with the FU in a streetfight
WWE @ Baltimore, MD – 1st Mariner Arena – December 16, 2008 (4,500)
Lawrence Knight defeated Sho Funaki
ECW – featured an opening in-ring promo by ECW World Champion Matt Hardy regarding Jeff Hardy being the new WWE World Champion; moments later, Chavo Guerrero Jr. interrupted, claimed that Edge would regain the title from Jeff, and that Chavo would take Matt’s title later in the night; Teddy Long then appeared, dressed as an elf, and said he spoke to both Vickie Guerrero and Matt about the match and said it wouldn’t be later in the night – it would take place immediately; Long then made a joke about Vickie being fat before the match began; included ads for the following Saturday’s “Tribute to the Troops” on NBC; featured the same backstage promo from Raw with Triple H & Shawn Michaels in which they advertised their DX holiday merchandise, including their sweatshirt and stuffed bears; included a backstage segment in which DJ Gabriel & Alicia Fox danced until Mark Henry, dressed as Santa Claus, and Tony Atlas, as Rudolph, scared them off and Henry cut a rhyme promo on seeking revenge on Finlay & Hornswoggle; featured a backstage segment with Tiffany, CM Punk, Kofi Kingston, & Ricky Ortiz in which Tiffany wished the three good luck in their main event; during the segment, Ortiz gave Tiffany one of his rally towels for Christmas; after Punk joked that Kingston wanted one too, Ortiz gave Kingston another; included an ad for “Behind Enemy Lines: Columbia”:
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy pinned Chavo Guerrero Jr. at 9:52 with the Twist of Fate as the challenger attempted the Three Amigos
Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) pinned Gavin Spears with the Celtic Cross at 3:58; prior to the bout, Hornswoggle stole Todd Grisham & Matt Striker’s Slammy award from the commentary table; moments later, footage was shown of Finlay defeating Mark Henry at Armageddon
Jack Swagger, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated CM Punk, Kofi Kingston, & Ricky Ortiz at 10:21 when Swagger pinned Ortiz with the gutwrench into the powerbomb after kicking Ortiz as he attempted a springboard into the match; prior to the bout, still photos were shown of Morrison & Mizanin beating Punk & Kingston for the titles Saturday in Hamilton, Ontario; during the bout, a crawl at the bottom of the screen read an uninterrupted version of the show would air at 4 p.m. EST the following day on WWE.com
Smackdown! – featured an opening backstage promo by WWE World Champion Jeff Hardy, following clips of him winning the title at Armageddon, in which he said “Here I come;” included an in-ring promo by Hardy, accompanied by fireworks and confetti, in which he commented on his title win after a decade in the company; moments later, Edge appeared and claimed Hardy got lucky while it was hard luck that got Edge to the title; after Hardy said Edge was a liar, Edge claimed he had nothing to do with jumping Jeff before Survivor Series because he was already better than him and had always been a better performer; Edge then said he would be facing ECW World Champion Matt Hardy later in the show and that Jeff would face Vladimir Kozlov; after Edge said Jeff would always be the screw up, Jeff dropped Edge with the Twist of Fate; featured a backstage segment with Chavo Guerrero Jr. and Vickie Guerrero in which Vickie knocked a cup of coffee out of Chavo’s hands after claiming the coffee he made for her wasn’t hot; moments later, Edge came in and said he wanted to hurt Jeff later in the night; included a backstage segment in which Shawn Michaels & Triple H tried to sell more DX merchandise, including clothing, toys, video games, and the new “History of the Intercontinental Championship” DVD and the Summer Slam anthology set; the two chopped each other throughout the segment and eventually brawled and choked each other as the segment ended; featured Eve conducting a backstage interview with Matt Hardy regarding Jeff winning the world title and facing Edge later in the show; included ads for the following day’s “Tribute to the Troops” special on NBC; featured a backstage segment with MVP and Ken Kennedy in which Kennedy told MVP to keep his chin up before plugging his upcoming film, “Behind Enemy Lines: Columbia;” included an ad for “Edge: A Decade of Decadence;” featured the announcement that Batista sustained a severe concussion Monday during Raw and would be out for an unknown period of time; included Eve conducting a backstage interview with the Great Khali, with Runjin Singh, regarding kissing Mae Young at Armageddon, with Singh saying Khali found his soulmate in Mae:
Hurricane Helms & R Truth defeated WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin & MVP at 5:41 when Helms pinned Benjamin with a modified Unprettier, moments after MVP accidentally kicked his partner when Helms moved out of the way; prior to the bout, it was announced Helms would face Benjamin the following week in a title match
WWE Raw Tag Team Champion John Morrison (w/ WWE Raw Tag Team Champions Mike Mizanin) pinned Festus (w/ Jesse) with the Moonlight Drive at 2:42 after Jesse, in possession of the ring bell, tried to hit Mizanin with the weapon on the floor but hit the ringpost, ringing in the process, and turning Festus into a comatose state; prior to the bout, still photos were shown of Morrison & Mizanin winning the titles the previous Saturday in Hamilton, Ontario
Edge pinned ECW World Champion Matt Hardy in a non-title match at 15:12 with the spear after sending Hardy shoulder-first into the ringpost
Ezikial Jackson (w/ The Brian Kendrick) pinned WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Carlito (w/ WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Primo Colon) at 3:31 with a uranage after clubbing Carlito in the back as he attempted a springboard back elbow
Maryse pinned Maria with the DDT at 3:38 after Maria injured her ankle while coming off the middle turnbuckle; stipulations stated the winner would receive a title shot against WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool; McCool sat ringside for the contest; after the match, Maryse and McCool had a confrontation on the floor, with McCool slapping Maryse’s hand away from the title belt when she went to touch it
WWE World Champion Jeff Hardy defeated Vladimir Kozlov via disqualification in a non-title match at 9:45 when Edge interfered after the champion hit the Whisper in the Wind; after the contest, Kozlov held Jeff as Edge landed several blows; moments later, Triple H was shown on the big screen as Edge grabbed a steel chair, anticipating Triple H coming out for the save; moments later, Triple H appeared, dropped Edge with the Pedigree, and then brawled with Kozlov at ringside until chasing him backstage with the sledgehammer; Hardy then hit Edge with the Swanton
– 12/18/08: WrestleMania 24 aired as a one-hour special on MyNetworkTV. Matches featured, spliced in with several songs, included John Cena vs. Triple H vs. WWE World Champion Randy Orton, Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels, the Big Show vs. Floyd Mayweather, and World Heavyweight Champion Edge vs. the Undertaker.
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Tallahassee, FL – Leon County Civic Center – December 20, 2008
WWE @ Toronto, Ontario – Air Canada Center – December 22, 2008 (17,122; 14,000 paid; sell out)
Kizarny defeated Zach Ryder (w/ Curt Hawkins)
Raw – featured an opening backstage promo by Santino Marella & WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix in which Santino said all the fans had been naughty and then said he had a secret for all the kids regarding Santa Claus; after Beth attempted to stop him, Santino continued until World Heavyweight Champion John Cena appeared and said Santino had never liked Santa; Santino then told Cena to find a partner to face Santino & Phoenix; the camera then panned to Goldust, with Santino then saying Cena’s partner would have to have ovaries; Cena accpeted the offer and walked off, with Santino then saying he would tell his Santa Claus secret after his team wins; included backstage footage of Cena speaking with Kelly Kelly, with the two shaking hands; featured the announcement that the following night’s ECW would be a Best of 2008 episode; included a backstage segment in which Sim Snuka spoke with Randy Orton and said he would be an asset to the group, with Cody Rhodes and Manu walking by and Orton implying Legacy might need a new member after looking Manu’s way; featured a backstage pre-taped segment in which Shawn Michaels & Triple H advertised several of the items for sale through WWEShop.com, including “The History of the WWE Intercontinental Championship” and the Summer Slam Anthology, with the two eventually coming to blows after Triple H made fun of Michaels going bald; included a backstage segment in which CM Punk spoke with Shawn Michaels, with Triple H then showing up and questioning why Michaels didn’t come to him; Michaels then said he got himself into the situation and would get himself out, even if that means working for John Bradshaw Layfield; featured a look at the explosives used in “Behind Enemy Lines: Columbia;” included a backstage segment in which Dolph Ziggler introduced himself to Kelly Kelly; moments later, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin appeared, with Mizanin confonting Mizanin over the chokeslam Kane gave him the previous week; Morrison then said someone trashed Kelly’s hotel room; featured a backstage segment in which Kelly was shown running out of the arena with her bags and telling Todd Grisham she talked to Cena and he understands; included a video package highlighting the previous week’s “Tribute to the Troops,” set to Needtobreathe’s “Shine On”:
Race to the Rumble Qualifying Match: Shawn Michaels pinned Kane (w/ Kelly Kelly) at 5:32 with the superkick after avoiding the chokeslam and sending Kane into the corner; prior to the bout, Kane grabbed the mic and said he was politely asked by Stephanie McMahon to apologize to Kelly for the events of the previous week, with Kane then sarcastically apologizing to her; Kane then said Kelly should apologize to him for lying to him and leading him on; Kane said she wasn’t in love with WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Mike Mizanin and that she should have told him the truth; during the bout, several fans chanted “You screwed Bret” at Michaels; after the bout, John Bradshaw Layfield was shown watching backstage
Kofi Kingston pinned Manu (w/ Cody Rhodes) at 3:21 by reversing an attempted Samoan Drop into a crucifix; prior to the bout, Kingston cut an insert promo in which he wished his family and the fans a happy holidays
Melina & Mickie James defeated Jillian Hall & Layla at 3:57 when Melina pinned Jillian with a modified powerbomb / sunset flip; prior to the bout, Jillian sang “Let it Snow” in a British accent, since Layla was her partner; WWE IC Champion William Regal provided guest commentary for the bout; after the contest, a visibly emotional Melina tended to Mickie but the commentary team didn’t speak of it
Race to the Rumble Qualifying Match: John Bradshaw Layfield defeated Rey Mysterio Jr. via disqualification at 12:28 when Shawn Michaels appeared ringside, pulled JBL out of the ring as Mysterio attempted the 619, and slapped JBL across the face to get Mysterio disqualified; prior to the bout, it was announced Mike Knox had been given the night off by Stephanie McMahon due to his recent actions against Mysterio
Race to the Rumble Qualifying Match: Randy Orton defeated Batista via forfeit when Batista did not appear due to injury; after the bout, Orton took the mic and said he had many memorable moments in his career but nothing was as satisfying than kicking Batista in the head the previous week; Orton then mentioned he won his first world title in the same arena only to be attacked by Batista the following day and had the same dream every night for four years to kick Batista in the head to get revenge; he then said the next time Batista saw him, Orton would be the world champion
Race to the Rumble Qualifying Match: Chris Jericho pinned CM Punk at 14:45 with the Code Breaker as Punk attempted a springboard clothesline; Jericho was heavily cheered in the match and Punk booed; several in the crowd sang “O Canada” during the contest
World Heavyweight Champion John Cena & Trish Stratus (mystery partner) (sub. for Kelly Kelly) defeated Santino Marella & WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix at 4:27 when Cena pinned Santino with the FU after Stratus hit the Chick Kick on Phoenix; prior to the bout, the crowd chanted “Santino” before he cut an in-ring promo and pointed out Rosa Mendez in the crowd, who he claimed was the world’s #1 Santino fan; Santino then said Canada was second place to the US in almost everything; Santino then said he wasn’t going to wait to give his secret regarding Santa Claus but Cena’s theme music cut him off as he was going to continue; after Cena came out, he said Santino’s secret was that Santa was in the building and then pointed him out in the front row; Cena then said Santa got him a new tag team partner, with Stratus then appearing; Cena was booed in the match but Stratus heavily cheered
Smackdown! – featured an opening in-ring promo by Triple H in which he showed footage from Armageddon in which Vladimir Kozlov interfered in Triple H’s match against Edge and Jeff Hardy, with Triple H then saying Kozlov would have to pay a price and he would use the sledgehammer to collect; footage was then shown from the previous week of Triple H running Kozlov backstage with the weapon, with Triple H then calling Kozlov out then and there; Chavo Guerrero Jr. appeared instead, with Chavo saying Vickie Guerrero wasn’t happy with Triple H interfering in the previous week’s match and if he did interfere again he wouldn’t be part of the Royal Rumble or compete for the WWE World Title; Triple H then said Vickie apparently was too fat to come out herself and then said Chavo had fallen from being a Guerrero and a warrior to being a gopher boy; Chavo then approached the ring but backed off with Triple H picked up the sledgehammer; Vickie then came out and said she wasn’t going to let Triple H insult Chavo or the Guerrero name and said Chavo would face Triple H then and there, leading into the opening match; included vignettes promoting the debut of Kizarny the following week; featured a video package highlighting Jeff Hardy’s WWE World Title win at Armageddon; included a promo by Hardy, in face paint, regarding his title win, Vickie Guerrero, and facing the Big Show later in the show; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read more viewers watched the previous week’s Smackdown! than both NBA games on ESPN combined; included highlights from the recent tour of Iraq, set to Needtobreathe’s “Shine On;” featured a backstage segment with Edge and Vickie in which Edge said Hardy as champion was a disgrace, with Show then walking in and telling Edge his relationship with Vickie was strictly business in Edge’s absence; Show then said he would take out Jeff permanently but wanted a title shot for his efforts, with Vickie agreeing; Edge protested but Vickie agreed; included a backstage segment with WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool and Maria talked about their four-year friendship and agreed their disagrements were behind them, with Michelle advising Maria not to screw up her role as guest referee in Michelle’s title defense against Maryse; featured an ad for “Behind Enemy Lines: Columbia;” included a vignette promoting the return of Umaga; featured an ad for “Edge: A Decade of Decadence;” included a backstage segment with Edge and Show in which Edge wished Show good luck in his match against Hardy, with Show saying Edge was “full of Canadian crap” and didn’t believe him and said he would do to Hardy what Edge couldn’t; before walking away, Show asked Edge how his marriage was going; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE broadcasts in 28 languages in more than 145 nations:
Triple H pinned Chavo Guerrero Jr. with the Pedigree at 2:22; Vickie Guerrero stood at the entrance stage for the duration of the contest; after the bout, Triple H struck Chavo in the chest with the sledgehammer and then looked toward Vickie
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin pinned Hurricane Helms at 11:02 with a kick to the head and the Paydirt; prior to the bout, Benjamin cut an in-ring promo on the length of his title reign
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Carlito (w/ WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champion Primo Colon, Brie & Nikki Bella) pinned The Brian Kendrick (w/ Ezikiel Jackson) at 2:18 with the Back Stabber after avoiding The Kendrick
Maryse pinned WWE Divas Champion Michelle McCool to win the title at 4:36 with a kick to the back of the head as the champion argued with guest referee Maria; Maryse received a mixed reaction during her entrance but the title change drew loud applause; after the contest, Maria helped Michelle to her feet, with the two hugging until Michelle attacked Maria from behind, repeatedly rammed her head into the mat, and kicked her in the ribs; moments later, Michelle threw Maria to the floor and eventually threw her into the ringpost
The Great Khali (w/ Runjin Singh) pinned MVP with the tree slam at 2:38; after the bout, Ken Kennedy appeared at the entrance stage and asked ring announcer Justin Roberts to toss MVP a mic so he could talk about the match; because MVP was still knocked out, Kennedy did his own impression to get across what MVP would say, during which he plugged “Behind Enemy Lines: Columbia;” MVP eventually came to his senses but then fell back down before he could speak
Vladimir Kozlov pinned Jimmy Wang Yang at 1:00 with a uranagi after headubtting Yang as he came off the top; after the bout, Kozlov grabbed the mic and said what he did to Yang was an example of what Kozlov would do in the Royal Rumble and that he would win the Rumble and win the world title at WrestleMania
WWE World Champion Jeff Hardy defeated the Big Show via count-out in a non-title match at 10:59 after the two began fighting on the floor; prior to the match, Edge and Vickie Guerrero were shown watching backstage, with Vickie saying if Show won then he would face Edge the following week, with the winner receiving a title match with Hardy; after the bout, ECW World Champion Matt Hardy came out on the entrance stage to celebrate with Jeff; moments later, Edge and Vickie were shown backstage, with Vickie saying Edge & Show would face the Hardys the following week
Dark match after the taping: World Heavyweight Champion John Cena defeated Chris Jericho
ECW – 12/23/08 – Year in Review; featured highlights of CM Punk losing the ECW World Title, winning the Money in the Bank at WrestleMania, and later the World Heavyweight Title; included highlights of Kane winning the WrestleMania battle royal and then the ECW World Title; featured highlights of Mark Henry winning the ECW World Title; included highlights of John Morrison & Mike Mizanin’s in-ring accomplishments and hosting The Dirt Sheet; featured highlights of Morrison & Mizanin defeating Cryme Tyme at Cyber Sunday 08; included a vignette of ECW World Champion Matt Hardy; featured a vignette of Finlay & Hornswoggle; included a video package highlighting Hardy’s return at WrestleMania, winning the WWE US Title, and winning the ECW World Title at Unforgiven 08; featured a vignette on Evan Bourne; included highlights of Hardy defeating Bourne at Cyber Sunday; featured highlights from the recent tour of Iraq, set to Needtobreathe’s “Shine On;” included an ad for “Edge: A Decade of Decadence;” featured a look at the new faces of ECW – Kofi Kingston, Ricky Ortiz, Jack Swagger, and DJ Gabriel; included a look at Jeff Hardy winning the WWE World Title at Armageddon and post-show footage of ECW World Champion Matt Hardy congratulating Jeff in the aisle and ring; featured a closing music video recapping the events of the year set to Saliva’s “Don’t Question My Heart”
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Charlotte, NC – Time Warner Cable Arena – December 26, 2008 (6,500)
The Great Khali defeated Ryan Braddock
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin defeated R Truth and Hurricane Helms
Maryse & Natalya Neidhart defeated Nikki & Brie Bella
Kizarny defeated MVP
Triple H defeated Vladimir Kozlov in a streetfight
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon defeated The Brian Kendrick & Ezikial Jackson
WWE World Champion Jeff Hardy defeated Edge
The Undertaker defeated the Big Show in a steel cage match
WWE (Raw) @ Hershey, PA – Giant Center – December 26, 2008
Finlay defeated Mark Henry
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Cryme Tyme
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix defeated Melina
WWE IC Champion William Regal defeated CM Punk
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy defeated Jack Swagger
Kane defeated Kofi Kingston
Shawn Michaels defeated Randy Orton
World Heavyweight Champion John Cena defeated Chris Jericho
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Greensboro, NC – Coliseum – December 27, 2008 (7,500)
The Great Khali defeated Ryan Braddock
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin defeated R Truth and Hurricane Helms
Maryse & Natalya Neidhart defeated Nikki & Brie Bella
Kizarny defeated MVP
Triple H defeated Vladimir Kozlov in a streetfight
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon defeated The Brian Kendrick & Ezikial Jackson
WWE World Champion Jeff Hardy defeated Edge
The Undertaker defeated the Big Show in a steel cage match
WWE (Raw & ECW) @ Trenton, NJ – Sovereign Bank Arena – December 27, 2008
Finlay defeated Mark Henry
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Cryme Tyme
WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix defeated Melina
CM Punk defeated William Regal
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy defeated Jack Swagger
Kane defeated Kofi Kingston
Shawn Michaels defeated Randy Orton
World Heavyweight Champion John Cena defeated Chris Jericho
WWE (Smackdown! & ECW) @ Raleigh, NC – RBC Center – December 28, 2008 (matinee) (6,000) The Great Khali defeated Ryan Braddock
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin defeated R Truth and Hurricane Helms
Maryse & Natalya Neidhart defeated Nikki & Brie Bella; Sho Funaki was the guest referee for the bout
Kizarny defeated MVP
Triple H defeated Vladimir Kozlov in a streetfight
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon defeated The Brian Kendrick & Ezikial Jackson
WWE World Champion Jeff Hardy defeated Edge
The Undertaker defeated the Big Show in a steel cage match
WWE (Raw) @ New York City, NY – Madison Square Garden – December 28, 2008
Howard Finkel was the ring announcer for the show; featured an in-ring promo by Santino Marella which was interrupted by the Boogeyman, with the Boogeyman then chasing Marella backstage
Finlay pinned Mark Henry after hitting him with the shillelagh as the referee was distracted by Tony Atlas and Hornswoggle
Melina & Kelly Kelly defeated WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix & Jillian Hall when Melina pinned Hall with a modified legdrop
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy pinned Jack Swagger with the Twist of Fate (Swagger’s MSG debut)
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Cryme Tyme when Morrison pinned Shad with the Moonlight Drive
Shawn Michaels pinned Kane with the superkick; late in the bout, John Bradshaw Layfield appeared ringside, distracting both men
WWE IC Champion William Regal pinned CM Punk with a low blow and the knee to the head after Layla distracted the challenger as he attempted the Go To Sleep
Rey Mysterio Jr. & Kofi Kingston defeated Randy Orton & Cody Rhodes (w/ Manu) when Mysterio pinned Rhodes with a splash off the top after hitting a simultaneous 619 on both opponents
World Heavyweight Champion John Cena pinned Chris Jericho in a steel cage match with an FU off the top rope
WWE (Smackdown!) @ Richmond, VA – Coliseum – December 29, 2008 (6,500)
The Great Khali defeated Ryan Braddock
WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin defeated R Truth and Hurricane Helms
Michelle McCool & Natalya Neidhart defeated Nikki & Brie Bella; Sho Funaki was the guest referee for the bout
Kizarny defeated MVP
Triple H defeated Vladimir Kozlov in a streetfight
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon defeated The Brian Kendrick & Ezikial Jackson
WWE World Champion Jeff Hardy defeated Edge
The Undertaker defeated the Big Show in a steel cage match
WWE @ Manchester, NH – Verizon Wireless Arena – December 29, 2008 (7,000; sell out)
Ricky Ortiz defeated Tommy Dreamer
Raw – featured an opening in-ring promo by Rey Mysterio Jr. regarding his match the previous week against John Bradshaw Layfield and how Shawn Michaels cost Mysterio the match; moments later, Mysterio asked Michaels to come out to the ring and then challenged him to a match later in the show, with the winner then advancing into the night’s main event; after Michaels accepted, JBL came out and rejected the offer on behalf of Michaels; JBL then told Michaels to leave the ring; as Mysterio pleaded with Michaels to change his mind and stop listening to JBL, Mike Knox came out of the crowd and assaulted Mysterio; World Heavyweight Champion John Cena eventually came out to make the save; included a backstage segment with Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, Manu, and Sim Snuka in which Orton said Legacy would be bigger than DX, the Horsemen, or Evolution but he wouldn’t tolerate losers; Orton then said if any of his men lost their respective matches later in the show then they were out of the group; featured a backstage segment with Cena and Stephanie McMahon in which Cena protested having to do commentary for the main event instead of actually wrestling, and then did a Harry Carry impression of how he would call the night’s main event; Cena then said Stephanie should make a match with him, Mysterio, Knox, and whomever else she wanted to make the show stronger; included the announcement ECW World Champion Matt Hardy would face Mark Henry the following night on ECW; featured a promo by Goldust in which he recited his own “Night Before Christmas” about what gifts he got various WWE superstars, including Steve Austin, Santino Marella, Cody Rhodes, Umaga, Triple H, Edge, and others; included footage from Birmingham, AL of Batista undergoing surgery for a torn hamstring; featured Todd Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Chris Jericho regarding his participation in the night’s main event, during which Jericho made note that WWE Magazine named him the Jerk of the Year; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE.com beats CBS.com, ABC.com, FOX.com, and NBC.com in monthly page views; featured Grisham conducting a backstage interview with Michaels regarding his participation in the night’s main event while being an employee of JBL; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE was #2 in Yahoo! searches for 2008, beating out Barack Obama, American Idol, Miley Cyrus, Lindsay Lohan, and Angelina Jolie; featured a backstage segment with Kelly Kelly and Orton in which Kelly said she was protecting him from Kane and he still wouldn’t return her calls, with Orton calling Kelly a distraction and admitted he was just using her; included a look at “Behind Enemy Lines: Columbia”:
Cody Rhodes defeated CM Punk via count-out at 4:09 when, after assaulting Rhodes on the floor, Punk became distracted by WWE IC Champion William Regal & Layla, who came out before the match, outside the ring; prior to the bout, it was announced Punk would challenge Regal the following week; after the contest, Punk got the better of Rhodes in the ring until Regal laid Punk out with a knee to the head
Melina won a women’s battle royal by last eliminating Mickie James at 2:49; other participants included: Kelly Kelly, Katie Lea, Jillian Hall, and Candice Michelle; order of elimination: Candice by Katie Lea (0:24); Kelly by Jillian (0:56); Katie & Jillian by Mickie (1:15); stipulations stated the winner would earn a WWE Women’s Title shot at the Royal Rumble; WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix & Santino Marella provided guest commentary for the contest; after the match, Beth attacked Melina until Melina gained the upper hand on the floor, with Rosa Mendez then jumping the barrier and going after Melina until she was pulled away by security and ejected
Sim Snuka pinned Charlie Haas at 4:09 with a jump kick to the face after raising his knees to block a splash off the top; Haas played the role of Jimmy Snuka for the bout
World Heavyweight Champion John Cena, Rey Mysterio Jr., Kofi Kingston, & Cryme Tyme defeated Kane, Mike Knox, Dolph Ziggler, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin at 11:24 when Mysterio pinned Knox with a splash off the top after Knox sustained Cena’s Five Knuckle Shuffle and FU
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy defeated Manu in a non-title match at 7:50 with the Twist of Fate
John Bradshaw Layfield defeated Shawn Michaels, Randy Orton, and Chris Jericho in an elimination match at 24:41 by last eliminating Michaels; Michaels pinned Jericho with the superkick at 9:00 as Jericho attempted the Walls of Jericho on JBL; Michaels pinned Orton with the superkick at 20:10; JBL pinned Michaels with the Clothesline from Hell after Michaels repeatedly told him to hit him with the move; stipulations stated the winner would face World Heavyweight Champion John Cena at the Royal Rumble
ECW – 12/30/08 – featured an opening in-ring segment of The Dirt Sheet in which WWE Raw Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin in which they said they had bought everyone in the building new cars, then said they were joking; the two then reviewed their accomplishments over the year; Mizanin then said he would give one of his hats to the Smithsonian and say “Bababooey” as many times as possible; Morrison then said he would get abs 11 and 12 to pop out and star in a kung fu movie; the two then argued after they both said they would win the 2009 Royal Rumble; Mizanin then said Evan Bourne resolves to move out of his mother’s basement and Morrison said World Heavyweight Champion John Cena resolves to get some acting lessons; Mizanin then said Batista would wear a helmet to the ring so he would stop getting concussions; Morrison then said Triple H would get a family-size nasal douche; Mizanin then said Finlay would get tighty whiteys so his next kid doesn’t come out a leprachaun; as the two continued to insult Finlay and Hornswoggle, the two came out to the ring; Finlay then gave Hornswoggle the mic, with Hornswoggle yelling and Finlay then hitting Morrison; Mizanin then attacked Finlay, with the champions double teaming Finlay until Hornswoggle went underneath the ring; moments later, the Boogeyman appeared from underneath the ring and, with Finlay, cleared the champions from ringside; included a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE.com gets more monthly page views than CBS.com, ABC.com, FOX.com, and NBC.com; featured a vignette promoting the debut of Kizarny Friday on Smackdown!; included a look at the weapons used in “Behind Enemy Lines: Columbia;” featured a backstage segment with the Boogeyman and Hornswoggle in which Boogeyman sang before eating a worm
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy defeated Mark Henry (w/ Tony Atlas) via disqualification in a non-title match at 10:04 when Jack Swagger interfered and hit the gutwrench powerbomb on Hardy after Henry shoved off an attempt at the Twist of Fate; after the bout, Henry dropped Hardy with the powerslam
DJ Gabriel (w/ Alicia Fox) defeated Paul Burchill (w/ Katie Lea) at 5:30 with a double leg pickup into a roll up as Burchill had him in a headlock (the Burchills’ ECW debut)
WWE Raw Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin defeated Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) & the Boogeyman in a No DQ match at 5:53 when Morrison pinned Finlay with a roll up after Finlay knocked Mizanin to the floor; after the bout, Boogeyman scared Morrison back into the ring where Finlay dropped him with the Celtic Cross
Dark match after the taping: World Heavyweight Champion John Cena pinned Chris Jericho in a streetfight; prior to the bout, Jericho slapped Cena’s father, who was in attendance
WWE @ East Rutherford, NJ – Izod Center – December 30, 2008 (13,000)
R Truth pinned Ryan Braddock with the scissors kick
Smackdown! – 1/2/09 – featured an opening in-ring announcement by Vickie Guerrero in which she announced WWE World Champion Jeff Hardy would defend against Edge at the Royal Rumble and that the Smackdown! stars who will be taking part in the Rumble match will be announced later in the show; moments later, Triple H appeared and argued she should go ahead and announce who would be in the Rumble match and that he should be in the match to guarantee a Smackdown! performer won; Triple H then said if a Smackdown! performer didn’t win then Vickie would be seen as a weak GM, then pulled out her action figure to show how realistic it was; Vickie then told Triple H he was in the Rumble, with Triple H taking off the action figure’s shirt and said it was hot; Triple H then said he went playing on the Internet earlier in the show and found nude photos of her on eBay; she eventually ran backstage after Triple H said the auction ended in 5 minutes and that he keeps getting outbid by someone named chavog2009; included a vignette promoting the return of Umaga; featured Eve conducting a backstage interview with Michelle McCool regarding her losing the WWE Divas Champion the previous week to Maryse and then attacking guest referee Maria after the bout, with Michelle claiming Maria cost her the title; included a backstage segment with Edge, Big Show, and Vickie in which they discussed Vickie’s photos on eBay; after Vickie left, Show and Edge traded words; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE is watched by more than 15 million people every week in the US; included a look at the props used in “Behind Enemy Lines: Columbia;” included an in-ring segment in which Jim Ross announced that Triple H, the Big Show, Vladimir Kozlov, and WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin would help make up the Smackdown! contingent at the Rumble; moments later, Benjamin interrupted and corrected Ross’ announcement by saying he should have named him the odds-on winner; Ross then left the ring as Benjamin cut a promo on having held the belt 6 months and that he would leave WrestleMania as WWE World Champion; Benjamin then said Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, Finlay, or R Truth couldn’t compare to him; moments later, the voice of the Undertaker was heard saying “I think you forgot someone;” the lights then went out and when they came back on Taker was in the ring; Taker then hit the chokeslam on Benjamin; featured a vignette promoting the debut of Kizarny later in the show; included an in-ring promo by McCool in which she said Eve was right and Maria deserved an apology; McCool then asked Maria, who was not in the building, to accept her apology; she then asked Eve to come out so she could apologize to her in person; Eve then appeared and accepted McCool’s apology; after the two hugged, Eve went to go backstage but was jumped from behind by McCool; McCool then assaulted Eve around ringside, ending by throwing her into the ringpost, until referees came out to stop it; featured a backstage segment with Chavo Guerrero Jr. and Vickie in which Triple H appeared, with Vickie saying Triple H would compete the following week in a tables match, handicap match, and last man standing match; included the announcement that WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon would defend the following week against The Brian Kendrick & Ezikial Jackson:
The Great Khali (w/ Runjin Singh) & Finlay (w/ Hornswoggle) defeated Curt Hawkins & Zach Ryder at 4:04 when Khali pinned Ryder with one foot on his chest after hitting the tree slam on Ryder and the chop to the head on Hawkins; after the bout, Finlay & Hornswoggle attacked the opponents with Finlay dropping Hawkins with the Celtic Cross and Hornswoggle following with the frog splash
The Brian Kendrick & Ezikial Jackson defeated Jesse & Festus at 4:43 when Jackson pinned Jesse with a uranagi after making the blind tag
Vladimir Kozlov pinned Hurricane Helms at 4:02 following the headbutt to the chest and uranagi
Kizarny pinned MVP at 6:27 with a double arm DDT into a float over; prior to the bout, a degected MVP, without his trademark necklaces, asked his opponent to come on in so he could get it over with already; MVP was cheered during the bout and Kizarny booed; after the match, Ken Kennedy came out, told MVP not to let the loss get to him, and then plugged his new movie, “Behind Enemy Lines: Columbia” (Kizarny’s TV debut)
WWE World Champion Jeff Hardy & ECW World Champion Matt Hardy defeated Edge & the Big Show at 14:23 when Jeff pinned Edge following the Twist of Fate / Swanton combo; prior to the bout, Edge cut a promo on everything the fans blame him for, then adding they could blame him once Jeff loses his title; late in the bout, Show walked out of the match
Smackdown! – 1/9/09 – featured the announcement that WWE World Champion Jeff Hardy and his fiancee Beth had been involved in a car accident overnight near Jeff’s home of Cameron, NC; the Beth featured in the segment was not Hardy’s fiancee; included police dashcam footage from the scene in which Hardy said the wreck was caused by someone speeding behind him; featured Taz conducting a backstage interview taped earlier in the day with Edge regarding Jeff’s wreck, during which Edge said he felt bad for Jeff and that he wished he and his fiancee the best; included a look at the action scenes in “Behind Enemy Lines: Columbia;” featured a vignette showing Vladimir Kozlov in training; included Ken Kennedy as a guest of the VIP Lounge in which Kennedy plugged his movie before telling MVP that both he and the fans have had enough of MVP’s losing streak; moments later, a production crew came out to repossess MVP’s set; Kennedy then told MVP that things could always be worse; after Kennedy left ringside, the Boogeyman appeared and hit the pumphandle slam on MVP; featured a “Did you know?” graphic which read WWE programs can be seen in 465 million homes worldwide, more than the NBA, MLB, and NFL combined; included cell phone footage from the scene of the wreck capturing the moments Hardy was speaking with the police officer; featured comments from Hardy, via satellite, in which he said he was on his way back from a party attended by ECW World Champion Matt Hardy, R Truth, and Hurricane Helms when he was ran off the road:
Triple H defeated WWE Raw Tag Team Champion John Morrison (w/ WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Mike Mizanin) in a tables match after throwing Morrison off the top and through a table on the floor; after the contest, Triple H knocked Mizanin off the apron but was attacked from behind by Chavo Guerrero Jr., who threw Triple H through a table in the ring; following the commercial break, Vickie Guerrero confronted Triple H backstage to remind him of the other matches he had scheduled that night
The Undertaker pinned WWE US Champion Shelton Benjamin in a non-title match at 12:35 with the tombstone after catching Benjamin attempting to jump over Taker in the corner
Brie & Nikki Bella defeated Michelle McCool & Victoria at 3:24 when Victoria was pinned with an Oklahoma side roll after missing a moonsault; after the match, Michelle attacked Victoria and laid her out for losing the contest
Triple H defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. & WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Mike Mizanin in a handicap match at 4:18 by pinning Mizanin with the Pedigree, moments after Guerrero refused to be tagged into the match; after the contest, Vickie Guerrero appeared on the big screen and announced Triple H would face the Big Show later in the night in the last man standing match
WWE Smackdown! Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo Colon defeated The Brian Kendrick & Ezikial Jackson at 6:07 when Carlito pinned Kendrick with the Back Stabber
The Big Show defeated Triple H in a last man standing match at 16:25 following a right hand punch after hitting a chokeslam onto one of the commentary tables; after the match, Vickie Guerrero appeared and joined Show on stage as they watched Triple H lying on the table
WWE (Raw) @ Portland, ME – Cumberland County Civic Center – December 30, 2008 (5,042; 4,200 paid)
ECW World Champion Matt Hardy, WWE Raw Tag Team Champions John Morrison & Mike Mizanin did not appear as scheduled
Goldust pinned Santino Marella
Mark Henry pinned Ricky Ortiz with the powerslam
Cryme Tyme defeated Cody Rhodes & Manu when Shad pinned Manu with a uranagi
Kane pinned Kofi Kingston (sub. for Rey Mysterio Jr.) with the chokeslam
Melina & Kelly Kelly defeated WWE Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix & Jillian Hall when Melina pinned Hall with the Canadian Destroyer
Jack Swagger pinned Tommy Dreamer with the doctor bomb
WWE IC Champion William Regal pinned CM Punk with the knee to the head after Layla distracted Punk as he attempted the Go To Sleep
World Heavyweight Champion John Cena pinned Randy Orton with the FU after avoiding the RKO