Raw Results 12/12/11 - 2011 Slammy Awards

WWE Raw Results from Norfolk, VA:

Tonight's Raw result also include presentation of the various 2011 Slammy Awards.

To start off the show, Booker T, Eve, Alicia Fox and Hornswoggle presented the award for "Tell Me I Did Not Just See That."  Jim Ross won for dancing in the Michael Cole Challenge.  Ross came out and talked about how he never expected to win a Slammy.  Cole interrupted from the ring to complain about JR's win.  Booker told Cole that JR can beat him right now in a rap-off contest.  Booker and Hornswoggle brought JR to the ring and he and Cole traded freestyle raps.  According to crowd response, JR was the winner.

Mick Foley and The Million Dollar Man presented "Holy (bleep) Moment of the Year" which went to Big Show and Mark Henry for making the ring collapse during their match at a PPV.  Show came out to accept and thanked the Academy, saying Henry is probably afraid of him now.  Show said he's done talking and ready to bash someone's head in.

Big Show defeated Wade Barrett due to DQ.  Barrett tried to use a steel chair in the ring causing the DQ, then ran away from the ring after show punched the chair away.

Road Dogg Jesse James came out to present the Pipe Bomb of the Year Award.  There were 14 different candidates including R-Truth, Santino with fake Obama, Stone Cold and Punk, Punk's ice cream bars rant, Sheamus and Beaker, Ryder on YouTube and more.  CM Punk was announced as winner.

Punk came out to accept the award but said he wants to recognize someone else in WWE who works hard daily.  He presented a video montage tribute to John Laurinaitis which showed old highlight clips from Dynamic Dudes with Shane Douglas and Johnny Ace.

Former WWE Diva Lita came out to present "Most Divalicious Moment of the Year."  The winner was announced as Kelly Kelly, but Beth Phoenix and Natalya came out to interrupt.  They tried to get Kelly's Slammy, but she slapped Beth.  Beth and Natalya backed off from Lita and Kelly.

Santino presented the "OMG! Moment of the Year."  The Bella Twins came out to help tell what OMG means.  The winner was Undertaker for kicking out of a Tombstone by Triple H at WM27.  Triple H came out to accept the award, but went to the ring in street clothes, holding a sledgehammer.

Triple H delivered a promo in the ring saying HHH was the only guy to walk away from that match with Undertaker under his own power.  He said Undertaker and The Streak are no more, as they've come to their end.

HHH asked to see a video clip of Nash assaulting him again.  HHH said Nash should've finished the job, because now he's back.  On Sunday, it'll be "Might Making Right."  Hunter vowed that on Sunday he'll climb the ladder, grab the sledgehammer and bring it down on Nash over and over.  As HHH's music played he went up the ramp to where Santino was and tried to give him his Slammy to hold.  Santino ran backstage, and HHH posed up there.

David Otunga and Tony Atlas came out to present an award for "Trending Star of the Year."  Otunga mocked the laugh that Atlas used to do for the Abraham Washington Show on ECW.  Otunga said all four guys up for the award will compete in a match tonight.  It was between Cody Rhodes, Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler and Zack Ryder.

As the match started, Michael Cole said whichever wrestler trends first out of the four on Twitter will win the award.  The match was won by Ziggler after he hit Zig Zag on Bryan for a pinfall.  The award was won by Ryder, but Ziggler got upset and hit the Zig Zag on him before stealing the Slammy.

Christian came out to present the "Gamechanger of the Year" award.  The winners were The Rock for challenging John Cena to a match at WM28.  John Cena came out to accept the award and said the award rests on the shoulders of a team.  He pretend Rock was there to come out, but then said no Rock wasn't there.  He said there's a satellite clip, then said no they don't have one.  Cena then talked about WM28 and the big match saying the Gamechanging Moment will be April 1st and he will be at his very best.  Cena said he hopes Rock is committed to preparing for WM28, because he wants everyone to see Rock at his best.


Alberto Del Rio & The Miz defeated CM Punk and Randy Orton by pinfall in tag team action.  Late in the match, Punk wanted to tag in Orton, but Wade Barrett attacked Orton on the apron from out of nowhere.  That left Punk alone two-on-one.  Miz hit the Skullcrushing Finale on Punk to get the pin and win.

Post-match, Del Rio and Miz beat up Punk some using a ladder.  Del Rio put on the Cross armbreaker on Punk's arm with a ladder on it.  Miz said they want to make sure Punk makes it to the PPV so one of them can win the WWE title.

Vickie Guerrero and Goldust presented the award for "A-Lister of the Year."  Nominnes for the award were The Muppets, Snooki, Cee-Lo Green, and Hugh Jackman.  Snooki won and gave a thanks message on pre-recorded video.

Sheamus came to the ring for a match against Jinder Mahal.  As Mahal came out he cut a promo saying Sheamus will play a supporting role for his Slammy-award winning performance tonight.  Sheamus connected on a Brogue Kick as soon as Jinder got in the ring.  No match due to the fact the bell never rang to start it.

Rey Mysterio made a surprise appearance to announce "Superstar of the Year."  CM Punk was the winner but unable to accept the award due to his earlier beatdown.  Instead, John Laurinaitis came out and accepted the award on his behalf, saying Punk was in no condition to make it out there.

A 1/2/12 video promo was shown with the young girl in the classroom.  The boy from the earlier promos was saying on 1/2/12 it will be "the end of the world as you know it."  "Control" flashed on the screen before Raw went to commercial.

John Cena and Mark Henry fought to a no decision in the main event match.  Late in the match, Mark Henry was dominating when Cena escaped and made a comeback.  He tried to knock Henry off balance by running at him with shoulder block/tackles, but at one point Henry caught him.  Henry hit World's Strongest Slam on Cena, but was out of it and couldn't get over for the pinfall.

Suddenly, pyrotechnics went off and the arena went dark for a bit, before Kane's theme music and video hit.  Kane emerged from backstage up on the stage wearing a solid welder's type mask over his face.  He marched down the ramp to the ring as Henry rolled out.  Cena got up stumbling around.  Kane grabbed him around the throat and hit the chokeslam.  He raised Cena up and slammed him down to the mat.  Kane stood over Cena on the mat and then raised up his arms, before dropping them down as the ringposts exploded with pyro.  As Kane's music played, he lowered his head a bit to look down, then removed the welder's mask to reveal a new Kane mask.  He also had long hair again and some stubble on his chin.  Raw ended with the visual of the masked Kane face.

Tony Atlas & Hornswoggle Leaving WWE?

It seems with the moves of Mark Henry to Raw and Goldust to ECW that both Tony Atlas and Hornswoggle may be about done with their WWE careers, for now. While both are pure speculation, Tony Atlas may be the more sure release as his contract is expiring in just a few weeks time.

According to twnpnews.com:

Tony Atlas' future with WWE is very much in doubt following the transfer of his associate, Mark Henry, to the Raw brand this past Monday.

Company officials plan on pushing the "World's Strongest Man" as a top babyface, which as a result, has left Atlas to fend for himself as he is not being brought alongside him.

The WWE Hall of Famer's contract is coming due in a few weeks and it remains uncertain whether it will be renewed.

Of course one idea is for Atlas to become the manager for Ezekiel Jackson, another big man like Mark Henry who has yet to wrestle for ECW. Atlas could even align himself with Vladimir Kozlov in his chase for the title. Back in the WWF days, managers took on new wrestlers all the time, so let's hope WWE creative can put Atlas with someone. It would be a shame for Henry to be let go after resurrecting his once dormant career and saving himself from previous issues. Atlas competed in his first wrestling match in some time just a few weeks ago against Evan Bourne, but was on the losing end.

Hornswoggle is another story though. He now has no father figure, with Finlay on Smackdown and Goldust on ECW. Many fans have grown tired of the prankster leprechaun gimmick and found the fact he wins matches to be insulting to other talent. In previous episodes of Raw, Hornswoggle was paired up with Goldust and Festus in some sort of display of "freaks", but now that has been torn apart since the one guy who spoke, Goldust, has been traded to a new show.

ECW Star Tony Atlas Returns Home

The Roanoke Times featured a front page photo and story about WWE legendary superstar, ECW's Tony Atlas. Atlas (real name: Tony White) currently serves as the manager for ECW superstar Mark Henry, "The World's Strongest Man". Last week on ECW, Atlas saw himself back in the wrestling ring as he went toe-to-toe with the high-flying Evan Bourne. On Tuesday night's ECW, Atlas was at ringside, giving support and morale for Henry as Mark finally defeated Evan Bourne with the World's Strongest Slam.

It was a homecoming for Atlas as he returned to Roanoke where grew up in Clifton Forge, VA, attending Patrick Henry high school back in the 1970's. He saw familiar faces along the way as he did a media tour prior to the live WWE event from Roanoke Tuesday night. Tony's trip included a radio show for WSLC, an interview (alongside Henry) with Natasha Ryan of WDBJ Channel 7 news, eating a plate full of ribs at Blues BBQ Company, and working out at the local Golds Gym in Roanoke. Atlas wrapped it up with the ECW event televised Tuesday night.

Atlas is enjoying recent success but according to the article on him and his history, Atlas fell from glory. His story is almost similar to that of The Wrestler movie. He was prominent in WWE back in the days when things were much different and he once held the Mr. USA Bodybuilding title. According to the Times' article, other wrestlers actually helped give him cortisone injections and re-set bones/joints. Atlas fell victim to drugs and became homeless, then was taken in by a woman who helped him on the road to recovery. He married her and they've been together for 20 some years now. Tony's financial situation is also much improved, as he was doing gigs in high school gyms and serving as a part-time personal trainer. A call from the WWE let him know he was being inducted into the Hall of Fame, and eventually he signed a new talent contract with the company, giving him his current manager role. Atlas plans to buy his first house now that he's making some decent coin.

You can check out the full article "Wrestler pins success" at Roanoke Times website along with a photo slideshow and video footage of Tony Atlas' visit back to his home of Roanoke, Virginia.

ECW Recap 12.09.08

ECW Recap from Bridgeport, CT:

ECW opened with a promotional video for the Finlay & Hornswoggle versus Mark Henry & Tony Atlas tag team match. Highlights were shown of Mark Henry going after Hornswoggle during several incidents. Finlay vowed that they will finish what was started last week.

Todd Grisham & Matt Striker welcomed everyone to the show from Bridgeport, Connecticut. Tommy Dreamer was already in the ring, in street clothes. Dreamer discussed how for more than 15 years ECW has been his life and everything to him. All of a sudden, Vladimir Kozlov from Smackdown rushed into the ring and attacked Dreamer, leaving him layed out. Kozlov picked up the mic and began speaking incoherently, apparently challenging Matt Hardy. As Dreamer tried to get up near the ropes, Kozlov kicked him down yet again and picked up the mic saying this will be Hardy's future.

As Dreamer was still down in the ring, Kozlov left, but Jack Swagger came out from backstage down the ramp. Swagger got in the ring and kicked Dreamer to make sure he was down, then picked up Dreamer and used his finisher on him. Swagger did several taunting moves after slamming Dreamer, then left the ring all smiles.

Todd Grisham introduced highlights of last night's Slammy Awards, featuring the Miz and John Morrison winning the 2008 Tag Team of the Year Slammy. Miz taunted Festus who was a presenter, slapping him in the face and mocking him as if he were Forrest Gump. Morrison and Miz then made an "emotional acceptance" speech.

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Grisham congratulated his commentary partner Matt Striker as being part of the Best Commentary Team 2008. Striker congratulated Grisham as well as they showed off their statue award.

Jimmy Wang Yang & Kung Fu Naki vs. The Miz & John Morrison

Miz and Morrison were introduced as "2 Time Slammy Award Winners" and came down the ramp with their 2 statues.

Late in the match, Miz worked to wear down Fu Naki with a headlock. Fu Naki tried to get to his feet, but Miz promptly knocked him back down and reapplied a hold. Fu Naki struggled to try to tag Wang, but Miz picked him up. Naki shifted his weight to try a roll up pin, but Miz escaped and regained control. Miz hit a running clothesline on Fu Naki in the corner, but couldn't score the pinfall. Morrison tagged Miz' back, then Miz did a slingshot to propel Fu Naki up. Morrison clocked Fu Naki in the face then jumped over the rope to elbow drop him. Morrison worked to wear down Fu Naki's left arm for a while. Fu Naki eventually escaped and tried a roll up pin but failed. Fu Naki was able to kick Morrison away and make the tag.

Jimmy Wang Yang tagged in and went crazy as he flew around the ring kicking Miz off the apron and flipping Morrison out of the corner. Yang had the pinfall but Miz rushed in to save his partner. Fu Naki came in also but the ref started to push him back. Miz ran over and shoved Fu Naki out of the ring, then Yang shoved Miz out. Yang turned his attention to Miz, countering the Moonlight Drive. The two went to the corner with Yang doing a backflip but missing Morrison and landing on his feet. Morrison was quick to jump off the ropes and hit a springboard kick on Yang, then took the pin.

Winner: The Miz & John Morrison win via pinfall over Jimmy Wang Yang & Kung Fu Naki.

Backstage, Mark Henry was preparing in the locker room for the tag match. Tony Atlas came walking in wearing an old red, white & blue outfit he wore back in his pro wrestling days. Henry started chewing out Tony Atlas saying the match isn't about him and nobody cares about his old outfit. Henry said the outfit will be green once he squashes the leprechaun.

Slammy for Match of the Year was highlighted with Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair Career Threatening Match at Wrestlemania 24 winning. HBK accepted the statue, but JBL came out and took the award away saying he deserves it more for beating John Cena in the Parking Lot Brawl.

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ECW returned with a replay of Vladimir Kozlov's earlier attack on Tommy Dreamer in the ring, followed by Kozlov challenging Matt Hardy to a match. Todd Grisham made the announcement that Matt Hardy will face Vladimir Kozlov at Armageddon now.

Backstage, Matt Hardy spoke about the new match for Armageddon. Matt said that Kozlov called him a coward since he couldn't beat him in a Beat the Clock match. Matt said we'll see what Kozlov says when he can't beat him at Armageddon.

Scott Reed vs. The Boogeyman

Boogeyman made his entrance crawling out on the ramp full of smoke, then standing to smash a huge clock over his head as the pyro went off. Boogeyman was frothing at the mouth as he came down to the ring. Matt Striker said two wrestlers he's faced in the ring who truly frightened him were Undertaker and Boogeyman.

In the match, Reed tried to attack as the bell rang but Boogeyman responded fast, eventually slamming Reed. Boogeyman whipped Reed from corner to corner and smashed into him, before picking up Reed for a two handed slam to win it. After winning, Boogeyman retrieved his bag of worms and drooled them into Reed's mouth.

Winner: The Boogeyman wins via pinfall over Scott Reed.

Backstage, Hornswoggle came in to hand a green hat to Finlay. Finlay sat down to tell Hornswoggle to listen to what he tells him to do in the ring tonight. Hornswoggle excitedly rushed out of the locker room to get to the match, with Finlay looking concerned.

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ECW returned to show the Slammy for 2008 Superstar of the Year which went to Chris Jericho. Jericho took his statue to the ring to make his acceptance speech, but John Cena rushed down to interrupt. Cena chased Jericho out into the crowd.

Finlay & Hornswoggle vs. Mark Henry & Tony Atlas

Hall of Famer Tony Atlas started out by locking up with Finlay. The twowent to the corner twice with the ref moving them away. Atlas locked a side headlock on Finlay briefly then came off the ropes twice to knock Finlay down with shoulder blocks. On the third attempt, Finlay clotheslined Atlas down then hit an elbow drop. Finlay rushed over to take a jab at Henry on the apron, prompting the big man to get into the ring. The ref worked to hold Henry back, as Hornswoggle did a Tadpole Splash off the corner onto Atlas. Henry got by the ref and shoved Finlay out of the ring, then shoved Hornswoggle down. Henry went to splash down onto Hornswoggle off the corner, but Finlay was quick to pull him out of the ring.

ECW returned from a commercial with Mark Henry in control of Finlay. He and Atlas continued working to wear down the Irishman. Finlay started to fight back and threw a shoulder into Atlas' face. Mark Henry came back in to beat Finlay around the ring, but as he ran at Finlay in the corner, Finlay met him with a boot to the face. Finlay tried to jump off the ropes at Henry, but Henry caught him in a bear hug then hit Finlay with a boot of his own. Henry kept a headlock on Finlay, until Finlay stood and dropped down to hit a jawbreaker on Henry.

Henry shoved Finlay out of the ring again, and yanked Hornswoggle into the ring. Henry prepared to hit a huge splash on Hornswoggle, but Finlay rushed into the ring to push his son out of harm's way. Henry delivered the splash on Finlay instead, then hit the World's Strongest Slam to win it.

Winners: Mark Henry & Tony Atlas win by pinfall over Hornswoggle & Finlay.

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In Memory of Conrad Efraim - Special Delivery Jones

On Monday, Conrad Efraim, better known as wrestler "Special Delivery Jones" died of a stroke at the age of 63. The former WWF star of the 80's was said to be in good health by his wife Kay.

SLAM! Sports reported the following from Efraim's wife:

"On Wednesday, he was laughing and singing and all of that," she told SLAM! Wrestling from Antigua. "He went to feed the dogs, and when he came back, he called my name. He said, 'Kay.' He showed me his fingers, and the next thing I know, his body went limp. We went to the doctor's, and he had three-quarters of his brain bleeding, covered with blood."

In the hospital, he could write but not speak. "He wrote, 'I want to go straight to New York,'" she recalled with a chuckle. "He recognized me, and squeezed my hand"

Born in 1945, in Antigua of the West Indies, Efraim began his wrestling career in the 70's working with WWWF. He eventually went on to win the NWA Tag team titles several times, and after being known as Roosevelt Jones for some time, he finally adopted the nickname "Special Delivery". The 6'1" 260 pounder was known as a great entertainer, capable of winning or losing a match in very believable fashion. At the first ever Wrestlemania, Jones lost to King Kong Bundy in a record 9 seconds. Jones told SLAM! Sports that the loss didn't hurt him all that much as it offered a big, big payday. S.D. Jones would go on to team up with wrestling greats like Rocky Johnson and Andre the Giant for many tag team matches. At one point, Jones teamed up with Tony Atlas and the two men tried several times for the WWWF tag team titles. The duo couldn't do it, with Jones saying it was his fault. Eventually, Rocky Johnson teamed up with Atlas and they won the titles, only to lose them 3 weeks later. Jones retired after over 20 years of wrestling action (1971-1991).

At SLAM! Sports, Jones' wife offered the following about Jones being a fan favorite:

"He loved it. He loved to be a wrestler," she said, explaining that he got energy from his fans; "They were a part of his life for years and years and years, and we do appreciate a lot of them. He really, really loved the fans."

Jones was last seen at a WWE event for Wrestlemania 22, where he presented the legendary Tony Atlas into the WWE Hall of Fame. He is survived by his wife, Kay, his son, two daughters, Donna and Abigail, and four grandchildren.

WWE.com has a writeup about the wrestler as well as photos and videos.

Info Sources:

S.D. Jones dies in Antigua

Conrad Efraim - Wikipedia.org

ECW Recap 10.21.08

ECW Recap from Laredo, TX:

ECW opened with the current ECW champion, Matt Hardy, being introduced. Hardy made his way to the ring in street clothes carrying his belt. Matt Striker and Todd Grisham reviewed Matt's possible opponents for Cyber Sunday: Evan Bourne, Finlay or Mark Henry. The WWE Universe will vote for Matt's opponent who he'll defend the title against this Sunday.

Matt mentioned Evan Bourne and Finlay briefly, then turned his attention to Mark Henry. Matt said he wants Mark Henry again due to his beatdown he gave him in the ring. Matt pulled out a cell and said he would give Mark Henry his vote. All of a sudden, Finlay and Hornswoggle came to the ring. Finlay began saying he's never had a one-on-one against Matt for the ECW title, and if they do at Cyber Sunday, he'll become the new champ. Evan Bourne came down to confront both men. Finlay joked about Bourne's height and weight, but Bourne quipped back Finlay can have jokes but Bourne will get the votes. Mark Henry and Tony Atlas came to the ramp next, and Henry proclaimed that should he win the vote, he'll easily win back his ECW title. Matt Hardy closed the segment saying even if Mark Henry wins the vote, it's all he'll win, because Matt Hardy will still be ECW champ.

Matt Striker announced the blockbuster main event, a Triple Threat match between Mark Henry, Finlay and Evan Bourne. Fans will get a preview of the three possible opponents for Matt Hardy at the Pay-Per-View this Sunday.

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Brett Badery vs. Jack Swagger

Swagger locked Badery in a hold in the corner of the ring, then cockily taunted him. Badery tried to push Swagger and Swagger responded by picking up Badery in a running Bear Hug to ram him into the corner. After just a few more moves, Swagger quickly finished him off with a Powerbomb.

Todd Grisham tried to interview Swagger in the ring afterwards about Tommy Dreamer. Swagger responded by asking "Tommy who?" then exited the ring smiling cockily.

Winner: Jack Swagger wins via pinfall over Brett Badery.

Lena Yada interviewed Miz & Morrison backstage. Miz told Lena she should be using her time to text her vote for the Miz & Morrison to fight at Cyber Sunday against Cryme Tyme. Morrison added that Cryme Tyme was voting, but the person they stole their cell phone from canceled their service. Miz told Lena to watch his upcoming match against Shad to see proof of how awesome he is.

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Shad of Cryme Tyme vs. The Miz

Footage was shown of last week's Matt Hardy & Finlay tag match against Miz & Morrison. Mike Knox distracted Finlay and took his shilaleigh, allowing Morrison to deliver a roundhouse kick. Cryme Tyme appeared from under the ring and handed a 2nd shilaleigh to Finlay which he used to clock Morrison for the win. Afterwards, Finlay knocked out Cryme Tyme with the shilaleigh as well.

In tonight's one-on-one contest, the feuding tag teams were represented. At one point, Miz knocked Shad to the outside, then used a baseball slide dropkick to knock him into the barricade. Back in the ring, Shad was able to regain control as he tossed Miz headfirst into the turnbuckles, then elbowed him down off the ropes. Shad seemed to finish off Miz, but Morrison got up on the side apron to distract. Miz tried to run off the side ropes, but JTG tripped him from the outside. Miz got back up and Shad delivered a huge Powerbomb. Shad had the pin but Miz kicked out at 2 1/2.

Shad stood back up near the ropes, as the ref started to check on Miz. Morrison got on the apron behind Shad, and delivered his roundhouse kick to Shad's back. The ref caught Morrison's interference and called for the bell to DQ Miz. JTG got in the ring and delivered a drop kick to Miz, and Miz rolled out of the ring. Both teams glared at each other, yelling and jawing as the decision was announced.

Winner: Shad wins due to disqualification of The Miz when John Morrison interfered.

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Matt Striker and Todd Grisham introduced a video package of celebrities discussing John Cena. Included in the footage were Ben Stiller, Snoop Dogg, Carl Edwards, Marc Ecko, the Jonas Brothers, Tony Hawk, Kelly Carlson and Sara Jean Underwood of Playboy. The footage ended with "Cena Returns", but no date given for Cena's return. Grisham and Striker discussed Cyber Sunday matches including the fans voting for the special guest ref for the World Heavyweight match between Chris Jericho and Batista. Will it be Randy Orton, Shawn Michaels or Stone Cold Steve Austin? Striker and Grisham ran down the remainder of the card including Undertaker vs. Big Show with fans voting on match type via WWE.com.

Backstage, Ricky Ortiz was talking to Tiffany asking about the outfit she had on. Tiffany said she was a "Go-Go Dancer" for the 31 days of Halloween. Suddenly, Finlay and Hornswoggle came up to her, with Hornswoggle holding out a bag and laughing maniacally. Tiffany realized he was trick or treating and knocked on ECW GM Teddy Long's door. Out came Teddy dressed up as the legendary Shaft. Teddy gave Hornswoggle a bunch of candy on demand, but Hornswoggle kept demanding more. Finally Teddy told him enough. As Finlay and Hornswoggle left, Teddy began to say "there goes one bad mother---" and Tiffany told him to shut his mouth.

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Evan Bourne vs. Finlay vs. Mark Henry
Triple Threat match

Footage was shown of Finlay and Hornswoggle celebrating up the ramp after last week's match. Mark Henry rushed out to attack Finlay from behind leaving him down on the ramp. Also several weeks ago, Mark Henry delivered several slams on Evan Bourne before Matt Hardy rushed down to intervene.

Early on, Finlay and Bourne tried to doubleteam Henry, but he fought both men off then started to pound on each in different corners of the ring. Henry continued to beat up Finlay in the corner, then whipped him to the other side. Henry then picked up Bourne and ran across the ring to smash him into Finlay in the corner. Finally, Evan Bourne was able to yank down the top rope as Mark Henry came at him, causing Henry to fall over and outside. Finlay attacked Bourne from behind, then began to beat him around the ring. Bourne was able to escape by using a headscissors to toss Finlay towards the ropes. Finlay crashed into Mark Henry who was standing up on the outside.

Bourne pinned Finlay but only for a 2 count. Mark Henry got back into the ring to fight Finlay, after pulling Bourne outside. Bourne quickly got back into the ring and ran at Henry. As Bourne jumped, Henry caught him then tried to throw him. Instead Bourne flipped onto Finlay for a pin. Henry came over and stomped on Bourne to break up the pinfall and ECW went to commercial. ECW resumed and Bourne/Finlay were eventually able to do a double running baseball sliding kick to knock Henry to the outside. Finlay began to dominate Bourne inside the ring, but not for long because Henry had gotten back in. Henry got Finlay up for a back slam, but Bourne jumped up on front to try to weight Henry down. Henry dropped down to slam Bourne to the mat and tossed Finlay in the process. Henry continued to beat up Finlay with several vicious moves.

At one point, Henry grabbed Hornswoggle from the outside and was about to slam him inside the ring. Finlay ran over for the save, clipping Henry's leg. Finlay went over to knock down Tony Atlas, and as the ref was distracted, he grabbed his shilaleigh to clock Henry over the head. Finlay stumbled over towards the ropes, where Evan Bourne jumped off the corner turnbuckle to knee him down. To the crowd's delight, Bourne hit his trademark Shooting Starpress onto Mark Henry from off the turnbuckle, then took the pin!

Winner: Evan Bourne wins via pinfall over Mark Henry & Finlay.

ECW Recap 09.23.08

ECW Recap from Columbus, OH:

Jim Ross and Matt Striker were commentators as ECW opened. Miz and Morrison came strutting down the ramp purposefully to the ring. The duo grabbed a few mics to address an issue with Evan Bourne. Miz claimed he was athletically superior to Evan Bourne last week, but Ricky Ortiz helped Bourne get the win. Footage was shown where Morrison yanked Bourne's foot from ringside. Ricky Ortiz came over to crash into Morrison, allowing Bourne to pickup a pinfall victory. Miz and Morrison complained about having to compete against the new Superstar initiative. They called out ECW GM Theodore Long for scheduling them in these matches lately.

Teddy Long made his entrance from backstage, mic in hand. From the ramp, Teddy said the new superstar initiative has brought in some great new talent. Morrison brought up Braden Walker being released after just 2 matches. Teddy said ECW will continue to supply the young superstars for WWE. Teddy said if Miz and Morrison don't like competition they can leave now. Miz and Morrison demanded a match against Ricky Ortiz and Evan Bourne tonight. Teddy told them they knew Evan Bourne wasn't present tonight. Miz and Morrison kept talking trash until Ricky Ortiz came out. Ortiz challenged, asking which superstar wants to face him. Miz and Morrison both claimed they could beat anyone. Teddy took them up on their offer, saying the could face each other, then the winner gets Ortiz right after.

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ECW returned with Jim Ross revisiting highlights from last night's Raw where Kane decimated Evan Bourne in a singles match. Rey Mysterio tried to come down to aid his friend, but Kane knocked Rey to the mat and brutally attacked him as well. Rey and Kane will meet one on one at No Mercy.

Backstage, ECW GM Teddy Long told Ricky Ortiz that he's got his toughest match so far tonight. Ortiz thanked him for the opportunity saying he's got something in his pocket for tonight. Just then Teddy's assistant Tiffany came up to them, saying she likes Ricky's chances. Ricky said he has the Ricky O Rally towel in his pocket, then Tiffany took it and put it around her neck saying it feels good.

Finlay vs. Bam Neely

Neely arrived to the ring without Chavo Guerrero after last Friday's incident where Chavo was grabbed by Undertaker backstage on Smackdown.

In tonight's match, Bam was able to gain the upperhand and put Finlay into a Boston Crab submission hold. Hornswoggle came into the corner of the ring with a shilaleigh and Bam saw him from the corner of his eye. Bam got up and grabbed Hornswoggle then tossed him across the ring. As the ref was distracted, Finlay grabbed the shilaleigh and clocked Bam Neely over the skull with it, then took a pinfall.

Winner: Finlay wins via pinfall over Bam Neely.

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WWE 24/7 Classics on Demand showed March 23, 1992 tag team fight with Sid Justice & Ric Flair taking on Roddy Pipper and Hulk Hogan. The classic match occurred just before Wrestlemania VIII with Hogan and Piper picking up the victory.

Jim Ross reminded fans that ECW moves to 9PM EST on Sci-Fi starting next Tuesday.

Maryse vs. Michelle McCool

According to JR, Michelle granted Maryse this non-title rematch on ECW. McCool tackled Maryse as the bell sounded and the two divas rolled on each other punching away to start the match. At one point, Maryse went to the outside and Michelle tried for a slide dropkick. Maryse moved away then ran and clotheslined Michelle down to gain the advantage. Maryse used a Camel Clutch submission to wear down Michelle in the ring.

Michelle regained control of things and went to the corner for a move. Maryse got up and came over to slam Michelle down to the mat. Maryse then cockily picked up Michelle by the hair, then used her finisher DDT to win the match.

Winner: Maryse wins via pinfall over Michelle McCool.

Jim Ross and Matt Striker ran down the lineup for No Mercy including Jeff Hardy vs Triple H, Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho Ladder match, and Mark Henry taking on Matt Hardy for the ECW title.

Mark Henry and Tony Atlas came out to the top of the ramp. Henry vowed he will leave Matt Hardy a mess in the ring when he takes back his title at No Mercy. Henry said he'll prove that Matt Hardy isn't a champion, but Mark Henry is the World's Strongest Champion.

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"All Nightmare Long" by Metallica will be the official theme song for the No Mercy 2008 Pay-Per-View.

Chase Stevens vs. Mike Knox

Knox started off taking Stevens to the corner where he attacked until the ref stopped things. Knoz continued to dominate from here, whipping Stevens to the other corner then rushing into him. Knox slammed Stevens to the mat then delivered a solid knee drop into him. Knox delivered a hard righthand, then a serious clothesline. Finally, Knox used his finisher to twist slam Stevens to the mat.

Winner: Mike Knox wins via pinfall over Chase Stevens.

As Knox was heading backstage, Jack Swagger came out from backstage and walked down the ramp to the ring. Swagger kept smiling and got into the ring to slam down Stevens again. Tommy Dreamer charged down to the ring to chase off Jack Swagger. As Dreamer checked on Stevens, Mike Knox had come down and got onto the apron. Dreamer stood up to face him, but Swagger got back in the ring to attack Dreamer. Swagger hit his finisher on Dreamer, and left the ring all smiles with Dreamer and Stevens down on the mat.

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Smackdown Rebound had coverage of Vladimir Kozlov's rampage against the roster as he searched for new competition. Kozlov attacked both Jeff Hardy and Triple H in the same night, leaving both men down.

The Miz vs. John Morrison
Winner Faces Ricky Ortiz

The former tag team champs faced one another for the chance to take on Ricky Ortiz afterwards. Both men displayed effective attacks against one another. At one point, the two went to the top corner to battle. Miz was about to hit the suplex but Morrison hit him in the leg and both men crashed to the mat. Morrison was holding his neck/head and Miz was holding his knee as the ref counted both men down on the mat.

Winner: No winner as neither man answered the referee's count.

After the bell sounded, Ricky Ortiz charged down to the ring to face both the Miz and Morrison since neither officially won the match. Ortiz took advantage of the fact both Miz and Morrison crashed down to the mat and hurt themselves in their contest. Ortiz hit the huge O splash on Miz, just as Morrison got to his feet. Ortiz then came off the ropes to hit a shoulder block on Morrison. Ortiz hit the O splash on Morrison then rolled out of the ring. As he headed back up the ramp, Ortiz found a blonde female fan who gave him a kiss.

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ECW Recap 09.02.08

ECW Recap from Pittsburgh, PA:

ECW opened with WWE's brief memorial to Walter "Killer" Kowalski, 1926-2008. Miz and Morrison opened the night with "The Dirt Sheet" in-ring show. Miz discussed being part of ECW Championship Scramble, and vowed to win it. Morrison discussed how it's bogus he didn't even qualify. The duo introduced the ECW champ, Mark Henry, who arrived to the ring with Tony Atlas.

Atlas said he hopes they don't have a repeat of last time they were on Dirt Sheet. Chavo was introduced next minus his original theme music. Instead, Miz and Morrison had dubbed in their own joking version to mock Chavo's theme song. Next up, they cut to footage of "Finlay's brothers" who were Miz and Morrison dressed up in a pre-taped bar segment. The real Finlay made his way to the ring along with Hornswoggle, seeming to laugh it off. Finlay said "hello brothers" then told Hornswoggle to greet his uncles. Hornswoggle ran over and kicked Miz in the leg getting a roar out of the crowd.

Miz and Morrison went to intro Matt Hardy, but pretended to get him mixed up with Jeff. Finlay reminded Morrison it's Matt Hardy, the guy who beat Morrison to qualify. Hardy proceeded to insult Miz, Chavo and was about to remark about Henry. Mark Henry suggested he watch what he say, because after Unforgiven, he'll still be ECW champ. Hardy told Atlas he'll need a good deal of sleep, because he'll be busy breaking up pinfalls all night to save the ECW title. Miz got in between Hardy and Henry, saying they wouldn't have fighting on their show again.

All of a sudden, Morrison attacked Hardy from behind, hitting him with the mic. An all out brawl broke out in the ring between everyone, with Tommy Dreamer and Evan Bourne rushing down to assist.

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ECW returned with the brawl still going on backstage with referees trying to intervene. ECW GM Teddy Long rushed into the middle of it and told everyone to stop. Teddy said they settle problems in the ring on ECW, so they'll be having an 8-Man tag team match. Finlay, Matt Hardy, Evan Bourne & Tommy Dreamer will face Miz, Morrison, Chavo and Mark Henry later on in the night.

Super Crazy vs. Gavin Spears

Spears had a promo shown prior to the match. Spears said he hasn't even begun to scratch the surface in ECW, and he's the crown jewel of the ECW superstar initiative.

Early on, Super Crazy was able to counter Spears and use an armbar take down, eventually getting him to the corner to punch away on him. Spears grabbed Super Crazy's legs and tossed him off the corner. Spears began to knee Super crazy in the head, then slammed him to the mat, stomping on his head. Spears tried to lock in a headlock but Super Crazy fought his way out near the ropes. Despite Crazy getting away, Spears tripped him down to the mat and elbowed him in the head.

At one point, Crazy charged at Spears in the corner, with Spears trying to toss him over the top rope. Crazy landed on the apron, then as Spears turned, delivered a kick to his head and shoved him to the mat. Super Crazy did a moonsault jump off the middle rope and splashed onto Spears to pick up the victory. Spears is now 0-2 in his ECW attempts.

Winner: Super Crazy wins via pinfall over Gavin Spears.

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Ricky Ortiz vs. Ryan Braddock

Grisham said he tried to get some background info on Braddock earlier, but he just walked past him. Matt Striker said he spoke to Braddock and he said he likes to win ugly.

In the matchup, the undefeated Ortiz was kicking Braddock in the corner of the ring. Braddock fell to the corner, but then yanked Ortiz by the trunks causing him to hit the corner. Braddock climbed the top rope then grabbed Ortiz' head and jumped to slam him face first into the mat. Braddock continued to dominate Ortiz, and locked a chokehold on him down on the mat.

The fans began encouraging Ortiz with the rally towels, and Ortiz broke the hold then was able to come off the ropes and knock Braddock around. Ortiz lifted Braddock on his shoulder for a powerslam. Ortiz followed by going to the corner ropes and jumping for a shoulder block. Ortiz finished with "The Big O" splash from off the ropes.

Winner: Ricky Ortiz wins via pinfall over Ryan Braddock.

Raw Rebound showed the incidents that escalated the Shawn Michaels-Chris Jericho feud. At Summerslam HBK seemed to be announcing a decision to walk away from wrestling. Jericho told Michaels to admit he's the reason HBK is leaving WWE. HBK told Jericho to admit he'll never be Shawn Michaels. Jericho accidentally punched Michaels' wife Rebecca who came to the ring at Summerslam.

The incident incited Michaels to decide to return and beg Jericho for an unsanctioned match at Unforgiven. The two had an official contract signing last night, to absolve WWE of any liabilities. Lance Cade came to the ring to attack Michaels, but HBK fought him off and beat him down in the ring. Jericho escaped up the ramp, and the two stared each other down as Raw ended.

After the Raw Rebound, Todd Grisham informed fans that Michaels suffered a triceps injury at Raw, but has vowed he will still compete at Unforgiven.

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Footage was shown of correspondent Josh Matthews with WWE's Smackdown Your Vote in Minneapolis. Mickie James and Mr. Kennedy appeared along with Josh Matthews to discuss the efforts and encourage fans to vote this election year.

Todd Grisham and Matt Striker ran down the lineup of matches for Unforgiven, including the 3 Championship Scrambles, and the unsanctioned match between Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho.

Finlay, Evan Bourne, Tommy Dreamer & Matt Hardy vs. The Miz, John Morrison, Chavo Guerrero & Mark Henry
8 Man Tag Team Match

Matt Hardy and Morrison got things started, with Hardy taking control early and tagging in Dreamer. Outside the ring, Bam Neely, Tony Atlas and Hornswoggle looked on. Dreamer smashed Morrison face first to the ropes, then tagged in Finlay. Morrison countered and rammed Finlay all the way to the heels corner, where Chavo made the tag. As the ref became distracted, Miz and Mark Henry tried to choke Finlay. Finlay came back to clothesline down Chavo and took control.

Finlay went to the outside and Chavo tried to come at him. Finlay used the side apron cover to wrap up Chavo, pounding away at him. As Bam came over to try to help, Hornswoggle jumped on him from off the side apron. ECW headed to commercial as the action continued.

ECW returned with Chavo and Finlay in the ring. Finlay tagged in Evan Bourne who came off the ropes to dropkick Chavo. Chavo tried to counter Bourne in the corner, but Bourne avoided it. Chavo was able to grab Bourne and slam him down against his knee. Miz tagged in and went at Bourne, with Bourne gaining the advantage. Eventually Miz overcame Bourne and dragged him over to tag in Mark Henry. Henry tossed Bourne up into the air letting him fall flat onto the mat. Miz came back in to take control.

Chavo Guerreor tagged in, then Morrison, to continue beating on the new superstar, Evan Bourne. Another brawl broke out outside the ring, with the heels attacking Bourne outside the ring. Finlay, Hardy and Dreamer came over to intervene as Morrison tossed Bourne back into the ring. Bourne eventually escaped versus Chavo, by flipping him down with a headscissors then tagging in Dreamer. Dreamer went wild knocking Chavo down and opponents off the apron.

The match culminated with Mark Henry being knocked to the mat by Hardy. Hardy tagged Bourne who did the shooting starpress off the corner first onto Henry. Next, Tommy Dreamer splashed Henry off the corner, then Finlay tagged in to jump onto Henry. Finally, Matt Hardy came in, and as Henry stood up, Hardy hit the Twist of Fate to send the crowd into a frenzy.

Winners: Matt Hardy, Evan Bourne, Tommy Dreamer & Finlay win via pinfall over Chavo Guerrero, The Miz, John Morrison & Mark Henry.

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