offical wwe thread

DARK ANDY said:

OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHH FFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKK YYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSS

Click to expand...

Heh. I knew you would be overly pleased with the cage match

WWE RAW Results: 11-3-08

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1 -- JEFF HARDY & ECW champion MATT HARDY vs. THE BRIAN KENDRICK (w/Ezekiel) & MVP

Jeff appears to be channeling the Barbarian with his eye-make up selection tonight. Oh my, they ran the spot where the referee didn't see a hot tag, except it was for the heels. Change of pace. Jeff took advantage by nailing the Swanton Bomb on MVP behind the ref's back as the ref was arguing with Kendrick, then Matt made the easy cover for the pin and the win.

WINNERS: Hardys in 4:00.

2 -- IC TITLE #1 CONTENDER BATTLE ROYALE

Some standard battle royale action started things off, then Manu and Cody DiBiase teamed up to dump Snitsky over the top rope. Suddenly, DiBiase snuck up behind Cody and Manu to dump them over the top rope. Cody and Manu could not believe their tag partner dumped them. Suddenly, Noble and Regal were on the outside. Apparently it was only Noble eliminated. Shad and JTG were left with DiBiase, who dumped JTG over the top rope to the floor. DiBiase then stalked Shad. They had an exchange while Santino said he could beat either one of those chumps. Shad then got hung up to dry on the top rope and DiBiase dumped him to the floor. Regal, who was not eliminated earlier, then snuck up behind DiBiase and dumped him to the outside to pick up the win. Santino remained confident he could take Regal while Regal celebrated with Layla in the ring. They showed a replay of the finish and Santino said Regal a cheated. But he's not scared, even with Raw in the U.K. next week.

WINNER: Regal in 3:00. Well, that was a quick battle royale. They really teased a DiBiase IC Title reign for about three seconds there, but now we'll get the tension between Priceless instead of re-focusing on the tag titles they lost last week. (1/2*)

3 -- KOSLOV vs. BRET HAAS

Koslov with a quick victory via the big boot, belly-to-belly suplex, and giant headbutt to the sternum for the win. Cole plugged Smackdown this Friday where Koslov gets a World Title shot if he beats The Undertaker.

WINNER: Koslov in 1:00. Squash. Not particularly amusing with the line for Koslov about Koslov screwing Koslov. Vince must have been reminiscing this week. (n/a)

4 -- THE MIZ & JOHN MORRISON vs. DX (SHAWN MICHAELS & WWE champion TRIPLE H)

We joined the action in progress with Hunter exploding into a clothesline on Morrison out of the corner. Shawn took a tag, then he worked on Miz before nailing a top rope elbow smash. Michaels wanted to end it, but Morrison held him back allowing Miz to nail a clothesline that turned Michaels inside out. Miz, by the way, with a crazy new Mohawk tonight. Miz tried to end it at 4:00 with the Reality Check, but Michaels blocked into a backslide for a nearfall. Miz then hopped up and nailed a clothesline. Morrison tagged in and wanted the rolling neckbreaker, but Michaels escaped and hit a kick to the head before tagging in Hunter. Hunter cleaned house with the traditional combo of moves, then he wanted the Pedigree on Morrison, but Miz broke it up, only to take a spinebuster. In the confusion, Morrison hit a springboard smash on Hunter for a two count when Michaels broke up the pin.

Morrison went back at Hunter and nailed a flying fist before kipping up like Michaels. He then tuned up the band in the corner like Michaels, which drew plenty of boos. Michaels then creamed Hunter with the superkick before tagging in Miz, who slowly entered the ring. Miz and Morrison did crotch chops over Hunter's fallen body before Miz went for the Pedigree. He took forever, so Hunter turned it into a back drop. Michaels then pulled Morrison to the outside. You see this coming. Michaels with the superkick on Miz, then Hunter with the Pedigree for the win.

Afterward, Cole tried to keep Miz and Morrison in the game by saying they gave DX a good fight, but Lawler countered that their egos got the best of them. Hunter and Michaels sold post-match injuries while celebrating. Miz and Morrison regrouped on the floor while DX stood tall in the ring, then Hunter posed over Michaels while they stared down at them.

WINNERS: DX in 8:00. Well, kind of went how you expected. Miz and Morrison with a very basic, no-harm-no-foul attack on Hunter and Michaels on ECW last week because they couldn't go for the jugular, then DX pretty much buries Miz and Morrison on the mic before giving them a slight amount of offense before finishing it off easily. Just the usual Spirit Squad formula here. (**)

5 -- Women's champion BETH PHOENIX & vs. KELLY KELLY & CANDICE MICHELLE & Divas champion MICHELLE MCCOOL & BRIE BELLA & MAE YOUNG & MICKIE JAMES & TIFFANY vs. Women's champion BETH PHOENIX & LAYLA & VICTORIA & JILLIAN HALL & NATALYA & MARYSE & KATIE LEA & LENA YADA

WINNERS: Team Beth in 2:00. As expected, this was a very short match. They flew in a whole lot of folks for a whole lot of nothing. (n/a)

6 -- RANDY ORTON vs. C.M. PUNK

Cole dropped the most over-used word of the political campaign, Maverick, in reference to Punk's in-ring style. At least he didn't call him a swashbuckling wrestler. Orton stalked Punk for the RKO at 2:00, but suddenly, Ted DiBiase stormed the ring and tackled Punk for a DQ. DiBiase pounded on Punk while Manu and Cody Rhodes stood on the apron, but Orton stepped into a punt to the head on DiBiase. He didn't get much of DiBiase, but DiBiase sold it as if he were dead. Cody and Manu stepped into the ring as if they were going to try something, but Orton stared them down before leaving the ring. Manu and Cody just stood over DiBiase while referees checked on DiBiase.

WINNER: Punk via DQ in 2:00. Well, that was disappointingly short. (n/a)

7 -- THE UNDERTAKER vs. JBL

At 3:00, Taker and JBL bumped heads in the ring, causing JBL to slip to the outside. JBL started to re-enter the ring, but he saw Taker sit up in the ring. JBL then decided he would take a powder for a count-out loss. He smiled it up and pointed to his head, but unfortunately for him, Shawn Michaels didn't break much of a sweat tonight. Michaels ran to ringside and threw JBL back into the ring where Taker finished him off with a Tombstone Piledriver.

WINNER: Taker via DQ in 4:00. That was a match designed for Taker to get an appearance in on Raw, but for a Taker who is about to embark on another grueling international tour with a banged up body. Looks like HBK vs. JBL at Survivor Series. (*)

8 -- MARK HENRY (w/Tony Atlas) & KANE vs. REY MYSTERIO & KOFI KINGSTON

Kofi looked pretty good here, but then he went to the well once too often in the high-risk department, allowing Henry to catch him in mid-air. Rey tried to dropkick Kofi on top of Henry, but Henry stood firm and Kane clotheslined Rey. Henry then delivered the World's Strongest Slam on Kofi for the pin and the win in 2:00. Afterward, Kane flung Rey through the ropes. Great Khali's music hit, then Khali came out to silence. Crowd isn't aware of the babyface push. He then chopped Kane, stepped into the ring, and then chopped Henry down to size to set up the 619 for Rey, who had no idea what to make of this. Rey hit the 619 anyways, then Khali chopped Henry down to the mat one more time. Rey and Khali shared a moment, if you can call it that.

WINNERS: Henry & Kane in 2:00. Another short match, then Khali's babyface push was brought to Raw. Just fine. (1/2*)

9 -- World Hvt. champion BATISTA vs. CHRIS JERICHO -- Steel Cage match for World Hvt. Title

Jericho tried to escape in the opening seconds, but Batista yanked him off the cage wall to bring him back inside the ring for a beating. Batista continued to dominate by stretching Jericho against the cage wall leading to a break.

Back from break, Jericho had Batista locked in the Walls of Jericho in center cage. Batista refused to give out, though. Jericho then demanded the door be opened. Batista read the strategy and grabbed Jericho's leg before propelling Jericho away and into the cage door. Jericho almost fell out of the cage on accident, which would have given him the World Title, but Batista lunged out and pulled Jericho back inside the cage. Batista fought Jericho near the door, then Jericho slammed the cage door on Batista's left leg to begin his attack. Batista tried to muster an attack with a spear on Jericho, but Jericho moved and Batista ate the cage wall.

Jericho then tried to climb out, but Batista opened the cage door and grabbed Jericho as he climbed down. Batista hugged him, then pulled him back into the ring for a nice spinebuster. Batista wanted the Bomb, but Jericho grabbed the cage wall to avoid and start climbing again. Suddenly, Jericho bounced to the mat and Batista crotched himself on the top rope. Jericho was the first one up, so he started climbing again.

Batista got up, though, and grabbed Jericho for a Batistabomb from the top rope. However, Jericho held onto the cage cable and took a weapon from the corner. He then smashed Batista repeatedly in the forehead to knock him out and draw blood. (Wait, isn't it kid-friendly now?) Batista tried to grab Jericho one more time, but Jericho kicked Batista in the knees and then fell to the ground to win the match and become new champ.

Afterward, Batista slumped to the mat inside the cage in shock. Jericho then collected himself and took possession of the title belt. He grinned slightly, then slowly walked down the entrance ramp. They showed Batista slumped down in the corner, exasperated, with blood trickling down his forehead.

WINNER: Jericho in 15:00 to win the World Hvt. Title. Typical WWE cage match with a lot of teases for wrestlers trying to escape the cage. Quite the surprising finish. Actually, in hindsight, Batista's cockiness and brushing off Jericho as an easy win was a pretty good indicator Jericho would win the match. Jericho vs. Cena at Survivor Series. Should be a good one. (**3/4)

TAKA talks HHH, Funaki, Vince, WWE and more

Great interview. TAKA seems like a very down-to-earth guy. Wished they asked about Kung Fu Naki and Kaientai a bit more though. And damn did Vince want him.


Us here at F4Online recently sat down with former WWE superstar Taka Michinoku.

F4: Hey Taka. Thank you for giving us time for this interview.

Taka: It's my pleasure.

F4: First off, tell the fans what you're up to now.

Taka: For the most part, I'm competing in various Japanese promotions. I occasionally wrestle in Mexico as well. It's about 90% of my time is in Japan and 10% is in Mexico.

F4: No American promotions?

Taka: No. I haven't wrestled in America since 2002.

F4: Since your release from WWE?

Taka: I wrestled once or twice after that in California, but not since then.

F4: Tell us about your brief time in ECW.

Taka: Paul [Heyman] wanted six Japanese talents to compete on his show, so The Great Sasuke got back to him and got the six of us to wrestle.

F4: How did that go?

Taka: I enjoyed it a lot.

F4: Would you liked to have stayed with ECW if you didn't go to the WWF?

Taka: I don't know if I would fit in with ECW. Maybe I would come in sometimes, but I doubt I would want to leave Japan full time.

F4: But you did later that year for WWF. How did that happen?

Taka: It took a lot of thinking to decide to come to WWF, but they made me an offer where if I refused, I would be ridiculed for the rest of my life. (laughs)

F4: Would you mind sharing that?

Taka: Lets just say I was one of the top 5 highest-paid non-main eventer's in the company.

F4: They wanted you that much?

Taka: Yes. They saw how the Cruiserweight division in WCW was doing well so they wanted something similar.

F4: Did you know ahead of time that you were becoming the first Light Heavyweight Champion?

Taka: Pretty much. I was promised by Vince [McMahon] himself that I would be the first.

F4: So they paid you a hefty amount of money, but the Light Heavyweight division was never anything more than an extra. How did that happen?

Taka: It didn't get over as much as they would've liked. The crowd reaction for Myself vs. Aguila at Wrestlemania wasn't very great. That was the make or break match for the division. I loved the match, but it wasn't as over as everyone had hoped. Once that match failed, it was set in stone that the division wasn't going to be anything big.

F4: And the money? Did your pay remain high?

Taka: After I had been with them for one year, they lowered it by two thirds, but it was still pretty nice so I re-signed.

F4: Then came Kaientai in WWF?

Taka: Yes. Sho [Funaki] recommended to Creative that I join the group and they agreed.

F4: Tell us about the Val Venis angle.

Taka: That was a lot of fun for Me, Val, and Sho. Yamaguchi San didn't like it too much so that's why he quit not too long after that. The original plan was for Val to actually be "cut" but someone put a hold on that because it was too ridiculous.

F4: All the while, you're still Light Heavyweight Champion until you lose it to Christian that October.

Taka: Yeah. They wanted to give the title another chance and they hoped a long feud between Christian and Myself would make the belt big again. We eventually would have had a match at the Rock Bottom show to end the feud. But Duane Gill returned and Vince immediately envisioned Gillberg in him so they gave him the title.

F4: Was that a disappointment?

Taka: A big one. Especially when I see how far Christian made it in WWE and TNA and I didn't go anywhere from there.

F4: But they came You and Funaki as a comedy duo. How was that?

Taka: I really liked that too. Lots of fun.

F4: Who did the translation voice?

Taka: Me and Sho actually did that ourselves with some exaggerations for comedy. My favorite moment was at the Royal Rumble when we kept getting tossed out.

F4: Did it hurt?

Taka: Yes. I got a concussion but it wasn't severe.

F4: Tell is about the match against Triple H.

Taka: That was supposed to advance both of us to the Tag Team title scene. They wanted us to join The Dudleys, The Hardys, and Edge and Christian. But they apparently got better ideas so that went nowhere too.

F4: Your last big moment was at the 2001 Royal Rumble when you wrestled Lo Down for a spot in the show. How was that?

Taka: The match went down well, but you wouldn't believe how controlling Tiger [Ali Singh] can be. He pretty much mapped out the whole match and told the four of us what to do.

F4: Really?

Taka: Yeah. If I had to pick someone from the WWF who I never wanted to be around, Tiger would be my answer. I never liked him. Sho never liked him. The main eventers never liked him. Very few people did. He was just a jerk to everyone.

F4: So who were the best guys to be around?

Taka: Funaki of course is a great guy. The Rock, Undertaker, Kane, Val, The Headbangers, Steve Blackman, and Stone Cold were always pleasant to talk to. There were others, but those guys come to mind.

F4: So at the end of 2001, you're injured and eventually released. How did that go?

Taka: I requested my release. I didn't think I would go anywhere so I asked to be released and they did.

F4: Was it on good terms?

Taka: Yes. Vince himself told me that if I wanted to come back, all I had to do was call.

F4: Do you think you'll ever go back?

Taka: Maybe. They call occasionally and ask if I'm interested, but I'm not as of now.

F4: What about TNA or ROH?

Taka: I may consider going to ROH one day. TNA, I'm not so sure. Maybe if they want me in their World X Cup I'll do it.

F4: Well Taka, thank you for joining us here.

Taka: My pleasure.

Wrestling Observer

Thanks for posting that article, Steve. Amazing how certain wrestlers stand out compared to others. I've always got a kick watching Taka in the ring.

YES!! Snorista is NO longer the champion. Let's see if Jericho can be that cocky heel once again. His last reign was rather boring but at least he's better than Batista as champ!

Jericho boring? Sacrilege!

Reality Check said:

Jericho boring? Sacrilege!

Click to expand...

Truthfully, it pained me to say so but when he was champ, he was kinda boring. He's this whole "Mature" Jericho now and i'm not used to that at all. I'm used to the cocky and arrogant Jericho that could make anyone laugh whether he was good or bad.

"Would you please shut the hell up?!"
"Don't be an ass clown!"
"Welcome to Raw is Jericho!"

I miss this!

ECW on Sci-Fi Results: 11-4-08

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1 -- ECW champion MATT HARDY vs. BAM NEELY -- non-title match

Thank goodness for Matt Striker making it clear Bam is receiving a non-title shot. And last time we saw Chavo Guerrero, he was put to rest...again...by The Undertaker on Smackdown. They started with some nice mat wrestling. Was Knobs consulted? Bam then smashed Hardy in the back before starting his attack on the lower region. It's obvious Bam is a grunter in the weight room, making sure everyone knows he gave full effort maxing out on the bench press. Striker with a Jake "the Milkman" Milliman reference in reference to Bam being from Robbinsdale, Minn. even though Jake is from Milwaukee. But an old AWA name. Match picked up at 5:00 when Bam tossed Hardy off the top rope and scored a close two count with a light cover. Suddenly, Hardy snapped off the Twist of Fate on Bam, who was becoming frustrated. Hardy then made the decisive cover for the win.

WINNER: Hardy in 6:00. Nice match. Bam looked solid and Hardy gave him enough offense to remain credible while also putting in a strong effort to look like a credible champion himself. (*1/2)

2 -- RICKY ORTIZ vs. JOHN DAVIS

Before the bell, Ricky wanted a handshake, but Davis looked at him like he was mad. Striker said Davis is no slouch, as he was trained by Dory Funk, Jr. Grisham and Striker exchanged some banter about WrestleMania 25, with Striker being assured he'll be at the show as long as he's not fired between now and then. Harsh from Grisham. Ortiz wanted the Big O and nailed his running splash in center ring for the win. He remains unbeaten.

WINNER: Ortiz in 2:00. Eh. I suppose it's fine to rebuild him via the squash match formula after not being on TV for a few weeks. (n/a)

3 -- MARK HENRY (w/Tony Atlas) vs. FINLAY (w/Hornswoggle) -- #1 Contender match to ECW Title

Nice feeling-out process to start things off. Henry then smashed Finlay with a headbutt and Finlay came up with a cut around his right cheek. Ouch. Finlay paced around the ring to recover, then Henry shoved him into the corner to land some forearm blows. Henry shoved him down, then stalked Finlay to land a knee to the jaw. Henry in control going to break.

Back from break, Henry continued to just straight dominate Finlay, who remained on the defensive. Henry finally lost control when he missed with a splash and Finlay capitalized by going to town on Henry's left leg and knee. Finlay sold a wrist injury, but he kept attacking Henry to keep him on the ground. Henry finally regained his footing and disposed of Finlay to the floor. Finlay then managed to take out Tony Atlas on the floor before things broke down when Hornswoggle ran interference to give Finlay a nearfall. Horny decided to stick around in the ring, then Henry spotted him and gave chase on the floor. Finlay tried to take advantage, but Henry rammed Finlay hard into the ringpost.

Henry then flung Hornswoggle into the ring and wanted a big splash on both, but both moved out of the way. The ref tried to get Horny out of the ring, and in the interim, Finlay smashed Henry with the shillelagh square in the head. Finlay discarded the evidence, then he covered Henry for the pin and the win. Hardy vs. Finlay next week for the belt. And now Finlay and Horny dance. End show.

WINNER: Finlay in 13:00 to become #1 contender. A fine match. They stretched out about seven minutes worth of content over a 13-14 minute span and told a good story in the ring. The usual run of interference from Hornswoggle has become common place, so it would be nice if they go the extra mile next week of having Hardy acknowledge that issue - to show that he actually pays attention to the broadcast - in order to have a clean title match against Finlay. It would be a nice nod to the viewers from the people writing ECW that they don't think viewers are completely oblivious or ignorant to the obvious interference in every Finlay match. (**)

Maury V. said:

Truthfully, it pained me to say so but when he was champ, he was kinda boring. He's this whole "Mature" Jericho now and i'm not used to that at all. I'm used to the cocky and arrogant Jericho that could make anyone laugh whether he was good or bad.

Click to expand...

Interesting you brought that up...Jericho had a recent interview about his new persona

James Caldwell said:

Chris Jericho says that when he returned to WWE in late 2007, he was asked to do some of the same old Y2J material, but he wanted a completely different look to his character. He wanted to re-invent himself rather than depend on what he did in the past.

"I made a real conscious effort to change my entire character," Jericho told Alfonso Castillo of Newsday, "which a lot of people didn't like. They wanted me to just be Y2J - the fun guy, the jokes. And it was like, I was done with that. It was the new Chris Jericho. No more Y2J.

"And I was very specific - take all the Y2J's out of my 'Tron,' don't ever call me Y2J on a broadcast again. I told Lawler and Michael Cole, don't ever call me that. Y2J is dead. And as far as I was concerned, he's gone. He's dead."

Jericho says that as a result of reinventing himself, he's been able to get real heat on his heel character. He also defends the writers, such as Brian Gewirtz, for contributing to the development of the program against Shawn Michaels. Michaels and he had a significant amount of creative input, he said, but Gewirtz also worked closely with them.

"Once he tapped into what we were doing, he'd come up with stuff, and I would come up with stuff, and Shawn would come up with stuff, and we'd go over stuff together and Vince would get involved," Jericho said. "Everybody was on board because it was working so well. And the more collaborators you could have who understand what you need to do, the better it is."

Jericho is pleased with the conclusion of his program against Michaels in the ladder match at No Mercy, as they ended it without having to kill one or the other. It just came to a natural end, he said.

"Everything you could do with it (the feud), we did," Jericho said. "And so there comes a time. You can't stay with it forever, because then you jump the shark and it's like, 'OK, more of this?' But I think we kept it exciting all the way through, culminating in the ladder match."

Jericho said they asked themselves, "What kind of finish can we do that's never been done that doesn't involve one of us setting ourselves on fire and falling through a plate glass window with spikes underneath it?"

Asked how Michaels and he were able to turn their program into one of the top feuds of the year, Jericho said it comes down to experience with 35-40 years between them to pull ideas and concepts from. Younger wrestlers don't have that experience to pull the audience into what they're doing in the ring, he says.

"That's nothing against the young guys. That's just the way it is. It's true," he said. "And also the boss being completely confident in what we could do. There's not a lot of trust for the younger guys because they haven't proven themselves to be able to carry something like that. And we did."

Click to expand...

TNA Impact! Results: 11-6-08

Waaaaay behind so time to catch up.

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1 -- MOTOR CITY MACHINEGUNS (ALEX SHELLEY & CHRIS SABIN) & CHRISTIAN CAGE vs. Legends champion BOOKER T (w/Sharmell) & TNA tag team champions BEER MONEY, INC. (ROBERT ROODE & JAMES STORM w/Miss Jacqueline)

We have previews of two Turning Point PPVs matches on Sunday with the Guns challenging Beer Money for the tag titles on Sunday. Christian took a hot tag at 3:00 and landed double reverse DDTs on Beer Money. Booker was then knocked off the apron before Christian went up top, only to have Roode knock him off the top. Booker then accepted a hot tag, but he missed with an axe kick and Christian yanked him down to the mat. Christian then went up top and nailed the frog splash, only to have it broken up by Beer Money. Guns then entered the fray and the deal broke down, of course. Shelley and Sabin with some high-risk double-teaming, then Jackie ran ref distraction in the ring while Christian had Booker pinned. Sharmell then tossed Booker the belt and he kinda um...brushed him with the belt. Christian played dead, then Booker made the cover for the win.

WINNERS: Team Booker in 5:00. Five-star match! Geez, what a ridiculously over-booked deal that's so over-played and completely eye-rolling, not heat-inducing to make you want to order a PPV on Sunday to see the "heels" get their comeuppance. Lazy booking. (*)

2 -- TANAHASHI & VOLADOR vs. ABYSS & MATT MORGAN vs. TEAM 3D (BROTHER RAY & BROTHER DEVON) vs. LAX (HOMICIDE & HERNANDEZ) -- #1 Contender ladder match

3D nailed the diving headbutt to Hernandez's crotch early on, then Morgan entered the scene and dropped Devon with a sidewalk slam. Okay, it's been two minutes. That's enough action for now, so let's get a break.

Back from break, Hernandez shoved Morgan off a ladder in center ring to the floor. Hernandez then wanted a big dive on the floor, but he only caught a ladder that was on the floor. The big white janitor Abyss then stepped inside the ring and gave Homicide the Shock Treatment. Ray had enough and gave Abyss a side slam before splashing the ref to KO him. Tanahashi then took down Ray before landing forearm smashes on Devon into a spinning neck slam. He took too long on a frogsplash, though, and 3D no-sold into nailing a 3D in center ring. Suddenly, Beer Money stormed the ring and low-blowed Team 3D to take them out. Abyss then started climbing the ladder , and he reached out to grab the contract. The bell sounded although the ref was still out cold. Dave Penzer announced the victory anyways, then Morgan and Abyss had an awkward celebration.

WINNERS: Morgan & Abyss in 9:00. Just what you would expect with a ref bump, outside interference, and the ring announcer counting the decision. (*)

3 -- Knockouts champion AWESOME KONG & RAISHA SAEED vs. RHAKA KHAN & TAYLOR WILDE

Kong worked over Roxxi a minute into the match, then she had a good stare down with Khan. They kept that moment for a while, and Rhaka is so much more in control of character. It's refreshing, as there was just too much happening to be memorable. Khan then took a hot tag and she had a big stare down with Kong in center ring. They shared a moment, then Khan suddenly grabbed Taylor and slammed her. Kong and Khan shared a smile, then Kong finished off Taylor with the implant buster for the easy pin and the win. Khan and Kong then stood tall together in the ring with Raisha. Oh, the Twin Towers.

WINNERS: Kong & Raisha in 3:00. I like where this is going. It sets up a Knockouts version of the heels aligning against the smaller-in-stature babyfaces, who will hopefully rally with Taylor and someone else. ODB lacks credibility, Roxxi isn't a threat, and Gail Kim is gone. (1/2*)

4 -- MAIN EVENT MAFIA (World Hvt. champion STING & KURT ANGLE & KEVIN NASH) vs. JAY LETHAL & CONSEQUENCES CREED & ERIC YOUNG

Angle, then Nash, then Sting toyed around with Jay Lethal to start things off. Lethal finally escaped against Sting to tag in Young, who cleared Nash off the apron into a powerslam on Sting. Young dropkicked Nash through the ropes before Angle made a blind tag to allow him to attack Young from behind and slap on the anklelock. Young fought for the ropes, then flipped Angle onto his belly to escape. Creed slipped in at 3:00 and cleaned house. Creed wanted a superkick on Angle, but Angle countered into an easy Olympic Slam for the pin and the win.

WINNERS: Team Angle in 4:00. Just a chance to show the Mafia at the top of its game heading into Sunday and the Young Lions not even being close to being in the same category. DX gave Miz & Morrison more on Monday night than how this one went. (*)

5 -- SAMOA JOE vs. SCOTT STEINER

Joe came out second and immediately charged Steiner in the ring. Joe knocked Steiner off his feet, then smashed him in the corner with a stun kick. Steiner slumped down, then Joe bent him over and landed a roundhouse kick before the big running knee drop for a two count. Joe landed a slap to the back before applying a rear choke. Steiner then pulled ref Hebner into the hold so he could land a mule kick with Hebner not in position to see it. It was pretty entertaining listening to Hulk Hogan's in-ring commentary from Week 3 of CCW talking through the heel-cheating portion of a wrestling match. Steiner went on the offensive and nailed the Steinerline before doing some push-ups. Let's grab a break.

They returned with Steiner lighting up Joe's chest with chops. Of note, Steiner is retaining his tank top to cover his chest. Joe came back with a big boot to the mush before landing the running sentaun splash for a two count. Joe then blocked a Steinerline and landed a nice t-bone suplex before pausing to get the crowd involved. Kevin Nash then tried to sneak down to ringside for a closer look at the action. He hopped up on the apron to distract Joe, allowing Steiner to attack him from behind. Suddenly, Joe flew through the ropes with a suicide dive on Nash. He pummeled Nash while Steinr wrapped brass knucks around his fists back in the ring. Joe then casually rolled back into the ring and Steiner KO'ed him with the knucks. Steiner tucked the knucks back inside his trunks before making the cover on Joe for the win with Joe looking up at the lights.

WINNER: Steiner in 8:00. Young Lions lose yet another match, but it's obvious where this is going. In the context of the storyline, they're going to keep losing until they figure out how to keep their cool, avoid the easy distractions that Nash was trying to teach Joe for ten months when they were together, and get that killer instinct to aim for wins, not big highspots. Steiner was a step slow in his first match back, but it was still a good main event cap to sell the PPV. (*3/4)

Post-match: Nash pummeled Joe with right hands before A.J. Styles stormed the ring with chair in hand to clear Nash from the ring. Main Event Mafia then walked out on stage with Angle clapping it up for Nash and Steiner. Styles and Joe tried to regroup in the ring while Sting pointed his baseball bat at Styles.

WWE Smackdown Results: 11-7-08

Results courtesy of ProWrestling.net (direct link to Twilling's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1. Shelton Benjamin defeated R-Truth to retain the United States Championship in 4:05. Truth came out utilizing his quickness but Shelton took the advantage after hitting a gut buster. Truth scored a nearfall after two closelines and a jumping thrust kick. Truth hit a somersault plancha onto Benjamin on the floor.

He threw Benjamin back into the ring and hit a missile dropkick for a long two count. With Truth favoring his ribs, Shelton suplexed him across the top rope. He followed up with Paydirt for the win...

Twill’s Two Cents: Decent four minute match but the first match between these two at Cyber Sunday put a big wrench into what was a good feud. Not sure how they move forward from here.

2. Ezekiel Jackson (with The Brian Kendrick) defeated Jimmy Wang Yang in 1:04. Hurricane Helms popped up and said Michael Phelps called. He wanted his tights back from Jackson. Jackson squashed Yang quickly...

After the match, Kendrick celebrated before hitting The Kendrick. Kendrick danced around like he was well, you know...

Twill’s Two Cents: Not much to say here. It was what it was.

3. The Miz and John Morrison defeated Triple H and Jeff Hardy by disqualification in 10:27. Morrison bedazzled his abs even more than normal. Sad that I noticed that. Morrison did a Rick Rude like gyration at Triple H who simply laughed it off. Hardy hit a somersault plancha on both of his opponents. With Miz and Morrison recuperating on the floor, the show went to commercial...

Morrison distracted Hardy, which allowed Miz to work on the ribs and lower lumbar region of Hardy. They continued the onslaught with double team moves. Hardy made a comeback and hit the Whisper in the Wind on Miz for a two count. Miz and Morrison double teamed Hardy. Triple H entered illegally and was thrown out of the ring by the referee.

Hardy cleared the ring with a chair and the referee called for the bell. Just in case you didn’t know Triple H was the biggest star on the show, he gave Miz a Pedigree for good measure after the match. Hardy left with a disgusted look on his face as Triple H celebrated in the ring...

Twill’s Two Cents: Well, at least they seem to have a storyline in place for Hardy as opposed to just have him continuously losing matches. By the way, The Twilling is reporting from a new location tonight. I am using The Meghan’s computer and honestly, I’m still getting used to it. No where else I would rather be though. For those of you that have asked, yes, I am still working on getting her on a future episode of DNW.

4. The Great Khali (with Ranjin Singh) defeated MVP in 2:23. MVP tried to work on Khali’s legs but was quickly squashed. Hurricane Helms popped up again and said MVP was “that close.”...

Twill’s Two Cents: MVP has nowhere to go but up. Wait a minute here; MVP has to pay back his signing bonus if he doesn’t win another match? Who in the hell negotiated that contract? He needs a new agent, stat.

5. Brie Bella defeated Victoria (with Natalya) in 2:27. Victoria scored a nearfall and tried a standing moonsault. Brie put her knees up. She followed up with a monkey flip. Brie won the match with a small package...

After the match, Brie went under the ring and in a funny spot, Victoria had one head and Natalya had one set of legs on opposite sides of the ring. Brie and her twin sister finally exposed themselves. They hit simultaneous face busters in the ring...

Twill’s Two Cents: Glad to see they finally pulled the trigger here. Could you imagine Jerry Lawler calling this match?

6. Vladimir Kozlov defeated The Undertaker by disqualification in 6:37. The pace was slow and plodding early on as both men were feeling each other out. Taker closelined Kozlov to the floor and followed him out. He hit the apron leg drop. Taker scored a nearfall after hitting a huge closeline.

Kozlov countered with a belly to belly suplex. He followed up with a series of rights and lefts to the midsection of Taker. Both men exchanged punches for a couple of minutes. Taker locked in the Devil’s Triangle but Kozlov reached the ropes. Jeff Hardy hit the ring and hit Kozlov with a chair, prompting the referee to call for the bell.

Hardy also hit Taker with the chair. Taker sat up and chased Hardy off. Taker reentered the ring and chokeslammed Kozlov. Backstage, Hardy told Vickie he would take out The Undertaker if she made an extreme rules match. Vickie agreed and booked the match for next week...

Twill’s Two Cents: Interesting finish and I am very intrigued with where they are going with Hardy. I was impressed with the show tonight.

TNA Turning Point PPV Results: 11-9-08

Real-time results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's ongoing results)

1 -- X DIVISION RANKINGS MATCH

Lucha Rules match here. Dude leaves the ring and someone else can jump in for the one-on-one action. No gauntlet this month. Lethal and Volador had a Lucha exchange into a stand-off that generated a nice standing ovation from the crowd. Volador then worked on Dutt and nailed a top rope huracanrana for the pin and the first elimination at 7:00. Dutt gone (#10). Volador then took out Jimmy Rave on the floor. Rave recovered immediately in the ring and nailed the Rock the World slam on Volador for the pin. Volador out (#9). Doug Williams then stepped in and nailed his signature victory roll into rolling German Suplex on Rave for the pin. Nice. Rave out at #8.

Petey teased the Canadian Destroyer at 7:00, but the whole deal just broke down in the ring. Homicide then went for a big dive through the ropes onto wrestlers on the floor, but he over-shot badly and smashed his legs on the guardrail. The referees came over and checked on Homicide, saying he's injured. Hernandez then showed up and helped Homicide, who was declared eliminated being unable to continue. Homicide out at #7.

At 10:00, the six remaining men squared off to set up Creed and Petey exchanging slaps to the chest. They went into video game style with some counters until Petey nailed the Canadian Destroyer out of nowhere for the pin. Creed out at #6. Doug and Tanahashi then double-teamed Petey and Tanahashi hit a top rope frog splash on Petey pretty much directly on Petey's head for the pin. Petey #5. Lethal then eliminated Tanahashi with a small package. Tanahashi picks up #4. Doug, Young, and Lethal the final three tonight.

At 15:00, Petey blocked Doug's rolling German Suplex and hit a hangman's neckbreaker for the pin to eliminate Doug. He grabs #3. So, it's Young vs. Lethal. They had a nice exchange, then a stand-off, before going back to work on each other. A little sloppy here, with both guys going way too fast and trying to do too much. Young then executed a Northern Lights Suplex and held onto Lethal to secure a three count for the win. Lethal gets #2.

WINNER: Eric Young in 18:00. Good credibility boost for Young to continue rebuilding him. A little heavy on the highspots in a typical X Division match, but not over-done as is the case in X Division Gauntlet match type deals. Good opener. (**1/2)

TNA Turning Point PPV Results: 11-9-08

2 -- Knockouts champion AWESOME KONG & RAISHA SAEED (w/Rhaka Khan) vs. TAYLOR WILDE & ROXXI

Roxxi and Taylor just went to town on Raisha's left arm with about 15,000 tags in and out to continue working over Raisha. That was awesome. Raisha had enough and slapped Taylor. Khan then grabbed Roxxi's foot to allow Kong to splash Roxxi and begin the attack on Roxxi. They continued to work over Roxxi before Raisha went Cali-style with a Curb Stomp on Roxxi while the fans tried to rally behind her. Kong then tagged in and went to the second rope for a big splash, but Roxxi moved out of the way. Raisha tagged in, but Roxxi finally made the hot tag to Taylor, who went off on Raisha, then knocked Khan off the apron. Taylor tried attacking Kong, then things broke down into a four-way brawl. Roxxi effectively took Kong out on the floor, then back in the ring, Taylor nailed a German Suplex with a bridge on Raisha for the pin and the win.

WINNERS: Roxxi & Taylor in 9:00. An expected finish to give Taylor the win without giving Kong a loss. Not much memorable here. (*1/4)

TNA Turning Point PPV Results: 11-9-08

3 -- X Division champion SHEIK ABDUL BASHIR vs. RHINO -- non-title match

Rhino quickly beat up Sheik, who went to the floor to avoid the Gore. Back in the ring, Sheik begged off before bowing down. Suddenly, Insane Clown Posse (ICP) showed up on the front row of the Impact Zone facing the hard camera to distract from the match. (Are they still relevant?) Sheik then landed a low blow kick to the groin right in front of the ref. Apparently it's No DQ. But, the history here is between Bashir and ref Shane, so the heat is on the ref for not calling a DQ. Bashir taunted ICP ringside, then one of them chucked a brew at Bashir. The camera focused on ICP, but the announcers didn't acknowledge their presence. Ringside, Bashir taunted ICP. Tenay: "Let's just say there are some familiar faces around the ringside area." It's a shoot, brother! Lame. Back in the ring, Sheik worked over Rhino. He continued to ground Rhino, but Rhino nailed an electric chair to escape. Rhino nailed a spinebuster, then he wanted the Gore, but Bashir kicked him in the elbow to block. Bashir started arguing with ref Shane again, then Rhino took advantage by nailing a Gore for the win. Afterward, Rhino stormed right to the backstage area. He did not look happy. It's a shoot, brother!

WINNER: Rhino in 8:00. Bashir had enough offense to remain credible, but as the key representative of the X Division, it didn't look good for one of the "Young Lions," even if he's a heel not associated with Joe and Styles, to lose decisively to a mid-card act like Rhino. (*3/4)

Just out of curiosity... why can't we have a FACE Jericho with the title? Every title he's had he stole, and he's always a heel when he has the belt. Raw was the first time he won the title back legit. Why not stick him with Orton again?

TNA Turning Point PPV Results: 11-9-08

4 -- TNA tag team champions BEER MONEY (ROBERT ROODE & JAMES STORM w/Miss Jackie) vs. MOTOR CITY MACHINEGUNS (ALEX SHELLEY & CHRIS SABIN) -- TNA Tag Title match

No hype for this tag match for the belt. Not on TV or on this PPV. By the way, is that Scott Hall ringside with ICP? Sure looks like it. During the first five minutes, the champs worked on Shelley for a while. Roode and Storm posed together while Hall mocked them from ringside. Hall then lifted up a bottle of water to toast the crowd. Storm put on his Cowboy hat for a moment, then wanted the Bronco Buster, but Shelley moved and Storm ate the turnbuckle. Sabin took the hot tag at 8:00, but the ref disallowed the tag when he didn't see it. Roode then accidentally punched Storm and Shelley landed a double DDT in center ring.

Sabin took the legit hot tag at 10:00, and nailed a double crossbody block before cleaning house. The match slowed down to allow for a few more moves where Roode and Storm had trouble communicating before Sabin went up top and nailed a huracanrana on Storm. Shelley followed with a frog splash, but it was good for a two count only. Guns with some double-team combos on Roode, but Storm broke up the pin. Back to more Texas Tornado style action with everyone hitting power moves and no one selling a dang thing. They then set up a crazy Tower of Doom spot while Shelley was hung upside down in the Tree of Woe. Everyone collapsed to the mat with Shelley selling a right knee injury.

Guns tried to finish it off on Roode with a series of kicks, but Jackie ran interference. Sabin teased an attack on Jackie, then he pulled away before grabbing her for a scoop slam. Sabin flexed for the hard cam for no apparent reason other than because he's scripted to be a showboat idiot, so the ref pre-occupied himself with Jackie to allow Storm to spit beer in Sabin's eyes. Sabin and Roode then combined for a hangman's neckbreaker for the pin and the win.

WINNERS: Beer Money in 17:00. Sloppy isn't the right word, but it just wasn't a very good tag match. Just a lot of spots without any flow or continuity. Throw in a good ole fashioned TNA eye-rolling finish that we've seen over and over and over and over and over and over and over again ad nausea, and this wasn't laid out well ahead of time at all. Macineguns are better than what was shown in the ring tonight. (*)

TNA Turning Point PPV Results: 11-9-08

5 -- Legends champion BOOKER T (w/Sharmell) vs. CHRISTIAN CAGE -- Legends Title match or Christian joins Mafia if he loses

Before the bell sounded, they had a staredown that resulted in Christian shoving Booker a little bit. Ref Rudy Charles then held up the title belt before calling for the bell. By the way, ICP has left ringside. Apparently they only wanted to hang around for the Detroit-themed matches involving Rhino and the Guns. Booker grabbed a headlock, so Tenay said the Genesis PPV in January will take place in Charlotte, N.C. Hey, look, female interference in a TNA match. Shocking, as Sharmell distracted Christian at 8:00 to set up Booker for a superplex. Booker then wanted the bookend, but Christian blocked into a reverse sit-out slam for a nearfall. Christian teased the Spinarooni, but Booker nailed him with an axe kick with Christian hanging across the top rope, resulting in a nearfall.

Christian made a comeback at 10:00 for the Sharpshooter, but Sharmell jumped on the apron to argue with Christian. She slapped Christian, then Booker almost accidentally axe kicked Sharmell. He stopped short, freaked out Sharmell, then Christian nailed a bookend for a nearfall. Christian avoided an axe kick, went for a victory roll, but Booker reversed it into a pin near the ropes for a quick three count to retain the gold and bring Christian into the Mafia fold. Afterward, Christian was shocked and he argued with the ref about the decision.

Post-match: Booker took the mic and said he didn't want to hurt Christian because Bookah, the legends champion, would like to welcome you to the Main Event Mafia. And one more thing, Christian. We do things with a protocol. Tomorrow morning, they have a meeting. Show up.

WINNER: Booker in 12:00 to retain the Legends Title. Just the same Christian vs. Booker match we've seen before. Christian in the Mafia is quite intriguing, fortunately, otherwise this would have been completely forgettable. (*3/4)

TNA Turning Point PPV Results: 11-9-08

6 -- ABYSS vs. KURT ANGLE -- Falls Count Anywhere match

Of note, pretty strong reaction for Abyss tonight. For some reason, Don West attempted to address the live audience on the PPV broadcast to be careful when Angle and Abyss brawl through the crowd. Angle stalled early and often to start things off here. He then walked into the Shock Treatment at 2:00 and Abyss pumped his fist during a pin attempt thinking he had it won, but it was good for only a two count. Abyss then rolled Angle to the outside and the action moved over the guardrail to the stands. And cue up the usual stunt spots on the floor to give everyone their money's worth. Er... their investment of time's worth. Angle then grabbed a steel chair ringside and cracked it across Abyss's back. Angle slowly slowly walked up the stage, then he suddenly busted out a crazy awesome somersault dive onto Abyss on the floor. Okay, that was kinda sweet. Led to a two count, though, and Abyss was no-selling in 30 seconds. Geez. Don West: "How do you get up from that?" It's called no-selling.

Suddenly, the wrestlers crashed through a wall near the stage area. They disappeared from sight, so they took a wide shot of the arena. Angle then showed up on the other side of the stage area through another wall. Abyss and Angle then dragged themselves back into the ring where Angle slipped out of the Shock Treatment and nailed an impressive Olympic Slam on Abyss for a two count. Crowd is finally energized tonight, then Angle picked up a chair and Abyss punched the chair back into Angle's face. Abyss then shoved Angle head-first into the chair wedged into the corner before nailing a chokeslam for another two count.

More chair shots came into play as Angle came back with a clean blow to the head. He then went up top and nailed the majestic moonsault onto the chair and Abyss for another close two count. Abyss then no-sold and wanted a Tombstone Piledriver, but Angle slipped out into the anklelock in center ring. Abyss escaped, though, and hopped to his feet for the Black Hole Slam. He had the pin, but Angle escaped again.

Angle decided he couldn't win it in the ring, so he made Abyss follow him up the grandstand area toward the Spanish announce table. Angle then climbed up some scaffolding where a camera was positioned high above the arena. Abyss followed up, punched Angle, then pointed down to the Spanish table below. Abyss wanted a press slam, but Angle wiggled out and shoved Abyss about two feet down through the Spanish announce table. They tried to make it look spectacular with the camera angles being deceptive on the depth involved, but it was barely a drop. Angle then made the cover on the table scraps for the pin and the win. Afterward, refs checked on Angle for his condition. Angle sold being completely spent and potentially injured as they recapped the finish.

WINNER: Angle in 17:00. I'm not a fan of the stunt bump matches, but that was a heck of a match. It was unique on this PPV, told a good story, had limited risk, and both men came away elevated. We know Angle is a big-game player, and he reinforced it. We know Abyss is capable of a good story once in a while, and he really stepped up tonight. (****)

TNA Turning Point PPV Results: 11-9-08

7 -- KEVIN NASH vs. SAMOA JOE

They didn't waste any time just throwing haymakers. Joe was ripping up Nash, who kept trying to throw his own, but Joe ducked and landed blows of his own. Joe then landed a running elbow smash into a kick to the shoulder before running over Nash with a shoulder block. Joe then knocked Nash to the outside and rammed Nash head-first into the announce table. Nash then reversed a whip into the ringpost to end Joe's momentum. He went under the ring and grabbed some clippers to remove the top turnbuckle in the ring. After doing some handiwork, Nash turned around to accept a smash to the hand from Joe.

Back in the ring at 5:00, Nash landed a series of knees to the lower back. Joe made his comeback, but Nash ended up on the floor where he retrieved a chair. Joe didn't see it, so he went for a suicide dive on the floor, but Nash smashed him in the head. Ref apparently didn't see it or he's just letting it go. Who knows. Joe was knocked out taking a nap in the ring, but Nash took a while to re-enter the ring for a cover. Nash then stood up and threw up the Wolfpack signal for the Jackknife. He landed the powerbomb in center ring, made the cover, but Joe kicked out. Nash was shocked.

At 10:00, Nash rammed Joe head-first into the exposed steel again. Ref Rudy Charles told him he can't do that. Joe came up bleeding from the forehead, then Nash went back to the well a second and third time. And a fourth. And a fifth. Joe fell backward flat on the mat as the ref checked on Joe, then Nash went for the Jackknife a second time. He nailed it clean, then made the cover, but Joe kicked out. Nash's expression went from frustration to sheer anger this time. He leaned over Joe to yell at him, but Joe suddenly went for a submission hold. In the scrum, the ref was kicked away.

Joe got to his feet, then Nash came up behind with a low blow clean to the groin. Nash dragged the ref over, then Nash made another cover. He put his feet on the ropes in clear sight of the ref, but Charles made a three count anyways to give Nash the win. Afterward, announcers tried to put over Joe for his resiliency while Nash walked out of the ring. Nash sold a left arm injury from Joe's submission hold, then security helped Joe out of the ring.

WINNER: Nash in 12:00. Another win for the Mafia. Good drama here with a big game veteran vs. a big game "Young Lion" in a compelling match-up. Joe losing should be treated as a huge deal with proper follow-up to move Joe up to the next level. If he's losing, it needs to mean something for his overall growth. (***)

TNA Turning Point PPV Results: 11-9-08

8 -- TNA World Hvt. champion STING vs. A.J. STYLES -- TNA World Title match

During the ring intros, Styles and Sting were both booed more than cheered. Styles wanted the classic drop down, leap frog, and dropsault combo early on, but Sting had it scouted and held onto the ropes to block. Sting thought he had Styles figured out, but a few moments later, Styles suddenly busted out the dropsault to finish the combo on Sting. Nice sequence. Sting then bailed to the floor to catch his breath, which led to a little cat and mouse between the two of them. The action spilled to the floor as a result with Sting crunching Styles across the guardrail. Back in the ring, Sting took Styles apart by focusing on the injured ribs. Really aggressive Sting here.

Styles made a comeback at 11:00 with a flying forearm smash from the second rope for a two count. He executed a snap suplex for another nearfall, then went for a splash in the corner, but Sting moved and nailed the Scorpion Deathdrop for a two count. Sting decided to go up top, but Styles moved out of the way of a dive. Styles wanted the Clash, but Sting slipped out and nailed an elbow to the chin. He followed with the Stinger Splash, wanted a second, and connected. Sting got a third, but Styles come back at 14:00 with a Spiral Tap. Styles then mouthed, "One more time" and Styles went back up top. Back to the well again. Suddenly, Angle and Booker stormed the ring. Styles knocked them off the apron, then he turned back to Sting. He wanted the Pele soccer kick, but Sting moved and rolled up Styles for the sudden win.

WINNER: Sting in 16:00 to retain the TNA World Title. Okay main event. Middle of the road with some moments, and carried by a sense of drama being in the main event position. The drama could have been heightened if TNA had played up the easy angle of this being an epic Styles vs. Sting dream match. (***)

Post-match: Styles looked at Sting with shock, then he walked out of the ring as Steiner and Nash came to ringside to celebrate with Sting, Angle, and Booker. Styles could only look in the ring with frustration and disgust. They recapped how the Young Lions were swept on the PPV to close the PPV. The final shot was of Styles crouched on the entrance ramp in a beggar's position while the Mafia posed in center ring.

http://www.wwe.com/inside/news/dykstraburkeyadareleased

World Wrestling Entertainment has come to terms on the release of SmackDown Superstar Kenny Dykstra and ECW's Elijah Burke and Lena Yada as of Nov. 10, 2008. WWE wishes them the best in all future endeavors.

Click to expand...

The Black Pope gone? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The word backstage at the PPV last night is that Christian Cage will be heading back to WWE once his current TNA deal expires next month. TNA is apparently still trying to work out a deal with him, but most backstage feel he won't be staying.

Credit: PWInsider.com

WWE RAW Results: 11-10-08

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). Condensed to in-ring results only.

1 -- IC champion SANTINO MARELLA (w/Women's champion Beth Phoenix) vs. WILLIAM REGAL (w/Layla) -- Intercontinental Title match

Lillian Garcia handled the formal ring intros, with Regal clearly the babyface in his home country. Santino had a good mix himself. And ring the bell. Regal absolutely smashed Santino with a running knee lift about 30 seconds into the match, then he pinned Santino for the easy pin and the win. Beth was shocked, as was the crowd. Beth then helped Santino out of the ring and checked on his KO'ed boyfriend.

WINNER: Regal in 1:00 to capture the IC Title. Well, that was decisive. You could almost see that coming. Let's hope Regal can bring some prestige back to the IC Title and set up some nice title feuds. (n/a)

2 -- MIKE KNOX vs. D-LO BROWN

Michael Cole said the ECW brand was glad when Knox skipped town. We don't know how or why, but the ECW locker room said good riddance to the bearded mountain man. Knox with a high knee, then the Knox Out on Brown for a very quick win. All righty. Lawler said he had some things to say about Knox, but Knox didn't give him time to say much.

WINNER: Knox in 1:00. Welcome to Raw. Snitsky left his toothbrush by the door. (n/a)

3 -- REY MYSTERIO vs. KANE -- No DQ match

Rey with a quick kick to the leg, then he bailed to the floor to set up cat and mouse. Rey went for a flying splash off the apron, but Kane caught him in mid-air. Rey fought back with kicks, though, before nailing a moonsault off the barricade. Rey then ran back into the ring. And another commercial break a minute into the match.

Back from break, Kane booted Rey in the head before throwing him into the corner to land some haymakers. Rey then suddenly Kane in position for the 619, but Kane slipped to the floor and chucked Rey hard into the guardrail. That looked sick. Kane then went to work on Rey's left arm and shoulder to try to force him to give it up. Kane then exposed the corner turnbuckle and wanted a powerbomb, but Rey moved and kicked Kane in the chest before snapping off a huracanrana.

The match moved into the second hour with Rey making his comeback by kicking Kane over the top rope to the apron. Rey then yanked Kane's right arm across the top rope to avoid a clothesline. He tried to follow with a springboard splash, but Kane caught him in mid-air with an uppercut. Kane then pulled back the ringside mat to expose the concrete floor. He wanted a Tombstone, but Rey slipped out and countered into a weak DDT that kinda sent Kane to the concrete floor.

Rey then brought Kane back into the ring for a nearfall. Rey followed with the 619, then he landed the big splash. Suddenly, Kane reached up for a chokeslam to stop a pin attempt, but Rey escaped and sent Kane face-first into the exposed turnbuckle. Rey then came off the top with a leaping kick on Kane to score the pin and the win.

WINNER: Rey Mysterio in 12:00. Okay match. Had your usual take-it-or-leave-it spots in a Kane match that were a little off, but it was a fine conclusion to their feud. At the end of the day, Kane was elevated during this feud by re-gaining his killer instinct, while Rey benefited from just staying relatively health. (*1/2)

4 -- BATISTA vs. CODY RHODES (w/Manu and Randy Orton)

They started with a headlock, then Cody tried to target the left knee, but Batista punched him away. Batista teased a Batistabomb toward Orton, who had moved on stage, but Cody slipped out and landed a bulldog for a two count. Cody then took Batista into the corner with a drop toehold before Manu landed a cheap shot behind the ref's back.

Batista came back with a boot to the gut, then a hard forearm smash. Cody slipped out of a shoulderbreaker, but he ran into a spinebuster. Manu was knocked off the apron, then Batista set up for and connected with the Batistabomb in center ring. Batista made the cover for the win.

Afterward, Manu took a spear for good measure. Batista then stared up at Orton, who simply looked into the ring from the stage. Batista then walked out to the entrance ramp. He approached Orton, but Orton walked backward through the curtain to leave Batista on stage by himself.

WINNER: Batista in 3:00. That's one way to get around giving away a major Batista vs. Orton match without pre-show hype. Disappointing segment in the short-term, but we'll see how it plays out over time. (1/2*)

5 -- Women's champion BETH PHOENIX (w/Santino Marella) vs. MICKIE JAMES -- Women's Title match

A little off tonight with the in-ring chemistry. Finish happened after Mickie knocked Santino off the ring apron when he tried to interfere, then Beth rammed Mickie head-first into the corner turnbuckle. Mickie was KO'ed, then Beth dragged Mickie into the corner for the pin and the win. Santino, surprised, hopped up to celebrate over-the-top in the ring with Beth.

WINNER: Beth in 2:00 to retain the Women's Title. Unfortunately, this was a rushed match with only a few minutes allotted in the ring, leading to a below-average match. They just couldn't settle into any sense of flow. (1/2*)

6 -- World Hvt. champion CHRIS JERICHO vs. SHAWN MICHAELS -- non-title Last Man Standing match

The bell sounded 20 minutes before the top of the hour, so they have plenty of time tonight. They quickly went to the traditional last-man-standing spots in this one before moving to the floor and up the entrance ramp. Jericho landed a right hand smash on Michaels, who needed six seconds to stand up. They suddenly cut to break with Jericho approaching Michaels for another knock down blow.

Back from break, the men were brawling next to the traditional U.K. stage with the cab vehicle. Jericho rammed Michaels head-first into the cab, and Michaels made his feet at eight. Michaels then slingshot Jericho into a cheap-looking plastic mailbox. Not the greatest spot in U.K. set history. Jericho and Michaels then battled onto the hood of the cab where Jericho slapped on the Walls of Jericho. Michaels cried out in pain as Jericho kept it locked in, then Jericho threw down the hold and rolled Michaels off the hood to the ground below. Michaels made it back to his feet at nine, but the drama wasn't there with the audience taken out of the match based on how isolated they are fighting on the stage area.

Michaels then threw Jericho off the stage to the concrete below. Not much of a drop, then Michaels grabbed the camera rigged on a crane and rammed it into Jericho's face. Jericho made it to his feet before ten, then the brawl moved through the stands to the ringside area. Michaels then retrieved a ladder, but Jericho stole it and rammed it into Michaels's head. Michaels then avoided another ram shot before throwing Jericho onto the Raw announce table. Michaels set up a ladder, then he climbed the ladder, did a crotch chop, and nailed the big flying elbow smash that took Jericho through the table.

Both men then made their feet at eight while the fans booed for some reason. We found out why, as JBL then showed up ringside. Michaels ducked his attack, though, and dumped JBL into the front row. Jericho took advantage with a belt shot to the face and Michaels stirred at seven. The ref reached nine and Michaels reached his feet just barely. Michaels suddenly nailed Sweet Chin Music on Jericho, but JBL smashed Michaels with a (protected) steel chair shot to the head. Both men were down as ref Kiota made his count. Jericho reached his feet at nine, but Michaels couldn't get up, giving Jericho the win.

WINNER: Chris Jericho in 19:00. Just didn't quite meet the expectations built into the show based on the hype as the final encounter between these two. The crowd never really got into the match with so much action taking place on the floor and isolated from the audience. Both men put in commendable efforts, but there was just something off. The execution just didn't have the "it" factor tonight. (**1/2)

Arcademan said:

WINNER: Chris Jericho in 19:00. Just didn't quite meet the expectations built into the show based on the hype as the final encounter between these two. The crowd never really got into the match with so much action taking place on the floor and isolated from the audience. Both men put in commendable efforts, but there was just something off. The execution just didn't have the "it" factor tonight. (**1/2)

Click to expand...

He hit it on the mark. OK TV match, but I was quite disappointed. It was missing something, that spark, that it factor. HBK shielding himself a second early from the JBL chair shot was humorous too, esp. since they replayed it TWICE. D'oh!

Overall though, I thought tonight's Raw was a good show.

Fuck, I havent seen any wrestling in 4 months. Regal as a face is always entertaining to watch.