Monday, August 29th, 2005
St. Pete Times Forum
Tampa, Florida
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We are kicking things off this week with Carlito's Cabana. His guest this week is Shawn Michaels. Carlito says that it's ironic that he used to look up to Shawn Michaels and now it's Michaels that is looking up to Carlito. Michaels tells him to take it easy, he's been through a lot the last month. Shawn questions when the last time Carlito actually defended the Intercontinental Championship. This all leads to Chris Masters to come out and Michaels attacks both of them. The numbers game obviously get the better of him until Ric Flair comes out and makes the save. Not Shawn's strongest promo here, but Flair and Michaels in the same ring makes it all worth it.
Carlito and Masters are in Bischoff's office and they are all fired up. Bischoff says they will get Flair and Michaels in a tag team match tonight.
Handicap Match
Big Show vs. Buck Quartermain & Steve Madison
Imagine if this was just a normal match. We wouldn't get a double headbutt or a double suplex or a double chokeslam. This felt very choreographed as Big Show gets the easy win. After the match, Snitsky attacks Show and hits him with the ring bell. Is there anyone buying that Snitsky is a threat to Big Show?
Match Rating: 1/4*
Torrie Wilson and Candice Michelle are out here and want to apologize to Ashley for their actions last week. Ashley accepts and they let her know that Ashley is going to have her first match tonight. Ashley assumes that she is facing one of them, but out comes Victoria instead. Ashley knocks Torrie and Candice down and then attacks Victoria.
Ashley vs. Victoria
Victoria regains control and quickly hits the Widow's Peak for the victory. The acting in this segment sure was something.
Match Rating: 1/4*
Cade & Murdoch get another vignette that really doesn't give you much reason to care.
Edge is in the back hanging out with Alter Bridge, who are doing an acoustic jam. Todd Grisham interrupts them and Edge isn't happy about it. After tonight, Edge says Matt Hardy can go back online and make more posts because his career will be over.
Matt Hardy is shown getting ready and in walks Lita. She asks him how it feels to know that he'll never be able to experience her again. Matt says that he's going to hell and he's taking Edge with him.
Shawn Michaels is rushed over to Ric Flair, who is laying down in a pool of his own blood. They really pulled this out for Chris Masters and Carlito?
Street Fight
Edge vs. Matt Hardy
The action quickly spills outside the ring and into the crowd. Matt throws Edge back over the barricade and hits an ax handle. Edge gets a trash can lid to the head and then Matt pulls out a ladder. Edge uses a baseball slide to drive the ladder into Matt. During the break, Matt was able to avoid a ladder to the head and then hit a superplex. Both men are now up the ladder, but Hardy knocks Edge off. Hardy then hits a leg drop from near the top of the ladder. Matt now grabs a chair, but Edge hits him with a Singapore cane first. Edge goes for another chair shot, but Hardy is able to knock him over first. Edge hits a flapjack on Hardy into the ladder. Edge shoves Matt's head between the chair and the ring and kicks it, but he doesn't get all of it. Hardy fights back, but Lita hits Matt in the back with the briefcase. Matt turns his attention to Lita and we all know how that will work out. Edge attacks him from behind. The intensity picks up again and now Matt drives a ladder into Edge and sets him on top of the ladder. He goes for a moonsault, but Edge is able to roll out of the way and both men are down. They roll to the outside and Edge hits Matt with a garbage can to the head. They start fighting up the entrance ramp and Matt throws Edge into the set. Matt once again turns his attention to Lita and it backfires again. Edge tries to body slam Matt off the stage, but it's countered. Edge just misses with a spear and then Matt hits a Side Effect off the stage and into the electrical area setting off WWE pyro. The medical staff is getting quite the workout tonight between these two and Ric Flair. Even Coach and Lawler are checking on them. Back from commercial break and they are still trying to get them stretchered off. So obviously this one is a no contest. They got a lot of time here tonight as opposed to their match at SummerSlam and spent it well. They were able to keep up the intensity for the majority of the match and it ultimately sets up a big match at Unforgiven.
Match Rating: ***1/2
The Champ is here and he is fired up tonight. We are getting cartoony serious Cena tonight and he calls out Kurt Angle. Angle comes out and shows the highlights of him attacking Cena last week. He says that he's not coming down to the ring and risking his opportunity at Unforgiven. Angle says that at Unforgiven he is going to end Cena's charade. Cena says that Angle may be the baddest man alive, but he's still calling him out. Angle teases coming down but turns away. Cena tells him he knows he only likes to jump people from behind, so he turns his back. Angle jumps him and tries to go for the Ankle Lock, but Cena is able to kick out of it.
Tyson Tomko vs. Rosey
They show a highlight reel of Tomko's recent squash matches on Heat. Rosey goes off the second rope and Tomko greets him with a kick to the gut and the referee calls the match. He then hits Hurricane with a boot to the face. That was one of the weaker ref stoppages that I can think of.
Match Rating: 1/4*
Shawn Michaels (& Ric Flair) vs. Chris Masters & Carlito
Due to the attack earlier on, Shawn is on his own to start here. Shawn outsmarts them at first, but Carlito and Masters quickly take advantage of the situation. Carlito is able to move out of the way from a charging Michaels, who rams into the ring post instead. Michaels is able to fight back and hits a body back drop on both men, sending them to the outside as we go to commercial break. Masters and Carlito have Shawn cornered, but Michaels knocks Masters out of the ring and then hits a flying forearm on Carlito. Michaels hits a top rope elbow and starts tuning up the band. Masters grabs his leg to pull him out of the ring and then hits a clothesline on him. Of all the long heel heat segments I could watch, Carlito and Masters would be towards the bottom of that list. Michaels hits a DDT and down comes a bandaged Ric Flair. Michaels makes a tag to him and he starts chopping both opponents. Carlito hits a low blow behind the ref's back and Michaels knocks Carlito out of the ring. Masters then puts Flair into the Master Lock and that's it. This was given a lot of time, but it was definitely disappointing. Michaels could do no wrong here in '05, but this was one of the few matches I didn't really enjoy with so much time.
Match Rating: **
While I give them credit for trying to push some newer stars, it hasn't taken off quite yet. The Matt Hardy and Edge segment was well done, even if it was a little over the top. The main event was a bit of a letdown, which kind of changed my overall opinion of the show.
Overall Rating: 50%
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