Unforgiven 2005 Review

Sunday, September 18th, 2005
Ford Center
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

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Intercontinental Championship Match
Ric Flair vs. Carlito

Flair is trying to win his first Intercontinental Championship here. Things start off slowly here until Flair chops the living daylights out of Carlito. Flair hits an inverted atomic drop and goes for the Figure Four, but Carlito kicks Flair out of the ring. Carlito rams Flair's shoulder into the ring post and then into the steps. We get a big "Let's go Flair" chant from the live crowd as Carlito hits a back body drop. Flair starts to fight back with some chops and goes up to the top rope. Carlito tries to stop him, but Flair actually fights it off and hits the move off the top rope. He goes up again, but this time Carlito hits him with a dropkick. Carlito goes to spit in Flair's face, but Flair hits him with a right hand. Flair puts Carlito in the Figure Four in the center of the ring and Carlito taps. What a great pop for the 55 year old. There wasn't a whole lot to this match, but the crowd ate it up and it made for a great moment. After the match, Flair grabs a mic and says that it's a great honor to win the Intercontinental Championship at this stage in his career. He says that this victory means just as much as any of his other championships. He's just upset that his best friend Triple H isn't here to celebrate with him tonight. He picks some women from the crowd to party with him tonight.

Match Rating: **1/2 (out of 5)

Edge and Lita are in the locker room talking about her cheating on Matt. They make out.

Torrie Wilson & Victoria vs. Trish Stratus & Ashley 

Trish hits a springboard headscissor on Victoria and hits some chops. Ashley tags in and is wrestling in a hat. She does a flip over Victoria and about 20 seconds later hits a dropkick. Torrie comes in and gets dumped out of the ring and Candice Michelle chokes her with her robe. Victoria hits a nice leg drop. Ashley makes a tag, but it was behind the referee's back and he doesn't allow it. Victoria goes up to the top rope, but Ashley knocks her down and makes the tag. Trish comes in hot, but Torrie Wilson slows her down from the apron. Trish still fires back and takes on both women on her own. She hits a spinebuster, but Candice distracts the ref. Trish still fights them off, hits the Chick Kick on Victoria and gets the victory. I guess considering that Ashley had no business being in televised matches and that Torrie was never really a full time wrestler, this was about the best case scenario for this match.

Match Rating: 1/2*

Flair is shown going into a limo with his women. After getting them in the limo, he takes a whole case of Viagra with a bottle of champagne.

Big Show vs. Snitsky

They go right after each other immediately. Big Show gets his slaps to the chest in, but Snitsky is able to throw Big Show into the ring post. Snitsky is able to hit a back suplex on Show for a 2 count. Snitsky hits a big boot and then goes back to work on the shoulder. Big Show hits a spinebuster and both men are down. Big Show fires back and then hits a chokeslam for the victory kind of out of nowhere. At least it was short. Show heads back towards the ring and grabs a ring bell. He gets revenge on Snitsky and hits him in the head. He's about to leave, but he decides to hit Snitsky in the back of the head.

Match Rating: *

Back to Flair's limo that is in the same spot, now has steam coming out of the doors.

Kerwin White vs. Shelton Benjamin

Shelton pulls White off the apron as he's hanging his sweater vest. Shelton rips off his collared shirt and hits an elbow. Shelton hits a seated dropkick and drops White face first to the mat. White avoids a charging Benjamin and goes to work on his knee. White hits a nice spinning headscissors on Shelton. White goes for a monkey flip, but Shelton lands on his feet and hits a Samoan drop. Shelton can't capitalize and White goes back to work on the knee. They begin trading blows and Shelton hits an inverted backbreaker. Shelton goes up top, but White knocks him off Kerwin hits a nice superplex. Kerwin puts on the half crab. Shelton eventually is able to roll out of it and hits a catapult. White reaches for his golf club and goes to use it, but Shelton catches him and hits a pop up Exploder for the victory. This was basically a good Raw match, but the crowd wasn't super into it after being really into everything else so far.

Match Rating: **1/4

Steel Cage Match
Edge vs. Matt Hardy

They start with some stiff looking right hands and then both block attempts to slam each other into the cage. Hardy sends Edge towards the turnbuckle, but Edge leaps up and attempts an early escape. Hardy stops him and hits a double axe handle off the second rope. Hardy builds some momentum and goes for the Twist of Fate, but Edge shoves him into the cage. Edge is attempting to escape and gets to the top and Hardy joins him. Edge slams the back of Hardy's head into the top part of the cage and then Edge hits a missile dropkick to the back of his head. I'm not sure it connected like they hoped and the announcers agree. Edge slams Hardy's head back into a turnbuckle and then hits him square in the face with a kick. Edge picks Hardy up in a powerbomb but throws him into the cage and drops him to the mat. He then hits a buckle bomb in the corner. Edge hits yet another kick to the head of Hardy. Edge is in full Randy Orton mode before it was even a thing. Edge props Hardy up on the top rope. He tries to fight Edge off, but Edge hits a powerbomb from the second rope in a cool spot. Hardy sidesteps Edge and hits a Side Effect. Edge tries to exit through the door, but Hardy grabs his leg. Lita hands the briefcase to Edge, but Hardy ducks him. Hardy starts wailing on Edge and he is tied up in the ropes Andre The Giant style. Hardy hits a slingshot into the cage and then a bulldog onto the briefcase. Hardy throws Edge into the cage multiple times and then knocks Lita off the cage while she is climbing. Edge is busted open as Hardy continues the assault. Hardy has the briefcase and goes up top to use it, but Edge pushes the ref into the rope to knock Hardy off. Edge then hits a Spear into Hardy into the cage. Both men are up top and Hardy hits the Side Effect off the top rope. Lita grabs a chair and tries to get it in the cage, but Jack Doan stops her. Hardy goes for the pin, but Lita breaks up the pin. Lita has Hardy's attention, so Edge tries to escape. He stops him and Lita attempts to hit him with the briefcase. Hardy ducks and hits her with the Twist of Fate. Edge comes from behind and hits the Spear, but Hardy kicks out at 2. This is some really great stuff here and they have really won the crowd over here. Back on the top rope, Hardy slams Edge's head on the top of the cage, causing Edge to fall. Hardy gets up top and hits a leg drop from the top of the cage to a huge reaction. Hardy picks up the victory in an absolutely terrific match. The intensity of the final 10 minutes or so are just off the charts.

Match Rating: ****1/2

Cena is shown getting his ankle taped up and in walks Eric Bischoff. Bischoff runs his mouth, so Cena grabs some of the tape and puts it over his mouth.

Back to the arena, Edge is shown crawling up the ramp, shoving off the offered help.

World Tag Team Championship Match 
Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch vs. Rosey & The Hurricane

Hurricane hits a hip toss and a headscissors and it causes Cade and Murdoch to have to regroup outside the ring. Their plan works momentarily, but Hurricane ends up hitting a missile dropkick from the second rope. They hit a drop toe hold and splash combo. Murdoch keeps trying to get Lilian Garcia to kiss him, but Hurricane makes the save. Murdoch then hits a DDT from the apron to the floor. Back in the ring, Rosey hits a back body drop on Cade, but Murdoch pulls Cade out of the way for the splash in the corner. They have a trainer come out to check in on Hurricane. Hurricane is being helped to the back. Rosey is able to hit a double clothesline and Hurricane turns around and makes a tag in. He throws some weak blows and Cade and Murdoch hit a chop block and clothesline combination and we have new champions. The injury angle actually took the crowd out of it a little bit. The match was pretty good for the time given, but the tag division has been booked so poorly that it's hard for people to care.

Match Rating: **

Flair's celebration continues and one of the girls walks out wearing Flair's robe. She flashes him and goes back in the limo.

Maria interviews Chris Masters and asks him why everyone calls him the Masterbate? Masters then says he will break Michaels tonight.

Chris Masters vs. Shawn Michaels

Before the match even starts, Masters puts Michaels into the Master Lock. The referee talks him out of continuing, so that they can start the match. Masters tries to go for it again after the bell, but Michaels is ready for it this time and eventually hits a clothesline over the ropes and then hits a flying crossbody. Michaels grabs a chair, but Jack Doan grabs it away and Masters takes advantage of it. Masters uses the powerbomb position to ram Michaels' back into the ring post. Masters hits a vertical suplex for a 2 count. Masters hits some blows to the lower back. Michaels attempts a comeback, but it ends with a back body drop from Masters and then a big backbreaker. Masters puts Michaels into the Torture Rack. The ref goes for the arm drop, but Michaels keeps it up on the third attempt. Michaels again tries to make a comeback, but is greeted with a clothesline. Masters is calling for the Master Lock, but Michaels grabs the ref and hits a low blow to get out of it. Michaels finally makes the comeback with a flying forearm and inverted atomic drop. Michaels goes up to the top rope and hits the elbow drop. Michaels goes for Sweet Chin Music, but Masters counters it into the Master Lock. After a long time in the hold, Michaels is able to get to the ropes and Masters is forced to break the hold. Michaels hangs up Masters on the top rope. He goes for a crossbody off the top rope, but Masters catches him and then goes for the Master Lock. Michaels slips out of it and hits Sweet Chin Music and gets the victory. Michaels was masterful here making Masters look like a big deal.

Match Rating: ***1/4

Flair is shown one more time. The ladies leave the limo and then we see half of Flair's butt hanging out of his trunks, he comes out of the limo, takes a swig of the champagne and passes out.

WWE Championship Match
Kurt Angle vs. John Cena

Cena hits his variation of the hip toss and Angle rolls out of the ring to regroup. Back in the ring and Angle puts Cena in an armbar. Cena counters that into a side headlock and then hits him with some shoulder tackles. Angle comes back with a vengeance, but Cena slows it down with a boot to the face. Cena hits a sideslam for a 2 count. Angle fires back and hits a German suplex with a release. There is a definite buzz from the crowd here, making this feel really important. Cena hits a sunset flip for a 2 count. Angle then hits an overhead belly-to-belly suplex with a release. Angle puts Cena in a bodyscissors. Cena battles out of it and hits a DDT. Cena starts building momentum and goes for the FU. Angle counters that into the Ankle Lock, but Cena gets out of it and hits a spinebuster for a nearfall. Angle hits an Angle Slam, but Cena kicks out. Angle puts the Ankle Lock on again, but Cena again quickly gets out of it and now it's Five Knuckle Shuffle time. Angle runs into the referee, knocking him out. Cena hits the FU and tries to wake up the ref. Angle gets up and kicks Cena below the belt. He goes to the corner and grabs his gold medal and knocks Cena out with it. The straps are down and he puts him in the Ankle Lock again. Bischoff is now down to the ring and holds the WWE Championship in his face. Cena grabs the ropes, but Bischoff kicks his arm off. Cena rolls out of it and Angle bumps into Bischoff. Cena grabs the title and knocks out Angle, but the referee sees it and calls for the disqualification. Bischoff tells the referee not to give Cena the belt, but before he can finish his thought, Cena gives him the FU. Angle then attacks him from behind. Angle goes for the Angle Slam through the table, but Cena reverses it and gives him the FU through the table. Cena must pose. That was definitely a buzzkill of an ending to an otherwise good match. Both guys gave a really good effort and while I'm more than good with this feud continuing, I would have liked to have seen something a little less contrived.

Match Rating: ***1/2

For a single branded show, this one delivered overall. It wasn't as good as Judgment Day or Vengeance, but this was a good show. The crowd was very lively throughout and most of the matches had strong efforts by those involved. The ending was a total bummer, but everything else for the most part made sense. Go out of your way to catch the Matt Hardy/Edge match, as it was one of the best in all of 2005 and probably would make it fairly high on my best WWE matches of the decade.

Overall Rating: 69%