Armageddon 2005 Review

Sunday, December 18th, 2005
Dunkin' Donuts Arena
Providence, Rhode Island

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JBL vs. Matt Hardy

JBL cuts a promo on Hardy and is finally interrupted by Hardy's music. Hardy sneaks in from behind and we are underway. JBL tosses Hardy and he gets his head twisted in the ropes and JBL takes advantage. JBL takes it to Hardy until he is able to hit a swinging neckbreaker. JBL continues his attack and goes for a superplex. Hardy knocks him off and then hits a moonsault for a 2 count. JBL takes the turnbuckle cover off. He pushes him into the exposed corner and then hits the Clothesline From Hell and gets the easy victory. That was a flat out squash and is such a weak way to start a pay-per-view.

Match Rating: ** (out of 5)

The Mexicools approach Melina and want some of the action that Batista got. 

MNM vs. The Mexicools

The Mexicools gain the early advantage and Psicosis hits a corkscrew over the top rope. Referee Charles Robinson stops Super Crazy from following suit. Super Crazy ignores and he leaps over his back and to the floor. Psicosis goes up top, but Melina pulls him down. MNM is able to cut the ring in half from there. Super Crazy finally gets in the match and takes care of both members of MNM. He avois the double team and hits a tornado DDT for a 2 count. Psicosis joins in and hits a top rope crossbody. Super Crazy goes up top and Melina again tries to interfere. However, this time Crazy pushes here out of the way. Crazy hits a moonsault, but Nitro makes the last second save. MNM hits the Snap Shot and that's all. The ending wasn't particularly executed well, but the match was entertaining enough. 

Match Rating: **3/4

Booker and Sharmell have an interview backstage with Kristal. They play up the sweep, while Sharmell shows some attitude towards Kristal. 

Match Four In A Best Of Seven Series For The United States Championship

Booker T vs. Chris Benoit

After some stalling from Booker in the early going, Benoit dominates with some chops and some mat wrestling. Booker hangs up Benoit on the top rope and hits him with a knee, knocking him to the floor. They start exchanging chops on the floor and Booker slams Benoit into the ring post. Back in the ring, Booker locks in the abdominal stretch. Benoit makes a comeback and hits a belly-to-belly suplex. He then hits the Three Amigos and gets a 2 count. Benoit goes up top, but Sharmell distracts him with the broom and it allows Booker to go for a superplex. Benoit was about to counter it, but he fell off of him and it sure didn't look good. Booker hits a missile dropkick and he gets a nearfall. Sharmell hits a low blow on Benoit behind Jimmy Korderas's back and Booker hits the Scissor Kick, but Benoit kicks out. Benoit counters the Book End into the Crippler Crossface, but Booker is able to get to the bottom rope. Benoit hits the three German suplexes and tries to re-apply the Crossface. Booker rolls through and it knocks Korderas out. Benoit puts Booker in the Sharpshooter and Benoit is tapping. Sharmell comes in with the broom and hits him with the bristles? She also pretty much whiffed. Benoit goes after her, but Booker attacks him from behind. Benoit counters the Book End into a DDT and puts him in the Crossface. Booker taps, even though it sure looked like his foot was under the rope. Tazz and Cole hype up how great this match was. I'm not sure I'd go that far, but it was pretty good. 

Match Rating: ***

Teddy Long and Palmer Cannon are here. Long thanks the fans and then Cannon interrupts him to introduce Santa. Out comes Vito as Santa with Nunzio dressed as an elf. They want title matches, but Cannon instead brings out the Boogeyman. Boogeyman destroys them and then uses his magic stick to turn Santa's bag into worms. He shoves some worms in Vito's mouth and heads out back. 

After a lengthy Taker/Orton recap, Kristal is with the Randy and Bob. 

Two-On-One Handicap Match

Bobby Lashley vs. William Regal & Paul Burchill

Lashley kicks it off by destroying both men until Regal hits a boot to the back, allowing Burchill to capitalize. Looking at Burchill, I'm not quite sure why he's in this position to get jobbed. Regal hits an exploder suplex and Burchill hits a knee from the top rope. Lashley comes back and hits some suplexes and then the Dominator on Burchill for the victory. The crowd was not feeling this one at all. I'm not really sure this needed to be on the show. 

Match Rating: *1/4

Ah yes, it's time for Josh Matthews to visit Tim White at the Friendly Tap. This is the absolute definition of something that made air that was made for an audience of one. They show the footage of Chris Jericho/Triple H where he got hurt in the Hell In A Cell match, while White keeps taking shots. He finally talks and says that everyone he knows left him and that he has nothing. He talks about IBS just in case you weren't sure how terrible this is. Matthews says he hopes that he has a "White Christmas" (get it?) and White pulls out a gun. He walks out of the screen and Matthews begs him not to do that and then a huge bang is heard. So we are to assume he just killed himself and we go back to a match. Absolutely one of the worst segments in the history of the company.

Cruiserweight Championship Match

Juventud vs. Kid Kash

We get an immediate burst of action and it ends with Juvy hitting a standing hurricanrana. Juvy dumps Kash to the floor and launches himself over and onto Kash. To the people chanting "boring", why? You may not care for the characters, but there have been far worse talents to step foot in this ring and who have given a lot less effort. Kash locks in an arm bar on and then throws him shoulder first into the turnbuckle. Kash goes for a springboard top rope moonsault, but Juvy gets his knees up. Juvy comes back with a bunch of chops and a big kick to the head. Juvy hits a top rope hurricanrana, but Kash gets his foot on the bottom rope. Both men counter each others finishers, but Juvy still hits the Juvy Driver, but Kash kicks out. Juvy misses with a front flip leg drop off the top rope. Kash hits Dead Level and we have a new Cruiserweight Champion. They gave a pretty good effort, but they were never able to win over the crowd. 

Match Rating: **

Champions vs. Champions Match

Big Show & Kane vs. Rey Mysterio & Batista

Two of the absolute worst entrance themes of all time on one team with Show and Kane. Batista and Show start things off and Show throws Batista around. Batista knocks him down with a running shoulder, but then eats a big boot. Kane is in now and Batista is able to throw him off the top rope before tagging in Rey. Rey misses a springboard moonsault and then Kane no sells some kicks. Rey eventually hits a dropkick to the back of Kane, setting him up for a 619, but Kane is able to get up before that happens. He does it again, but this time Big Show grabs Rey by the feet and trips him up. He drives him into the ring post while Batista has Charles Robinson distracted. Big Show tosses Rey into the ring over the top rope and Kane goes to work. Rey is able to pull off a bulldog, but Big Show knocks Batista off the apron before they can make the tag. Batista come in anyways and helps take both big men out. Batista charges at Big Show on the announce table in one of the more awkward looking table spots I can think of. Back in the ring, Kane hits a chokeslam on Rey and earn the victory. This wasn't bad, but it kind of just felt like a SmackDown TV main event. 

Match Rating: **1/2

Hell In A Cell Match

Randy Orton vs. Undertaker

We get a faster paced opening than I expected for a 30+ minute match featuring the Undertaker. Taker slows it down and pulls Orton into the ring post and then hits a boot to the head. Taker hits an unprotected chair shot to the head of Orton and he is bleeding around his eye. Taker hits another chair shot and then starts using the cage like a cheese grater. Taker now has a chain and uses it to choke Orton. Orton gets in some desperate offense, but Taker counters Orton's attempt to hit him with the steps. Orton is able to hit a RKO on Taker onto the top rope, sending Taker to the outside. Orton is able to connect this time around with the steel steps. Orton this time hits Taker with a chair to the head and he gets a 2 count. Taker hits a surprising running leap off the bottom steps into Orton standing against the cage. Taker uses the top of the cell to do a solo Old School, but Orton avoids the elbow drop. Under the ring he goes, bringing in a table into the ring. Taker is able to stop Orton and then grabs Bob Orton through the cage. Taker hits him with a boot and Bob is bleeding. Taker charges at Orton, but Orton catches him for an attempted powerslam, but it's mostly his momentum that sends him into the cage. Taker this time hits a traditional Old School and gets a nearfall. Taker hits a big chokeslam, but Orton gets his foot on the bottom rope. Orton comes back and sets Taker on the table. Orton hits a big splash off the top rope and that absolutely looked painful for Orton. Taker is able to go for a Last Ride, but Orton escapes and Taker accidentally hits Nick Patrick. Orton is able to hit an RKO out of a chokeslam. Jimmy Korderas checks in on Patrick and then in comes Charles Robinson for referee duties. This natually allows Bob Orton to walk right in. Taker hits Last Ride, but Bob Orton pulls Robinson out of the ring to break up the count. Taker takes care of him and then goes for the Tombstone. Orton counters it and hits the Tombstone instead. Tazz claims to have never seen this counter before. Taker sits up multiple times and then grabs Orton by the throat. Bob Orton comes in again and once again it's unsuccessful. Taker hits them both with the urn and then hits a Tombstone on Bob Orton. Taker hits the Tombstone on Randy and that is all. Taker takes the urn and throws it on top of the cell and then "cell-ebrates" on top for the photo op. These two really worked hard here to deliver an entertaining match. I understand why the Bob Orton interference was in there, but they would have been just fine without it. Good main event. 

Match Rating: ***3/4

This was absolutely a one match show, while the rest of the show felt like an episode of SmackDown. I also didn't think it was possible for the Tim White segment to be worse than it was 15 years ago, but I was wrong. I'm sure WWE would have liked to have ended the year with a stronger show, but they did end with one of their better main events of the year, so that's something. 

Overall Rating: 51%