Original Airdate: Friday, December 16th, 2005
MassMutual Center
Springfield, Massachusetts
Follow me on Twitter: @WorkTheNetwork2
Nunzio vs. Boogeyman
I guess if I have to watch a Boogeyman squash, Nunzio is probably one of the better choices. They pan to the SmackDown locker room watching the match in the back...from an angle, of course. He puts some worms in his mouth and hits the pump handle powerslam for the victory. After the match Vito gets up, but then thinks twice about it once he sees him chomp away on the worms. Nunzio then gets worm to the face as the locker room grosses out.
Match Rating: 1/4*
Randy and Bob Orton are backstage and Bob convinces Randy to talk to a sports psychologist. Randy reluctantly agrees and after the break he is in the room with him and he basically tells him nothing. Not much of a segment.
Melina tries to seduce Batista which is kind of awkward. They then start making out.
Kid Kash vs. Super Crazy
Super Crazy hits a monkey flip and a running dropkick. Kash is able to hit a neckbreaker onto a top rope. He gets in a little bit of offense until Super Crazy is able to hit a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Super Crazy misses a top rope moonsault and Kid Kash hits a brainbuster for a victory. After the match, he attacks Crazy and is trying to go for the brainbuster on the chair, but the Mexicools make the save. This was fine for a five minute match.
Match Rating: *1/2
Back to the Orton family and Randy thanks his dad for helping him through this.
And now we are shown Melina getting dressed and Batista lets her know that he's not taking her deal, but thanks her for the warm-up.
WWE Tag Team Championship Match
MNM vs. Batista & Rey Mysterio
MNM comes out flustered after Melina's failed attempt for Batista to take it easy on them. This babyface run of Batista is just really hard to get behind for me. I'm not really sure why I'm supposed to like him. MNM are rocking the electric blue tights tonight. Nitro is a bumping machine here, making Batista's moves look more effective. Batista puts Mercury in position for a Batista Bomb, but Nitro sneaks behind Charles Robinson and hits him with a superkick. Batista then double clotheslines MNM over the top and Mysterio hits a springboard moonsault to the floor. Melina provides the distraction for another illegal double team and it results in Mercury hitting a powerbomb on Mysterio. Nitro hits a backbreaker/side Russian leg sweep combo for a 2 count. After a long heat segment, Mysterio hits a bulldog. We get a fun little segment of Mysterio trying to escape to make the tag, but Nitro hits a step up enzigiri. Mysterio is able to hit a reverse hurricanrana and finally make the tag. That may be the earliest instance in WWE of that move. Hot tag to Batista and he hits some spinebusters. Rey hits a double 619 on Mercury and Melina. Batista hits the Batista Bomb and we have new WWE Tag Team Champions. Mercury's nose is busted open and Melina is crying on the outside. I'm not really sure I understand the booking here, but this was a really fun tag team match. MNM was really finding their groove as Nitro continued to improve.
Match Rating: ***1/2
Bobby Lashley vs. Paul Burchill
Lashley quickly throws Burchill out of the ring. I remember that one week they were trying to put over Burchill has a beast. It's suplex time for Lashley and then he quickly goes into the Dominator and that's all. They sure gave up on Burchill quickly here.
Match Rating: 1/4*
Kristal is with Matt Hardy. Hardy says that Booker T is up 3-0 in his series and is red hot, but tonight will be a different story. JBL comes in on a crutch and interrupts Hardy. There is nothing like setting up a pay-per-view match two days before the show. JBL pushes Hardy down, so Hardy attacks him until officials are able to pull Hardy off.
Teddy Long is with Randy's therapist. He refuses to give Long any info on Orton.
Batista and Rey are talking about their match on Sunday and in walks Orton. Orton says that we'll never get to know who the best was and Orton shakes his hand.
Cole and Tazz run down the Armageddon card and I am amazed at how poor the match graphics were back in 2005.
Booker T vs. Matt Hardy
JBL is out as guest commentator. Sharmell comes out sweeping a broom, which is a nice touch. JBL claims that he has a torn knee as Booker and Hardy trade blows. Hardy clotheslines Booker over the top rope and then launches himself over the top. They have completely killed all the momentum they had with Hardy by this point. JBL distracts Hardy and Booker throws him into the steel steps. Hardy makes his comeback and hits a running bulldog for a 2 count. Booker counters out of a Twist Of Fate and hits a spinebuster. He misses the Scissors Kick and Hardy hits a Side Effect. Hardy hits a top rope leg drop, but Booker is able to kick out. Sharmell gets on the apron and JBL grabs Hardy out of the ring and hits a big clothesline. Booker hits the Scissors Kick and gets the victory. For an average length match, it felt really short.
Match Rating: **1/4
Bob Orton asks Randy if he is really sure he is going to do this. Randy says that he's going to do it right now and he's going to do it alone. Orton makes his way out to the ring and says that at just the age of 25, he has accomplished more than most will in their lifetime. He announces that he is going to retire. He says that he will kill one last legend and that is his own. Out comes Teddy Long, who spoils his pity party by telling him that he is still under contract, so he doesn't have to wrestle. Long says that he'll sue Orton for breach of contract. Orton says he'd rather take on Long in court than Taker in Hell In A Cell. Taker's music hits and out come the druids. Taker comes out and about 37 minutes later, he's in the ring with Orton. Orton begins begging for forgiveness. A druid lifts up Taker's urn and he reveals himself to be Bob Orton. Randy attacks Taker and gives one of his more convincing attacks that I can remember. He hits the RKO, but Taker sits up. Orton grabs a chair and hits him with a big chair shot that splits him open. Orton then destroying him with multiple shots to the back and then yet another shot to the head that dents the chair. Orton starts telling Taker that he will succeed, but Taker again sits up. He grabs the urn and hits him in the head with it. Orton grabs a mic and tells Taker that he'll see him Sunday. That would have been a much better segment if it were about 75% shorter. There was no reason for the slow entrance and of course there was no reason whatsoever for Taker to take those chair shots.
This was a pretty good go home show for the blue brand. The tag team match was the standout, although I'm still not really sure I get taking the titles off of MNM. Just the fact that they already had a title match at Armageddon shows that it was definitely a last second change. The big build for Undertaker and Orton didn't necessarily get me more excited for the match, but it didn't hurt it either. I'm looking forward to watching Armageddon for the first time in a long time.
Overall Rating: 60%
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