New Blood Rising

~ “And now, let’s get down to business” ~

WCW New Blood Rising
From Vancouver, BC
August 13, 2000

The PPV opens with a video of the Booker T and Jeff Jarrett feud, featuring the phrase “Slapnuts Theatre”, a video for the Kevin Nash, Scott Steiner and Goldberg match which features Kevin Nash saying he can’t be sure he won’t be real professional tonight.
We go outside next to hear from the fans. The highlight of this section was a Primo Colon doppelganger. The low point was the screaming fans.

Tony Schiavone welcomes us to the PNE for possible the greatest night in the history of our sport.
First match of the night about to begin, 3 Count (Evan Karagias, Shannon Moore, Shane Helms and Tank F’n Abbot) come out. Tank clearly loves 3 Count. Their performance is interrupted by the opponents for tonight in a double ladder match, The Jung Dragons (Kaz Hayashi, Jamie San and Jimmy Yang). The rules for this match are above the ring are two items. One is 3 Count’s Gold Record. The other ladder is a 3 Count’s Recording Contract. If The Jung Dragons, get the contract, 3 Count can never record again. I don’t know much about contract law, so I will trust that you can only record if you have physical possession of the contract at the time.
DOUBLE LADDER 6 MAN TAG MATCH

3 Count with Tank Abbott vs. The Jung Dragons

Despite this being a ladder match each team starts with one person in the ring and two on the apron. Evan and Jamie trade holds. Suddenly the teams burst off up the aisle and towards the ladders. Tank Abbott is all excitement, leading the crowd in 3 Count chants. He gets in the face of Mark Madden and Madden voices his support for 3 Count.

Springboard Doomsday Devices by both teams.

One thing I don’t understand, the announcers are pointing out that each team goes for one item, what if they grab the other? What if the Dragons grab the gold record? Can 3 Count still record?
Jamie San dove off a ladder to the outside onto a big pile. Shane Helms hits a diving swinging neckbreaker off the ladder to one of the Dragons. So much is happening. It is hard to follow. Jamie San grabs the gold record, I guess both the items need to be retrieved. Jamie drops it, Tank picks it up. Tank is dancing with the record outside the ring.
A member of The Dragons and a member of 3 Count are each on a ladder, for some reason Tank enters the ring and pushes both ladders over. Evan climbs the ladder and retrieves the contract. So they are announced as the winners. I don’t know how thought. At best this was a tie.

Winners: 3 Count

Verdict
Positives: Tank Abbott, wacky ladder spots

Negatives: Confusing rules

TO THE BACK

The Filthy Animals (Rey Mysterio Jr., Konnan, Tygress, Juventud and Disqo) are in Ernest Miller’s office, requesting to be the refs of the tag title match as long as they get a title shot on Nitro. They say they will return the belts if they get to do this and they will make sure Ernest Miller wins his match with The Great Muta.

Next match is The Great Muta vs. The Cat

The Great Muta vs. The Cat

Cat grabs a mic to address Muta. He says he knows Muta doesn’t know English, so he is gonna break it down to him so he understands it. “You are The Great Muta and I’mma whoop your great ass” and he hits him in the head with the microphone. He pounds on Muta in the corner then dances. Elbow drop. Dances. Muta stops that with a few kicks then arm scissors. This turns into a Karate battle. Muta is winning the karate battle.
Tygress of the Filthy Animals comes down to the ring. The battle spills outside, The Cat tries to strangle Muta with a cable. Muta cuts off Cat martial arts with a dragon screw leg whip. Muta misses a moonsault. Cat misses a kick. Muta hits the green mist which causes Cat to bail to the corner. Ref goes to check on him, Tygress is on the top rope behind Muta with a chair. She knocks him down. Muta kicks out at 2. Cat does more martial arts and wins with a spin kick

Winner: The Cat

Verdict
Positives: Very little.

Negatives: Mark Madden

TO THE BACK

Buff Bagwell is looking for his mom, Judy. Later tonight she will be on a pole. Our next match is Judy Bagwell on a Pole. Judy is brought out to the ring tied to a forklift. The forklift is driven by Bagwell’s opponent, Kanyon. Tony informs the crowd that if Kanyon wins, she gets to keep Judy Bagwell as his Kimberly. He says that he could not find a pole to hold the fat battleaxe (his wording). Yet, he wants her to be his valet.
Judy Bagwell on a Pole
Chris Kanyon vs. Buff Bagwell

Buff, doing the logical thing, runs down the aisle and attempts to lower the forklift. Kanyon cuts him off. After some brawling, Kanyon hits a side Russian legsweep off the middle rope, this gets him a 2 count. I was under the assumption that the match ended when Judy was retrieved. Kanyon grabs wire cutters and unhooks the turnbuckle pad. Bagwell blocks being thrown into the turnbuckle but gets powerbombed by Kanyon for 2. Kanyon locks in a Cobra Clutch. Bagwell busts out but Kanyon hits a swinging neckbreaker. Bagwell had a history of neck injuries. The neckbreaker only got a two. Bagwell blocks a Kanyon cutter and tosses him into the turnbuckle, then a flapjack onto the turnbuckle. Only a two count. Kanyon hits a Kanyon cutter but Bagwell kicks out at two.
David Arquette comes out to the ring now, he high fives Kanyon. This gives Bagwell a chance to fire up. Clotheslines! Bagwell goes for the blockbuster but Arquette knocks him off with Kanyon’s hard hat. This only draws a 2 count. Double teaming by Arquette and Kanyon on Bagwell but Buff fights out of it. DOUBLE BLOCKBUSTER BY BAGWELL TO ARQUETTE AND KANYON! BAGWELL WINS! BAGWELL WINS!
Winner: Buff Bagwell
Verdict
Positives: The match was actually pretty good if you ignore Judy and Arquette’s involvement

Negatives: The Judy stuff and David Arquette

Post match, Arquette hugs Kanyon but is laid out by a Kanyon Cutter

TO THE BACK

LANCE STORM ARRIVES IN A PURPLE LIMO!

The announcers declare that Goldberg got injured in a Motorcycle accident in Sturgis, South Dakota

Filthy Animals come out to be the special referees. Konnan will join the announce table. BOOM! Our teams here are General Rection and Lash LeRoux of The MIA, Jindrak and Sean O’Haire of the Natural Born Thrillers, Chuck Palumbo and Sean Stasiak (AKA The Perfect Event) and Bryan Clark and Brian Adams of Kronic. Apparently Kronic are the actual champions despite The Filthy Animals having the possession of the belts.

Disqo grabs the mic. He explains the rules. Disqo is the in ring official and the rest of the Animals are ringside enforcers.

4 Way Tag Team Match

The MIA vs. The Natural Born Thrillers vs. The Perfect Event vs. Kronic
Palumbo and Adams are starting off. Konnan keeps saying he and the animals “got it like that”. Palumbo goes outside the ring, The Animals jump him. Adams hits Stasiak with a full nelson slam. Leroux and Jindrak are now legal. Jindrak hits a big drop kick. Sean O’Haire shows some great agility. Disqo counts slow for a Clark pin on O’Haire. The Natural Born Thrillers and The Perfect Event work together to beat on Rection. Tygress runs in and hits a bronco buster on Rection, he enjoys it, Rey goes for one but is blocked with a firm kick in the balls by General Rection.
Disqo’s counts are slow no matter who is making the cover. He is a shitty ref, but he is impartially shitty at least. Big 11 man (1 woman) brawl, Kronic goes for high times on Palumbo but Vampiro and Muta interfere. Bryan Clark hits a meltdown. Disqo refeuses to count. Adams catches Stasiak from the top rope and tosses him onto Jindrak and O’Haire on the outside, High Times to Palumbo. Lt. Loco (of the Misfits in Action) runs in, grabs the ref shirt off Disqo and counts the pin for KroniC, not MIA. Because, that makes sense.

Winners: Krokic

Positives: Sean O’Haire’s agility

Negatives: Refereeing, announcers, finish

TO THE BACK

Jeff Jarrett is backstage with Pamela Paulshock. He guarantees to win.

Shane Douglas with Torrie Wilson on his way to the ring for a strap match with Billy Kidman. Kidman has apparently leaked his sex tape with Torrie Wilson. The rules are pinfall to a finish. Mark Madden casually reminds the home audience that Shane Douglas has erectile dysfunction.

Strap Match

Billy Kidman vs. Shane Douglas

Shane Douglas is wearing a shirt, probably to protect him from strap lashes. Kidman goes to chase Torrie. It doesn’t work too well as he is still tied to Douglas. Kidman uses the strap to pull Douglas into the post and he chokes him with it. Shane cuts Kidman off after a Torrie distraction by pulling the strap into Kidman’s groin. This match would be better without the strap. Torrie accidentally hits Shane with a shoe. Kidman only gets two from that. Torrie helps Shane reverse a small package into a brainbuster for a two count. Kidman runs Shane into Torrie and hits him with a facebuster for the win.
Winner: Billy Kidman

Positives: Torrie Wilson, maybe

Negatives: Strap stipulation

Post match, Kidman straps Torrie. Shane Douglas lynches Kidman. Big Vito comes to the rescue of Kidman. Reno runs in and attacks Vito from behind. Apparently there is some Viagra related heat between the two of them. Vito runs Reno off.
This match would have been better without the strap, or if based off the genitalia that spawned this feud, if it were a Strap-On match!
TO THE BACK

Booker T arrives at the arena, he is limping getting out of the car. Jeff Jarrett jumps him in the parking lot and slams his leg in the door.

Major Gunns is out next for an ROTC match. RIP OFF THE CAMOFLAUGE AND THEY HAVE SUPPLIED A MUD PIT! Miss Hancock is next.

ROTC Match
Major Gunns vs. Miss Hancock.

Catfight. Mark Madden acknowledges he may want to see Bruno Sammartino naked. Gunns goes for a pin. Gets a two count. I thought this match had to end with a disrobing or mudding. NONE OF THE RULES ON THIS SHOW MAKE SENSE. Hancock shows athletic ability. Hancock rips off Gunns’ pants. If the match ended via disrobing Hancock wins. Hancock tosses Gunns’ into the mud. Now they are both in the mud. The match is still going. Hancock grinds until she grabs her stomach and gets rolled up for the three in the mud.
Winner: Major Gunns.
Gunns seems to be worried about her opponent. David Flair runs to the mud pit and checks on Hancock. EMT’s come. They bring a gurney. How often do you see stretcher jobs after mud fights?

Positives: Miss Hancock’s athleticism.

Negatives: Confusing rules.

After checking the format (?), Tony sends us…

TO THE BACK

Pamela Paulshock is with Vampiro, The Great Muta and The KISS Demon. Vampiro promises that The Demon will beat Sting and do it for The Juggalos.
We go back to see Miss Hancock being loaded into the ambulance. Scott Hudson acknowledges that this was not a part of the format. The Demon comes out for his match with Sting. Sting rappels down to the entrance ramp.

The Demon vs. Sting

Demon jumps Sting in the aisle. Sting fights back, tosses Demon into the guard rail, tosses him into the ring. Stinger Splash. Scorpion Death Drop. Pin by Sting.
Winner: Sting

Positives: Nobody got stretchered out covered in mud.

Negatives: None

Vampiro and Muta jump Sting after the match. Vampiro tries to hang Sting. Kronic comes out to the rescue of Sting. Kronic challenges Vampiro and Muta for later tonight. Match accepted. Titles will be on the line.

TO THE BACK

Booker T doesn’t want the cameras filming his knee being looked at.

Mike Awesome comes out for a match with Lance Storm. Lance’s gets a Goldberg-esque securitied entrance from the back. He gets a huge reaction. Lance has 3 Championships. The Canadian Heavyweight Championship will be on the line. He grabs a mic. He cuts a promo that puts the crowd even further behind him. He says he is invoking rule 32B from the Canadian rule book and has a special guest referee. Jacques Rougeau! Canadian National Anthem plays!
Canadian Heavyweight Championship
Special Guest Referee: Jacques Rougeau

Canadian Rules to be enforced
Lance Storm vs. Mike Awesome

Jacques has positioned himself at ringside. Awesome starts off by overpowering Lance. HUGE Legdrop! Storm hits a jawbreaker and superkick. He posts Awesome in the corner. Awesome regains control though. He goes for a table. Lance blocks a powerbomb and hits a beautiful missile dropkick. Awesome goes up top for something but he slips off, recovers quickly and hits a clothesline. Awesome hits a powerbomb and gets a disputed 3 count. Jacques stops Dave Penzer from announcing Awesome as the winner. 5 count to a finish in Canada. Awesome locks in a dragon sleeper. Storm taps out but Jacque stops Penzer again and informs him that in a championship match can only end in pinfall. Awesome is doing all he can to get the title but he can’t keep Storm down for 5. HUGE FROG SPLASH FOR A 5 COUNT!
Jacques Rougeau stops Penzer again. After a 5 count, the man pinned has to respond by a 10 count. Lance Storm lucks out again because Awesome doesn’t study Canadian rules. Awesome moves the table into the ring. A chair shot to the head puts Awesome down for 4. Storm rolls Awesome onto the table. Awesome blocks Lance on the top rope. Top rope belly to belly through the table. Jacques Rougeau informs the crowd that the first man to his feet wins the belt. He assists the ref in counting. Storm miraculously makes it to his feet first (Jacques may have decked Awesome) and wins the match
Winner: Lance Storm

Positives: Awesome looked like a killer and showed great instincts to recover from the slip off the top. Jacques Rougeau (Inaugural Member and to this date only official member of the Jeremy Hall of Greatness and Acknowledgements of Such Greatness in Various Fields of Entertainment) was fantastic too.

Negatives: Lance looked like kind of a punk. He got beat 3 times.
After the match, Bret Hart comes out to the ring. He hugs Jacques Rougeau and Lance Storm and they all celebrate in Canadian Magnificence. Tear in my eye, fam. This was beautiful.

TO THE BACK

Pamela interviews Kevin Nash. Match is still being hyped as a three way despite Goldberg’s injury. Nash says he is going over Steiner and getting the belt.
Dark Carnival (Vampiro and The Great Muta) coming to the ring for their tag title match.

Tag Team Championship Match (again)
Kronic vs. The Dark Carnival

Mark Madden confirms that Canadian Rules will NOT apply here. Vampiro uses strikes to weaken Bryan Clark. Clark’s power allows him to make a come back. Muta and Vampiro use kicks to work down Adams but once again, the power of Kronic weakens The Dark Carnival. The match spills outside, Adams teases tossing Vampiro through the announce table but drops him just short. Back in the ring, Vampiro reverses a powerbomb into a facebuster and tags out to Muta. Muta works on the knee of Adams. Tag back out to Vampiro. Vamp gets cocky now, ties Adams up in the ropes. Adams regains some strength after a double noggin knocker, he tags out to Clark who comes in like an Atom Bomb. Meltdown to Vampiro. Muta misses a green mist on Clark and hits the referee instead. Kronic promises High times to Muta. Vampiro breaks it up. The Harris Brothers come in from the crowd. And attack Kronic. They hit a double slam on Clark. Muta hits a moonsault on Clark and gets the win.

Winners: The Dark Carnival

Positives: Crowd liked Kronic

Negatives: Impromptu match, stemming from a mess of a tag title match earlier, ends with a mess and leads to a title change.

TO THE BACK

Pamela interviews Booker. He promises that for Jeff Jarrett to win, he’ll have to kill him.

Video for the 3 way, which may be a one on one match. As the entrances for the 3 way start, the announcers discuss Vince Russo and his plans for this match. I guess it could be determined that Nash and Russo have paid off the referee but I know it was something deeper and weirder. Goldberg’s music hits twice but nobody comes out

Number One Contender Match
Scott Steiner vs. Kevin Nash vs. (Possibly) Goldberg

Lockup between the two, Steiner overpowers Nash, pushes him to the corner. Chops to the chest but Nash reverses a whip and hits a knee to the gut. Big Boot by Nash sends Steiner to the outside. Goldberg runs in from the back, taped up, he has a chair. He hits Nash with a chair. Steiner stops Goldberg’s offense by hitting him in the ribs. Goldberg stops Steiner’s attack with a spear and superkick. Steiner goes to the outside, but Nash comes in the ring. Face off between Nash and Goldberg. Scott Hudson mentions that Nash was on the booking committee for 2 weeks when Goldberg lost his streak. Nash beats down Goldberg’s ribs. Steiner hits a belly to belly for a 2 count. He goes after the referee after that. Steiner’s rage is working against him. Goldberg attacks Steiner from behind and hits a double arm suplex. Double clothesline takes down both Steiner and Goldberg. Nash hits a double clothesline to keep them down. Sideslam to Steiner. Nash punches Steiner, knocking him out of the ring. Big boot to Goldberg. Nash teases The Jackknife. Goldberg pushes him off and walks out of the ring. Vince Russo comes out to confront him. Goldberg tells him to fuck off and he leaves. Madden and Hudson imply that Goldberg wasn’t following the script. I guess we are back to one on one. Steiner hits a delayed backbreaker on Nash but it only gets two.
After a big boot by Nash, Midajah comes out to the ring and gets in. She hits a low blow on Nash. PEOPLE ARE GOING INTO BUSINESS FOR THEMSELVES! Nash hits a low blow on Steiner. Midajah gets back in the ring and hits another one on Nash. Steiner gets a two count. Nash hits a DDT on Steiner. CLEARLY WORKING ON THE FLY! Nash drops the straps after another big boot. Jack Knife puts Steiner down for 3.
Winner: Kevin Nash

Positives: Match was alright

Negatives: Wrestling is fake, ya’ll.

Video for Booker T vs. Jeff Jarrett

MICHAEL BUFFER IS HERE! He looks like a carrot.

World Heavyweight Championship

Booker T vs. Jeff Jarrett

Jeff Jarrett jumps the knee at the bell. Booker tries to do what he can to finish the match quick. Booker slams Jeff Jarrett’s nuts into the ring post but he misses a missile dropkick off the top rope. Jeff hits stomps on the knee. He slams the knee on the guard rail. Jeff’s offense is nothing but focuses. A boston crab is broken when Booker makes it to the ropes. Chair to the knee by Jarrett. Booker tries a miracle sunset flip but it only draws a two. Jarrett kicks out after a spinebuster. Booker hits an axe kick and spinerooni. He accidentally hits the ref though. Booker goes for a sidekick but Jeff Jarrett blocks it with a guitar shot to the knee. Jeff puts on the Figure 4 leg lock. Booker, after lots of struggling, makes it to the ropes. Jeff Jarrett refuses to break it. Booker rolls to the outside. Jarrett grabs the world title belt. He goes to hit Booker T but misses and hits the referee. Booker T sets up a table. Book End off the apron through the table.
Ginger Referee comes to the ring. Booker goes for a pin in the ring but Jeff puts his foot on the rope. Jeff grabs a chair. Low blow to Booker. He accidentally hits the ref with the chair. Stroke onto the chair on Booker. We still don’t have a ref. Charles Robinson comes to the ring but Booker kicks out at a 2. Neckbreaker on the chair by Booker, only draws a two count. Book End by Booker finishes the match!

Winner: Booker T

The Undertaker vs. Triple H

 

The Winner: The Undertaker

Triple H, after his match with The Undertaker had taken an “office” role. Executive VP of Talent Relations or something of that ilk. He came out one February 2012 night on RAW and was gonna make some big announcement. Just as he was about to climax, The Undertaker’s GONG went off. The Undertaker at this point had not been seen since the previous WrestleMania. Undertaker had a problem with the end of the previous years WrestleMania. He may have won but he didn’t walk out on his own power. Undertaker wanted a chance to redeem himself and he attacked Triple H’s pride in doing so. Saying that Shawn Michaels was always better than Triple H.

The match would happen in Hell in a Cell with Shawn Michaels as special guest referee. It was broadcast as an “End of the Era” match. Presumably because it was the last we would see of any of them. To this point it has not been and the closest we have come is Undertaker only making one appearance. Shawn hasn’t wrestled since (in fact, he has not wrestled since his match with The Undertaker at WrestleMania 26) but Triple H did have a match with Brock Lesnar. Undertaker had a match, kind of, on RAW 1000 teaming with Kane to face Hunico, Camacho, 3MB, Curt Hawkins and Tyler Reks (if that team is not accurate I apologize). It was likely the last time we saw these men who were a part of the 1990s boom in such a high profile situation.

This match was awarded the 2012 Slammy Award for match of the Year.

As The Undertaker’s music ended, he removed his hood to reveal a Mohawk. This was synched perfectly with a lightning sound effect. It appeared when I was watching this that the revealing of the haircut staggered Triple H, watching it back, this was not the case. They stare down for a moment, then the Hell in a Cell lowers. Complete with its entrance theme, “The Memory Remains” by Metallica (which is actually featured on this DVD, must have been cheaper than For Whom The Bell Tolls). An important note for this match, the PPV was outdoors. Despite my wishes, the Hell in a Cell cage was not suspended over the ring by a flock of very strong and well trained birds. After the bell rings, the men back to opposite corners, then charge at each other with strikes. Much like the previous year had one man control the match early, The Undertaker is controlling this one.

At one point Shawn Michaels was checking on Triple H, which is his duty as the official. The Undertaker proceeds to carelessly shove Michaels away. Undertaker, while being vicious, isn’t being relentless. He isn’t moving fast as if he is in a hurry. At WrestleMania 26 he was working franticly to beat Shawn Michaels. Going for a Chokeslam early. Going for Old School very early. He is meticulously wearing down Triple H here. This slower pace gave Triple H an opening for a facebuster. However it had no effect. The Undertaker responded with a hard strike that downed Triple H. Undertaker finally hits the Old School elbow drop. He then tosses Triple H outside and hits him in the head with the ring steps. He hits the guillotine legdrop too. He slowly reenters the ring. Triple H hits a DDT. Another example of him taking advantage of The Undertaker’s slower pace. Triple H tries for a pedigree on top of the steel ring steps but Undertaker reverses with a back body drop.

While his actions do not indicate desperation, his face indicates relief after the back drop. Triple H reverses an Undertaker attack to a spinebuster onto the ring steps, before a weakened Triple H can take advantage, Undertaker locks in the Hells Gate. Triple H reverses it to a powerbomb variation, helped by the elevation of the hold, with Undertaker still on the steps. He only garnered a two count from it. Triple H goes to the outside of the ring and gets a steel chair. In a call back to the previous encounter between the two, Triple H begins pounding Undertaker’s back with the chair. Shawn Michaels tries to stop him.

Shawn Michaels, who up to this point had not really done much other than his officiating duties, began to beg Triple H to just pin him because “you know he is not going to quit”. After Triple H told him he will not, Shawn tried to convince The Undertaker to quit. Undertaker refuses, Triple H threw him out of the way. Then the exact same process repeated. But this time Undertaker told Shawn to leave him alone and “do not stop it”. Triple H used the chair a few more times and then tries for a pin, it only draws a two count. Triple H, clearly seeing that the chairs aren’t working, goes for the sledge hammer.

Triple H tells Shawn Michaels to end it. Undertaker tells Shawn Michaels no. Triple H NAILS Undertaker in the face with the hammer. But it only draws a two count. Triple H then shoves Shawn out of the way and tries to pulverize The Undertaker’s head like a Gallagher watermelon. Shawn swiftly removes the sledgehammer from his hands and tosses it out of the ring. Shawn Michaels teases that he will end the match but keeps stopping himself to check on The Undertaker. After a 3^rd return to check on The Undertaker, Undertaker locks him in the Hell’s Gate. Not Triple H, Shawn Michaels. Triple H breaks this up by hitting The Undertaker with a sledgehammer shot to the head. Undertaker blocks a 2^nd one with a Hell’s Gate. The ref is unconscious. A rerun of the finishing sequence from the previous year happens, with Triple H teasing that he can grasp the sledgehammer but fighting his losing consciousness.

Another official, Charles Robinson, comes barreling down the aisle (much like he did at WrestleMania 24 actually) and gets into the ring just as The Undertaker hits the chokeslam. It only draws a 2 count. Undertaker responds by hitting Charles Robinson with a chokeslam (much like he attacked the referee at WrestleMania 17). Undertaker tries for a tombstone but Triple H reverses and pushes Undertaker into a Sweet Chin Music. Triple H follows that up immediately with a pedigree. It only draws two though. Triple H makes it up first and grabs the hammer. Shawn tries to come between the two and stop Triple H from destroying The Undertaker with the hammer. Triple H tosses him out of the ring. Triple H turns around into The Undertaker sitting up. An action which causes Triple H to drop in fear. Undertaker hits Triple H with a a big boot and more furious strikes. A whip to the corner. A clothesline. A snake eyes and big boot. A big legdrop. TOMBSTONE!

Shawn makes it back into the ring to count a two from that. As the two men fight back to their feet, the crowd seems strongly behind The Undertaker. Undertaker attempts a tombstone but Triple H escapes and hits a Pedigree. It was a two count. Triple H and The Undertaker both try to pull themselves to their feet. Undertaker has the chair. Triple H has the hammer. Just as Triple H starts to bring it up, Undertaker puts his foot on it and begins to wail away with the chair. Triple H kicks out at two from it. Shawn begs them both to give it up. Triple H crawls back over to the hammer as The Undertaker is pulling himself up on the other side of the ring. Undertaker is now waiting for him to get up. Triple H goes after him with the hammer. Taker catches it and takes it away from him. Triple H has no other choice but to signal with a crotch shot. Undertaker responds by hitting him in the head with the hammer. He drops his singlets straps, slits the throat and hits the tombstone. Crosses the arms and gets the victory!

I think The Undertaker in this match looked refreshing, powerful and intimidating. Something he really didn’t at a few of the previous ones. I think 26 played into this match well and I really enjoyed the call back to that finish.

The Undertaker vs. Triple H

The Winner: The Undertaker

After being gone for several months, The Undertaker returned to RAW. As he was entering the ring, someone else’s music started to play. That man? Triple H. Triple H, who had been gone about 11 months at this point, came into the ring. Got up in The Undertaker’s face. Then looked at the WrestleMania marquee sign hanging in the arena. Undertaker looked at it too. Then did his throat slit as apparent confirmation of this challenge.

The match was made with NO WORDS USED AT ALL. They did promos after this of course. But the actual challenge came with no words.

Triple H’s entrance for this match was accompanied by “For Whom The Bell Tolls” by Metallica. That song is not used on this DVD. A knockoff version of it is. Its close but not the same. This match will take place under No Holds Barred rules.

The problem with this match that I don’t think translates well to the writing of this blog is that I don’t think I can get across the drama of the moves that they are doing. There were several close moments in the match that Triple H had, but they just went from signature move to signature move and while it made sense in the context of watching it. There is not a lot of wear down holds. This match is based solely off of what Triple H and The Undertaker are known for doing. The story was simply, who had the bigger will and better arsenal. It wasn’t as fast paced as their WrestleMania 17 match or as psychologically driven as the following years match. This match did though add a lot to the drama of the rematch the following year. And the finish of this match set up the next match.

Triple H got in 3 pedigrees, even a tombstone but nothing would stop Undertaker. Chair shots wouldn’t do it. A sledgehammer wouldn’t do it Undertaker only won though, because he got in a luckily timed hold. He could not stand up at the end of the match, he was not able to walk out after the match. Nobody had beaten The Undertaker this bad. Nobody had come this close.

The Undertaker’s kickout after Triple H’s tombstone was probably the biggest pop of the streak thus far. With the way the match was going, that could have sensibly been the finish. Yet Undertaker survived.

It took everything of the Undertaker to win the match.

The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels

The Winner: The Undertaker

Background Noise

One year after he lost to The Undertaker at WrestleMania, Shawn Michaels still could not shake the feeling that his career was incomplete and he could not stand that. So at the December 2009 Slammy show (a full 4 months before WrestleMania) he made the challenge. Undertaker was World Heavyweight Champion at this point. Shawn realized that he needed to win the Royal Rumble to get his shot but he failed. At the February 2010 PPV (Elimination Chamber), he cost The Undertaker the World Heavyweight Championship. The next night on RAW, The Undertaker said that if Shawn wanted a shot at ending The Streak, he had to put something up of his own. His career. Shawn accepted and here we are.

This was the closing match of the show. Shawn Michaels entered first.

The Bell

Both of these men look very orange. Plus the crowd lighting. Orange all around. Right before the bell rang, Shawn did Undertaker’s throat slit taunt. He was trying to get into his head.

Undertaker misses a big running right hand and Shawn unleashes chops in the corner. Undertaker escapes and hits his snake eyes boot. Then he goes for the old school arm wrench. After he hits it, Undertaker limps as if he has tweaked his knee. This of course prevents him from hitting a chokeslam. Shawn is able to derail any offense of The Undertaker’s for several minutes by kicking Undertaker’s leg. Undertaker goes after Shawn’s arm. Shawn breaks away and nearly hits the Sweet Chin Music. That creates separation between the two men. Shawn then begins diving towards the leg of the Undertaker. He is using predatory offense. Undertaker dumps Shawn out of the ring and teases a dive, much like the one that almost broke his own neck at the previous year’s Wrestlemania. Shawn cuts him off though by rushing back into the ring and spearing him. The match spills back outside and Taker sends Shawn spine first into the ring post, he then hits the guillotine legdrop on the apron. Before Undertaker could take any advantage of the legdrop, Shawn takes his legs out from under him and locks in a Figure 4.

Undertaker rolls over in the hold, reversing the pressure. Back to their feet, the men start trading blows. Undertaker ends that with a chokeslam, but Shawn kicks out at two. Undertaker goes for a tombstone piledriver, Shawn reverses that into an ankle lock submission. Undertaker uses his height to kick Shawn in the face with his free foot and break out. Shawn clotheslines The Undertaker out of the ring and then tries for an asai moonsault. Undertaker catches him and after some readjusting, hits a tombstone on the outside. This was the finish of the previous years match (moonsault to tombstone), but on concrete, so it is bigger and stuff.

Undertaker throws Shawn back into the ring and goes for a pin but it is only a two count. Presumably because there was a lapse of time between the move and the pin. Undertaker goes for a last ride and Shawn reverses it to a facebuster. The announcers can’t agree whether it was a success on Shawn’s part or a failure on The Undertaker’s part. Shawn could only get a two count regardless of it. Shawn goes for an elbow drop off the top rope but Undertaker gets his knees up and that injures Shawn’s arm. Undertaker tries his gogoplata submission but Shawn reverses it into a jackknife pin for a 2 count. They both struggle back to their feet. Shawn hits Sweet Chin Music. It draws a two count. Shawn signals that he is trying for another one. Undertaker catches it, reverses and hits The Last Ride. Shawn kicks out at two. Undertaker follows up the failed pin attempt by throwing Shawn out of the ring. He dismantles the Spanish announce table and tries to Last Ride powerbomb Shawn through it. Shawn reverses and hits The Sweet Chin Music which sends Undertaker onto the announce table.

HUGE MOONSAULT FROM THE TOP ROPE THROUGH THE ANNOUNCE TABLE!

Shawn Michaels rolls The Undertaker into the ring. SWEET CHIN MUSIC!!!! ONE….TWO….KICKOUT AT TWO!!!!

Shawn signals that he is going for another Sweet Chin Music. Undertaker catches him and reverses to a chokeslam. Tombstone piledriver by The Undertaker. Shawn kicks out. Undertaker looks shocked at this development.

UNDERTAKER DROPS THE STRAP AND SLITS HIS THROAT! HE IS SIGNALING FOR THE END! He looks at Shawn with pity though. Shawn is pulling himself up. He slits his throat, much like he did at the beginning of the match. He then hits a vicious slap to the Undertaker. Undertaker basically says “Fuck this guy” and hits a JUMPING Tombstone Piledriver to finish the match and the career of Shawn Michaels.

The Verdict

This match goes on very well with the previous year’s, plus the two matches that follow it in The Undertaker’s streak. So many call backs to moments from the previous ones.

The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels

The Winner: The Undertaker

Background Noise

This match took place on April 5^th 2009. After several months of being John Bradshaw Layfield’s employee, Shawn Michaels broke free. This was such a victory for him, that he declared that he wanted to face The Undertaker at WrestleMania. Shawn believe he was qualified because he is “Mr. WrestleMania”. Despite having a less than stellar record. Shawn broke out his religious background and quoted the bible numerous times in the build up.

Shawn’s entrance was comprised of him being lowered from the rafters bathed in white light. The Undertaker’s entrance was comprised of him being risen from under the ramp, then there was pyro. It’s like Heaven vs. Hell.

The Bell

When the bell rings, they circle each other. Undertaker has the size advantage. Shawn has the speed advantage. Shawn is able to avoid strikes and hit chops. He is able to get enough in to stagger The Undertaker. Undertaker catches one though and hurls Shawn over the top rope. Shawn lands on the apron and dives over The Undertaker after crotch chopping him. Shawn then feigns a knee injury. The ref tries to prevent Undertaker from attacking Shawn. Taker throws the ref out of the way and walks right into a Thesz press. Taker though, regains an advantage and uses his monstrous hands to debilitate Shawn.

Undertaker hits a huge press slam and an elbow drop. It gets a two count. Undertaker hits an Old School but misses a running boot in the corner. He hangs up his knee on the buckle. This prompts Shawn to start working over The Undertaker’s knee. Shawn locks in a modified Figure 4. Commentator Michael Cole credits Ric Flair as teaching it to Shawn, but its not the basic Figure 4 Leglock. I believe this variation of the move was taught to Shawn by Jamie “Bah Gawd” Noble. (UPDATE: Shawn Michaels corrected me via twitter, William Regal and Fit Finlay taught it to him)

Undertaker escaped the hold but before he could do anything, Shawn dropkicked his knee out from under him. Undertaker catches Shawn coming off the ropes but his offense is slower, he is having trouble standing after the leg lock and dropkick from a few minutes earlier. Undertaker hits Snake Eyes and a legdrop. It draws a two count. Undertaker goes for a chokeslam but Shawn reverses to a crossface. Undertaker makes it to his feet and hits a side slam. It draws a two count. More brawling commences. Shawn hits a flying forearm. He follows it up with a few inverted atomic drops and a chop. Another clothesline. He goes up top for an elbow drop. Undertaker catches him for a chokeslam. Shawn escapes and goes for a Sweet Chin Music. Undertaker dodges it by ducking, Shawn goes back to the modified figure 4 but The Undertaker escapes and locks in The Hell’s Gate. Shawn makes it to the ropes and the hold must be broken (an amazing minute sequence)

Outside Undertaker tosses Shawn into the steps and goes for a guillotine legdrop, Shawn dodges and The Undertaker goes tailbone first onto the apron. Shawn hits a baseball slide dropkick which keeps The Undertaker on the outside. He then tries for a moonsault off the top rope but Taker swats him to the side and Shawn goes thud. Shawn looks to have injured his arm. Undertaker rolls in and goes for a suicide dive. Shawn avoids it by pulling a camera man (Sim Snuka) into The Undertaker’s way. That isn’t the story here though. Undertaker went HEAD FIRST INTO THE GROUND. Shawn helps the referee into the ring and instructs him to count. The count gets to 9. It would have been a very cheap way to win this match. Shawn signals for sweet chin music, but Undertaker dodges and this a chokeslam. That draws a two count. Undertaker goes for The Tombstone but Shawn escapes, goes for Sweet Chin Music, its caught, Undertaker goes for another chokeslam. Shawn breaks free and hits the Sweet Chin Music. It draws a very close two count.

Undertaker goes for a Last Ride powerbomb, Shawn reverses it by attempting a sunset flip. Undertaker reverses that into a Last Ride. Shawn kicks out of the pin attempt after that which causes Undertaker to throw a mini tantrum. Undertaker misses a flying elbow drop off the top rope. Shawn misses a charge and ends up on the apron, he tries a skin the cat, but Undertaker catches him and goes for a tombstone. Clearly the streak continues, this has to be the end….. NOPE! KICKOUT! Undertaker drops the straps and signals for another Tombstone. Shawn countered into a DDT type thing (this may have not gone as well as planned). Shawn hits a HUGE ELBOW OFF THE TOP ROPE! HE IS SIGNALLING FOR THE SWEET CHIN MUSIC, HE HITS IT! IS THIS THE END?!?!?!?!? NO!!!! KICKOUT!!!!! CHOP BATTLE!!! THEY ARE BRAWLING!!!! BIG BOOT BY THE UNDERTAKER!!!! SHAWN ESCAPES THE TOMBSTONE ATTEMPT!!!! UNDERTAKER CHARGES HIM IN THE CORNER!!!! SHAWN GETS A BOOT UP!!!! SHAWN IS GOING UP TOP! MOONSAULT ATTEMPT!!!! HE IS CAUGHT!!!! TOMBSTONE!!!!!! IT IS OVER!!!!!

The Verdict

One of the greatest closes to a match I have ever seen. Just an amazing match overall. Probably my favorite of this streak.

The Undertaker vs. Edge

 

The Winner: The Undertaker

Background Noise

Going into this match, Edge was the World Heavyweight Champion. Edge won the World Heavyweight Championship by unjust means in a triple threat match involving Batista and The Undertaker. Also, Edge ended The Undertaker’s previous World Title reign with an impromptu title shot and post match attack. So when The Undertaker won the Elimination Chamber in February 2008 to challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania, it made this match more heated. Undertaker had waited almost a year for this encounter. In the weeks leading up to this match, The Undertaker debuted a new hold, a judo inspired Gogoplata choke that he eventually named “The Hell’s Gate”. To this point, Edge had never been pinned at WrestleMania. And Edge had never lost to The Undertaker.

The Bell

When the bell rang, Undertaker signaled that this would be the end. He slashed his throat with his thumb. Edge shoved The Undertaker and began striking. Undertaker very simply shut that down by throwing his own strikes. He clotheslined Edge out of the ring but Edge evaded him and got back into the ring. Undertaker hotshotted Edge throat first on the top rope. After a running clothesline and two count, Undertaker began working over Edge’s shoulder, he set up for The Old School but Edge countered by pulling Taker off the top, Taker responded with an armdrag. Undertaker hit a charge in the corner and somehow hung himself up on the rope and hit his leg on the ring apron. Edge responded by spearing Undertaker off of the apron and sending him into the steel ring barricade. Edge then dropkicked Undertaker back into the barricade. He then drove Undertaker kidney first into the ring apron. Edge then hit an innovative neckbreaker on the top rope, with him on the inside and The Undertaker on the apron. Edge continued the work on The Undertaker’s back and ribs. Clearly hoping that it would limit The Undertaker from hitting his finishers, The Last Ride and Tombstone. Edge climbed up top but Undertaker sent him off to the concrete outside. He then followed with a dive over the top rope. Guillotine legdrop on the apron. But Undertaker is having trouble moving because of his back. Edge was able to fight out of a Last Ride attempt because of the Undertaker’s weak back. The match takes a spill outside again and Edge does more back work with a suplex onto the steel barricade. Back in the ring, Edge utilizes a half Boston crab. The focus on the back continued. Undertaker was able to fight out of it and begin his comeback with charges in the corner but Edge blocked the Snake Eyes with a dropkick. Undertaker caught Edge coming off the middle rope with a chokeslam. Edge reversed into a DDT which drew a two count. Edge went for the spear but Undertaker met him with a big boot. He hits a chokeslam but that only draws a two count. Edge blocks an Old School attempt and hits a superplex. It only drew a two count. Edge tries the corner 10 count punch, Undertaker tried The Last Ride but Edge escaped and hit a neckbreaker. It only got a two count. Edge leaves an opening that Undertaker takes advantage of and Undertaker hits The Last Ride but it only draws a two count.

Undertaker signals for The Tombstone but Edge counters into a reverse DDT. It draws a two count. Undertaker hits a big boot and then The Old School. He tries a running big boot but Edge avoids it and the referee gets nailed. Undertaker grabs for a chokeslam but gets kicked in the genitals. Edge grabs a camera from outside the ring and nails The Undertaker in the head with it. Undertaker sits up though. Edge signals for The Tombstone (because that has worked so well for people facing The Undertaker before), Undertaker reversed and hits one of his own. The referee Charles Robinson bolts down the entrance way (it was a long one) and makes a count but it was a two count. Edge’s posse Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder come down but are quickly sent away with chokeslams. Undertaker turns around after dealing with them and is met with a spear. It was only a two count. Edge hits another spear. But Undertaker reverses it and locks in The Hell’s Gate. Edge submits.

The Verdict

Up until the final moments of the match, I was sure Edge was gonna win. I expected Edge to reverse the Hell’s Gate into a pinfall. Undertaker debuted it a few months before and it did involve him putting his shoulders on the mat. I expected Edge to simply reverse the momentum and use it for a pin, continuing his “Ultimate Opportunist” streak. As far as the match goes, it was very reminiscent of the Randy Orton encounter, with Edge seemingly having The Undertaker’s key attacks scouted at every turn.

The Undertaker vs. Batista

The Winner: The Undertaker

Background Noise

This match took place on April 1^st 2007.

When The Undertaker won the 2007 Royal Rumble, he had 3 choices of what to do. Face John Cena for the WWE Title. Face Bobby Lashley for the ECW Championship or face Batista for the World Heavyweight Championship. All 3 of the guys he could choose were relatively the same size. Batista was on the Undertaker’s same Smackdown brand, so it would make sense that he was the one chosen. I remember the build up for this match and how even BEFORE the Royal Rumble, there was talk that Batista was going to be The Undertaker’s opponent and how Batista was being considered to end the Streak.

Undertaker’s entrance here was magnificent. Torches, lightning pyro, flames shooting up from the ground.

The Bell

When the bell rang, Batista speared Undertaker and began to punch him in the corner. Taker reversed and got his shots in. As Taker chased the referee away, Batista got the advantage again. Batista clotheslines The Undertaker over the top rope, Taker lands on his feet and pulls Batista outside the ring. Batista responds by tossing Undertaker into the steel steps. Batista throws Undertaker into the ring and then hits a flying shoulderblock off the top rope. This accompanied by Michael Cole saying “I have never seen Batista go to the top rope”. It did accent the moment but Batista won the World Heavyweight Title with that move the previous November. The shoulderblock got a two count. Batista got another two count soon after with a clothesline. The crowd was strongly behind Undertaker here as during a brawling session, every Undertaker shot was responded to with strong cheers while Batista punches were responded too with strong boos. Undertaker hit repeated charges in the corner and then a snake eyes kick. A big legdrop by Undertaker only drew a two count however. Undertaker hits Old School. He then grabs for a chokeslam but Batista breaks out. After some brawling, the match spills back outside. Undertaker this a guillotine legdrop. An over the top rope dive onto Batista follows. After The Undertaker rolls back into the ring to break up the count, Batista sends Undertaker into the bell table. Batista disassembles a few of the announcers tables and hits a powerslam through one of them. Batista goes for a pin in the ring but it only gets a two count. Batista then calls for a Batista bomb but Undertaker rushes him back into the corner in an almost desperation move. He goes to whip Batista to the opposite corner but Batista reverses to a belly to belly suplex. Batista only gets a two count from that. He goes for the ten count corner punch, Undertaker cuts him off halfway through with a Last Ride powerbomb. That only gets a two count though. After an irish whip reveral, Batista hits a spinebuster. He signals for the Batista Bomb, Undertaker reverses it and this a chokeslam. That only draws a two count. Undertaker signals for a tombstone. Batista slips out, hits a spear and then a Batista Bomb. That draws a close two count. Batista goes for a second, Undertaker escapes with a backdrop. Batista then goes for a powerslam, Undertaker breaks out of it and hits a tombstone and wins the World Championship

The Verdict

So many close nearfalls. I thought watching it as it happened that The Batista Bomb was the end of the match. I was so sure that Batista was going to win here that for months prior, I was rooting against Batista, hoping he didn’t get the title, hoping he didn’t keep the title and hoping that something happened to prevent the match from taking place. This match kickstarted what I believe to be the “Undertaker steals the show at WrestleMania” tradition.