WWE Armageddon (December 2007)

Original Airdate: December 16, 2007

From Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler (RAW), Michael Cole and John Bradshaw Layfield (Smackdown), Joey Styles and Tazz (ECW)

Opening WWE United States Title Match: Montel Vontavious Porter v Rey Mysterio: Porter tries to ground and pound, but Rey is too quick for him. Mysterio with a magistral cradle for two, and he dumps Montel to the outside, but the referee stops him from diving out after him - giving us the setup for Mysterio to use the referee as a springboard for a corkscrew plancha. It's a cute spot, but only the first time you do it. Back in, Porter tries a corner big boot, but Rey dodges, so Montel alley-oops him into the top turnbuckle instead. That'll do. The champ grabs a cravat, and wears Rey down enough to avoid any pushback on another running boot attempt for two. Half-nelson is applied, but Mysterio starts to escape, so MVP reroutes with a kneeling facebuster for two. Armbar, but Rey escapes with a rana, getting a great reaction from the crowd. Mysterio starts mounting a comeback, and hits a springboard bodypress for two. He botches a springboard seated senton, hurting his knee in the process, but still manages a slingshot moonsault for two. Rey's moving slower due to the knee, allowing Porter to clothesline him, but a gourdbuster off the top is countered with a rana for two. Rey looks for a follow-up, but nearly gets knocked out when Porter throws a big boot for two. Great execution all around on that one. Porter looks for a suplex, but Rey counters by slicing his bread for two. 619 misses when Porter bails, so Rey dives off the apron with a flying headscissors on the outside, but Montel doesn't feel like climbing back in, and takes the countout loss at 11:29. Solid opener, though that was a TV finish. Not a bad finish, but not appropriate for pay per view. That's one thing that annoys me in the modern era of monthly pay per views is that they do weak finishes on PPV to set up the next PPV, as opposed to doing them on TV to set up blow offs on PPV, like they did back when PPV time was much more limited and coveted. **

CM Punk and Kane v Big Daddy V and Mark Henry: Oh man, this does not sound fun. Punk and Henry start, with CM using his speed advantage to dodge Mark a few times, while sticking and moving. Over to Kane to do what Kane do (see: kick and punch), then back to Punk for a corner dropkick, but he gets clobbered with a clothesline before he can follow-up. Tag to Big Daddy to do his own punch-kick exhibition, but that tires him out, so he dumps Punk to the outside to try for a countout. CM beats it in, so Big Daddy press-drops him, and tags out to Mark to help cut the ring in half, but he misses an avalanche. Tag to Kane, and he hits Henry with a pair of corner clotheslines, followed by a flying version. Chokeslam, but Mark manages to railroad him into the corner to block, and he passes to Big Daddy. Kane tries to chokeslam him instead, but gets countered with a sitout spinebuster - Punk saving at two. Big Daddy with a clothesline to set up a splash, and he covers Kane with his body to allow him to throw some forearms on the mat. I'm imagining that's the way he looks during sex too, and it's not a very pretty image. Seriously though, at least they were smart enough to make him wear a shirt back in the day... why am I forced to look at his droopy moobs, while he's on his hands and knees, no less? I was planning to eat today! And it's not like you can avert your eyes, they take the whole screen! They cut the ring in half on Kane, but he manages to fight off Henry long enough to tag - Punk coming in hot, Roseanne Barr the door! He tries a flying bodypress on Big Daddy, but gets caught in a Samoan drop at 10:41. The sheer weight of those titties driving down on him at high speed was a sight to behold. ¾*

Shawn Michaels v Mr. Kennedy: Kennedy goes right at him, and hits a quick backelbow for two. Bodyslam sets up an elbowdrop, followed by a backbreaker for two, so Shawn throws chops, then clips the knee. Michaels tries a suplex, but his back is hurt, and he can't execute it. He reroutes with a reverse STO before Kennedy can take advantage, and he grounds him in a hammerlock. Kennedy uses a corner whip to escape, and a spear sends both men tumbling out of the ring, but an attempt to ram Shawn into the apron backfires. Michaels goes back to the arm on the way back in, so Kennedy turns it into a slugfest, which ends in Shawn getting shoved off the apron and into the post. In, Kennedy keeps the hurt on the back in the corner, and uses a backbreaker for two. Another one is held into a backbreaker submission, followed by a bodyslam to set up a dive off the middle. Shawn lifts his boot to block, but Kennedy sees it coming, and gives him an elbowdrop to the back for two instead. Well, Shawn brought that on himself. Chinlock, but Shawn keeps fighting up, so Kennedy starts throwing forearms to the back instead. Shawn manages to backdrop him over the top, but Kennedy beats the count, so Michaels cracks him with some chops. He sells the back as he goes through his usual comeback routine, but Kennedy counters the Superkick into a schoolboy for two! He scoops Shawn up for the rolling fireman's carry slam, but Michaels counters with a sunset cradle for two. DDT, but Kennedy counters with a catapult into the post, and the rolling fireman's carry slam follows - but only for two! I thought that was it. Kennedy is pissed, but the bad arm slows him down as he goes for the kill, and Michaels is able to capitalize with the Superkick at 15:16. This was basically alright. It had decent psychology, with each man picking a part and sticking to it, but felt really clunky. * ½

#1 Contender's Match: Jeff Hardy v Triple H: Winner gets a WWE Title match at Royal Rumble. Hardy is also the Intercontinental champion here, but that isn't on the line. They measure each other some to start, with HHH using power to dominate. Hardy manages to get some traction with a series of quick armdrags, so Hunter bails. Jeff tries a baseball slide, but HHH sees it coming, so Hardy tries his rail runner spot, but loses his footing, and runs into a clothesline on the floor. Not sure if that was a intentional or a botch, but it looked fine regardless, since HHH was clotheslining him anyway. Back in, Hardy fights HHH off with an inverted atomic drop to set up a seated dropkick for two, and he gives the Game a hard slap across the face to make sure Hunter gets where he is coming from. HHH gets it, but doesn't respond well, throwing Jeff out of the ring with gusto, and kicking the crap out of him on the floor, before rolling him back in for a pair of elbowdrops. Hunter with a cross corner whip, so Jeff tries going up for the Whisper in the Wind, but gets promptly shoved off - Hardy taking a nice spill down into the barricade. HHH is content to take the countout win, but Jeff beats it in, so Hunter nails him with a 2^nd rope flying elbowsmash. Hardy tries fighting him off with the leg-feed corkscrew kick, but HHH anticipates it, and drops him right on his head for two. Abdominal stretch wears Jeff down, but he still manages to counter a suplex with a leg-feed enzuigiri - only to run into a kneeling facebuster, and get leveled with a lariat for two. Sleeper, but Hardy quickly drops into the turnbuckles to escape, and throws a 2^nd rope flying dropkick at the Game. Hardy with a sling blade as he starts mounting a comeback, but his slingshot dropkick in the corner misses, and HHH hooks the leg for two. That kick has about the same hit/miss ratio as Ted DiBiase's 2^nd rope flying axehandle. Jeff manages to regroup enough to knock him to the outside for a plancha, and uses a flying bodypress for two on the way back in. Whisper in the Wind gets two, but HHH counters the Twist of Fate with a DDT for two. Samoan drop gets two, but Jeff counters the cover with a crucifix cradle for two. That earns him a beating in the corner, but Jeff manages the leg-feed corkscrew kick AND the slingshot dropkick! Persistence, kids. Unfortunately, the Swanton Bomb misses, and HHH hooks the leg for two. Pedigree, so Hardy counters to the Twist of Fate, but HHH counters back with a rotating spinebuster. Pedigree, but Jeff counters again, this time with a somersault cradle for the pin at 15:26. The crowd was as shocked to see HHH do the job there as I was. Good match too, keeping a nice tempo as they built an interesting back-and-forth contest. ***

Great Khali v Finlay: Finlay goes right at him, trying to chop the tree down with strikes at the leg, but Khali shrugs him off, and unloads in the corner. Khali tosses him to the outside for some continued abuse, then back in for a nervehold. Finlay escapes, so Khali actually uses a leg lariat (or, well, something vaguely resembling one - Khali's not exactly what you might call 'limber'), then puts him right back in the hold. Hornswoggle tries to get involved, so Khali beats him up too, and casually bodyslams Finlay. Chokeslam, but Hornswoggle comes in with the whappin' stick for a low blow, and Finlay gives him another whack for the pin at 6:05. As a sign in the crowd noted, this was a match to go take a beer break during. DUD

WWE Title Match: Randy Orton v Chris Jericho: Hey, Jericho! Nice to see you again! Jericho stuns Orton with a quick blitz, and fights off Randy's attempts to slow him down by dropping the champion front-first across the top rope. Spinheel kick knocks Orton to the apron, but he jumps to the floor to avoid the springboard dropkick, so Jericho instead dives with a flying bodypress out there. Great elevation on that one. Randy tries the rope-hung DDT on the way back in, so Chris tries countering with the Walls, but Orton counters back with a DDT for two. Chinlock, but Chris escapes, and both guys collide in the corner for a double knockout spot. That segues into a slugfest, won by the challenger, as he starts mounting a comeback. Lariat gets two, and a 2^nd rope missile dropkick is worth two. Orton fires back with a snap powerslam for two, but Jericho is able to counter the RKO into a backslide for two. Randy responds by throwing him hard into the post, and then delivering a vertical superplex for two. Dropkick, but Chris dodges, and tries for the Walls - Orton countering with a small package for two. Jericho fires back with an enzuigiri, followed by a one-handed bulldog to set up the Lionsault, but Orton lifts his knees to block, and hits Chris with an inverted headlock backbreaker. RKO, but Chris blocks, and quickly follows up with the Lionsault for two. He tries something in the corner, but Orton dumps him over the top to block, and he follows out to toss Chris into an announce table. Back in, Jericho fights off the rope-hung DDT with a flying forearm to the back of the head, but Orton fights off the Codebreaker by shoving him into the corner. Punt time, but Chris counters into the Walls, and the crowd is ready to see a title change here. Unfortunately for them, Bradshaw abandons his post at the announce table, and blasts Jericho with a boot for the DQ at 15:04. Apparently Bradshaw was pissed that Chris bumped into him during the announce table spot earlier on. Shitty ending to an otherwise good match. ** ¾

WWE Women's Title Match: Beth Phoenix v Mickie James: Mickie looks good in yellow. Beth is less impressed, and throws her around to start, so James tries a rana, but gets powerbombed for two. Beth with a snapmare into a dragon sleeper. Nice to see her courteous enough to use that one early on. Let's face it, it's a dick move to force your opponent to have their face smothered in your armpit later in a match. Especially when they're already going to be breathing heavily. Basically, in short, Ultimo Dragon was an asshole. Beth with a powerslam into the turnbuckles to set up a tree of woe, but Mickie escapes with a rollup for two. She tries a wheelbarrow bulldog, so Beth counters with a double-chickenwing rocking chair, but Mickie escapes. Mickie with a headscissors and a pair of Thesz-presses, followed by a seated dropkick for two. Neckbreaker sets up a missile dropkick for two, but a reversal sequence is won by the champion with a muscle buster to retain at 4:57. Too short to really go anywhere, but it had some mojo. ¾*

Main Event: World Heavyweight Title Triple Threat Match: Batista v Undertaker v Edge: First fall wins it. Both Batista and Undertaker go after Edge to start, but he manages to get away from both, and secure the high ground to pound 'Taker from. Edge puts distance between himself and 'Taker, but Batista clotheslines Undertaker over the top - right beside a fearful Edge! Undertaker looks to chokeslam him on the floor, but Batista hits both guys with a baseball slide before it can happen, so Undertaker sends the champion into the steps, then hits a guillotine legdrop. Batista reverses him into the post, allowing Edge to sneak up and capitalizes on a battered Batista with a two count on the way back in. Batista fires back with a spinning scrapbuster, but a charge in the corner is countered with a drop-toehold into the middle turnbuckle. Edge tries the spear, but Batista counters by kicking him in the brain, and the running powerslam looks to finish, but Undertaker pulls Batista off of him at two! 'Taker tries the guillotine legdrop on Edge next, but Batista clotheslines Undertaker off the apron before he can do it, then plants Edge with a spinebuster. Batista Bomb, but Edge blows him low to block, and hits the Impaler for two - count broken when Undertaker pulls the referee out. He unloads on Edge in the corner, and a snake-eyes sets up a big boot for two. What, no legdrop? Was Hogan threatening to sue for trademark infringement? Undertaker with the ropewalk forearm, but a spear from Batista saves Edge from taking the Last Ride. Batista tosses Edge so he can finish off 'Taker, but gets caught in the triangle choke while approaching the downed Dead Man. Edge thinks fast, and rings the bell to make Undertaker think he's won, and in the confusion, blasts 'Taker with a spear for two. Love it! Spear on Batista is only worth two, so Edge grabs a pair of chairs to try the conchairto, but Batista kicks the weapon back into his face to block. Batista goes up, but Undertaker crotches him up there, and delivers a vertical superplex for two. Ropewalk forearm, but Batista counters with a rotating spinebuster - only to have to contend with Edge before he can Batista Bomb 'Taker. That allows 'Taker to recover, and he blocks the Bomb, delivering a backdrop and a chokeslam. Edge dives in, but gets caught in a chokeslam, only wait... that's not Edge. Undertaker doesn't notice, and keeps after Batista with a snake-eyes, but Batista counters the big boot with a clothesline for two. With not-Edge still down, Batista feels free enough to try the front-powerslam on Undertaker, but gets countered with the Tombstone! Cover, but suddenly the real Edge is in with a chair, and he takes out Undertaker so he can pin Batista himself at 13:02! Turns out there are two fake Edge's - one Curt Hawkins, and the other Zack Ryder, who were hiding underneath the ring! This was literally all action, and I dug the creative finish. *** ¼

BUExperience: Pretty decent stuff, with a trio of strong matches, nothing actively bad, and most of the lesser stuff kept really short. Not a must-see, but worth a look.


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