WWE Armageddon (December 2008)

 

Original Airdate: December 14, 2008

From Buffalo, New York; Your Hosts are Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler (RAW); Jim Ross and Tazz (Smackdown); Todd Grisham and Matt Striker (ECW)

Opening Match: Matt Hardy v Vladimir Kozlov: Hardy is the ECW Champion here, but this is non-title. Hardy tries to social distance, but Kozlov keeps maneuvering him into corners, and taking shots in the early going. Kozlov misses a charge to allow Matt a little return fire, but a sunset flip only gets two. Schoolboy for two, so Kozlov side suplexes him, and tosses him through the ropes into the post to injure the shoulder. Kozlov works the part in rather dull fashion for a pay per view match, until Matt manages to snap his throat across the top rope to buy time, and he dives with a flying axehandle. Hardy dumps him to the outside for a dive from the apron, but Kozlov catches him for a trip into the post, but Matt reverses. Back in, Hardy hits a Side Effect for two, but Kozlov blocks the Twist of Fate. Matt tries to regroup with a dive off the middle, but Kozlov drills him with a clothesline to block, and covers for two. Matt tries a small package for two, so Kozlov tries a charge, but Hardy dodges. He unloads a ten-punch count, but Kozlov drops him on the post to shake it off, and he adds a clothesline on a woozy Hardy. Spinebuster finishes at 9:00. Technically fine (more or less, as Kozlov still looked pretty awkward at points), but it was more suited to a house show than a pay per view. Let alone as the opener. ¾*

WWE Intercontinental Title #1 Contender's Tournament Final Match: Rey Mysterio v CM Punk: Looking at the brackets for the tournament, it's almost shocking how many of these guys are not only still in the promotion, but in roughly the same position on the card over eleven years later. Feeling out process to start. Reversal sequence ends in Rey going for the 619 early, but Punk counters with an armdrag. He goes for the GTS, but Rey blocks, so Punk backdrops him over the top. Punk dives after him with a plancha, and he rolls Rey in to cover for two. Punk with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for two, and he grounds Mysterio in a bodyscissors. He shifts it into a cradle for two, so Mysterio starts out moving him, but an attempt to dive off the top ends badly when Punk puts him in a tree of woe. Rey manages to dodge the charge and pull himself back to the top for a flying moonsault press for two, but he telegraphs a backdrop, and eats a powerslam for two. Punk grounds him in a fujiwara armbar, but Rey inches towards the ropes, so Punk shifts to a crossface instead. Rey ends up making the ropes anyway, so Punk tries criss crossing with him, but ends up trapped in a fujiwara himself! Punk gets the ropes to save himself, so Rey uses a springboard flying dropkick to set up the 619, but Punk ends up falling out of the ring. Mysterio stays on him with a flying bodypress on the floor, and a springboard flying seated senton follows on the way back inside. Springboard bodypress gets two, so Rey tries a victory cradle for two, reversed by Punk for two. Reversal sequence ends in Rey getting dropped onto the top turnbuckle, and Punk brings him out with a bulldog for two. Another reversal sequence sees Rey hook a bridging cradle for a very close two, so he tries the 619, but Punk dodges. Punk tries the GTS, but Rey counters back to the 619, hitting it this time. That sets up a springboard flying splash, but Punk dodges. Cover, but Mysterio reverses the pin attempt for two. Rana, but Punk successfully counters with the GTS at 12:15. You could tell Punk really wanted to go out there and steal the show with an all-time classic match, and while they didn't quite get there with it, it was still a good match. ***

Belfast Brawl: Finlay v Mark Henry: Finlay tries blitzing him, but Henry absorbs his shots, and dumps Finlay over the top just to show him who's boss. Mark follows, so Finlay uses a drop-toehold into an announce table, but Mark reverses him into the post. Henry with a whip into the apron and a toss into the barricade, but a splash on the way back in misses, and Finlay capitalizes with a legdrop. Finlay fills the ring with weapons, but takes too long doing so, and Henry manages to grab a trashcan lid to bash him with. Mark stands on his head for a while before using a ropechoke, and a straddling ropechoke looks like it near kills poor Finlay. It gets two. Henry pounds him with headbutts, so Finlay grabs a kendo stick to fight him off, and he manages a DDT. Finlay unloads with a trashcan for two, so Henry stands on him again, but a pump-sitdown splash misses. That allows Finlay to grab the whappin' stick, but Henry big boots it away from him, and grabs it for himself. Henry snaps the stick in half and then tries to do the same to Finlay with a bearhug, but Hornswoggle shows up. Mark throws Finlay into him to prevent interference, and he brings the ring steps in to finish the job, but Finlay dropkicks him in the mid section to knock the weapon away. Hornswoggle passes him a second whappin' stick, and he bashes Henry with it for the pin at 9:38. This was not the best. ½*

Batista v Randy Orton: They fight hard over the initial lockup, with Orton managing to get a headlock on, but he can't really hold it well, and Batista powers him into the ropes. Randy tries the hold again, but Batista starts overpowering, so Orton uses a drop-toehold to ground him in a front-facelock. Batista escapes, so Orton tries another headlock, but Batista whips him into the ropes for a shoulderblock. Randy begs off and dumps him to the outside to buy time, allowing Manu and Cody Rhodes to jump him out there. That gets them promptly bounced by the official, but the damage is done, and Orton is firmly in control of the contest as they head back inside. Orton works the arm/shoulder, so Batista tries to muscle through, and manages to corner whip him a couple of times to set up a front-powerslam. Batista Bomb, but Randy counter with a neckbreaker, and between the similar gear and all the tattoos, I'm honestly having a hard time telling them apart at points. Orton with a kneedrop for two, and he works a
cravat, but Batista uses a bodyslam to escape, and he unloads on Randy in the corner. Orton gets tossed over the top, but manages to nail Batista on the way back inside, and he delivers a rope-hung DDT for two. He just drilled him with that one. Randy puts the boots to him and works a chinlock, but Batista escapes with a snapmare. Orton responds by going to a chinlock coupled with a bodyscissors, but Batista still manages to power out, and he delivers a sidewalk slam to buy time. Both guys stagger up for a slugfest, won by Batista. Pair of clotheslines send Randy over the top, but he manages to crotch Batista on the top rope on a dive attempt, and Orton delivers a superplex for two. Irish whip, but Batista reverses, and a spinebuster gets two. Batista Bomb, but Orton counters to the RKO, blocked by Batista. Batista manages a scrapbuster for two, but a charge hits boot, and Orton hits the inverted headlock backbreaker for two. RKO, but Batista counters with a uranage for two, so Orton uses a chincrusher to buy time, and he drops the Animal with a DDT. Punt, but Batista drops him into the corner to block, and he unloads a ten-punch in there, followed by the Bomb at 16:42. I thought this was mostly fine, but they didn't want to deviate from the WWE main event formula much, and it hurt the overall match. ** ½

Eight-Woman Santa's Little Helper Tag Team Match: Michelle McCool, Mickie James, Kelly Kelly, and Maria v Victoria, Jillian Hall, Natalya, and Maryse: They're all dressed in Christmas themed outfits in the idea here, it's a standard eight-woman tag otherwise. Mickie starts with Maryse, and it turns into a slugfest within moments. James gets the better of that, so Maryse acts sexual, and that's apparently enough to counter. Tag to Natalya, and she gets right in Mickie's face, and beat down. Tag to Kelly, and she dominates with... stuff. Sorry, it's hard to focus when Kelly's in there. Natalya manages to pass to Hall to beat down on Kelly a bit, as they continue their revolving door of girls until everyone's had a turn, and McCool can put Jillian away at 4:31. This was nothing. Just a 'tag, get your shit in, tag out' match in sexy outfits. DUD

World Heavyweight Title Match: John Cena v Chris Jericho: Jericho grabs a headlock right away, but Cena forces a criss cross, so Chris shoulderblocks him down, and puts the boots to him. Cena gets worked up and returns fire with right hands, sending Chris to the outside, but Jericho manages to get control back as they re-enter. Chris with a headbutt to put John in the corner for right hands, but a cross corner whip backfires when Cena rebounds out with a clothesline. Charge misses, allowing Chris to latch on with a sleeper. John tries dropping onto his back to shake Chris off, but Jericho sinks his teeth in with the hold. John tries dropping into the corner, but Chris hangs on, and finally Cena fades. Cena powers to the vertical base for the FU, but Chris manages to counter with a DDT on the way down, and John rolls to the apron. Jericho with a springboard dropkick, but Cena catches him in FU position, and Jericho is forced to reroute with a one-handed bulldog from the apron onto the steps. He rolls Cena in to cover for two, and Jericho works a ropechoke. Snapmare sets up a cobra clutch, but John starts to power up, so Jericho whips him into the corner. Charge, but Cena sidesteps, and he starts making a comeback. Five Knuckle Shuffle sets up the FU, but Jericho counters to the Walls - blocked by Cena before he can get it locked. John quickly adds a belly-to-belly suplex for two, but a corner charge ends badly, and Jericho throws a 2^nd rope dropkick for two. He looks for a follow-up, but Cena is ready with a hiptoss. Throwback, but Jericho blocks, and lands the springboard moonsault for two. Chris takes him upstairs for a superplex, but John sends him off with a gourdbuster, and then dives with a flying bulldog for two. FU, but Jericho lands on his feet, and hits a Codebreaker for two. He's frustrated now, allowing Cena to finally hit the FU, but he's battered and it takes him time to cover, only getting two. Both guys are down, but Cena is up first, and he advances - Jericho pulling out a quick small package for two. Enzuigiri, but Cena ducks, and goes for the STFU, but Jericho keeps blocking. John tries again, so Jericho uses another cradle, but this time Cena blocks. Jericho uses the momentum to get the Walls on, and Cena is far from the ropes. He's in trouble, but summons the strength to counter, and the STFU finishes at 12:44. These two have great chemistry together. Maybe a hair shy of the Survivor Series match, but really good, well paced action throughout. *** ¾

Main Event: WWE Title Triple Threat Match: Edge v Triple H v Jeff Hardy: First fall wins. Jeff immediately guns for Edge, but HHH sticks his nose in, so Jeff beats on him as well. Well, with a nose like that, it might not have even been intentional. Hardy stacks them up in the corner and then uses HHH as a step stool for a Poetry in Motion on Edge, and both guys get dumped for Jeff to dive at with a plancha, but Hunter dodges his half. That allows him to blast Hardy with a lariat on the floor, and he whips him into the barricade to stifle him a bit. Edge has made it into the ring, so HHH goes after him there, but the champ uses the high ground advantage to cut him off. Big boot gets two, but HHH manages a high knee as they criss cross, and he adds a neckbreaker. Edge retreats into the corner, so HHH nails him with a pair of corner clotheslines, and a kneeling facebuster sets up the Pedigree, but Hardy cuts that off. He tries a backdrop, but he telegraphs it, and Hunter counters with a kneeling facebuster. Back to the Pedigree on Edge, but this time Jeff breaks it up more forcefully with a Whisper in the Wind. He tries a cradle on Edge, but HHH breaks it up at two. Edge ends up on HHH's shoulders for an electric chair, with Hardy coming off the top with another Whisper for the combo, but Hunter breaks the cover at two. Another Whisper on HHH, but Hunter counters to the Pedigree, so Hardy counters with a catapult. That sets up a slingshot dropkick in the corner, but Edge sneaks over with an Edge-o-Matic for two before Jeff can keep after the Game. Spear, but Hardy leapfrogs, and Edge hits HHH instead. That allows Jeff to clothesline the champion over the top, and he lands the Twist on HHH. Swanton Bomb looks to finish, but Edge pulls him out of the ring at two to save his title. Edge sends him into the barricade out there, and the match hits a little bit of a dead zone as they brawl on the floor. It was going so well, too. HHH sets up a Pedigree on the announce table, but Jeff starts countering to the Twist, so Edge runs over and spears Hardy through another announce table. With Jeff down and out for now, HHH is able to roll the equally battered Edge in to hit with the Pedigree, but the champ counters with the Impaler. Spear, but HHH counters with a rotating spinebuster, and he hits the Pedigree this time - only for Vladimir Kozlov to show up to break the cover! That draws Matt Hardy out to brawl with him, and they end up back in the dressing rooms - though not before Kozlov is able to knock Jeff off the top rope to prevent a dive. Dust settles with Edge spearing HHH for two, and he grabs a pair of chairs to set up the Conchairto, but Hardy pulls one away from him, and knocks him silly. That allows him to go up for the Swanton, but HHH dives into the ropes to crotch him before he can dive. He goes after the battered Edge with a Pedigree, but Jeff dives in with a Swanton to break the cover at two, and he steals the pin on Edge at 17:19. This looked like it was on track to be a four-star level match in the early going, but then they hit a dead zone with the needless extended brawling on the outside, and then the overbooking kicked in on top of everything. Still good action, but it would have been better off with them keeping it in the ring more. ** ¾

BUExperience: What a breeze this show was compared to modern WWE. It wasn’t outstanding by any means, but it was easy to watch, and never felt like a drag. Keeping things around three hours, and thus not needing to artificially stretch matches out past their expiration date to fill time will do that for you, I guess.

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