Post by Burst on Jul 10, 2010 22:53:09 GMT -5
This was my second live wrestling event ever after the January 4th IMPACT!, and I’d say it was worth the money. The lower bowl of the Van Andel Arena was about 90% full, with a spattering of fans in the upper bowl. Floor seats were full. I’d say the crowd was about 70% kids and their parents, 20% rednecks (I’m half West Virginian, I’m including myself) and 10% smarks, based on the scarce but still audible boos I heard for Rey a few times. Crowd was hot all night, which was appreciated.
At 7:30, Tony Chimel and one of the refs comes to the ring, and we have the national anthem. Shortly thereafter, the Smackdown theme plays, and we’re rolling.
MATCH 1: MVP & Christian v. The Gatecrashers (Curt Hawkins & Vance Archer)
VERDICT:MVP pins Curt Hawkins after the Play of the Day
A fun tag match to get the night started. Great pops for both faces, good heat for the Gatecrashers as the match went on. MVP cut a short promo at the beginning. All four were probably the best all night at working the crowd, especially at the start, where all of them tried the Mark Henry method of getting the crowd to cheer or boo for you. They even got the crowd to cheer for the ref. This match had barely any rest holds and was rather fast-paced. If there was any confusion about Christian’s alignment as of Smackdown, he was working total babyface tonight. He spent most of the match as the face in peril, before finally making a hot tag to MVP, only for the referee to disallow it because Hawkins had distracted him when the tag was made. MVP went to town after the second hot tag, and hit a rather convincing PotD for the pinfall.
Before the next match, Tony Chimel introduced Chavo Guerrero, in dress clothes, who claims that tonight Aunt Vickie has given him complete control of the show. He introduces Rey Mysterio to a ridiculous pop, and Rey comes out selling the ankle injury, limping to the ring. Rey is even shorter in person than I could ever have imagined. Chavo asks Rey just what the hell happened on Smackdown, and before he can elaborate too much, Jack Swagger comes out, also in street clothes. He cuts a short promo before cheap-shotting Rey and beating on his ankle, and Chavo just kind of looks to the crowd, shrugs, and starts beating on Rey too. They’re soon interrupted by Kane, whose current music is a lot more impressive live than it is on the air. Kane chases Swagger off, and Chavo feigns innocence, and tries to make it up to Kane by saying Vickie’s made tonight’s main event a Triple Threat between Kane, Swagger, and Rey. Kane bellows, “Tell Aunt Vickie I said thanks,” before chokeslamming Chavo.
MATCH 2:Cody Rhodes “Dashing” Cody Rhodes v. Chris Masters
VERDICT:Cody Rhodes pins Masters after the Cross Rhodes
Tony Chimel initially introduces Cody as just Cody, which prompts Cody to question Tony as to who his favorite superstar is, namedropping Battle Kat, before asking Tony if he would introduce Battle Kat the wrong way. He goes to the crowd, asking a man if he knows what he’s recently changed his name to, before interrupting him with “I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you over your fat.” He demands that Tony reintroduce him as “Dashing” Cody Rhodes, before Chris Masters comes out to a reasonable pop once people figure out that it’s him. Masters really needs his old music back. Cody spends a lot of the beginning of the match outside the ring, taking the countout up to 9 before going back in; he pauses and goes back to the man he insulted earlier, and calls him a prime example of a Grand Rapids citizen: ugly, moronic, et cetera. They finally get back to wrestling; Masters gets on the Masterlock briefly, but Cody gets to the ropes, and soon hits Cross Rhodes for the pin and the win.
Next up, Tony brings out WWE Diva A.J. Lee as tonight’s special guest host, who the crowd pops for anyway presumably because she’s an attractive woman. They set up the usual guest bellringer question, this time being “What is the name of the next WWE pay-per-view?”
MATCH 3: Alberto Del Rio v. Finlay
VERDICT: Alberto Del Rio pins Finlay after a springboard kick to the head
Alberto Del Rio comes out to ridiculously awesome music and a Conway Pop, wearing what appears to be Drew McIntyre’s old entrance cloak-jacket, and cuts a promo first in Spanish then in English, where he basically pulls a Hassan and insults the crowd for being anti-Mexican, and that that was why the US was crumbling. About five seconds into the beginning of the promo and he was already getting plenty of easy cheap heat. What everybody including myself thought was Hornswoggle’s music began, but it turned out to actually be Finlay, with his shillelagh, who got a respectful pop anyway.
They had a good back-and-forth match, though the beginning was annoyingly slow as Alberto played the same cowardly heel staying outside the ring trick that Cody did, to the point of aggravation. Finlay pulled the ring-apron trick again which I haven’t seen him do forever (then again, I haven’t seen him wrestle in forever). At one point Alberto teased for once clubbing Finlay with his own shillelagh, but the ref intervened. Alberto finished him with a springboard kick to the skull to a cornered Finlay. After the match, Finlay threatened to shillelagh the ref but pulled a ‘just kiddin’’.
MATCH 4: Drew McIntyre v. Dolph Ziggler v. Matt Hardy v. Kofi Kingston for the Intercontinental Championship
VERDICT: Kofi Kingston pins Dolph Ziggler after the Trouble in Paradise
They all came out in that order; Matt Hardy and Kofi Kingston are incredibly over in Grand Rapids; I think Matt Hardy out-popped even Rey, but it was hard to tell. Also, I hate to contribute to the Fat Hardy fire, but Matt is… noticeably chunkier… in person, and I think the fact that he’s wearing the tank top now makes it worse, actually. Another fun match, though with less crowd involvement than the tag match, with much of the match spent with one or two guys on the outside. Less crowded that way, I suppose. Ending sequence was fun; Drew was setting up Kofi for the Future Shock DDT before Matt hit the Twist of Fate on him; as Matt’s going for the pin, Ziggler Zig-Zags him, and turns around into a face full of Trouble in Paradise, as Kofi retains. After the match and before the intermission, Drew threw a fit, kicking over chairs and generally behaving badly. Dolph sold the kick something fierce, acting droopy and punch-drunk and having two refs guide him out. Before the intermission, A.J. Lee came back and advertised the wares for sale at the merch booths.
MATCH 5: Layla v. Kelly Kelly for the Women’s Championship
VERDICT: Layla pins Kelly Kelly after the Lay-Out
Layla, wearing a Smelly Kelly shirt, came out to a surprising pop, which again I’m guessing might have been an “OMG HOT FEMALE” pop, but still. Kelly came out to a very nice pop for a diva. Before the match, Layla taunted Kelly first by spraying deodorant of some sort all over the ring, all over the ref, et cetera, and then by pulling an exercise ball (?!?) out from under the ring, and taunting Kelly with push-ups and other exercises, before Kelly took the ball from under her and threw it in her face to a nice bouncing sound. The highlight of this match was Layla doing push-ups with Kelly’s neck locked between her legs. Layla kicked out of the K2, before hitting what I think was the Lay-Out for the pin.
After the match, Layla went to beat down Kelly Kelly more, before Hornswoggle came out to another crazy pop, and distracted her away from Kelly. He’s not much shorter than she is. Layla tried to wag her finger at Hornswoggle, who bit it, before giving her what appeared to be some sort of stunner, to a big reaction.
MATCH 6: Big Show v. Luke Gallows & the Masked SES Member (with Serena)
VERDICT: Big Show pins the Masked SES Member after a chokeslam
Tony introduced the SES first, and just based on A. who had shown so far and B. who often does handicapped matches of this short, I called Big Show well before the “WELLLLLLL” kicked in. Yes, he’s huge. It’s ridiculous. He came out to another massive pop. Before the match, Luke and Mask cut a promo trying to coerce Show into joining the SES claiming “Well, you’ve already got the haircut.” Show disagrees, with his disagreement including the line “Straight-Edge… Ehh, I’m kinda… Round-Edge…”
This match had a good deal of humor, with Big Show no-selling some moves by the Masked SES member, doing the corner chest slap on both of them; the crowd chanted “one more time” after the second one, and he obliged. He got the house mic, got Luke Gallows in the corner, and asked the crowd “Are you ready?” while Luke’s pleading for him not to, before one of the most epic slaps I’ve ever heard. Lots of double team moves; Show teased the double chokeslam, but wound up KOing Luke, and catching Mask as he dove off the turnbuckle, into a chokeslam for the pin.
Before the main event, Tony brought out A.J. Lee again and thanked the WWE Universe of Grand Rapids for a great evening.
MATCH 7: Rey Mysterio v. Kane v. Jack Swagger, for the World Heavyweight Championship
VERDICT: Rey Mysterio pins Jack Swagger after a 619 to the back of the head
It’s interesting that Rey was only really selling the ankle injury walking to and from the ring, and immediately after Swagger used the ankle lock. Swagger used it a lot this match, on both Kane and Rey. Rey got in most of his trademark spots, and teased the 619 a few times. Swagger got in a Vader Bomb, and Kane went to the top rope with about the same success rate as Ric Flair, but did manage to chokeslam Swagger. At one point both Kane and Swagger were hung up on the ropes; he hit the 619 successfully on Kane, but Swagger caught him halfway through the second 619 (NEIN NEIN NEIN) and tossed him aside, before grabbing Kane and going for the ankle lock. I’ll give them creative points for this; Swagger’s busy ankle-locking Kane and doesn’t realize he’s got his back to the ropes, as Rey goes for the 619 a third time and kicks him in the back of the head, giving Rey the pinfall as Kane writhes in agony.
That’s all she wrote; afterwards Rey fraternized with the fans closest to the floor, but all that was to be seen at the stage door was Cody Rhodes carpooling with Luke Gallows and Mask, Finlay, Matt Hardy, and Kelly Kelly. Matt Hardy and Kelly Kelly were the only ones I saw that interacted with fans.
Overall, a fun show. Picked up the $15 program and a $15 autographed 8x10 by Kofi Kingston; kind of wished there had been photo ops, but I’m pleased with the experience nonetheless. I'll try and post some pictures later if I can. I didn't want to take any chances with video recording; Van Andel has ridiculously dense security.
At 7:30, Tony Chimel and one of the refs comes to the ring, and we have the national anthem. Shortly thereafter, the Smackdown theme plays, and we’re rolling.
MATCH 1: MVP & Christian v. The Gatecrashers (Curt Hawkins & Vance Archer)
VERDICT:MVP pins Curt Hawkins after the Play of the Day
A fun tag match to get the night started. Great pops for both faces, good heat for the Gatecrashers as the match went on. MVP cut a short promo at the beginning. All four were probably the best all night at working the crowd, especially at the start, where all of them tried the Mark Henry method of getting the crowd to cheer or boo for you. They even got the crowd to cheer for the ref. This match had barely any rest holds and was rather fast-paced. If there was any confusion about Christian’s alignment as of Smackdown, he was working total babyface tonight. He spent most of the match as the face in peril, before finally making a hot tag to MVP, only for the referee to disallow it because Hawkins had distracted him when the tag was made. MVP went to town after the second hot tag, and hit a rather convincing PotD for the pinfall.
Before the next match, Tony Chimel introduced Chavo Guerrero, in dress clothes, who claims that tonight Aunt Vickie has given him complete control of the show. He introduces Rey Mysterio to a ridiculous pop, and Rey comes out selling the ankle injury, limping to the ring. Rey is even shorter in person than I could ever have imagined. Chavo asks Rey just what the hell happened on Smackdown, and before he can elaborate too much, Jack Swagger comes out, also in street clothes. He cuts a short promo before cheap-shotting Rey and beating on his ankle, and Chavo just kind of looks to the crowd, shrugs, and starts beating on Rey too. They’re soon interrupted by Kane, whose current music is a lot more impressive live than it is on the air. Kane chases Swagger off, and Chavo feigns innocence, and tries to make it up to Kane by saying Vickie’s made tonight’s main event a Triple Threat between Kane, Swagger, and Rey. Kane bellows, “Tell Aunt Vickie I said thanks,” before chokeslamming Chavo.
MATCH 2:
VERDICT:Cody Rhodes pins Masters after the Cross Rhodes
Tony Chimel initially introduces Cody as just Cody, which prompts Cody to question Tony as to who his favorite superstar is, namedropping Battle Kat, before asking Tony if he would introduce Battle Kat the wrong way. He goes to the crowd, asking a man if he knows what he’s recently changed his name to, before interrupting him with “I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you over your fat.” He demands that Tony reintroduce him as “Dashing” Cody Rhodes, before Chris Masters comes out to a reasonable pop once people figure out that it’s him. Masters really needs his old music back. Cody spends a lot of the beginning of the match outside the ring, taking the countout up to 9 before going back in; he pauses and goes back to the man he insulted earlier, and calls him a prime example of a Grand Rapids citizen: ugly, moronic, et cetera. They finally get back to wrestling; Masters gets on the Masterlock briefly, but Cody gets to the ropes, and soon hits Cross Rhodes for the pin and the win.
Next up, Tony brings out WWE Diva A.J. Lee as tonight’s special guest host, who the crowd pops for anyway presumably because she’s an attractive woman. They set up the usual guest bellringer question, this time being “What is the name of the next WWE pay-per-view?”
MATCH 3: Alberto Del Rio v. Finlay
VERDICT: Alberto Del Rio pins Finlay after a springboard kick to the head
Alberto Del Rio comes out to ridiculously awesome music and a Conway Pop, wearing what appears to be Drew McIntyre’s old entrance cloak-jacket, and cuts a promo first in Spanish then in English, where he basically pulls a Hassan and insults the crowd for being anti-Mexican, and that that was why the US was crumbling. About five seconds into the beginning of the promo and he was already getting plenty of easy cheap heat. What everybody including myself thought was Hornswoggle’s music began, but it turned out to actually be Finlay, with his shillelagh, who got a respectful pop anyway.
They had a good back-and-forth match, though the beginning was annoyingly slow as Alberto played the same cowardly heel staying outside the ring trick that Cody did, to the point of aggravation. Finlay pulled the ring-apron trick again which I haven’t seen him do forever (then again, I haven’t seen him wrestle in forever). At one point Alberto teased for once clubbing Finlay with his own shillelagh, but the ref intervened. Alberto finished him with a springboard kick to the skull to a cornered Finlay. After the match, Finlay threatened to shillelagh the ref but pulled a ‘just kiddin’’.
MATCH 4: Drew McIntyre v. Dolph Ziggler v. Matt Hardy v. Kofi Kingston for the Intercontinental Championship
VERDICT: Kofi Kingston pins Dolph Ziggler after the Trouble in Paradise
They all came out in that order; Matt Hardy and Kofi Kingston are incredibly over in Grand Rapids; I think Matt Hardy out-popped even Rey, but it was hard to tell. Also, I hate to contribute to the Fat Hardy fire, but Matt is… noticeably chunkier… in person, and I think the fact that he’s wearing the tank top now makes it worse, actually. Another fun match, though with less crowd involvement than the tag match, with much of the match spent with one or two guys on the outside. Less crowded that way, I suppose. Ending sequence was fun; Drew was setting up Kofi for the Future Shock DDT before Matt hit the Twist of Fate on him; as Matt’s going for the pin, Ziggler Zig-Zags him, and turns around into a face full of Trouble in Paradise, as Kofi retains. After the match and before the intermission, Drew threw a fit, kicking over chairs and generally behaving badly. Dolph sold the kick something fierce, acting droopy and punch-drunk and having two refs guide him out. Before the intermission, A.J. Lee came back and advertised the wares for sale at the merch booths.
MATCH 5: Layla v. Kelly Kelly for the Women’s Championship
VERDICT: Layla pins Kelly Kelly after the Lay-Out
Layla, wearing a Smelly Kelly shirt, came out to a surprising pop, which again I’m guessing might have been an “OMG HOT FEMALE” pop, but still. Kelly came out to a very nice pop for a diva. Before the match, Layla taunted Kelly first by spraying deodorant of some sort all over the ring, all over the ref, et cetera, and then by pulling an exercise ball (?!?) out from under the ring, and taunting Kelly with push-ups and other exercises, before Kelly took the ball from under her and threw it in her face to a nice bouncing sound. The highlight of this match was Layla doing push-ups with Kelly’s neck locked between her legs. Layla kicked out of the K2, before hitting what I think was the Lay-Out for the pin.
After the match, Layla went to beat down Kelly Kelly more, before Hornswoggle came out to another crazy pop, and distracted her away from Kelly. He’s not much shorter than she is. Layla tried to wag her finger at Hornswoggle, who bit it, before giving her what appeared to be some sort of stunner, to a big reaction.
MATCH 6: Big Show v. Luke Gallows & the Masked SES Member (with Serena)
VERDICT: Big Show pins the Masked SES Member after a chokeslam
Tony introduced the SES first, and just based on A. who had shown so far and B. who often does handicapped matches of this short, I called Big Show well before the “WELLLLLLL” kicked in. Yes, he’s huge. It’s ridiculous. He came out to another massive pop. Before the match, Luke and Mask cut a promo trying to coerce Show into joining the SES claiming “Well, you’ve already got the haircut.” Show disagrees, with his disagreement including the line “Straight-Edge… Ehh, I’m kinda… Round-Edge…”
This match had a good deal of humor, with Big Show no-selling some moves by the Masked SES member, doing the corner chest slap on both of them; the crowd chanted “one more time” after the second one, and he obliged. He got the house mic, got Luke Gallows in the corner, and asked the crowd “Are you ready?” while Luke’s pleading for him not to, before one of the most epic slaps I’ve ever heard. Lots of double team moves; Show teased the double chokeslam, but wound up KOing Luke, and catching Mask as he dove off the turnbuckle, into a chokeslam for the pin.
Before the main event, Tony brought out A.J. Lee again and thanked the WWE Universe of Grand Rapids for a great evening.
MATCH 7: Rey Mysterio v. Kane v. Jack Swagger, for the World Heavyweight Championship
VERDICT: Rey Mysterio pins Jack Swagger after a 619 to the back of the head
It’s interesting that Rey was only really selling the ankle injury walking to and from the ring, and immediately after Swagger used the ankle lock. Swagger used it a lot this match, on both Kane and Rey. Rey got in most of his trademark spots, and teased the 619 a few times. Swagger got in a Vader Bomb, and Kane went to the top rope with about the same success rate as Ric Flair, but did manage to chokeslam Swagger. At one point both Kane and Swagger were hung up on the ropes; he hit the 619 successfully on Kane, but Swagger caught him halfway through the second 619 (NEIN NEIN NEIN) and tossed him aside, before grabbing Kane and going for the ankle lock. I’ll give them creative points for this; Swagger’s busy ankle-locking Kane and doesn’t realize he’s got his back to the ropes, as Rey goes for the 619 a third time and kicks him in the back of the head, giving Rey the pinfall as Kane writhes in agony.
That’s all she wrote; afterwards Rey fraternized with the fans closest to the floor, but all that was to be seen at the stage door was Cody Rhodes carpooling with Luke Gallows and Mask, Finlay, Matt Hardy, and Kelly Kelly. Matt Hardy and Kelly Kelly were the only ones I saw that interacted with fans.
Overall, a fun show. Picked up the $15 program and a $15 autographed 8x10 by Kofi Kingston; kind of wished there had been photo ops, but I’m pleased with the experience nonetheless. I'll try and post some pictures later if I can. I didn't want to take any chances with video recording; Van Andel has ridiculously dense security.
