Pro Wrestling Chronicle

Raw is live in Louisana which I’m sure leads to a debate between King and Jr about hot sauce and BBQ sauce

- We start with clips from last week where Bobby Laskley left John Cena laying in the middle of the ring after a spear.

- And we kick it off in the ring with Bobby Lashley versus King Booker. This was supposed to be a tag match but with John Cena on Larry King Live it was changed.

Lashley is I think on the cusp of being a breakout star. The Trump angle was fun but for a while there he was being shoved down the fans throats. Having him turn on Cena was a shrewd move because it is going to cause fans to choose between the two guys as opposed to a mutual friendship match.

At the end Kennedy comes out to interfere and we end up with the fact that they will have a tag match later but Lashley needs to get himself a partner. I really like setting up Lashley as John Wayne as it helps make the fans choose which is essential to this match.

- Santino Morella is out next to try and win back his title from Umaga. Apparently last week wasn’t the burial of Morella- hopefully this week is.

Umaga fires back onto Morella and hits the Catatonic- Umaga is stealing Chris Harris’ moves.

The crowd is not into the match until Maria runs to the ring. That truly gets a larger pop than anything done in this match so far.

Umaga just chokes on Morella as Maria cheers on Santino from ringside. Umaga is kicking him around and then running off the ref everytime he tries to step in.

Santino is getting treated by Umaga like Duane Gill got treated by Yokozuna in the early 90′s. The running splash and then Umaga hits the Spike for the 3 count. Maria comforts Santino after the match- which is probably beter than holding the nothing doing I-C title right now.

- Tag champs are with us and they are taking on The Highlanders. Is that really the best they could come up with for a tag title defense? There wasn’t a better team available, or a better team to sacrifice.

Cade and Murdoch have really come into their won in the past couple months. They always seemed like they were ready to break through and the crowd response to them finally pushed them over the edge. PLus they are an interesting looking team becasue Murdoch looks like a guy out of the 70′s and Cade is very new age looking so they are like the Odd Couple.

Rory McAllister is gettig beat up and then gets the ice cold tag to Robbie. The ref tries to get Rory out and Cade/Murdoch hit the Hi/Lo on Robbie for the 3 count.

- Time for a special look at WWE Champion John Cena. Really nice quick video checking out the career of Cena. Hard to believe he has been around for 5 years now. Also very telling they featured him beating the crap out of Kurt Angle at the beginning.

- Snitsky is out for the next match. Forget all teh Wellness Policy talk- there needs to be an ugly policy. Snitsky is way to gross looking to be shown at any time before 2 am. I’m surprised the WWE isn’t forced to pay fines for this.

While I bitch he squashes Super Crazy.

- King and JR discuss the lack of respect shown by Randy Orton in the past few weeks including disrespecting Dusty Rhodes last Monday. Then Dusty is walking towards the ring.

- Dusty is out and he talks about everything Orton has done in the past disrespecting the legends and living legends (Somewhere Larry Z hates me for that).

He is still a better promo than 97% of the WWE roster.

Orton comes down to the ring and they have a verbal debate.

It should also be mentioned that Dusty is going with the slimming black shirt look. Orton then challenges Dusty to a match at the Great American Bash. Dusty declines though saying he is in no condition to wrestle. Like that ever stopped him from wrestling before.

Orton says do it for Cody or he will end his career before it starts. Dusty agrees to the match but says it needs to be a Texas Bullrope Match. Orton accepts and they go nose to nose. That brings out Cody so Orton goes nose to nose with him. Cody slaps Randy and Orton decides that tonight is not the night to fight.

If this angle involves getting Cody into the main event picture I am all for it. He might not be ready in-ring wise yet, but he does have some of the charisma his dad does and I think he could be a star sooner rather than later.

- Paul London and Shelton Benjamin battle in the fight between two underused guys.

Pretty decent little back and forth match before London surprises Shelton with a roll-up pinning him on his birthday. Apparently that means Benjamin and Charlie Haas have to kiss each other on the lips. Yeah that’ll help them get over huge.

- In the back Mr. Kennedy asks Super Crazy if he is alright then beats the crap out of him focusing on the ribs of Crazy.

- Locker room time as Benjamin tries to get out of kissing Haas on the lips. Haas then says he will have to kiss his hand though. Then he says he was just playing and they hug. All this while Ron Simmons walks in and yells, “Damn.”

- Women’s tag action as Candice and Mickie James take on Melina and Jillian Hall

Melina however is “injured” so she brings out Beth Phoenix as a replacement. This match pales in comparison to the 3 way women’s match on TNA last week. Just a horribly rushed awkward looking 2 minute match that ends with a backslide on Jillian Hall getting a 3 count.

Afterwards the three heel women beat up Candice who is up yelling 30 seconds later. Just a waste of a segment.

- Smackdown rebound as The Great Khali issues an open challenge for The Great American Bash. Batista answers. Are they trying to make sure this pay per view lives up to the high standards of 1991.

- Arn Anderson is talking with Lashley in the back as we go to commercial.

- -Video package saying Triple H is coming back. Goody.

- Booker T tells Kennedy he will win tonight because he is teaming with King Booker.

- William Regal versus The Sandman with Carlito doing commentary- even money says the two guys brawl.

Quick brawl that is pretty stiff. It ends when the Sandman gets the cane and hits Carlito and Regal with it. Basically at this point The Sandman serves no purpose.

- Video package on the background of Bobby Lashley setting up his amateur credentials and his military background. Nice package to set him up as a challenger.

- John Cena interview from LA where he was on Larry King Live. Nothing of note as he kind of kayfabes the whole thing.

- Running down the Great American Bash card which just doesn’t look real strong. It feels like they are blowing off this Lashley-Cena match way too soon.

- King Booker is out first then Mr. Kennedy….Kennedy. (Legally you are required to do that).

Lashley is out and he has no partner. Jeff Hardy comes out to be his partner which is a huge downgrade.

Kennedy is apparently healthy enough to wrestle.

Adding Hardy to this match mighit help the flow of it some since he is doing a majority of the in-ring work for his team.

Lashley tags in and suplexes Kennedy and drops an elbow on the shoulder of Kennedy. He then tags in Hardy and plays the Matt role as Jeff jumps into the corner.

Behind the refs back Booker and Kennedy get the advantage and begin working over Jeff. Lashley gets the hot tag and spears Kennedy then dumps him mid-ring. He then hits Kennedy with a backbreaker.

Hardy and Booker fight outside and Lashley spears Kennedy which leads to a 3 count and the win.