JoeDirt

I don't think they are OVW tag champs, but Meltzer and Alvarez were talking about them on WOL two weeks ago and said that their gimmick is what Billy and Chuck should have been, so apparently they are good. Of course, having a dark match doesn't mean you'll be on the main roster anytime soon.

I always liked Doom as a tag team.

Wow, that fight gets a three show build, basically. Nice hyping. Should be good.

This show is awesome.

Looks like it.

I picked up the 7th anniversary show DVD, and it was very good.

How about Bret and DDP? Were any of their WCW matches good? Bulldog and anybody that wasn't HBK or Bret.

Nitro changed wrestling. I don't see WWE ever going back to this formula.

On the indy scene, Alex Shelley and Petey Williams are two very good workers, but the matches I've seen that they've had against each other haven't been very good at all. In more mainstream, DDP and Curt Hennig were two solid workers who had boring as hell matches in WCW. Granted, Hennig was on the downswing in his career, but still. Steve Austin and Undertaker never had a great match against each other (though you could argue Summerslam 1998 I suppose). Their Backlash 2002 match was especially horrible. The Buried Alive match was really bad too.

That is a good question...we have conflicting info here.

Okay, judging from this post earlier: "As a subscriber to the torch I can tell you they did not report all of the facts on rajah. The story was from the raw brand." I would say we can rule out Big Show, Angle, and all the other Smackdown people. Since the guy went and complained to McMahon about Johnny Ace, I'd say it's probably somebody who's pretty high up with the company who would feel he could complain about something like that to Vince. I would wager it's not HHH.

"Miseria Cantare (The Beginning)" by AFI.

Describe "recently." There was a NYTimes article just the other day.

But didn't Keller say it was RAW?

So Keller said it was RAW, right? So we can cross out the Smackdown people? Eh, I guess it doesn't matter, all it is is guessing at this point. So I'll go with Vis/Lillian until I'm proven wrong!

From Meltzer's update today: "--For whatever it is worth, on Mark Madden's ESPN talk show this morning, when bringing up the retirement of Karl Malone, he talked about the WCW PPV show where Malone & DDP wrestled Hulk Hogan & Dennis Rodman. He said that when Malone and Rodman rolled around on the court during the NBA finals before the match that it was actually a work and something WCW asked them to do."

Where the hell is Kidman these days anyways? He hasn't been on TV in a while. They're going to have to come up with some last second shit this week on Smackdown.

A week before the show and only three matches announced. And aside from Eddie/Rey challenging for the tag straps and a CW title match, I have no idea what could fill out this card. Any ideas? JBL vs. Big Show (WWE title, barbed wire cage match) Cena vs. Angle (Not gonna be Booker, people) Taker vs. Luther Then what? What a horrible build for this pay per view.

Isn't the pin counted like that in one of the Foley matches with thumbtacks?

Jerry Lawler vs. Aldo Montoya, RAW, 8/5/96: The story in this match is that Aldo has been traveling on the road with Jake the Snake, and got an upset win over Lawler on Superstars with the DDT. The RAW before this Lawler and Aldo did an interview where Lawler said he'd destroy him, and Aldo talked very much like Justin Credible and not much like a Portuguese Man-O-War! Lawler cuts a usual heel promo and then brings out Jake Robert's new tag team partner...a bottle of Jim Beam. He then puts it at ringside and I have a feeling it'll be used in the match. The bell rings and Lawler keeps yelling at Montoya and then cheap shots poor P.J Walker. Vertical suplex. To the ropes, but Aldo comes back with a big right hand to the face and plays the role of the plucky underdog. Dropkick to Lawler and the fans are actually CHEERING Montoya! Top rope punch by Montoya and he sets up for the DDT, but Lawler bails to the corner and holds on to the referee. JR calls him a coward. Why, for avoiding the DDT? Back body drop by Aldo. Ten punches in the corner. Lawler ends up catching Montoya with a piledriver, however, but doesn't go for a pin. He hits a second one, and it looked pretty sick. Three count for Lawler at 3:00. Lawler then grabs the Jim Beam and pours it down the throat of Montoya! Cool heel stuff. Pretty vanilla squash match, but the story and angle here are actually pretty solid in building towards Lawler/Roberts at Summerslam.

And apparently War Games announced for May.

Bringing this thread back from the dead...and in what better way than with an Undertaker match? Undertaker vs. Steve Austin: RAW, 7/29/96: This, as far as I know, is Austin/Taker's second televised match in the WWF. The first was the night after Austin won KOTR, and ended when Taker had Austin up for the tombstone and Goldust threw gold...well, dust...in Taker's eyes to end it. This is the rematch. Austin brings the awesomeness to start, offering Taker a handshake. Taker stares him down and then attacks so Austin grabs a headlock. Taker grabs Austin and tosses him into the corner and they trade arm bars before Taker takes control. Austin gets his own, but Taker decks him with a right hand. Austin begs off, and then rakes the eyes and punches Taker. Taker no sells a ram into the turnbuckle, stares at Austin, and gets the usual pop from the crowd. Hard into the corner, and then to the ropes and Taker with the usual flippy clothesline. Taker goes for the OLD SCHOOL walking the ropes, but Austin, much like at Summerslam 1998, crotches Taker on the ropes. I can't think of anyone else doing that before this point in WWF history, but maybe someone did. Austin stomps away and then pulls Taker to the apron and drops an elbow on him. Chokeout in the ropes. Trading punches. Austin takes control with a mule kick and then stomps a mudhole in Taker, called exactly that by Lawler. Elbow to the back of the neck. Austin hits his second rope elbow drop for 2. To the corner, and shoulders to the midsection. Right hands, but Taker fights back. Taker ties Austin up in the ropes and punches away. Body slam, but Austin avoids an elbow drop and goes back into control. He guillotines Taker across the top rope and we take a commercial break. We're back, and Austin has Taker down in a headlock. Taker makes his comeback. He sends Austin to the ropes, but dips too early and Austin PILEDRIVES Taker! Awesome! Austin taunts Taker and goes to the top rope...but Taker does the zombie situp and crotches Austin! CHOKESLAM OFF THE TOP ROPE! Taker scoops Austin up for the tombstone, but is distraction by Mankind, and chases him off. He ends up getting counted out, and Austin wins! Match went approximately 10:00. Taker brawls with Mankind, and then comes back to the ring to tombstone Austin! Really cool match for nostalgiac purposes, especially for Austin getting in a good amount of offense, and little things like reversing the walk the ropes move, piledriving Taker, and things like that. The chokeslam off the top was a nice touch. Really good RAW match. **3/4

I think he took his supplements when he took time off to that broken nose.

I love the Razor Ramon sig. The look Benoit gives Christian in this commercial is hilarious.

How did Haas win that one? I was watching Duke/Maryland.