The House Show I just got back from today was about the same (except for the Hurricane/Cade match and the length of the ME).
La Resistance def Rhyno/Tajiri to retain the Tag Titles - La Res didn't interupt the National Anthem like everyone seemed to have expected, but they did interupt Finkle's speech about something (he didn't even get 2 words out). They started singing badly the Canadian Anthem and then Rhyno came out and chased them out of the ring and Tajiri followed. Actually a bit of comedy from Tajiri as he wiggled his ass at Conway who was on the apron. Silly crowd chant for USA despite the fact that the two people from the USA are on opposing sides. Tajiri hit all his spots (Tarantula, handspring elbow, baseball slide into the corner). Rhyno went for a Goar but missed and then Tajiri went to kick Grenier but was tripped up from the outside by Conway which led to La Res hitting the doubleteam finisher, whatever they call it and getting the pinfall in around 9 minutes. Decent opening match **
Eric Bischoff then comes out and gets Eugene to come out and grants him a match vs Anyone tonight. Eugene thinks about it and (with some crowd inspiration of a Bischoff Chant) has a match with Bischoff. Bischoff says you don't want any of me as he takes his jacket off, but The Coach slips in the ring and attacks Eugene...
Eugene defeated The Coach - Eugene was insanely over with the crowd. He rode The Coach halfway around the ring like a horse and then "peed" on him like Rick Steiner used to do. Bischoff tried to interfere but Regal came down and pulled him off the apron, and then Eugene hit the Rock Bottom/People's Elbow for the pinfall at 6 minutes or so. The Rock Bottom/People's elbow garnered almost as much reaction from the crowd as if the Rock would have done it. More of a comedy match than anything with a couple good spots (I love the Airplane Spin..) - * 1/2
Lita comes out to tell her sob story of how this has been a terrible week for her and she's all alone now since Matt won't talk to her. She gets Matt to come down to the ring to talk, but then Kane comes out. Kane stares at Lita and points to her stomach and then Matt attacks him..
Kane def Matt Hardy - Matt Hardy got a bit offense in at the beginning, hitting a Side Effect off the middle turnbuckle. Near the end, Matt hits one Twist of Fate but Kane kicked out of at 2, and then he tried for a 2nd Twist of Fate which Kane blocked and then he hit a chokeslam for the pinfall. The match seemed to go on longer than the crowd expected, about 7 minutes and it wasn't a total squash. *
The Hurricane w/ Maven def. Garrison Cade w/ Test - a ton of "Look, its Test" as he came out and I'm slightly worried were in for another gay gimmick as he slapped Cade on his ass twice and kept rubbing Cade's shoulders (similar to the stuff Billy and Chuck did). Cade dominated most of the match, with the help of Test interfering a couple times, but eventually Maven chased Test to the back and The Hurricane was able to hit the Eye of the Hurricane and get the pinfall in a short 5 minute match.
1/2* for not going much longer.
Chris Jericho def Batista - match was pretty slow paced early as Batista dominated Jericho. Jericho eventually got in some offense and the pace picked up until Batista hit a huge spinebuster. Batista called for the Batistabomb, but Jericho reversed it intoa roll up for the pin in close to 10 minutes. **, although early the match was a snoozer with Batistas slow paced offense. the pace picked up eventually and it was a pretty nice match.
INTERMISSION
Randy Orton def Edge to Retain the Intercontinental Title - another slow starting match, as Orton stalled on the outside. He was doing something to a young fan at ringside which prompted Edge to make a Kobe Bryant joke about it on the mic. Not as many Orton chants (I think the crowd was 80/20 Edge) as I expected given all the other reports. They did the criss/cross off the ropes (about 20 times) which the crowd did a small applause for (seemed as though they didn't know what else to do). Orton tried to leave about halfway through the match but Edge brought him back to ringside. Orton would eventually take the turnbuckle pad off and get the ref distracted by getting him to look at it although he didn't fix it (during which Jericho had Orton pinned in a rollup). Orton would eventually drop Edge face first on the exposed turnbuckle and then got the pinfall in the corner with his feet on the ropes. Match lasted 13 minutes but there was a lot of stalling and other non action, but all in all it was a decent but not great match **1/2.
Trish def Victoria to retain the Women's Title - Trish got on the mic and said that Salisbury was the best place she'd ever been (to which just about everyone applauded for, except me since I knew what was coming..) and the best part was that in about 2 hours she'd be leaving. Victoria did her convulsing backflip spot and then later Trish attempted to do the same thing, but Victoria grabbed her for a roll up and a 2 count. Victoria got at least one more near fall and then she missed a moonsault from the top rope (she almost fell off the top rope but grabbed the light stand thing in the corner) as Tomko pulled Trish out of the way and then Trish got the pinfall with her feet on the ropes. Afterwards, Tomko picked up Victoria over his head, but the person in the red wig made the save with a low blow. Standard 6 minute women's match, nothing special *1/2
Chris Benoit def HHH to retain the Heavyweight Championship - before the bell rang, the crowd ripped into HHH with a "You tapped out" chant that was surprising for the size of the crowd. HHH got so angry as to get out of the ring and get in a kids face for being chanting "You tapped out" and Benoit started the chant up again on the mic. HHH threatens to leave but Benoit went and got him and the match started. Match went back and forth several times early, and everytime HHH got the advantage there would be a huge "You tapped out chant". About 15 minutes in, Benoit went for a sharpshooter, HHH kicked out of it. He got up and went for a pedigree but Benoit countered that back into a Sharpshooter. Crowd with another huge "You tapped out chant" while HHH fought to get to the ropes. The ref gets knocked out as HHH sent Benoit into the corner where the ref was standing, but Benoit put on the breaks and then HHH went for a clothesline and hit the ref. Benoit then went to hit the rolling Germans and the flying headbutt, and then went for a cover but the ref was still down. In comes Randy Orton and Benoit tosses him akwardly over the top rope to the floor. Batista comes in and hits Benoit with a spinebuster. Orton got on the apron and handed HHH the IC belt and HHH went for a belt shot but Benoit ducked, grabbed the belt and hit HHH, Orton and Batista with the belt. Benoit then put the on the Crippler Crossface and HHH fought it for a good minute (as the crowd did another "You Tapped out" chant) before finally tapping out with the crowd going nuts. Benoit gets back on the mic and gets one last you tapped out chant going, before thanking the crowd and taking a bow in the ring. Easily the match of the night (err..day) as it went 20 minutes not including all the prematch stalling/crowd chanting with a lot of close falls, even with predictable Evolution interference although it backfired. ***
All in all this show was light years ahead of the Smackdown house show that was here 2 years ago, although the crowd was about the same (maybe 2,500 or so) but the crowd was really into most of the matches.
