From The Shelf- WWE Bragging Rights 2009

WWE Bragging Rights 2009
10-25-2009
Pittsburgh, PA

Your hosts are Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, and Todd Grisham.

Video package for Miz/Morrison airs.

Bragging Right Match- The Miz (Raw) vs. John Morrison (Smackdown)
Miz is the US Champion while Morrison is the Intercontinental Champion but both belts are not on the line. Feeling out process to start and Morrison overpowers Miz early. Miz bails to regroup and back in, Morrison catches Miz with a flapjack. Standing SSP by Morrison gets 2. Miz stomps away on Morrison in the corner and he dumps Morrison to the floor. Miz goes to suplex him back in but Morrison blocks and sunset flips Miz for 2. Jackknife roll-up by Morrison gets 2 and he blocks a backslide attempt. Morrison clotheslines Miz to the floor and Morrison catches him with a baseball slide. Back in, Morrison covers for 2 and Miz blocks a headscissors attempt by dumping Morrison to the floor. Back in, Miz hits a back suplex to Morrison for 2. Rear surfboard by Miz but Morrison breaks with a mule kick. Forearms by Morrison but Miz comes back with a corner lariat. Knee lift off the apron by Miz gets 2. Chinlock by Miz but Morrison fights out. Roll-up by Morrison gets 2 and he gets an O’Connor roll for 2. They trade kicks to the ribs and Morrison catches Miz with a flying forearm. Leg lariat by Morrison gets 2. Miz counters the Shining Wizard with a roll-up for 2. Morrison takes Miz down and he pounds away with forearms. Flying Chuck by Morrison gets 2 as Miz gets his foot on the ropes!!! Miz bails before Morrison could go for Starship Pain so Morrison hits a slingshot corkscrew pescado to the floor. Back in, Morrison covers Miz for 2. Morrison puts Miz on top and goes for a superplex but Miz blocks and hits a double axe handle to the back of Morrison. Morrison blocks Skull Crushing Finale and he hits a side Russian leg sweep. Morrison goes for Starship Pain but Miz sweeps the legs causing Morrison to crash to the mat. Miz covers for 3!!!
Winner- The Miz (Raw 1-0) ***1/2 ( Damn good opener. Both guys had tons of momentum throughout 2009 so the crowd was into everything they did. They told a good story with both men avoiding each other’s moves having team for the last two years and Miz caught Morrison at the right time to steal the win. )

Cody Rhodes brags about a Raw sweep but R-Truth appears and tells him there are still two matches to go. Rhodes tells him he is a replacement for an embarrassing Smackdown team and calls him second rate. Truth tells him Dusty Rhodes and Randy Orton are the only reason he is on Raw. Big Show appears and tells Truth to tell Team Smackdown that Raw’s actions will speak for themselves.

Bragging Rights Match- Michelle McCool, Beth Phoenix, and Natalya (Smackdown) vs. Melina, Gail Kim, and Kelly Kelly (Raw)
Phoenix and Kim start. Forearms by Kim and she goes for a springboard crossbody but Phoenix catches him. Kim rolls through for 2 and Phoenix knocks her down. Blind tag by McCool and Kim hits a hurricanrana. Tag to Natalya and she slams Kim. She misses an elbow drop and Kim hits a running shoulder tackle in the corner. Tag to Kelly and she chokes Natalya with her boot in the corner. Tilt-a-whirl headscissors by Kelly and she goes for a wheelbarrow but Natalya blocks by dropping her on the ropes for 2. She rams Kelly into the corner and hits her with some knees to the midsection in the corner. Kelly tries a sunset flip but McCool tags in and works her over. Tag to Phoenix and she snapmares Kelly for 2. Chinlock by Phoenix and Kelly fights out and goes for the tag but Phoenix drives her back into the corner. Chinlock by McCool and she hits some knees to the head of Kelly. Blind tag by Phoenix and Kelly catches her with a hurricanrana for 2. Jawbreaker by Kelly and she tags Melina. Forearms by Melina and she hits a dropkick. Drop toe hold by Melina and she drives her knees into the back of Phoenix. She takes Phoenix down by the hair and she counters a slingshot suplex attempt into a small package. The ref is distracted which allows McCool to roll Phoenix on top for 2. Tilt-a-whirl faceplant by Melina gets 2 as McCool breaks and everyone brawls. Phoenix botches a snake eyes and she hits the Glam Slam for 3.
Winners- Michelle McCool, Beth Phoenix, and Natalya ** (Match was OK, but it was incredibly sloppy and had little heat. It was a basic Diva’s Match. )

Jack Swagger interrupts a speech by DX saying the team is already good because he’s on the team. Shawn lectures him on respect and Triple H talks about how the horrible things they have done to their teammates. Shawn says they don’t like each other but they respect each other and he tells Swagger if he doesn’t like it, he’ll replace him with the first person he sees. Hornswoggle appears and Shawn regrets what he said. Triple H says they have to win tonight.

Video package for Undertaker/Punk/Batista/Mysterio airs.

World Championship- The Undertaker © vs. Batista vs. Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk
Punk attacks Rey before quickly bailing. He draws Batista into an uppercut from Taker and Punk begins stomping away on Taker in the corner. Taker dumps Punk to the floor to stop that and Rey hits a seated senton from the apron. Flying clothesline by Taker to Batista and Rey hits a springboard dropkick knocking Taker to the floor. Taker comes back in and hits a big boot to Mysterio. OLD SCHOOL~!!! To Batista. Taker looks to go Old School on Rey but Punk breaks it up. Punk goes up and hits a superplex to Undertaker. Flying splash off the top by Rey gets 1 as Punk dumps Mysterio to the floor. Corner clothesline by Batista to Punk and he hits a powerslam. Big boot by Taker to Batista and Rey goes up. He goes for a hurricanrana but Taker blocks. He goes for the Last Ride but Batista breaks it up with a Spear. Rey goes for the cover but Taker grabs him. Batista breaks it up and Rey hits the 619. Spinebuster by Batista gets 2 as Punk breaks it up with a baseball slide. Rey goes up but Punk catches him and hits the GTS for 2 as Batista breaks. Taker catches Batista in Hell’s Gate but Punk breaks it up. Punk hammers away on Taker on the mat and he hits a corner knee strike. Taker comes back with the Last Ride for 2 as Batista saves!!! Batista and Taker slug it out and Taker catches him with a Chokeslam for 2 as Punk saves. Rights by Punk and Taker goes for the Chokeslam but Punk blocks. Taker dumps Punk to the floor and he goes for the Tombstone on Batista but he blocks. Batista Bomb to Taker gets 2 as Rey saves!!! He covers Taker for 2 as Batista saves!!! Batista is pissed at Rey for break up the cover and he shoves Rey to the floor. Chokeslam by Taker to Batista gets 2. Batista blocks another chokeslam and they clothesline each other. Punk covers Batista for 2 and he then covers Taker for 2. Batista dumps Punk to the floor and Rey leaps off the top but Batista catches him and dumps Rey to the floor onto Punk!!! Tombstone by Taker to Batista gets 3.
Winner and Still World Champion- Undertaker ***1/2 ( That was a really fun sprint, everyone hit their signature stuff and it was just a blast to watch. Imagine how good it could have been with more time. )

After the match, Josh Matthews interviews Rey and he says they tried their hardest. Rey checks on Batista and he says he’ll have another day. Batista tells Rey they weren’t close, only he was close. He says he’s tired of only coming close and he’s tired of Rey stabbing him in the back. Batista tells Rey he’s going to rip his head off and then takes him out with a lariat. He kicks Rey to the floor and tosses him into the barricade. Batista kicks Rey in the head one more time before leaving. ( Awesome angle. Batista became the best heel in the company within a few months after this. )

Bragging Rights Match- DX (Triple H and Shawn Michaels), Big Show, Cody Rhodes, Jack Swagger, Mark Henry, and Kofi Kingston vs. Chris Jericho, Kane, Matt Hardy, Finley, R-Truth, and Hart Dynasty (Tyson Kidd and David Hart Smith)
Truth and Rhodes start. They slug it out and Truth hits a leg lariat for 2. Truth charges in the corner but eats elbow and they trade blows on the mat. Show tags in so Truth tags Kane in. Show charges in the corner but misses and Kane hits a corner clothesline. Show comes back with a shoulder block and he hits a leg drop for 2. Tag to Swagger and Kane knocks him down with a clothesline. Tag to Hardy and he hits a clothesline for 2. Hardy hockey fights Swagger and Swagger charges in the corner but eats boot. Second rope leg drop by Hardy gets 2 and Swagger bails. Hardy follows and he hits a clothesline on the floor. Cody distracts Hardy, allowing Swagger to send Hardy into the post. Both teams have a confrontation on the floor and back in, Swagger hits the Divorce Court for 2. Tag to Henry and he works over the arm of Hardy. Headbutt by Henry and he misses an elbow drop. Henry tosses Hardy across the ring by the bad arm and Shawn tags in. He sends Hardy shoulder first into the corner and Hardy comes back with Side Effect. Tag to Finley and he slams Shawn into an elbow drop. Finley sends Shawn to the corner where he does the corner flip. Short arm clothesline by Finley and he works Shawn over in the corner. They crack heads and both men are down. Sweet Chin Music by Shawn but he walks into the Hart Attack from the Hart Dynasty for 2!!! Smith blind tagged in beforehand. Slam by Smith and he tags Jericho. Half nelson chinlock by Jericho but Shawn fights out and rolls him up for 2. Clothesline by Jericho gets 2. Tag to Kane and he snap mares Shawn into a basement dropkick for 2. Tag to Smith and he grabs a chinlock. Shawn tries to fight out so Smith hits a Saito suplex for 2. Slam by Smith and he tags Kidd. Springboard elbow drop misses and HHH tags in. High knee to Kidd and HHH hits the face buster to Smith. Clothesline by HHH and he spinebusters Finley onto Smith. Spinebuster to Kidd onto both!!! Kane chokeslams HHH and Kidd covers for 2!!! Tag to Jericho and he hits a bulldog. Lionsault misses and Kingston tags in. Springboard clothesline to Jericho and Kingston hits a leaping clothesline. Kofi goes for the Boom Drop but Jericho blocks and goes for the Walls of Jericho. Kingston counters into a small package for 2 and he hits Trouble in Paradise for 2 as Hart Dynasty saves!!! Henry hits a double clothesline to them and then to Hardy and Truth. Henry goes to the floor and Hardy leaps to the floor but Henry catches him. Truth leaps off the apron and knocks Henry down. Finley Roll to Rhodes but he walks into the Swagger Bomb. Big boot by Kane to Swagger but he walks into a Spear from Show!!! Kofi goes up but Show grabs him and hits a chokeslam!!!! HHH goes to confront him but Show hits the KO Punch!!! Jericho covers Kofi for 3!!!
Winners- Chris Jericho, Kane, Matt Hardy, Finley, R-Truth, and Hart Dynasty ***3/4 (Smackdown 2-1, Smackdown wins Bragging Rights) ( Tons of fun, as the action never let and this never felt like it was a twenty minute match. )

Video package for Orton/Cena airs.

Cody Rhodes tells Kofi Kingston he’s the reason Raw lost and he attacks Kofi.

Ironman Match for the WWE Championship- Randy Orton © vs. John Cena
Only way to get a fall is by pin fall or submission and if Cena loses, he leaves for Smackdown. Feeling out process to start and Cena hits a hip toss. Orton sends Cena hard into the corner and Cena tries a bulldog but Orton blocks. Rights by Orton and Cena takes Orton down into the STF. Orton quickly taps!!! 1-0 Cena.
Both men get thirty seconds to rest after each fall. Cena hammers away and Orton catches him with a powerslam. Knee drop by Orton and he chokes away on Cena. Suplex by Orton gets 2. Orton hammers the chest of Cena and he goes to the chinlock. Cena powers out and he hits the Throwback. Cena goes up and he hits the Guillotine Legdrop off the top to Orton. Cena goes for the Five Knuckle Suffle but Orton catches him with the RKO for 3!!! Tied 1-1.
Orton knocks Cena off the apron and he follows out. Orton nails Cena with the TV monitor for 2. Back in, Orton nails Cena with a microphone for 2. Orton nails Cena with a hard right and Cena is busted open. They stop the clock to check on Cena’s cut and Cena starts hammering away on Orton. Cena dumps Orton to the floor and he slams Orton’s face off the steps. Cena is reversed into the steps and Orton covers for 2. Orton stomps on the head of Cena on the steps for 2. Back in, Orton hits some rights and Cena comes back with some flying shoulder blocks. Protobomb by Cena and he hits the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Attitude Adjustment COUNTERED IN MID-AIR INTO THE RKO!!!!! They cover each other for 3. Tied 2-2. Well, that was stupid.
Orton charges at Cena in the corner but misses and he hits the post shoulder first. Cena puts Orton on top and he follows up. SUPER ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT by Cena gets 3!!! Cena 3-2.
During the rest period, Legacy comes out and they attack Cena. Dream Street by Dibiase to Cena and they pull Orton on top of Cena for 3. Tied 3-3.
Kofi Kingston comes out and chases Legacy out of the ring with a chair!!! Cena and Orton clothesline each other and both men are down. They go to the floor and Cena hammers away on Orton. Orton drives Cena into the railings and he hits a boot to the head of Cena fo 2. They brawl around the equipment section and Orton slams Cena’s face off a panel that sets the pyro off!!!!! Orton SENDS CENA THROUGH A LIGHTING SCREEN!!!! Orton covers Cena for 3!!! Orton 4-3.
Orton begins to press the pyro panel and sets off more fireworks. Orton nails Cena in the back with a chair and pulls him across the ramp. Orton goes to the panel and SETS OFF ALL THE PYRO!!!!! Cena moved out of the way just in time and Orton is pissed about that. Orton hammers away on Cena and he sends Cena into the steps. Orton tosses the steps at the head of Cena as we are at the halfway point. Orton covers Cena for 2. Orton steps on the midsection of Cena a few times and he nails Cena in the back with a chair for 2. Back in, Cena catches Orton with a small package for 3!!! Tied 4-4.
Hanging DDT off the apron by Orton gets 3. Orton 5-4.
Orton covers Cena for 2 and back in, Orton stomps on every part of Cena’s body. Knee drop by Orton gets 2. Orton knocks Cena down with a hard right hand for 2. Cena knocks Orton down with a hard right and it forces Orton to bail. Orton stays on the ramp to kill time and Cena follows him. Orton fires away on Cena and Cena comes back with another hard right. Orton now goes to the ring to kill time. Cena follows and Orton hammers the back of Cena. Orton stomps away and goes for the hanging DDT but Cena counters. He goes for the Attitude Adjustment but Orton pokes the eye and he bails into the crowd. Cena follows and they brawl in the crowd. Cena hits Orton with a trash can and he knocks Orton down the stairs. They continue to brawl in the crowd and Cena dumps Orton back to ringside for 2. Cena slams Orton’s face off the steps for 2. Cena sends Orton shoulder first into the barricade and he drives Orton THROUGH the barricade into the timekeeper’s area!!!! Cena nails Orton with the steps and he climbs the stairs to give Orton the ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT THROUGH THE ANNOUNCE TABLE!!!! Cena covers for 3. Tied 5-5.
Cena covers Orton after the rest period for 2!!! Cena throws a table into the ring and sets it up. He throws Orton into the ring and he puts Orton on the table. Cena goes up for a flying leg drop off the top but Orton rolls out of the way, sending Cena crashing through the table!!!! They slug it out and Cena hits a leaping shoulderblock. He goes for another one but Orton moves, sending Cena crashing into the ref. RKO by Orton and he covers but there is no ref!!! Another ref comes out as Orton covers for 2!!! Orton shoves Charles Robinson and now we have no ref with two minutes left. Orton goes for the Punt but misses and Cena catches him in the STF!!!! Orton taps with six seconds left!!!! It’s over, Cena 6-5!!!
Winner and NEW WWE Champion- John Cena ***3/4 ( I loved some of the phycology during this match. Orton quickly taping early to prevent injury, Orton making Cena chase him in and out of the ring to kill time, going to pinfalls immediately after the rest period, stuff like that is just brilliant. However, there were tons of dead spots and areas that dragged, so this match comes up just short of being great. )

The 411: This was a very enjoyable PPV. Everything on the show besides the Diva match was very good . The opener was excellent, the four way was one hell of a sprint, the 7-on-7 tag was tons of fun, and the main event, while dull and goofy at times, was a suitable finale to the Cena/Orton saga. This show is well worth a look.
Final Score:  7.5   [ Good ]