wrestling / Video Reviews
Hall’s WWE Fatal 4 Way Review
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...Fatal 4-Way
Date: June 20, 2010
Location: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, New York
Attendance: 10,000
Commentators: Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, Matt Striker
Here we have what might be the absolute bottom of the barrel for WWE’s brain trust for pay per views. Yes the point of this show is in fact a trio of fatal four way matches for various titles. That’s it. That’s the premise of the show. We get this kind of stuff on Raw and Smackdown on a regular basis, but we’re getting a pay per view centered around it here. Let’s get to it.
The opening video looks at the fatal four way matches (well, the men’s versions at least), plus Kane searching for who attacked his brother. I’ll give you one guess who it wound up being.
Here is Vince McMahon to get things going. He’s here on a somber note: Raw General Manager Bret Hart (oh yeah that was a thing) will not be here tonight. We see Nexus attacking Hart on Raw and putting him in a limousine, which was then backed into various other cars. Hart was then dragged out of the limo and….left there. Vince will be working with Hart’s representatives to see when he’ll be able to return to his job. This needed pay per view time??? Drew McIntyre comes out for his match and McMahon whispers something to him.
Intercontinental Title: Drew McIntyre vs. Kofi Kingston
Kingston is defending and this is a result of McIntyre humiliating Teddy Long, resulting in Kingston making the save. McIntyre beat Kingston (and Matt Hardy) up anyway. Hold on though as we cut to the back, where Vince McMahon leaves. Back in the ring, McIntyre orders Long to come to the ring, where McIntyre wants him to watch from ringside and then hand the title over at the end of the match.
Kingston kicks away to start as commentary talks about McIntyre humiliating Long again. Some dropkicks and a clothesline put McIntyre on the floor but McIntyre suckers him in for a shot to the leg. Back in and McIntyre sends him hard into the post but Kingston backflips into a dropkick in a nifty spot. McIntyre posts Kingston again and the armbar keeps the champ in trouble.
Kingston fights up and spins over into a DDT, followed by a rollup for two. A spinning middle rope crossbody gives Kingston two more and the Boom Drop connects. Back up and McIntyre gets in another shot but can’t hit the Futureshock. A nice tornado DDT gives Kingston two and he dives onto McIntyre in the corner, earning himself a toss powerbomb out of the corner for two.
The SOS gives Kingston two more but the referee gets bumped. McIntyre posts Kingston again and hits the Futureshock but there’s no referee. Therefore, McIntyre throws Long inside and steals the referee’s shirt, which he wants Long to put on. Long puts the shirt on and counts two but won’t count three. This gives us the almost funny sad Teddy Long face so McIntyre yells at Long before loading up another Future shock. Cue Matt hardy to give McIntyre the Twist Of Fate, allowing Kingston to hit Trouble In Paradise for the pin to retain at 16:28.
Rating: B. Oh yeah this worked, even with the Long stuff not being great. The good thing is that Long sold the living heck out of the angle, as he looked like he was about to cry out there. At the same time, you had McIntyre and Kingston, two incredibly talented stars, getting a chance to show what they could do. This was a heck of an opener and the lengthy time didn’t hurt it at all.
The Hart Dynasty is ready to take out the Usos and Tamina, despite Bret Hart being taken out earlier this week.
Divas Title: Maryse vs. Eve Torres vs. Gail Kim vs. Alicia Fox
Torres is defending. Kin misses a charge at Fox to start, allowing Fox to hit her always nice looking northern lights suplex. Maryse and Fox start double teaming Torres but Kim is back in with a Black Widow on Fox. Torres grabs a cross armbreaker on Maryse though and Kim has to lets to for the save.
Torres gets a camel clutch on Fox, with Kim grabbing a Boston crab on Fox at the same time (dang). Maryse breaks that up but Kim catches Maryse and Fox with a double dropkick. Fox and Kim go outside, leaving Torres to neckbreaker Maryse and hit a moonsault. However, like so many multi-person matches, Fox runs in and steals the pin and the title at 5:49.
Rating: C. This was a weird time for women’s wrestling, as they were clearly trying to get better and I don’t fault their effort at all, but there was only so much that could be done here. They had four women and five minutes to have their whole match. What are you supposed to do in that little time? They were trying and it could have been worse, but this felt like an afterthought, which unfortunately was the case for a lot of women’s wrestling at this point.
Rey Mysterio tells Big Show that he’s going to try to win the World Title tonight. Show says they’re friends, but he’ll knock Mysterio out. Show holds up his fist, but Mysterio says his heart is bigger. Dude you should get that looked at. That can’t be healthy.
Here is Chris Jericho for a chat. Jericho takes credit for everyone here watching WWE. The problem is he is no longer the talk of the company, with even his NXT protege Wade Barrett getting more attention. Jericho talks about how he does not like Evan Bourne, who is indeed a shooting star. He showed up, he lit up the sky, and then he burned out. That’s why they’re having a rematch tonight.
Evan Bourne vs. Chris Jericho
Bourne is the newcomer and showed Jericho up, which Jericho doesn’t like. Jericho backs him into the corner to start and hammers away but Bourne is back with a running hurricanrana. Back up and Jericho runs him over with a clothesline for two but Bourne manages to toss Jericho outside. A big dive connects but Jericho drops him again back inside. Jericho hits his own dropkick for two and we hit the chinlock.
Back up and Bourne hits a nice spinwheel kick for two more, but Jericho is back with a bridging German suplex for another near fall. Bourne hits something like a Meteora, which is reversed into the Walls. That’s broken up as well and Bourne goes up for a top rope Meteora. Bourne kicks him in the face and runs around the apron for a bit, setting up the missed Air Bourne. Jericho drops him for two more and yells a lot at the kickout. Bourne gets two off a rollup and hits a tornado DDT to plant Jericho again. Bourne goes up, shoves Jericho off, and hits Air Bourne for the pin at 12:05.
Rating: B. This is how you make someone a star, or at least give them a chance to be a star. Bourne just beat Jericho clean in the middle of the ring on pay per view. That’s one of if not the biggest win of his career and it should be a huge boost for him. If nothing else, points to Jericho for doing the job like this, as he is a big enough name to get out of it.
We recap the Smackdown World Title match. Someone attacked Undertaker and left him “in a vegetative state” (because COMA was a bad word for some reason) so Kane swore revenge. He accused a variety of people and now it’s time for revenge. CM Punk, Rey Mysterio, Big Show and Jack Swagger all denied having anything to do with it but Kane thought it was all four of them and promised to get revenge on all of them.
Smackdown World Title: CM Punk vs. Big Show vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Jack Swagger
Swagger is defending and no, after all that, Kane isn’t involved in this match. Punk is leading the Straight Edge Society and is currently wearing a mask due to having his head shaved. Swagger and Punk stomp on Mysterio in the corner, with Show making a save. Punk’s sleeper on Show goes nowhere and a headscissors sends Punk outside. Show sends Swagger outside and we get the Show vs. Mysterio faceoff.
Mysterio gets powered down but Punk comes in to break it up. A tornado DDT plants Show and Swagger adds a Vader Bomb for two. Swagger suplexes Mysterio for two more and he cranks on both arms for a bit. Punk is back in to break that up and hits a running knee to Swagger, only to have Swagger German suplex Punk and Mysterio at the same time. Punk blocks the gutwrench powerbomb but Show breaks up a 619.
Show starts wrecking people but Show dropkicks the steps into his knees. Mysterio hits a springboard seated senton on Swagger, who is halfway down before contact is made. Punk sends Mysterio outside and gives Swagger a GTS and FINALLY Kane comes out, wheeling a coffin. Kane puts Punk in the coffin but Luke Gallows makes the save and Punk runs off. Kane gives chase, leaving Mysterio to hit a 619 into a springboard splash to pin Swagger for the title at 10:29.
Rating: C+. They didn’t have a ton of time here and the hype video was so focused on Kane that it was more waiting on him to show up and get involved somehow. That’s not exactly a great way to go, but at least it ended Swagger’s title reign. He always felt way over his head as champion so this was a good way to finally get the belt off of him. Kane would win the title the next month and then be revealed as the Undertaker’s attacker, shocking no one paying attention.
John Cena isn’t worried about the NXT rookies. He’s ready for them if they show up, and the people involved in the title match are ready to stand united. As for the title match, anything can happen in a fatal four way and he’s ready to go.
We look at the Miz stealing the United States Title from R-Truth in a four way match on Raw.
US Title: R-Truth vs. The Miz
Miz is defending and mocks R-Truth’s rap, even debuting his own lyrics (in which he sounds a bit like John Morrison). R-Truth hits some running shoulders to start but Miz kicks him in the face and cranks on the arm. That’s broken up and R-Truth sends him into the corner, only for Miz to get in a posting to cut that off. Back in and Miz fires off some knees in the corner, followed by the running clothesline for two. A waistlock is broken up and R-Truth hammers away, with the referee pulling him off. Well that’s not fair, and the move allowing Miz to hit another big boot makes it worse.
Miz chokes in the ropes and elbows him into a seated abdominal stretch to stay on the ribs. A suplex drops R-Truth again but he fights up and grabs a Downward Spiral for two. R-Truth gets a bit creative with a suplex Stunner but Miz drops him onto the top rope. The Reality Check gets two and R-Truth’s rollups get the same. Back up and R-Truth tries another rollup but Miz sits down on it to retain the title at 13:23.
Rating: C+. Another match where they were trying and had a fine story, but it was only so good. That being said, I love the Miz so seeing him win a match clean like this was a nice bonus. Miz really did have one of the best rises up the card of anyone around this time and his US Title reign was another step in the process.
Edge doesn’t think anything of his three opponents tonight and believes he’ll walk out as champion.
Hart Dynasty vs. Usos/Tamina
The women start, with Tamina’s headscissors being broken up rather quickly. Natalya rolls her up for two and it’s off to Kidd, who grabs a headlock on Jey. That’s broken up and Jey powers him into the corner for the tag off to Jimmy (thankfully wearing long tights unlike Jey’s shorts). They head outside with Jimmy hitting a Samoan drop into the barricade. Back in and Jey nails a jumping superkick for two, followed by Jimmy’s suplex into a chinlock.
Kidd tries to fight up but gets knocked down, setting up a top rope head for two. The running Umaga attack misses though and Kidd backdrops Jey, allowing the tag off to Natalya. House is cleaned and Kidd hits a big flip dive to the floor. Back in and Tamina drops Natalya, only to miss one heck of a Superfly Splash (ignore that Natalya moved before Tamina jumped). The discus lariat gives Natalya the pin at 9:27.
Rating: C+. Other than laughing way too hard at Tamina’s jump after Natalya moved, this was a fine way to go. It’s so strange seeing the Usos as the young stars who have done almost nothing, but the talent was obviously there. At the same time, the Dynasty had the in-ring abilities but not much in the way of charisma, which is partially what held them back. That being said, points for giving them the win in honor of Bret Hart, which is a nice touch.
We recap the Raw World Title four way. John Cena is defending, the three challengers want the title, end of build.
Raw World Title: John Cena vs. Randy Orton vs. Sheamus vs. Edge
Cena is defending. We get the Big Match Intros and Orton is looking almost freakishly skinny, along with the lack of wrist tape or elbow pads. Cena goes after Sheamus and Orton kicks at Edge to start, with Sheamus and Edge being sent to the floor. That gives us Cena vs. Orton, with Cena adjusting his arm band to show that he’s serious. Neither finisher can connect so Edge cheap shots Orton from behind, leaving Sheamus to take over on Cena inside.
Back in and Edge helps Sheamus with the beating as we see various wrestlers watching, possibly to keep an eye out for NXT invasions. Edge hits a high crossbody for two on Sheamus but Orton clotheslines Edge out to the floor. Orton stomps away on Cena but misses a very enthusiastic knee drop. Back up and Cena grabs a suplex on Sheamus, who is right back with the Irish Curse for two. Edge is back in to miss a spear into the corner, allowing Orton to clothesline Sheamus.
Another spear misses for Edge and Cena initiates the finishing sequence. Orton is back in with the backbreaker to Cena, followed by the powerslam to Edge. Sheamus’ Brogue Kick misses but he sends Orton outside instead. Edge drops Cena and knocks Orton off the apron but walks into the STF. Cole: “Edge has one chance: Orton or Sheamus!” That’s not how counting works Cole. Sheamus does indeed make the save before Orton gives Cena an RKO.
Edge FINALLY hits a spear, to Orton in this case, but Sheamus is up to Brogue Kick Edge to the floor. Edge is sent over the announcers’ table but we cut to the back, where the NXT rookies attack the people watching the match. Cena sees what’s going on and HERE THEY COME! The NXT guys storm the ring, with Cena and Edge trying to fight them off. The numbers game catches up with them though and Cena is laid out, allowing Sheamus to steal the pin and the title at 17:29.
Rating: B. The action was the usual stuff you would expect from these people on this stage and that’s nice to see. They all know what they’re supposed to do in this kind of a match and they made it work well. The stuff with the NXT rookies at the end was a nice way to change things up, with Cena now having a new target after losing the title. Good match here and it definitely felt like the biggest thing on the show.
Post match Sheamus skedaddles and Cena gets wrecked by the NXT guys. Sheamus poses on the stage with the belt but the NXT guys chase him off.
Results
Kofi Kingston b. Drew McIntyre – Trouble In Paradise
Alicia Fox b. Maryse, Eve Torres and Gail Kim – Moonsault to Maryse
Evan Bourne b. Chris Jericho – Air Bourne
Rey Mysterio b. CM Punk, Big Show and Jack Swagger – Springboard splash to Swagger
The Miz b. R-Truth – Rollup
Hart Dynasty b. Usos/Tamina – Discus lariat to Tamina
Sheamus b. Edge, Randy Orton and John Cena – Pin after an attack by the NXT rookies
