♪ Hallelujah ♪
[narrator] It is the end of days.
The darkness has dominated.
The reign has been tyrannical.
But hope has returned,
a light has come to lay claim,
and two primal forces…
will collide.
It is the end of days.
[Michael] Here's the cover.
-What the hell? -[JBL] What the hell is that?
[narrator] From things stolen and destroyed…
three will battle for restitution,
poised to demolish each other.
All will be sacrificed in the name of one thing,
the World Heavyweight Championship.
["Big Angry Salad" playing]
[narrator] And now, WWE presents
WWE Armageddon.
[explosions]
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Is the end near for one of our champions tonight?
Welcome to Armageddon.
You are looking live at a sold-out Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Fourteen thousand, one hundred and eighty-nine of our fans are here
for the final pay-per-view of 2007.
[crowd cheering]
[bell ringing]
This contest set for one fall
is for the WWE United States Championship.
[crowd cheering]
["I'm Comin'" playing]
♪ One, two You hear the clock ticking… ♪
[Michael] Hello again, everybody.
Here from SmackDown, Michael Cole alongside JBL at ringside.
And, well, here is the man that can be called many things,
exuberant, cocky, very self-assured,
but he is the United States Champion.
[JBL] He also called The Human Highlight Reel.
You can call him FedEx because the lights are on bright, Michael,
and this young man always delivers.
[Justin] Approaching the ring, from Miami, Florida,
weighing 248 pounds,
he is the current WWE United States Champion,
Montel Vontavious Porter,
MVP!
And, John, this situation with Rey Mysterio and MVP
started a few weeks ago
when Rey Mysterio marched out to the ring,
looked at MVP in the eyes and said,
"You gotta learn some respect around here."
And he called MVP a punk.
[JBL] Totally undeserved, something that MVP has taken offense at,
and he should take offense at.
MVP's celebration that I was giving to him
was broken up by that disrespectful Rey Mysterio.
[Michael] The celebration you're talking about,
the United States Championship ring that was presented to MVP.
["Booyaka 619" playing]
[crowd cheering]
♪ Booyaka, Booyaka ♪
♪ 619 ♪
♪ Booyaka, Booyaka, that's my pueblo… ♪
[Justin] And his challenger, from San Diego, California,
weighing 165 pounds,
Rey Mysterio!
[Michael] The electrifying Rey Mysterio,
the greatest high-flyer
in the history of World Wrestling Entertainment,
and he hopes by the end of tonight to be United States Champion.
But how do you justify what MVP did to Rey Mysterio
just two nights ago on Friday Night SmackDown?
MVP here with us-- here with us at the announce table for commentary,
he storms in the ring after Mysterio's match,
and then a sneak attack,
hits him right in the back of the head with the United States Championship.
[JBL] It's a little reciprocity, Michael.
It's a little tit for tat, an eye for an eye.
Rey Mysterio broke up MVP's celebration,
MVP broke up Rey Mysterio.
[Michael] Well, John, there are a lot of people
in the locker room and elsewhere here in WWE
who hope that Rey Mysterio does teach MVP some respect.
[JBL] A lot of people? I'm begging you to cite your sources.
What the hell do you know about the locker room?
-[Michael] I talked-- -[JBL] You hear all this hearsay,
you hear all this crap going on.
The fact of the matter is, Rey Mysterio has this champ right now,
MVP, standing right ahead of him.
That's why we do this.
[Michael] The fact of the matter is, just a couple of weeks ago,
MVP with the legendary Michael Hayes and The Fabulous Freebirds in the ring
disrespected Mr. Hayes.
He tried to beat Mr. Hayes up
and if it wasn't for Rey Mysterio to win things,
and that's what I'm talking about.
Perhaps this man does need to be taught some respect.
[JBL] At this stage in your career,
if you're gonna be one of the best ever, which is what he wants to be,
you can't afford to have respect.
[Michael] The United States Championship is on the line.
MVP, who fancies himself one of the greatest
-United States Champions ever… -[bell ringing]
-[JBL] And you would argue that? -[Michael] …against the former…
-[JBL] Would-- Would you argue that? -[Michael] …world champion, Rey Mysterio.
-[JBL] Would you argue that? -[Michael] No.
Can't argue with MVP's success.
[Michael] But like I just mentioned before,
you can't argue with the fact
that Rey Mysterio is a former world champion.
[JBL] You can't argue with the fact that MVP is half man and half amazing.
-[Michael] Standoff-- -[JBL] Never say anything bad
about Rey Mysterio.
[Michael] Standoff early part of the matchup
between MVP and Rey Mysterio.
[JBL] I would go so far to say Rey Mysterio
is not just the greatest high-flyer in WWE history,
he's the greatest high-flyer in sports entertainment history, period.
[Michael] Let's talk strategy, John.
First for the United States Champion, MVP, against Mysterio.
-[JBL] What MVP needs to do… -[Michael] Oh.
[JBL] …is what he was trying to do earlier.
You gotta squash this guy, you gotta get him down,
and you gotta get your paws on him. Very simple.
-[Michael] Wow. -[JBL] What Rey Mysterio--
[Michael] That's what we're talking about, the high-flyer.
[JBL] What Rey Mysterio needs to do is right there,
you gotta create distance.
[Michael] Mysterio up over the top, the quickness of Rey Mysterio.
He's got him all packaged up.
Here we go, and a kickout at one.
First cover of the matchup,
Rey Mysterio trying to win the United States Championship.
For Rey Mysterio, he needs to use the high-flying,
well, to his ability.
[JBL] You've gotta create distance, plain and simple.
You don't wanna get in an old-fashioned grappling contest,
an old-fashioned fight with MVP.
[Michael] Rey Mysterio using the second rope,
nice arm drag, taking MVP through the second rope.
And Rey Mysterio has got MVP out of his game
and off-balance in the early going.
Mysterio and referee Jimmy Korderas…
[crowd booing]
[Michael] …motioning that MVP had his hand on the rope.
That's completely fair, what Korderas did there,
breaking up the-- And look at this.
Rey Mysterio over the top, over the top of the official.
Rey Mysterio taking out MVP.
One.
[JBL] First time Korderas has been useful.
[Korderas] Two.
Three.
[Michael] Watch this. This is what Rey Mysterio is all about.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] MVP just can't get out of the starting block
so far in this matchup.
[JBL] Rey Mysterio comes out here, the crowd, all 14,000-plus are behind him.
Sometimes you just gotta weather the storm, Michael.
That's what MVP needs to do.
[Michael] Couldn't weather the storm there.
Rey Mysterio using his quickness to duck underneath.
Rey's in trouble.
Oh, and MVP with a great counter.
[JBL] That's called weathering the storm.
[Michael] Mysterio sent head-first off the top turnbuckle.
[referee] Let me check on him, all right?
Rey, are you all right?
[Michael] Again, referee Jimmy Korderas
doing the right thing to check on Mysterio.
But watch the whiplash here, suffered by Mysterio.
Cover by MVP, hook to the leg, and a kickout at two.
You see, Rey Mysterio still favoring the neck.
Somehow his head just bounced off that turnbuckle.
[JBL] That's the one shot that MVP has been looking for.
[Michael] Cover again, hook to the leg, and a kickout.
[JBL] You've gotta find a way to ground Rey Mysterio.
MVP just found that way.
[Michael] MVP, this past Friday night on the WWE Mobile exclusive,
saying that Rey Mysterio should stay out of his business
and Mysterio must wake up at night in cold sweat,
fearing MVP and what will happen here tonight in this matchup.
[JBL] Got that European headlock,
working exactly on that neck that Rey snapped back on that turnbuckle.
[Michael] MVP back-- I should say Mysterio back to his feet,
right hands to the ribs, trying to battle out of this.
Had to get back to the vertical base, and he did.
Oh! MVP, great drop toe hold.
And notice how he wrapped that arm around the back of the neck,
slamming Mysterio with more force into the ring.
[JBL] I haven't seen that since Ron Simmons.
[Michael] Oh, and a kick to the head,
nearly kicking Mysterio out of the ring.
[JBL] This is where MVP has become so good.
[Michael] Cover again by the champion, hooks to the leg, wraps the other leg,
kick out at two by Mysterio.
Watch this kick, right to the temple.
[JBL] This is what MVP has picked up his game.
You get a guy down--
[Michael] Cover again, hook to the leg again,
and Mysterio kicks out at two.
[JBL] Especially Rey Mysterio, you don't let him breathe.
This is where MVP finds a bullseye, he stays on it.
[Michael] And you mentioned before, when you don't create separation,
when you allow Mysterio to stay close, Mysterio can't fly.
[JBL] You've got to keep closing the gap.
You gotta-- You gotta keep pressure on Rey Mysterio.
[Michael] And keeping pressure on the neck that was slammed
into the turnbuckle minutes ago.
Mysterio working on the head and neck area.
Great strategy so far for the United States Champion.
[JBL] MVP had his strategy all along.
I tell you, he just had to weather the storm,
and that's what he did.
[Michael] Mysterio weathering the storm as well.
Elbows not nearly as effective.
And MVP-- Oh! Jaw off the knee.
MVP to the cover. Does he hook the leg? He does.
A nonchalant cover, so to speak, by the champion, and a kickout at two.
[JBL] One of the rare snafus of MVP.
Look, this is for the United States Championship.
You get a chance to pin somebody,
you hook the leg and you try to get the three-count.
[crowd chanting] 619! 619! 619!
[Michael] Our fans calling for the 619,
but Mysterio's gotta get back in the ballgame
before he can even think about that move.
[JBL] MVP dressed in red, white, and blue for the United States Championship.
-It's become part of the bling on MVP. -[Michael] Become part of his life.
The man is almost obsessed with being the United States Champion.
-[JBL] Anything wrong with that? -[Michael] Not at all.
MVP has been the champion since late last spring.
Wearing the arm of Mysterio down and again, back to the neck area.
Mysterio with those quick feet,
trying desperately to battle outta this with the United States Championship
on the line as we kick off Armageddon
from the sold-out Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
[JBL] You can feel the buzz, Michael, of 14,000-plus people
starting off with a championship match.
[Michael] Here's the cover, hook to the leg,
Mysterio's out of it, and a kickout at two.
But again, the effect of what he just did, that MVP just did, John,
the whiplash to the head and neck area again.
[JBL] He's gonna target that, he's gonna target it
until he finally finds a way to beat Rey Mysterio.
MVP has become very good at sticking with the game plan.
[Michael] Mysterio in trouble, in deep trouble. MVP.
Mysterio landed on his feet, MVP didn't realize it, and got caught.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] This could be the opening that Mysterio needs.
Can he capitalize?
Two.
[Michael] Both men down, center of the ring.
Three.
[Michael] Mysterio's gotta get back to his feet,
but he needs MVP to, too,
because if there's a ten-count, the title's not changing hands.
Six.
[JBL] This is where MVP is smart. He's gotta close the distance.
Close the distance, close the distance no matter what you do with Mysterio.
[Michael] MVP missed with a wild right hand,
and Mysterio, those quick feet going to work on the hamstring and knees,
trying to wear the United States Champion down.
Mysterio, crossbody, lateral press, may happen, for the title!
No, kick out at two.
Again, in order for Rey to win the championship,
he's gotta win via pinfall or submission.
Disqualification and count-out will not do it for Mysterio.
Title cannot change hands to those two ways.
Mysterio looking good here.
Oh, and he lost his balance, but look at that!
Mysterio lost his balance.
-Still managed to take control. -[JBL] Mysterio's hurt, though.
[Michael] But he may have injured that surgically-repaired knee
when he came off the rope.
[JBL] Mysterio's hurt, Michael.
He lost his balance on that rope, he landed funny.
Look at Mysterio.
[Michael] Mysterio going for the cover,
but remember the surgically-repaired knee of Rey Mysterio.
And he's still gonna go to the top rope.
Look at the-- Look at that!
The innovative offense! The hook of the leg!
Does he get it? No, and a kickout.
But think about what Rey Mysterio just did, John.
He tweaked the knee, injured the knee.
Knew he couldn't use his legs on the top rope, what does he do?
He uses his backside just as effectively.
[JBL] Yeah. But you're looking at what a big break
in a championship match for MVP,
Rey Mysterio was on the roll,
-Rey Mysterio… -[Michael] Oh!
[JBL] …hurts that knee.
[Michael] What a clothesline by MVP,
turning the momentum just like that.
[JBL] The roll of Rey Mysterio might be over.
He had one going, with that knee going, Michael,
the best high-flyer in the history of this business isn't so dangerous.
[Michael] What the hell is MVP doing here?
MVP going toward the top rope.
This cannot be good for Rey Mysterio.
Mysterio trying to counter.
Mysterio trying to block it.
[crowd chatter]
[Michael] Both men, high-risk situation, top rope,
the United States Championship on the line.
[crowd chatter]
[Michael] And Mysterio with a right hand.
And that buys the champion time.
Every time Mysterio tries to mount a little bit of offense,
MVP takes him right out of his game.
And look at Mysterio.
The heart and soul, Mysterio with that injured knee.
You saw what that knee did moments ago
when he couldn't stand at the top rope, but that time he did!
That time he did!
Mysterio pulling out a hurricanrana from nowhere.
-Here's the cover… -[JBL] Get out--
[Michael] …for the title, kick out at two by the champion.
How good is Rey Mysterio?
Watch this. Bad knee and all, still manage to get his balance.
You saw the knee buckle for a moment, but not enough to stop Mysterio.
[JBL] One of the rare mistakes of MVP.
-[Michael] Oh! -[JBL] Oh. That's ballgame.
[Michael] This is over. Here's two and--
[JBL] No!
[Michael] MVP almost kicked off Rey Mysterio's head,
and Mysterio kicked out.
Watch the impact here.
Oh.
[JBL] You see the head bounce off the canvas, Michael?
I'm not sure Rey Mysterio knows where he's at.
[Michael] MVP with Mysterio, in trouble again.
Up on the shoulders.
Rey Mysterio countered!
Hook to the leg, here's two. Did he get it?
And a kickout at two-and-a-half.
All this for the United States Championship.
We saw the look in Mysterio's eyes told the story.
He thought he won the match right there and the title.
[JBL] This is what championships are about, Michael.
Lights on bright, pay-per-view.
[Michael] Uh-oh. In position.
-Limping on that knee. -[JBL] Could have a new champion.
[Michael] Nobody home for the 619, MVP rolled out of the way.
-Mysterio-- -Hey. Rey!
Back up and get in the ring. Get in the ring, Rey.
[Michael] You hear the referee admonishing Mysterio.
MVP, oh, for a moment catching his breath.
But off the apron, the high-flyer.
But you can't win the championship on the outside,
you can't get a pinfall out there.
Mysterio's gotta get the champion back in the ring to capitalize.
Referee Jimmy Korderas on the count of five,
with the United States title on the line.
Six.
[Michael] Mysterio breaks the count for himself…
-Seven. -[Michael] …but it's seven
for the United States Champion.
Eight.
[Michael] Mysterio's gotta shake out those cobwebs.
He's gotta get the champion back in.
-And MVP, MVP… -[bell rings]
[Michael] …had no-- he didn't wanna get back in the ring.
[crowd boos]
[Justin] The winner of this match as a result of a count-out, Rey Mysterio!
[Michael] Oh, and Mysterio made MVP pay.
[JBL] What did Mysterio do that for?
Why would Mysterio do that?
-[Michael] Because-- -[JBL] The match is over.
What a blatant cheap shot by Mysterio.
How are you gonna rationalize this?
-How are you gonna justify this? -[Michael] How are you gonna justify this?
-The 619! -[crowd cheering]
[JBL] I'm not trying to justify.
I'm saying it's wrong.
[Michael] Perhaps Rey Mysterio believed that MVP intentionally took a walk,
knowing his championship wouldn't change hands in the count-out.
Maybe MVP had had enough.
Maybe MVP realized he couldn't beat Rey Mysterio here tonight.
[JBL] Now you're Sigmund Freud.
Now you're a psychoanalyst.
Now you're a mind reader.
Now you know what's going on in MVP's head?
[Michael] I said "perhaps." That was the qualifier.
Nonetheless, MVP retains the United States Championship.
[JBL] Great performance by MVP.
[Michael] Rey Mysterio may have been closing in on the United States title,
and Rey knows it.
And I believe the champion knew it, too.
[JBL] I don't give a damn what you believe.
What I believe is that is a hell of a way
to start Armageddon right here in Pittsburgh, PA.
["Booyaka 619" playing]
Well, right now, Rey Mysterio is probably thinking
he's seen more guts on a skeleton than MVP has.
But the bottom line is, MVP is still the champion
and he survived a major challenge.
Great matchup, no doubt about it. Survive is the key word.
And ladies and gentlemen, tonight, who will survive the opportunity
to meet the WWE Champion at the Royal Rumble?
Will it be "The Game" Triple H
or his sometime tag team partner, Jeff Hardy?
Let's take you back to the Survivor Series just about a month ago
when it was Triple H captaining his-- the five-man elimination team,
-and it was down to five on two. -[Jerry] Five on two.
Jeff Hardy, Triple H, the last two survivors for their team,
and they took it to the opposing team,
eliminated them one by one until it was down to just Umaga.
[Ross] Umaga's such a force in the WWE
but what great team work with Jeff Hardy and Triple H.
No doubt about it. Look at this tandem offense.
Two men working as one.
They were teammates on that night.
They'll be opponents tonight.
[crowd cheering]
Joining me now is, of course, the Intercontinental Champion, Jeff Hardy.
Jeff, tonight you square off against Triple H, a lot on the line.
The winner goes on to the Royal Rumble to square off for the WWE Championship.
With that in mind, would you consider tonight's match
to be the biggest of your career?
Of course, I would. You know, I've been in everything
from ladder matches to TLC matches, to Money in the Bank matches.
But you know what? None of those compare to this match tonight.
This is the closest I've ever been to an opportunity at the WWE Championship.
But to get this opportunity, I gotta go through a guy
that's an 11-time world champion.
You know, I have all the respect in the world for Triple H.
Whatever he thinks of me, I do not fear Triple H.
You know what? I don't fear anybody.
Tonight's the night, Todd.
This is the crossroads of my career.
And I'm gonna do whatever it takes to get to that next level.
It's time to step it up.
It's time for me to move on, rock on to the next level.
No matter what, man, it's now or never.
And I do not, will not,
and cannot believe in never.
[crowd cheering]
-[explosion] -[Joey] Hello!
Huge opportunity for Jeff Hardy coming up later on tonight,
and a huge tag team matchup about to happen…
-[Tazz] Well-- -[Joey] …right here and right now.
[Tazz] Yeah. Speaking of huge.
-["Slow Chemical" playing] -[bell ringing]
[Chimel] The following tag team contest is scheduled for one fall.
Approaching the ring, weighing in at 323 pounds,
Kane!
[Joey] The seven-foot, 300-pound Big Red Machine
was the first WWE Superstar
to crossover from SmackDown to ECW
as part of the talent exchange.
-[Tazz] Oh! -[Joey] Oh!
And coincidentally, it was that night that Kane
with the tag team partner of CM Punk
in a matchup that also featured Big Daddy V.
["This Fire Burns" playing]
[Tazz] You said something about CM Punk, right?
[Chimel] And his partner from Chicago, Illinois,
weighing in at 225 pounds,
he is the ECW Champion,
CM Punk!
[Joey] CM Punk has managed to find a way to turn away
any and all challengers for his ECW Championship.
However, in this tag team situation earlier this week on ECW,
Mark Henry said CM Punk's only option
was to run from the World's Strongest Man.
Well, and Mark Henry might be correct.
I mean, CM Punk and Kane, they could be in trouble here right now.
Let's face it. You don't get men,
make that barely men, the size of Mark Henry and Big Daddy V.
This is gonna be, you know-- you know, two colossal massive monsters
colliding with CM Punk and Kane.
["Calling All Cars" playing]
♪ Calling all cars, calling all cars ♪
[Joey] Well, if you're CM Punk and you're taking on two monsters…
[Chimel] And a combined weight of 879 pounds,
the World's Strongest Man, Mark Henry
and Big Daddy V.
[Tazz] Look at the size of these two men.
One of them's the size of a minivan,
the other is the size of a convenience store.
[Joey] You're looking at nearly one-half ton of hell
coming towards the ring.
-And it was two weeks ago… -[Tazz] Oh!
[Joey] …ECW Champion CM Punk
was one-on-one with the World's Strongest Man, Mark Henry.
-[Tazz] Yeah. -[Joey] Big Daddy V was at ringside,
and it didn't take long for the two behemoths to pick shots
and try to decimate the ECW Champion.
[Tazz] Well, more or less, at the end of the day,
that man, Kane, more or less, saved the day.
Once Kane got in with the steel chair, all hell broke loose!
Oh!
[Joey] Kane wielding the steel may have saved CM Punk from certain destruction
at the hands of the colossal coalition
of Mark Henry and Big Daddy V.
[Tazz] I'm telling you right now, I mean, TV does not do justice
-to the immense size of Big Daddy V… -[Joey] No, no, no.
-[Tazz] …and Mark Henry. -[Joey] No, I don't care
if you're one of our fans watching globally
in one of 60 countries, like the United Kingdom…
-[bell ringing] -[Joey] …Australia,
Italy, Germany, The Sudan.
[Tazz] Let's not forget Brooklyn.
[Joey] No TV is large enough
to truly capture the girth of these two behemoths.
[Tazz] Well, The Champ, ECW Champion, CM Punk, kicking things off right here.
[Joey] CM Punk never wants to back down.
Think about this, CM Punk weighs in at about 220 pounds.
-Mark Henry is over 400 pounds. -[Tazz] Oh.
[Joey] Big Daddy V about 500 pounds.
Any way you look at it,
CM Punk is giving up at least 200 pounds
to either one of his opponents.
[Tazz] Well, that's definitely a fact Joe and a good point.
But I tell you what, you know, I know CM Punk pretty good.
Guy has got a lotta heart.
He's the ECW Champion for a reason.
I'm sure CM Punk's got a game plan in mind.
And the kicks look like they're working.
[Joey] And it's not just business. CM Punk, personally--
[Tazz] Whoa, whoa, whoa, CM Punk.
Oh, man, that's tough to try to single-leg--
single-leg takedown a man with the moniker "World's Strongest Man."
And that's not just a moniker, it's the truth.
[Joey] A second drop toe hold by Punk. Nicely done.
Now Punk unloading with everything he's got.
But will it be enough to take down,
as you said, the World's Strongest Man?
That's not a marketing slogan.
Mark Henry earned the World's Strongest Man moniker.
What an uppercut by the Big Red Machine.
[Tazz] I'll tell you, CM Punk unleashing fury,
now Kane-- Oh!
Unleashing hell.
[Joey] And don't forget it was three weeks ago
that we had Big Daddy V versus Kane in an Extreme Rules Match on ECW,
and out of nowhere, Mark Henry, possibly at the behest of Matt Striker,
intervened in that matchup.
[Tazz] And, Joe, I don't mean to interrupt you.
It's unbelievable-- Oh!
The amount of punishment Mark Henry has been through,
and he just went down just now.
[Joey] Well, no matter how big, no matter how strong you are…
[Tazz] That was the first time Mark Henry went down so far in this match.
[Joey] And to get Mark Henry down,
Kane had to dropkick the knee of Mark Henry.
[Tazz] Oh!
[Joey] Punk going upstairs.
[Tazz] Yeah, Punk getting a lotta height on the dropkick.
Uh-oh. Uh-oh. This is bad. Watch out.
Oh!
I just had a funny feeling
the power that Mark Henry was able to pull off
that reversal off that Irish whip on CM Punk…
[Joey] Into a clobbering clothesline.
[Tazz] You say something about clobbering. Straight shots.
That's the hand-- I mean, the hand of Mark Henry
has gotta be like getting hit with an anvil or something.
This guy's hands are gigantic.
-[Joey] And this… -[Tazz] Watch this clothesline.
Oh, you gotta be kidding me.
[Joey] Right now, CM Punk is in the wrong corner.
[Tazz] Oh, no.
Oh!
[Joey] Injects the most dominant force in World Wrestling Entertainment.
-The six-foot, nine-inch… -[Tazz] Oh, no.
-[Joey] …500-pound… -[Tazz] Oh, no.
Oh!
The ginormous, the gigantic-- Oh, wait a minute!
CM Punk, that's what you gotta do,
utilize your quickness against Big Daddy V.
-Oh! -[Joey] Oh!
Yeah, once again, CM Punk, full speed, runs right into a wall, Tazz.
[Tazz] Yeah, a wall. It's like running through a water tower.
Are you kidding me? Look at the size of Big Daddy V.
[Joey] Punk thrown to the outside, but again, on the wrong side of the ring.
-And the strength-- -[Tazz] Oh!
[Joey] And Matt Striker, you know, the referee did not see Matt Striker.
[Tazz] This man right here, Big Daddy V,
doesn't just have immense size and power,
you know, and strength, he's quick.
He's deceivingly quick, is Big Daddy V.
[Joey] Yeah. Yeah. This doesn't-- This doesn't hurt, either.
-[Tazz] No. -[Joey] Matt Striker on the outside.
[Tazz] A little cheap shot. Oh! Nasty.
[Joey] Back to live action. This…
this is a very precarious position for the ECW Champion.
-[Tazz] Wait a minute-- -[Joey] Look at the power of Big Daddy V.
[Tazz] Oh, my God, Punk, watch out!
Oh!
That might be it, Joey.
[Joey] Plain and simple, CM Punk freefalling to the canvas.
[Tazz] How the hell-- What's Punk gonna do to reach over
and try and get Kane in this match--
-[CM Punk screams] -[Tazz] God!
Oh, man!
[Joey] Mark Henry simply using his 400 pounds of body weight as a weapon.
-[Striker] There you go. Choke 'em. -Let's go. Break it. Let's go. One…
[Tazz] Mark Henry can do whatever the hell he wants right now
to CM Punk.
[Joey] Cover! This could be all right now.
[Tazz] CM Punk had the wherewithal to break the pin cover
by breaking the count with his foot on the rope.
[Joey] Great ring presence by the ECW Champion.
-[Tazz] Yeah, but-- Oh! -[Joey] Oh, my God!
Wrecking ball-like head of Mark Henry with that headbutt.
-[Mike] One, two. -[CM Punk screaming]
[Tazz] The power of Mark Henry's legs.
Well, that's a good point.
And you can just see the girth and thickness
in the quadriceps, the thighs, and calves.
Look at this headbutt. Like what-- Oh!
Like I said, it's like a wrecking ball hitting your head.
Oh!
[Joey] CM Punk now, wide open for the World's Strongest Man,
who's just picking his shots.
[Tazz] Methodically, Mark Henry pacing himself.
Now what? Now what?
-[Joey] CM Punk in an act of last seconds. -[Tazz] Whoa. Whoa, whoa.
[Joey] Manages to get out of the way and make the tag.
[Tazz] Kane's in. Punk tagged in Kane, Kane's on fire.
[Joey] And Kane's got a score to settle against the World's Strongest Man.
[Tazz] Big time quickness in the hands of Kane.
Oh.
[Joey] Big time clothesline and nowhere for Mark Henry to go.
[Tazz] Shh!
Watch out! Oh!
[Joey] Kane with a very straight-ahead offense.
[Tazz] Mark Henry still not down.
[Joey] But Henry is staggered.
Can Kane capitalize?
[Tazz] Can Kane knock Mark Henry off his feet?
[Joey] Seven-footer now ascending the turnbuckle.
Kane may do it right here and right now.
[Tazz] Watch out!
-Oh! -[Joey] There it is! Mark Henry is down.
[Tazz] Like a big redwood landing in the forest.
[crowd cheering]
[Tazz] Kane's going for it, baby.
[Joey] Kane is waiting on the World's Strongest Man.
[Tazz] Oof!
[Joey] Big Daddy V looked like he may have been ready to step in the ring.
[Tazz] The power, again, of Mark Henry.
That's a bad corner to be in.
And Kane realizes this.
[Joey] Kane fighting his way out of the corner
of the nearly inhuman alliance of Big Daddy V and Mark Henry.
[Tazz] No way.
-Can Kane get… -[Joey] Is that even possible?
[Tazz] Uh-oh. Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute.
Oh, holy cow.
[Joey] This could be it right here. The cover. Two.
-[Tazz] Wow, -[Joey] CM Punk may have just saved Kane.
Come on, Kane. Come on.
[Tazz] Well, that's what it's about. Hey, you know what?
Rules or no rules, you gotta help your partner out.
Oh!
[Joey] And now it's Big Daddy V using his enormous girth, all 500 pounds,
as a weapon simply stepping over the lower back of Kane.
-[CM Punk] Come on, Kane. -[Tazz] Kane now is--
Oh!
It's not often you see Kane getting knocked flat off his feet
with a clothesline by an individual,
but this isn't your basic individual!
Oh, God!
Oh, no.
-Look at this. -[Mike] Come on, Kane, turn around.
[Tazz] He's loving this. He's mauling.
He's just crushing the ribs and the lower back
making it difficult for Kane to breathe.
-[Striker] I told you, you better worry. -[Tazz] I mean, it's gotta be like--
It's gotta be like a car laying on your body.
[Joey] And at the same time, the back of Kane's skull vulnerable,
wide open to Big Daddy V. Back in checks Mark Henry.
This somewhat reminiscent of the damage
that Big Daddy V and Mark Henry did to the Undertaker
this past Friday on SmackDown.
[Tazz] You're not kidding. Watch out!
Oh, God!
[Striker] Send him. Come on, Mark.
[Tazz] Kane, Kane--
Oh, man, he can hardly stand.
[Joey] Kane just crumpled on the canvas.
[Tazz] Oh, you can hear Kane gasping for breath.
[CM Punk] Don't give up.
[Tazz] Now, you're caught in a bear hug by the World's Strongest Man.
Just imagine the power of that bear hug.
[Joey] There have been other superstars throughout the course of WWE history.
[Tazz] You know, a bear hug, Joey, you know, it pulls--
it pulls the air out of your body.
Someone the strength of Mark Henry with those powerful hands
squeezing your lower back and kidneys and your rib area.
And Kane realizes the trouble he's in.
[Joey] And each time that Kane tries to breath,
making his rib cage expand and contract,
Mark Henry's grip gets tighter and tighter and tighter.
[Tazz] Kane, by any means necessary, trying to tag in CM Punk.
[Joey] So close. Kane is-- Oh!
[Tazz] Oh, he just missed, Joe.
[Joey] Kane inches away from tagging in the ECW Champion,
but Mark Henry just too big, too strong.
[Tazz] This is smart now, like it or not,
by Kane-- by Big Daddy V.
Oh! Oh!
And Mark Henry frequent tags in and out to stay fresh.
-Uh-oh. -[Joey] Oh, no.
[Tazz] Oh.
Oh.
[Joey] Planet-like Big Daddy V trying to cave in the chest of Kane!
What a shot though.
[Tazz] Oh, here we go. Here comes Kane!
Oh, man.
[Joey] Never count Kane out,
and right now Big Daddy V is staggering, but so is Kane.
[Tazz] Oh, God!
Man!
[Joey] What must that feel like?
[Tazz] You see again, Joe, the quickness of Big Daddy V.
And now, again, a quick tag to the World's Strongest Man.
Uh-oh.
[Joey] But Kane catches the World's Strongest Man coming in,
at least momentarily.
Mark Henry, though, just so powerful.
[Tazz] Uh-oh, whoa.
[Joey] Mark Henry gets spiked face first to the canvas.
Can Kane capitalize?
Can Kane tag in the ECW Champion?
[Tazz] Well, that's what Kane needs to do, obviously,
try to get to a vertical base
and tag his partner, CM Punk, into this match.
[Joey] A stunned Mark Henry making his way to his corner
and his gargantuan tag team partner, Big Daddy V.
[Tazz] And the ECW Champion CM Punk on the apron.
He's inching to get in.
There we go!
[Joey] And CM Punk goes right after the mastodon.
[Tazz] Big time. Oh, man.
Look at Punk!
Whoa.
CM Punk bringing it.
Oh, my God!
[Joey] That kitchen sink-like knee to the face of Punk.
[Tazz] Oh, that's the only way, the only way to be effective
if you're CM Punk against Big Daddy V. Keep it coming.
Oh. And keep it coming fast.
[Joey] Big Daddy V down to one knee.
[Tazz] Punk's getting him down. Don't let him get up, Punk.
Keep kicking, buddy, keep going.
Uh-oh.
[Joey] And Mark Henry, and Kane, and CM Punk,
meet the World's Strongest Man right in the center of the ring.
[Tazz] Oh, what a thud. Nasty landing.
CM Punk's legal along with Big Daddy V.
Wait a minute. What the hell? Oh!
[Joey] Striker takes one behind the ear.
-[Tazz] That was lovely. -[Joey] Punk going on top!
Oh, my God!
[Tazz] Geez! Oh, my-- You've gotta kidding me.
-[Joey] Are you kidding me? -[Tazz] No way!
-Holy cow! -[bell ringing]
-[Tazz] Wow. -[Chimel] Here are your winners,
the World's Strongest Man Mark Henry
and Big Daddy V!
[Tazz] Did you-- How impressive is that?
[Joey] He came out of nowhere.
[Tazz] Splat, splat went CM Punk.
Big Daddy V…
catching the man in midair,
like a fireman's carry. Boom!
Samoan drop, holy cow.
[Joey] And a lightning quick Samoan drop.
What a counter.
Take a look.
A half ton of hell, Big Daddy V and Mark Henry.
[Tazz] And both these individuals, Mark Henry and Big Daddy V,
who can stop these two men?
Watch this.
This is what happened to Kane and CM Punk got rid of Mark Henry.
[Joey] Kane goes-- Yeah. Kane goes out after Mark Henry.
[Tazz] But then-- And how impressive-- Bam! CM Punk got rid of Striker.
But watch this.
Words can't describe it.
Look at that.
[Joey] Big Daddy V catching the champion in midair,
landing the Samoan drop.
[bell ringing]
[Tazz] Great outing by Kane and CM Punk.
But like it or not,
Big Daddy V and Mark Henry victorious.
[Joey] Crushing blow, hopefully no injured ribs
for the ECW Champion, CM Punk.
But what a victory for the two behemoths.
♪ And then I sprain to bring up ♪
♪ Hit you with them dirts ♪
♪ On the cope and now you scopin' ♪
♪ My damn stretcher comin' through As I'm hopin' ♪
♪ To be the best… ♪
[Joey] Punk may be hurt.
[Michael] Now we are sold-out tonight at the Mellon Arena
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The igloo is rocking for WWE Armageddon.
I tell you, John,
three title matches still to come here tonight,
including the world championship on the line.
Can Batista retain that title against both Edge and The Undertaker?
You think Big Daddy V and Mark Henry are big?
Wait until you see the World Heavyweight Championship Match.
You got the Rated R Era.
You've got the "The Animal" Batista trying to hold on.
And you have got the Deadman, The Phenom
wanting his title back.
All of that, Michael, tonight!
[rock music playing]
[crowd chatter]
Hi, sweetheart.
Hi.
Balloon, champagne-- This is all for me?
Oh, it's for your victory tonight.
I'm so lucky to have you.
You know what?
None of this can compare to what you're going to do for me tonight.
I mean, after you become the World Heavyweight Champion,
all of my pain and mental suffering will subside,
even if it's just for one moment.
Baby, by the end of tonight, I'm gonna make you feel as good as you make me feel.
I can do this. I will do this.
-You wanna know why? -Why?
Because of your love.
Your love, it gives me the strength of three men.
So, wish me luck.
Be careful, sweetheart.
I need a kiss for good luck.
Absolutely.
Oh.
[singer] Kennedy!
-[crowd cheering] -["Turn Up the Trouble" playing]
♪ I turn up the trouble 'Til it gets real loud… ♪
[bell rings]
[Lilián] This contest is scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first, from Green Bay, Wisconsin,
weighing in at 243 pounds,
Mr. Kennedy!
[Ross] You know, ladies and gentlemen, we heard earlier tonight
that Jeff Hardy said that tonight, this match against Triple H
would be the biggest match in Jeff's career.
I would assume that the same thing could be said of Kennedy's opportunity
against Shawn Michaels, a future WWE Hall of Famer.
[Jerry] Well, a huge opportunity for Mr. Kennedy,
the loudmouth from Green Bay.
He doesn't even need the microphone.
We can hear you.
[crowd booing]
Shawn Michaels,
it doesn't matter if I like you.
It doesn't matter if I respect you.
It doesn't matter if I mock you,
taunt you, trick you, or impress you.
The only thing that matters tonight
is that I beat you.
And that is exactly what will happen tonight.
You will be beaten
by Mr…
Kennedy!
[crowd booing]
Kennedy.
[crowd cheering]
-["Sexy Boy" playing] -[crowd cheering]
♪ I think I'm cute ♪
♪ I know I'm sexy ♪
♪ I got the looks… ♪
[Lilián] And from San Antonio, Texas,
"The Heartbreak Kid"
Shawn Michaels!
[Jerry] Well, here is a man who doesn't have to sing his own praises.
He lets his actions speak louder than words.
♪ I'm not your boy toy ♪
[explosions]
[Ross] The first ever one-on-one meeting between that man, Shawn Michaels,
and Mr. Kennedy here and now.
And Kennedy who had a great early part
of 2007, winning the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania 23,
winning the United States Championship,
but nothing compares, perhaps, in beating on this stage,
on this night, that man, Shawn Michaels.
[Jerry] Believe you me, Mr. Kennedy is intent on beating Shawn Michaels.
♪ I'm not your boy toy ♪
♪ I'm just a sexy boy ♪
♪ I'm not your boy toy ♪
♪ Eat your heart out, girls ♪
♪ Hands off the merchandise ♪
[Ross] This huge crowd of WWE fans tonight in Pittsburgh
showing their respect for Shawn Michaels.
I expect this to be an amazing one-on-one matchup.
There's a lot of ways to describe Kennedy.
-"Vain and vicious" might be one of them. -[bell rings]
-[Ross] As Referee Marty Elias-- -[Jerry] That's two ways, J.R.
[Ross] Referee Marty Elias calls for the bell.
One fall matchup.
Kennedy with a great deal of confidence.
[Jerry] What makes you think that? That smirk on his face?
[Ross] A very aloof young man,
but very athletic as well.
[Jerry] But even Shawn Michaels has admitted that
Kennedy may be one of the best at playing mind games.
And that smirk, that look of cockiness,
he may be trying to get inside the head of Shawn Michaels.
Oh.
[Ross] Kennedy coming with the heavy artillery here in the early going.
Kennedy certainly made his point straight-- crystal clear.
And the reverse elbow and Michaels quickly kicking out
of that pinning combination, that pinning predicament
as Kennedy, very aggressive
here in the early going of this one-fall matchup.
[Jerry] Very aggressive, an understatement, you're right.
Kennedy, all over Shawn Michaels early on here.
[Ross] Kennedy saying "It doesn't matter if I like you, Shawn Michaels,
if I respect you."
In essence, "the bottom line is that I will beat you tonight."
Kennedy, backbreaker. And Kennedy got a near fall.
[crowd chatter]
[Ross] And Michaels, if he has any susceptibilities,
it may be that lower back.
And Michaels has been a--
Where are you going?
[Ross] Kennedy, talking a good game,
hammering away at a good game, delivering the punishment.
[Jerry] You're right. I mean, Kennedy not only talking a good game,
he's delivering right now.
And this is exactly what Kennedy's gonna have to do to win here tonight.
He's gonna have to not just talk the talk but…
-[loud slap] -…walk the walk against HBK.
Wow. Did you hear that?
[Ross] Hard shot there.
As Kennedy said, "It doesn't matter if I like you,
if I respect you, if I taunt you."
"All that matters is I'm gonna beat you Shawn Michaels here tonight."
And Kennedy now looking to put Michaels away.
And Michaels with that chop block,
coming off Kennedy's shoulders,
a resourceful move by the veteran from San Antonio, Texas.
[Jerry] That may have saved this match for Shawn Michaels.
I mean, HBK in a precarious situation here right now.
-Get up. Come on, get up. -[Ross] And Kennedy now being punished.
We'll see if he can take it as well as he has dished it out thus far
in this one-on-one matchup.
[Jerry] I don't know about you, J.R., but it looks to me
like Shawn Michaels' back is giving him some sort of problems here early on.
-[Ross] Yeah. -[Jerry] Look at that. Look at that.
[Ross] I think you're right there.
Michaels couldn't complete the attempted suplex,
and Kennedy-- Oh, and Kennedy's arm.
-[Jerry] Wow. -[Ross] Michaels with an armbar takedown,
I think it hyperextended Kennedy's-- his elbow there or shoulder.
I'm not quite sure, but you can hear Kennedy.
[Jerry] He may have a dislocated elbow, it could end this match.
[Ross] And Michaels certainly the--
has the abilities and the wherewithal
to exploit any injury, any situation.
[Jerry] Just check this armbar takedown out one more time.
-[Mr. Kennedy screams] -[Jerry] Oh, yes.
[Ross] And now HBK, The Showstopper,
will focus on the arm of Kennedy.
And it must have been the elbow because Michaels now
trying to hyperextend the elbow of Kennedy.
And Michaels with the rollover right into the armbar, now hammerlocking the arm.
So it's Shawn Michaels exploiting the injured body part,
the hand and arm of Mr. Kennedy.
-[Mr. Kennedy screams] -[Jerry] Nice veteran move.
That's what Shawn Michaels has in this match.
He has the experience.
Wait, wait, wait a minute.
[Ross] Michaels with the riding time advantage which means nothing
in this one-fall matchup other than the fact that psychologically,
Michaels is controlling Kennedy and has temporarily shut Kennedy up,
at least for the moment.
[Jerry] That's not easy to do.
-[Ross] Oh. -[Jerry] Oh, my God.
[Ross] Michaels with the arm breaker turned right into the right hand,
and-- But Michaels holding on very aggressively.
Michaels pugnaciously holding onto the arm
and is singular of his purpose in focusing on the arm of Kennedy.
[crowd chatter]
[Jerry] Kennedy can talk all he wants to, but I think he's gonna find out,
he's gonna realize, that he's never been in the ring
with the likes of Shawn Michaels.
[Ross] Few men in the history of sports entertainment
can match the abilities inside the ring of Shawn Michaels.
-But a victory over Shawn Michaels… -[Jerry] Oh, man!
[Ross] …would be huge
for a young man like Kennedy.
-And Kennedy-- -[Jerry] Look out!
[Ross] And Kennedy putting his own body at risk there with that tackle,
that spear-like maneuver that took both men outside the ring.
[Jerry] I think we both agree that Kennedy is trying to do everything he can
to end this match early. Look at this.
Risking his own welfare there to try to--
[Ross] And look, Michaels getting more aggressive.
Michaels' lower back has got to be hurting, obviously.
Michaels trying to get some distance here, and walk it off if you will.
And Kennedy does not want to be counted out in this--
Oh, what a stomp right to the hand!
Michaels-- Talk about breaking somebody's hand.
Kennedy's hand was on the ring steps
and Michaels took advantage of the opportunity.
-[Jerry] What? -[Ross] Then and there,
the stomp on the hand of Kennedy.
[Jerry] It looks like Kennedy better get in the ring or he'll be counted out.
MVP? Shawn Michaels helping Kennedy back in the ring.
[Ross] And Michaels now after stomping on Kennedy's hand on the steel steps,
continues his pursuit of that injured hand.
And Kennedy obviously is in a great deal of pain.
And I'm not so sure that-- Oh, look at this.
[Jerry] Oh, man. Oh!
[Ross] And that is-- That is precision-like in-ring wrestling
by Shawn Michaels.
Again, the wrist and hand of Kennedy has become the focal point.
And now, look at this.
Kennedy is in so much pain.
Look at Michaels working that hand.
[groaning]
[Jerry] Man, Shawn Michaels is jamming the fingers of Kennedy
straight into that mat.
You can imagine what that's like to dislocate every finger
on Kennedy's left hand.
-[Kennedy] I'm on the ropes. -Come on.
Come on. Back up. Wait up.
[Jerry] Well, Kennedy started this coming out like a house on fire,
and now Shawn Michaels taking it right back to the loudmouth.
[Ross] Kennedy attempted to exploit Shawn Michaels's vulnerable
lower back earlier in the contest.
Michaels has retaliated by attacking Kennedy's hands.
And now look at Michaels holding on as Kennedy slugs away at Michaels's head
and Michaels finally lets go.
[Jerry] Shawn Michaels not in a good position out there,
as you said, Shawn Michaels would absolutely not let go
even after being knocked through the ropes by Kennedy.
[Ross] This match has started out as a wrestling match,
has broken down into a real brawl,
and the ring post right into the spine of Michaels.
And again the lower back of Shawn Michaels.
Remember, Michaels was away from the WWE for, what was it,
-four years with a-- with a back injury. -[Jerry] Right.
And this is not good now.
[Ross] And that ring post right here,
-look at this. -[Shawn Michaels shouts]
[Ross] That steel ring post was just in a perfect spot, and Kennedy--
hand it to Kennedy, bringing strategy right there.
[Jerry] I don't know if Shawn Michaels would have made it back in the ring
on his own there, but Kennedy literally threw HBK back in.
Just so that he can inflict some more punishment.
[Ross] Kennedy may be arrogant, but he is aggressive.
And Kennedy with one arm now.
He doesn't want to win this match by count-out or disqualification.
Kennedy wants to pin or make Shawn Michaels submit
in this huge matchup here tonight.
Back out. Now, come on, back out.
[Jerry] Kennedy is arrogant all right.
Get off of him. Stay off of him!
What are you doing? Throw him off.
[Jerry] Oh.
[Ross] Again, Kennedy as we're speculating on the severity
of the injured arm.
And Kennedy just ran his knee right through the head of Shawn Michaels.
Kennedy holding that-- his hand-- his hand-- Kennedy's hand may be broken.
-Pure speculation. -[Jerry] Well, Shawn Michaels may be
-completely unconscious right now. -[Ross] And this may be-- may not matter.
-The cover. -[Jerry] Wow.
[Ross] Michaels barely able to kick out.
[Jerry] Watch this, and watch Shawn Michaels's face.
Look at that.
[Ross] Man, that camera shot brought it home, didn't it?
The knee right to the temple.
[Jerry] Well, Kennedy is the one that brought the knee home.
[Ross] Oh, and the backbreaker perfectly applied.
It could be it. Far leg hooked,
and Michaels kicks out out of desperation,
perhaps instinctively as well.
Kennedy holding that injured hand.
[Jerry] I don't mean to-- I can't see how Shawn Michaels
is even conscious after his jaw got jacked by that knee of Kennedy's.
[Ross] Kennedy's left hand damaged, Michaels lower back damaged.
A very physical matchup,
Kennedy finally-- Michaels trying to fight out of the predicament,
but Kennedy has Michaels up.
You saw the backbreaker and now a submission-like maneuver.
Again, Kennedy would love to hear Shawn Michaels say, "I quit"
or "I can't take it anymore."
[Jerry] Oh, that would be the ultimate for Mr. Kennedy to hear that.
[Ross] That would be better perhaps than even a pinfall victory.
[Jerry] I think-- I think so.
[Ross] And look at Kennedy that-- with his forearm there,
and you also see Kennedy trying to get the circulation back in his hand.
Right there you see it.
It's the left hand that Michaels stomped on earlier in the contest,
not once but twice.
[Jerry] And you know what? That's what impresses me about Kennedy.
That's a-- That's a veteran move by Mr. Kennedy there.
[Ross] Kennedy is a very intelligent competitor.
His game plan here now is just bring it to Shawn Michaels with the--
with the heavy stuff, the elbows.
And now again-- Every time Kennedy gets Michaels down in this situation,
Michaels has got to exert more energy and more strength
and use his lower back more to get off of-- off of Michael's back.
Very basic, straightforward,
but very intelligent offensive weaponry.
That body slam on the bad back of Michaels
seems to be the order of the day here.
And, oh, Michaels up trying to counter, Kennedy--
[Jerry] And Kennedy outsmarted him.
[Ross] Kennedy countered Michaels,
and then Kennedy comes right back with a well-placed elbow, lower back,
hooks the far leg, shoulders are down, referee counts, and we got a near fall.
[Jerry] Boy, and once again, I can't impress on you enough
how big a victory this would be for Kennedy.
And he just, I mean, literally outsmarted HBK there.
It's like, "I read your book, Shawn Michaels."
"I'm not gonna go for that." And Kennedy is still in control here.
[Ross] You got to wonder who tonight in this match will experience heartbreak,
who will experience triumph in this matchup.
Will it be Mr. Kennedy or one of the all-time greats, Shawn Michaels?
[Jerry] You know, Heartbreak and Triumph
the title of Shawn Michaels's new DVD about his life.
And check it out at WWE.com.
Today, Mr. Kennedy talking about that DVD,
saying that on there you see Shawn Michaels whining,
complaining, and manipulating,
and politicking his way into main event status.
[Ross] Michaels fights his way back up.
That's the kind of man Michaels is.
We've seen him-- We've seen his resilience on--
for a couple of decades now.
And Kennedy trying to respond,
but Michaels just continues to fight back.
-[Jerry] Oh. -[Ross] Man, you heard that impact.
Ladies and gentlemen, the home of that elbow.
And Michaels-- Oh, what elevation! High back body drop.
Kennedy was way up in the lights over the top rope.
[Jerry] Both men down.
[Ross] But Michaels in the ring,
Kennedy on the outside of the ring.
[Jerry] Who's got the most gas left in the tank?
That's gonna be the question here.
[Ross] Referee's got a ten count to operate with here.
Kennedy, over the top to the floor.
[Jerry] Face first to the floor.
[crowd chatter]
[Ross] Kennedy back in the ring. The count has stopped.
And this match continues.
Oh, a good right hand and a knife-edge chop
and Michaels fighting back with great heart.
[Jerry] Well, that's the-- that's the Shawn Michaels,
the Showstopper that we all know and love.
Look at this guy. He just keeps coming at you.
And here he comes again.
[Ross] And Michaels somehow, someway able to reach down and nip-up
and the inverted atomic drop,
and Shawn Michaels now is building offensive momentum
and fighting through the pain of his lower back.
Great right hand, the knock down.
[Jerry] The only thing I see here though is Shawn Michaels giving it
everything he's got, but somehow
Kennedy keeps getting right back up, coming back at HBK.
[Ross] Michaels gonna take a chance here.
A big chance.
Michaels was taking risks
before taking risks was fashionable in the WWE,
and the veteran on top!
[Jerry] He'll fly!
[Ross] And Michaels hits!
The elbow scores.
And Michaels now seemingly has things going his way.
[Jerry] I feel it.
We may-- We may hear it. Kennedy may feel it.
[Ross] It will not be a holiday Christmas carol
that Kennedy may be hearing as the band starts to tune up
on a cold and snowy night in Pittsburgh.
[Jerry] How about some Sweet Chin Music, Mister?
-Whoa! -[Ross] Kennedy counters.
-[Jerry] Look at this. -[Ross] Kennedy counters.
Kennedy's got Michaels. Oh, what a-- what a counter!
What an amazing wrestling maneuver.
A beautiful counter by Kennedy
showing great ring presence
and where-with-it-all.
And Kennedy now looking to put Michaels away.
[Jerry] Hey, hey, hey, hey.
[Ross] And Michaels with the cover and Kennedy kicks out.
Michaels made a great counter.
Two great counters by two amazing competitors in succession.
[Jerry] I can't help but notice Kennedy's hand still bothering him,
but somehow Kennedy finding a way
to escape these pinning situations by Shawn Michaels.
Look out here.
[Ross] And Michaels catapulted to the ring post
and that may do it there.
Kennedy has the opportunity.
The door is open for Kennedy to beat Shawn Michaels.
Kennedy now, this should do it.
Both legs are hooked. Both legs.
And Kennedy has-- No!
-[Jerry] No, two, two. -[Ross] Two?
-I mean a… -[Jerry] Huh?
[Ross] …a long two, if you will.
[Jerry] How strong, how amazing, is Shawn Michaels?
He's got to be one of the toughest, most resilient men
we've ever seen in the WWE ring, J.R.
[Ross] Without a doubt.
But Kennedy now has made quite an impression here tonight.
He's in control of this situation.
[Jerry] Now he's gonna talk some smack.
[wrestlers talking indistinctly]
[Ross] Kennedy verbal and vicious.
[Jerry] Well, that's that lack of respect
that Kennedy has shown to Shawn Michaels.
-Uh-oh. -[Ross] Oh, no.
Oh, Michaels-- Kennedy was gonna put Michaels away,
but Michaels able to hold on to the top rope.
What a counter there by Shawn Michaels
knowing where he was in the ring.
But Kennedy-- Oh, that left hand.
-[Jerry] Oh. Uh-oh. -[Ross] Kennedy has a mistake.
Oh, but there was no mistake there.
No mistake. Sweet Chin Music!
Oh, boy. What a shot.
That quick, that suddenly.
♪ I think I'm cute… ♪
[Lilián] Here's your winner, "The Heartbreak Kid"
-Shawn Michaels! -[Jerry] What a battle!
[Ross] What a wrestling contest here at Armageddon.
Kennedy instinctively using the left hand
because it was there, there was an opening for it.
But the injured left hand cost Kennedy
and gave Michaels the singular heartbeat
of an opportunity
to deliver Sweet Chin Music,
and we all know the results
when Michaels hits Sweet Chin Music.
[Jerry] Well, HBK takes advantage
of that momentary opportunity
to snatch a victory away from Mr. Kennedy here tonight.
[Ross] The first ever one-on-one meeting between that man, Shawn Michaels,
and Mr. Kennedy was a classic wrestling matchup.
[Jerry] We talked about Kennedy's hand. Let's check this out.
I believe this is-- this is where the beginning of the end took place there.
That's where Kennedy's hand was first injured.
And then Kennedy hurts it again!
[Ross] Kennedy might have instinctive-- instinctively used the left hand
that cost Kennedy. Sweet Chin Music again…
is the difference maker
for "The Showstopper" Shawn Michaels.
The great Shawn Michaels.
But how great was Mr. Kennedy here tonight?
I gotta think this is the best overall effort I've seen Kennedy have
in some of his matches, the big matches that he's won.
[Jerry] Classic battle, classic matchup. You're right.
Again, can't take anything away from Mr. Kennedy,
but you do have to hand it to that man.
Shawn Michaels stopped the show again tonight.
We are just moments away from Triple H versus Jeff Hardy,
and the winner of that match will go on to the Royal Rumble
and could very well face my guest at this time.
Please welcome the WWE Champion,
Randy Orton.
[crowd booing]
You said, Todd-- You said "could" face me at the Royal Rumble?
What exactly does that mean?
Well, tonight you put your title on the line against Chris Jericho,
and if you were to lose, then Jericho--
Chris Jericho is a virus.
And how do you cure a virus, Todd?
You shut it down, which is exactly what I'm gonna do
to the second coming of Y2J tonight.
The only thing that Chris Jericho should be saving us from…
is empty promises.
This WWE Championship
doesn't mean you have to be entertaining.
I don't care if all these people tonight, all the fans tonight in this arena,
leave here disappointed as long as I leave the WWE Champion.
[crowd booing]
Chris Jericho,
you like codes, well, I got a code for you.
RKO 18.
That is the number of world championships
my last three victims share between them.
Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and John Cena.
That is 18 world championships that have fallen to the RKO.
So, Chris Jericho, don't save us.
Spare us.
Because all the hype in the world…
will not help you tonight
when you face the best that this industry has ever…
seen.
[crowd cheering]
[bell ringing]
The following contest is scheduled for one fall,
where the winner is gonna receive a WWE Championship match
at Royal Rumble.
["No More Words" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[explosions]
[Lilián] Introducing first from Cameron, North Carolina,
weighing in at 225 pounds,
he is the Intercontinental Champion,
Jeff Hardy.
[Ross] Well, a great ovation here at Pittsburgh at Armageddon for Jeff Hardy
who admitted that tonight this match here now
was the biggest match of his career.
And he said it with more passion
than I've heard Jeff Hardy utilize…
-[Jerry] Exactly. -[Ross] …in a long time.
[Jerry] Well, that's because-- The reason this is the biggest match
is because if Jeff Hardy can be victorious here tonight
over Triple H at Royal Rumble,
he'll be wrestling for the WWE title.
[Ross] Jeff Hardy said tonight was the night that he needed to step up,
and to prove that he belonged on that upper echelon.
Not just pass through it, but to go there and stay there.
And to be in the main event at the Royal Rumble
means everything to a WWE superstar.
And that includes Jeff Hardy's opponent.
[crowd chanting] Triple H!
["The Game" playing]
♪ It's time to play the game ♪
♪ Time to play the game ♪
[Lilián] And from Greenwich, Connecticut,
weighing in at 255 pounds,
Triple H!
[Ross] A somewhat intriguing…
delay to Triple H making his appearance
in as much as making Jeff Hardy think a little bit more
about what's at stake, let Jeff Hardy think a little bit more
about what Triple H is gonna be bringing to this match,
the motivation, the skills
of an 11-time WWE Champion.
[Jerry] Try to put yourself in Jeff Hardy's place right now
or anybody's place.
If you're standing in that ring,
and suddenly Triple H's music hits,
you hear the roar of the crowd,
and then you see The Game!
I mean, it's got to be intimidating, J.R.,
to know that you're about to face one of the best ever.
[Ross] The Game has been there.
He knows what it's like to compete on this level on a regular basis.
And even though The Game has said
that he has respect for Jeff Hardy's abilities,
and even though Hardy and Triple H have formed
an amazing tag team on occasion,
you can bet that each man has their own agenda.
[Jerry] Oh, without a doubt.
[Ross] Friendships aside,
competition is paramount
for both of these men.
[Jerry] Well, we heard-- we heard Triple H say himself.
Triple H is not Jeff Hardy's friend. He said it.
He's been his partner,
but don't mistake being somebody's partner for being their friend.
[Ross] Jeff Hardy made it very clear earlier tonight
that he is not afraid of Triple H.
And I think even more importantly,
Jeff Hardy is not intimidated by Triple H.
-And you could bet that a lot of-- -[Jerry] I don't know.
I don't know if I agree with you there.
It's hard not to be intimidated by that man.
[Ross] I'm just telling you what Jeff Hardy said.
-[Jerry] Oh, I heard him. -[Ross] If I--
My interpretation was I don't think Jeff Hardy is intimidated.
You have the right to your opinion.
Hardy said he wasn't afraid.
I interpret that as also not intimidated.
[Jerry] Don't get hot. I'm just looking in Jeff Hardy's eyes.
-[bell rings] -[Jerry] I think it's almost like,
you know, whistling when you're walking through the cemetery.
[Ross] Well, it's a one-fall match,
and the winner of the one fall will be in the main event
at the Royal Rumble to meet the WWE Champion.
[crowd chatter]
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Is there any doubt that Triple H is not Jeff Hardy's friend?
[Ross] Well, it's not a congeniality contest, I'll tell you that.
It's all about being in the main event at the Royal Rumble.
It's about being the next WWE Champion
and having the opportunity to do so.
And The Game bigger and stronger, obviously, than Jeff Hardy.
And Hardy's gotta figure ways to quicken the pace,
to get Triple H off balance,
to use Hardy's greatest assets,
and that's just high flying and his risk taking,
and to score with those risks that Hardy may take.
[Jerry] Oh, I agree 100%. But you know what?
You and I know that, don't you think that Triple H knows that as well?
He's gonna be doing his best to not let--
to not let Jeff Hardy take advantage of his best assets like that.
Look at that.
[Ross] And Triple H with his…
-[Jerry] Oh, watch out. -[Ross] …two shoulder blocks.
And Hardy trying to counter.
Jeff Hardy blocks him, hip block,
but just almost was beheaded by a huge clothesline.
So three high-impact maneuvers
delivered in the early going by Triple H.
And Hardy, good counter here, quite frankly but--
[wrestlers grunt]
[Ross] There was the end result of a nice counter.
Jeff Hardy catching The Game with that reverse elbow.
Game may have been half a step overzealous,
but nonetheless a power match Jeff Hardy cannot win.
Nice armdrag takeover, quickness, speed and agility.
[Jerry] And what this looks like it will come down to is finesse versus power.
Hey, look at Triple H here.
[Ross] And The Game-- And Hardy looking to baseball slide his way
to an advantage, but not today.
[crowd chatter]
[Ross] And The Game getting very aggressive,
and then Hardy counters Triple H
-by taking The Game to the security wall. -[Jerry] Hey, hey, hey.
-Look out, Triple H. -[Ross] Jeff Hardy--
[Jerry] Oh.
[Ross] Jeff Hardy trying to walk the rail.
That was not successful. It looked like he…
perhaps lost his balance there in that attempt for some high risk,
and then paid for it again with another clothesline.
[Jerry] Oh, and when Triple H hit Jeff Hardy, and Jeff Hardy hit the floor
I think it knocked the wind, the breath, and maybe the life
out of Jeff Hardy.
-Listen to this match. -[Ross] And Hardy lost his balance.
And Triple H is certainly aware of the whole situation.
The Cerebral Assassin's not gonna make many mistakes, I'll tell you.
-And--oh. -[Jerry] Good grief!
[Ross] Jeff Hardy was about to deliver a right hand and hesitated.
-[Jerry] Man. -Fight! Fight me!
Fight me. Come on, fight!
[crowd chatter]
[Ross] The Game imploring Jeff Hardy
to go places that perhaps Jeff Hardy is not accustomed to going.
My God, what an attention-getter.
And now, what a lock-up.
[Jerry] Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it.
[Ross] The aggression of this match, you can feel the emotion in this match,
and the aggression in this match, and the complexion changing.
And The Game misses a right hand.
Hardy able to avoid the contact there,
but Jeff Hardy still has not really had any sustained offense.
[Jerry] Well, we saw it at the beginning of this match.
Jeff Hardy wanted to shake hands with The Game,
and somewhere I think that Jeff Hardy
still has that mentality that he and Triple H are friends.
This better?
[Jerry] Yeah. That may be better.
Oh.
[Ross] Jeff Hardy showing aggression,
and that slap has woken Hardy up, apparently.
-And Hardy got a near fall, and-- -[Jerry] Whoa! Whoa!
[Ross] Jeff Hardy returns the slap right to the face of The Game.
[crowd starts chanting]
[Jerry] Hey, he liked it.
Come on.
[Ross] The Game imploring Jeff Hardy to fight.
The Game likes to fight. And that's what we're gonna see here.
Oh, my God. Well…
it was the beginning of a good fight.
Hardy just got thrown right on his head to the outside,
overpowered by Triple H.
[Jerry] Well, who knows, maybe--
Oh, it looks like Triple H was just waiting for an excuse
to really open it up against young Jeff Hardy.
Look at the power of The Game.
[Ross] The strength and power of Triple H
and then Hardy goes to the steel steps.
Again, now the lower back being punished on the edge of the ring.
[Jerry] I said it earlier,
this match is gonna boil down to power versus finesse,
and right now power is winning.
[Ross] Power versus speed, no doubt about it.
-[Jerry] No, finesse. -[Ross] And…
The Game with that elbow to the lower back.
Jeff Hardy said he was at the crossroads of his career tonight.
And that road is a little rocky as we speak.
[Jerry] He may have taken a wrong turn.
That slap might have turned out to be a big detour here.
Jeff Hardy being measured-- Oh, what velocity.
Again, a great step forward with the power
and the strength of The Game.
Turning an Irish Whip
into an extraordinary high-impact maneuver.
[crowd chatter]
[Jerry] I wonder what Jeff Hardy is gonna have to do to counter this.
He's gonna have to mount some sort of offense.
Oh, that may be it.
[Ross] Jeff Hardy taking a chance here…
and paid for it.
And Jeff Hardy is miles away from the WWE Championship matchup
that goes to the winner of this contest…
-[Jerry] I think it's… -[Ross] …at the Royal Rumble.
[Jerry] …power two, finesse nothing.
Look at this now.
Jeff Hardy being launched by the much stronger Triple H.
[Ross] Jeff Hardy off his game a little bit, no pun intended,
from the high risk as he was-- had his back to Triple H,
who took advantage of that opportunity.
And the referee with that ten-count.
The Game could win this contest and go to the main event
at the Royal Rumble by winning by a count-out,
that would be fine with Triple H.
It looks like that may just be exactly what's gonna happen.
[Jerry] The referee count up to seven, going on eight.
[Ross] Referee Chad Patton
and The Game breaks up the count.
I think Hardy was gonna get back in by ten,
at least that's my suspicion,
but The Game took the opportunity
to inflict more high-impact offense
right on the back of Jeff Hardy.
[Jerry] Triple H just more or less…
I don't want to say playing with or toying with Jeff Hardy now,
but certainly taking his time
and being very methodical about this beatdown.
[Ross] Like many of the airports in the northeast,
Hardy has been grounded with the high flying,
and that was well-scouted from The Cerebral Assassin.
[Ross] Again, no wasted motion, no mistakes.
The elbow to the sternum, the hook of the leg,
and a strong near fall,
as Hardy, writhing in pain, is being literally punished
by The Cerebral Assassin
in what a huge high-stakes match.
The abdominal stretch…
again putting the torque on the lower back.
[Jerry] Sometimes watching this match, I think-- I think, "Man,
why is Triple H doing some of these things we see him doing to Jeff Hardy?"
But then you got to realize, absolutely, look--
and then look at the bending or breaking of the rules there by The Game.
Nothing is more important to Triple H than the WWE title.
[Ross] And it should be that way, and I would suspect it's that way
for everyone in the WWE.
If not, they should be elsewhere.
And especially Jeff Hardy here tonight.
I mean, Jeff Hardy made some bold statements here earlier tonight
about this being the biggest match of his career,
about being at the crossroads,
about not fearing The Game,
who's gaining another unfair advantage, if you will, that is--
Referee Chad Patton calling for the break, he gets one,
before the five count,
The Game in complete control at this point in time
of this one-fall match.
[Jerry] Complete control.
[Ross] And The Game challenging Jeff Hardy to fight,
to show the aggression that it's gonna take
to be a WWE Champion.
[Jerry] Yeah, but The Game has dominated this match.
So, I mean, it's been so one-sided
that I don't know if there's much fight left in Jeff.
[Ross] Hardy avoids the suplex,
and Hardy sticks the enzuigiri.
Finally Jeff Hardy got some offense in
that takes The Game down at least momentarily.
[Jerry] That's all that's gonna do. That's momentary.
[crowd chanting] Hardy! Hardy! Hardy!
[Ross] Both men back up to their respected vertical bases.
Hardy trying to-- Every time Hardy tries to quicken the pace,
The Game slows it down
with another slobberknocker of a clothesline.
And that one may do it right there,
and Jeff Hardy wiggles off his back,
and The Game obviously feels he is in complete control
in the driver seat and calling the shots
in this one-fall match against Jeff Hardy.
[Jerry] Well, I don't know if that smile from Triple H
was because he feels he's in the driver seat
or he's-- I think he may be a little impressed
by the-- well, by the resilience and aggression of young Jeff Hardy.
-Uh-oh. -[Ross] The sleeper applied.
[Jerry] This could take a little bit of the aggression and resilience out of you.
-Uh-oh. -[Ross] And Jeff Hardy
with a rather unique counter
as Triple H ate some top turnbuckle.
And Hardy scores the dropkick.
Jeff Hardy finally able to score
-with some-- with some high-risk offense. -[Jerry] But he's not able to sustain it.
He's gonna have to get to his feet and somehow,
you know, keep the pressure on The Game.
[Ross] Triple H back up after the dropkick.
No long-term advantage for Hardy.
-[Jerry] There you go. -[Ross] And Hardy with the takedown.
Almost a lariat-like takedown by Jeff Hardy again,
taking The Game down.
But quickly Triple H is right back up,
and I don't know that Jeff Hardy is gonna win a fistfight.
[Jerry] No, he's not gonna win a slugfest with The Game.
-[Ross] Hardy, Triple H misses. -[Jerry] Whoa!
[Ross] And this is more Jeff Hardy's pace.
More Jeff Hardy's speed.
And Hardy now sticking and moving
and trying to keep this match at a high level
as far as the motion and the-- and the timing.
-And-- -[Jerry] Oh, but I'm just--
[crowd counting punches]
[Ross] Triple H knocked down to the canvas.
Hardy, the succession of right hands,
and almost-- it was almost as if The Game
had lured Hardy into a false sense of security.
[Jerry] I think that's exactly what happened.
[Ross] And there's the cover, the hook of the leg here,
and Jeff Hardy shows the aggression.
[Jerry] Check this out, I think Hunter set up Jeff Hardy right here.
And Jeff took the bait.
[crowd chanting] Triple H!
[Ross] Triple H not called The Cerebral Assassin for nothing.
Certainly the maestro in this-- in this event.
And set a little early though.
-Now, can Hardy take advantage? -[Jerry] Hardy hits.
[Ross] Hardy sticks a clothesline.
[Jerry] That's a big move. Triple H to the outside of that ring.
[Ross] And this time, Hardy does hit the low dropkick.
Jeff Hardy over the top.
[Jerry] This is what I'm talking about, about sustaining some offense.
Three straight high-impact moves there by Jeff Hardy.
[Ross] Hardy has got to get The-- get Triple H back in the ring
to win this contest.
But you're right, Hardy has sustained some offense here
for the first time in this matchup with a certain momentum.
[Jerry] Oh, don't put all your eggs in one basket.
-And he got him. -[Ross] The crossbody.
Jeff Hardy hits a crossbody,
and Jeff Hardy got the cover,
couldn't hook the leg,
and Triple H too strong, still able to kick out at two.
[Jerry] What a good match this is, I love it.
Oh, look at this!
[Ross] Jeff Hardy Whisper in the Wind.
Whisper in the Wind hits The Game! This could be it.
[Jerry] Oh, man.
[Jerry] Jeff Hardy hit one of his signature maneuvers
that got him a near fall in this matchup here at Armageddon.
The winner is gonna meet the WWE Champion,
whomever that may be, at the Royal Rumble.
[Jerry] Twist of Fate. Missed it.
[Ross] DDT, didn't miss it.
The Game hits the DDT
and now the hook is-- the hook, this has gotta be--no.
[Jerry] Whoa!
[Ross] Jeff Hardy, I'm impressed with his resilience.
Very impressed with Jeff Hardy kicking out of a big-time DDT.
And now, The Game is not moving as spryly as he was
after that flurry of offense by Jeff Hardy.
[Jerry] Well, I mean, both of these men have taken a toll on the other.
Hey, hey, hey.
-Oh. -[Ross] Counter.
Great counter by The Game.
And Hardy-- Jeff Hardy counters!
The Game! And-- Oh, my gosh!
Well, that was suddenly.
Hardy with a nice counter.
[Jerry] Triple H realizing he's gonna have to stay focused as well.
Can't let your guard down for one second against Jeff Hardy.
[Ross] And look at his.
I think the-- I think the business just picked up
as far as Triple H is concerned with that big, sick right hand.
The Game now looking to say, "Hey,
I was a second away from getting beat here."
[Jerry] Well, now he's a second away from getting disqualified.
Triple H gonna have to be careful here.
[Ross] Jeff Hardy trying to pull himself up
after sustaining the punishment from the high impact of Jeff--
-[Jerry] Oh. -[Ross] Triple H.
Hardy, the mule kick.
-The reverse mule kick, and this time-- -[Jerry] He's done this before.
[Ross] This time, Jeff Hardy-- The second time was a winner
as both feet went right into the chest,
right into the sternum of The Game.
There went the air, and here may come Jeff Hardy's chance
to beat The Game!
[Jerry] That's right. This is do or die.
Oh!
[Ross] Oh, Swanton Bomb exploded on Jeff Hardy.
The Game counters with a crossbody.
[Jerry] I can't believe Jeff kicked out of that.
[Ross] The lateral press applied, got another near fall.
And that look on the face of The Game pretty well tells the story.
[Jerry] Little bit of frustration may be creeping in on The Game right now.
[Ross] I think you're exactly right. That would be my assumption.
But make no mistake about it, Hardy missed the--
[Jerry] Uh-oh. Pedigree time.
[Ross] Hardy countered the Pedigree.
[Jerry] Still going for the Twist of Fate.
-That's countered. -[Ross] Triple H countered that.
And that big-time Double A Spinebuster
reaffirms The Game's offensive advantage
in this back-and-forth matchup…
that has become more back-and-forth the last several minutes.
But you got to wonder, just how resilient is Jeff Hardy?
We've seen TLCs and ladders
and all these things with Jeff Hardy, but--
[Jerry] And Jeff Hardy pretty much out on his feet.
[Ross] Pedigree time.
-[Jerry] Triple H is out of it… -[Ross] This could be it, King.
Ladies and gent--
[Ross] And Hardy counters! Both legs are hooked!
Both legs-- Oh, my God!
-Oh, my God! -[Jerry] What?
-[Ross] Jeff Hardy beats The Game! -[Jerry] What?
[Lilián] Here is your winner,
Jeff Hardy.
[Jerry] Are you kidding me?
[Ross] Absolutely!
The Intercontinental Champion Jeff Hardy
has shocked the world
with a pinfall defeat and not using a Swanton.
Not using a Twist of Fate.
[Jerry] It shocked the world, and certainly shocked Triple H.
Look at the look on The Game's face,
I can't believe it!
["No More Words" playing]
[Ross] Jeff Hardy has defeated Triple H
to earn a WWE title opportunity
against the WWE Champion at the Royal Rumble.
[Jerry] I had just said it, The Game had to stay focused.
He couldn't let his guard down for a second
against Jeff Hardy, and that's exactly what happened.
Caught off guard for three seconds.
[Ross] And, King, it wasn't the high-flying maneuvers…
-[Jerry] No. -[Ross] …of Jeff Hardy.
It was a counter and a wrestling hold
into a pinning combination.
[Jerry] Oh, my gosh, this is a sight.
Remember this.
Did you ever think for one minute tonight here
when we came on the air at Armageddon
that we'd see Triple H
walking down that ramp a defeated man?
Look at this. Going for the Twist of Fate.
Countered and bam.
That was it, I thought.
[Ross] So Jeff Hardy now has a chance. Here it is.
Jeff Hardy countered and then covered quickly and shoulders are down.
The Game kicked out at about three-and-a-half.
But Jeff Hardy is the winner.
[Jerry] The face of Triple H is classic.
It's great.
[Ross] And think now about the possibilities.
Jeff Hardy is the reigning Intercontinental Champion.
If Jeff Hardy can roll into the Royal Rumble in January
in Madison Garden, he could also be the WWE Champion.
[Jerry] Oh, how huge would that be for this young man?
[Ross] The biggest match in Jeff Hardy's career
has resulted in a huge victory over Triple H.
[Jerry] But who will Jeff Hardy face in Royal Rumble?
Will it be Randy Orton
or will it be Chris Jericho?
We'll gonna find that out later on tonight.
[speaking Punjabi]
[in English] The Great Khali says, "Tonight, Finlay,
you learn that there are consequences for your actions."
"At Survivor Series, you stopped The Great Khali
from destroying Hornswoggle."
-[speaking Punjabi] -[crowd in English] What?
[speaking Punjabi]
[crowd in English] What?
-[speaking Punjabi] -[crowd in English] What?
[speaking Punjabi]
[crowd in English] What?
Finlay, you love to fight?
Well, The Great Khali loves to destroy.
And the luck of the Irish can't save you, Finlay.
And no luck in the world can save your little buddy, Hornswoggle.
Because tonight, the two of you
will lay decimated at the feet of The Great Khali.
[speaking Punjabi]
[Michael in English] And we witnessed a few weeks ago on SmackDown
how devastating those huge hands
of The Great Khali can be when he let Finlay lay in the ring
because of the Vice Grip.
[JBL] And if Khali gets the Vice Grip on him again tonight, Michael,
you're gonna see the exact same results.
Nobody breaks that Vice Grip.
[Michael] Great Khali with a warning to not only to Finlay
but Finlay's little buddy, Mr. McMahon's son, Hornswoggle.
["Da.Ngar" playing]
[bell ringing]
[Justin] This bout is set for one fall.
Introducing first, being accompanied to the ring by Ranjin Singh,
from India,
standing over seven feet tall,
weighing 420 pounds,
The Great Khali.
[Michael] It all began, as Khali mentioned,
last month of Survivor Series.
It was a "tough love" match
set up by Hornswoggle's father, Mr. McMahon.
Khaki versus Hornswoggle.
And if it wasn't for Finlay,
God knows what would have happened.
[JBL] It was something we haven't seen since the Old Testament,
times in the fields of Gath of Goliath versus David.
Maybe even more pronounced.
Hornswoggle somehow escaped with the aid of Finlay.
[Michael] Look at the size of The Great Khali.
Seven-three, 420 pounds.
[JBL] Those hands, Michael, from thumb to pinky,
are bigger, wider than an NFL football.
[Finlay] ♪ My name is Finlay And I love to fight ♪
["Lambeg" playing]
[Justin] And being accompanied to the ring by Hornswoggle,
from Belfast, Northern Ireland,
weighing 233 pounds,
Finlay!
[Michael] You know, John, we were talking earlier
about that Survivor Series matchup
and Hornswoggle being saved by Finlay,
and, well, Hornswoggle has been put
in all kinds of "tough love" situations by his father, Mr. McMahon,
but Hornswoggle always seems to get out of it,
like he's got a guardian angel with him or something.
[JBL] It's Darwinism.
He's Irish.
He's a McMahon.
McMahons always survive.
Don't you know anything?
[Michael] Well, perhaps, Mr. McMahon also believes
Finlay is going to protect his son.
Finlay, obviously, has some sort of relationship to Hornswoggle.
[JBL] Have you ever heard of luck of the Irish?
-[Michael] Yeah. -[JBL] He's a leprechaun.
-[Michael] Well, Khali says the luck-- -[JBL] Have you ever met a leprechaun?
[Michael] Well, he's right there, Hornswoggle.
-[JBL] Another one? -[Michael] No. That's it.
You talk about the luck of the Irish, Khali says…
-[bell rings] -[Michael] …the luck of the Irish
will not work in this match tonight.
Finlay likes to fight.
Khali says he loves to destroy.
[crowd chatter]
[Michael] Look at the size difference.
[JBL] I've known Finlay for two decades.
I never thought I'd see Finlay walk into a fight as the underdog.
[Michael] Well, at WWE.com, John, Finlay said that he's not afraid of Khali,
that giants can be taken down.
[JBL] I guarantee you Finlay's not afraid.
I just don't know if he can beat him.
-[Michael] Khali-- -[JBL] I don't know if Finlay,
on his very best day, can beat Khali.
[Michael] John, two nights ago on SmackDown,
Finlay attacked The Great Khali with a shillelagh,
and he was still left lying motionless in the ring.
[JBL] Two weeks in a row, Michael.
Two weeks in a row, Finlay has attacked Khali
and Khali has left the Irishman laying in the ring.
[crowd chatter]
-[Michael] Oh! -[JBL] Wow.
[Michael] That's like getting hit with a frying pan.
[JBL] Wow.
[Michael] Take a frying pan, hit yourself in the chest with it.
That's what it would feel like.
[JBL] You hit yourself.
[Michael] And Khali, that boot off the skull of Finlay.
[JBL] The thing is, Michael, that Vice Grip, it's coming.
Khali is gonna go for it.
He knows that's his bread and butter.
It has taken out Batista.
It has taken out The Undertaker.
It has taken out every person that Khali has put in it.
[Michael] Mysterio, Kane, Jeff Hardy, just to name a few.
Finlay just a couple of weeks ago.
And Hornswoggle--
God forbid Khali ever got the Vice Grip on Hornswoggle.
-Oh! -[JBL] How great is it
what Mr. McMahon is doing to his son.
[Michael] Great? This tough love stuff?
[JBL] Absolutely.
Showing that he's genetically superior.
He's a McMahon.
[Michael] Khali genetically superior to everybody!
He just-- I thought he clubbed Finlay in the back of the head,
but I believe he caught the steel post.
And Finlay looking for the opening.
And Finlay will do whatever he needs to do to survive.
[JBL] He's doing it.
-[Michael] Oh, man! Did you see that? -[JBL] Oh, my God.
[Michael] Did you hear that?
[referee] …five…
[JBL] Well, how about the visual? Khali standing on the floor.
Finlay on the apron. Khali still knocking him down.
[Michael] And Finlay still fighting.
But I guarantee you, he's never run into the likes of Khali
on the streets of Belfast.
-[JBL] Look at this. Look at this. -[Michael] Listen to this.
[JBL] Khali is standing three feet below Finlay there.
That's how big this man is.
[Michael] He's an absolute giant.
Khali is an absolute giant.
He's seven-three, 420 pounds.
And now he's using those football-like hands
to really just grip the shoulders of Finlay.
And when's the last time--
when's the last time you heard Finlay screaming in agony like he is here?
[JBL] Never. Never. I've never seen it.
The guy grew up in war-torn Belfast.
Finlay's never screamed like this.
He's never faced anybody like Khali.
[Michael] Hornswoggle doing what he can, but Finlay got out of that grip.
And Finlay right into the big boot.
-That leg kick to the jaw of Finlay. -[JBL] Finlay's out.
I think Finlay's out.
[Michael] And Hornswoggle-- Almost that look of despair
on the face of Hornswoggle.
[JBL] I figure we're gonna see a Vice Grip, go home early.
[Michael] No matter what Finlay does…
Come on, Finlay.
[Michael] …he cannot compete with this giant.
-[JBL] Look at that. -[Michael] Now, explain this to us, John.
-What is this nerve hold doing? -[JBL] It cuts off all the blood flow.
It also cuts off the feeling to Finlay's right arm.
[Michael] Oh!
I don't believe Finlay had any feeling after that.
[JBL] Everything from the neck down, your muscles freeze up.
Look at Finlay. He's losing feeling in that right hand.
-[Hornswoggle] Come on! -[Michael] Hornswoggle desperately trying
to will Finlay back into this matchup.
But no matter what Finlay does,
he just can't seem to combat this seven-three,
420-pound giant of a man.
[JBL] There's something-- Michael, you don't believe the pain
until you're in something like this.
[Michael] Finlay realizing he's gotta get back to a vertical base
but he's driven back down to his knees.
At some point, you see Finlay, he's shaking that arm.
It must feel-- must be like when your arm goes to sleep.
You have absolutely no feeling, needles running through your body.
[JBL] Look at-- You got those massive hands of Khali,
but look at beyond those hands.
Look at those-- the massive body of Khali.
Look at those massive arms.
[Michael] Just look at the-- the eyes of Finlay tell the story.
Those eyes show the pain that Finlay is in.
Trying to make it to the rope.
If he gets to the ropes, it will break this nerve hold.
[JBL] Yeah, but what would that really do?
Will it just postpone the inevitable?
[Michael] And Finlay almost-- There it is.
And Khali's gotta break the nerve hold for now.
[JBL] The Irish eyes are not smiling any more, Michael.
[Michael] Hornswoggle…
-[JBL] There it is. -[Michael] Oh, look at this.
-The Vice Grip… -[JBL] There's the Vice Grip.
[Michael] …in the ropes. The Vice Grip in the ropes.
A count of five for referee Charles Robinson
before Khali has to break, and he does.
Right before the count of five, Khali breaks.
[JBL] Finlay's done.
[Michael] And Khali has now sighted Hornswoggle,
-who's slowly made his way to the apron. -[JBL] Oh, no, no.
[Michael] Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
[JBL] Khali warned he's gonna get his hand on him.
[Michael] Oh, and just like that.
Just like swatting a fly.
Khali's got bigger fish to fry tonight in the form of Finlay.
You can almost feel the breath being drawn from the lungs.
[JBL] I've never dreamed I would see Finlay decimated like this.
-[Michael] Manhandled. -[JBL] Never. Never.
[Michael] Finlay's been absolutely manhandled from the get-go.
[JBL] Finlay is flat out one of if not the toughest guys I've ever known.
[Michael] Khali a former world champion, asserting his will on Finlay tonight.
And he's gonna punish Finlay.
He wants to destroy Finlay.
Make Finlay pay for his sins of the past month.
Trying to expose that turnbuckle.
[Michael] Ranjin-- Look at Ranjin Singh, the translator,
with the referee distracted, grabbing Finlay for a moment.
[JBL] There's the shillelagh.
[Michael] The shillelagh has been brought-- has been brought into play.
Referee doesn't see it.
And Finlay couldn't use it.
Khali…
Khali with that huge hand.
Look at Hornswoggle.
Another shillelagh!
Referee was getting rid of the first one.
Low blow! Shillelagh to the skull!
-Finlay… -[JBL] Finlay's got him.
-[Michael] …into the cover! -[JBL] He's got him!
-You gotta be kidding me! -[Michael] He's done it!
-[JBL] Oh, my God! -[bell rings]
-[Michael] And Finlay-- Finlay wins! -["Lambeg" playing]
[Justin] The winner of this match, Finlay.
[Michael] Hornswoggle returning the favors from Finlay for the past few weeks.
Finlay has slayed the giant.
[JBL] The damnedest fight Finlay's ever been in.
Wow.
What a victory for Finlay.
[Michael] Khali dominated,
but Hornswoggle saw the opening and helped his buddy Finlay out.
[JBL] A little help from his little buddy.
The luck of the Irish.
I have a feeling there's gonna be a few pints of ale drunk tonight
somewhere here at Pittsburgh, PA by these two.
[Michael] Tonight at Armageddon,
Hornswoggle was Finlay's guardian angel.
[JBL] From go to whoa, the giant had him.
But Finlay had the shillelagh, the leprechaun,
and the luck of the Irish.
[Michael] And a high five, short five for Finlay and Hornswoggle.
[JBL] Only on SmackDown, Michael.
[laughs] Unbelievable.
[Ross] And, ladies and gentlemen, our next contest will not be without emotion.
It will be for the WWE Championship.
The very, very talented…
Randy Orton, the WWE Champion,
seems to be rolling into this contest.
But Chris Jericho burst on the scene four weeks ago
saying he's dying to make a change.
Will that change be made tonight?
Take a look at how these two came together.
[Randy] And then there was none.
[tense music playing]
[Randy] After beating Shawn Michaels,
after beating Triple H,
after the destruction of John Cena,
and the total annihilation of every superstar in my path,
I managed to do the impossible.
I have beaten all that there is to beat
and now it is time for the torch to be passed to me.
[tense music playing]
[crowd cheering]
-["Break the Walls Down" playing] -♪ Come on ♪
♪You know I got ya, yeah ♪
♪ One, break the walls down… ♪
This is the second coming of Y2J!
And I promise to ignite you,
to excite you, to delight you.
It's 100% entertainment,
100% electricity,
100% Jericho!
[dramatic music playing]
Tell us, oh, savior, what exactly are you saving us from?
I'm here to save us from you.
Because the first chance I get, I'm gonna take that WWE Championship from you.
[Jerry] What is this?
-[Ross] Chris Jericho distracted Orton! -[Jerry] Oh!
[Ross] The referee didn't see it!
Chris Jericho has made yet another challenge to the WWE Champion.
You think that you got underneath my skin?
The Truth is I'm giving you a title shot because I know that I can beat you.
The question you need to ask yourself is who is gonna save you
from the single worst beatdown of your life.
-[Jerry] Oh, look out! -[Ross] RKO!
The opportunistic WWE Champion
making a physical, emphatic statement.
[Jericho] I've been gone for two years, but I've been watching.
You're the WWE Champion, but you're also cunning, remorseless,
vicious, but so am I.
[Ross] Randy Orton trying to get the jump on Jericho.
-[Jerry] Hey! -[Ross] Jericho counters!
[Jerry] He's got The Walls of Jericho!
[Ross] Orton is tapping.
If this was Sunday, we would have a new WWE Champion!
[Jericho] At Armageddon, Orton versus Jericho,
and there will be a new WWE Champion.
Y2J.
[dramatic music playing]
[bell rings]
This contest is scheduled for one fall
and it is for the WWE Championship!
[crowd cheering]
["Break the Walls Down" playing]
♪ Come on You know I got ya, yeah ♪
♪ One, break the walls down ♪
♪ Break down the walls ♪
♪ For those about to rock I'm what ya want ♪
♪ Baby, you know you're Judas And I'm your priest ♪
♪ Baby, what I got is not from the least ♪
♪ Bring it from the stage In the rage of the beast ♪
♪ Step in the arena And break the walls down… ♪
[Ross] Well, ladies and gentlemen, four weeks ago,
Chris Jericho returned to the WWE.
He returned to Monday Night Raw.
But if you do your math,
it's been two years since Jericho headlined
a pay-per-view extravaganza
as-- such as we are a part of here tonight at Armageddon.
My question to you is, Jerry Lawler, as a wrestler,
how will that effect Chris Jericho's opportunity and chances
of becoming WWE Champion tonight or will it?
[Jerry] The fact that he's had the two-year layoff?
Well, I gotta think-- I gotta think that that is in Jericho's favor.
I mean, he has gotta be as fit as a fiddle, so to speak.
He's gotta be in the best shape of his life.
You can look at him and tell that.
I think he's confident.
He hasn't-- You know, he hasn't competed on a regular basis like Randy Orton has,
and I think the main thing is Chris Jericho is hungrier than ever.
[crowd chanting] Y2J! Y2J! Y2J!
["Burn In My Light" playing]
♪ Hey! ♪
♪ Hey… ♪
[Ross] Well, ladies and gentlemen,
it was Chris Jericho who was the first-ever undisputed champion
in the history of the WWE six years ago this month.
On one night, Chris Jericho beat The Rock and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin
to achieve that honor.
But earlier tonight, it was Randy Orton who said that he was the best
the industry has ever seen
and that Codebreak-ing RKO 18
would be the difference maker tonight.
RKO 18, a very unique analogy.
[Jerry] Right.
That 18 represents the number of World Championships
that his last three opponents-- that he, Randy Orton, has beaten and won.
That is an amazing accomplishment.
[Ross] Orton comparing Jericho to a virus
and that Orton would shut down
the virus tonight as opposed
to Jericho saving us from Randy Orton.
♪ Nothing you can say ♪
♪ Nothing's gonna change What you've done to me ♪
Introducing first the challenger,
weighing in at 226 pounds,
Chris Jericho!
[crowd cheering]
And from St. Louis, Missouri, weighing in at 245 pounds,
he is the WWE Champion,
Randy Orton!
[crowd booing]
[Ross] One-fall match for all the marbles here tonight at Armageddon.
Jericho weighing in, as you heard, at 226.
The son of a former NHL hockey star.
And, of course, Randy Orton, the son of a WWE Hall of Famer
and a third-generation superstar.
Orton's RKO versus… gosh, take your pick.
The Walls of Jericho.
It's what Orton suffered after a-- in a confrontation that Jericho had
with Eric Bischoff last week on Raw's 15th Anniversary broadcast,
and we saw Randy Orton tapping out aggressively and quickly
at the hands of that Walls of Jericho.
[Jerry] You're right, but both of these young men have quite an arsenal
that they can use to win matches.
We're gonna see who wants it more.
[bell rings]
[Ross] Senior referee Mike Chioda the official
for this WWE Championship matchup.
And as we know now, it will be Jeff Hardy
meeting the WWE Champion at the Royal Rumble.
Who will it be? Collar-and-elbow tie-up.
Jericho with the edge in experience,
but not with-- again, with that two-year layoff,
again, the speculation is that Jericho should be healthy.
He looks great.
Nice arm drag takedown quickly done.
Both men somewhat cautious, it would seem here,
in the early going and I can-- I can understand that.
Again, a collar-and-elbow tie-up, trying to gain an advantage.
[referee] Let's go. Come on. Break it out of the corner.
Come on. Let's go, Orton. Let's go.
Keep it-- Come on. Break it.
One, two, three!
Come on. Break it clean, Orton.
[Ross] Referee Mike Chioda wanting a clean break.
[Jerry] Not gonna get that from Randy Orton.
[Ross] No cooperation from the champion on that demand.
The Irish whip to the far side of our station.
And another armdrag takeover.
And Jericho again getting his taller,
more leveraged opponent down on the canvas,
taking away the leverage advantage
with a crisp and quick armdrag takedown.
[Jerry] As I said, Jericho should be at the top of his game, physically,
speed-wise, agility-wise,
after two years of rest and recuperation,
however you wanna look at it.
-[Ross] Jericho, look at this. -[Jerry] Look at this. Wow!
[Ross] Jericho hanging Orton out to dry.
Thought Jericho was gonna perhaps execute a suplex of some kind but it was--
-[Jerry] Oh, gosh! -[Ross] Oh, what a kick.
You can hear that one, the air rushing out of the body of the WWE Champion.
Chris Jericho very, very aggressive with that kick.
And another. You could again hear the impact to that punt-like maneuver.
And certainly Randy Orton is-- he knows all about punting people in the head.
[Jerry] Yes, he does.
[Ross] And look at Jericho again after two kicks to the ribs.
Orton's trying to prevent Jericho from hammering away
at that inflicted body part, but not to be.
[Jerry] You can't blame him.
[Ross] Orton, to his credit,
back up to his base.
And Orton trying to get on the attack, trying to show some offense.
[Jerry] Oh.
[Ross] And does.
Jericho with that jumping spinning heel kick
catching Randy Orton, who had utilized the ropes for a little added momentum.
And Jericho looking to springboard his way.
Oh, wait a minute.
[Jerry] Better watch out there! Whoa!
[Ross] My gosh. Jericho leaping off the top turnbuckle.
Taking a huge chance.
Come on, baby.
[crowd chanting] Y2J! Y2J!
[Jerry] I think Randy Orton may have outsmarted himself there.
Watch him preening here and then-- going to tell our fans
how smart he was, and he got outsmarted.
[Ross] Orton's head and neck took the brunt of that crossbody.
But Orton shows resiliency.
-The WWE Champion in… -[Jerry] Uh-oh, we've seen this.
[Ross] …with great condition. Look out here.
Look out right here.
[Jerry] If Orton hits this--
-[Ross] Yeah. -[Jerry] Hey!
[Ross] If's a big word.
[Jerry] Walls of Jericho coming.
[Ross] Jericho looking for The Walls of Jericho.
And Orton trying to squirm out of the situation and predicament,
using those long legs to free himself and, oh, a DDT!
[Jerry] Wow.
[Ross] Randy Orton freed himself and showed quickness and agility
by getting back up to execute the DDT.
And now it's the champion with the cover and a two-count.
Orton with the decided advantage
after scoring with the DDT
and do-- Oh, right on the ankle.
[Jerry] But every chance you get--
you get an opportunity to look into Randy Orton's eyes
and you can just-- you can see.
It's-- His entire personality comes through his eyes.
I mean, he is cold-blooded individual.
[Ross] One can certainly feel the contempt
when you look in the eyes of the WWE Champion.
One has to wonder if Orton even has a conscience.
[Jerry] That old saying, if looks could kill,
a lot of us would be pushing up daisies when Randy Orton looks at you.
[Ross] Orton "The Legend Killer" has hunted his way to immortality
in the annals of the WWE with some of the legendary competitors
that Orton has injured, including Shawn Michaels,
who Orton put out for four months.
We saw Michaels earlier tonight.
Dusty Rhodes, a Hall of Famer, was a victim of Randy Orton's assault,
along with Rob Van Dam.
Jericho fighting his way back up.
Jericho, he's-- he has so much will to win.
And so does Randy Orton.
That was about as textbook a dropkick as you'll ever see.
And that may do it right there.
-Two. -[Ross] Orton a count away from winning
and retaining his title with a dropkick.
[Jerry] Sometimes Orton has been so despicable,
you find it hard to say anything good about the guy,
but you can't deny that he is one hell of an athlete.
I mean, nobody delivers a more picture-perfect dropkick than Randy Orton.
And look at-- look at this. Wait.
Look at the way he's got-- Jericho great block.
-Look at that. -[Ross] Beautiful dropkick,
both feet around the jaw, full extension of the legs.
And Orton continues to use his legs by grounding Chris Jericho.
[Jerry] And another thing you can't deny is that Randy Orton is the WWE Champion.
[Ross] Without a doubt. Three-time WWE Champion.
[Jerry] Like him or not.
[Ross] And Orton maintaining control-- some level of control here.
Trying to control the-- certainly the head now.
Jericho has got his body out of that-- the body scissors,
at least for the moment.
But, again, it is Orton in control.
[Jerry] Orton's got the neck of Jericho in his grip there,
and it's--
and he's about to get out of there.
He needs to as quickly as possible.
Oh, nice elbow.
[Ross] And a good counter by the WWE Champion Randy Orton.
He can stick that RKO at any time.
[Jerry] Oh, wow, man.
[Ross] Both men colliding.
I'm not so sure that the heads of Jericho and Orton
didn't snap and pop together.
-I'm not-- -[Jerry] I know. Did you see Randy Orton's
legs just buckle underneath him there?
[Ross] Orton got-- went spaghetti-legged, and-- we'll take a--
we'll take another look at this.
[Jerry] Orton's legs--
[Ross] Heads-- The heads
cracking together.
And it certainly is advantageous for the champion.
You cannot lose the title via countout.
Six.
[Ross] And referee's up to six of a ten-count that he can utilize.
It'll be interesting to see if either these men make it.
[Ross] They're up to eight now. Both are up.
[wrestlers grunting]
Orton goes right for the head, and so does Jericho.
Jericho using the forearms.
Now the right hand.
Knife-edge chop by Jericho.
It's amazing how the pace puts them back up and, instinctively,
these two amazing athletes getting right back after it.
[Jerry] I was gonna say I think this pace favors Jericho, but I'm not so sure now.
[Ross] There's a clothesline.
Jericho may do it. Jericho--
-[Jerry] Got it. -[Ross] No.
And Jericho about half a count away from winning the WWE title.
And a hard uppercut forearm.
And Jericho making sure that Orton's head, his brains remain scrambled.
[Jerry] There's a dropkick for you.
[Ross] And right to the head.
And this time Jericho has got the cover.
And two-- Oh.
Old Chioda's hand was coming towards the canvas for the third time
when the shoulder of the champion came off the canvas.
[Jerry] Ow.
[Ross] Too close for comfort for the WWE Champion.
-[Jerry] Oh. -[Ross] What a counter.
Powerslam, Powerslam good but won't do it.
And that was a heck of a powerslam by Randy Orton,
who's still feeling the effects of that knife-edge chop.
[Jerry] I think Randy Orton looking down to see if his chest is bleeding.
I believe mine would be after that chop.
[Ross] Is Randy Orton indeed the best the industry has ever seen?
Well, he's the WWE Champion, and that says a lot.
-[Jerry] Uh-oh. Oh, man. -[Ross] And Chris Jericho
just met maybe the toughest ring post
the business has ever seen.
[Jerry] That may be a difference-maker right here.
[Ross] Indeed it might.
Right to the shoulder. Orton-- Look out!
Orton looking for the RKO.
-The backslide by… -[Jerry] Hey.
[Ross] …the challenger and-- Oh!
Jericho got the backslide in and a two-count.
-And-- Good gosh. -[Jerry] Oh, man.
[Ross] The sense of urgency exploded out of the body of the WWE Champion
after that near-fall.
[Jerry] Yeah. Orton is shocked and surprised
and a little bit frustrated like you said.
It all came out right there as he rammed
Jericho's shoulder into that ring post for a second time.
[Ross] Two hard shots to the ring post.
But you can see the sense of urgency and the pace quicken,
well, after that near-fall.
And now it is Randy Orton, the WWE Champion…
[Jerry] Uh-oh.
[Ross] …with something evil on his mind.
This-- We've talked about this man
being remorseless and vicious and cunning.
Both men in a precarious position.
[Jerry] I don't know what Orton has got in his mind
but Jericho better pull out all the stop and try to avoid it.
He's not gonna be able to.
[Ross] A superplex.
After two ring-post shots, a superplex may do it
as the WWE Champion
covers and gets-- Oh, doesn't get the three.
[Jerry] Wow!
[Ross] But Orton is in control at this point in time
of this one-fall match for the WWE Championship…
a championship that dates back to the days
of "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers and so many greats.
[Jerry] That picture-perfect dropkick didn't hit its mark.
Walls of Jericho coming.
[Ross] Can Jericho capitalize?
-[Jerry] Hey, hey. -[Ross] Inside cradle.
The inside cradle.
Oh, that was a beautiful move by Orton.
And a running enzuigiri.
The head kick by Chris Jericho stunning the champion.
And the expression on Randy Orton's face has told a huge story.
Jericho can and will, I think, capitalize.
-[Jerry] Bulldog. -[Ross] Another high-impact maneuver…
-[Jerry] Well-- -[Ross] …concussing the head
of the WWE Champion.
[Jerry] Jericho's got a lot of charisma.
Lionsault. Oh, no.
Wow.
[Ross] And the wherewithal, the ring presence
of a third-generation superstar, instinctively pulling
his knees up to protect himself and to provide some offense.
[Jerry] Well, that's a champion maneuver right there.
-[Ross] Look out. Look out. -[Jerry] Oh, good grief.
[Ross] Another inverted backbreaker by the WWE Champion,
Randy Orton, who at 24,
became the youngest in the history of the WWE to win the WWE title.
Orton, the viper-like
champion of the WWE, lying in wait here,
measuring the challenger.
[Jerry] This is a scary sight.
[Ross] Thinking of RKO 19 maybe.
[Jerry] Look at those eyes.
Look at that face.
He's salivating.
He can't wait to deliver this RKO.
Here it comes. And there-- Oh, there it goes.
-[Ross] Jericho counters. -[Jerry] Lionsault.
[Ross] Lionsault may do it.
Jericho! Jericho! He's got the-- Oh, gosh almighty!
-[Jerry] Stay on him. -[Ross] Oh, how close.
[Jerry] Stay on him.
We almost had a new champion there.
[Ross] Jericho has gotta stay focused and stay on it.
That was a half a count away and I'm being, maybe, conservative.
-[Jerry] Oh. -[Ross] Orton with a forearm shot
that found its mark,
caught Chris Jericho right in the head.
And Jericho hanging-- just hanging up on the security wall.
-[Jerry] Oh. -[Ross] Jericho fighting back.
Jericho tougher than heck, I'll tell you that.
But so is the WWE Champion.
[Jerry] Here comes Jericho. Look out. Good grief.
-[Ross] Gosh almighty! -[Jerry] Holy mackerel.
[Ross] Jericho ran towards the champion, who sidestepped him.
SmackDown announce team, wrong place at the wrong time.
But, man--
[Jerry] Randy Orton threw Jericho through the air.
[Ross] And Jericho trying to get right back on the WWE Champion
and take advantage of what he thinks is an opportunity.
-[Jerry] Oh. -[Ross] And Orton got hung up there.
Jericho building some momentum, it would seem.
-The challenger-- -[Jerry] Look out. Look out.
[Ross] Oh, Jericho with a hard shot to the back of the head.
[Jerry] Man, what a dive that was.
Come on!
[Jerry] Yeah, this is-- this is Jericho's opportunity.
Come on!
[Ross] Ladies and gentlemen, can you feel the fact
that Jericho is building momentum?
Is Jericho thinking Codebreaker here?
Is Jericho thinking, "I'm gonna be the next WWE Champion"?
Randy Orton in big trouble, and-- Oh!
Orton with the counter.
An instinctive counter.
A counter out of desperation but an effective counter nonetheless.
[Jerry] Man, where did Orton get that strength from?
[Ross] That was a tremendous counter to the--
what I think was gonna be the Codebreaker.
Man, this is-- Action outside and along the security wall…
announcer tables, the intensity.
Uh-oh.
Orton measuring.
-[Jerry] Oh, wait a minute, wait a minute. -[Ross] Orton measuring Chris Jericho.
[Jerry] Referee.
[Ross] Jericho in a precarious spot here.
Jericho seems to be defenseless.
And Orton may kick Jericho's head.
[Jerry] Look out.
-Hey. -[Ross] Jericho, lying in wait.
-Jericho lying in wait. -[Jerry] Walls of Jericho!
[Ross] Jericho has got the Walls!
-[Jerry] This is it! -[Ross] Jericho has got the Walls!
The Walls of Jericho.
Orton is a heartbeat away from tapping out.
[Jerry] We've seen Orton tap out before to this.
[Ross] Jericho straining and straining
as is Orton, reaching for the bottom rope.
The WWE title hangs in the balance.
[Jerry] Oh, look at this. Look at this.
[laughs]
[Ross] Jericho has got Orton right where he wants him.
[Jerry] We're gonna have a new champion right here.
[Ross] Jericho has got Orton right where he wants him.
-[Jerry] Hey. -[Ross] Hey.
-[bell ringing] -[Ross] What the hell?
[Jerry] What is this?
[Ross] JBL just kicked Jericho right in the head.
[Jerry] What is this?
[Ross] And the referee has called for the bell.
JBL…
just-- with a-- with a sick shot.
A kick to the head of Chris Jericho when it looked like Jericho
was literally seconds away from winning the WWE title.
[Jerry] You gotta be kidding me. You can't tell me that JBL was--
it was Orton who threw Chris Jericho into JBL.
[crowd booing]
[Ross] Well, it wouldn't matter if it was Orton or not,
a broadcaster has no business getting involved in a match
of any kind, especially a WWE Championship match,
but JBL has just kicked Chris Jericho
out of the WWE title picture.
And Randy Orton knows he is a fortunate,
fortunate son here tonight.
Orton is still the WWE Champion…
[crowd booing]
[Ross] …after being locked in The Walls of Jericho…
and this 14,000-plus
that have sold out the Mellon Arena here in Pittsburgh don't like it one bit.
[Jerry] Well, Orton has lost the match, but unfortunately,
we all know that the WWE title does not change hands on a disqualification.
[Ross] Absolutely.
Randy Orton loses the match,
retains the WWE title.
Uh-oh.
-Oh, come on! -[Jerry] Wait a minute. Look out!
[Ross] And now, the RKO for no damn reason.
The match is over,
Jericho gets his head kicked off by JBL,
which was disgusting enough,
and now that the match was all said and done
and Jericho wins by disqualification,
the man with no conscience,
the remorseless WWE Champion, delivers a legend-killing RKO.
-["Burn In My Light" playing] -♪ Nothing you can say ♪
♪ Nothing's gonna change What you've done to me ♪
♪ Now it's time to shine… ♪
[Jerry] I don't know what he's so proud of.
He didn't win.
[Ross] A WWE Championship match rocked with controversy.
♪ Nothing you can say… ♪
[Ross] It is a shocking situation to think that a broadcaster
would leave his position
and cost a challenger the WWE title.
[Jerry] Let's see if we can see this one more time here.
Look at that.
You see Randy Orton sidestepping,
and then actually threw Chris Jericho into JBL.
But watch now.
Watch-- That probably didn't help right there.
You can see the look on JBL.
[Ross] You can't tell me that shove out of the way
-is motivation for this. -[bell ringing]
[Ross] I mean, Jericho had the WWE title won.
Look at The Walls of Jericho,
and then a blatant shot with Jericho defenseless.
Jericho gets his hand kicked off.
Orton loses the match, retains the WWE title
as controversy continues to surround the WWE Champion.
[Jerry] And then after all is said and done,
Orton takes advantage
of his opponent one more time with that sickening RKO.
[Ross] The deadly blue eyes of the WWE Champion,
still the best the industry
has ever seen in his estimation…
but a fortunate son of a WWE Hall of Famer
here tonight, and what must Chris Jericho,
when he gets his senses, what will he be thinking about this night?
Where Jericho had the WWE title in his grasp,
seemingly had the WWE title won
until his head was taken off his shoulders by JBL.
♪ Hey! ♪
♪ Nothing you can say ♪
♪ Nothing's gonna change What you've done to me ♪
♪ Now it's time to shine ♪
♪ I'm gonna take what's mine… ♪
[Ross] And you gotta have-- you gotta have empathy
and compassion for the--
for Chris Jericho for what has happened on this night.
[man on PA] Next stop, Madison Square Garden
Stand clear of closing doors.
-[bell rings] -[screams]
[rock music playing]
[muffled shouting, grunting]
[narrator] WWE Royal Rumble live Sunday January 27th
only on pay-per-view.
Let's get ready to…
[Ross] Well, tonight, ladies and gentlemen,
we are in the sold-out Mellon Arena here in a chilly Pittsburgh,
but the next time we have the privilege of being on pay-per-view
with you will be the Royal Rumble,
in keeping with the world's most famous arena, Madison Square Garden.
It's always a special night to be a part not only of the Rumble,
but to be in the Garden.
[Jerry] Oh, what a night that's gonna be, Royal Rumble.
Say, it's just chilly here to you?
[bell rings]
The following contest is scheduled for one fall
and it is for the WWE Women's--
♪You know you want me ♪
♪ You can't take your eyes away from me ♪
[Jerry] Wait a minute.
[Jillian] Hold up, Lilián. Hold up just a minute.
Just a minute.
♪ Everyday I wanna run away… ♪
It's that time of year again,
so I am here to spread
some of my Christmas cheer.
[Jerry] Uh-oh. Christmas cheer?
If you didn't know,
my album A Jingle with Jillian,
available exclusively on iTunes,
is blowing up. [laughs]
-[Ross] Blowing up? -You know, I'm not really one to brag.
-[Ross] Look at this. -But it's kinda, like,
one of the hottest downloads in the entire world right now.
-[Jerry] A Jingle with Jillian? -[Ross] Yup.
So, um…
you know-- well-- Hold up, the reviews, they're phenomenal,
but just to show you one guy,
shyguy, like, 3855 said,
"Move over, Celine,
Mariah, Christina,
there is a new diva in town."
And he was talking about me.
And I must say he was so right.
So as my holiday gift to all of you…
-[crowd booing] -[Ross] Oh, she's gonna…
…I am going to sing
one of my favorite songs of the album right now!
[Jerry] Oh, boy.
♪ Have yourself ♪
[Jerry] Oh, my God.
♪ A merry little Christmas ♪
[Ross] Oh.
-Oh, God. Oh, lord. -[Tazz] Oh, my gosh, that's pretty bad.
[Michael] I've heard a reindeer pass gas with more harmony.
[Tazz] She said that Jingling with Jillian on iTunes
is blowing up, I wish her microphone would blow up.
[continues singing badly]
[Jerry] Guys, I can't listen to Jillian anymore because-- Ugh!
[announcers exclaim]
[Jerry] I can't listen to it for medical reasons.
[Ross] It actually just broke my glasses.
-[Jerry] She's making me sick. -["Obsession" playing]
-[Tazz] Thank God. -[Jerry] Oh.
[Ross] I think Jillian should be traded to ECW.
[Lilián] This contest is scheduled for one fall
and is for the WWE Women's Championship!
Introducing the challenger from Richmond, Virginia,
Mickie James.
[Ross] A three-time WWE Women's Champion,
has a huge mountain to climb,
and I mean that in all due respect
to the WWE Women's Champion, the Glamazon.
[Jerry] Well, Mickie James is pretty glamorous herself.
Whoo! She's hot.
[Ross] And she likes to compete.
["Glamazon" playing]
[Lilián] And making her way to the ring from Buffalo, New York,
she is the WWE Women's Champion,
Beth Phoenix, the Glamazon.
[Jerry] Beth Phoenix represents a modern warfare
in the sense that we haven't seen the likes of her
in the Women's Division up 'til now, have we, J.R.?
[Ross] Certainly have not, and I'll tell you, you know,
she says she's the perfect combination of strength and beauty,
and I don't think anyone can dispute that fact whatsoever.
[Jerry] Well, as beautiful as she is,
there-- I still believe there's more strength.
[Ross] Whoa.
Mickie James, as we said, a three-time WWE Women's Champion,
intelligent young woman with a degree in Business Administration
from Richmond, Virginia,
is going to use all of her intellect and her skills,
and quite frankly, King, maybe get a little bit lucky here tonight.
Not in the sense of-- you're used to getting lucky, but in the sense of…
[Jerry] Hey, wait a minute.
-[bell rings] -[Ross] …in defeating someone
as imposing as the Glamazon.
[Jerry] Sort of counting on getting lucky tonight.
That's the strength there.
[Ross] And that's-- that really becomes the difference-maker more often than not
when that woman, Beth Phoenix, she likes to be called the Glamazon,
when she hooks up with any WWE Diva.
We all remember what she did to--
of course, the beautiful Candice Michelle.
Candice still on the injured list at the hands of the Glamazon.
-And again, this-- it's the strength of-- -[Jerry] Oh.
[Ross] Being overpowered is Mickie James
with-- And Mickie's a very resilient, very intelligent young woman.
-We are never gonna count her out. -[Jerry] As you see here,
Mickie James having the opportunity to go after,
well, first, the leg of the Glamazon.
But that didn't last long.
[Ross] Right here, Glamazon just simply overpowering,
nothing fancy about what she is trying to do to Mickie James,
who was trying to-- send Beth for a ride on the ropes, and now, look at this.
The ride is gonna be Mickie James's ride to take.
[Jerry] Well, and Mickie was going for that headscissor,
just too much power from the Glamazon.
She turned it around into a powerbomb.
-[Ross] There's a lateral press-- -[Jerry] That's it. Nope.
[Ross] Beth Phoenix, and if I had triceps like hers,
I would just probably not wear a shirt.
That wouldn't be good.
[Jerry] No.
[Ross] Look at the strength of this woman, definition,
and you can tell she's a-- like you said, not only beautiful, but…
[Jerry] She's gotta wear a shirt.
[Ross] I'm totally aware of that. Figure of speech.
And Mickie James, again, it's hard to get out of the blocks.
And the snapmare, easy.
[Jerry] Oh! Mickie James's neck just wrenched back
in ways it shouldn't be--
her whole-- entire body contorted there by the strength of Beth Phoenix.
[Ross] Little submission maneuver right here
-and Mickie James-- -[Jerry] Oh, there we go.
[Ross] Resourceful move by Mickie.
[Jerry] As Beth Phoenix, you know,
sometimes you get the upper hand on somebody in a match,
in a part of the match, and they get frustrated,
but when you do that to Beth Phoenix,
it just seems to make her mad and more angry.
[Ross] Mickie James avoiding some contact there.
Now Mickie James in a roll up. Hey, Mickie! Mickie got a near fall.
-[Jerry] Hey, Mickie! -[Ross] Mickie doesn't wanna be…
-[Jerry] There's a song. -[Ross] …doesn't wanna be another victim
of-- of the Glamazon.
I'm sure you remember the Glamazon planting Candice Michelle on her head,
breaking her collarbone in a couple of places.
-[Jerry] This is-- This is not good. -[Ross] This chicken wing right here.
-[Mickie James screams] -[Ross] This is power and strength.
[Ross] Another submission maneuver,
the challenge-- the challenger being tortured,
and you just really can't imagine, ladies and gentlemen,
the power it takes to execute that sort of maneuver…
-[Jerry] Uh-oh. -[Ross] …that we just saw
from the Glamazon.
Oh. Mickie James avoiding some disaster there.
[Jerry] Mickie able to get that foot up into the face of Beth Phoenix.
-Now, an elbow. -[Ross] Mickie is almost seemingly
waiting for one big move, one opportunity.
-That could do. -[Jerry] That might be it.
[Ross] And that…
[Jerry] I think Beth Phoenix just bounced off her head.
[Ross] And a Thesz Press taking down the Glamazon,
but Mickie James couldn't get to find the pinning combination there.
Mickie is seemingly-- Another Thesz Press,
and Mickie, you know, more aggressive.
-[Jerry] Well, yeah. -[Ross] That's what she's gotta do.
[Jerry] She's turning her frustrations into aggression here.
That's gonna be her only hope.
Look at that. Low dropkick.
[Ross] Next three seconds, that's all it takes to get it here.
And a two-count.
Mickie James with a two-count on the Glamazon.
[Jerry] J.R., you gotta be impressed.
This is the most offense we've seen exerted against Beth Phoenix.
[Ross] Absolutely, and Mickie showing no intimidation,
and no fear in her efforts
to become the Women's Champion for the fourth time.
And that was a beautiful neckbreaker by the challenger.
[Jerry] Like you said earlier, she told me
she's not gonna lose this opportunity again,
and she's taking full advantage of it right now.
-[Ross] Missile dropkick. -[Jerry] This could be it.
[Ross] Mickie James pulling out all the stocks.
There's a cover. Oh.
And Mickie had the great leverage on that with the legs.
But again, the power and the strength of the Glamazon…
-[Jerry] Mickie is able to-- -[Ross] …the difference.
[Jerry] Mickie has been able to sustain her offense, uh-oh, up until now.
Well, she's landed on her feet.
[Ross] And nice standing switch,
-but again, Beth Phoenix's… -[Jerry] Oh, no.
[Ross] …oh, the strength here.
And that fisherman's suplex driving Mickie James to the canvas.
Will that be it here?
-[bell ringing] -[Ross] And, indeed, it is.
-["Glamazon" playing] -The power and strength of the Glamazon
too much for Mickie James on this night.
[Jerry] But Mickie James took Beth Phoenix to the limit here.
I don't-- I think Beth Phoenix-- Look at the look on her face.
[Lilián] Here is your winner and still the WWE Women's Champion,
-Beth Phoenix! -[Jerry] Beth certainly knows
-she was in a fight here tonight. -[Ross] No doubt about it.
Beth Phoenix being extended more than at any time in her reign
by Mickie James here tonight at Armageddon.
[tense music playing]
[man] WrestleMania.
[narrator] It's the biggest WrestleMania under the sun.
WrestleMania XXIV live at the Florida, Citrus Bowl, March 30th, 2008.
There's nothing like WrestleMania,
and this year, we are under the sun.
And coming up next, a WrestleMania-like main event.
I'm joined by ECW's Tazz, sort of like old times.
[Tazz] Like a reunion, right? Like a reunion.
[Michael] After those inexplicable actions of my partner, JBL, earlier on,
but what a match you get to call. Triple Threat for the world title.
[Tazz] I'm ecstatic about this as most of all the fans are, I'm sure.
Ginormous right here, Cole. You gotta be kidding me.
Batista's World Heavyweight Championship hanging in a balance.
[Michael] And Edge hopes to cap off a months-long plan
and win the World Heavyweight title.
[Edge] Four months ago, tragedy struck when I sustained an injury.
I was forced to relinquish the World Heavyweight Championship.
I was actually contemplating retiring.
And then about two months ago, I did get a phone call
from someone who changed my career,
the general manager of SmackDown,
the love of my life, Vickie Guerrero.
I just wanted to thank you.
[Vickie] Welcome, baby.
[Edge] We both agreed that I needed to make a statement when I made my return,
and with Vickie's help, I made a statement.
[Michael] We're gonna crown a new champion!
-Wait! What the hell! -[JBL] What the hell was that?
-[Michael] Edge! It's Edge! -[JBL] It's Edge!
[Edge] I knew if I could eliminate the Undertaker,
I knew I could beat Batista.
[Michael] Edge has screwed the Undertaker again.
[Edge] And Undertaker, how did you react to that?
Did you come after me? No.
You attacked a defenseless woman.
Well, Vickie, tonight I dedicate my match to you, baby.
Tonight, I will be your World Heavyweight Champion.
["Rest In Peace" playing]
[Michael] The Undertaker, Spear by Batista!
Edge rolling out of harm's way!
And Undertaker slamming Batista!
Wait a minute.
-[JBL] Teddy Long! -[Michael] Teddy long is back!
Undertaker, last week,
Vickie Guerrero said these words to Edge.
So tonight, I'm going to say those same words to you.
-[Vickie] I can't believe-- -"I can't believe what you did tonight."
"It was unbelievable."
-"This was such a great match to see--" -This was such a great match to see,
and then, you went in there and interrupted it?
[Teddy] "Undertaker--"
[Vickie] …I'm gonna punish you.
-[Teddy] "That's right." -[Vickie] That's right.
-I'm gonna give you a world title match. -[Teddy] "…title match."
So at Armageddon, it is going to be
Edge versus Batista…
versus The Undertaker.
[crowd cheering]
[Teddy] A Triple Threat Match for the World Heavyweight Championship!
[Edge] Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome back Vickie Guerrero!
[Vickie] To be honest, I'm not doing very well.
I am mentally scarred.
I returned to SmackDown
to fulfill my duties on my show.
[Edge] What you're witnessing is the product
of four months of careful planning, and plotting, and preparation.
[Michael] A spear! Where the hell did he come from?
[Edge] Have I told you today how much I love you?
I love you more.
[Michael] And that smile symbolizing what Edge set out to do here tonight,
to weaken his opponents.
[Edge] What you're witnessing is the product
of four months of careful planning, and plotting, and preparation,
and the combination of this plan is when I become
the new World Heavyweight Champion!
Four months of careful planning… combination…
I become the new World Heavyweight Champion.
[bell rings]
This bout is set for one fall
is a Triple Threat Match
for the World Heavyweight Championship!
-["I Walk Alone" playing] -[crowd cheering]
♪ Yeah ♪
[Michael] Here comes The Animal!
[explosions]
[Justin] Making his way to the ring from Washington, D.C.,
weighing 290 pounds,
he is the current World Heavyweight Champion,
Batista.
[Michael] Hey, Tazz. Batista, the champion,
is back indeed against the wall
at a huge disadvantage under Triple Threat rules.
[Tazz] Well, exactly the champion does not have to be defeated
to lose his championship.
I mean, in essence, it's quadruple, you know, jeopardy for the champion.
Undertaker defeats Edge, that's one way Batista lose his title.
Edge defeats Undertaker, another way Batista lose his title.
And either one of those men, Edge or Undertaker,
if they were to defeat Batista,
Batista no longer the World Heavyweight Champion.
[Michael] There must be a winner tonight via pinfall or submission.
No count-outs, no disqualification, they won't figure in the decision.
And for Batista, hoping to keep the world title
here tonight at Armageddon.
♪ I walk for miles Inside this pit of danger… ♪
[Tazz] Tell you what. Sold out, over 14,000 of our fans here, baby.
And you can feel it, Cole.
You can feel the electricity.
It's big fight time
for the World Heavyweight Championship match.
-["Metalingus" playing] -[crowd cheering]
♪ On this day I see clearly ♪
♪ Everything has come to life ♪
♪ A bitter place and a broken dream ♪
♪ And we'll leave it all behind ♪
♪ On this day, it's so real to me… ♪
[Justin] And the challenger, first, from Toronto, Ontario, Canada,
weighing 250 pounds,
the "Rated-R Superstar" Edge!
[Michael] All three men in this match,
their lives intertwined on one fateful night,
May 11th, earlier this year.
It was the night that Edge cashed in Money in the Bank
when he pinned a physically beaten Undertaker
to win the world championship,
following The Undertaker and Batista's legendary Steel Cage match.
Edge hopes that Pittsburgh, the Mellon Arena,
are good to him again tonight.
[Tazz] I'll tell you what, Edge doesn't look too eager… [chuckles]
to get in that ring with the world heavyweight champ.
[Michael] Well, think of the dichotomy here,
Batista has never defeated Edge,
never defeated Edge in a match when the world title has been on the line.
Edge has that psychological advantage.
[crowd chatter]
-[Michael] The intensity in the eyes. -[Tazz] Oh, hey,
-Batista is burning a hole in Edge. -["Rest In Peace" playing]
-[Tazz] Uh-oh. -[crowd cheering]
[bell tolling]
["Rest In Peace" continues]
[Justin] And the final participant, from Death Valley,
weighing 299 pounds,
The Undertaker.
[Michael] There is no one who enters a match
quite like The Undertaker does.
And Tazz, that's quite a psychological advantage for The Phenom.
[Tazz] Well, absolutely you are correct, Cole.
When you're in the ring and you're watching The Phenom,
The Deadman, The Undertaker,
make his way down the aisle,
you get a lot of thoughts in your head, and they're not too positive.
[Michael] What an opportunity for The Undertaker tonight.
[Tazz] Look at this.
[Michael] To renew that amazing rivalry with Batista,
to get his hands on Edge in a match for the first time
since Edge cost The Undertaker the world title,
not only on May 11th of earlier this year,
but also at Survivor Series.
[Tazz] And you know The Deadman has not forgotten.
I don't think Batista is exactly doing backflips
-over Edge's attitude, to say the least. -[bell tolling]
[Tazz] I'm getting goose bumps, Cole, I'm telling you.
I am fired up for this.
[bell tolling]
["Rest In Peace" playing]
[thunder rumbling]
[Michael] I'll defer to you on this, Tazz, but in my estimation,
I believe Edge, if he wants to survive in this match,
he's gonna have to weather the early emotional storm
from both The Undertaker and Batista.
[Tazz] Absolutely. I wanna say something, Cole.
Absolutely the most intimidating presence
in all of the history of the WWE, The Undertaker.
[thunder rumbling]
[Michael] You see Batista staring at The Undertaker.
Think about the five great matches that these two men have engaged in
for the world title this year.
Batista and The Undertaker battling in every type of match imaginable
all for the world championship.
And now Edge once again
is injected in this entire recipe
to get into this Triple Threat match tonight.
[Tazz] Look at that. [laughs]
I'm telling you, Edge kinda looks like he does not wanna be here.
-He looks terrified. -[Michael] Both The Undertaker
-and Batista got a bull's-eye for Edge. -[Tazz] Yeah. I know.
[Michael] Triple Threat match underway.
That's what it's all about, the world title.
Again, Triple Threat rules, there must be a winner
via pinfall or submission,
count-outs and disqualifications don't matter
as we get set to go…
-[bell ringing] -[Michael] …between three
of the biggest stars in the history of sports entertainment.
In the history of sports entertainment.
Edge, The Undertaker, and Batista.
[Tazz] And Edge, well, I mean, I hate to point out the obvious,
but he's not getting in the ring.
[Michael] Well, perhaps it's the strategy
of the cunning Rated-R Superstar. Here we go.
Let The Undertaker and Batista take on one another for a while.
And there's the first lock-up for the matchup.
-And there's the strength of Batista. -[Tazz] Whoa. Whoa. Uh-oh.
[Michael] And Undertaker, forced out of the ring, goes straight at Edge.
Edge now between a rock and a hard place.
-The old cliché. -[Tazz] Oh, they got him.
[Michael] Oh, they got him.
[Tazz] That's what Edge has gotta be careful of.
-[Michael] Edge and-- -[Tazz] Whoa, wait.
[Michael] Well, Batista and Undertaker both want Edge to themselves!
[Tazz] Oh. They're fighting with each other to get to Edge.
[Michael] And a right hand right to the temple of Batista
by The Phenom.
[Tazz] Well, the-- Ooh.
[Michael] Kidney first.
[Tazz] In my opinion here, if you are Batista,
you really got to wrestle on your toes.
You gotta defend the World Heavyweight title.
-You gotta be careful here. -[Michael] Edge taking advantage.
Undertaker making his way back into the ring.
Remember, it was just two nights ago, Undertaker was decimated
by Big Daddy V and Mark Henry.
[Tazz] Yeah. And then Edge came in and mocked--
and mocked The Undertaker in Undertaker's face.
[Michael] That-- You just saw there
the example of how dangerous Triple Threat matches can be.
You focus on one man, there's another one lurking about.
[Tazz] And it's so quick that you can forget, believe it or not,
that you're in a Triple Threat when you having at it with one individual
and all of a sudden, ooh, bam, you got nailed from behind.
Uh-oh. Uh-oh.
[Michael] Stare-off between these two huge men,
Batista driving The Undertaker out of the ring.
[Tazz] Oh, look at this! Oh!
[Michael] Right into a possible Chokeslam! And…
Batista taken out. Edge taken out. Undertaker dominating early.
[Tazz] I think inadvertently, Batista might have saved Edge's life.
[Michael] Who can ever forget that image of The Undertaker
inside Hell in a Cell? A bloody mess,
when Edge came in
and really stole the championship from Undertaker.
[Tazz] Shocking moment, for sure.
-And now The Deadman-- -[Michael] Oh.
[Tazz] Oh, God.
Deadman with some bad intentions on his mind.
The champion, Batista, is in trouble, I think.
-Heads up. -[Michael] Vengeance of Undertaker,
300 pounds across the chest.
And the veteran, The Undertaker, with terrific strategies thus far,
focused on one man, Batista, makes sure Edge stays down and out.
You can't beat both guys.
-You gotta beat one. -[Tazz] Right.
And there's no disqualification, there's no count-out.
-The-- Uh-oh. The first man… -[Michael] Oh.
[Tazz] …to get pinned or end up tapping out to submit basically loses.
[Michael] Shoulder-first into the steel post.
Batista down. Undertaker down.
[Tazz] Well, I'm sorry, Edge really picked his spot there, you think?
[Michael] Well, that's why he's The Ultimate Opportunist.
-That's how Edge has made a living here. -[Tazz] Look at this.
-[Michael] Crawls to the cover. -[Tazz] The hook to the leg.
-[Michael] Oh, and almost a… -[Tazz] God. Talk about--
[Michael] …world title coming Edge's way.
[Tazz] Talk about picking up the scraps.
Edge scrambling in there.
[Michael] And Edge really just hammering away at "The Animal" Batista.
[Tazz] Oh.
[Michael] Shoulder to the gut, dropping Undertaker off the apron.
-And look out. -[Tazz] Oh.
[Michael] What a side slam! Now Batista, with the title on the line!
[Michael] And a kickout at two-and-a-half.
[Tazz] Cole, you wanna talk power, did you see the strength, the height?
Batista hurling Edge's body.
-[Michael] Well-- -[Tazz] That was unbelievable.
[Michael] That's the champion's game.
It's a power game for Batista.
And Batista whipping Edge into the corner with a shoulder,
-done it with Edge as well. -[Batista grunts loudly]
[Michael] Batista taking it to Edge.
Look at the shoulders…
-[Tazz] Well, yeah. -…being driven into the gut.
[Tazz] Those are some very thick, big deltoids in your gut.
Watch Batista, he was ready to rock here.
[Michael] Oh, but Edge--
[Tazz] Yeah, he caught Edge and now look.
[Michael] Sliding out of the way,
and Batista head-first into that second turnbuckle,
and now maybe it's Edge's turn.
[Tazz] Yeah, Edge might have a quickness advantage.
[Michael] Oh, Edge is feeling it now.
-The Rated-R Superstar… -[Tazz] Here we go.
-[Michael] …goes to Batista. -[Tazz] Oh.
-[Michael] And he runs into a boot. -[Tazz laughing]
[Michael] And I'm sure GM Vickie Guerrero,
Edge's lover, felt that back in her office.
-[Tazz] Oh. Here we go. -[Michael] As Edge is into the mat.
-A cover. -[Tazz] He got him.
[Michael] And Undertaker saved the matchup.
[Tazz] Very smart by The Deadman,
ooh, to save his title opportunity,
he being The Undertaker.
[Michael] Undertaker driving Batista into the steel steps.
You really gotta have eyes in the back of your head in this Triple Threat match.
[Tazz] You do. I mean, again, just to reiterate,
if you are Batista, you're the champion,
you don't have to be pinned or submit to lose your title.
That's what makes it so dangerous here.
The champion is really not--
this is not a fun match for a champion.
[Michael] Undertaker measuring Edge.
[Tazz] It's not fun for Edge right now.
[Michael] A kick to the side of the head.
And Undertaker, you've seen over the years,
the latest example inside Hell in a Cell at Survivor Series,
how vicious and ruthless The Undertaker can be.
[Tazz] Well, that's what it's all about. Oh.
[Michael] And Batista with the clothesline,
exploding from out of nowhere.
[Tazz] Yes, the World Heavyweight Champion,
Batista, stopping the momentum of The Undertaker.
Very smart.
[Michael] Batista, a passionate champion.
He worked long and hard to win the title back in September.
[Tazz] Look at this clothesline, come out of nowhere, bam.
Right there.
Not many men can level The Deadman like that.
[Michael] And Edge looking to take advantage.
-[Tazz] Uh-oh. -[Michael] Spinebuster.
[Tazz] This could be it, Cole.
This definitely could be it-- Or maybe not, let's see.
-[Michael] Batista measuring Edge. -[Tazz] Uh-oh.
-[Michael] Perhaps going for the Batista-- -[Tazz] Oh, low blow.
Remember, no disqualification.
-[Michael] Exactly. -[Tazz] A low blow by Edge.
-Oh, wow. No. -[Michael] DDT.
-Edge could be closing in… -[Tazz] Here we go.
-[Michael] …on the world title. -[Tazz] Edge has got Batista!
[Michael] There's the cover. Edge is gonna do it again!
-[Tazz] Oh. -[Michael] And Undertaker
ripping referee Mickie Henson out of the ring.
[Tazz] Again, no disqualification.
[Michael] Oh, man. Did you see the look in Edge's eyes?
[Tazz] Edge looks like he's seen a ghost.
[Michael] Absolute fear across the face of Edge.
[Tazz] And rightfully so.
[Michael] And this is what The Undertaker has been waiting for.
-The opportunity… -[Tazz] Uh-oh.
[Michael] …to get Edge in the ring.
-[Tazz] Oh. -[Michael] To punish Edge
for Edge's sins throughout the year
against The Phenom, who's unloading on Edge.
[Tazz] You don't wanna start throwing hands at The Undertaker.
Oh, man, look out.
[Michael] Three-hundred pounds.
[crowd cheering]
-[Tazz] Uh-oh. -[Michael] Edge in trouble.
Undertaker gonna roll those Snake Eyes in Pittsburgh.
-[Tazz] Look at this. Oh! -[Michael] Boot to the face.
[Tazz] That's gotta be it.
The Deadman zoning in for the kill.
Retribution for The Undertaker right now--
-No! -[Michael] Kick-out by Edge.
[Tazz] Well, how Edge kicked out?
[Michael] And again, under Triple Threat rules,
the title would have changed hands if Undertaker pinned Edge.
The champion, Batista, does not have to be involved in the decision.
[Tazz] Let's go, baby. A little Old School, a little Old School.
Uh-oh. Here we go.
[Tazz exclaims]
[Michael] Right across the back of the neck.
-Imagine what that feels like. -[Tazz] I felt it.
I didn't love when I felt it, but I love watching it.
[Michael] Undertaker measuring Edge,
stalking Edge,
trying to close in on the world championship.
[Tazz] Oh, yeah, daddy, here we go.
[Michael] I don't think The Undertaker can do enough damage--
-[Tazz] Oh. Oh, no. -[Michael] Batista!
May do damage to The Undertaker!
[Tazz] Like a car wreck on I-60.
[Michael] What a spear by Batista, sends Edge flying.
Now Batista…
-[Tazz] Look at this. Look at this. -[Michael] Here's the cover.
[Tazz] Batista stack--
[Michael] Oh, look at Undertaker, Undertaker has got it.
Trying to lock in the triangle choke.
[Tazz] Got that armbar, the headscissors.
Definitely a triangle choke in the makings here.
[Michael] Batista felt this inside Hell in a Cell.
He's feeling it again tonight, the submission maneuver.
If Batista taps, The Undertaker will be world champion.
[Tazz] A deadly submission hold will choke you out quick.
-[Michael] The triangle choke. -[bell ringing]
[Tazz] Wait a minute. Wait a minute.
-What the-- What-- -[Michael] Edge--
-[Tazz] The hell is Edge doing? -[Michael] What the hell?
[Henson] I didn't ring no bell!
I didn't ring the bell!
[Michael] Referee Mickie Henson emphatically saying
that he didn't ring the bell.
Edge did.
But the distraction--
[Tazz] Edge is looking for a shortcut out of this thing.
[Michael] Shortcut? I think he might have saved the championship.
Undertaker was about to get Batista to submit.
[Tazz] To get you on-- -[Michael] Oh, and a Spear.
-Here we go. -[Michael] Here's the cover,
hooks the leg. And a kick-out.
[Tazz] But you know what, Cole? It was smart by Edge to do what he did,
by ringing the bell.
He wanted to break up that submission on the triangle choke
without getting physically involved.
Very smart, like it or not, by Edge.
[Michael] The manipulative champion, measuring his man.
[Tazz] Spear on Batista.
-[Michael] Both men down. -[Tazz] Here we go.
[Michael] Here's the cover of the champion,
hook to the leg, and Batista powers out.
[Tazz] Nothing but impact on the Spear.
[Michael] Edge doing what he can to try to put both of these men away.
[Tazz] Edge can taste the victory, Cole.
Edge can taste possibly being the new champion.
[Michael] Completely legal.
Remember, no disqualifications.
Two chairs for Edge.
Remember what Edge did inside Hell in a Cell to The Undertaker
with one of those chairs.
[Tazz] Oh, my God, this is not good.
[Michael] Batista hardly moving.
Edge with the steel chair,
was setting up for a con-chair-to, and Batista countered.
[Tazz] Big-time backfire. Batista sticking on his feet,
and Edge is off his feet.
[Michael] And Undertaker and Batista on theirs,
and Batista with a running clothesline.
[Tazz] Holy smokes.
[Michael] Imagine the impact from the champion.
[Tazz] Cole, I think you could say "clothesline" is an understatement.
That was nasty.
[Michael] Well, Batista doesn't go often to the top rope,
Tazz, but he's going there now.
-And Undertaker-- -[Tazz] Oh.
Again, the veteran, smart in the ring, generally… Undertaker…
-[Michael] And-- -[Tazz] …using the top rope
as his ally to drop Batista.
[Michael] And Batista rarely goes to the top rope, and it cost him there.
The instinct of The Undertaker.
Oh, man. Oh, man.
On the top rope…
This is near 600 pounds up on the top rope.
[Tazz] And Undertaker, can he pull this throw off?!
[Michael] Superplex!
Shaking and rattling the ring.
[Tazz] Beautiful.
[Michael] The world title on the line, Undertaker and Batista down.
[Tazz] Shaking and rattling. Batista--
[Michael] Here's the cover, Undertaker, the new champion--
No!
[Tazz] You gotta assume Batista kicking out on instinct.
[Michael] Edge watched that transpire,
his title hopes flashing before his eyes before Batista kicked out.
[Tazz] Edge-- I just can't get over Edge.
He's literally sticking and moving, and picking his spots.
[Michael] Undertaker
-can pick his spot as well. -[Tazz] Here we go.
[Michael] Edge felt the Old School moments ago.
Undertaker gonna hope to deliver it to Batista here.
[Tazz] That man's-- Oh!
[Michael] Caught in midair! Caught in midair!
The champion plants The Phenom!
[Tazz] How strong is this man!
[Michael] That is what Batista can do, and very few can do it to The Undertaker.
[Tazz] Here we go, Cole. Batista, seeing the end is near.
[Michael] And now Spearing Edge! Spearing Edge!
And here's Batista.
Batista going for The Undertaker.
[Tazz] Whoa. Oh.
[Michael] Taking Edge out of the picture as Undertaker drives Batista
in a-- Wait a minute.
[Tazz] What? What the hell?
[Michael] Laid out here in front of us, there's--
[Tazz] What the hell? Wait a minute.
-And look at this! -[Michael] The Undertaker,
big back body drop.
[Tazz] Well, Undertaker has gotta--
[Michael] There's two-- two-- two… two Edges.
-[Tazz exclaims] Deadman… -[Michael] Uh-oh. Batista…
[Tazz] Ooh, so long, Batista!
[Michael] Chokeslam!
Undertaker may be closing in on the world championship.
[Tazz] Undertaker can feel it, baby, World Heavyweight Championship,
coming to The Deadman.
[Michael] And Undertaker--
-what the hell? -[Tazz] Oh, Edge just got--
[Michael] Well, Edge got-- What is going on?
-[Tazz] Edge is-- -[Michael] Undertaker, Chokeslam!
[Tazz] Oh, my God.
[Michael] Undertaker with a Chokeslam,
Batista looking to take advantage.
[Tazz] Here we go.
-What the hell is going on here? -[Michael] Absolute chaos out here.
Edge just crawled by Edge.
Well, I mean, there's only one Edge,
but Edge just crawled by somebody that looked like Edge, I guess.
[Tazz] Well, right now, Undertaker's trying to--
[Michael] And there's another Edge in the ring.
And look at Undertaker.
[Tazz] Whoa. Wait a minute, watch out.
[Michael] Snake Eyes to Batista, here comes The Phenom.
Oh, and he runs into a wicked clothesline.
[Tazz] Second time in this match.
-Here we go. -[Michael] Here's the cover,
there's two, and Undertaker kicks out.
Undertaker and Batista, Tazz, oblivious
to the multiple Edges that are out here.
[Tazz] As am I.
What the hell?
It's all about the World Heavyweight title for Batista and The Undertaker.
[Michael] And Batista--
wait a minute.
Batista and Undertaker finishing the match…
-[Tazz] Oh, my God. -[Michael] …they never had
-the opportunity to finish. -[Tazz] How impressive.
-[Michael] Just like Hell in a Cell. -[Tazz] It's gotta be it.
[Michael] Tombstone Piledriver.
[Tazz] The Deadman-- Uh-oh.
[Michael] From behind.
-[Tazz] Look at this. -[Michael] Edge,
steel chair off the spine.
[Tazz] No disqualification.
-Oh! -[Michael] And again,
Survivor Series revisited. There's the cover,
-hook to the leg. -[Tazz] No way.
-[bell ringing] -[Michael] Oh, God.
-Edge is the world champion. -["Metalingus" playing]
♪ On this day I see clearly… ♪
[Justin] The winner of this match,
and new World Heavyweight Champion,
The "Rated-R Superstar" Edge!
[Tazz] Cole, I don't know what the hell just happened.
All I know is that we have a new World Heavyweight Champion,
history has been made.
What the hell is going on, though?
[Michael] Chaos and confusion and faux Edges all around,
but the bottom line is there's no disqualification.
It didn't matter. Edge is a four-time champion.
Edge is a Pittsburgh Steeler
as he steals one in Pittsburgh tonight.
[Tazz] And there's the-- well, the other Edges, I guess.
[Michael] The other Edges.
[Tazz] Well, earlier, Edge told General Manager Vickie Guerrero,
"I'm gonna make you feel as good as you make me feel."
And I assume that's what happened.
What is going on here?
[Michael] Well, to that point, think about SmackDown…
being changed forever.
The general manager is Vickie Guerrero, her lover is the world champion.
[Tazz] Well, with Edge's relationship to Vickie Guerrero…
[scoffs] …you gotta assume
you guys on SmackDown got an untouchable World Heavyweight Champion.
[Michael] I mean, look at the look of confusion
on the face of The Undertaker.
Absolute chaos reigning tonight.
I don't believe that it's sunk in yet to The Undertaker or Batista
what has transpired,
what Edge has pulled off here tonight.
[Tazz] Well, both Batista and Undertaker
thought they had neutralized Edge, but there was more than one Edge?
-I mean, really? -[Michael] A premeditated,
clever Edge, The Ultimate Opportunist.
If this was the master plan of Vickie and Edge, it was successful.
The Master Manipulator is again world champion.
The Rated-R Era take four is upon us.
[music fades out] ke four is upon us.