• Wrestling News & Wrestling Rumors – WWE & TNA

It’s 23:19, I been home about 30 minutes from the LG Arena Birmingham, formally the NEC, I’ve just been to see the 2 and a half hour show that was WWE Smackdown and ECW. Overall it was a good show, I’ve always preferred the house shows to live events anyway a lot more crowd interaction during the matches and the wrestlers have time to really perform and get across their characters in a more intimate way. So, here is my run down of the Birmingham show.

Match 1 – Evan Borne Vs Tyson Kidd

Evan Borne got a huge ovation as he came down the aisle, which was followed by Tyson Kidd getting booed but I think most people actually didn’t realise who he was. The match itself wasn’t as fast paced as you’d of expected from the two but was a solid match of around 10-15 minutes. Everything Borne did was greeted with pops from the crowd he couldn’t of been more over if he had tried. Kidd who controlled most of the match done an excellent job keeping Borne down, but didn’t show much heel personality was more about the moves. Borne finished with the Shooting Star Press and got another huge ovation, was a good opening match-up.

Match 2 – Katie Lea, Nataylia, Maryse Vs Gail Kim and The Bella Twins

This match from the get go was some what of a let down being that The Bella Twins in recent storylines have been feuding, although I did turn to my mate and say “Atleast it’s not like TNA and using Jeff and Joe when they’re supposedly out injured.” The match itself was average what you would expect from a diva’s match at a house show, pretty slow paced with nothing spectacular. Gail Kim and The Bella’s won, when The Bella’s speared (And I do use that term loosely) Katie Lea and Maryse out the ring, while Gail Kim pinned Nataylia with that finisher she has been using (Not sure on the name of it). The core ovation for this match was naturally from the males.

Match 3 – Shelton Benjamin Vs M.V.P. Vs R Truth for the U.S. Title.

R Truth came out first dissapointingly down the aisle not through the audience, although he did get a nice ovation. Shelton Benjamin came down to an outstanding amount of boo’s followed by M.V.P. who got cheered loudly and an M.V.P. chant started up. The match itself was a nice match, quite a bit of work was done with all three, and also singularly with M.V.P. and Benjamin pairing off and Benjamin and Truth pairing off at different points in the match. Benjamin as always put on an excellent performance as did M.V.P. It has to be said though, R Truth looked out of place between these two very talented up and coming stars. The only thing Truth really done as interact with the crowd and get them going. The match was fairly long maybe 20 minutes and ended with M.V.P. beating Benjamin to the fans going fairly wild. Overall a good match and I would like to see Benjamin and M.V.P. both move up a rung in the WWE, especially if their standard of work stays in this A-Game they’ve both been showing.

Match 4 – Finlay Vs Mark Henry in a Belfast Brawl

Finlay got the biggest ovation of the night so far accompanied by his “Son” Hornswoggle. Mark Henry with his “Ever expanding” personality struggled to even get booed. Him being there was an even bigger let down then WWE not following storylines with the Bella Twins. The match was passable wouldn’t even say it was okay, which is a shame ’cause Finlay is a great worker and a unique one at that. The match was pretty standard with trash cans, baking sheets and Hornswoggle hitting Henry with a kendo stick only for Henry to snap it over his leg. Finlay won moments after this using his ever trusty shelaighley. Finlay got another well deserved praising from the fans (I say this as he had to work with Henry) while Henry worked out to near silence.

Next up was a very quick 10 minute interval which was brought to an end by Tiffany being introduced to the ring where she said the usual spiel of “It’s a pleasure to be here in Birmingham and to be the G.M. of ECW for all you great fans…” etc etc. She then introduced the next match which was;

Match 5 – Jack Swagger Vs Christian for the ECW Title.

Jack Swagger got booed which he definitely deserved as he is a really good heel and plays to the crowd wonderfully for someone as green as he is. Next came Christian to a big ovation, not quite as big as Finlays though. The match itself was very good, started off with some show boating, Christian proving he was more popular than Swagger, forcing Swagger to jump out the rings and lunge at fans screaming for them to shut up. The match got underway after this took place for a while and was a solid match. Half way through the match Swagger had Christian on the top rope crotched and lifted Christians arm replicating how the match begun which again I thought was a nice touch for a green heel to produce some nice heat. Swagger won after a nice exchange of them both going for the finishers three times in a row. Swagger got booed out the building while Christian got a nice reception on his way up the ramp.

Match 6 – Matt Hardy Vs Jeff Hardy

Matt Hardy came down first to a mixture of boos and cheers which I thought was quite surprising as I find him a rather entertaining heel. Jeff Hardy the stole Finlay’s title for biggest pop of the night during his entrance and went round and greeted every single fan from the stage all the way round the ring, the only one to do that of the night. The match itself was average, it was good but nothing spectacular. I’ve never really liked them working together anyway, singularly against others fantastic as a tag-team fantastic but together they just don’t gel very well in my opinion. A I said though the match was entertaining enough the fans popping at everything Jeff did rallying behind him all the way, until he won the match with a reversal of Matt’s Twist Of Fate into his own followed by the Swanton Bomb. Jeff again got a huge ovation on his way out. Matt however stayed on the Matt for a long time face down, when he did get up he looked very groggy and actually nearly fell off the apron while rolling out, as he walked to the back he looked a bit unstable also. The fans however ignored this and booed and chanted “LOSER” at him. Whether Matt actually was injured or maybe Jeff just knocked the air out of him I was unsure.

Match 7 – The Main Event – HHH & Undertaker Vs Legacy

HHH came out first to a very warm welcome, followed by The Undertaker whose ovation just did not seem to end from the time he appeared until the time Legacy’s music hit. Legacy came out to a mixture of females going mad (For Randy I can only imagine it wasn’t the other two) and everyone else pretty much booing them. The match probably lasted about half an hour, it started with HHH chasing Randy Orton to the back and ‘Taker fending off Rhodes and Dibiase. The next 7 minutes or so was a normal tag-match which Taker and HHH controlled, untill HHH went up the aisle with Dibiase only for Orton to reappear and attack HHH taking over control of the match. This match may of been the finest bit of tag-teaming I have seen in WWE in recent times, which Legacy teasing the tag then cutting HHH off time and time again. ‘Taker was going mad on the apron and on the foor picking up a steel chair throwing it around. He stole someones bottle of water and smashed it off his head covering himself with water running up and down the apron getting the fans behind HHH in the ring. After Legacy controlled for around 10 minutes, ‘Taker finally got the tag, HHH recovered and chased Orton off again after ‘Taker had delivered a double chokeslam to Rhodes and Dibiase. HHH returned for a simultaneous Tombstone and Pedigree and ‘Taker pinned Rhodes. The audience went wild while HHH stayed out the way and ‘Taker did his thing and walked to the back. Then HHH’s music hit and the show ended with HHH celebrating and going round the arena slapping hands with the fans.

The show was very enjoyable and apart from the two drawbacks which I mentions (Bella’s and Henry) was well worth the £25 + booking fee I paid for my ticket (Yeah, I know the cheap seats). Somewhere during the show they announced the DX Reunion Tour coming during November although all the fliers on the seats said the Survivor Series Tour, but we get the picture. If WWE put more shows on like this on TV they’d be on to gold, it just shows I was wrong and they can do it, lets hope they start to do it.

Jimmy Wheeler