Well
SummerSlam 2004 is now over and the results in the books. The card offered some good matches, some "Ehh" ones, and a few bits of crap. Here are my notes:
1. They opened with the 6-man match, Rey Mysterio, Paul London and Billy Kidman versus the Dudley Boys and Spike. The cruisers made this a fun, solid opener. In the end Spike pinned Kidman after Billy took a 3D.
2. Matt Hardy versus Kane in a Wedding Certificate on a Pole Til Death Do Us Part match. I wish they hadn't built such a dumb storyline and stipulation for this match. The bout itself was actually well worked. Kane ultimately won, and the crap will continue with his "wedding" to Lita.
Randy Orton began to cut a promo next. I think we were saved from it being a complete snore-fest by John Cena.
3. John Cena vs. Booker T, match 1 of Best of 5 series: this match began a trend for the night of good matches cut too short. I was surprised by Cena getting the win; after dominating Book on Smackdown!, I expected him to drop this match.
Next was a sketch for the two general managers Theodore Long and Eric Bishoff. Eric gloated about the fact that he's seen 4 GMs come and go in a year of SD! while he's still going strong. Long says he'll sign any talent sick of Eric. I see another way to shift around talent...
4. Triple Threat Intercontinental title match: Chris Jericho versus Batista versus Edge. Edge was booed throughout the match; weird, with him being the hometown boy!
This match was again too short. Edge retained and didn't turn heel. I'm suspecting the fed is building up to that.
5. Eddie Guerrero versus Kurt Angle was again too short (see a pattern?), but what we got was still great. The two busted ass to put on a solid affair that finally saw Eddie tap out to one of 3 ankle locks.
6. HHH versus Eugene. Eugene had some funny spots here: counting on his fingers for a 10-punch count, hitting a dead on Stone Cold Stunner complete with giving the bird, and hitting with a Pedigree himself. Triple H ultimately won the match though, ending his streak of putting newer workers over.
Next up was the Diva Dodgeball match. If the fed had hoped to show the Diva Search hopefulls in a better light, they failed. The girls looked as awful as they have to date, and they quickly won in 4 minutes of my life that I'll never get back. Is it redundant to call this a DUD? I am regardless.
7. The Undertaker versus JBL for the WWE title. I missed the opening minutes for a bathroom break, but it seems I didn't miss anything important.
It was a massive brawl, with JBL trying to weaken 'Taker's legs for some reason. In the end 'Taker was DQ'd for using the title belt.
The match was better than I expected, but that just means it didn't suck as badly as expected. More interesting were the events after the match: Undertaker chokeslammed JBL through his limousine roof. Bradshaw was then stretchered out of the arena, a more face'ish thing for a heel.
The fact that he retained didn't bode well for the final match:
8. Randy Orton versus Chris Benoit for the World title. There were many reversals and both using Sharpshooters, but after about 20 minutes Randy hit an RKO for the pinfall win and the Championship.
After the match Benoit came back to offer the Handshake of Respect to a reluctant Orton, who finally gave it after being yelled at to "Be a Man" a few times.
I still think that Randy is way too green to hold the title yet, but I guess we'll have to wait and see.
This wasn't the most memorable SummerSlam - in fact had I not taken notes I'd already have forgotten much of it - but it's done. Let's now see what WWE does from it.
