Post by Slade on Feb 10, 2021 9:13:20 GMT -5
Date: January 25, 2021
From: PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Commentary Team: Michael Cole, Jim Cornette, and Samoa Joe
Ring Announcer: Lillian Garcia
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DANIEL BRYAN vs. CHRIS JERICHO
Chris Jericho went for the Judas Effect, but Daniel Bryan got his hands up to block. Jericho spun around the other way and gave him a step-up enzuigiri kick and then executed the lionsault. He made the pin, but Bryan kicked out. Jericho picked him up and threw knife-edge chops at him. Once Bryan had been backed into the ropes, Jericho gave him a clothesline out to the ring apron. He ran to the corner and went for a springboard dropkick, but Bryan stepped back to avoid it. Bryan ran to the far corner, climbed the turnbuckle and executed a front missile dropkick. He got up and put the boots to Jericho with his Yes! Kicks. When he finished, he pinned Jericho, who kicked out after two.
Bryan picked up Jericho and gave him a snap suplex in the corner. He pulled him out of the corner and climbed to the top turnbuckle. He went for a diving double-foot stomp, but Jericho rolled out of the way. Bryan landed on his feet, rolled into a somersault and turned around to find Jericho charging at him. He leapt up to go for a hurricanrana, but Jericho countered it into a powerbomb, then lifted him back up and planted him with another one. He flexed and put a foot on Bryan’s chest as a “pin.” Of course, Bryan kicked out.
Jericho picked up Bryan and gave him a fisherman’s suplex, but again Bryan kicked out, so Jericho then tried to flip Bryan over into the Walls of Jericho. Bryan battled with him and eventually used Jericho’s momentum against him to flip him onto the mat with his legs. Once back to their feet, Bryan charged at Jericho, who gave him a Codebreaker and then made the cover. 1…2… kick out! Jericho was infuriated. He argued with the referee about his count. Meanwhile, Bryan crawled to the ropes and got up on the ring apron. Jericho approached and got a shoulder to the abdomen. Bryan went over the top rope and brought Jericho down with a sunset flip. Jericho flipped through, got to his feet and tried to kick Bryan’s head off, but he leaned back to avoid it, then brought Jericho to the mat with a toehold and went for the Yes! Lock. Jericho fought him off and got to the ropes. Once back to their feet, Jericho quickly attempted a Judas Effect. Bryan ducked and ran to the corner. Jericho charged and Bryan ran out of the corner, connecting with the running high knee! He made the cover. 1…2…3! (21:05)
Winner: Daniel Bryan
***
Jonathan Coachman met up with Daniel Bryan backstage to get his thoughts on winning a spot in the RAW bracket finals of the WWE Universal Championship tournament finals at Royal Rumble. He talked about his desire to be the very best wrestler in the world and that all his hard work and dedication to his craft is what has propelled him to this point in the tournament. Ricky Steamboat entered the interview set and congratulated Bryan on earning his spot in the finals. Bryan thanked him. As they shook hands, Bryan wished him the best of luck on his match later tonight, saying that he hopes to meet him in the finals at the Royal Rumble.
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BIANCA BELAIR vs. PEYTON ROYCE
Bianca Belair had her way with Peyton Royce almost from the beginning. Royce’s IIconics partner interjected to help Royce get the advantage, but when Royce went for a hurricanrana, Belair countered it with a powerbomb. She strung together a series of move moves including a spinebuster, glam slam and gorilla press slam. Belair gave Royce a spear and indicated she was going to end the match. Billie Kay entered the ring and tried to defend Royce, but she was also speared. Then, Kay showed off her impressive strength by lifting then both into the inverted fireman’s carry and executing a double-stacked K.O.D. She pinned Royce for the win. After getting the win, she looked at the camera and said that she had one more Aussie to burn. (6:50)
Winner: Bianca Belair
***
Bagpipe music filled the PPG Paints Arena, signalling the arrival of Rowdy Roddy Piper. It came as a surprise to the commentary team. Piper, who had been filling in on commentary for a few weeks since the injury to Tony Schiavone at the hands of Kevin Owens was wearing a neckbrace as he hobbled out to the ring on crutches. Piper gingerly entered the ring and asked for a microphone. He proceeded to cut a passionate promo on the subject of his disdain and loathing for Kevin Owens. As his blood boiled, his skin turned red, and his voice grew louder, he ripped off he neckbrace and threw down his crutches while proclaiming that no injury could stop him from putting Owens in his place. Then, he challenged the still suspended Prizefighter to an unsanctioned Philadelphia Street Fight at the Royal Rumble. He said he’d be out in the back alley, and as he pulled a baseball bat out from under his kilt, he told Owens to show up ready to fight.
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STREET PROFITS vs. MOTOR CITY MACHINE GUNS vs. WORLD’S GREATEST TAG TEAM vs. WYATT FAMILY
This fatal fourway tag team match was one fall to a finish. A near breakneck pace was maintained throughout the contest as even the massive Wyatt Family members Luke Harper and Erick Rowan had good speed for a couple of big men. Everyone got a chance to look good. All teams executed signature double-team maneuvers. At various points in the bout, it looked like each team was on the verge of winning. However, after Harper gave Charlie Haas a superkick that sent him into a full-nelson slam from Erick Rowan, the referee was unable to maintain order. Rowan covered, but Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins all dove in to break up the fall. A brawl broke out. Several bodies were sent out of the ring. Harper and Rowan gave Shelley a double chokeslam onto the torn apart ring steps. Moments later, they put Chris Sabin through the Spanish announce table with a double crucifix powerbomb. Back inside the ring, Angelo Dawkins lifted Shelton Benjamin into the electric chair. Charlie Haas gave him a chop block to prevent Street Profits from hitting their finisher. Benjamin landed on his feet and together with Haas, executed a leapfrog stun gun on Dawkins. Ford wiped out Haas with a diving crossbody, but he received a spinning heel kick from Benjamin and then a superkick into a bridging German suplex by Haas. 1-2-3! (13:25)
Winners: World’s Greatest Tag Team
***
Jonathan Coachman met up with Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas to get comments from them after winning the fatal fourway tag team match. They said that it should come as no surprise to anyone that they rose to the action and beat three other teams – they are the World’s Greatest Tag Team, after all! Coach also asked them their thoughts on the announcement of a tournament to crown new WWE Tag Team Champions starting next week on RAW. They said that no other team could compete with them and the tournament was theirs for the taking.
Just then, Owen Hart and Davey Boy Smith walked onto the interview set and argued that they weren’t half as good as they are. Santana and Ortiz showed up moments later and said that Hart and Smith were full of crap. Benjamin and Haas laughed, but Santana and Ortiz told them they blew a lot of hot air, too. Some bickering between the teams occurred, leading to pushing and shoving and punches getting thrown, and for the second broadcast in a row, Coach was caught in the middle of a tag team brawl, doing his damnedest to avoid getting hit.
***
EMBER MOON vs. MICKIE JAMES
Mickie James started to build momentum off of a Lou Thesz Press. She executed an arm-trap neckbreaker to counter an oncoming attack, then gave Moon a flapjack and kipped up to executed a Mickiecanrana. She went for the Mick Kick but Moon ducked it and hit with a discus elbow smash and then scooped her up for a fallaway slam. She ran the ropes and hit James with a crossbody, then climbed the turnbuckle. When she got to the top, she was shoved off the turnbuckle by Bayley, who struck when the referee was looking the other way. Bayley ducked down by the ring apron to avoid being seen. When Moon got up, James hit her with a suicide dive, ramming her back into the barricade. She quickly rolled Moon back into the ring and gave her a diving hurricanrana from the top rope and then hit the Mick Kick. She pinned her for the win. After the match, Moon complained to the referee. Bayley was seen on the entrance ramp laughing and rubbing fake tears from her eyes to taunt Moon. (10:37)
Winner: Ember Moon
***
Bret “The Hitman” Hart made an unscheduled appearance. He walked out on the entrance ramp to cut a promo on the Mash-Up Wrestling Men’s World Champion Samoa Joe, who was a special guest on commentary for the evening. In that capacity, Joe had had ample opportunity to discuss the ways in which he would defeat The Hitman at the Royal Rumble. Hart addressed this directly, making a point to bring up the date of February 1, 2015. Six years ago, at an event called Winter Warfare that was held up in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Hart was the International Heavyweight Champion of Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling defending the title against the then-undefeated in Mash-Up Wrestling “Samoan Submission Machine” Samoa Joe. Hart reminds him that his 15-month undefeated streak was snapped in 24 minutes and 9 seconds when The Hitman pinned the Samoan Submission Machine’s shoulders to the mat for the 1-2-3. Joe said that he kicked out of the pin, but Hart said that it was a second too late, and he predicted that history would repeat itself at the Royal Rumble. Joe said that a lot has changed in the six years since they last faced each other in Mash-Up Wrestling. Hart hasn’t done anything noteworthy in years, whereas Joe has continued to improve to the point that he’s now at the peak of his game. He’s at the high point of his career whereas The Hitman’s career is on the downswing. Joe said that he doesn’t doubt that The Hitman can sometimes show flashes of what he was 5 or 6 years ago, when he was the MUW Men’s World Champion. But those days are down and those flashes aren’t going to be able to undo what Joe is doing now. Joe will win and the entire MUW Universe can count on that. Hart says that the one thing everyone can count on is for the Excellence of Execution to continue to be the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be. At the Royal Rumble, all the naysayers will see when he defeats Joe to become the next MUW Men’s World Champion!
***
RICKY STEAMBOAT vs. BRAY WYATT
Bray Wyatt ran into the corner and squashed Steamboat with an avalanche splash and then threw him down to the mat. He leaned back and looked at his fallen opponent. As Steamboat started to get to his feet, Wyatt grabbed him and set up for Sister Abigail. He went for it, but Steamboat broke free and gave Wyatt a dropkick. Once back to their feet, Steamboat gave Wyatt a series of stinging chops. He went for an Irish whip, but Wyatt reversed it. Wyatt ran at him. They both went for cross body blocks and collided in the air. The crash was like a brutal car crash.
Both men were down until nearly the end of the referee’s standing 10-count, both getting up at 9. They met in the center of the ring, where Steamboat threw some more chops and Wyatt threw some European uppercuts. Wyatt knocked Steamboat off his feet with a headbutt and dropped the full weight of his body onto his abdomen with a senton bomb. He picked up Steamboat and gave him a powerbomb and then covered him. 1…2… kick out! Wyatt had a look of shock on his face for a moment. Then he broke out into a fit of laughter.
Wyatt picked up Steamboat and took him into the corner. He lifted him onto the top turnbuckle. Wyatt climbed up to try to set up for a superplex, but Steamboat fought him off and shoved him to the mat. Steamboat got to his feet and executed a diving chop. He went back to the turnbuckles and gave him a few more diving chops, then a missile dropkick, and finally, a diving cross body. He hooked Wyatt’s leg. 1…2… kick out! Wyatt barely got out of it and Steamboat couldn’t believe it.
Steamboat decided to try a different tactic next, putting Wyatt in a figure four leg lock. Wyatt popped up into an inverted bridge and did an inverted crab walk to the ropes, where he forced the hold to be broken. Wyatt charged at Steamboat, but received a few arm drags. He got up by the ropes. Steamboat charged at him, and Wyatt lifted him over the ropes with a back body drop that sent Steamboat crashing down to the floor. Wyatt went out to the ring apron and did a diving senton bomb. He picked up Steamboat and rolled him into the ring. Wyatt came in and waited for Steamboat to get up before nailing him with a flying cross chop and then Sister Abigail! He pinned him. 1…2…3! (19:23)
Winner: Bray Wyatt
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