Post by Slade on Apr 13, 2021 16:08:44 GMT -5
Date: March 22, 2021
From: Vivant Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah
Commentary Team: Michael Cole and Tony Schiavone
Ring Announcer: Howard Finkel
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BETH PHOENIX vs. MICKIE JAMES : Mickie James answered the open challenge made by Beth Phoenix a few days ago on Smackdown. James, who has been a World Champion several times, gave Phoenix a great battle. However, in the end, it was Phoenix who would counter a wheelbarrow bulldog attempt with a double chicken wing and execute the Glam Slam. After the match, just before Beth Phoenix was going to exit the arena, Asuka came out of the entrance. Phoenix had turned for one final victory pose. When she turned around, Asuka spit mist in her face and put her in the Asuka Lock for about ten seconds. She released Phoenix, who fell down, gasping for air. Asuka told her that was why she wasn’t ready for Asuka. (12:57) -- Winner: Beth Phoenix
Mean Gene spoke to WWE Universal Champion Hulk Hogan about his upcoming title defense on Smackdown against John Cena. Hogan told Mean Gene that he knew that everyone would be gunning for him when he became the first ever WWE Universal Champion, brother. It goes with the territory. But that’s why you train hard, say your prayers and take your vitamins. You do it all to be at the very top of your game. “And let me tell you something, Mean Gene!” Hogan is at the top of his game. He has been busy preparing for a showdown with John Cena ever since the Hulkster won the title and Cena earned the right to challenge him at the Royal Rumble. He knows this is going to be the fight of his life, but he goes into every battle with that mentality. It’s why he has beating the biggest and baddest men in the sport today. Guys like WALTER and Bray Wyatt and even Roman Reigns. They’ve all stepped in the ring with him, and they’ve all lost. John Cena may be a special talent, but so are all of those men. “So John Cena, I want you to look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself this, brother: What makes you different than all of them? And whatcha gonna do when Hulkamania runs wild on you!”
BOOKER T vs. JOHN MORRISON : After Booker T executed an axe kick and did the spinaroonie, The Miz jumped on the ring apron and started to enter the ring. Stevie Ray pulled him back down to the floor and tackled him up against the barricade. Back in the ring, Booker T executed the Bookend and pinned Morrison to get the win in this battle of Wrestlemania opponents. (8:19) -- Winner: Booker T
Mean Gene was backstage with AJ Styles to ask what’s next for the Phenomenal One after having been eliminated from the WWE Intercontinental Championship tournament. Styles gave props to Daniel Bryan on a hard fought victory and said that he hoped he would win it, adding that when he does, he will be the first in line to challenge him for the title. Eddie Guerrero interrupted the interview. He couldn’t help overhearing that Styles thinks he deserves to be the first challenger for the new Intercontinental Champion after he is crowned at Wrestlemania. Guerrero says he is wrong and that it should be Latino Heat. Styles tells Mean Gene that Guerrero has been a thorn in his side ever since he eliminated him from the Elimination Chamber and told him that the next thing for AJ Styles was to challenge Eddie Guerrero to a match at Wrestlemania, then we’ll see who is most deserving of a title shot. Mean Gene turned to Guerrero, who accepted, saying that he would like nothing more than to embarrass Styles in front of the entire world at Wrestlemania.
THE DUDLEY BOYZ vs. WORLD’S GREATEST TAG TEAM : This was a rematch from a few weeks earlier when the Dudley Boyz and World’s Greatest Tag Team met in the WWE Tag Team Championships tournament. WGTT cheated to win that match. They tried to do the same thing in this one, but the toss of Jim Cornette’s tennis racket to Charlie Haas was intercepted by Bubba Ray, who hit him in the forehead with it and then threw him out of the ring. Not long thereafter, The Dudley Boyz executed 3-D on Shelton Benjamin. D-Von covered Benjamin to get the pinfall victory. (10:33) -- Winners: The Dudley Boyz
Coming back from the commercial break, Mean Gene met up with the Dudley Boyz backstage to their reaction to defeating the WGTT. Bubba and D-Von said that they loved the taste of sweet revenge, which was desperately needed after how they were screwed over by WGTT. They claimed they were the best tag team in WWE and in the entire Mash-Up Wrestling Universe and they should be going to Wrestlemania to become the first WWE Tag Team Champions. Before anything more could be said, they were attacked by Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas, who hit them with chairs and put them through some nearby catering tables. Jim Cornette told Mean Gene that he is protesting the results of the previous match. He said cheating was the only way to beat the World’s Greatest Tag Team, but no one should cross Jim Cornette. He represents the World’s Best! And if you try to get one over on the best, they’ll do you one better because no one is better than the World’s Best!
KANE vs. BRAY WYATT : After making his surprise debut a week ago on RAW, Kane was making his in-ring debut against his brother’s bitter rival, Bray Wyatt. It was a back-and-forth affair that seemed to turn in Kane’s favour after he executed a sidewalk slam and a diving clothesline. He was tightening his glove for the chokeslam when Luke Harper and Erick Rowan decided to get involved. Their distraction led to Wyatt executing a flying chop block on Kane. He quickly followed up with Sister Abigail and pinned him for the win.
After getting the win, Wyatt instructed Harper and Rowan to bring an item out from under the ring. It was a casket. The Wyatt Family grabbed Kane and brought him to the casket with the intention to put him in it, but when they opened it, the top half of The Undertaker’s body sprung up. The shock of seeing him gave the Deadman just enough time to get out and start throwing haymakers at Harper and Rowan. Kane recovered and the 3-on-2 brawl began. The Undertaker got his hands on Wyatt and prepared to chokeslam him into the casket, but a chair shot to the back by Rowan saved him. Kane was stalking in his direction. Rowan gathered Wyatt and made a hasty retreat. Once enough distance separated them, Wyatt said that he intended to bury The Undertaker alive. The Undertaker got his hands on a microphone and told Wyatt to meet him at Wrestlemania… in the Boneyard! (10:05) -- Winner: Bray Wyatt
Mean Gene spoke to John Cena about his upcoming WWE Universal Championship match versus Hulk Hogan on Smackdown later in the week. Cena said he was happy that Hogan did the right thing and took the challenge as it was the right thing to do. He said he has been through a lot since winning the Royal Rumble. Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman have weaseled their way into a spot at Wrestlemania that should belong to him. However, there’s no time to cry over split milk. If one opportunity is stolen from you, you have to make a new one for yourself. Hustle until you get. That’s what he did. Now, Cena will face Immortal Hulk Hogan on Smackdown and he is going to wrestle the WWE Universal Championship away from him and get his spot in the Wrestlemania main event back. Then, for all the trouble Reigns and Heyman have caused him, he’ll give them the ultimate comeuppance by successfully defending the title at the greatest showcase of them all!
BRET “THE HITMAN” HART vs. “THE MILLION DOLLAR MAN” TED DIBIASE : Bret Hart and Ted DiBiase were putting on a technical wrestling clinic. DiBiase had Hart on the mat when he went to the second turnbuckle and tried a diving version of his patented delayed fist drop. Hart rolled out of the way. They both got up at the same time. Hart ducked a wild haymaker and gave DiBiase an atomic drop and then a dropkick. He gave him a pendulum backbreaker and a side Russian legsweep. Then Hart when the second rope and delivered a pointed elbow drop. After that he put DiBiase in the Sharpshooter.
DiBiase was writhing in pain, but he crawled towards the ropes. Just as they came into reach, Hart began to drag him back towards the center of the ring. “Glorious” Bobby Roode reached into the ring and began to pull DiBiase back. As DiBiase’s arms got to the ropes, the referee saw this and barred Roode from ringside. As they argued, “Cowboy” James Storm entered the ring and gave Hart, who was still holding onto the Sharpshooter, a Last Call superkick. Rowdy Roddy Piper ran out, carrying with him a baseball bat and chased Storm off into the crowd.
Back in the ring, DiBiase countered a back body drop set up with a sunset flip to get a 2-count. He ducked a clothesline and got Hart into a school-boy roll-up. Although he grabbed Hart’s tights, he still managed to kick out. DiBiase tried to go for a running clothesline, but Hart ducked it and when DiBiase turned around, Hart pulled him into a small package pin. 1…2…3!
DiBiase wasn’t happy with the result, so he decided to attack Hart with a chair as he celebrated. DiBiase tossed the chair away and started putting the boots to Hart until he saw Rowdy Roddy Piper come back into the ring with his baseball bat in hands. DiBiase pled for mercy. Piper didn’t grant it. He swung the bat. DiBiase ducked. When Piper turned around, he was bowled over with a Clothesline From Wall Street from John Bradshaw Layfield. The Hart Foundation and Inner Circle brawled The Million Dollar Man and JBL took Piper out of the ring and JBL put him through the announce table with a powerbomb. (17:42) -- Winner: Bret “The Hitman” Hart
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