Post by Slade on Jul 13, 2021 8:36:12 GMT -5
Date: Monday, July 5, 2021
From: Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas
Commentary Team: Michael Cole, Mauro Ranallo and Tony Schiavone
Backstage Reporting & Interviews: “Mean” Gene Okerlund
Ring Announcer: Howard Finkel
***
WWE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS MATCH: HARLEM HEAT {c} vs. BEER MONEY INC. : Booker T and Stevie Ray were doing well until “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase and John Bradshaw Layfield started interfering to help “Glorious” Bobby Roode and “Cowboy” James Storm. At first they did small things, but when Harlem Heat fought back to take control and Booker T executed an axe kick on Roode and did the Spinaroonie, DiBiase got the referee’s attention to allow JBL to sneak in and nail Booker T with a Clothesline from Wall Street. Stevie Ray came in and fought him off, giving him a clothesline out of the ring. At this time, the Dudley Boyz came out and started brawling with DiBiase and JBL. Meanwhile, Storm hit Stevie Ray with a Last Call. He and Roode grabbed Booker T and gave him Investing While Drinking. Roode covered him. 1…2… Bubba Ray pulled the referee out of the ring. He got into a shouting match with the referee. Roode walked over to the ropes and got into the shouting match. He pleaded with the referee not to end the match. That proved to be a mistake because Booker T recovered, and when Roode turned around, he received a Harlem Sidekick and then the Bookend. Booker T pinned Roode to get the win as Stevie Ray, Bubba Ray, and D-Von brawled with DiBiase, JBL and Storm around the ring. WWE officials and arena security had to come out to break things up. The segment ended with Bubba Ray getting on a mic and challenge DiBiase and JBL to a match later tonight. They accepted the challenge. (10:50) -- Winners by Pinfall: Harlem Heat
Mean Gene spoke to Eddie Guerrero who claimed that what happened last week was bullshit. Guerrero claimed that he was cheated out of the Intercontinental Championship title match that is rightfully his. Neither Daniel Bryan nor AJ Styles deserves it. Guerrero points out that he has beaten them both recently, so he should get his re-match with Ricky Steamboat. He’s going to have to get his re-match another way, which is why he’s going to have a Money in the Bank qualifying match next week. After he wins, he’ll go on to get the Money in the Bank contract and use it to take the Intercontinental Championship away from Steamboat.
MONEY IN THE BANK QUALIFIER: EMBER MOON vs. NIKKI BELLA : Brie Bella tried to prevent Ember Moon from flying off the turnbuckle by getting up on the ring apron and grabbing her foot. Moon was able to shake her off and kick her to the floor. Nikki Bella got up off the mat and Moon gave her the Eclipse. She pinned her for the win and qualified for a spot in the women’s Money in the Bank match. (7:34) -- Winner by Pinfall: Ember Moon
AL SNOW vs. WALTER : Al Snow came to the ring with Head, whose hair was reattached to her skulk using a large amount of packing tape. Snow didn’t have a good showing versus the United States Champion. WALTER made short work of him, executing a folding powerbomb to secure the victory in under 3-minutes. (2:51) -- Winner by Pinfall: WALTER
Mean Gene interviewed Jim Cornette with the World’s Greatest Tag Team. Cornette said that the next challengers for the WWE Tag Team Titles should be Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas. When asked about the rather large brute who interfered on their behalf last week, Cornette told Gene that it was none of his business. The Lucha Bros showed up with Rey Misterio Jr. The Lucha Bros were upset about what happened last week and said WGTT didn’t deserve a title shot. They began pushing and shoving and then brawling. The large brute showed up and gave Penta a Matchka kick. He dropped Misterio with a ura-nage on the concrete floor and threw Rey Fénix head first into the loading bay doors. Gene re-entered the picture and demanded to know who he was. He ripped the mic from Gene’s hands and said that his name is Miro and he is the newest member of Jim Cornette’s World’s Best faction because he is “The Best Man.” Everyone will soon find out why he is called that because when they enter the ring with him, it will be game over for all of them!
MONEY IN THE BANK QUALIFIER: THE UNDERTAKER vs. PETE DUNNE : The Undertaken and Pete Dunne had been fighting it out, tooth-and-nail. Dunne showed no fear of the Deadman and brought the fight to him. The Undertaker kept hitting Dunne with big power moves. Dunne kept kicking out of his pinfall attempts and waging comebacks. Although Dunne has twice before escaped attempts at the Last Ride, The Undertaker went for the move again and this time pulled it off. He pinned Dunne. 1…2… kick out! The Undertaker was beside himself. He got up and watched Dunne slowly getting up. The Undertaker told him to stay down. Dunne was defiant. The Undertaker slapped a chokehold on him. Dunne broke it by grabbing at the Phenom’s fingers with both hands and pulling them apart to try to separate them. He hit a step-up enzuigiri, then brought The Undertaker to the mat and put him in a crossface. The Undertaker got to the ropes to force the break. When The Undertaker got up at the ropes, Dunne chopblocked him a couple of times. He got The Undertaker in the corner and lifted him onto the top rope. He tried to go for a frankensteiner but The Undertaker countered with a Last Ride off the second rope. He pinned him. 1…2…3! At the end of the match, The Undertaker showed Dunne respect. Dunne took it and spat it back at him. (21:14) -- Winner by Pinfall: The Undertaker
Paul Heyman was the special guest on the most must-see interview show in all professional wrestling – MIZ TV, hosted by The Miz. The host complimented his guest and spoke very highly of his exclusive managerial services, saying that his reputation supersedes all others in the field. He asked Heyman about managing the WWE Universal Champion and whether he felt there was anyone in WWE or even in the entire Mash-Up Wrestling Universe who could successfully challenge the champion for his place at the head of the table. Heyman spoke at length about why Reigns was the greatest superstar and champion that will ever be seen in professional wrestling. He claimed that Reigns was the best there is, was and ever will be (taking a shot at his last challenger). Rowdy Roddy Piper came out and said that he also had a popular interview show and said that he was disappointed that Heyman didn’t agree to be a guest on his show. He said the ratings and visibility would have been far greater than anything he’d ever seen. Imagine the two of them together on the Piper’s Pit. The mouthpiece of the Universal Champion telling the host – and champion’s next challenger – all the reasons why the champion is better than all the rest including the next challenger. That would be must-see TV. The Miz didn’t appreciate Piper interrupting his show and told him as much. Piper told The Miz to take a hike. The Miz tried to attack Piper but got beat around the ring. Piper gave him a piledriver to lay him out. Heyman had backed into a corner to avoid the commotion. Piper trapped him in the corner. He told Heyman not to worry, that he wasn’t going to hurt him. He patted him on the cheek – the same one he slapped a week earlier – making him flinch. With Heyman shaking in his fancy Italian loafers, Piper told him that he’d been in hundreds of Glasgow bar fights that hurt more than what Reigns did to him last week. Piper said that Reigns has never faced an opponent as angry or unpredictable or tough as the Hot Rod. Money in the Bank isn’t going to be just another walk in the park because Hot Rod ain’t afraid to break a few bones or bleed a few buckets. That’s what makes him the biggest threat to the WWE Universal Championship Reigns will ever meet.
MONEY IN THE BANK QUALIFIER: SARAH LOGAN vs. RAQUEL GONZALEZ : These two very tough women had a stiff fight that culminated with Raquel Gonzalez picking up Sarah Logan and giving her a one-arm powerbomb. She covered her to pick up the win and earn a spot in the women’s Money in the Bank match. (6:20) -- Winner by Pinfall: Raquel Gonzalez
“MACHO MAN” RANDY SAVAGE vs. JOHNNY “THE BULL” STAMBOLI : “Macho Man” Randy Savage gave Chuck Palumbo a slingshot plancha to pacify him, then he went to the top rope and executed a diving double axehandle smash on Johnny Stamboli. He picked him up and gave him a hairpull hangman, then climbed the top rope and executed his patented diving elbow drop. Savage got the quick victory. It was noted by the commentary team that Bobby “The Brain” Heenan was spotted watching the match from a private luxury box. (3:15) -- Winner by Pinfall: “Macho Man” Randy Savage
DUDLEY BOYS vs. “MILLION DOLLAR MAN” TED DIBIASE & JOHN BRADSHAW LAYFIELD : Bubba Ray and D-Von executed the What’s Up diving headbutt on DiBiase. They were readying to give him the 3-D but JBL came in and dropped D-Von with a big boot. Bubba and JBL got into a fist fight and fell out of the ring. DiBiase exited the ring to help JBL and moments late D-Von came out to help his brother. Nothing was resolved here as the referee counted both teams out. Bobby Roode and James Storm ran out to help their stablemates, which brought out the Harlem Heat to help the Dudley Boyz. Like earlier in the evening, WWE officials and arena security officials had flood the arena to stop the fighting. (5:17) -- Double Countout
Mean Gene interviewed WWE Intercontinental Champion Ricky Steamboat ahead of tonight’s main event, featuring Daniel Bryan versus AJ Styles. Steamboat confirmed that he heard that were fighting to see who was more worthy of a title match against him and said that he would be happy to defend the title against either one of them. He said that although he had a partnership with Bryan in the past, he is not taking side and has no favourites. He wished them both well and said that he would defend his title against whoever the best man is on this night, and he would do it with honour, dignity, and a fighting spirit that is unmatched. It’s why he believes that no matter who challenges him at Money in the Bank, he’ll still be leaving as your WWE Intercontinental Champion.
DANIEL BRYAN vs. AJ STYLES : AJ Styles was striking Daniel Bryan with the Phenomenal Blitz, but Bryan ducked his spinning back fist and countered with his own sets of kicks. He got him down to knees and started in on the Yes! Kicks. Styles ducked the final kick and hit a Pelé kick. He pinned Bryan, but he kicked out. Styles whipped Bryan into the corner and charged in after him. Bryan stepped up on the turnbuckles and flipped right over him, ran to the ropes and nailed a Hart attack clothesline. Bryan got pumped up and went on a short rally, but Styles stopped it when he managed to counter an attack and turn it into the Calf Crusher. Bryan reached out for the ropes but couldn’t get to them. He eventually slammed Styles’ head into the mat a few times to break the hold and immediately went to the Yes! Lock. Styles appeared on the verge of tapping, but he found a way to roll it over into a pin. Bryan broke the hold and kicked out at two. They traded blows again and Styles executed a ushigoroshi. He pinned Bryan for a 2-count. Styles went for a Phenomenal Forearm, but Bryan countered with a codebreaker. Bryan pinned and got a 2-count. He whipped Styles into the corner and ran in with a corner dropkick. He put Styles on the top rope and went for a frankensteiner. Styles landed on his feet and rolled into a somersault. When Bryan got up, Styles hit him with a running dropkick that sent him into the turnbuckles and put him down on the mat. Styles executed a springboard 450-splash and pinned him. 1…2… kick out! Styles went to pick up Bryan but he pulled him into a small package. 1…2… Styles turned it over. 1…2…3! Styles got the win. Bryan was frustrated and slammed the mat with his hands, but showed good sportsmanship when he shook Styles’ hand at the end. (19:07) -- Winner by Pinfall: AJ Styles