December 2006 News Archive (Page 6)

• Next week’s ECW on Sci-Fi will be airing on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET in the United States. The Global TV’s website out of Canada lists ECW in its regular Friday night timeslot, meaning that for the first time since the re-launch it will air in Canada first.

• Professional race car driver Danica Patrick will be joining WWE Diva Candice Michelle in her GoDaddy.com commercials. Candice has been a regular in the company’s commercials since Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005.

Fortunately for The Wrestling Post, the term "WWE" is one of the most popular terms/phrases across Yahoo.

In fact, on the Yahoo! Buzz Index’s Top Searches of 2006, in “The Top 10 Overall Searches,” WWE beat Shakira, Jessica Simpson, Paris Hilton, American Idol, Beyonce Knowles, Chris Brown, Pamela Anderson and Lindsay Lohan.

Those are a lot of singers and sluts. Well done, wrestling fans! But there's no need to search around anymore: visit our site for the latest WWE news, WWE rumors and WWE pics.

Thank you.

WWE has attracted random professional athletes in the past. Curtis Granderson of the Tigers, for example, attended an event a few weeks ago.

Now, it looks like TNA Wrestling has trumped WWE in this one area, considering the fact it's bringing in a baseball player whose team knocked Granderson's off in this year's World Series.

David Eckstein, the MVP of that Series, will be the special guest this Sunday at Turning Point. His exact role is unknown at this time.

We see this as a smart move by TNA. Mainstream attention, especially with such a well-respected athlete, can only help. After all, you've seen what kind of publicity Kevin Federline has brought to the WWE.

And he's not respected at all.

• This past Friday’s edition of SmackDown earned a 2.8 cable rating with a 4.7 share. Its was the most-watched episode of the season, reaching 4.7 millions viewers.

• Monday’s WWE RAW did a 3.7 cable rating with a 5.6 share. It was slightly down from last week’s 3.8.

The following report is courtesy of lordsofpain.net ...

ECW opens with a video recap of Bobby Lashley winning the ECW championship. We are then shown the video in which Paul Heyman invokes Big Show’s rematch clause. After the bodies hit the floor, Rob Van Dam makes his way to the ring for the first match

Rob Van Dam & CM Punk vs Hardcore Holly & Test
- RVD and CM Punk dedicate the match to Sabu after what happened Sunday night. Holly and RVD start the match. RVD takes down Holly with a hurricanrana. Holly whips RVD into the turnbuckle. RVD jumps to the second rope. RVD fakes a spinning kick. Holly bites on the fake and drops to the mat. RVD connects a split legged moonsault for 2. Holly reverses a whip by RVD. Test drags RVD to the corner so Test can tag in Holly. Holly gets in a couple of shots before RVD connects with a spinning heel kick. RVD tags in Punk.

Punk rolls out of a pin and connects with the rock bottom. Punk locks in the Anaconda Vice. Holly is about to tap when Heyman’s security team rushes the ring. Security beats down Punk until Sabu and RVD hit the ring. The RVD kicks security #1 out of the ring. Punk hits security #2 with the rock bottom and locks on the Anaconda Vice. Security #2 is tapping but Punk does not let go. RVD goes to the top and sets up for the 5 star frog splash. Punk barely moves out of the way in time to miss the impact of the frog splash. Sabu doesn’t want to be left out, as he hits an Arabian face buster on security #2.
Winners: Rob Van Dam & CM Punk

After a commercial break, Daivari is in the ring yelling in Farsi. Eventually, he says in English that he wants to extend another challenge to Tommy Dreamer. But first, watch the recap of Khali destroying Dreamer at the PPV. Dreamer limps his way to the ring.

Daivari vs Tommy Dreamer
- Daivari attacks Dreamer before he can make it through the ropes. Daivari focuses his attacks at the bicep and shoulder areas that were injured Sunday night. Daivari stretches Dreamer’s in a submission hold. Dreamer fights out. Dreamer mounts an offensive with a flurry of rights and lefts. Dreamer choke slams Daivari. Dreamer and Daivari counter DDTs until Dreamer finally connects for the pin. Khali makes his way to the ring. Khali clotheslines Dreamer. Daivari slides a chair into the ring. Khali choke power bombs Dreamer onto the chair. Daivari and Khali posture and pose as we fade to commercials.
Winner: Tommy Dreamer

Kelly Kelly vs Ariel
- The ref bans Kevin Thorn from ringside. Kelly Kelly wants no part of the match. Ariel jumps Kelly. Ariel chokes and slaps at Kelly. Ariel gets off of Kelly. Kelly surprises Ariel with a roll up for the win. Mike Knox interrupts Kelly’s celebration. He explains that he made the biggest mistake of his life Sunday night. Knox says that he would never leave Kelly. Knox begs for Kelly’s forgiveness. After thinking it over, Kelly takes his hand. Knox says that he is sorry, sorry for not dumping her sooner. He could never be with someone like Kelly. Knox throws the flowers he brought for Kelly in her face. Knox grabs Kelly and hits a spinning neck breaker. Tazz has had enough and gets in the ring. Knox retreats backstage as Tazz calls for the medics.
Winner: Kelly Kelly

Big Show vs Bobby Lashley for the ECW championship
- Lashley takes the early advantage, using speed against the size of the Big Show. Big Show eventually takes down Lashley with an elbow. Show lands big blows across Lashley’s back before slamming him to the mat. Lashley tries to build some offense with some rights. Lashley bounces off the ropes and into a sidewalk slam by Show. Show chokes Lashley using the ring ropes. Lashley tries for a comeback, attacking Big Shows shoulder. A head butt from show ends Lashley’s offensive.During the break, Show threw Lashley back first into the ring post. We come back to Show standing on top of Lashley.

Big Show continues to target Lashley’s back with stomps and slams. Lashley gets his second win, hitting Big Show with a shoulder block. Lashley hits another shoulder block for 2. Lashley goes for another one, but gets hit with a clothesline from Show. Show again targets the back of Lashley, standing on his back and hitting him with clubbing blows. Lashley tries to suplex Show, but Show counters into a suplex of his own. Big Show puts Lashley into an abdominal stretch. Lashley breaks out with and elbow to the eye. Lashley tries to mount some offense, but runs into a brick wall called Big Show.

Big Show sets Lashley on the top turnbuckle. Big Show tries to climb the ropes, but Lashley knocks him off. Lashley hits a lariat off the top. Lashley hits a series of clotheslines that eventually take Show off his feet. Lashley goes for the spear, but runs into the paw of Big Show. Big Show choke slams Lashley, but only gets 2. Big Show goes for another choke slam, but Lashley battles out with elbows to Show’s head. Lashley slams Big Show for 2. Lashley takes Show down with another clothesline. Lashley measures Show for another slam. This slam gives Lashley the 3 count.
Winner: Bobby Lashley

** Click here for more ECW photos from this week's show

With The Big Show losing the ECW Title to Bobby Lashley at the December to Dismember PPV this Sunday, it marks another sign that his WWE career is close to finished.

The Big Show has reportedly indicated to WWE management that he needs time off for physical problems (mostly his back) and that it'is very unlikely he will return to resume a full-time schedule.

His contract expires in February.

At this point in the superstar's life, he's said to be financially set. He's also aware of the physical dangers traveling and eating as he does can have on a man his size.

Down the line, it's possible The Big Show may be wiling to work a part-time schedule; which does leave open the chance he could jump to TNA Wrestling at some point.

While Paul Heyman was technically the head writer for ECW, he anwered to Vince McMahon like everyone else.

This was clear the night before Heyman was fired, at December to Dismember.

McMahon made several changes late in the game, including removing entirely Sabu entirely from the Extreme Elimination chamber, as well as forcing out CM Punk and RVD so early. The reasoning behind the moves? To force fans to cheer on eventual winner, Lashley.

The following report is courtesy of lordsofpain.net ...

The show opened with WWE Champion John Cena coming to the ring and delivering a message: sometimes you aren’t the strongest in the fight or the biggest in the fight, but since he accepted Umaga’s challenge last week, people have been calling him crazy. He said that he accepted the challenge of a man who has destroyed everything in his path. When he accepted that challenge, Umaga said something under his breath.

Cena proceeded to mock Umaga’s lack of talk and bad mouth Armando for talking too much. He asked if Umaga was a man or a puppet. Cena said he was ready to fight right now, and if Umaga is truly the Samoan Bulldozer, then he will accept the challenge to fight right now. At that point, Melina showed up w/ a microphone. Cena said that Umaga looked a lot different tonight. Melina gave a sarcastic laugh, and reminded Cena that he would be facing K-Fed on the New Year’s episode of RAW. She said that Nitro was training K-Fed for the big match. Cena said that the K-Fed was the reason to practice safe sex. Melina said that Nitro was teaching Federline how to take all the stress in his life and use it to beat Cena. Cena mocked her statements and insinuated that it was Melina who taught Britney Spears how to prance around the night clubs w/ no panties and act like a slut.

The champ’s comments prompted a slap by Melina. Cena hoisted her up in FU position in retaliation, but Chris Masters showed up before Cena could deliver his finisher. Cena quickly dispersed of Masters. The Coach then showed up and said that he sent Masters out to teach him a lesson. Cena laughed and said that Coach sucked as bad at getting revenge as he did at running RAW. Coach alerted Cena to the fact that he’d face Umaga at New Year’s Revolution. Tonight, though, Coach was putting Cena in the Masterlock Challenge. Cena asked Coach if he could hear the sound of a million people not giving a crap about his un-entertaining television. He said that we were in the same town that the WWE fired Eric Bischoff … and that at least Bischoff was controversial and entertaining. Coach decided to spice things up a bit, and put Cena’s title on the line in the Masterlock challenge.

Backstage, World Tag Champs Rated-RKO welcomed Kenny to their dressing room. Kenny suggested that he join them as a new member of Rated-RKO. He said he has the brightest future of anyone on RAW. Edge and Randy Orton asked what made him worthy of being in their group. Edge said that if Kenny wants to join them, he will need to prove himself.

Match 1: The Highlanders vs. Cade and Murdoch
- Rory tried to get a “Hot Rod” chant going as the opening bell sounded. Cade and Murdoch did a Pearl Harbor job on the Highlanders, but Robby came back with a missile dropkick from the top rope on Murdoch. The Highlanders proceeded to clear the ring. They threw Murdoch back in the ring. Cade distracted the ref and gave Rory a cheap shot. The cowboys went on to connect with an inverted atomic drop-clothesline combination. A double back elbow followed for Cade and Murdoch. Murdoch slammed Rory and went to the second rope. He came flying off with a double axe handle, but Rory got his boot up and clocked him in the jaw. Robby got the tag and eventually got the pin with a roll-up. The Highlanders won at 3:35.

Match 2: Maria vs. Victoria
- Victoria defeated Maria. Mickie James tried to tend to Maria after the match, but Victoria gave her the Widow’s Peak and eyed the title belt.

The WWE recently sent Cryme Tyme to do some PR work at a retirement home. They scared the poor old people with their versions of some of the traditional Christmas Carols. They took some of their jewelry and tried to take one of the old ladies…

Backstage, Todd Grisham, Super Crazy, and Jim Duggan were laughing at the preceding skit, but Shelton Benjamin didn’t think it was so funny to reinforce stereotypes. He said that Cryme Tyme was setting back race-relations 20 years.

Match 3: Shelton Benjamin vs. Super Crazy
- Shelton used a knee lift to gain early control. He continued to build momentum with a hard right hand and a choke hold, but Crazy caught him by surprise with a flying body press off the second rope and a head scissor. Shelton came back with a pressing kick and a stalling back body drop. He taunted the former member of the Mexicools and set him up for the Stinger splash. Shelton missed, though, allowing Crazy to go for a moonsault off the top rope. Crazy missed and Shelton got the win with the T-Bone suplex. Benjamin defeated Crazy at 1:46. After the match, Charlie Haas came to the ring and celebrated with Shelton.

Masterlock Challenge for the WWE Championship: Cena sat down in the chair after a bit of stalling and preparation. The crowd chanted “Cena.” After initially sitting down, Cena got back up as Masters was attempting to apply the hold. The crowd again chanted “Cena.” Cena sat back down and Masters locked on the hold. The Masterpiece picked Cena up and tossed him around like a rag doll. Cena tried to elbow his way out of the submission, but began to fade away. Masters got pumped up as he thought he was going to win the title, but Cena got a second wind and used the crowd chanting his name as motivation to back Masters into the corner. Cena eventually ran into the referee. Masters tried to take Cena down with clubbing blows and reapply the hold, but the champ countered and put the Masterlock on Chris.

Masters tapped out, but Cena didn’t have long to celebrate, as Umaga came to the ring and started a brawl. Cena and Umaga brawled in the ring until a swarm of security came out. Armando got a cheap shot in, allowing Umaga to break free and knock Cena out of the ring. Umaga attacked Cena all around the ringside area, but the champ came back and dove off the announce table into a pile that included Umaga and a bunch of security guys. They brawled back into the ring, but again were separated by security. They again broke free and continued their brawl. Armando urged Umaga to leave and finally got him to go the back. Cena was still being restrained, as the segment ended.

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This is not part of a story line: Vince McMahon was furious at Sunday's ECW December to Dismember pay-per-view.

As a result, he has fired Paul Heyman from the creative team - and all of WWE.

According to sources, Vince believes that Heyman doesn’t get what the new vision of ECW should be and that he is "caught in the past."

As problems began at the PPV, Heyman was vocal about his displease. Reportedly there were definite issues between Vince and Paul that escalated yesterday at the tapings where a meeting was held during the afternoon between Heyman, Stephanie McMahon-Levesque and McMahon.

After the meeting, Heyman grabbed his stuff and left. We'll have more on this story as it develops.

This intense stare down took place outide the VH-1 Big in '06 Awards show over the weekend.

Th Hulkster was there to support his talentless daughter, Brooke Hogan, while Hasselhoff actually received the award for Big Comeback.

We think that honor should've gone to Jeff Hardy - but he wasn't even nominated.