WWE Heat Report: 20th April 2008
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Commentators: Todd Grisham & Josh Mathews
Ring Announcer: Lilian Garcia
Welcome to a UK based Heat. Hacksaw Jim Duggan has the week off this week. Mike Adamle is nowhere to be found also.....thank god. There'll be no Uno, Dos, Adios on this show LOL. Four matches are on hand. Let's get started.
Melina & Jillian Hall vs Maria & Ashley
According to Grisham, this is the first Women's tag match on Heat since 2004. Both teams come out together. Split legged entrance by Melina. Nice! Melina talks trash to the crowd before the faces come out. Heat debut for Ashley. Grisham plays up being kissed by Mickie James on Raw. Lucky man. Funny sign alert in the crowd: 'Maria Cook My Dinner.' Santino Marella's influence must be spreading. Melina starts with Ashley who keeps her cap on. Bet that won't stay on long. Melina takes Ashley down by the legs and sure enough, the cap comes off. Melina misses an elbow drop. Ashley forearms, Melina reverses an Irish whip. Ashley steps off the second rope and lands on top of Melina. That didn't look pretty. Ashley gets a one count. Ashley forearms then rams Melina's head into the corner. Maria tags in and works over Melina with forearms, kicks, a knee to the gut and a handstand hook kick to the head. Maria whips Melina into the ropes, Melina hangs on and catches the advancing Maria in a headscissors in the ropes. Melina quickly forearms Maria down and traps her with her body as she tags in Jillian. Jillian drops an elbow for a nearfall. Jillian grabs an arm, Maria throws her down, rams her head into the corner and hits a running butt drop. Jillian collapses in the corner so Maria gives her a bronco buster. Maria uses Jillian's legs to lift and drop her onto the mat for a one count. Maria Irish whips and eventually hits a monkey flip after struggling to gain her footing on the ropes. Ashley tags back in and hits a clothesline. Jillian reverses off the ropes, Ashley hits a tilt-a-whirl headscissors followed by a hurricanrana into a pin attempt. Ashley hooks the leg but only gets a nearfall. Ashley advances into a knee to the gut. Jillian Irish whips, Ashley steps onto the second rope but Melina distracts her from the apron, allowing Jillian to yank Ashley off to the mat. Jillian throws Ashley's head into the mat then throttles her with her hands. Jillian forearms then throws Ashley down by the hair. Melina tags in. Jillian hoists Ashley up by the midsection allowing Melina to deliver a faceplant. Nice move. Maria breaks up a cover at two. Melina kicks Ashley then drags her by the arms into the middle of the ring. Melina gets Ashley up, only to throw her back down by the hair for a nearfall. A chinlock is applied by Melina. Ashley elbows free. Both exchange forearms with Melina scaling the ropes to forearm Ashley in the corner. Ashley kicks the gut, crawls underneath an advancing Melina and makes the tag. Maria lands forearms to Melina then a backelbow off the ropes. Maria gets Melina up by the hair. Melina punches at the gut. Maria cuts off a rope whip and hits a reverse takedown on Melina for a nearfall. Maria goes for an inverted atomic drop but Melina counters into a sunset flip for two. Maria hits a backbreaker (sort of) on Melina for a nearfall. Maria signals for a running bulldog on Melina. Jillian goes to hook the hair from the ring apron but the referee steps in. Maria gets to nail the bulldog and Jillian breaks up the cover at two. Ashley comes in to forearm Jillian out of the ring. Ashley follows Jillian out. Back inside, Maria misses a messy splash attempt on Melina from the second rope. I don't know what she was going for there. Melina ends things by delivering her inverted legdrop/DDT move for the 1-2-3. Here Are Your Winners: MELINA & JILLIAN HALL. Very messy. Ashley and Maria's execution of moves leave a lot to be desired. Good work though from the heels as Melina looks set to go after Mickie James one could assume. Post match, the heels look down smugly on the fallen Maria before leaving.
Super Crazy vs 'The Canadian Bulldog' D.H. Smith
More indecisiveness for Smith, who is back as a straight faced heel this week. Smith starts with a boot and some forearms before throwing Crazy underneath the bottom rope to the floor. Outside, Smith kicks Crazy in the head then throws his head into the apron. Back inside, Smith punches. Crazy reverses off the ropes and hits a spinning heel kick. Smith ducks his head outside to avoid Crazy's follow-up and the referee steps in. Lockup, side headlock by Crazy. Smith sends him off the ropes and follows through to drive a knee to the gut. Smith sends Crazy shoulder first into the ringpost then to the opposite corner. Smith snapmares and punches away on Crazy's head. After a nearfall, Smith applies an armlock to Crazy on the mat. Crazy punches free, Smith punches back then headbutts Crazy down for a nearfall. Smith stomps on Crazy then clotheslines him down in a way similar to the Hart Foundation doing their Hart Attack finisher back in the day. Smith gets another nearfall. Smith gets Crazy up to forearm him into the corner. Smith winds up an arm and Irish whips. Smith charges into a spinning backelbow. Crazy charges into a powerslam. 1-2-no. Smith slams Crazy down onto his arm but misses an elbow drop. Smith charges into a drop toehold. Crazy hits low dropkicks to the knee then the face. Crazy nails a missile dropkick from the top rope then a standing moonsault. 1-2-no. Crazy can't believe it. Crazy sends Smith off the ropes, Crazy puts his head down, Smith delivers a neckbreaker. Nice execution. Smith gets Crazy up who punches the leg then the gut. Crazy goes for a side headlock but Smith quickly delivers a back suplex and covers. 1-2-3. Good match and showing from both. These two worked very well together. Here is Your Winner: 'THE CANADIAN BULLDOG' D.H. SMITH. Post match, Smith raises his hands, snubs the fans on his way out then says that was nothing on his way up the ramp. There's hope for D.H. Smith yet. WWE just need to use him right. On today's showing, I think he's best off as a heel.
Charlie Haas vs Cody Rhodes
Josh thinks all of Haas' masks got confiscated at customs. Rhodes gets a good reception as he comes out alone with his tag title belt. The crowd get on Haas' back at the start with 'You Suck' chants. Haas gets the advantage from a couple of lockups with a throw, takedown and rolling front facelock along the mat. Haas gets a wristlock as Grisham compares Rhodes to a young Randy Orton. Rhodes counters with a fireman carry takedown, armdrag and armbar. Haas kicks, Rhodes reverses off the ropes and takes Haas down. Haas presses Rhodes immediately off of a cover attempt. Rhodes uses a double leg takedown and cover with a bridge for a nearfall. Rhodes catches Haas in another armdrag/armbar combo. Rhodes drives knees into the arm. Josh thinks Haas may use his alter-ego and challenge in the tag team division. Don't give creative any stupid ideas. Haas takes Rhodes to the corner by the hair. Haas punches the gut then Irish whips. Haas telegraphs a float over attempt and clubs Rhodes in the back. Rhodes backelbows an advancing Haas and hits a blind cross body leap from the top rope (which the crowd politely applaud) for a nearfall. Rhodes ducks two lunges but then misses a second cross body leap and rolls out of the ring. Haas goes out from the other side of the ring and disappears under the ring for a mask and costume change. Rhodes gets in and wonders where Haas is. Josh says that Haas must have found a mask store here in the UK. Rhodes reaches out to grab Haas from behind but Haas hangs Rhodes up on the top rope before getting back in the ring. Haas rolls through a hiptoss attempt then delivers a battering ram to Rhodes in the corner. Haas hits a big kick off the ropes then quickly nails a belly-to-belly suplex for a nearfall. Haas clubs the back to put Rhodes in the corner. Haas sends Rhodes down following a series of punches. Haas gets a nearfall, drives a knee into the back of Rhodes and applies a chinlock. Rhodes gets up only for Haas to push him back down. Haas snapmares Rhodes then kicks him in the back for another nearfall. Haas applies an Orton-esque chinlock. Josh debates whether the mask is considered a foreign object as Haas doesn't come out wearing it before likening the situation to wearing brass knucks. Rhodes tries and fails to pull the mask off before getting up. Rhodes punches the gut so Haas clubs the back then headbutts Rhodes. Haas Irish whips, Rhodes floats over a charge, yanks the mask off and catches an angry Haas in a crucifix pin attempt for a nearfall. Rhodes hits a dropkick then a backbodydrop off the ropes and fires up. Rhodes sends Haas' head into the corner then hits a running spingboard dropkick from the top rope. Shades of Stratusfaction there. Rhodes covers 1-2-no. Both men are down. The referee discards Haas' mask outside the ring. Haas gets up first, holding his head and goes to the corner. Rhodes advances into a kick to the chest. Both men exchange stiff punches before Rhodes quickly boots the gut and delivers a DDT. Haas is out of it. 1-2-3. Here is Your Winner: CODY RHODES. Another good, entertaining, solid match. Cody Rhodes is better suited as a singles rather than a tag team wrestler in my view. Post match, Rhodes gets his tag title then his hand raised. After getting his breath back, Rhodes holds aloft his tag title belt.
Val Venis vs Snitsky
Main Event time. Nice reception for Val. Snitsky interrupts Val's towel routine. Val manages to towel and kiss a woman at ringside who looked like she could be Ashley's sister or something. The crowd get on Snitsky's back with 'Brush Your Teeth' chants. Val charges into a lockup but gets shoved to the corner. Val kicks a charging Snitsky then continues to kick at the back of Snitsky's legs. Val can't Irish whip Snitsky who sends Val off the ropes. Val catches Snitsky going for a big boot but Snitsky grabs Val by the throat. Val breaks Snitsky's grip so Snitsky knees the gut. Snitsky gets Val on his shoulders but Val wriggles free and pushes Snitsky front first to the corner, where Val unloads with forearms. Snitsky reverses an Irish whip but charges into Val's feet. Snitsky catches Val coming off the second rope and drives him back first into the corner. Snitsky punches Val down then stomps. Snitsky rams Val's head into the corner before punching him down. Snitsky drops two elbows across Val's chest, turns him over, drops an elbow onto the back and applies a crossface. Val refuses to quit as Snitsky sits on the hold. Snitsky briefly breaks to elbow the back once more before resuming the hold. Val nearly taps but doesn't. Snitsky switches to a front facelock as Val gets up and uses punches and forearms to fight back. Val runs the ropes, telegraphing a backbodydrop with a boot to the head. Val fires up but gets caught with a big boot. A pumphandle slam puts Val out of his misery for another week. 1-2-3. Here is Your Winner: SNITSKY. Slow and plodding. I really feel for Val. Post match, Snitsky snarls around the ring before leaving.
Grisham shills for King of the Ring on the three hour Raw tomorrow night, before thanking us for watching to end the show.
Best match: Super Crazy vs D.H. Smith.
Worst match: Val Venis vs Snitsky.
Show verdict: Thumbs in the middle. As is the norm, there's usually two pretty good matches and two not so good matches each week. This week was no different, with the middle two matches being the cream of the crop.
Heat may be a special edition next week due to the three hour Raw tomorrow night. Speaking of tomorrow night, my picks for King of the Ring are either MVP or CM Punk. See you next week. Shaun.
If anyone wants to sound off, chew the fat or talk wrestling get in touch. Comments/praise/feedback/criticism/discussion points please direct to shaunmb1@hotmail.com.