WWE Heat Report-22nd April 2007
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Commentators: Josh Mathews & Jack Corpella
Ring Announcer: Todd Grisham
Bienvenuto. Heat emanates from Milan, Italy this week. Let's get straight into the action. We begin with.............
Val Venis vs Dan Rodman
Val looks excited to be in Milan. Rodman is the man formerly known as Dan Rodimer. Rodman gets some generic entrance music. Rodman acts and looks like a very cocky Randy Orton which isn't a compliment. Rodman uses his power to shove Val down from a lockup. Val applies a side headlock, Rodman sends off the ropes, Val gets floored following a shoulder tackle attempt. Rodman boots the gut, clubs the back and punches. Val counters a rope whip with two running kneelifts. Rodman blocks a side russian legsweep but misses an elbow allowing Val to work over the arm with an armwringer and shoulder thrusts. Val sends Rodman's head into the corner. Rodman reverses an irish whip but charges into an elbow. Val blindly leaps onto the second rope allowing Rodman to club and throw Val to the mat. Rodman drives Val back first to the corner where he punches as the Italian tifosi (fans) break out into the White Stripes song (sorry the name escapes me). Rodman traps Val in a bearhug. Val responds to the crowd suport and punches his way free. Val boots but can't suplex Rodman. Val ducks a clothesline before hitting one of his own followed by two backelbows. Val boots Rodman and hits a neckbreaker for a nearfall. Val lands a half nelson slam then the Money Shot from the top rope. 1-2-3. Val carried Rodman well enough. Crowd were into Val. Here is Your Winner: VAL VENIS. Post match Val sells his back and rolls out instead of stepping out of the ring. Val takes in the fan support on his way to the back as Rodman curses his luck in the ring.
Kenny Dykstra vs Matt Hardy
Good heat for Kenny as he comes out. Pops for Matt who enters alone to his own music. It's nice to see Hardy but we get no explanation as to why a Smackdown superstar is on Heat. Maybe Hardy is in the process of getting transferred back to Raw? Hardy, Hardy and Kenny sucks are the chants heard at the start. Hardy reverses a wristlock into a side headlock takedown. Hardy re-applies the hold when Kenny escapes. Hardy gets sent off the ropes, Hardy hits a shoulder tackle and hiptoss reversal. Kenny walks into a slam. Hardy drops a fist sending Kenny to the outside calling time out. Hardy plays to the crowd. Hardy gets Kenny on the apron, Kenny drives his head into Hardy's gut, Hardy blocks and reverses a head ram into the corner before hiptossing Kenny back in. Hardy punches Kenny into the ropes. Hardy elbows Kenny down off the ropes. Hardy lands an elbow for a nearfall. Kenny to the corner, Hardy punches, Kenny reverses an Irish whip but charges into an elbow. Hardy connects with the ahhh elbow from the second rope for another nearfall. Hardy with a headlock takedown, Kenny gets up, takes Hardy to the corner and drives his head into the gut three times. Hardy turns the tables wearing Kenny down in the corner with a series of punches. Kenny is met by a clothesline before Hardy rams his head into the corner. Hardy starts to punch, Kenny ducks one lifting Hardy up and placing him on the top rope. Kenny clubs the back before climbing to the second rope. Hardy blocks a back suplex by hanging on to the turnbuckle before elbowing Kenny to the mat. Hardy misses a moonsault and favours his knee to turn the tide of the match as we cut to commercials. We come back to see Kenny spend some time working over Hardy's knee with various shots. The announcers put over Kenny's ring awareness. Kenny twists away on Hardy's knee. Hardy manages to hook a small package for a nearfall. Kenny kicks Hardy's leg from under him before kicking the knee, taunting Hardy and covering for a nearfall. Kenny chokes Hardy in the middle rope with his hands before stomping on the knee, tying it up in the corner and twisting away. Hardy rakes the face to release Kenny's grip but Kenny simply turns and punches Hardy down in the corner before twisting on his knee in the ropes some more. Kenny pulls Hardy away from the corner and back up into two short arm clotheslines for a nearfall. Kenny lands a drop down shot on the knee before torquing away at Hardy's boot/ankle putting more pressure on the knee. Hardy refuses to submit or be pinned and after a while Hardy uses his other leg to kick Kenny out of the ring. This buys Hardy some time to hobble up. Kenny gets in and runs into a clothesline. Hardy lands a series of punches to send Kenny to the corner. Hardy lands a running bulldog out of the corner for a nearfall. Hardy catches a charging Kenny with a side effect for another nearfall. Hardy lands the ahhh legdrop from the second rope across the back of Kenny's head. 1-2-no. Hardy signals for the Twist of Fate. Hardy boots the gut but Kenny counters into a nice rolling single leg boston crab. Very Lance Storm like. Hardy inches his way to the bottom rope forcing Kenny to break the hold. Kenny stomps on Hardy's knee, gets Hardy up then punches him into the ropes. Kenny ties Hardy's leg up. Kenny comes off the second rope but Hardy catches him with a boot using his other leg. Hardy unties himself and delivers the Twist of Fate. Hardy covers 1-2-3. Good match that was given some time. Crowd were into it too for the most part. Here is Your Winner: MATT HARDY. Post match Hardy sells his knee as Jack Corpella (I think it's spelt like that) speculates on the costly victories of Val Venis and Matt Hardy in today's matches. Josh wraps things up as Heat fades to black with Hardy holding aloft his World Tag Team Title belt.
Best Match: Kenny Dykstra vs Matt Hardy.
Worst Match: None.
Final Thoughts: Just two matches meant a lot of Raw recaps but they gave the main event some time which was good. Jack Corpella did a good job for his first assignment. He came across well and very knowledgeable of the WWE and what's going on/been going on. I can't put a face to the name though as neither commentator was shown on screen. Probably voice over work done in Stamford. Grisham was a bit wooden on ring announcing. I didn't miss Jonathan Coachman at all.
I'll be back same time next weekend when Heat will be broadcast from London, England. Unfortunately, I'm not able to go to the Raw/Heat taping tomorrow night but if anyone that's going wishes to pass along a report then drop me a line. Cheers. Shaun.
Comments/praise/feedback/criticism/discussion points please direct to shaunmb1@hotmail.com.
