By Wade Keller, Torch editor

Ford Center in Oklahoma City, Okla.

WWE UNFORGIVEN
SEPTEMBER 18
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLA.

-A video feature aired on the Kurt Angle-John Cena feud.

-Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, and Coach introduced the show.

1 -- RIC FLAIR vs. CARLITO COOL -- Intercontinental Title match

Carlito shoulder blocked Flair to the mat at 2:00 and then did a Flair Strut. Flair fired back with a hammer lock and a shove in the corner followed by a "Whooo!" Flair kept firing chops at Carlito in the corner. Carlito showed some aggression with a flurry of punches on the mat at 8:00. Ross said they'd like to see more of that from Carlito since he's usually so laid back. At 10:00 Flair climbed to the top rope and rather than get caught, he leaped off and clotheslined Carlito. Flair celebrated and the crowd popped. Flair went back to the top, "whoood!", and then leaped. This time Carlito caught him mid-flight with a dropkick and then scored a two count. Flair got up and popped Carlito with a punch to the face, then showed great fire as he applied the figure-four. The crowd popped big for him. Carlito submitted 20 seconds later. Flair celebrated the win like an NHL player scoring a goal. Ross said Flair "damn sure still has it!" Flair took the mic after the match and said: "I cannot begin to tell you what an honor it is at this stage of my career to win this most prestigious of all Intercontinental Champion. My first one. Baby, let me tell you this. Tonight, this is as sweet to the Nature Boy as any, as any of those 16 World Titles. This means that much." He then kissed the belt over and over. "My only regret is that my best friend and the greatest wrestler alive today, Triple H, is not here to share this moment with me." The crowd booed. Flair added that there'd be a huge party tonight in Oklahoma City. Flair recruited a few women in the crowd to celebrate with him at ringside. They returned to the back with Flair.

WINNER: Flair at 11:53 to capture the IC Title.

STAR RATING: ** -- Nice match. Flair did a great job making it seem like a monumental moment in his career. It's great to see what Flair can do in terms of projecting his character without Triple H around to hold him back.

-Todd Grisham tried to interview Carlito backstage, but he shoved Grisham and walked right past him.

-Lita told Edge backstage to remember how when he was out with his injury that he'd call her, then call Edge, and he had no idea they were with each other. "Poor guy, he never had a clue," said Edge. Lita said she was sure to give Edge all the attention Hardy was missing at home. Lita said she was about to make him happy, then began making out with him.

-Lawler said he wanted to get happy, then the women began coming out, so Lawler said, "It looks like I'm gonna."

2 -- TRISH & ASHLEY vs. VICTORIA TORRIE WILSON

Trish began the match and got in some offense. When Ashley tagged in, she took a nasty spill that could have hurt her seriously when she went head-first to ringside. They really should reevaluate whether untrained women should be thrown into the ring like this. It's very disrespectful to what it takes to be safe in the ring executing this craft to assume barely trained women can be safe in there. Ross did note early in the match that Ashley isn't fully trained yet. Victoria isolated Ashley for several minutes. Trish hot tagged in at 5:30 and went to work on Victoria. Torrie grabbed her by the hair to give Victoria a chance to gain control. Trish flipped out of it, then did the Matrix move and clotheslined both opponents. Trish gave Victoria a spinebuster, but Candice Michelle distracted the ref. Trish yanked Candice into the ring. Ashley took a shot at her, also. Trish took both Torrie and Victoria down with a headscissors/headlock flip combo and then finished off Victoria with her Chick Kick.

WINNER: Ashley & Trish at 6:53.

STAR RATING: 3/4* -- High-energy, but Ashley shouldn't be in there yet. She's not ready yet. Trish looked amped up to be back and had really good energy, charisma, and timing.

-They showed Flair showing the women into his limo, then he popped several Viagra pills and washed it down with wine. He then took a few more pills. The crowd popped as Flair counted how many pills he'd need based on counting the women inside the limo.

-They introduced ZZ Top at ringside.

3 -- BIG SHOW vs. GENE SNITSKY

Big Show greeted ZZ Top when he got to the ring. Show took early control, jump-starting the match. After some action at ringside, Snitsky blocked a Big Show chokeslam attempt and ended up taking control at 3:00. Snitsky hit a back suplex at 4:00 for a two count. Snitsky followed up with a boot to the face of Show for another two count. The crowd chanted "Big Show, Big Show." Show came back with a spinebuster at 5:15, but fell to the mat himself. Snow, with the help of the top rope, nipped up. Impressive. He shoulder-tackled Snitsky and went for another chokeslam. This time he executed it for the pin. After the match Show got some revenge for being attacked by Snitsky with the ring bell on Raw; he grabbed the bell from ringside and took Snitsky to the mat with a blow to the head. He then began to leave the ring, but realized he owed him one more. As Snitsky began to get up, Show bashed him from behind across the skull with the bell one more time.

WINNER: Show at 6:10.

STAR RATING: *1/4 --Solid effort and non-stop action.

-A video feature aired on Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Masters.

4 -- KERWIN WHITE vs. SHELTON BENJAMIN

Shelton dominated early. White made a comeback a few minute into the match. The crowd chanted "Chavo sucks." Lawler asked, "What are they talking about? They're behind the times here in Oklahoma." Benjamin came back with a sudden Samoan Drop, but he grabbed at his left knee. Shelton remained on offense and limped his way to the top rope. White knocked Shelton off balance. Shelton hung by his bad knee from the top rope. White gave Shelton a superplex then followed up with a half Boston crab. Shelton yelled in pain. Shelton surprised White, who had just grabbed his golf club to use as a weapon, with a sudden T-Bone for the quick pin.

WINNER: Benjamin at 8:49.

STAR RATING: **1/4

-Grisham interviewed Matt Hardy backstage. He asked Hardy if he called her a term for a "female dog." Hardy said, "I called her a bitch." He said he still feels that way. "I gave Lita everything I had for six years." He said it got him fired from his dream job working for WWE, so he said he still feels that way. Grisham asked if he still cares about her. "The only thing I care about, Todd, is making sure Edge doesn't walk out of that steel cage tonight."

5 -- MATT HARDY vs. EDGE (w/Lita)

Edge went for an early escape. Edge also tried to get out of the door. Hardy held on and applied a side headlock. Hardy went for pinfalls, which are one of three ways to win the match. At 4:00 Edge made a comeback by shoving Hardy into the cage face-first. Edge climbed to the top of the cage. Hardy followed him. You wonder how much trust these two really do have for each other up there. Edge rammed Hardy's head to the back of the cage wall while he was on the top rope. Hardy collapsed to the mat. Hardy ducked an Edge missile dropkick. At 8:45 Edge lifted Hardy for a powerbomb and rammed him into the side of the cage. At 11:30 Edge gave Hardy a powerbomb off the top rope. They cut to a crowd shot with fans reacting in amazement. Lita shoved the brief case into the ring. Hardy, though, used it instead. Hardy showed great fire for a big comeback. When Lita climbed the cage, Hardy shoved her off through the side of the cage. Edge bladed and bled all over the mat. Hardy went to the top rope with the brief case, but Lita shook the cage and knocked him down. Edge speared Hardy into the cage as he was standing between the cage wall and the ropes. Edge took Hardy to the top rope for a chokeslam to the mat. Hardy reversed it. He made the cover. Lita entered the ring and jumped onto Hardy. Ross, Coach, and Lawler said it was legal. Ross added that it wasn't particularly ethical or moral, though. As Hardy stated down Lita, Edge crawled toward the cage door. Hardy noticed and dragged Edge back into another corner. He then gave Lita the Twist of Fate which drew a pop. Edge then speared Hardy. Hardy kicked out just before three. The crowd loudly chanted "Hardy, Hardy, Hardy." That's the key to his push - crowd support - and he knows it. The two went back to the top rope again. Hardy leaped off the top rope with a legdrop and scored the pin. Ross called it the biggest legdrop he's ever seen and really sold with enthusiasm that Hardy won. Hardy left the cage, satisfied with the pin, and saluted the fans while holding his left hip in pain. They went to a close-up of Lita and a bloody Edge lying KO'd next to each other.

WINNER: Hardy at 21:23.

STAR RATING: **** -- Very good cage match with the satisfying spots the fans wanted, some convincing near falls, and a number of big spots. Not a match of the year, but potentially match of the night.

-Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch predicted a tag title victory during a backstage pre-match promo.

6 -- ROSEY & HURRICANE vs. LANCE CADE & TREVOR MURDOCH

Hurricane hit some offense early, sending Murdoch scurrying to ringside to get a pep talk from Lance Cade. Hurricane went to check on Lillian and defend her against advanced by Murdoch. Then Hurrricane was knocked out after landing on his neck and didn't return to the ring apron. Trainers came to ringside to check on him. He was moving his arms and legs, but otherwise appears to be in great pain. He was helped to his feet and clutched his left shoulder. He saw that Rosey needed him, though, and he returned to the ring. He went after the heels, but they easily took him down and scored the pin.

WINNERS: Cade & Murdoch at 7:37 to capture the World Tag Team Titles.

STAR RATING: *1/2

-A woman got out of the back of Flair's limo wearing one of his robes. She looked flustered and happy.

-Maria interviewed Chris Masters backstage. She asked, "Why do they call you the Masturbate?" He said it's Masterpiece, and they call him that because his body is like a Michelangelo sculpture. Maria then made a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle reference.

7 -- SHAWN MICHAELS vs. CHRIS MASTERS

Masters applied the Masterlock from behind as Michaels was in the midst of his pre-match posing/dance routine. The ref restored order. When the match officially began, Michaels took early control. When the action went to ringside, Michaels grabbed a chair. The ref yanked the chair out of his hands from inside the ring. Masters then took a cheap shot at Michaels. He set him up for a powerbomb and despite a barrage of Michaels punches, he shoved Michaels back-first into the ringpost. Masters remained on offense for several minutes. Michaels made a comeback at 8:00, but wasn't at 100 percent as he threw some chops at Masters. Masters reversed Michaels into the corner. Michaels did the flip. Masters then put him in the torture rack. Michaels appeared to be out, then he showed life and managed to slide into a sunset flip for a two count. Masters took Michaels to the mat immediately with a hard clothesline. Great bump from Michaels. At 12:30 Michaels began another comeback, taking Masters down with what Ross called "the flying burrito" (Tito Santana's old finisher). He nipped up, slammed Masters, and hit the top rope elbow at 13:15. He played to the crowd who fed him energy in return. He signalled for the Sweet Chin Music by stomping the mat. Masters ducked it and put Michaels in the Masterlock. Masters swung Michaels around. Michaels kicked off the top turnbuckle to escape, but couldn't. He tried again, but Masters held the grip. Michaels sank to one of his knees as the crowd chanted "HBK, HBK." Michaels finally escaped and surprised Masters with a superkick.

WINNER: Michaels at 16:42.

STAR RATING: ***1/2 -- Remarkable performance from Michaels. Masters was solid, too.

-Flair came out of the limo with his ass hanging out of his trunks, sweating as if he just had a lot of great sex. He swigged more wine. The crowd seemed to dig the old man holding court with a bunch of women in a limo.

8 -- KURT ANGLE vs. JOHN CENA -- WWE Hvt. Title match

After some criss-crossing and leapfrogging, Cena went into headlocks in the first three minutes. Angle bailed out to ringside. Angle got in some offense, then they went back and forth for two minutes. Angle then got sustained offense for the next five minutes include suplexes and near falls. Cena made a big comeback at 11:00 and teased an FU. Angle escaped and applied the anklelock. Angle then hit an Angle Slam for a dramatic near fall at 12:30. Cena went into his routine including the You Can't See Me and fist drop leading to another near fall. Coach pointed out had Cena not done the Five Knuckle Shuffle routine and made the cover sooner, he might have won the match. Angle bumped the ref on a reverse, then Cena hit the FU at 14:00. With the ref down, no count could be made. Cena got up to check on the ref. Angle got up and hit Cena with a blow blow, then in the head with his Olympic Gold Medal, followed by a kneedrop to the back Cena's already injured ankle. Then he applied an anklelock. Eric Bischoff walked to ringside with a big smile, clapping. He entered the ring and put the belt in Cena's face, bragging that he was about to lose it. "Say goodbye!" said Bischoff. Cena grabbed at Bischoff. At 16:30, Cena reached the bottom rope. Bischoff kicked his hand off the bottom rope. Cena eventually did escape and knocked Angle into Bischoff in the process. Cena grabbed the belt and KO'd Angle. The ref saw it and called for the DQ. The crowd began booing. Bischoff stopped the ring announcement and said, "I don't care what he said, I don't care what happens on a disqualification, you do not give that title to Cena," said Bischoff. Cena gave Bischoff an FU at 18:00. Cena's music played. Angle attacked Cena from behind and took him to ringside. Ross said he didn't know what the decision was. Angle ripped at Cena's face at ringside, whipped him into the ringside steps, then set him up for an Angle Slam on the announcers' table. Cena reversed Angle with an FU onto the table. Angle bled from the mouth and was counted out. Cena returned to the ring and the ref raised his hand to signal he was the new winner. Cena looked surprised at the ref's decision. Ross and Lawler expressed confusion because the ref called for the bell after Cena KO'd Angle with the belt. Ross said Cena was DQ'd, but he kept the title. It's possible the ref wasn't supposed to raise Cena's arm.

WINNER: Cena at 17:13.

STAR RATING: ***3/4 -- Good match, but not the best of the night (Hardy-Edge in the cage was). The finish was a confusing mess.

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