By J.R. Maes, Torch Team Contributor

WWE Heat review
Taped June 14, 2004 in Dayton, Oh.
Aired June 20, 2004 on Spike TV
Report by J.R.Maes, Torch Team Contributor

Happy Father’s Day everybody, and welcome back for another edition of Sunday Night Heat with your host for the past year, J.R. Maes. Some of you have been here since the beginning when I was a fresh faced rookie going by the name of Jeremy Maes and I sincerely appreciate you all sticking with me this long as I review the greatest B-Show in the history of wrestling! Hopefully the next year of Heat will bring us even more cherished memories and memorable moments we have come to expect! So, as I have said for a year now, let’s get to some Heat!

We start with Eric Bischoff talking with Kane on last Monday’s Raw. Kane gets pissed when Bischoff tells him he is no longer the number one contender and that he knows he is a professional. Kane shows Bischoff how professional he is by tearing apart his office.
Coach welcomes us to the show and introduces us to Al snow. Snow rips on him for losing to Eugene at Bad Blood. Coach says he is not in the mood.

1) Val Venis defeated Steven Richards Steven has bright yellow tights on and interrupts Val taking his towel off. Val is shocked and not happy. They lock up and Steven gets Val in a headlock. Val breaks out and gives him a hip toss and gets Stevie in an armbar. Stevie backs him in the corner and elbows Val. Then he slaps Val on the back. Steven throws him in the rope and places his head down allowing Val the opportunity to give him an underhook suplex. Steven slides out of the ring and Val chases him. Steven gains the upper hand by draping Val’s neck over the top rope. Steven chokes Val and hammers away on his chest. Val breaks out with a “quarter nelson bodybomb.” Val blocks some Stevie punches and they run the ropes. Steven holds on to the top rope but Val backbody drops him. Val whips him in the corner and blocks a boot attempt. Val bodyslams him and tries locking on the reverse figure four. Val goes right back for him and gives him” former employee Crash Holly’s old finisher The Crash landing.” Steven locks on a Cobra Clutch but Val struggles free and grabs the rope. Steven freaks out in a Christian sort of way. He then punches the top turnbuckle. When he turns around Val gives him a spinebuster and follows it with the Moneyshot for the win.

Match Comments Not bad action. I do not think I am going to dig the new whiny Stevie Richards shtick. I suppose though that any character development would be a positive.

Commercial Break has anyone else realized they got rid of the regular chicken tacos at taco Bell in favor of the more expensive Ranchero chicken soft taco? Talk about a load of crap. All they did was add ranch dressing!

In a truly strange commercial for WWE Experience they show a balding man sitting around bored. An announcer comes over asking what is there to watch on another dull Sunday morning. Let’s see, cartoons, religion complete with demonic preacher or cooking, all of these are boring! Try WWE Experience, it is exciting and you get your assortment of breasts, violence and drama. Actually, isn’t that reminiscent of religion?

Now Playing: Hell In The Cell highlights The action on the video was contained inside of a drop of blood border. It featured all stills of the match as Jim Ross calls the action. They made it clear that Triple H had to use three pedigrees in finishing Shawn Michaels off. The next night Kane interferes in the handshake angle and destroys HBK.

2) Maven defeated Joey Matthews Hey Joey Matthews is making another appearance on Heat. Welcome back Joey! They lock up and Maven turns Joey in to a headlock. Why is Al Snow acting like he does not know who Joey Matthews is? Matthews performs a go behind for a quick two count. Maven punches him. Maven then catches him with a powerslam. Maven climbs the top rope but Joey ducks out of the ring. Maven jumps down and tries grabbing Matthews but he gets a kick in the head. Maven gives him a crossbody block off the top rope but Matthews kicks out at two. Matthews recovers and gives Maven a northern lights suplex. Maven, though, recovers and gives Matthews The Stroke for the victory.

Match Analysis This was a solid back and forth contest with equal offense and counter wrestling by both men. Matthews looked good and continues helping his stock in the WWE. Why he is not a player on Smackdown at least is beyond me. Pair him back up with Christian York and The Dudley’s would at least have someone to fight. Maven on the other hand looks solid and would also benefit by moving over to Smackdown.

Now we get the skank portion of the evening. Yes, the WWE Diva Search contest. Groan. So many boob jobs so little brains. Our votes will send one hard working stripper back to the clubs each and every week.

Commercial Break My god, you need $150.00 sneakers to play that dance game in the arcades now? Looks like my dancing days are over.

Now Playing: The Six Man Tag from Raw Batista and Chris Jericho have already been eliminated. Edge spears Flair but Orton low blows him and gives him the RKO. Orton then pins Edge setting up Flair and Orton versus Benoit. Orton tags Flair and he immediately tried for a figure four but Benoit counters him and puts him in the crossface. Orton rolls in the ring and goes on offense. He kicks and punches Benoit. Orton picks up Benoit and Chris’ face slides across Randy’s crotch, which looks highly uncomfortable. Benoit escapes and gives Orton a German suplex. Orton takes down Chioda on accident. Chris tries placing him in the sharpshooter but Triple H interferes. Benoit breaks the hold and gives Triple H a German suplex. Chris turns his attention back to Orton and puts him in the Sharpshooter. Orton struggles for a moment and finally taps out. Benoit celebrates and jaws at Triple H as Coachman starts hyping Eugene versus Triple H for Raw tomorrow.

Commercial Break Joe Schmo 2 started last week and Spike TV will not let us forget about that fact. You can catch it every Tuesday at sometime as well as Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday and so on. At least the host is back for this season since he was constantly entertaining.

3) Shelton Benjamin defeated Garrison Cade I saw Cade in person Friday night and he is an impressive figure. He knows how to work a crowd and has some serious charisma in person. Unfortunately, he has never been allowed to show off these skills. Someday he may but for now I guess he will play the bland protagonist. They start off with a go behind by Benjamin and Cade slips out. Cade gets pissed and jaws with Jack Doan. Cade tries surprising Shelton but he gets a back body drop for his troubles. In a cool sequence, Cade throws Benjamin to the mat but Shelton springs right back up. So, Cade does it again and Shelton pops right back up again. Cade finally gets some breathing room and tosses Shelton out of the ring as we go to commercial.

Commercial Break Joe Schmo 2 again and this time the falcon takes a header in to the house glass. Now that looks funny. Perfection, as some anchor men would say. Why do Stridex and other zit cream products show young girls placing that crap on their face when they should be showing young men who actually watch this show?

We are back and Garrison Cade is still in control. He punches away at Shelton and covers him for a one count. Garrison immediately locks on a front face lock and the action slows. Coach takes this moment to mention Lita being pregnant and I wonder how long the kid will gestate. I still say going with a month and a half pregnancy is the way to go for pure silliness. Shelton fights back but Cade cuts him off with a knee in the gut. The crowd starts a “Let’s Go Shelton” chant and Cade shows some of the flare he has by smirking and pounding on Shelton in defiance of the crowd. Shelton mounts an abbreviated come back but Cade gives him a powerbomb for a two count. Cade, smartly, locks on another front face lock. Shelton fights back with some punches in the gut. He then gives Cade a Russian leg sweep. Both men are on the mat and Jack Doan starts the count. They both beat the count and start exchanging punches. Shelton comes out on top and whips Cade in the ropes where he gives him a back elbow. Shelton puts him in the corner and monkey flips him out. Shelton follows that with a big splash and immediately gives him what Al Snow called a suplex-powerslam for the victory.

Match Comments: I liked this match for a bunch of reasons. First, it was a very even and smartly contested contest. Second, Cade started showing some flare in the match as he taunted the crowd. Third, Shelton gave him a bunch of offense so his comeback was meaningful. Now, the sole reason I did not like this match, Shelton’s finisher sucks. Yes it can come out of nowhere so it has an element of surprise but it looks like a regular powerslam. It’s kind of hard to get excited about that when so many other wrestlers use the same move.

Final Analysis This was a rather ho-hum edition of Heat for my anniversary show. The main event was much better than I anticipated. Al Snow and Coach continue calling things differently now and it makes the show a much easier listen. Having the exact same opinions was boring. Now, they at least add a small bit of spice with their banter. Having Shelton hopefully will be a sign of things to come with other higher-level wrestlers making an appearance in at least the main event.

J.R. Maes welcomes any comments, oversights and opinions you have to share. Drop me a line at jeremymaes@yahoo.com. If you send me e-mail please include something in the title of the e-mail saying what you are writing about. With so many viruses and worms floating around I delete anything I do not recognize. Also, my Lounge articles are posted sometime every Wednesday and my NWA-TNA Impact reviews see the light of day Friday night or Saturday mornings. Make sure and check them out. Until this Wednesday, don’t follow my path son, don't follow my path!

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