WWE JUDGMENT DAY PPV REPORT
FLASHBACK SERIES - MAY 21, 2006
REPORT BY WADE KELLER, TORCH EDITOR

-Michael Cole and Tazz introduced the show. They touted the sellout crowd for the event, and introduced Hugo Savinovich and Carlos Cabrera who handled Spanish commentary.

1 -- MNM (Mercury & Nitro w/Melina) vs. BRIAN KENDRICK & PAUL LONDON

London got in some early offense, but then was double-teamed and beaten on for several minutes. Melina also interfered on behalf of her men. At 5:00 London tagged in Kendrick, but after a flurry of offense, they double-teamed him to regain control. Late in the match, four-way action broke out after a hot tag to London. London dropkicked Nitro off the ring apron and then in one fluid motion backflipped onto Mercury in the ring at 13:00. Kendrick dove over the top rope toward Nitro and Melina at ringside, but they moved. Nitro then held London in place on the ring apron, but when Mercury charged, London moved. London then flipped and bridged and pinned Mercury at 14:00.

WINNERS: London & Kendrick in 13:00 to capture the WWE Tag Team Titles.

STAR RATING: *** -- Nice tag match. A little too formula with two long stretches of each babyface selling, but the athleticism of the four is a step above what you usually see in WWE rings.

After the match, Melina yelled at Mercury and then slapped him for losing. Mercury grabbed her by the wrist. Nitro knocked Mercury down and began pounding on him. Mercury rolled on top and punched Nitro. Melina roundhouse kicked Mercury, then Nitro began beating on him again. When the ref intervened, Melina kicked him between the legs. Not much crowd heat for the premature break-up of MNM. Mercury dove onto Nitro at ringside and they brawled. Several referees and Teddy Long tried to separate them. Long took a spill during the brawl. Cole said MNM are the most successful tag team in the history of Smackdown.

2 -- FIT FINLAY vs. CHRIS BENOIT

Benoit dominated early with a strong headlock. Finlay goaded the ref into checking his eye for a cut, then put Benoit in a headlock of his own. Finlay popped Benoit on his knees, so Benoit popped up and slapped Finlay. They replayed Finlay getting slapped, accentuating the sound. Benoit put Finlay in a chinlock. Finlay dominated with mat wrestling for several minutes. Then at 9:00 Benoit hit two german suplexes and then went for a top rope headbutt. He missed, of course, as Finlay moved. He teased going after a sharpshooter, but Finlay slipped out of it. A minute later, Finlay grabbed a chair from ringside, Benoit slidekicked the chair into him. He tried again and this time it got for a two count. Finlay applied a quarter nelson, but Benoit reached the bottom rope to force a break. Finlay dominated for several minutes. Benoit came back with a german attempt. Finlay blocked the third. When Finlay went to get his stick at ringside, Benoit chased him there and german suplexed him onto the floor. Tazz talked about how that mat at ringside they just landed on is not thick at 17:00. Benoit suplexed Finlay into the ring and hit Three Amigos. When Benoit went to the ring apron, Finlay knocked him to the floor. At 20:00, Finlay threw Benoit into the ringpost. Benoit surprised Finlay with a Crippler Crossface. Finlay fought it, but eventually Benoit applied and Finlay tapped out pretty quickly.

WINNER: Benoit in 20:00.

STAR RATING: ***

-A commercial aired for the WrestleMania 22 DVD.

-They showed a clip of Melina and Jillian brawling backstage on Smackdown.

-They showed Superstar Billy Graham in the front row.

3 -- JILLIAN vs. MELINA (w/Nitro)

Melina beat up Jillian for the opening minute. Melina applied a body scissors. Jillian teased a comeback, but Melina retained control. She slammed Jillian's head to the mat, then kicked and stomped her in the corner. When Melina went for a big splash, Jillian lifted her knees. Jillian scored a leverage pin even though Melina's hand was grasping the bottom rope. The ref didn't notice.

WINNER: Jillian in 3:00.

STAR RATING: 1/2*

-Afterward, Krystal interviewed Melina at ringside. Krystal pointed out that it hasn't been Melina's night. Melina paused, then yelled, "You bitch!" and attacked her. Krystal fought back with some elbows. The ref held her back.

-Backstage, JBL laughed and talked about how the "feel good story of 2006" comes to a finish tonight. He said he thrives when the lights are on bright and today fans will see "the true American hero." Off camera, he noticed Chavo Guerrero. JBL asked what he was doing there. Chavo said he was there to support his friend, Rey Mysterio. JBL said he'll see him get his ass kicked just as he watched his uncle Eddie Guerrero get beaten by him for the WWE Title. Chavo told JBL to stop living in the past and start living for today. He predicted he will not leave with the World Championship. Chavo yelled out "Viva la rasa!" Who's living in the past?

-They showed a clip of Steve Austin beating Jake Roberts to win the 1996 King of the Ring. Then Austin said the revolutionary one-liner for the first time: "Austin 3:16 just kicked your ass."

4 -- GREGORY HELMS vs. SUPER CRAZY -- Cruiserweight Title match

They showed Luis Gonzales from the Arizona Diamondbacks in the crowd. Crazy clotheslined Helms over the top rope and teased a dive, but the ref stopped him. Crazy then dove over the ref's back and onto Helms. Helms slowed the match down with a side headlock at 4:00. Helms shifted into the cruiserweight speciality which sets cruiserweights apart - a side headlock. Crazy leveraged Helms into a pin attempt for a two count. Crazy caught Helms with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and then went to the top rope and hit a dropkick for another two count. Crazy went for a top rope moonsault, but Helms moved. Helms went for a Shining Wizard, but Crazy ducked and then hit a spinning hook kick for a two count. Helms caught Crazy charging into the corner, then hit a neckbreaker off the second rope. Tazz predicted it was over, so of course Crazy kicked out. Crazy chopped Helms, but Helms came back with a soft powerbomb and put his feet on the second rope to score a pin.

WINNER: Helms in 13:00.

STAR RATING: *3/4 -- Pretty basic match early on. Nothing special or memorable. The finishing sequences seemed clunky and the pin was pretty lame.

-Melina and Nitro complained backstage to Long about Krystal's actions. Melina then slapped Long. Long said, "Melina, I needed that. Now I'm going to tell you what I'm going to do. You're fired." Nitro yelled at Long. Long fired him, too.

-Tazz and Cole said that proves how in one night, your life and career can change forever.

-A video feature aired on the King of the Ring history, this time Kurt Angle's 2000 tourney win over Rikishi.

-Mark Henry walked to the ring and grabbed the mic. He asked Angle when he is going to realize he hurts people. He noted that Batista got hurt and then Angle got hurt. He told Angle rather than get hurt worse, he should come out "in front of all these people." Then he stopped talking and it seemed like he forgot his line or something. After a dead pause, Angle's music began and he walked out.

5 -- KURT ANGLE vs. MARK HENRY

In the opening minute, Angle flipped off the middle rope and landed sorta on Henry, but not really, and he slid onto the back of his neck with a thud. Scary looking spot that seemed to go wrong. Not sure what was intended. At ringside, Angle set Henry up for a german suplex onto the announcers' table. Henry blocked it and then tried to go on offense in the ring. Instead, Angle tripped him and applied an anklelock. Henry maneuvered into a chinlock, prompting Cole to say for a 1,000th Henry match in a row: "Mark Henry has slowed down the action." Tazz said it's a good gameplan. Angle elbowed out of it, then kicked him. When he dove at Henry, Henry caught him. Angle, though, reversed Henry's momentum into a DDT for a two count. Angle then german suplexed Henry and dropped his straps. He then gave Henry an Angleslam. Henry, though, came back with a clothesline as Angle charged at him. The announcers wondered if Angle came back too quickly from the rib injury. Henry powerslammed Henry for a two count. Tazz said Angle came back too quickly. Cole said Long reluctantly gave Angle the match he demanded and Angle was medically cleared just in time for the match. Angle slipped out of Henry's hands and applied the anklelock. Henry escaped by powering Angle off of him and through the ropes to the floor. Henry lay Angle on the U.S. announcers' table and removed the monitors. Then he stood on the Spanish table, but thought twice about leaping. Angle got up, Henry splashed him against the ringpost. Henry returned to the ring and Angle was counted out.

WINNER: Henry in 9:00 via countout.

STAR RATING: *3/4 -- Okay match, actually. Not good, but passable.

-After the match, Henry set Angle on the announcers' table again. He pounded on his chest. Angle fought back by raking his eyes, then grabbing a chair and whacking Henry across the knee and back several times with stiff shots. Angle then applied the anklelock on the floor. Henry tapped several times. Agents and refs pulled Angle off of Henry. Angle broke free and Olympic slammed Henry onto the table. Henry slid backwards to the floor, but the table didn't break. Angle then gave Henry an extra chairshot. Henry fell onto the table and it collapsed this time.

-A plug aired for the ECW One Night Stand PPV.

-Shamell told Booker T backstage that he's about to become a better king than King Tut, King James, Don King, Martin Luther King, and King Kong. She said King Booker will be the best of all. Booker fantasized about being King Booker by shouting "King Booker" several times. Then they kissed.

-They showed more clips of King of the Ring winners - Triple H, Angle, and Edge.

6 -- BOBBY LASHLEY vs. BOOKER T (w/Sharmell) -- King of the Ring Finals

Lashley dominated the early minutes with power moves. Booker took over, whipped Lashley into the ringpost, and then settled into an armbar. Electrifying. They showed Tazz and Cole sitting at ringside with the collapsed table in front of them. The Spanish announcers still had their table in tact. Lashley came back with two running shoulders and then an inverted atomic drop and a clothesline. He played to the crowd at 8:00 and signalled for the Dominator. Sharmell distracted the ref. Booker then escaped Lashley's grip and reversed kicked him. Cole said the ref was distracted, but from what? What Booker did wasn't illegal. Lashley threw a belly-to-belly and set up the Dominator. Sharmell grabbed his leg. That distraction led to Booker hitting Lashley. Booker then hit the Bookend for a two count. Lashley caught Booker on the top rope and hit a running powerbomb, which Cole said was reminiscent of British Bulldog. Lashley clotheslined Booker in the corner. The crowd chanted "Lashley, Lashley." Booker surprised Lashley with a wheel kick as he charged at him, then followed up with a scissors kick for a near fall. Once again, the announcers gave away the kickout by predicting the match was over before the count began. Lashley ducked a Booker kick and then speared him. He then signalled for the Dominator again. Finlay entered the ring and hit Lashley with his stick as Sharmell distracted the ref. Booker then hit Lashley with the scissors kick for the win. "Dammit! Not this way!" yelled Cole. Booker of course celebrated on the stage. Lashley speared Booker through the throne. Sharmell tended to him, but also tried to keep the crowd on his head as he writhed in pain. Funny. Booker struggled to his feet and immediately asked for his robe. Booker’s facial expressions were pretty funny.

WINNER: Booker T in 9:00.

STAR RATING: **3/4 -- Decent match. Better than you'd probably expect.

7 -- GREAT KHALI (w/Daivari) vs. UNDERTAKER

Khali threw Undertaker out of the ring at the start. Taker came back and punched away at Khali. Khali no-sold it and knocked Taker out of the ring again. When Khali reached over to grab Taker, Taker dropped down and yanked Khali's throat over the top rope. When Taker went to the top rope, Khali yanked him to the mat. Khali then shoved his foot onto Taker's throat. Cole said he is downright scary. They fought at ringside, exchanging punches. Khali threw Taker into the stairs. At 5:00, Khali chopped Taker with more build-up for a chop than you'll ever see. Taker fought back with a headbutt. He jumped up to reach Khali's head. Taker then grabbed his arm and walked to the top rope. He leaped off with a clubbing forearm. They got into another slugfest in center ring. The crowd chanted "Taker, Taker." Taker threw two clotheslines. Khali ducked a third. Taker then knocked him into the ropes. Khali's arms got tied up in the top and middle rope. As Taker punched Khali, Daivari stood on the ring apron. Taker turned to knock him to the floor. Khali came back and gave Taker a big boot. Taker was slow to get up, and as soon as he did, Khali chopped him again to the mat. As Taker began to rise, Khali kicked him in the head, then stood on his chest and scored a clean pin out of nowhere.

WINNER: Khali at 8:00.

STAR RATING: * -- In some ways it was pretty bad, but in other ways it was much less bad than everyone feared. It was passable in most ways, although clearly designed to keep Khali from being in a position to do anything to badly screw up. The clean pin came out of nowhere and lacked credibility because Khali's offense is so limited. This was a match where Taker created all the movement and Khali basically stood there.

8 -- REY MYSTERIO vs. JBL -- World Hvt. Title match

JBL shoved Rey to the mat twice in the opening seconds. Rey roundhouse kicked JBL's leg, causing JBL to back off into the corner and beg off. Rey went for a 619 at 3:00, but JBL moved. Rey knocked him to ringside and then dove onto him. Rey played to the crowd, then leaped off the ropes and surprised an oncoming JBL with a bodyblock. Rey struck with a dropkick, then scored a two count. Rey followed with a running snap legdrop and ten punches in the corner. Rey slidekicked JBL in the crotch as he sat in the corner, then dropkicked him out of the corner. At ringside, JBL surprised Rey with a boot to the face, then threw Rey head-first into the ringside steps. JBL insulted Rey by hitting the Three Amigos suplex series. They showed Rey bleeding underneath his mask. JBL brought Rey over to his wife at ringside and yelled at her and made a move toward her. She backed off. JBL tossed Rey over his head to the floor. Back in the ring, JBL beat on Rey methodically at 10:00. They showed another close-up of Rey bleeding underneath his mask. They showed a close-up of his wife looking concerned. Rey kicked out of a pin attempt, and then teased a comeback. JBL stopped it with a quick eye poke then applied a sleeper. Rey punched out of a top rope back suplex attempt by JBL and then moonsault bodyblocked JBL for a near fall at 14:00. Rey nailed JBL with a roundhouse kick to the face and scored a near fall. Rey went for a Bronco Buster, but JBL left his boot and caught Rey in the crotch. JBL went for a powerbomb, but Rey head scissored out of it and the hit the 619. Rey then springboarded off the top rope into the ref, who stepped into his path. The ref was down and out as JBL powerbombed Rey. JBL then called for a new referee. Rey kicked out when Charles Robinson ran to the ring. JBL punched Robinson for not making a three count. JBL grabbed a chair and brought it into the ring. Rey kicked the chair into JBL's face, then Rey hit a 619. Rey went to the top rope and hit the frog splash and Nick Patrik recovered enough to count the pin. After the match, Chavo Guerrero joined Rey for a celebration in the ring. Cole said Rey proved he should be World Champion.

WINNER: Rey Mysterio in 16:00.

STAR RATING: *** -- Above-average, but not good enough to carry the PPV or even the main event spot.

We suggest these recent related articles...

WWE FLASHBACK: Kane character debuts 18 yrs. ago today in first-ever Hell in a Cell match - Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels

HIAC FLASHBACK: Kane beats Undertaker in HIAC match 5 yrs. ago today, plus Randy Orton vs. Sheamus for WWE Title

ROH FLASHBACK: The aftermath of Joe vs. Kobashi 10 years ago today