WWE SUMMERSLAM PPV FLASHBACK REPORT
AUGUST 20, 2006
BOSTON, MASS.
REPORT BY WADE KELLER, PWTORCH EDITOR

-Michael Cole and JBL introduced the show this year. They only get to call two matches, so they deserve that bone. Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler then got a few seconds of camera time, followed by Joey Styles and Tazz.

1 -- CHAVO GUERRERO vs. REY MYSTERIO

They brawled at the start. Rey missed a dive over the top rope at 1:00. Chavo hit the same dive successfully. Chavo sustained offense including a nice standing flip of Rey over his head into the corner turnbuckle. Chavo did the Eddie dance as he stood over Rey. The crowd chanted "Eddie, Eddie." JBL said that chant inspires both wrestlers because they both believe they're fighting for his honor. Rey's chinstrap broke and the mask came off completely. He quickly jumped to ringside and put it back on. Rey had to keep protecting his mask from falling off. Chavo and Rey battled while standing on the top rope. They both jumped and rammed each other's head into the mat. A fan who held up a sign that said, "Keep Khali off TV" had his signs confiscated. Rey hit the 619 at 7:00, then springboarded of the top rope, but overshot Chavo. Rey dove right at Chavo and huracanrana'd him over the top rope to the floor. Chavo took control at ringside. Vickie Guerrero ran to ringside and yelled at Chavo to stop. Chavo told her to return to the back. She grabbed Chavo's leg as he began to enter the ring, then slapped him. The distraction allowed Rey to jump Chavo. Rey threw Chavo into the ring, but as he talked to a frantic Vickie, Chavo hit him on the ring apron. He his two of the Three Amigos, but Rey escaped the third and took Guerrero over with a head scissors takeover. Rey then hit the Three Amigos. A lot of the crowd booed Rey. Re went to the top rope, but Vickie shook him off balance by mistake as she climbed to the apron to try to talk him out of hitting Chavo. Chavo hit a brainbuster suplex and thhe went for a frog splash. Vickie screamed, "No more fighting!" Chavo scored the pin.

WINNER: Chavo at 10:00.

STAR RATING: **1/4 -- Decent match.

-Backstage, Booker T talked to Sharmell about how he must beat that peasant Batista, then they can return to the Smackdown kingdom as the powerful couple in sports entertainment. Edge and Lita walked in. Edge mocking applauded Booker. Booker asked, "Who is this rogue." Edge said Lita is the Women's Champion. "That matters not!" said Sharmell. Edge said they are the most powerful couple in sports entertainment. Edge said he's going to bitch slap John Cena later just as he bitch slapped his father and just as the Yankees are bitch slapping the Red Sox out of the playoff race. Edge said after he retains his title against Cena, and after Booker loses his title to Batista, then Booker can come to Raw and be his royal servant.

2 -- BIG SHOW vs. SABU -- ECW World Hvt. Title match

Sabu opened chairshots against Show, then an Arabian facebuster. Show tripped Sabu as he ran toward his chair. Show then stomped the chair, breaking it and then tossing it to the floor. Show then took over with a hard slap to Sabu's chest. He overhead tossed Sabu half way across the ring and then Sabu rolled to the floor. Back in the ring, Sabu took control by flying at Show with a chair. He also leaped at Show from behind and drove him into a table leaning in the corner. With the two segments of the ring steps in the ring, but several feet apart, Show put a table across it, forming a bridge. Sabu jumped on it and the table slipped off. The crowd booed. Styles noted that this is the first time ever the ECW Title is being defended on a WWE PPV. Sabu recovered and DDT'd Show through the table. Sabu brought another table into the ring and set it up on its legs. How novel. Sabu leaped off the table into Show's arms. Show caught him and chokeslammed him through the table for the three count. A fan wearing a Hulkamania t-shirt was shown chanting "ECW, ECW" during the match. That shouldn't be allowed.

WINNER: Show in 8:00 to retain the ECW Hvt. Title.

STAR RATING: ** -- Short, but ECW enough to fill that slot on the card. It doesn't help the image of the ECW brand to have the title that is defended in the main events of its house shows and ECW-brand PPVs with the wrestlers who headline its house shows and PPVs, to be the second match on the card. It's a loaded card, so it's a tough call, but there are consequences to the decision. It's like when the UWF Title was defended early on a Jim Crockett Promotions PPV shortly after the UWF buyout.

-Ross called the match brutal and ugly and said now it's time to move to the beauty of the Raw Diva Search finals show. Leila was shown winning the contract. Backstage live, the WWE Divas greeted Leila and gave her a hard time. Trish said she just won a contest so she can't call herself a Diva. Trish then revealed she was joking. Leila laughed and asked if that was her initiations. Trish said no and dragged Leila to the showers where she was spanked and splashed with water.

3 -- HULK HOGAN vs. RANDY ORTON

Well, this takes away some of the sting of ECW's title match being on second if Hogan's match is third. Not that it deserves to be higher, but it's a big victory from a prestige standpoint for Ric Flair vs. Mick Foley to follow Hogan's match. Maybe it's on early just in case it goes to the 60 minute time limit. Orton came out first, then Hogan. Ross said there is nothing wrong with Hogan's spirit. Hogan circled in the ring and pointed at the crowd and got cheers. Hogan threw Orton to the mat during a collar and elbow hook-up. Hogan shoulder tackled Orton to the mat at 2:00. Orton applied a headlock. The crowd loudly chanted, "Let's go Hogan!" Hogan powered out and threw Orton to the mat again. Orton kicked Hogan in the gut and forearmed his back. Hogan stood on the second rope, did a crotch chop, and then punched Orton in the corner. He followed with an eye poke, then ripped at his face and punched away at him. Orton went on to attack Hogan's knee with a barrage of punches. Hogan writhed on the mat as Orton continued to focus on the knee. At 7:00 Orton climbed to the top rope and went for a crossbody block. Orton ducked. Hogan went for a big boot, but Orton ducked and then kicked Hogan. The crowd booed. Orton got set up for an RKO. He pounded the mat in anticipation of Hogan getting to his feet. Hogan finally stood up and turned around. Orton gave him an RKO and made the cover. Hogan put his leg over the bottom rope. Orton celebrated because the ref counted to three, but the ref discovered the leg over the bottom rope and ordered the match to continue. Orton protested vehemently. Hogan struggled to get to his feet again. Orton punched away at him. Hogan began his Superman comeback. Hogan did the point, punch, punch, punch, whip, boot, and legdrop sequence for the three count. Hogan then posed.

WINNER: Hogan in 10:00.

STAR RATING: *1/2 -- Hogan pulled off a passable Hogan formula match. The crowd ate it up. This was the right place on the card, though. Not as good as the Undertaker-Khali match, but it was what it needed to be and they were smart enough not to try to make it more.

-They plugged WWE 24/7, then showed outside of the arena.

-Backstage, Mick Foley and Melina shared a moment. She asked him if he was ready for his match. Foley said he's known Flair for a long time, but he's never seen that look in Flair's eyes before. He said it's a different Flair than he was prepared for. Melina said she only associates with winners, so she's worried about the outcome. Foley got upset and said he won't lose, and said he'll take great joy in seeing Flair exclaim "I Quit!" As Foley walked away motivated, Melina gave a sadistic little smile, as if her plan worked.

4 -- RIC FLAIR vs. MICK FOLEY

Foley went after Flair with a barrage of punches at the start, then charged him in the corner with a running knee to the face. He then rammed Flair in the face with a trash can and applied an early Mandible Claw. Foley grabbed the mic and said, "Let's keep it real simple. Say those two words or it gets a lot worse." Flair said nothing. Foley then pulled out barbed wire. As Foley approached Flair, a rested and recovered Flair grabbed Foley's crotch and squeezed. He followed with a series of rights and lefts. Flair put on Mr. Socko with barbed wire. He chopped Foley in the chest with the barbed wire. He ripped Foley's flannel shirt open and chopped away. Foley bled from his chest. Flair went after Foley at ringside and whipped Foley into the ringside steps. Foley flipped over them and to the floor. Foley pulled out a board covered in barbed wire and charged at Flair with it. Flair came up bleeding heavily. Back in the ring, Foley hit Flair with the board again. Foley asked Flair if he quit again. Flair said, "Kiss my..." and Foley pulled the mic away. Foley poured out thumb tacks and then slammed Flair on them. Flair came up with several dozen tacks stuck into his skin. Ross blew a gasket. Foley again asked Flair if he gave up. Flair didn't. Foley tried to rub the barbed wire baseball bat across his forehead, but Flair mule kicked out of it. Flair sidestepped a Foley charge and sent him shoulder-first into the ringpost. A very blood Flair hit Foley with the barbed wire baseball bat several times. Foley fell into 619 position against the ropes. Flair did not do the 619. Flair pounded away at Foley's face. Foley fell to the mat. Flair grabbed the mic and stuck the mic in Foley's face and said, "Foley, you son of a bitch. You quit, or I'll kill you right here. I'll tear out your heart." Foley took a low blow at Foley after he refused to quit. Ross reminded viewers that Flair said on Raw, "May one of use bleed to death in Boston." Flair knocked Foley backward off the ring apron onto a trash can on the floor. Trainers and officials came out to check on Foley. Melina joined them to check on her man. The trainer said, "He's done. It's over." The bell rang and the ref said it was over. Flair said, "This isn't a lay down on your ass match, it's an I Quit match. Get your ass back in here, Foley!" Flair threw Foley back into the ring at 11:00. Foley rolled over the barbed wire board and thumb tacks. Flair shoved the barbed wire baseball bat on his face and stomped away at him. Flair then told Melina, "I'll kill you, too, you f---in' bitch!" Flair drove the butt of the baseball bat into Foley's face. Melina begged Flair to stop. She said, "It's over." Flair said, "She does not quit for him. He quits. Get out of the way!" Ross said Flair is a man possessed. Flair rolled through the thumb tacks for fun as he grabbed the barbed wire baseball bat. When he wound up and perhaps would have hit Melina, Foley grabbed the mic and said, "I quit!" Ross said he doubted Flair would have really hit Melina. Lawler said Flair has snapped. Flair left first. Melina tended to Foley and asked if he was okay.

WINNER: Flair in 14:00.

STAR RATING: ***1/2 -- Brutal match. Solid drama. Lots of blood. Good intense performances from Flair and Foley. The ending allowed Foley to save face since he quit to save his friend, Melina, rather than out of fear of taking more of a beating. Lawler said neither Flair nor Foley would ever be the same.

-Vince and Shane McMahon talked backstage with Armando Alejandro Estrada about relying on Umaga to help them in their match against DX later.

5 -- BOOKER T (w/Sharmell) vs. BATISTA -- World Hvt. Title match

JBL noted that Booker T got his start at the Sportatorium in Texas as part of Ebony Experience. In the opening minute, Booker slapped Batista in the corner instead of breaking clean, so Batista shoved Booker to the mat. Booker applied a headlock. Batista pushed out of it and they collided mid-ring. Batista powerslammed Booker and scored a one count. Booker recovered at ringside with Sharmell. When Booker returned, Batista signalled for his finisher. Booker rolled to the ring apron, then dropped Batista over the top rope throat-first to finally take control. Booker applied a chinlock. Booker hit Batista with a stick at 5:00, then applied another chinlock. Batista lifted Booker, dropped him crotch-first over the top rope, and then clotheslined him. He followed with a sideslam for a two count. Booker bailed out to ringside. Batista followed him. Sharmell distracted Batista, giving Booker a chance to take control. Booker went to the top rope and hit Batista with a missile dropkick for a two count. Booker hit the Book End for a two count. Booker went for the scissors kick. Batista avoided it and set up a suplex into a powerslam for a near fall at 9:00. Batista whipped Booker into the corner and went for a clothesline. Booker avoided it and gave him a neckbreaker for a two count. Batista full-nelson slammed Booker and then called for the Batista Bomb. Sharmell jumped Batista. The ref called for the bell. After the match, Booker wheel kicked Batista in the chest. He went for a scissors kick, but Batista caught him with a spinebuster instead. He followed with the Batista Bomb. He failed to lift Booker at first, but he powered him up and slammed him to the mat. Let the speculation begin that Booker sand-bagged Batista on that move to make him look bad.

WINNER: Batista via DQ in 10:00.

STAR RATING: **1/4 -- Eh. Okay match. Lame finish, but it keeps the young feud alive. The match was pretty formula, but it was an honest effort to have a decent match. It didn't need to carry the main event slot.

-A video aired promoting the return of Jeff Hardy to Raw tomorrow night.

-Shawn Michaels and Triple H were shown talking to someone in the men's locker room, telling a mystery wrestler that Vince McMahon said Umaga is the toughest monster in WWE to get this other person riled up. They left, and Michaels asked Hunter if he though it worked. They heard things being thrown around behind the closed door, and they smiled with satisfaction that it worked.

6 -- TRIPLE H & SHAWN MICHAELS vs. VINCE & SHANE MCMAHON

Triple H did the usual opening routine, but had to ask the crowd twice to pop for them and injected the hometown Boston to wake them up. Michaels did the "We got two words for you" bit. After Vince and Shane were introduced, Spirit Squad ran to the ring. Hunter and Michaels easily tossed them around the ring and out of the ring. Vince and Shane then called Mr. Kennedy to the ring, followed by William Regal, and Finlay. They each got five seconds of their intro song played, then attacked Hunter and Shawn. Hunter and Shawn fended them off. Vince and Shane looked puzzled that their plan wasn't working well. Hunter and Shawn called for Shane and Vince to come to the ring. Instead, they called out Big Show. Show threw Michaels around in the ring as the other wrestlers attacked Hunter at ringside. A minute later, Show rammed Hunter back-first into the ringpost. He pulled the monitors off of the ECW announcers' table, then chokeslammed Hunter onto it. It fell to pieces. As Ross said Hunter's back might be broken, Vince and Shane walked to the ring, shook the hands of their henchmen, and plotted their attack.

Vince volunteered to start the tag match as the bell rang to officially begin. Vince slammed Michaels, then tagged in Shane. Shane danced and punched Michaels. Hunter remained KO'd at ringside. At 5:00, after Vince and Shane double-teamed Michaels for a while, Hunter finally got up. When he began to enter the ring, Shane slidekicked Hunter. Hunter flew over the Raw announcers' table and into Ross's lap. Ross cleared his lap of Hunter. Hunter went back to lying KO'd on the floor. Ross wondered why nobody from the back has come out to check on Hunter's condition. When Vince and Shane did Demolition's finisher with the elbow drop by Shane as Vince had Michaels arched over his knee, Ross said, "They think it's the '80s and think they're Demolition." Vince and Shane followed with the Hart Attack clothesline. They followed with the Doomsday Device. Ross said, "Hawk must be rolling in his grave." They went for a pin, but Michaels kicked out and a minute later hit both Shane and Vince with a flying clothesline.

Hunter crawled toward the ring at 9:00. He pulled himself up the stairs and into his corner. Michaels kicked Shane off of him and dove toward his corner and hot-tagged hunter. Hunter entered the ring and made the Tommy Dreamer comeback, suddenly having the energy to beat up both Vince and Shane even though he barely had the energy 15 seconds earlier to stand up in his corner. Hunter gave Shane a spinebuster and then gave Vince a bodyslam (carefully). Michaels hit a top rope elbow. Hunter and Michaels had a spring in their step. Michaels clotheslined Shane over the top rope to the floor. Estrada led Umaga to the ring. He kicked Michaels in the aisle, then hit Hunter with the Samoan Spike to stop him from giving Vince the Pedigree. Estrada had the ref distracted. Kane's pyro blasted, so he was the wrestler that Michaels and Hunter riled up earlier. He beat up Umaga. Vince went for a pin, but Hunter kicked out. Vince hit the ref for not counting faster.

Shane put a trash can on Hunter's chest in the corner. He climbed the top rope in another corner and flew at Hunter. Michaels caught him in mid-air with Sweet Chin Music. Hunter then bashed Vince over the head with the trash can. Michaels followed with Sweet Chin Music. Hunter hit the Pedigree and made the cover for the win. Michaels favored his right elbow after the match. He can get his knee and elbow worked on at the same time. No crotch chop

WINNERS: Hunter & Michaels in 15:00.

STAR RATING: ***1/4 -- They had enough distractions to keep the action nonstop. Well orchestrated story and a crowd-pleasing finish. The Kane counter plan by DX was a good touch.

7 -- EDGE (w/Lita) vs. JOHN CENA -- WWE Title match

Cena went on the attack early. He hit an early belly-to-belly suplex. Edge avoided a Cena shoulder charge in the corner, and Cena flew to the floor. The ref reached eight before he re-entered the ring. A "Cena sucks" chant started early. Cena made a comeback and received some boos. Edge threw Cena over the top rope at 5:00. Cena teased a comeback and flew at Edge with a bodyblock, but Edge ducked. Edge applied a jawlock. He shifted to a chinlock. Another "Cena sucks" chant could be heard. Lawler noted that Cena's father is there tonight. Cena made a comeback to a mix of cheers and boos. Edge kicked Cena in the face to halt his comeback quickly. Cena set up a superplex, but Edge punched out of it and hit a top rope clothesline for a two count at 9:00. Edge reapplied the jawlock while riding Cena's back. Cena stood and dropped Edge onto his back. More boos. Lita slid Edge a chair. Edge shook his head no and threw it out of the ring, not wanting to get DQ'd. That gave Cena a chance to attack Edge with a series of moves. The Cena fans popped big for him, taking over the boos. He went into his finishing routine with the Five-Knuckle Shuffle. Edge avoided the FU and turned it into an impaler DDT leading to a near fall. Cena surprised Edge with a victory roll for a two count. Edge came back with a body block. Cena rolled through and lifted Edge for an FU. Lita jumped on the ring apron. Edge escaped and shoved Cena. Edge charged, but Cena moved, and Edge knocked Lita off the ring apron. Cena rolled up Edge for a near fall. They hit each other with clotheslines and both landed on their backs and didn't move. Lita rubbed her right elbow at ringside. Edge went for the Spear, but Cena sidestepped it and immediately applied the STFU. Lita jumped onto the apron with the title belt. Edge said, "No!" He realized it would cost him the title. Instead, Edge reached and grabbed the bottom rope to force a break, at which point Lita slipped brass knuckles on Edge's hand. Lita circled to the other side of the ring. Cena lifted Edge for an FU. Lita entered the ring and jumped onto Edge's back. Cena flipped her off of Edge. She landed with a thud. Edge KO'd Cena with brass knuckles as the ref tended to Lita. Edge made the cover and the ref counted to three in 16:00. The ref handed Edge his title belt. Edge rolled out of the ring. They showed Cena sitting up in the ring, realizing what happened, as the show ended.

WINNER: Edge in 16:00 to retain the WWE Hvt. Title.

STAR RATING: ***1/4 -- Satisfactory main event. Nothing more, though. Pretty much what you'd expect from these two.

[Torch art credit Grant Gould (c) PWTorch.com]

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