-Adam Impact vs. Christian Cage (South Indian Lake 1995)

Match in Five Words or Less: Worst…Name…Ever

Match Highlights: Mr. Impact is of course now better known as Edge. Interesting how Christian essentially has had the same name since the beginning of his career. Matt Stryker and Edge provide commentary over this match. The video quality if of course pretty awful. It’s tough to tell what’s even going on considering you’ve got two blonde wrestlers fighting. . Solid basic match for two guys who were so new to wrestling at this point. Random note: Johnny Swinger is the referee.  Impact plays babyface, Christian heel. Also worth nothing? Edge is in trunks. Rhino pulls Edge’s feet. He accidentally nails Christian. Edge covers and gets the victory.

Match Analysis: Weird to see Edge show some Luchaeqsque offense and some other stuff he never used in WWE. Pretty obvious why both these guys ended up being so successful in WWE.  Because of the low video quality and not being able to see everything clearly, I don’t feel comfortable rating this. Seemed all right from what I saw and the commentary kept me entertained.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Adam Impact/11:11/N/R

-WWF Tag Team Championship: Too Cool (Grandmaster Sexay and Scotty 2 Hotty)(champions) vs. The Hardy Boyz (Matt and Jeff Hardy w/Lita) vs. T &A (Test and Albert w/Trish Stratus) vs. Edge and Christian (King of the Ring 2000-June 25, 2000)

Match in Five Words or Less: Those Dastardly Canadians

Match Highlights: Too Cool won the belt a month earlier from Edge and Christian with help from the midget Kid Rock used to hang out with. I swear to God this happened. Edge and Christian took making fun of Boston a little too far. Edge has a Mets jersey. Christian wears a Red Sox jersey. Poor Bill Buckner. Amazing how a group of men thought naming an entire wrestling company after one of these tag teams would be a good idea and sound financial institution. Albert and Jeff begin this elimination style match. Kick and shots to the throat. Press slam countered into right hands by Jeff. Back drop. Big boot to the midsection. Press slam countered again. Jeff gets a dropkick. Clothesline misses. Jeff leaves. Albert chases. Hardyz double team Albert. Albert powers Matt off. Trish grabs Matt’s legs. T&A double press slam Matt. Matt fires back. Clothesline by Test misses. Boot does not. Mount position and right hands. Pumphandle slam countered. Trish on the apron. Lita goes after Trish. Clothesline by Test. He goes after LIta. Right hand by Lita. Matt covers. Albert breaks the count. He brings Lita in. Test punches Matt in the gut. Pumphandle slam. Jeff sentons Test and takes Albert out. Matt covers and gets three to eliminate T&A. Fitting. Scotty enters to match up with Jeff. Quick takedown of Jeff. Leapfrog. Boot by Jeff. Right hands by Scotty. Flapjack. He kips up. Christian tags Scotty and gets hit with a drop toehold. Matt sent into the top turnbuckle. Bodyslam He climbs up to the second rope. Leg drop connects. Tag to Jeff. Whip in the corner. Whisper in the Wind by Jeff. Double suplex on Edge. Jeff chases Edge. Christian rams Jeff into the ringside barrier. Edge covers for two. Chinlock. Double clothesline and both men are down. Christian stomps Jeff. Matt goes after Christian. Lita hits a rana off the top on Edge (IRONY!). Jeff covers for two. Matt clotheslines Edge and hits a sleeper slam on Jeff. Jeff goes after Edge. Christian has Unprettier countered. Twist of Fate. 1-2-NO! Edge pulls Matt out. Swanton attempt but Edge guillotines him across the top rope. Christian hits Unprettier. Hardyz are done to big boos. Now we’re down to the champions and the team they beat for the belts. Grandmaster hits a shoulder tackle and neckbreaker. Edge sent into the buckle. Missile dropkick off the middle rope. Double boots by Too Cool. They send Edge down by the hair. Double elbow drop. Christian interjects. Double team by Too Cool. Christian takes a cheap shot on Scotty. Reverse elbow by Edge. Christian mocks Scotty’s dance. He takes a right hand. Scotty does one as well. Christian hits a Russian legsweep. Heat segment on Scotty. Doesn’t last long. Grandmaster with right hands for everyone. Bodyslam on Christian. Dropkick and Edge gets tied up. Edge gets slinged into Christian. Roll-up for two. Whip across. Christian sent into Edge. Inadvertent low blow. Sitdown powerbomb gets two. Noggin knocker. Flapjack by Edge and Christian. They decide to mock Scotty 2 Hotty’s worm. Scotty breaks it up and does one of his own on Edge. Christian brings a title belt. Grandmaster superkicks Christian. They set up for the finish. Double leg drop. No ref. Christian hits Grandmaster with the belt and puts Edge on top. They get the wins and the titles.

Match Analysis: The money was in Edge and Christian as the champions. Too Cool was an awesome story in that they got themselves over through sheer force of will, and the tag belts were a small reward for their efforts. Edge and Christian deserved them for a bit longer period considering their entertainment value and in-ring abilities. The other teams’ presences were superfluous. They should have just had a straight tag match.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: NEW WWF Tag Team Champions-Edge and Christian/14:11/**1/2

-No Disqualification: Edge vs. Eddie Guerrero (Smackdown-September 26, 2002)

Match in Five Words or Less: Winning The Feud

Match Highlights: Edge had two feuds that really helped him become an improved in-ring performer in 2002. One with Kurt Angle and then Eddie Guerrero. Sadly, he would have neck surgery shortly after these matches, and all momentum would be killed. Guerrero with immediately forearms. Elbow to the back. Off the ropes with a shoulder tackle. Leapfrog. Monkey flip by Edge sends Guerrero into the ropes. Edge grabs a hammerlock. Guerrero rams him into the corner. Forearm. Shot across the throat while on the middle rope. Cover for two. Guerrero had his feet on the ropes. Back drop by Edge. Dropkick. Bodyslam and an elbow drop. Knees to the gut and an enziguri. Stomps by Guerrero. Forearm. Snap suplex for two. Chinlock. Forearms to the face. Bodyslam by Edge. Edge goes to the top rope. Guerrero meets him with a strike. Superplex. Forearms. Into an electric chair. Guerrero hotshotted on the top rope. Clothesline sends him over. Underneath for a ladder. Edge takes the referee out with a ladder shot. Good God. Guerrero grabs a chair and nails him in the back. Back in the ring for a chair shot to the ribs. Frog splash misses. Everyone is down. Guerrero is beating Edge up after a commercial break. We have a new referee, but the first one is still down on the outside. Sleeper hold. Other referees finally come out to help. We see what happened during the break as Edge had a three count. Back live with a face plant. Cover for two. Edge goes up top again. Guerrero ranas him off and gets another nearfall. Elbows to the air. Straight right hands. Rana countered into a powerbomb. Both wrestlers are down. Edge goes back for the ladder. Guerrero dropkicks the ladder into Edge. He brings in a second ladder. Punch and Edge falls into the second ladder. Guerrero puts the first one on top of Edge. Springboard splash. Jesus. Cover for two. Guerrero climbs up one of the ladders. Edge joins him. Guerrero nearly falls. Sunset bomb! WOW! The fans go nuts. 1-2-NO! Edge rammed into the ladder. Edge back drops Guerrero into the prone ladder. Good God almighty. Edge climbs the ladder once again. Guerrero joins him. Guerrero’s head gets banged against the ladder. Edgecution off the ladder. Cover and a three count.

Match Analysis: This is one of those matches you’d never see today. So many dangerous moves and incredible falls. I found this hard to watch at times considering what happened to both guys, but you can’t knock the effort. Guerrero had a resurgent 2002 after experiencing his personal problems in 2001. His matches with RVD and Edge were all match of the year contenders. This was undoubtedly one of the best matches in Smackdown history, and I doubt you’ll ever see a 20 minute match of this quality on the program.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Eddie Guerrero/18:45 (approximately)/****

-WWE Intercontinental Championship: Edge vs. Randy Orton (Monday Night Raw-July 19, 2004)

Match in Five Words or Less: RKO Explodes!

Match Highlights: Some mat work to start. Edge won the title eight days earlier in a rather infamous 26 minute contest. They both go for a dropkick at the same time. Whip across. Edge guillotines Orton’s arm across the top rope. Right hands. Forearm and clubbering blow. Another forearm and Edge uses the ropes as leverage to work the arm. Orton sends Edge throat first into the rope. Modified backbreaker. Edge goes to the outside. Back suplex into the barrier. Orton makes sure to break the count. Orton has a nervehold after a commercial break. Series of blows across the face by Orton. Knee drop. Orton cranks Edge’s neck. Double cross body. Both men are down. Forearm exchange. Boot by Edge. Russian legsweep. Orton gets a dropkick of his own.  Orton climbs to the top. Cross body misses. Edge gets an Oklahoma roll for two. Gordbuster on the top rope. Spear to the back sends Orton crashing into the barricade. Back in the ring. Missile dropkick hit. 1-2-NO! Spear attempt misses. Reverse facebuster hits. Orton ducks a dive, and the official is wiped out. Orton poke the eyes and hits an uppercut. Orton goes for a chair. Edge hits a spear. No ref so no count. Edge goes to wake him up. Low blow by Orton. RKO. Cover. Referee wakes up. 1-2-NOOOOO! Spear by Edge. 1-2-NOOOOO! RKO turned into a backslide. Edge puts his feet on the ropes and gets three. Edge points at his head to signify intelligence.

Match Analysis: I’ve seen the Vengeance match, and this felt like it accomplished more in half the time. Orton and Edge always had good chemistry, so it’s disappointing they didn’t wrestle each other more. Edge was in comeback mode after surgery and didn’t appear to have as much snap as before. He would adapt his game and become a better all-around wrestler. That heel turn was also forthcoming within months.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: STILL Intercontinental Champion-Edge/12:57 (approximately)/

-Loser Leaves Raw Money in the Bank: Edge (w/Lita) vs. Matt Hardy (Monday Night Raw-October 9, 2005)

Match in Five Words or Less: Poor Matt Hardy

Match Highlights: Lita stands in the entrance. Edge decks Hardy and sprints to get the briefcase. Hardy gets there in time and goes for the briefcase himself. Side effect. Hardy puts Edge in the upside down ladder and leg drops him. He works over the back using the ladder as well. Edge whipped into the ladder. Drop toehold sends Hardy crashing into the ladder. Edge sets up a ladder in the other corner. Suplex. Edge climbs. Double axehandle after Hardy insures he won’t get the case. Edge lifts Hardy up. Hardy climbs and nearly grabs the briefcase. Twist of fate blocked. Edge sends Hardy’s head into a ladder. A second one is tossed in. Hardy with right hands. Ladder shot to the gut by Edge. Edge sends Hardy face first into the ladder.  Edge nearly gets the briefcase. Hardy sends Edge into the ladder across the top rope. Edge collapses the ladder Hardy is on next. Commercial break. Coming back, they’re brawling on the floor with a table set up. Hardy rams the ladder and sends Edge into the crowd. Hardy cross bodies Edge. Good gravy. Now Hardy tries climbing in the ring. Lita jumps on his back. Hardy slams Lita down. Powerbomb attempt but Edge hits him with a kendo stick. Edge lays Hardy prone on the ladder. Big splash. Hardy catches up with Edge on the ladder and hits a Twist of Fate off a middle rung. Hardy almost gets to the briefcase but Lita uses the kendo stick on Hardy. He tosses her in the corner. Back up the ladder he goes. Lita lifts the ladder out from under Hardy. Edge makes sure Hardy CRASHES into the ropes. He ties Hardy up. Lita ties hardy up as Edge climbs. He grabs the briefcase and wins the match.

Match Analysis: WWE did a fairly terrible job taking advantage of this situation. You had an easy angle handed to you. Not only did you have Edge, who was experiencing a resurgence in his career as a heel, but WWE could have easily come out with a new main eventer in Matt Hardy as well. To first have Hardy get pussed out at Summerslam and then have him lose what amounted to a career ending match was just plain dumb. Hardy had so much sympathy as a jilted lover who was betrayed by his girlfriend. Hardy had the skills, the charisma, and the heat to at least be a short-term star. Sadly, WWE took advantage of none of this. Back to the midcard from whence he came for Hardy. The match itself was watchable and a nice Raw main event. Not much more.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Edge/10:35/***1/4

Tables, Ladder, and Chairs-WWE Championship: Edge (w/Lita)(champion) vs. John Cena (Unforgiven-September 17, 2006)

Match in Five Words or Less: Cena In Hostile Territory…Again

Match Highlights: Edge and Cena had gone back and forth with the WWE title in 2006. This essentially ended the 2006 portion of their feud. Because they’re in Edge’s home town, Cena was despised. This was nearly as bad as the Hammerstein Ballroom months earlier or Chicago for Money in the Bank years later. Feeling out process. Edge slaps Cena in the face. Spear and Cena with right hands. Swinging neckbreaker by Edge. Chair shot misses by Edge. Cena sends him in the ring. Whip and fishermen’s suplex. Edge ducks a charge and sends Cena in the corner. Implant DDT. Edge brings two chairs in the ring. Cena blocks a vertical suplex. Edge does as well and hits a reverse DDT into the chairs. Now it’s ladder time. Edge climbs up. Cena brings him down. immediate clothesline by Edge. Choke on the middle rope. Right hand. Edge nails Cena with a ladder. He climbs over the barrier. Dropkick of the ladder into Cena’s face. Cena with a right hand. Hip toss into the ladder. Wow. Battle on the apron. Edge hits a forearm that sends Cena down. Edge climbs up top. Cena crotches him. Cena grabs the table and sets it up in the ring. Right hand while Edge is on the top rope. Superplex blocked. Sunset bomb…and they collapse. Not sure what happened there. Right hands by Cena. Whip by Edge and powerslam through the table.  Edge runs up the ladder and cross bodies on Cena on the floor. Good God. Back in the ring. Chair shot right in the back. Edge lays Cena down across the chair. Conchairto countered as Cena trips him. Cena comes up and over the top to drive Edge’s head into the chair. Cena puts Edge in the ladder and drives half of it into him. STF with Edge wrapped in the ladder. A tap-out doesn’t matter since Cena has to climb the ladder and get the belt. Battering ram of the ladder into Edge’s head. Cena places the ladder across hid shoulders and FU’s it into Edge. Five knuckle shuffle… Cena sees the ladder. He climbs up top and hits the shuffle from the top of the ladder. That was unique. Cena brings another table in the ring. Edge grabs a chair from the referee. Shot across the head. Edge lays Cena on the table. Edge puts another table in the ring. He places it on top of Cena and the other table. Cena sends Edge crashing into the barrier. Cena grabs a giant ladder from under the ring. Cena ever so slowly makes his way up. Edge comes from out of nowhere and spears Cena from one of the smaller ladders. Now Edge climbs. Cena goes for the FU. Edge somehow climbs on the ladder. Cena recklessly powerbombs Edge into the smaller ladder. That was dumb. Cena nails Edge in side of the head with a chair. Cena climbs up. Lita comes out and lifts the ladder so Cena can crash INTO ANOTHER TABLE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE RING! Good gravy. Edge takes forever to set up the giant ladder. He climbs. Cena gets back in. Lita hits him with a chair in the back. This gives Cena enough momentum to collapse the ladder and send Edge crashing through two tables. Cena hits an FU on Lita. One of the tables gets knocked down. Cena stacks the tables again. Cena climbs. Edge meets him. FU SENDS EDGE CRASHING THROUGH TWO MORE TABLES! Cena finally grabs the title and gets the victory. Egads.

Match Analysis: One of the more epic contests either Cena or Edge have ever competed in. They took a lot of risks, and I can only imagine the amount of pain they were in after the match. It all added up to an amazing back and forth affair. They used the weapons well to tell a story. A must see match for anyone who considers themselves a WWE fan.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: NEW WWE Champion-John Cena/25:28/****1/4

Really good stuff on mixed, including some rare stuff from the television shows. Disk three is even better with the match that made me an Edge fan all over again and one of the best matches from last year.

Contact Pro Wrestling Ponderings!

E-mail: prowrestlingponderings@gmail.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ProWrestlingPonderings

Twitter: www.twitter.com/pwponderings

Youtube: www.youtube.com/pwponderings

Contact ME!

E-mail: jcusson07@gmail.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/jeromepwpeditor

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *