SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
The following report was originally published ten years ago this weekend on PWTorch.com…
WWE Smackdown/ECW brand house show
November 29, 2008
State College, Pa.
Report by Kevin Tomich, Torch VIP member
I attended the WWE (Smackdown/ECW) show tonight on the campus of Penn State University at Bryce Jordan Center. It wasn’t the best weekend for a show since most of the 40,000 Penn State students are home for the Thanksgiving break. The crowd was mostly families (lots of kids).
The show started five minutes early (7:25 p.m. EST) with ring announcer Justin Roberts (accompanied by Tiffany).
(1) The Great Khali (w/Tiffany) beat MVP in 4:11. No Ranjin Singh. Khali came to the ring first and was about to kiss Tiffany, who (naturally) seemed to want it. MVP’s music started, and the kiss did not take place. MVP grabbed the mic and told Tiffany that she should be kissing him (MVP) because he “just saved her from kissing a gorilla.” Tiffany slapped MVP and said, “I don’t kiss losers, sorry.” Khali defeated MVP via ref stoppage after a Khali “chop of doom,” and then the Khali “vice squeeze of death.” The ref stopped the match after MVP’s arm fell once. Khali went all around the ring and shook hands after the match.
(2) Nikkie & Brie Bella beat Maryse & Natalya at 8:24. Natalya was good with fan interaction while she was on the apron. Natalya hit one of the Bella Twins with a Samoan drop and only got a two-count when the other Bella twin made the save. Maryse tried to come in, but the ref stopped her, and the Bellas switched places. The “illegal” Bella Twin used a crucifix to pin Natalya.
(3) Tommy Dreamer beat Ricky Ortiz at 7:08. Ricky Ortiz came out first and did some mic work to turn himself heel. He said that he “was undefeated and did everything that Theodore Long wanted; yet, he was not on the Survivor Series card.” He insulted the fans and the other wrestlers in the back. Tommy came out to a big pop (we are only three hours from Philadelphia). One great spot was when Ricky Ortiz blew his nose in the white “rally towel” and then spun it over his head (like a sprinkler) to spread snot onto the ringside fans. Gross. Tommy pinned him after the DDT.
(4) Big Show beat Finlay (w/Hornswoggle) at 9:23. Finlay and Hornswoggle got a great reaction. It was odd with both Khali and Big Show on the same card. It kills the mystique when two guys are that big on the same show. Big Show knocked out Finlay with the Ronnie Garvin/Johnny B. Badd “knock-out punch” and got the pin. After the match, Big Show knocked out Hornswoggle with the big right hand as well. It was like King Kong Bundy at WrestleMania II.
(5) WWE tag team champions Carlos & Primo Colon beat John Morrison & The Miz at 11:27 to retain the tag titles. The Miz & Morrison are awesome live. They are very entertaining. Primo pinned Miz with a cross body from the middle of the top rope.
***INTERMISSION*** (total time – 10 minutes)
(6) U.S. champion Shelton Benjamin beat R-Truth at 10:52 to retain the U.S. Title. R-Truth sang his way down the aisle with “What’s Up.” Shelton pinned R-Truth after the gold standard. After the match, Shelton shook R-Truth’s hand and then danced with him for a minute. When R-Truth turned his back, Shelton tried for a second gold standard, but R-Truth got the upper hand and delivered a spinning scissors kick.
(7) Jeff Hardy beat WWE champion Edge via DQ at 1:21. Edge is now clean-shaven. Vladimir Koslov attacked Jeff Hardy from behind for the DQ. As Edge and Koslov double-teamed Jeff Hardy, Triple H made the save and challenged Edge & Koslov to a tag match. They accepted.
(8) Jeff Hardy & Triple H beat WWE champion Edge & Vladimir Koslov at 10:44. Triple H pinned Koslov after Hardy hit the swanton. After the match, Hardy and Triple H went around the ring to shake hands and take pictures with fans.
The show was over at 9:45 p.m. It was two hours and 15 minutes with a ten-minute intermission.
The card, which was emailed out one day before the show, listed Triple H vs. Koslov in a street fight, and Michelle McCool vs. Maryse for the Diva’s Championship. No one seemed upset with the changes. Overall, it was far from a great wrestling show, but it was fun.
NOW CHECK OUT THIS FLASHBACK: 10 YRS AGO – KELLER’S WWE RAW REPORT (11-17-08): Punk main events, Michaels & Mysterio team, plus Jericho, Cody, Kane, JBL, Batista, Miz, Morrison, Orton, Stephanie
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