Ranma4699
02-13-2008, 11:58 AM
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AUSTIN, Texas – Things didn’t exactly go the way Mr. McMahon had planned. The Chairman arranged a No Disqualification Match between him and Hornswoggle, hoping to teach his bastard son a lesson in tough love. But it was Mr. McMahon who was taught a lesson … in humility.
Moments after the bell rang, the Chairman heaved his reluctant son to the mat and berated him around the ring. But that was before the arrival of Hornswoggle’s protector, Finlay, who flat-out ignored Mr. McMahon’s threats of termination were he to interfere.
Instead, the man who loves to fight ignored the possibility of losing his job – a WWE opportunity he had spent years trying to earn – and not being able to provide for his family. He chose to honor his friendship with Hornswoggle at all costs and stung Mr. McMahon with a crack of his shillelagh. As the Chairman lie writhing in pain, Hornswoggle landed a Tadpole Splash for the win.
Mr. McMahon, however, would not suffer in silence. While being attended to by medical personnel, the dazed Chairman refused to fire Finlay, and instead he arranged a Steel Cage Match with Hornswoggle next week.
Savage Betrayal
John “Bradshaw” Layfield just can’t find good help these days. After losing his match to Chris Jericho, the Lonestar Loudmouth thought his paid muscle, Umaga, was rumbling to his rescue. The Samoan Bulldozer, however, proved that at No Way Out, it’s going to be every man for himself when he drove a Samoan Spike into both Y2J and a stunned JBL.
Brotherly Love
Paul Burchill knows how to make an entrance. The Raw newcomer introduced himself and his beloved sister, Katie Lea, to our fans before facing off against Brian Kendrick and grounding the high-flyer for an inaugural victory. Burchill loves to please his sister – what Katie wants, Katie gets. Who knows what else Katie will want – and to what lengths her brother Paul will go to please her – in the weeks and months to come?
Ready, Willing, Able
If Mark Henry sought retribution from last week’s FU by John Cena, the World’s Strongest Man came up disappointingly short. Having recovered from his torn pectoral muscle, the former WWE Champion locked Henry in an STFU until he tapped out. Watching from ringside, Randy Orton couldn’t help but notice as his No Way Out opponent exclaimed, “I am 100 percent!”
Story: John Cena made the "World’s Strongest Statement" to WWE Champion Randy Orton tonight when he made the gargantuan World’s Strongest Man, Mark Henry, tap out to the STFU. And if Orton didn’t believe his eyes, Cena literally said it loud and clear for him and the world to hear: "I am 100 percent….I am more focused than I have ever been because for once I am not the hunted. You are the hunted. ... And Randy, this Sunday, there will be no injuries, there will be no excuses. There will be no way out for you."
Since Cena’s triumphant return at Royal Rumble, some observers have questioned Cena’s recovery from a torn pectoral muscle that sidelined him four months. The doubts grew louder when “The Champ” took on Henry in an Arm Wrestling Match last week on Raw and visibly clutched his arm and side before he – surprisingly – came close to defeating the World’s Strongest Man.
Despite FUing the near-400 pound Henry and Cena’s showing in the Arm Wrestling Match, some skepticism remained. Was Cena coming back too soon? Had he let his ego – and desire to get revenge on Orton and reclaim the WWE Championship – get in the way of common sense? Would Cena’s decision not to wait until WrestleMania to challenge Orton for the WWE Title come back to haunt him? Was he taking on too much, too soon?
Too Much for Orton to Bear
Cena didn’t alleviate any “too much, too soon” fears by deciding to take on Henry in his first one-on-one match since his return. Former World Champions Batista, Rey Mysterio and Undertaker are just a few of the Superstars Henry has sidelined in his career. One thing about Cena – he really knows no other speed than full-speed ahead, and he does everything big.
And that includes making statements. Cena didn’t appear to flinch once during his back-and-forth battle with Henry. And when he clamped on his STFU on the massive Henry – veins in both his neck and arms bulging – and the World’s Strongest Man tapped, WWE Champion Randy Orton couldn’t believe his eyes and muttered under his breath. The Legend Killer joined Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler at the broadcast table to get a closer look at Cena and he didn’t like what he saw.
Orton didn’t like what he heard, either. John Cena is 100 percent and he wants his WWE Championship back. He hasn’t forgotten how Orton injured him and targeted his father. He hasn’t forgotten how Orton took away everything from him. Cena wants redemption, and there will be no way out for Orton this Sunday at No Way Out. But Orton has shown he is most dangerous when his title reign is in the most jeopardy.
Kneed Help
Last week, Mr. Kennedy offered Ric Flair a chance to forfeit their Career Threatening Match at No Way Out. This week, the 16-time World Champion told the loudmouth from Green Bay, Wis. that not only will he be there, he’s set on winning. Mr. Kennedy left his mark before he left the ring by kicking the Nature Boy in his already ginger knee.
Love Hurts
Maria seemed on the verge of defeating Melina again this week when, suddenly, Jillian distracted her with a lip lock on her beau, Santino Marella to allow the Latina beauty to prevail. But Maria’s misery didn’t end there. Santino issued an ultimatum: She has one week to choose either him or posing for Playboy.
Non-stop Flight
Jeff Hardy continued to fly high leading up to No Way Out. The “Rainbow-haired Warrior” tangled with The Showstopper, Shawn Michaels, in a match just six days before the two meet again in an Elimination Chamber Match. With his hard-fought victory, Hardy kept the momentum rolling.
As a groggy, stunned Shawn Michaels gathered his breath, he looked up the ramp at the Frank Erwin Center and gazed at a winded, but exuberant, Jeff Hardy. The Intercontinental Champion’s body ached and his lower pierced lip was bloody from a blow taken from HBK during their first-ever encounter – a prelude to their showdown with Triple H, Umaga, Chris Jericho and JBL in the Elimination Chamber this Sunday at No Way Out.
But Hardy was jubilant because he had just defeated the legendary Showstopper and quite possibly emerged as the frontrunner to win the Chamber and earn an opportunity at the WWE Champion at WrestleMania XXIV.
Our fans were abuzz as HBK and Hardy pushed each other beyond their limits. In some ways, they were watching two warriors who are mirror images of each other. Hardy’s career has somewhat paralleled HBK’s.
Like The Showstopper, he first made his impact in WWE as a revolutionary tag team spe******t with his brother Matt. Like HBK, he has become known for stealing the show with his breathtaking, devil-may-care style and has worn the Intercontinental Championship numerous times. And as our fans have watched Michaels evolve and become one of the most decorated, respected Superstars in history, they have also seen Hardy grow and become one of WWE’s elite.
You Can't Always Get What You Want
HBK often smiles when he sees Hardy – he remembers when the Cameron, N.C., native debuted. Hardy reminds Michaels of himself from years past. Michaels, too, has watched Hardy grow. Meanwhile, Hardy has always admired HBK and will always respect his accomplishments. He ultimately wants to have the career that The Showstopper has had.
Hardy has competed at WrestleMania several times and his trophy case is nothing to sneeze at. But he has never been in the main event at WrestleMania; he has never held the WWE Title. Since he was a young boy playing on a trampoline in his father’s backyard, Hardy has dreamt about main-eventing WrestleMania and winning the WWE Championship.
The problem is HBK – and four other crème de la crème Superstars – want the same thing. No matter how much mutual respect they have, Michaels and Hardy showed tonight that they were very willing to tear into each other and gain some momentum going into the Elimination Chamber Match at No Way Out. No Way Out Preview ...
Baptism By Fire
If anyone had any doubt about Hardy’s toughness heading into his first Elimination Chamber, he may have opened skeptics’ eyes tonight. Michaels, the winner of the first Elimination Chamber Match in 2002, punished the Intercontinental Champion. Composed of 10 tons of steel and two miles of chain, the Elimination Chamber is WWE’s most ominous, unforgiving structure. Buckets of blood have been spilled and no one is quite the same after experiencing the Chamber.
But when Hardy persevered after enduring Michaels’ onslaught and tasting his own blood, he showed that he was more than ready for his first foray into the Chamber. When he ultimately stunned HBK with a Twist of Fate and then drove the breath out of his body with his trademark Swanton Bomb, he made believers out of roaring onlookers at the Frank Erwin Center.
And judging from Michaels’ glazed gaze at the end of their match, Hardy made a believer out of him, too – as well as the four other combatants he will battle in the Elimination Chamber on Sunday. Will the Intercontinental Champion raise his hands in victory again at No Way Out? Did he give WWE a glimpse of WrestleMania’s future? Hardy may want to beware – possible frontrunners often have the biggest bull's-eyes on their backs.
AUSTIN, Texas – Things didn’t exactly go the way Mr. McMahon had planned. The Chairman arranged a No Disqualification Match between him and Hornswoggle, hoping to teach his bastard son a lesson in tough love. But it was Mr. McMahon who was taught a lesson … in humility.
Moments after the bell rang, the Chairman heaved his reluctant son to the mat and berated him around the ring. But that was before the arrival of Hornswoggle’s protector, Finlay, who flat-out ignored Mr. McMahon’s threats of termination were he to interfere.
Instead, the man who loves to fight ignored the possibility of losing his job – a WWE opportunity he had spent years trying to earn – and not being able to provide for his family. He chose to honor his friendship with Hornswoggle at all costs and stung Mr. McMahon with a crack of his shillelagh. As the Chairman lie writhing in pain, Hornswoggle landed a Tadpole Splash for the win.
Mr. McMahon, however, would not suffer in silence. While being attended to by medical personnel, the dazed Chairman refused to fire Finlay, and instead he arranged a Steel Cage Match with Hornswoggle next week.
Savage Betrayal
John “Bradshaw” Layfield just can’t find good help these days. After losing his match to Chris Jericho, the Lonestar Loudmouth thought his paid muscle, Umaga, was rumbling to his rescue. The Samoan Bulldozer, however, proved that at No Way Out, it’s going to be every man for himself when he drove a Samoan Spike into both Y2J and a stunned JBL.
Brotherly Love
Paul Burchill knows how to make an entrance. The Raw newcomer introduced himself and his beloved sister, Katie Lea, to our fans before facing off against Brian Kendrick and grounding the high-flyer for an inaugural victory. Burchill loves to please his sister – what Katie wants, Katie gets. Who knows what else Katie will want – and to what lengths her brother Paul will go to please her – in the weeks and months to come?
Ready, Willing, Able
If Mark Henry sought retribution from last week’s FU by John Cena, the World’s Strongest Man came up disappointingly short. Having recovered from his torn pectoral muscle, the former WWE Champion locked Henry in an STFU until he tapped out. Watching from ringside, Randy Orton couldn’t help but notice as his No Way Out opponent exclaimed, “I am 100 percent!”
Story: John Cena made the "World’s Strongest Statement" to WWE Champion Randy Orton tonight when he made the gargantuan World’s Strongest Man, Mark Henry, tap out to the STFU. And if Orton didn’t believe his eyes, Cena literally said it loud and clear for him and the world to hear: "I am 100 percent….I am more focused than I have ever been because for once I am not the hunted. You are the hunted. ... And Randy, this Sunday, there will be no injuries, there will be no excuses. There will be no way out for you."
Since Cena’s triumphant return at Royal Rumble, some observers have questioned Cena’s recovery from a torn pectoral muscle that sidelined him four months. The doubts grew louder when “The Champ” took on Henry in an Arm Wrestling Match last week on Raw and visibly clutched his arm and side before he – surprisingly – came close to defeating the World’s Strongest Man.
Despite FUing the near-400 pound Henry and Cena’s showing in the Arm Wrestling Match, some skepticism remained. Was Cena coming back too soon? Had he let his ego – and desire to get revenge on Orton and reclaim the WWE Championship – get in the way of common sense? Would Cena’s decision not to wait until WrestleMania to challenge Orton for the WWE Title come back to haunt him? Was he taking on too much, too soon?
Too Much for Orton to Bear
Cena didn’t alleviate any “too much, too soon” fears by deciding to take on Henry in his first one-on-one match since his return. Former World Champions Batista, Rey Mysterio and Undertaker are just a few of the Superstars Henry has sidelined in his career. One thing about Cena – he really knows no other speed than full-speed ahead, and he does everything big.
And that includes making statements. Cena didn’t appear to flinch once during his back-and-forth battle with Henry. And when he clamped on his STFU on the massive Henry – veins in both his neck and arms bulging – and the World’s Strongest Man tapped, WWE Champion Randy Orton couldn’t believe his eyes and muttered under his breath. The Legend Killer joined Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler at the broadcast table to get a closer look at Cena and he didn’t like what he saw.
Orton didn’t like what he heard, either. John Cena is 100 percent and he wants his WWE Championship back. He hasn’t forgotten how Orton injured him and targeted his father. He hasn’t forgotten how Orton took away everything from him. Cena wants redemption, and there will be no way out for Orton this Sunday at No Way Out. But Orton has shown he is most dangerous when his title reign is in the most jeopardy.
Kneed Help
Last week, Mr. Kennedy offered Ric Flair a chance to forfeit their Career Threatening Match at No Way Out. This week, the 16-time World Champion told the loudmouth from Green Bay, Wis. that not only will he be there, he’s set on winning. Mr. Kennedy left his mark before he left the ring by kicking the Nature Boy in his already ginger knee.
Love Hurts
Maria seemed on the verge of defeating Melina again this week when, suddenly, Jillian distracted her with a lip lock on her beau, Santino Marella to allow the Latina beauty to prevail. But Maria’s misery didn’t end there. Santino issued an ultimatum: She has one week to choose either him or posing for Playboy.
Non-stop Flight
Jeff Hardy continued to fly high leading up to No Way Out. The “Rainbow-haired Warrior” tangled with The Showstopper, Shawn Michaels, in a match just six days before the two meet again in an Elimination Chamber Match. With his hard-fought victory, Hardy kept the momentum rolling.
As a groggy, stunned Shawn Michaels gathered his breath, he looked up the ramp at the Frank Erwin Center and gazed at a winded, but exuberant, Jeff Hardy. The Intercontinental Champion’s body ached and his lower pierced lip was bloody from a blow taken from HBK during their first-ever encounter – a prelude to their showdown with Triple H, Umaga, Chris Jericho and JBL in the Elimination Chamber this Sunday at No Way Out.
But Hardy was jubilant because he had just defeated the legendary Showstopper and quite possibly emerged as the frontrunner to win the Chamber and earn an opportunity at the WWE Champion at WrestleMania XXIV.
Our fans were abuzz as HBK and Hardy pushed each other beyond their limits. In some ways, they were watching two warriors who are mirror images of each other. Hardy’s career has somewhat paralleled HBK’s.
Like The Showstopper, he first made his impact in WWE as a revolutionary tag team spe******t with his brother Matt. Like HBK, he has become known for stealing the show with his breathtaking, devil-may-care style and has worn the Intercontinental Championship numerous times. And as our fans have watched Michaels evolve and become one of the most decorated, respected Superstars in history, they have also seen Hardy grow and become one of WWE’s elite.
You Can't Always Get What You Want
HBK often smiles when he sees Hardy – he remembers when the Cameron, N.C., native debuted. Hardy reminds Michaels of himself from years past. Michaels, too, has watched Hardy grow. Meanwhile, Hardy has always admired HBK and will always respect his accomplishments. He ultimately wants to have the career that The Showstopper has had.
Hardy has competed at WrestleMania several times and his trophy case is nothing to sneeze at. But he has never been in the main event at WrestleMania; he has never held the WWE Title. Since he was a young boy playing on a trampoline in his father’s backyard, Hardy has dreamt about main-eventing WrestleMania and winning the WWE Championship.
The problem is HBK – and four other crème de la crème Superstars – want the same thing. No matter how much mutual respect they have, Michaels and Hardy showed tonight that they were very willing to tear into each other and gain some momentum going into the Elimination Chamber Match at No Way Out. No Way Out Preview ...
Baptism By Fire
If anyone had any doubt about Hardy’s toughness heading into his first Elimination Chamber, he may have opened skeptics’ eyes tonight. Michaels, the winner of the first Elimination Chamber Match in 2002, punished the Intercontinental Champion. Composed of 10 tons of steel and two miles of chain, the Elimination Chamber is WWE’s most ominous, unforgiving structure. Buckets of blood have been spilled and no one is quite the same after experiencing the Chamber.
But when Hardy persevered after enduring Michaels’ onslaught and tasting his own blood, he showed that he was more than ready for his first foray into the Chamber. When he ultimately stunned HBK with a Twist of Fate and then drove the breath out of his body with his trademark Swanton Bomb, he made believers out of roaring onlookers at the Frank Erwin Center.
And judging from Michaels’ glazed gaze at the end of their match, Hardy made a believer out of him, too – as well as the four other combatants he will battle in the Elimination Chamber on Sunday. Will the Intercontinental Champion raise his hands in victory again at No Way Out? Did he give WWE a glimpse of WrestleMania’s future? Hardy may want to beware – possible frontrunners often have the biggest bull's-eyes on their backs.