Sunday Night Heat

thanks to rajah.com
August 20, 2006
 

Welcome aboard as we make the last stop before SummerSlam in a few hours time. We begin this week with......................

Matt Striker vs Rob Conway
This match would have made more sense a few months ago when this duo teased dissension following a number of losses to the Highlanders. Nonetheless the anticipation to this angle has been building and now the trigger has finally been pulled to get this Heat feud underway (tongue firmly in cheek there). Striker cuts a promo on his way to the ring. After telling us students to settle down Striker smells something. Striker says he knows what that smells like. The end of summer. It's time to go back to school young people. The smell of freshly printed textbooks, brown bagged lunches. Striker is reminded of the great Roberta Flack who once sang the closer I get to school the feeling comes over me. As a matter of fact Striker smells another lesson coming on right now. Striker is a lot smarter than.... wait Rob Conway comes running in and decks Striker down a couple of times. I guess Conway is playing the role of babyface this week. Conway backelbows Striker who goes outside. Conway gives chase back inside where Conway delivers a hiptoss and dropkick to send Striker back outside with Striker calling time out. Conway goes out to get Striker, Striker goes to the eyes then clotheslines before removing his ring garb. Back inside after a nearfall and a few drop down shots Striker rests Conway in the middle rope before kicking at it. Striker places Conway in the ropes then hangs him upside down with a dropkick. Striker lands a baseball slide to Conway's neck. Striker nips outside to punch on Conway's neck. Striker removes the bottom turnbuckle pad as the referee tends to Conway. Conway lands a series of punches to Striker on the outside. Conway puts Striker back in but as Conway goes to step back in Striker kicks at the rope again before hitting a Rocker Dropper to get Conway back in for a nearfall. Striker applies a reverse chinlock, Conway punches free but Striker wins a short punch exchange. Conway catches a Striker boot and knocks him down with a series of punches. Striker reverses off the ropes, Conway hits a flying clothesline followed by a leg lariat from the second rope for a nearfall. Striker goes to the corner, Conway boots then manages to land a couple of mounted punch assaults. Striker slumps in the corner, Conway adavnces, Striker grabs the tights dropping Conway's head into the exposed turnbuckle before Striker covers hooking his legs on the middle rope. 1-2-3. Here is Your Winner: MATT STRIKER. Nice little match but a weak finish. I could be wrong here but on the evidence of this I guess WWE are turning Conway face with no explanation (Heart Throbs and Snitsky also come to mind) as he continues on his losing streak ala David Young in TNA but the crowd don't care yet. It's lazy booking when they do things like this kind of unexplained when a few pre-recorded comments or interview segments to get the crowd behind him would benefit Conway more. Having said all this WWE may make Conway a heel again next week and have him face Eugene yet again. I wouldn't be surprised.

Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch vs Damien Wayne & Chris Escobar
Grisham has done his homework this week and knows which Jobber is which. Cade escapes a Wayne side headlock with a back suplex. Cade delivers a series of clubs to Wayne's back then a boot to his head. Cade sends Wayne off the ropes into an inverted atomic drop with Murdoch nailing a running boot to the head. Murdoch talks trash to the fallen Wayne before slapping his face. Murdoch sends Wayne to the corner where he tags in Escobar. Escobar tries to punch Murdoch away but Murdoch flattens him with one punch. Murdoch stomps then presses on Escobar's head with his boot. Murdoch backelbows Escobar down off the ropes. Murdoch lands a jawbreaker with Cade following up with a neckbreaker. Cade lands two elbowdrops before tossing Escobar into the corner. Murdoch whips Cade into Escobar who is the recipient of a forearm. Cade sends Escobar into a Murdoch back suplex drop. Murdoch lands an elbowdrop for a nearfall. Murdoch holds Escobar for a Cade chest chop. Cade sends Escobar off the ropes, Escobar telegraphs a backbodydrop with a boot to the head but Cade resumes control with a series of clubbing blows to the back and mounted mat punches to the head. Cade chews out the referee before holding Escobar open for a Murdoch gut punch. Murdoch lands a kick to Escobar's head before slugging away with vicious crossfaces to Escobar's head. Murdoch Irish whips Escobar who manages to elbow a charging Murdoch a couple of times but Murdoch recovers to clothesline down a charging Escobar. Cade lands a front suplex on Escobar, Cade halts a cover at one as Murdoch rushes in to deck the incoming Wayne through the ropes to the floor. Cade and Murdoch deliver the Sweet 'N' Sour to Escobar with Cade covering for the 1-2-3. Quite a good showcase for Cade and Murdoch who remain unbeaten since re-teaming and have really built some good momentum on Heat over the past couple of months. I'll say it yet again. These two deserve a shot on Raw for the World Tag Titles. Eugene and Hacksaw Jim Duggan certainly don't. Here Are Your Winners: LANCE CADE & TREVOR MURDOCH.

Shelton Benjamin vs Val Venis
Good pops for both combatants in this Main Event battle between two former Intercontinental Champions. Coachman calls Shelton the greatest athlete in the WWE. Grisham asks why Shelton isn't on the SummerSlam card? Yeah why? Coachman says Shelton is the odd man out after losing his No 1 Contender's Match resulting in him being out of the Intercontinental Title hunt and off the SummerSlam card. In other words welcome back to Heat Shelton. Coachman continues to turn the screw by saying both men are on the outside looking in at SummerSlam. Grisham offers scant consolation by saying being in the Heat main event can't be a bad thing. Lockup Val backs Shelton to the corner who ducks his head outside to signal a clean break with Val obliging. Val with a side headlock, shoulder tackle and a duck underneath. Shelton comes back with a shoulder tackle of his own but runs into a hiptoss. Both men exchange armdrags, leg trips and covers before we get a standoff. Shelton applauds Val who extends his hand but Shelton slaps Val to get the crowd on his back. Val reverses Shelton off the ropes connecting with a couple of running kneelifts. Val manages to hit a side russian legsweep after ducking a clothesline and countering a backbodydrop. Val delivers punches to Shelton's head minus the gyration to send Shelton rolling out to the apron. Val gets Shelton up, Val goes to ram Shelton's head into the corner but Shelton blocks and sends Val's arm into the corner before driving Val shoulder first into the ringpost. Shelton gets back inside and drives Val's shoulder into the corner twice before delivering an armdrag into an armbar which Shelton sits on for a while. Shelton drives his knee into Val's shoulder. Val finally gets up, punches free, Shelton prevents a rope whip by hanging onto the rope which causes more pain to Val's shoulder. Shelton hits an armbar takedown for a nearfall before applying a cross armbar on the mat. Val punches free again, Shelton knees the gut, Val cuts off a rope whip with a boot to the gut and a swinging neckbreaker. Val lands some punches a clothesline, backelbow followed by another punch. Shelton cuts off a rope whip by clamping on a sleeper but Val quickly escapes with a sitout powerbomb for a nearfall. Val advances to Shelton in the corner who trips Val and rolls him up with his feet on the middle ropes 1-2-no spotted by the referee. Shelton argues with the referee a little. Val counters an Irish whip attempt by catching Shelton with a half nelson slam. Val signals for the end and while favouring the shoulder heads up to the top rope. Shelton springs up, leaps onto the top rope but Val sends him off with a punch before connecting with the Money Shot. Val can't take advantage right away as he favours his shoulder once again. Val finally inches into a cover 1-2-no. Val gets Shelton up who out of nowhere lands an exploder suplex for the 1-2-3. Not bad, could have been better but still the best match on this week's show. Here is Your Winner: SHELTON BENJAMIN. Post match Shelton goes to leave but comes back in to stomp on Val before leaving and heading up the ramp.