[Triple H] This is why I step into the ring.
-[dramatic music playing] -[Cena] Why I sacrifice my body.
[Edge] This is the bigger picture.
[Batista] This is my obsession.
[Big Show] Who I want to be.
-[Matt] Who I am. -[Kane] A champion.
-[Edge] Champions. -[Matt] Champions.
-[Cena] This is my time… -[Chavo] …to prove…
[Triple H] I am a champion.
[Batista] And nothing will stop me.
[Cena] This will be my night.
[Batista] I said that I was going to challenge whoever won
the World Heavyweight Championship
and that's exactly what I'm doing right now.
[Michael] Batista, setting his sights on that man.
-The world champion, Edge. -[tense music playing]
[Mick] This is flat-out disgusting.
[Michael] Five-on-one assault on Batista.
The family sticks together.
[Batista] No matter what he throws at me,
I'm going to keep coming back
and I am going to be World Heavyweight Champion again.
You better hope that you win
because you'll never get another title match against me again.
[Michael] It is Batista versus Edge for the world title.
[music concludes]
-[suspenseful music playing] -[Cena] At Night of Champions
it's going to be a moment.
[Triple H] Two years ago, you beat me.
[Ross] The Game taps.
[Triple H] And I've never gotten over it. You know why?
Because you're not as good as me.
What it comes down to is being the best.
You may have that, but until you beat me, you're nothing.
[Triple H] Until you take this from me, you're nothing.
[Cena] Are you ready to fight?
[Triple H] Cena, if you want some, come get some.
[Ross] The Night of Champions for the richest prize in the WWE.
These two men will indeed create a moment in time.
[music concludes]
-["Devour" playing] -[narrator] WWE Night of Champions
where every match is a championship match
It's a night of defenders.
It's a night of challengers.
It's a Night of Champions.
♪ Suffocate your own empire ♪
[narrator] WWE presents Night of Champions.
♪ Devour, devour ♪
♪ Stolen like a foreign soul ♪
♪ Devour, devour ♪
♪ What a way to go! ♪
♪ You want it, you want it, you want it You want it? Well, here it is ♪
♪ Everything, everything Everything isn't so primitive ♪
♪ Take it and take it and take it And take it and take it all ♪
[Ross] From deep in the heart of Texas,
where the color of the night will be not black gold but gold.
We welcome you to the Night of Champions from the American Airlines Center
where we're sold out
with 16,151 WWE fans on hand.
Hello, everybody, I'm Jim Ross alongside the "Hardcore Legend" Mick Foley.
And, Mick, what a night it's gonna be.
Every match for a championship.
J.R., it's what every prospective superstar gets into this business for,
the opportunity to be a champion.
Tonight, at Night of Champions,
many superstars will have that opportunity.
What a night. We're glad you're with us.
[music fades]
[bell ringing]
This contest set for one fall
is for the WWE Tag Team Championship.
[crowd cheering]
["Ain't No Make Believe" playing]
♪ Now, listen ♪
♪ This ain't no make believe ♪
[Justin] Introducing first, at a total combined weight of 450 pounds,
they are the current WWE Tag Team Champions,
John Morrison and The Miz!
♪ Too much wasted time Ain't gonna waste no more ♪
♪ No, baby, now take this ♪
♪ Rock on ♪
[Ross] Certainly a charismatic, athletic young duo
are the WWE Tag Team Champions,
Morrison and The Miz.
[Mick] Indeed they are, J.R.
But I've got to wonder if they might not be taking the challenge
of Finlay and his son Hornswoggle a little bit too lightly.
[Ross] Well, let's not count Finlay and Hornswoggle short.
[Mick laughing]
[Ross] If that's what The Miz and Morrison do tonight,
then the champions will leave without their championship gold,
-I can assure you. -[Mick] A couple weeks ago,
Morrison made a big deal about The Miz's hat.
I happen to like Hornswoggle's green leprechaun hat.
♪ 'Cause you know The best in the business, babe ♪
♪ Hey! ♪
♪ You should'a never showed up to play ♪
[Ross] The youth, the exuberance, and the unbridled athleticism of that man,
John Morrison and The Miz
certainly speaks well for the future of the WWE.
-["He's Ma Da" playing] -[crowd cheering]
[Justin] Introducing the challengers,
the team of Finlay and Hornswoggle.
[Mick] They may indeed be the future of tag team wrestling in the WWE,
but, J.R., if they were to suffer some kind of humiliating defeat
here at Night of Champions, that might be a short-lived duo.
[Ross] Finlay and his son Hornswoggle,
looking to become a father and son championship combination
following the heels of the Garibaldis in the '40s,
and Eddie and Mike Graham from Florida among others.
[Mick] Wow. And, J.R., I thought I was old school
but I think you were from the school that burnt down
before they built the old school.
[Ross] I just learned to Google a couple of days ago.
[Mick] The Garibaldi brothers.
[Ross] One fall matchup,
with Jim Korderas,
the official in this WWE Tag Title match.
[music fades]
Set that shillelagh down.
Set the shillelagh down.
[Ross] You know, Finlay's got a lot of folks watching
on Sky Box Office tonight in the United Kingdom,
fans around the world including Canada,
-Australia, New Zealand… -[bell ringing]
[Ross] …Italy, Germany
among others joining us tonight, and we thank you for that.
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.
[Mick] And how proud would they be of their favorite son, Finlay,
should he capture
the Tag Team Championship gold here tonight?
[Ross] Finlay is so fundamentally sound,
he's second generation wrestler from the old school of wrestling.
And Finlay, by saying that,
won't make too many mistakes in that European-like form.
We've seen it from so many great European Stars, the Billy Robinsons.
[Miz] Come on, John. Come on, John.
[Mick] Yeah, Finlay's able to inject that classic European style
-with a little bit of… -[Ross] A cover now.
[Mick] …American catch-as-catch-can.
Here's that uppercut you've talked about, J.R. Watch it.
Oh! That's why they call it a lipster.
[Ross] That'll chip a tooth, I'll tell you.
And Finlay, with a unique version of a slam
as his son Hornswoggle looks on.
Hornswoggle is four-feet, four-inches tall.
-[Miz] Come on, John. -[Mick] But nonetheless,
he was able to get on every ride yesterday at Six Flags over at Texas.
He's very proud of it, from what I'm told.
[Ross] Great crowd on hand here in Texas,
and I wonder if Hornswoggle's been working on the Von Erich "Iron Claw."
-[Mick laughing] -[Ross] Probably not.
[Mick] Probably not, but, J.R., I have seen him ascend the top rope
like Kevin Von Erich used to do in the--
[Ross] Look out, John Morrison.
Had a miscue right there, and look at Finlay take advantage
on a mistake by Morrison.
And The Miz using Hornswoggle as collateral
to barter his partner out of a predicament and--
Whoa, then a-- for now Morrison to gain an advantage.
[Mick] Man, he's just filled with intestinal fortitude,
-that Miz, you got to admire a guy-- -[Ross] How about this?
-Where are these two guys-- -[Mick] Catch a leprechaun.
[Ross] Now, how proud can our tag champions be,
a conduct like this?
[Mick] J.R., sometimes they're absolutely magnificent
and sometimes, as we see here,
they're nothing more than schoolyard bullies.
[Ross] Hornswoggle has not been tagged in.
And…
[crowd cheering]
-[Ross] Look at the Horn. -[Mick laughing] He--
[Ross] Look at-- look at the Horn, he's trying to fight.
[Mick] He loves to fight, too, just like his dad.
-Bam! -[crowd cheering]
[Ross] And Finlay, with a series of clotheslines,
and using little Hornswoggle like a battering ram.
-Oh! -[Mick] That's a--
That's quite a height to be landing on the chest of Morrison.
[Ross] Could this be a night for the Irish?
Will the Irish eyes be smiling when this night concludes?
[Mick] Did you see the height on Hornswoggle's big heinie smash?
That heinie's almost Mick Foley-esque in its size and depth.
-[Ross] Let's not be ridiculous. -[Mick laughing]
[Ross] You're in a class of yourself.
-Here, let's take a look at this. -[Mick] Let's take a look. Watch it.
-Ross] It's season for the Olympics. -[Mick] Oh, hang time.
Yes. [laughs]
Oh, and down to the chest of Morrison.
[Ross] Well, the-- Morrison now with Finlay in trouble.
Makes the tag to Miz.
And now we'll see that teamwork we've talked about in all seriousness,
the double gutbuster, and now the-- a cover on Finlay.
[Mick] And watch how the champions are able to turn this match around.
Here's Miz distracting Finlay. And bam! Whoa!
The athleticism of Morrison really coming into play there
with that devastating boot.
[Ross] Morrison is amazingly athletic.
And of course, The Miz is so calculating,
complements Morrison extremely well as Hornswoggle looking on
ready to accept the tag from his father
if that opportunity were to present itself.
Tag made.
Nice teamwork by the champions.
Look, they're seamless.
[Mick] Morrison's being able to channel some of that unique athleticism
-and combine it with-- -[Ross] Cover now.
Front leg hooked, and Finlay again shows his toughness.
[Mick] And combine it with a certifiable mean streak
to really put together an intriguing package here
at Night of Champions.
[Ross] Certainly so many great teams in the long history of the WWE.
This is potentially one of the best.
Great teamwork. Tandem offense.
I like the tag team strategy of Morrison and Miz.
Whether I like them personally or not is totally irrelevant.
[Mick] Yeah, I think you can't help but respect what they've done
and really appreciate with the maturation
that they'd gone-- undergone in the last year or so here.
[Ross] And Hornswoggle tags himself in.
-Tilt-a-whirl. -[crowd cheering]
-[Mick] Whoa! -[Ross] Headscissors!
Holy moly!
-[Mick laughing] -[Ross] And a-- a stunner.
Look at Hornswoggle.
Lil' bulldog action.
-[Mick] Please don't-- Oh! -[Ross] Oh, my gosh.
Hornswoggle got a-- some offense in with the crowd behind-- Oh.
Now that was an uncalled for, cheap shot by John Morrison.
[Mick] And I think, J.R., it shows that John Morrison
may be at least a little bit worried
that the title was about to escape their grasp.
[Ross] Well, as you mentioned earlier,
you know, and all due respect for the work--
the WWE Tag Champions to lose to Hornswoggle
would not bode well for their fragile and large egos.
[Mick] No, no, and how-- that-- what-- He's just roughhousing this.
[Ross] And look at Finlay trying to intervene,
but the referee doing his job but this is a…
as you said, a classic case of schoolyard bullyism.
[Mick] Yeah, it's not so much damaging offense
as it is insulting offense.
And just a few moments ago, J.R.,
it would have done my heart so good to see Hornswoggle…
-[Ross] Oh, man! Horn-- Hornsw-- -[Mick] …take the title belt from The Miz.
[Ross] Hornswoggle and Finlay were…
won over the ECW in the supplemental draft last week.
Look at this.
Oh, man. Golly, right in the head.
[Mick] Just look-- It looked like his head really whiplashed against that turnbuckle.
[Ross] And look at the little guy fight back.
-[crowd cheering] -[Ross] Look at the courage
and the heart of Hornswoggle.
He's hurting, he's been punished
but the little fella's not gonna quit, but he can't make the tag to his father.
Get out of the ring.
[Ross] I think this is much more than The Miz and Morrison
bargained for going into this match, at least that's my assumption.
[Mick] I think so, and now you're seeing a really angry side
of the tag team champions coming into play here.
[Ross] Well, I shudder to think what Morrison and The Miz
will do to little Hornswoggle if given the opportunity.
And quite frankly, ladies and gentlemen, an opportunity has presented itself.
[Mick] Before this match, their abuse had been limited mainly
to verbal confrontations, calling him a hobbit and troll,
comparing him to Smeagol from Lord of the Rings,
but now we see it really taking a-- an ugly side.
[Ross] Oh, there's a chance now.
Can Hornswoggle make the tag?
Little Hornswoggle needs to tag his father Finlay in this match.
Tag title's on the line.
And, oh, man.
John Morrison got a legal tag
and made sure that Hornswoggle did not make a tag.
[Mick] And now he's mockling-- mocking the father Finlay.
[crowd chatter]
[speaking indistinctly]
[Ross] Oh, look at the-- this is-- this is not wrestling.
Slapping a much smaller man in the face
and just intimidating and being a bully is all this is all about.
Oh, man.
-[crowd cheering] -[Ross] And look, Hornswoggle.
Morrison opened his mouth and now there's a tag.
There's the tag.
And business has picked up for the Finlays.
Beautiful powerslam. Could it be?
Oh, a near-fall, yes.
But three, no.
[Mick] Finlay is perturbed and rightfully so,
went on the offense, nearly got the three count.
[Ross] Finlay, tougher than Irish coffee.
Sticking that boot in.
Oh, and Finlay, the veteran, goes to the air.
This might do it here.
And Morrison off his back barely before the three-count.
[Mick] I felt going into this match, we can-- Oh!
[Ross] Finlay, looking to-- Oh, wait a minute.
Out of the corner of his eye, Finlay, the veteran, saw The Miz.
-[Ross] Celtic Cross. -[crowd cheering]
[Mick] And could it be, J.R.?
The Tadpole Splash.
[Ross] Oh. Miz with a cheap shot knocking Finlay to the floor.
And little Hornswoggle caught in no-man's-land.
Hornswoggle is-- remember, has made the tag.
Oh, my. And therefore, is obviously the legal man is the little fella.
Just chucked off that top turnbuckle.
-[bell ringing] -[Ross] And Miz and Morrison
retain tag gold.
["Ain't No Make Believe" playing]
♪ Now listen This ain't no make believe ♪
[Justin] The winners of this match and still WWE Tag Team Champions,
John Morrison and The Miz.
[Mick] J.R., do you imagine Miz and Morrison
feel really proud of themselves after that effort?
[Ross] They'll probably celebrate just like they've won the World Cup.
The bottom line, this young team of Miz and Morrison
are the WWE Tag Team Champions.
They are an amazingly gifted athletic team.
Whether we like them or we don't, completely irrelevant.
[Mick] And I think you had the keyword there,
they worked together as a team to achieve a mutual goal.
[inaudible]
[Ross] The synergy of Morrison and Miz is exceptional.
And let's take a look at Hornswoggle here.
He was amazing. Look at this.
Tilt-a-whirl headscissor.
[Mick] I've never seen anything quite like that.
[Ross] Boom. A stunner.
[Mick] Somewhere in Texas, Stone Cold's got to be proud.
Oh, Fit going airborne, a rare, rare feat.
[Ross] The Finlay family tried everything they could,
but there might have been the move of the match,
a cheap shot by The Miz.
[Mick] A cheap shot and the big slam by the big shot,
and Morrison gets the one, two, three.
[Ross] It was academic at that point with the little fella
coming off the top turnbuckle.
A great effort by the Finlays but still tag team champs,
John Morrison and The Miz.
♪ Aye! Come on now ♪
♪ You know what I'm talking 'bout ♪
♪ Here you come ♪
♪ Yeah, there you go ♪
[inaudible]
[Ross] And they've got nothing to be ashamed about.
Great effort.
-The Miz and Morrison… -[inaudible]
[Mick] Yeah. A father and son team there. You see, Fit has every reason in the world
to be proud of the little guy. He put up a tremendous, tremendous fight.
[Ross] Well, ladies and gentlemen,
let's take you over to our broadcast partners.
Representing Monday Night Raw, Michael Cole and Jerry "the King" Lawler.
-Thanks a lot-- -[Ross] Shake and bake, gentleman.
Thanks a lot, J.R..
And, well, King, we just saw the title retention
by the tag team champions, will that be the case
in the seven other title matches
we still have to come tonight, including the historic encounter
between Triple H and John Cena for the WWE Championship?
First time in over two years, these two have met one on one.
Well, you know, we use the word "historic" a lot,
but then sometimes maybe not necessarily it is historic.
But tonight, truly, as J.R. said,
Cena and Triple H will create a moment in time.
Let's take you back to WrestleMania 22, Chicago, Illinois,
two and a half years ago.
The first time, the only time, Triple H and John Cena had met one-on-one.
It was a combative, a competitive, a grueling matchup
with the championship on the line.
[Jerry] And finally, as you see, John Cena, after an amazing battle
hooked in that STFU, and Triple H was in trouble.
Triple H tried desperately, but finally had to tap.
[bell ringing]
[Michael] And John Cena retaining the WWE Championship at WrestleMania.
And tonight, King, a-- well, a different twist
has been thrown into the mix because of the draft this past Monday night.
-Right. -Triple H is now a member of SmackDown.
-Yeah. -That means he has the WWE Championship
on SmackDown.
Cena has got to win to bring that title back to Monday Night Raw
which leads us to tonight's
WWE mobile text voting question presented by AT&T.
[Jerry] There you see, what do you think?
That's what we want to know.
Who will bring a championship back to Raw?
You can vote for John Cena. Or will it be Batista?
Or maybe both Cena and Batista or neither.
[Michael] There's where you call to make your vote.
We want your opinion.
We want to hear what you have to say.
[Jerry] I'd say both.
[bell ringing]
[Justin] This next bout set for one fall
is for the WWE United States Championship.
[crowd cheering]
-["Chavito Ardiente" playing] -♪ Ooh, Chavo! ♪
[singing in Spanish]
[Justin] Introducing first, the challenger,
being accompanied to the ring by Bam Neely,
from El Paso, Texas, weighing 215 pounds,
Chavo Guerrero.
[crowd clamoring]
[Ross] The amazing heritage of the Guerrero family
lives on as Chavo Guerrero looks to become
the United States Champion for the first time.
And that heritage is displayed on his tights.
His grandpa, the late Gory Guerrero was called Thunderbird.
Hence, the thunderbird emblem on the tights of Chavo Guerrero.
[Mick] And I think the confidence is displayed all over his face.
Man, would Chavo love to walk away
with the United States Heavyweight Championship.
[Ross] McMahon needing a bodyguard, certainly so many WWE Hall of Famers
have been United States Champions from Harley Race, Blackjack Mulligan,
Bobo Brazil, Ric Flair, Jimmy Snuka, Roddy Piper, Sergeant Slaughter.
-["Live For The Moment" playing] -♪ Oh, yeah! ♪
[crowd cheering]
♪ Whoo! ♪
[Justin] And his opponent from Cameron, North Carolina,
weighing 236 pounds,
he is the current WWE United States Champion,
Matt Hardy.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] An amazing ovation from over 16,000 fans here in Dallas
for the popular and talented United States Champion,
a very proud young man that fully understands
the heritage of the United States title.
[Mick] Oh, that's for sure.
Matt definitely understands what a privilege it is
to be included in the ranks of that illustrious list you just mentioned.
And, Matt-- I think it really bothers Matt that he thinks Chavo kinda snuck in
with a title opportunity through the back door.
[Ross] Well, Chavo certainly got some--
Maybe a little bit of nepotism involved,
the fact that his aunt, Vickie Guerrero,
general manager of SmackDown,
awarded Chavo the number one contendership.
[Mick] Perhaps, perhaps, but after all, you are talking about a man
who is Edge's best man at the upcoming Vickie Guerrero/Edge nuptials.
♪ You couldn't pay me enough You couldn't pay me enough ♪
[Mick] Aren't you happy to be on SmackDown to be--
have the privilege of calling the wedding nuptials?
[Ross] Well, you know, I've called a few weddings in my time
but I am happy to be on SmackDown by the way.
[Mick] Well, we're glad to have you here, that's for sure.
[Ross] But right now, it's all about the United States title.
That's what's important.
I know what it means to Matt Hardy,
but I also know what-- I know what it means to Chavo Guerrero.
[Mick] All this talk about championships has kinda made me nostalgic, J.R.
After all, it was in Dallas, Texas in 1988
that I earned my first singles championship.
-[bell ringing] -[Mick] The world-class
Light Heavyweight Championship.
[Ross] Ex-- Come on, now.
[Mick] Nineteen years and about 90 pounds ago,
I kid you not.
[Ross] Well, hard elbow tie up.
From that, we'll segue right into a United States Championship match,
one fall, and Chavo Guerrero who has great quickness and skills.
We all know that.
He is a third-generation superstar which has to mean a lot,
as far as I'm concerned, in the preparation for this matchup.
[Mick] Yeah, and he's got a lot to live up to.
He's done a tremendous job and I think, uh,
with all respect to the ECW Championship,
this would be on a par with that former title he held
if he could come out victorious tonight.
[Ross] Side headlock by Matt Hardy.
Both these men can fly. They can both beat you on the ground.
Is Bam Neely, the bodyguard of Chavo Guerrero,
gonna be the wildcard in this equation here tonight?
[Mick] Well, I certainly hope not.
I'd like to see this thing settle in the ring where it should be,
but when the La Familia is involved, you really never can tell.
[Bam] Own him!
[Ross] Basic side headlock takeover.
Chavo Guerrero not wanting to make any mistakes that drop his guard,
not let Matt Hardy have that opening, and Matt can reach you in a lot of ways
and suddenly, that's just that Hardy style.
[Mick] Yeah, yeah, and these guys match up well in that respect.
They're both so technically sound
but not averse to taking a little risk every now and then.
[Ross] Matt Hardy with a little bit of size
and perhaps strength advantage in this matchup.
I'd have to say Chavo Guerrero may be the quicker of the two.
And not even a one count there, as Chavo found his way off the canvas.
[Mick] And we talk about the X factor perhaps being Bam Neely,
but maybe perhaps would be the crowd
and the way Matt Hardy's able to feed off the enthusiasm
of almost every crowd he encounters.
[Ross] Sort of the fans play all-- Matt Hardy looking for that bulldog early.
And what a chop block, going downstairs is Chavo Guerrero.
And Chavo now isolating that body part, and this is--
this is classic strategy inside the squared circle,
and something that Chavo actually,
-you gotta believe, grew up seeing. -[Mick] Oh, I'm sure he did.
I'm sure Chavo's seen thousands of matches,
been a real witness, uh, to history
and has seen that you can dissect the body part
and be very effective in that manner.
[Ross] Chavo knows he has a five count to utilize.
He'll break on four. He'll be disqualified on five.
Chavo cannot win the United States title via disqualification.
And look at the innovative offense of Chavo Guerrero,
extorting that left knee of Matt Hardy.
[Mick] I guess, uh, he must be thinking he can neutralize Hardy
by taking out one of his, uh, legs, he stands a much better chance.
[Ross] Well, without a doubt. Hardy's quickness and his…
his legs were such an integral part obviously
as anyone's-- of anyone's offense, and it's especially true for Matt Hardy.
[Mick] Yeah, yeah. But another wildcard here is--
-[Ross] Look out, look out here. -[Mick] Now, come on.
[Ross] Referee.
Referee, uh, being detained, if you will,
by the challenger, Chavo Guerrero,
while Bam Neely did his dirty work.
[Mick] And that's exactly what it was, dirty work.
[Ross] And now Chavo, not wasting any time.
And Matt Hardy having problems obviously with his-- with his knee.
And you notice Chavo Guerrero goes right back to that exposed limb,
the damaged knee of Matt Hardy.
[Mick] And I know general manager Vickie Guerrero's looking
for a big night for La Familia.
Man, they would love to come out
not only with Edge holding on to that World Heavyweight Championship,
but seeing, uh, nephew Chavo come out
with the United States Heavyweight Championship as well.
[Ross] Matt Hardy trying to figure out a unique way as Bam Neely looks on.
Boy, Neely's a big, impressive athlete.
And Chavo, that's a hard right hand by Hardy,
but good strategy by Chavo Guerrero.
Hardy's trying to stand, but you can see that Hardy's--
A quick short bulldog.
Hardy's movement is limited now.
The lateral press, and again, Chavo kicks out before the one.
[Mick] Yeah, yeah, and I certainly think that Matt,
uh, having to take his--
struggling to make the cover had something to do with that.
[Ross] Another cover.
Chavo Guerrero is systematically dissecting the left leg of Matt Hardy.
[Mick] Well, he's a sound technician. He has a definite goal in mind.
What'd you say, Matt?
[Ross] Chavo's last name Guerrero,
that translated into English means "warrior,"
and Chavo is competing like a warrior here tonight
for the United States Championship.
[crowd chanting indistinctly]
What'd you say, Matt?
[Ross] Well, that's a-- that's a nasty-looking angle right there.
-[Mick] Yeah, yeah. -[Ross] That leg of Matt Hardy.
[Mick] Twisting it in ways that the knee and ankle are not meant to be twisted.
[Ross] And you don't have to be a kinesiology major
to understand that one.
And Hardy, a unique counter, at least bought himself
a couple of seconds of time but to no avail,
as Chavo Guerrero took advantage.
And now Chavo Guerrero looks to put Matt Hardy away.
The United States title at stake.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Chavo completely rolled through that.
Hardy avoided contact but Guerrero did not on the rebound.
[Mick] Yeah, yeah, he went for that Swanton,
nobody was home, but like you said, had the presence of mind to roll through
and minimize the impact but then took a devastating clothesline,
defensive clothesline largely, from Matt Hardy.
[Ross] That was a heck of a counter in midair averted by Chavo Guerrero
when you start thinking about it, being able to roll through the Swanton.
And now Matt Hardy looking to-- trying to get some kinda offense going,
but Hardy's literally fighting on one leg.
Hardy with the elbow.
[Mick] And we'll see quite a bit of Matt's offense
does incorporate that leg whether it'd be the leg drop from the second rope,
other maneuvers, we'll see if that comes into play.
[Ross] Hardy might have been thinking a Side Effect.
There's something else that Chavo Guerrero's got on his mind.
That's winning the United States title and those uppercuts, they were blocked.
[Mick] Someone's going for a backslide here.
[Ross] Talk about leverage and strength.
Hardy got the advantage.
The Hardy-- The Hardy Side Effect may do it!
And a-- ooh.
[Mick] And he didn't kick out before one on that one, J.R.
[Ross] A near-fall created by Matt Hardy's Side Effect
and Hardy noticeably limping from the damage done by the challenger.
[Mick] And here we go, here's that second rope leg drop.
We'll see if Matt has enough in the tank to finish him off.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Hardy off the second rope but was it ill-advised?
Time will tell.
The elbow connects and this time, Chavo again able to kick out.
Hardy just can't put enough torque on that hook of the leg
-to hold Chavo down. -[Mick] No, he can't.
I think he was going for the leg drop, settled for the elbow
to the point of the neck, but not enough to put Chavo away.
[Ross] Hardy, again, taking a risk on that second rope,
and that high-risk fall didn't pay off.
There's a half Boston crab, a submission maneuver.
[Ross] Will Chavo Guerrero become United States Champion via submission?
[Mick] He may, J.R., because that half a crab
actually puts more intense pain on the smaller part of the body.
[Ross] Hardy on the ropes.
Referee got a break out of it before the count of five,
obviously, because right now, Chavo Guerrero, just by his body English,
looks to be supremely confident.
[Mick] I think he is. I think he realized Matt made the ropes--
-Oh! -[Ross] DDT!
Hardy with a counter.
Look at that cover, the DDT,
and Chavo able to get his right shoulder off the canvas.
[Mick] And how would that big DDT affect Chavo's confidence?
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Matt Hardy may be thinking Twist of Fate.
Going downstairs now, just looking for it.
-Look at this takedown. -[Mick] Chavo rolling through.
I think he's looking for that half Boston crab one more time.
[Ross] Here it is. In the center of the ring this time.
Matt Hardy a long way from the ropes.
[yells indistinctly]
[Ross] The United States title at stake.
One fall can be won by pinfall or submission,
and the submission is what Chavo is looking for.
[Mick] Matt, still quite away from that rope break.
-[crowd cheering] -[Ross] Hardy, out of desperation,
able to get his right hand on the rope.
And now, Hardy is literally having to use the ropes to pull himself up.
[Mick] Yeah, and we can see him really exhaling--
[Ross] Oh, enzuigiri.
[Mick] Quite a bit of pain with every exhalation of breath there.
[Ross] The head kick.
[Mick] Didn't seem to quite catch the back of the head but seemed to do a good job
on that upper shoulder, certainly enough to buy Matt Hardy some time.
[Ross] It did cause some separation but not for long,
and there's a suplex by Chavo Guerrero.
-[crowd booing] -[Ross] And it may be Three Amigo time.
[Mick] Numero dos of the Three Amigos.
[crowd jeering]
[Ross] Hardy on one leg and-- Oh!
Matt Hardy, out of nowhere with the Twist of Fate.
United States Champion covers
-and Hardy wins it. -[bell ringing]
-["Live For The Moment" playing] -♪ Oh, yeah! ♪
[crowd cheering]
[Justin] The winner of this match and still WWE United States Champion,
Matt Hardy.
[Ross] The Three Amigos, not a friend of Chavo Guerrero tonight.
[Mick laughing]
Well put, J.R., Matt Hardy may have had those Three Amigos scouted,
countering big time and scoring the win,
maintaining United States Heavyweight Championship.
[Ross] Chavo Guerrero did plenty of damage physically to Matt Hardy,
but Hardy's will to stay in this match
and retain the prestigious United States Championship
prevailed in the end.
And the Twist of Fate was just that,
suffered by the challenger, Chavo Guerrero.
♪ I can dry up a sea, yeah ♪
♪ When I live for the moment… ♪
[Mick] J.R., I can't help but think that the night has gotten off
to a somewhat uneven start for La Familia.
[Ross] But every match tonight is for championship gold.
♪ Yeah ♪
♪ Don't you sell me your love… ♪
But without a doubt, the champions seem to be up to par tonight.
They're maintaining the gold so far.
Well, there are many champions here tonight
at the American Airlines Center as well.
We are sold out with a-- well, once part of America's team in attendance.
[Jerry] There you go. Look who's here.
Speaking of champions, the former Dallas Cowboy great,
Tony Dorsett, NFL Hall of Famer.
Hey, Tony.
You know, but last week on Raw, it wasn't about thousands.
I mean, it was about millions.
Mr. McMahon had just given away half a million dollars
when a catastrophe struck.
[music concludes]
[Ross] Well, ladies and gentlemen, how do you feel
about winning a bunch of money, of Mr. McMahon's money?
It'll be five lucky winners who win $100,000.
-[dial tone trilling] -[upbeat music playing]
Guess what, Donna?
You've just won $100,000.
-[Donna, over phone] Oh, my God. -[Vince] Well, congratulations.
$100,000.
-[cash machine chiming] -[Vince] $100,000.
-[man, over phone] Thank you. -[dial tone trilling]
[Vanessa, over phone] I'm here at the show.
-[Vince] You just won $100,000. -[cash machine chiming]
[crowd cheering]
[dial tone trilling]
[Vince] You've just won a half of a million dollars.
Congratulations.
-[man, over phone] I love you, Vince. -You do? I love you back.
[music stops abruptly]
[eerie music playing]
-[loud bang] -[crowd clamoring]
[loud banging continues]
[metal creaks, crashes]
[man 1] Vince! Vince! Vince!
-[man 2] Right here. -[indistinct chatter]
-[man 2] Get some help! -[electrical crackling]
[man 3] We gotta get him out of here.
[indistinct chatter]
[paramedic 1] One, two, three.
-[indistinct chatter] -[crowd clamoring]
[paramedic 1] You got him? You got him?
[paramedic 2] Slide him out. One more. Slide him down. One more.
[paramedic 3] Slide him out, slide him out, slide him out.
-Slide him out. -[paramedic 4] Good.
-All right. Come with-- -[paramedic 3] Put your arms over here.
[Vince] What happened?
[man] Just relax, Vince.
[paramedic 1] Get down, someone get down there. Scoot down--
[man] You're all right, you're all right, okay?
-[Vince] I can't feel my legs. -[man] Don't move.
Jesus Christ, don't move.
It's gonna be all right.
-I can't feel my legs, God. -[man] Just lie down. Just lie down, okay?
Don't-- just don't let him move, you guys.
Don't let him move.
[eerie music continues]
[music fades]
An absolutely frightening and terrifying moment
last Monday night on Raw.
Mike Adamle, alongside Tazz, and it should be noted
that the McMahon family will be issuing a formal statement tomorrow night on Raw.
Well, you know, Mike, it's well-documented
that Mr. McMahon does everything big and if you want big,
you're gonna check out something huge right now.
ECW title match, baby, this is big.
[bell ringing]
The following contest is a Triple Threat match
scheduled for one fall
and it is for the ECW Championship.
-["Some Bodies Gonna Get It" playing] -♪ Step up, ready ♪
♪ Yes, sir! ♪
♪ Somebody gon' get they ass kicked ♪
♪ Somebody gon' get their wig split ♪
♪ Somebody gon' get they ass kicked… ♪
[Tazz] Well, what you're looking at is a man, six-foot-one,
1400 pounds, baby.
The World's Strongest Man.
[Adamle] No question about it, and his name is Mark Henry.
The only thing missing from his resume, Tazz, is a major title.
♪ If I said I'mma do it In the streets it's the same ♪
♪ It's the K-I-N, G in here ♪
♪ Wildest man in the world And I have no fear… ♪
[Adamle] He is a man with that lean and hungry look tonight.
[Tazz] Well, last week on ECW,
Mark Henry was in a non-title match with the ECW Champion Kane,
and Big Show was joining us for commentary.
You know, Kane, took his eyes off the ball,
got a little distracted by The World's Largest Athlete on commentary,
then Mark Henry seizing the opportunity
and who would've thunk it?
But boom! The World's Strongest Man obtains a victory…
-[bell ringing] -[Tazz] …over the ECW Champion.
I couldn't believe it, man.
[Adamle] Will tonight be his night?
[Tazz] Well, Mark Henry went to the ECW general manager, Teddy Long,
and said, "You know what? I need to be put into this ECW title match."
And, uh, well, ECW general manager did just that.
Now we got a Triple Threat.
["Crank It Up" playing]
♪ It's a big bad show tonight ♪
[Adamle] Well, the Big Show needs no introduction, that's for sure,
and someone who is certainly familiar with championships
-and two-time WWE Champion. -[Tazz] Well, absolutely.
And a WWE Champion, a multi-time World Tag Team Champion,
who incidentally was with Kane,
also an ECW Champion,
was the Big Show and a United States Champion.
[Adamle] And he, of course, earned the right to compete
for the ECW Championship
by winning the Singapore Cane match on One Night Stand.
[Tazz] Well, yeah, a match with contested five former ECW Champions
with a Singapore cane in hand, and the Big Show didn't need a weapon.
He's a walking weapon.
But The World's Largest Athlete was victorious then.
Will he be tonight?
[Adamle] And he gave that look to Mark Henry
like, "You want some of this? Come get it."
-[crowd cheering] -[music fades]
[fan] Big Show!
["Slow Chemical" playing]
[Tazz] Well that man right there, seven-feet tall, Mike,
323 pounds,
ECW Champion
and The Big Red Machine's a former WWE Champion,
an Intercontinental Champion, multi-time World Tag Team Champion,
and as I said now, the current ECW Champion.
[Adamle] And after last week's WWE 2008 draft,
he is now a member of Raw.
This should be something special.
[Tazz] We better reinforce the ring, baby.
A lot of weight there.
♪ All the wonder that I want… ♪
[Adamle] Over 1,200 pounds of angry athlete.
♪ As the whole becomes a part ♪
♪ I strike to burn ♪
♪ And no flame returns ♪
-♪ Every intuition fails to find ♪ -[music fades]
[Chimel] Introducing first,
standing seven-feet tall,
weighing 441 pounds,
the Big Show.
[crowd cheering]
And from Silsbee, Texas,
weighing in at 392 pounds
is "The World's Strongest Man" Mark Henry.
[crowd booing]
And weighing in at 323 pounds,
he is the ECW Champion,
-Kane. -[crowd cheering]
[Adamle] And, Tazz, we should mention that you don't necessarily have
to pin the champion to win the ECW Championship.
[bell ringing]
[Tazz] Well, here we go. And that's a great point, Mike.
As you see… [chuckles] …ECW Champion Kane,
you got to assume, he realizes what you just said.
He knows he's a marked man here. Oh.
Speaking of marked, Mark Henry just drilling the Big Show.
Every man for himself here, though.
Whoever gets that pinfall first, no matter who it's on,
is the new ECW Champion.
[Adamle] Well, they're gonna see nothing fancy here.
These guys are all about ask no quarter, give no quarter,
and Kane giving out a little pain.
So agile, so flexible for a man seven-feet tall.
-[Tazz] Oh, absolutely. -[Adamle] But then so is the Show.
[Tazz] Well, yeah, Big Show, 440 pounds.
It's damn near giant-like.
I mean, come on, Big Show, the only man ever to be WWE Champion,
WCW Champion, and ECW Champion,
and the largest athlete in the world, baby, he could throw hands.
[Adamle] A guy who has dabbled in amateur boxing, the Big Show,
and he knows how to use his fists,
but right now it's Kane doing that.
[Tazz exclaims] Oh!
Might be the world's largest DDT.
Here we go.
Well, Kane trying to get a quick--
a quick pinfall for a snap DDT
on the Big Show, didn't work.
[Adamle] Meanwhile, Mark Henry trying to get back into the ring.
-[Tazz] Whoa, whoa, whoa! -[Adamle] Whoa!
You talk about strength.
[fan] Come on, Kane. Get up.
[Adamle] You know, this is like a scene out of a Jurassic Park almost.
[Tazz] You're not kidding, it's like we got a T-Rex,
a-- you know, a brontosaurus, and give me another dinosaur,
-I don't know no-- -[Adamle] Uh, triceratops?
[Tazz] That'll work.
Right now, Kane has got to try and get to a vertical base, if possible.
I think Kane might've… might've got hurt out here.
Kane's having a hard time getting up but--
-[Adamle] Grabbing that left knee. -[Tazz] Ooh. Wow, yeah.
[Adamle] Wow. Now you know why.
[Tazz] Maybe his back, or his knee or…
-something, Kane-- -[Adamle] Show doesn't care.
He said, "Now I've got Mark Henry right where I want him,
one-on-one in the center of the ring."
[Tazz] And as I stated, every man for himself
or every monstrous mastodon from himself in this case.
I mean, God, what gives here?
Four hundred-pound World's Strongest Man or a 440-pound giant?
[Adamle] Again, Mark Henry looking for his first major title.
This would be a huge coup if he is able to pull it off
against the likes of the Big Show and Kane.
[Tazz] Imagine being caught in a headlock
by a man as powerful as Mark Henry.
Oh!
Wow.
[Adamle] I mean, that was 450 pounds
bouncing off the rope, and Big Show didn't even flinch.
[Tazz] Like, two big boulders just colliding.
Most men when they get hit by Mark Henry go down,
not the Big Show.
[Adamle] And where is Kane, you ask, right in front of us.
[Tazz] Here we go. Oh!
[Adamle] All Show needs to do-- He doesn't have to extend his arms
-to deliver a clothesline. -[Tazz] Whoa, whoa, whoa!
[Adamle] Just the Big Show-- and look at this.
-[Tazz] Wow! -[Adamle] Wow, have mercy!
[Tazz] How impressive is The World's Largest Athlete?
[Adamle] He is just toying with Mark Henry right now.
[Tazz] Looks like our trainer and doctors are coming,
checking out the condition of the ECW Champion, Kane,
and got to point out Triple Threat right here,
no count-outs, no disqualifications, so…
Watch the power and strength here of the Big Show.
Look at that, oh, my God! Look at that.
That's like lifting up like a-- like a big--
-like a Volkswagen or something. -[Adamle] You know how hard that is to do?
I would have no idea, but just going from a dead stop like that, unbelievable.
[Big Show] Oh.
[Adamle] Meanwhile, Kane, still in front of our broadcasting…
-[Tazz] Table. -[Adamle] Table?
Kind of thing.
It is inanimate
which makes it a thing, but it's our broadcast table.
[Tazz] I'll tell you what is a thing, and that's that large head
of the Big Show who just headbutted Mark Henry-- Oh!
Kane was trying to get to his feet a moment ago on the outside and--
[Adamle] He waved away the doctor and said,
"Hey, nothing is wrong with me," but he falls back…
-[Tazz] Down. Right. Right. -[Adamle] …on his posterior.
[Tazz] Um, well, right now,
Kane has got to try and survive for his own title here.
He's got to try and get back in the ring if possible.
But while-- Look at this, Big Show now goozling Mark Henry.
Powerful Mark Henry just chopping down the arm of the Big Show off his throat.
[Adamle] And successfully getting him off his body.
Here comes the Show off the ropes.
Oh!
Looking for the clothesline, both men go down.
[Tazz] It's like a semi hitting a dump truck.
-[crowd cheering] -[Tazz] Good God.
Oh, yeah, baby.
[Adamle] And that crowd you hear is for The Big Red Machine
because he's getting back into the ring.
[Tazz] Oh, no, I think Big Red Machine, ECW Champion,
is gonna do a little flying, baby.
Watch out!
Oh, my God.
[Adamle] How does a guy seven-feet tall do that?
Boy, he means business.
He gathered himself when he was outside of the ring
and now delivering out punishment.
[Tazz] Took advantage of the no count-out deal here
in a Triple Threat match and-- Oh!
ECW Champion coming on all cylinders, but can't run full speed.
Got to assume that knee is messed up and banged up on him.
But tell you what, Kane-- Uh-oh. Oh, boy.
Got caught in a bearhug by a big, strong bear.
[Adamle] This is like being in a giant king size vise
when Mark Henry gets that-- Oh.
[Tazz] Oh, man!
[crowd cheering]
[Adamle] Next to Kane, has anybody delivered
a straight shot leg like the Big Show?
[Tazz] Well, big boot like that to the face of-- Uh-oh.
-Well, Mark Henry-- -[Adamle] Double chokeslam.
Can he survive this?
-Wow. -[Tazz] Here we go!
[Adamle] Here's the cover.
[Tazz] And Kane saving his own title right there.
-Look at Kane! -[Adamle] Now he's gonna try to get it.
[Tazz] Again, you do not have to pin the champion to become the champion here.
Uh-oh.
Former tag team champions.
Oof!
[Adamle] This rivalry actually began to intensify a little bit last week
as we saw when Big Show was doing commentary with us, Tazz.
[Tazz] Absolutely, but lis-- [chuckles]
Well, right now Kane realizes the Big Show is in the hunt
after his ECW Championship.
Kane is able to peel off move after move,
and you know the-- and you gotta assume the man, Kane,
is not 100%.
[Adamle] Despite the fact he gets off that right boot
and delivered it to the jaw of Show, goes down--
[Tazz] Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute, wait a minute. Look at this.
Came up a little short. Here we go.
[Adamle] The Chokeslam only the Big Show--
-We got the cover. This could be it. -[Tazz] That's it. That's it.
-Oh! -[Adamle] Oh!
How did Kane get out of that one?
Show can't believe it.
[Tazz] I can't believe it.
The intestinal fortitude of the ECW Champion named Kane--
-Oh! -[crowd cheering]
[Adamle] How did you get up, man? How did you get up?
Usually, when the Show has the man in that position, it's all over,
but not when you're going against The Big Red Machine.
[Tazz] Looked like Big Show trying to nail a back suplex--
[Adamle] Now he's got a cover again, he hooks the leg, this could be it.
[Tazz] Oh!
[crowd cheering]
[Adamle] So close but yet so far.
[Tazz] Might be some frustration building up
in the World's Largest Athlete, the number one contender--
well, now we have two in Mark Henry,
for the ECW Championship.
[Adamle] Great point, Tazz.
Uh-oh, Kane coming to life again,
while Show getting on the ropes.
[Tazz] Oh. Well, that's uncharacteristic of the Big Sh--
[Adamle] He didn't even blink at that right hand cross.
-[Tazz] Wait a minute. -[Adamle] What is Kane-- Look at this.
Oh, my gosh.
-Here comes Mark Henry. -[Tazz] Oh!
-One, two-- No! -[Adamle] 450-pound splash, and that's it!
-[bell ringing] -[Adamle] Mark Henry,
-The World's Strongest Man. -["Some Bodies Gonna Get It" playing]
[Chimel] Here is your winner
and the new ECW Champion,
"The World's Strongest Man" Mark Henry!
[Tazz] Well, we had our first title change hands here
at Night of Champions, Mark Henry makes history.
Mark Henry, The World's Strongest Man is now the new ECW Champion.
-Holy smokes. -[Adamle] In a match of mastodons,
a brawl of behemoth, Mark Henry returns to glory.
♪ Somebody gon' get they ass kicked ♪
♪ Somebody gon' get their wig split… ♪
[Tazz] A very proud Mark Henry.
What a win for Mark Henry.
Kane got hurt early in the match right here.
Check this out, Mike.
Getting chucked out of the ring by the Big Show
and Kane either tweaked his knee or his back of sorts.
And then the double team started on Mark Henry here,
by Kane and Big Show working momentarily as a cohesive unit, and then, boom!
I thought Mark Henry was done.
They keep making the save on each other to prevent each other becoming champion.
And then this was it.
A crazy superplex by Kane. Out of nowhere, bam!
[Adamle] That Mark Henry 450-pound splash.
-[Tazz] What a win for Mark Henry. -[bell ringing]
[Tazz] Defeated the ECW Champion last week at ECW,
put into this title match by our general manager, drafted to ECW,
and now tonight at Night of Champions, Mark Henry the new ECW Champion.
[Adamle] And he's making GM Teddy Long look like a genius
for creating this match.
[Tazz] Congratulations to the very happy World's Strongest Man.
♪ You steppin' up to a gorilla ♪
♪ I bang yo' head, dawg ♪
♪ 'Til yo' head like eggnog ♪
♪ Don't think I'm scared, dawg ♪
♪ I'll leave you in red, dawg ♪
♪ Somebody gon' get they ass kicked… ♪
[Adamle] But still to come, more champions will be crowned.
♪ Somebody gon' get their wig split… ♪
[Ross] Our congratulations to Mark Henry for becoming the ECW Champion,
but, Mick Foley, what I'm more concerned about is
will Batista become the Heavyweight Champion of the World tonight?
[Mick] Well, it'll be his last chance if he's not successful.
Batista moving to Raw will not have an opportunity
to challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship again.
[Ross] And ladies and gentlemen, we'd like to have your vote,
your opinion on who-- what championship you think
will be brought back to Monday Night Raw.
Remember that standard text messaging rates will apply.
-["Devour" playing] -♪ Suffocate your own empire ♪
♪ Devour, devour ♪
-♪ It's your final hour ♪ -[music fades]
[crowd cheering]
Batista, later on tonight, you will be facing Edge.
Now the question everyone wants to know is will you be bringing
the World Heavyweight Championship back to Monday Night Raw?
[crowd cheering]
Well, now that I've been drafted back to Raw
and there's no way I'm returning empty-handed,
so I'm gonna beat Edge, return to Raw a World Heavyweight Champion,
exactly like I left.
And be the man on Monday Night Raw--
What's up, John?
[crowd cheering]
Welcome back to Raw.
Thank you.
That's a bold statement. You wanna be the man?
Now listen, I know at Night of Champions tonight,
you can be the World Heavyweight Champion, but you gotta realize something.
If you win tonight and become a World Heavyweight Champion,
you may not be by the end of the night the only champion.
Fair enough.
-[crowd cheering] -Dave.
-John. -CM Punk.
Personally, I hope you both bring gold home to Raw,
'cause this briefcase is getting awful heavy.
[bell ringing]
The following tag team contest is scheduled for one fall
and it is for the World Tag Team Championship.
["How Do You Like Me Now" playing]
[Lilian] Introducing first, at a combined weight of 462 pounds,
they are the World Tag Team Champions,
Cody Rhodes and Hardcore Holly.
[Michael] Make a pretty darn good team, almost a mentor-protégé type situation.
They won the tag team titles back in December
from Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch,
but they seem to be rattled a bit last month
when newcomer Ted DiBiase made that bold challenge
that he'd find a partner and take the gold here tonight.
[Jerry] Well, you're right there, Michael. You know,
last month and maybe even a little before that,
even though they were the tag team champions,
Holly and Cody Rhodes, they didn't seem to be on the same page,
and, J.R., and I had talked about it and thought maybe there was a little bit
of a generation gap, something was missing.
But these two guys sat down, they got things together,
they put their heads together, they talked out all their problems,
and now I'm telling you they are-- they are a cohesive unit.
["Priceless" playing]
♪ Priceless ♪
♪ Oh, baby, I'm priceless ♪
[Lilian] And introducing the challengers.
First, from West Palm Beach, Florida,
weighing in at 235 pounds, Ted DiBiase.
[Michael] A third-generation superstar who makes his in-ring debut
here in the WWE tonight, claiming he will win tag team gold.
But King, the question in the locker room, and nobody's been able to answer it,
who is DiBiase's partner gonna be?
[Jerry] Well, you're right, we don't know, nobody knows.
Only that young man knows.
But I can assure you one thing, with his family's money,
he'll have the best partner that money can buy.
[Michael] His dad, "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase.
And King, you had a young Ted DiBiase at ringside with you
last week on commentary,
and you couldn't even pry out of him who his partner may be tonight.
[Jerry] Well, growing up DiBiase has its privileges.
He was on the Little League polo team.
His high school mascot was a mink.
[Michael chuckling] A mink.
[music fades]
And introducing his tag team partner…
[crowd chattering]
Um, there's a little problem.
You see, my partner just text me, he's on his way,
but if we could just wait ten minutes.
[crowd booing]
[Jerry] What?
[Ted Jr.] What do you mean we can't wait?
We can't wait, what are you talking about?
Why can't-- Can we reschedule this match for later on in the night?
-There's no way. -[crowd booing]
You get another partner.
Well, then what am I supposed to do?
-You could forfeit if you want. -[crowd clamoring]
Forfeit? No, no.
Don't forfeit this match. Look, please.
If we can go ahead and start the match,
my partner will be here. I promise.
[indistinct chatter]
[Jerry] Oh, Michael, have you ever heard of anything like this?
Just ring the bell, let's go.
[Michael] Well, the matchup is going to begin
with the World Tag Team titles on the line,
probably not the way that Ted DiBiase wanted to start his career
-against the World Tag Team Champions. -No, not you.
I want him.
I want Hardcore Holly right now.
You want me? Cody, tag me. Tag me.
[Michael] Well, he wants the veteran. We know that DiBiase has had
-a confident air about him, King but-- -[Jerry] Well, DiBiase wants--
[Michael] Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, what the-- What the hell?
[Jerry] What is this?
[laughs]
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome,
my partner, Cody Rhodes.
[crowd booing]
[Jerry] Well--
[Ted Jr.] Get up.
[Michael] I guess this is official, King, I mean--
[Jerry] I don't know, but I can just say in all my years,
I don't think I've ever seen anything like this. Look at--
[Michael] And shades of DiBiase's father,
Ted DiBiase.
-[Jerry] Oh. -[Michael] Oh.
And the cover by DiBiase.
[Jerry] And look at-- look at-- Cody Rhodes standing there,
-staring out at our fans and-- -[bell ringing]
[crowd booing]
The winners of the match, Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase.
Ladies and gentlemen, here are your winners,
Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes.
["Priceless" playing]
[Michael] I mean, our fans in Dallas absolutely shocked
as we are, King, in what transpired.
Ted DiBiase, he did what he said he was going to do.
He became the first man in WWE history to win tag team gold--
-[music stops] -Your winners
and new World Tag Team Champions,
Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes.
-[Jerry] I don't know. I'm-- -["Priceless" continues playing]
[Jerry] I don't know if shocked is the right word, I'm dumbfounded.
I don't understand this.
How did-- how did DiBiase pull this off?
[Michael] All I know is DiBiase, he made history tonight, King.
He's the first person in history to win tag team gold
in his debut match here at WWE.
But, I mean, what did--
what did DiBiase's dad used to say all the time?
Everybody's got a price?
Well, Cody Rhodes-- I mean, I cannot believe this.
[Jerry] We're gonna have to try to get to the bottom of this, check this out.
DiBiase, yeah, he says he wants Bob Holly to start the match
and then look at Rhodes from behind.
[Michael] An ambush behind the man's back.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Well, I've heard rumors earlier in the day
that Cody Rhodes and Bob Holly were not getting along as of late,
but I thought that was only rumors.
I thought they-- they're on the same page, but look at that.
[Elias] One, two, three.
-[crowd cheering] -[bell ringing]
[Michael] Well, Ted DiBiase, I'll tell you King,
a simply priceless debut here in the WWE.
You talked about the problems
between Rhodes and Hardcore Holly all along.
I never thought it'd get to this point.
Our commentating colleague, Todd Grisham, standing by
with a very special guest, in a luxury suite here in Dallas.
[Todd] Thank you, Michael.
Joining me at this time is John "Bradshaw" Layfield.
[crowd booing]
John, we're in a luxury suite here at the American Airline Center
-and it's got-- -No, Todd.
We're in my luxury suite here at the American Airline Center.
And the audacity of having a pay-per-view and calling it the Night of Champions
in a state that has yearned for greatness since I left, it absolutely amazes me.
Please, Todd, please…
explain that to me.
Why JBL would not have a match on this pay-per-view?
It's because you're not a champion.
[crowd cheering]
You're saying I'm not a champion?
[crowd chanting] You suck! You suck! You suck!
In a failing economy, in a country where people realizes
they're too stupid to know you can't buy things you can't afford
and Americans are losing their homes,
JBL owns his own company,
a successful company that I am the CEO of.
I own a luxurious penthouse apartment in New York City.
And with Mr. McMahon being incapacitated, unfortunately,
here in the WWE,
I am the richest person
in the entire World Wrestling Entertainment.
That to me is a champion, a champion in life.
After all… who else can say that?
Maybe Mark Cuban? But--
Because as I look around, I don't see any championship banners
because when JBL left Texas, champions quit being produced.
Whatever Mark Cuban has done,
whatever the state of Texas has done, what the city of Dallas has done
has produced nothing but massive failures.
The Dallas Cowboys.
[crowd jeering]
Beloved America's team, the Dallas Cowboys,
go into the NFC playoffs the favorite and choke.
But they don't just choke to anybody, they choke for a reason
because they choke to the city of champions, JBL's home,
the greatest city in the world, New York City,
and home to the Super Bowl champions…
[crowd booing]
…and my New York Giants.
[crowd booing]
Everybody loves a champion,
that's why I am Texas's favorite New Yorker.
And as far as having a championship…
as far as having a championship around my waist…
it's not if.
It's when.
[bell ringing]
This contest is scheduled for one fall
and it is for the Intercontinental Championship.
-[crowd cheering] -["Break The Walls Down" playing]
♪ Come on ♪
♪ You know I got you, yeah ♪
♪ One, break the wall down… ♪
[Lilian] Introducing first, weighing in at 226 pounds,
he is the Intercontinental Champion,
"Y2J" Chris Jericho.
♪ Step in the arena And break the wall down… ♪
[Michael] Well, ladies and gentlemen, no matter what you think
about Chris Jericho's recent actions towards Shawn Michaels,
there is no denying that he indeed should be represented
here at the Night of Champions.
Chris Jericho, one of the most decorated champions
in WWE history, the first ever Undisputed Champion
and an eight-time Intercontinental Champion.
[Jerry] Yeah, but, you know, as you mentioned,
a lot of that is overshadowed
or at least tainted or clouded by his recent actions.
I mean, when we watched the-- a few weeks ago
when he ran Shawn Michaels head-first into that Jeritron with all that glass
going into Shawn Michaels's eye. And then, again, last week on Raw,
he ran Shawn Michaels face-first,
his eye, again, into the corner of the announce table.
I mean, that can't be forgiven. Come on.
[Michael] King, I spoke with Chris Jericho earlier today.
He told me he has absolutely no remorse for what he did to Shawn Michaels.
He said it's no longer about saving the WWE.
He said it's about saving himself, about "saving me."
"I'm on a one-man crusade to save myself
from 'the flock of lying, cheating superstars
like Shawn Michaels here on the WWE.'"
[Jerry] Oh, man.
[crowd cheering]
As the record-holding eight-time
and currently reigning Intercontinental Champion,
I was told to come out here tonight because I was gonna be defending my title
against a surprise opponent. Hmm.
Yeah.
So I'm not too sure exactly who it is,
but much to your chagrin, I'll tell you who is not gonna be,
and that's "HBK" Shawn Michaels.
[crowd booing]
[crowd chanting indistinctly]
-[Jerry] Lance Cade at ringside. -[Jericho] That's fine.
Chant it all you want. He's not gonna be here
because he can't be bothered to take a, what, 30-minute, 45-minute flight
from his home in Texas to come here tonight
'cause apparently he has some sort of eye injury. Huh.
As a hero and a role model to millions, I show up every night.
I show up injured or not. I've had an injured foot.
I've had bulging discs. I performed with a broken arm.
I've missed anniversaries, funerals.
I've missed my own children's birthday parties
so I could come and perform for all of you and for what?
For what? You don't deserve it.
You sure as hell don't appreciate it because I am unlike all of you.
I'm an honest man.
-[crowd jeering] -[inaudible]
I'm an honest man, and I guarantee this.
No matter who it is, I will have my vindication
because I'm not here to save us anymore.
I'm here to save myself. I'm here to save me from all of you.
I will be appreciated.
-["S.O.S." playing] -I will have--
[Michael] Hey.
♪ I hear them shoutin'… ♪
-[Michael] Surprise opponent. -[Lilian] Introducing the challenger
from Jamaica, weighing in at 218 pounds,
Kofi Kingston.
[Michael] Well, he is the newest member of the Raw roster.
Kofi Kingston joined Raw this past Wednesday
in the supplemental draft on WWE.com.
It is his first title match here in World Wrestling Entertainment.
But as we've seen on Tuesday night on ECW on Syfy, King,
he is high-octane.
He is a high flyer, and he may just be ready
to surprise the world here tonight.
[Jerry] That's right. Boom, boom, boom, the Jamaican sensation could do that,
surprise and shock the world,
but it wouldn't surprise anybody or shock anybody more
than it would that young man, Chris Jericho,
if Kofi Kingston walk outta here the Intercontinental Champion.
[Michael] Every match a championship match here tonight on Night of Champions.
Already two titles have changed hands, the ECW Championship won by Mark Henry,
the World Tag Team titles won by Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes.
-[bell ringing] -[Jerry] Do you wonder at all, Michael?
I can't help but wonder why Lance Cade is standing here at ring side.
[Michael] Unusual stance starting things off
with Kofi Kingston, the challenger. But, King, to your point, I mean,
I don't know why Cade would be out of here,
but I do know one thing, he apparently has bought
into Chris Jericho's gibberish.
You heard what Cade had to say last week
that the reason he attacked Shawn Michaels was a preemptive strike.
Cade was once a student of Shawn Michaels in his wrestling school,
said he was afraid Shawn Michaels would turn his back on him
at some point in his career.
[Jerry] Boy, did you see that slap
from the Intercontinental Champion-- Whoa, wait, wait.
[Michael] And there is the veteran, Chris Jericho,
as he tries to draw the newcomer, Kofi Kingston,
perhaps to lose control in the early going of this matchup, King.
[Jerry] Yeah. But you could tell by the smile on the face of Kofi
that it's not gonna work.
It's not gonna get him off his game, too much at stake here.
[Michael] Kofi Kingston embriled in a-- embroiled, I should say
in a great rivalry with Shelton Benjamin over on ECW.
He's now a member of the Raw roster
with a chance to the Intercontinental title tonight.
[Jerry] And what a personable young man.
I had an opportunity just to speak with him momentarily today.
What a-- what a nice kid.
[Michael] He is so cheerful, amiable all the time.
Very animated in the ring.
I like to call it a controlled frenzy when he gets going,
and Jericho realizes that, realizes he's gotta keep Kingston grounded, King.
[Jerry] Well, Kingston, as you said, always smiling, always cheerful.
Can you imagine if he wins this title tonight?
You have to have his smile surgically removed.
[Michael] He'll be partying in Kingston, Jamaica, that's for sure,
where Kofi hails from.
A statement from Chris Jericho there.
-[Jerry] Oh, man. -[Michael] Just establish a territory,
marking territory against Kingston in the early going.
The 230-pound Jericho, one of the most accomplished champions
in WWE history, held just about every title.
Hey. One, two!
[Jerry] Yeah. You know, you talk about-- Oh, look out. Wow.
[Michael] And there's that athleticism of Kingston, catching Jericho by surprise.
[Jerry] I've never seen anyone other than this young man do that.
[Michael] And the dynamic Kofi Kingston
-with that great leaping ability. -[Jerry] Look at this.
[Michael] And Jericho, time out for the Intercontinental Champ.
[Jerry] Yeah, Jericho starting to realize,
"What the heck am I in the ring with here?"
-"This guy's-- " Watch out! -[Michael] Ooh, Kingston.
That boot glancing off the jaw of Jericho.
[Jerry] And Jericho bouncing off this, ooh, announce table.
Look, incoming.
[crowd cheering]
Come on, let's get him in the ring.
[Michael] When Jericho was told he had a surprise opponent,
I don't think he quite figured on this.
[Michael] And the high-flyer Kofi Kingston heads to the top rope.
He's got Jericho off-balanced here in the early going of the matchup.
What a crossbody lateral press, title on the line, and a kickout.
[Jerry] Did you see how big Jericho's eyes got
when he looked up and saw Kingston flying through the air?
Look at the height here.
[Michael] An anxious moment for Chris Jericho.
-[Jerry laughing] Wow. -[Michael] Wow.
Kofi Kingston on display here at Night of Champions.
-[Jerry] Oh. -[Michael] Ooh.
Well, there's the veteran Jericho, perhaps taking advantage of a--
of a bit overzealous Kingston.
[Jerry] Well, Kofi Kingston, as you just saw,
so absolutely athletic, it's uncanny.
But then Jericho, the veteran, able to take advantage of this.
Watch the height here.
-Good grief. -[Michael] Look at this.
And then Jeri-- Chris Jericho,
the instinct again of the champion, dumping Kingston over the top rope.
I believe his shoulder may have caught the apron.
-Oh. -[Jerry] Oh, man.
[Michael] And this is where Jericho is so dangerous,
picking apart his opponent. Ooh.
[indistinct chatter]
[Michael] Wearing Kingston down, using the apron as a weapon.
[Chad] Three.
[Jerry] You know, I can't help but watch Lance Cade
out of the corner of my eye over here.
He just seemed to be enjoying what he's seeing.
It's almost like--
You know, when you mentioned that he was a student of Shawn Michaels,
it's almost like now he wants to become a student of Y2J.
[Michael] He's bought in everything that Jericho has been saying recently.
Jericho, wearing down Kingston
who made his debut back in January of this year.
[Jerry] Oh, man, what a force.
[Michael] It's Kingston's first title match
in the World Wrestling Entertainment
against a man who's had plenty.
[Jericho] You wanna be champion, huh? Huh?
[Jerry] Jericho who's showing now almost a total lack of respect here
for Kofi just kicking, jabbing on his face, a bully.
[Michael] Uh-oh.
Kingston blocking the attempted suplex, and blocks it a second time.
-[Jerry chuckling] -[Michael] Now the champion, Jericho,
is in trouble.
[Jerry] Kingston trying to suplex Jericho out of the ring-- uh-oh.
[Michael] Oh.
And Jericho finally with the upper hand after quite a struggle.
Quickly into the cover, hooks the leg.
Could be it. Two-count kickout.
-[Jerry] Oh. -[Michael] Jericho punishing…
[Chad] Come on now, what do you say? Come on, Kingston.
[Michael] Kofi Kingston.
[Jerry] Well, Jericho with a decided upper hand right now.
But, you know, you got-- you gotta hand it to Jericho,
I mean, he had no idea who his opponent was gonna be
and watching this Kofi Kingston,
you need some time to prepare for this guy's offense.
[Michael] Well, for that matter, King, I don't believe Kofi Kingston had any idea
he was gonna be in this championship matchup tonight.
You imagine you go to Raw a couple days early,
you arrive at Night of Champions, and you're told you have the chance
to win the prestigious Intercontinental title?
The same championship debuted in 1979.
-[Jerry] You're right. -[Michael] Hall of Famer, Pat Patterson,
-the first Intercontinental Champion. -Hey!
[Jerry] Being told that on the day of--
the day of the event could be a little overwhelming.
Right now, Y2J overwhelming
-Kofi Kingston, good grief. -[Michael] Oh!
Knee buried in the back of the neck of Kofi Kingston
and Chris Jericho, with a look on his face we've seen recently.
Talk about Kofi's quickness, but Jericho's got some too.
[Jerry] Yes, he does, man.
We gotta-- we gotta know that somewhere in San Antonio, Texas,
Shawn Michaels is home watching this.
[Michael] And Jericho tying Kingston up with the abdominal stretch,
a submission maneuver, center of the ring. Kingston has nowhere to go.
Intercontinental Championship on the line here at the Night of Champions.
-Ask him. -[Chad] Come on.
-What do you say, Kingston? -Oh, no, no, no.
-Ask him. [grunts] -[Chad] What do you say, Kingston?
-Come on. -Come on, Kingston, what do you say?
[Jerry] Jericho trying to get that submission out of Kofi Kingston.
-What do you say? -No.
[speaking indistinctly]
Come on.
[Michael] Now, Kofi realizing that title opportunities don't grow on trees,
to use the old cliché, King.
[Jerry] Well that's the last thing you'd wanna do,
is submit in a situation like this, your first ever title match.
Sometimes when you're in there with a veteran like Y2J,
you don't have any choice.
Kofi worked his way out of this-- Look at this.
-[crowd cheering] -[Michael] Great hip toss by Kingston.
Desperate move by Kofi Kingston, yet effective.
Oh.
And, King, as this match wears on,
does it favor the champion or the challenger?
Ooh.
[Jerry] Well, I would definitely think that it would favor the champion,
Jericho, in this situation.
And look. Man, Jericho pulling out all the stops.
His entire bodyweight coming down on the neck
and straight across that middle rope.
[Michael] Jericho saying earlier today he was a righteous man.
He's definitely a changed man.
-That's for sure. -[Chad] Put him down, now. Come on.
Hey! Let's go, Jericho.
[Michael] Well, he claims he didn't change,
it was the superstars and our fans that changed since he returned
to the WWE late last year.
[Jerry] Well, Jericho's always had a pretty high opinion of himself.
There's a lot of talk among the WWE superstars
that Jericho's ego needs its own ZIP code, but, uh…
Kofi with these punches to the side of Jericho's head
-but look out. -[Michael] Oh!
Hey, look at this. Jericho in trouble, could get caught, hooks the leg.
-Two count, kickout at two and a half. -[Jerry] Oh, man.
[Michael] A near-fall for the challenger Kofi Kingston
and Jericho's going to the top rope almost cost him.
[Jerry] Boy, Jericho's-- the back of his head landed right on the mat.
He could be a little addled right here.
Great time for Kofi Kingston to mount some offense.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Jericho won the Intercontinental title four months ago from Jeff Hardy!
Kingston, looking to end that reign here tonight. Ooh!
[Jerry] Jericho's in trouble, I'm telling you.
I don't know if he-- he's a little wobbly on those legs.
I don't know if he knows exactly where he is right now.
[Michael] Kofi Kingston off the stand, he dropkicked him to knock down Jericho.
[Jerry] Jericho's even more wobbly now.
-[Michael] The high-- -[Jerry] Flat on his back.
-Boom, boom. -[Michael] The high-octane Kingston.
-[Jerry laughing] -[Michael] Caught by Jericho!
-[Jerry] Oh, man. -[Michael] It's almost as if the veteran
had Kingston scouted, trying to roll him over on his belly,
into the Walls of Jericho. Can the Intercontinental Champion do it?
-[Jerry] Hey! -[Michael] Kofi Kingston roll up,
hooks the leg.
-We'll have a new champion-- no! -[Jerry] Oh!
-[Michael] Kickout at two. -[Jerry] Oh, man.
[Michael] Great counter by Kofi Kingston.
[Jerry] I was about to jump out of my chair.
[Michael] This kid's showing some guts.
Here's the cover, may have him-- Oh, and a kickout at two and a half.
[Jerry] Jericho, if he doesn't-- he didn't realize that he'd know--
he's realizing it now, he's in for the fight of his life here.
[Michael] Kingston has the pace-- Well, where he wanted him.
That feverous pace would help Kofi Kingston.
Jericho realizes he needs to slow things down, but he can't.
Cover again! Off the hurricanrana.
He got him-- No, and a kickout!
Another near-fall!
You believe Jericho thought he was gonna be in for this tonight?
[Jerry chuckling] I don't think he had any clue.
Oh, man.
Into the ribs of Kofi Kingston, a sickening thud.
[Michael] Jericho reestablishing control.
-[Jerry] Lionsault. -[Michael] Lionsault connected.
Could be it for Kofi Kingston.
And that smug look on the face of Jericho almost saying to Kofi,
"You don't deserve to be in the same ring as me."
[crowd cheering]
-[Michael] Walls of Jericho locked in! -[Jerry] Oh, this is it.
Oh, my God.
[Michael] Submission maneuver.
Will the challenge tap out?
[Jerry] Look how Kingston-- Kingston's body is contorted in-- Hey!
Look at this.
-It's Shawn Michaels! -[Michael] Shawn Michaels!
-Sweet Chin Music to Lance Cade. -[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Shawn Michaels. I didn't know he was here.
[crowd cheering]
-[Michael] And Kingston-- Look at this! -[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Trouble in Paradise
-[Jerry] Hey! -[Michael] Off the distraction!
-Kingston! Kingston! -[Jerry] Oh, my God.
-[bell ringing] -[Michael] Kingston wins the title.
-[crowd cheering] -[Jerry] Oh, my God.
-This is crazy. -[Lilian] Here's your winner,
and the new Intercontinental Champion,
-Kofi Kingston! -["S.O.S" playing]
[Michael] That distraction by Shawn Michaels, King…
-[Jerry laughing] -[Michael] …cost Chris Jericho
the Intercontinental title.
Kofi Kingston, is the new Intercontinental Champion.
[Jerry] I cannot believe it. I know Jericho can't believe it.
I bet Kofi Kingston can't believe it right now.
♪ You have no, no More, more time ♪
-♪ Your destiny is mine… ♪ -[Jerry laughing]
[Michael] The shock on Chris Jericho's face
-told the story. -[Jerry] Look at this young man.
♪ SOS ♪
♪ I hear them shoutin'… ♪
It is beginning to sink in on Kofi Kingston.
It's beginning to sink in on Jericho.
You are no longer the Intercontinental Champion.
[Michael] Well, we have a developing situation
here at ringside, King.
Shawn Michaels, remember the eye injury on two separate occasions and now…
a trainer is a-- has come to ringside.
♪ Hey, mister I been telling you to be afraid ♪
♪ 'Cause this bad man Him have bad news for you today… ♪
[Jerry] Shawn was knock-- knocked off ringside by Jericho
while Jericho stood there looking at Shawn, he was hit from behind but--
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] I didn't see how Shawn landed, he must have landed on his--
[crowd chanting]
-[Jerry] He's hurt. -[indistinct chatter]
[Jerry] I'm amazed that Shawn had the guts enough to show up here tonight.
And he had his eye taped up.
[indistinct chatter]
[Jerry] Did you see that last week when Shawn was thrown,
his eye and the side of his head hit into the corner of the announce table?
[Michael] Bounced right off the announce table right in front of us.
[crowd jeering]
[indistinct chatter]
-[Michael] Uh-oh. -[crowd cheering]
[fan] Shawn, watch out, watch out.
[crowd clamoring]
-[indistinct chatter] -Hey, hey, hey.
[overlapping chatter]
-Hey! -[overlapping chatter]
-[Jerry] Oh, look out! Oh, man! -[Michael] Oh!
[Jerry] Oh, that big right fist right into the eye of Shawn Michaels.
Come on.
[referee] Come on, Chris.
[overlapping chatter]
-[Shawn] Oh, God. -[Jerry] Man, right in his eye.
-[overlapping chatter] -[Shawn] Goddamn it.
[medic] All right, help me, guys. It's okay.
[grunting]
[man] It's all right. It's okay.
[referee] It's over, Chris, it's over.
Come on.
[Jerry] Anybody that's ever had any type of eye injury
can understand somewhat what Shawn Michaels is going through here.
I mean, first glass, just imagine glass in your eye
and then-- and then the side of that table and now this.
[man] Come on, Shawn.
-[Jerry] And this cheap shot by Jericho. -[man] Shawn, we wanna help.
We wanna help you. We just wanna help you, Shawn.
[Michael] Well, near the end of the matchup, from out of nowhere,
shocking Shawn Michaels' Sweet Chin Music to Lance Cade.
But this is a--
[Jerry] Oh.
I think Shawn must have landed on the side of his head or something
when he hit-- that's where he was there.
But then Kofi Kingston took advantage of the opportunity
-and became the Intercontinental Champion. -[bell ringing]
[Jerry] Then this confrontation.
-[Michael] The absolute cheap shot. -[Jerry] Watch this.
Oh, my gosh, right in his eye.
[overlapping chatter]
[Jerry] Watch it again.
[overlapping chatter]
[Michael] Chris Jericho says he's here to save himself, King.
He may need somebody to save him from himself.
[Jerry] And then they need to get Shawn to the back to get some attention, right now.
[crowd chanting] HBK! HBK! HBK!
[Jerry] And get him out as well.
Go.
[Michael] Now, ladies and gentlemen, three champions have--
championships have changed hands tonight. Will there be a fourth?
WWE title on the line.
One of the most anticipated rematches in recent memory, King.
[Jerry] Oh, without a doubt.
John Cena, Triple H, it's been two years since they met one-on-one.
That was historic, tonight--
I mean, I'm telling you, it's gonna be as-- I can't--
I can't think of better words, a moment in time.
[Michael] Well, important night for both SmackDown and Raw,
and we're asking all of our fans for their opinions.
WWE mobile text voting brought you by AT&T.
Who will bring a championship back to Raw?
You can vote now. Standard text messaging rates apply.
We want your opinion.
-It's not gonna do. -All right.
-That's not me. -It's out. It's out.
And this purple, baby, what do you think about this purple Rose?
-Yeah. Yeah. -Pretty nice flower, right?
Purple, purple's way better.
[Zack] Champ, are you ready?
It's a big night tonight, man.
Yes, it is. And you know what, I am ready.
-I want you guys to watch close though. -Of course.
I mean, did you see the fear in Batista's eyes the other night?
I mean, he's already beaten, he's already a beaten, man.
But too bad about Triple H, right?
What do you mean? What is that supposed to mean?
Tell him.
What he means is it's too bad he just,
you know-- Triple H decided to help Batista on Friday, I mean,
if he hadn't maybe you two could've worked together tonight.
What are you trying to say? I mean, you think I need help?
-No. No. -Do you think I need anybody's help?
All right. I'm gonna give you guys a little lesson here.
Batista has never beaten me in a World Heavyweight Championship match.
He's never done it.
Another little lesson, I am a two-time WWE Champion.
I'm a 12-time tag team champion.
I'm a five-time Intercontinental Champion.
I'm a US Champion.
King of the Ring, two-time Mr. Money in the Bank.
I am the man who banished The Undertaker from the WWE.
[crowd booing]
Oh, oh, yeah.
In case we forgot,
I'm the reigning and three-time World Heavyweight Champion,
so I don't need anybody's help.
You're absolutely right.
The only thing I need is the love of my fiancée and my baby,
And with that, I'll leave Batista tonight beaten and empty-handed.
[crowd booing]
[bell ringing]
[Lilian] This next contest is scheduled for one fall
and it is for the WWE Women's Championship!
[crowd cheering]
["Obsession" playing]
[Jerry] Well, this is the best that I can get.
Mickie James.
[Lilian] Introducing first, from Richmond, Virginia.
She is the WWE Women's Champion, Mickie James!
[Michael] Mickie James, a four-time Women's Champion.
Won the title back in April in London, England.
A shocker, an upset against Beth Phoenix, The Glamazon.
[Jerry] Right. Mickie James did something that everyone at Raw thought
was gonna be virtually impossible, and that was beat Beth Phoenix.
Beth Phoenix was on such a roll but,
oh, man, Mickie James has just been sensational.
[Michael] You know, Mickie, a huge Dallas Cowboy's fan.
[Jerry] Really?
[Michael] We're here in Dallas, Texas tonight for Night of Champions.
[music fades]
["Generator (A)" playing]
[Lilian] And introducing the challenger.
Hailing from Chelsea, England.
Katie Lea.
[Michael] Along with her brother Paul Burchill,
Katie Lea looking to win her Women's Championship tonight.
She holds two pinfall victories in tag team matches
over Mickie James in recent weeks.
But, King, wouldn't it be a little ironic if this lady from Chelsea, England,
Katie Lea showed up at The Great American Bash next month
as the Women's Champion?
[Jerry] Well, it would-- I don't know if ironic would be the right word
but now that I see her brother here at ring side, it could be very possible.
[Michael] Great American Bash,
next time we're on pay-per-view next month, sold out.
-Coliseum on Long Island. -[Jerry] Already sold out?
-[Michael] Yes. -[Jerry] Wow.
[Jerry] I got an uneasy feeling with the big brother and sister combination.
Brother being at ringside.
[Michael] WWE Women's Championship on the line.
-Mickie James versus the challenger… -[bell ringing]
[Michael] …Katie Lea Burchill.
I know you were checking out Katie Lea as the Daily Diva on WWE.com earlier today.
[Jerry] Well, I always check out the Divas on WWE.com.
-[Michael] Katie Lea. -[Jerry] Whoa.
[Michael] Oh, looking to pick up a quick victory here
in the early going of the matchup.
Backslide on Mickie James, the champ caught off guard a bit.
Katie Lea, schoolgirl may have her-- And a kick out by Mickie.
And perhaps Katie Lea is in Mickie's head
considering she owns two pinfall victories over the champion in recent weeks.
[Jerry] Well, I think, you know, Katie Lea Burchill has not been on Raw
for all that long, and I don't know if anybody knew exactly
how good her wrestling abilities were but apparently,
they're better than most people thought.
[Michael] And Mickie James, the champion, four-time champion.
She is a spark plug, a firecracker to say the least.
-[Jerry] Oh, oh. Look at this. -[Michael] Mickie going for the victory.
Ooh, went for the bridge and Katie Lea kicked out.
[Jerry] Yeah, I mean, kicked out quickly.
[Michael] Words of encouragement from brother Paul.
[Michael] Katie Lea said in WWE.com's Diva Dish, King,
that she's the real champion,
that she's already beaten Mickie James, and that she'll have more pride and class
as the champion than Mickie ever did.
[Jerry] Oh, come on. Well, you know, if you can win these matches--
win matches with your mouth,
oh, she would be the World Champion or the Women's Champion,
but she's gonna have to do it in the ring,
when the title is at stake, like tonight.
[Michael] Off the monkey flip, Mickie James looks to pick up the pace
against Katie Lea which she needs to do.
[Jerry] Nice forearm there.
[Jerry] Oh, man.
-Go up? -[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Yes.
[Michael] The scrappy Mickie James gonna head to the top ropes.
[crowd booing]
[Michael] We might not like the tactics but wise.
[Jerry] Well, yeah, but you know, it's just-- like I said,
it's a little unsettling to have brother Paul
screaming at her sister, you know,
I mean warning her of what's about to happen to her from Mickie James.
Now, look at this!
[Doan] Back off or you're outta here, do you hear me?
[Michael] Katie Lea looking to take advantage, here's the cover,
champ in trouble and a kickout.
Little bit of a distraction there by brother Paul. Mickie--
[Jerry] Distraction? It was almost an interference.
-Oh! -[Michael] Oh!
[Jerry] Man, that's a move
that Mickie James has won a lot of matches with.
[Michael] Hook to the leg by the champ and a kickout.
-No way. -Hey, hey!
[Michael] Now, it's Katie Lea that's on the run.
Let go, Mickie. Hey, Katie. Come on. Hey! Get inside the ring.
[Jerry] Katie Lea didn't stay on the run long.
[Michael] Not for long.
[Jerry] Right back in the ring and right back on the offensive.
Uh-oh, watch out! Oh, man, right on-- right on that arm.
[Michael] Suplex by Katie Lea, the more powerful of the two women.
[Jerry] Mickie James' arm caught behind her when she landed.
Come on! Come on!
[Michael] You see Mickie favoring the arm.
[grunts]
[Jerry] Katie Lea threw off that suplex,
Mickie James' arm was behind her, she landed right on it.
-That could separate her shoulder or-- -One, two, three! Hey.
-Back off. Back off. -[Jerry] Look at this Burchill.
Just like a snake just about to strike over here.
[Michael] He's playing mind games with Mickie at the very least.
Out of the corner.
-[Michael] Oh! -[Jerry] Oh, man!
[Michael] And Katie is targeting the shoulder,
the left arm of Mickie James.
You stay there. Are you okay?
Hey, hey, hold-- back off.
Can you continue?
-Huh? -Yeah.
-Okay. -Katie! Come on Katie, get on the arm!
-Get on her arm! -[Jerry] I'm afraid she's hurt.
Listen to the impact.
-[yells] -[Jerry] Oh! Man.
[Michael] Here's the cover by Katie, hooks the leg and a kickout by the champ!
You heard referee Jack Doan moments ago
asking Mickie James if she can continue in this match.
Rip it off! Rip it off!
[Jerry] That's part of the referee's job in there.
I mean, if somebody is injured,
he's gotta keep their opponent off and check to see if they're able
to continue or not. If not, he'd stop the match.
Boy, the way Mickie was rammed into that corner.
She's unsure whether she's gonna be able to continue or not.
[Michael] Katie saw the opening, the injured arm,
and is looking to take advantage,
-win her first championship here in WWE! -[Jerry] There you go.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] And look at Mickie hammering away on Katie Lea.
It's been a night of firsts, King.
First major title for Mark Henry.
First Tag Team title for Ted DiBiase in his debut, Kingston wins his first title.
-[Jerry] Oh, no! -[Michael] And Katie Lea looking to win
her first title tonight as well at Night of Champions.
[Jerry] Well, she may be three seconds away.
[Michael] Hook of the leg and the gutsy Mickie James
kicks out again.
One, two.
[Michael] But at some point, King, you gotta wonder
how much longer Mickie is gonna be able to continue.
[Jerry] I know, it's some kind of-- Mickie needs to--
There's no shame right now to get out of the ring,
buy yourself some time.
Let that shoulder recuperate a little bit.
Back off. Back off.
Are you okay? Can you continue?
-[Mickie] Yeah. -Go ahead.
[Jerry] Mickie-- she's not even able to defend herself right now.
She's not even able to lift that left arm.
[Michael] Can't even get out of the corner.
Be a matter of moments before Katie Lea is the new Women's Champion.
Get her outta here.
[Michael] Ooh! Mickie trying to--
trying to battle back in this matchup.
[Jerry] Well, if you can't use your arm, maybe the legs will do.
There we go.
[Michael] Resolute Mickie James!
[Jerry] Nice move!
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Oh!
And the Women's Champion trying to build momentum.
[Jerry] But loot at her left arm, it's just-- it's just hanging there limp.
[Michael] A one-armed champ.
Katie misses wildly with a kick.
Mickie didn't miss with hers.
Unique snapmare.
Cover. Hook to the leg!
[Doan] One, two--
[Michael] Oh, and a kickout by Katie.
[Doan] Two.
[Jerry] She just-- Mickie just doesn't have enough strength in that left arm
to hold Katie Lea down.
-Oh, nice kick though. -[Michael] Can't hook the leg
-or put any pressure on her opponent. -[screams]
[Michael] Mickie was going for the victory there. Back to the armbar.
And look at this, submission maneuver, locked in to the arm,
on the injured arm of Mickie James, and Mickie's in trouble.
-Nowhere near the bottom ropes. -[screams]
[Burchill] Come on! Come on!
[Michael] Remember if Mickie submits, the title will change hands.
[Jerry] Mickie trying desperately to get to those ropes
to have the referee break this hold.
-[Burchill] Give up. Give up. -[Doan] No!
-[Burchill] Give up. -No!
[Jerry] Brother Paul screaming for Mickie to give up.
[Michael] Mickie not gonna give up, not quite yet.
Nice arm drag, buys herself some time.
-[Jerry] Oh, no, not again! -[Michael] Ooh!
-[Doan] Get out of the corner. -[Jerry] Good grief.
[Michael] For the second time in this matchup,
Mickie's shoulder driven into the turnbuckle.
[Jerry] And here's another one of those-- No, wait a minute.
Mickie able to counter.
[Michael] Katie in trouble. Mickie--
-Oh! -[Jerry] DDT!
[Michael] The Implant DDT!
-Can Mickie take advantage? -[Jerry] Cover. Cover, Mickie.
[Michael] Cover with her good arm. Hooks the leg.
-[Jerry] Yes! -[Michael] Mickie's got it!
-[bell ringing] -[Jerry] Oh, man.
-[crowd cheering] -["Obsession" playing]
[Lilian] Here's your winner and still the WWE Women's Champion,
Mickie James!
[Michael] King, what a gutsy performance from the Women's Champion, Mickie James,
here at Night of Champions.
[Jerry] Oh, man. I'm sweaty.
What a match. Way to hang in there, Mickie.
I mean, I'm gonna tell you,
I honestly thought that Women's title was gonna be gone.
[Michael] There were a number of times in that matchup,
I thought Mickie was gonna submit,
wasn't gonna be able to continue,
but Mickie James reclaims the Women's Championship.
Let's show you what happened. End of the matchup, from out of nowhere.
[Jerry] Yeah, the counter, I mean, I think Katie Lea was gonna go
for another one of those suplexes but then,
boom, that huge DDT, and Mickie with just enough strength
-to cover and hook that leg. -[crowd] One, two, three.
[Jerry] And there is a three-count.
Wow. Great job.
[Michael] Very proud champion, Mickie James.
It seemed at times, she was gonna be devoured by Katie Lea
here in this matchup, but Mickie somehow prevail.
[Jerry] I think she just threw me a kiss. [smooches]
-Hey, did you say "devour"? -[Michael] Yes.
[Jerry chuckles] Well, what a coincidence.
We wanna say thanks, you're listening right now to Shinedown,
and that is "Devour."
That's the official Night of Champions theme song.
-["Devour" playing] -[Jerry] Go, Shinedown.
All right, ladies and gentlemen.
Three championships have been changed hands here tonight.
Mick, you've been a champion
on three occasions yourself in the WWE.
Is this a dangerous trend if you're a title holder?
Well, I think so. Thus far tonight, we've seen the type of change
usually reserved for Barack Obama speeches.
Tonight, Edge's job is to make sure that some things remain the same.
Well, ladies and gentleman, earlier tonight, we asked you,
which championship you think will be brought back to Monday Night Raw.
There are your options, and we have the results for you.
And let's take a look right now at how you voted.
♪ Devour, devour… ♪
-[Mick] Whoa. Whoa. -[Ross] How close is that.
[Mick] It's a three-way horse race there.
[Ross] It's amazing that Batista--
Lot of folks think Batista's gonna prevail tonight.
But ladies and gentleman, at One Night Stand in the TLC match,
Edge made history in more ways than one.
[music concludes]
[Michael] Edge is there!
-Edge is the world champion! -["Devour" playing]
[Vickie] It is with great pleasure
to introduce to you the man responsible
for banishing The Undertaker from the WWE
and the new World Heavyweight Champion,
Edge!
[Edge] Here's to the entire family and to my special lady,
-you… you complete me. -[mouths] I love you.
♪ Take it and take it And take it and take it and take it all
♪ Take it and take it And take it until you take us all ♪
♪ Smash it and crash it and thrash it And trash it, they're only toys ♪
♪ Devour, devour, what a way to go ♪
[Batista] I've said that I was gonna challenge whoever won
the World Heavyweight Championship in the TLC match
at One Night Stand, and that's exactly what I'm doing right now.
-[crowd cheering] -[Vickie] Excuse me.
Excuse me!
You're gonna have to earn it.
[Michael] Excuse me, but this is a travesty.
[Mick] And we thought she'd stack the deck before.
This is plain-out, flat-out disgusting.
[Batista] No matter what she throws at me, I'm gonna keep coming back,
and I am gonna be World Heavyweight Champion again.
♪ Devour, devour, it's your final hour ♪
♪ Devour, devour ♪
♪ What a way to go ♪
[Michael] Oh, my!
-Batista is coming to Monday Night. -[music concludes]
[Edge] You better hope that you win
because you'll never get another title match against me again.
[crowd cheering]
[bell ringing]
[Justin] This bout is set for one fall is for the World Heavyweight Championship.
[crowd cheering]
-["Metalingus" playing] -♪ You think you know me ♪
♪ On this day, I see clearly ♪
♪ Everything has come to life ♪
♪ Bitter place and a broken dream ♪
♪ And we'll leave it all behind ♪
♪ On this day, it's so real to me ♪
♪ Everything has come to life ♪
♪ Another chance to chase a dream ♪
♪ Another chance to feel ♪
♪ Chance to feel alive ♪
[Ross] It's always amaze me the story that Edge's eyes will tell you
before the bell rings and sometimes during the match.
The Rated-R Superstar, and I've often wondered, Mick Foley,
what the R stands for? Could it be ruthless?
Could it be relentless?
Or will it be renowned? For the story is told.
[Mick] Perhaps all three as we saw in our-- in our texting results.
A vast majority of our fans think they will see something major happen
in our next two matchups.
♪ The time has come To change my ways ♪
[Ross] Well, this is a-- an amazingly gifted and honored athlete.
♪ I see clearly… ♪
[Ross] A young man that as a child attended WrestleMania VI in SkyDome
in beautiful Toronto where he's from.
He's living his dream as we speak.
Yes, he is.
[Mick] But we may doubt his method but one thing I firmly believe,
no superstar brings more intensity to a Championship match
than does that man, Edge.
[Ross] And my God, look at the honors the man has won.
Twelve-time tag champ, five-time Intercontinental Champ,
two-time WWE Champion, and he's on his third world title reign,
not to mention a couple of Money's in the Bank.
[music concludes]
[Ross] But that could all come to a screeching halt in big D tonight.
[Mick] A crashing conclusion here in big D.
[crowd booing]
[Mick] And you can really feel this anticipation, can't you, J.R.?
[Ross] Without a doubt. Big match feel.
Big match it is. World title on the line.
[inaudible]
[booing continues]
-["I Walk Alone" playing] -[crowd cheering]
♪ Yeah ♪
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] The number one contender
for the Heavyweight Championship of the World
is indeed a slobberknocker of a man.
Batista with Leviathan-like strength…
has one opportunity and only one opportunity
to wrestle the world title from that man Edge,
because Batista is now a member of Monday Night Raw.
Edge of course with us on Friday Night SmackDown.
[Mick] Yeah. And I think it's a big honor, J.R.,
that we get the privilege to call Batista's last match
as a SmackDown superstar.
And I know it means so much to him
to bring that World Heavyweight Championship
with him to Raw.
♪ I walk for miles Inside this pit of danger ♪
[Ross] Batista, a man of pride, a man of honor,
who at 17 years of age was estranged from both his parents,
was living on his own at 17.
That's hard to imagine in today's times.
But he grew up tough in Washington, D.C.
And now, the pinnacle for Batista could be here tonight
as he would look to become
the Heavyweight Champion for a fourth time.
[Mick] And I think that tough background has served him really well on SmackDown,
especially in the last several weeks
when he's had to overcome so much adversity.
[music fades]
Introducing first, the challenger
from Washington, D.C.,
weighing 290 pounds,
Batista.
[crowd cheering]
[Justin] And his opponent from Toronto, Ontario, Canada,
weighing 250 pounds,
he is the current World Heavyweight Champion,
the "Rated-R Superstar" Edge.
[crowd booing]
[Ross] Many people have asked,
"What will Edge do to keep the World Heavyweight title?"
I think that anyone that's watched Friday Night SmackDown
knows the answer to that. Anything.
[bell ringing]
[Ross] The same goal I think could perhaps be said of Batista.
[Mick] Yeah. And maybe I spoke a little bit too soon
about the unparalleled intensity that Edge brings to the ring
because that man, if anything, is not far behind.
Batista, "The Animal" is intensity personified.
[Ross] This is gonna be a very interesting match
as we watch the strategy unfold in this contest
because it's obvious that Batista has a size,
a strength, power advantage
over the Heavyweight Champion of the World.
That certainly doesn't mean that Edge doesn't have a chance obviously…
-[Mick] No, no. -[Ross] …to retain the title.
[Mick] Edge has always got a tremendous champion-- chance.
He brings so much to the table in terms of intensity, experience and strategy.
[inaudible]
[Ross] Veteran referee Mickie Henson stepping in between the combatants here.
And let's not forget that Edge does have-
that man, the champion, has the championship advantage,
meaning very simply that the challenger
must win by pinfall or submission
to leave the World Heavyweight Champion.
[Mick] And that's a feat that "The Animal" Batista has never accomplished
in a Championship match against Edge.
[Ross] Edge is perfect in title defenses against Batista.
And Batista looking to break that streak.
And…
Edge trying to create some distance.
Did so momentarily.
And the basement dropkick did not score.
[crowd clamoring]
[Ross] Security railing not very forgiving
to the World Heavyweight Champion.
[Mick] Not forgiving in the least,
and Edge is a champion who likes to get out to a fast start,
and that's definitely not the case here at Night of Champions.
[Ross] Batista shutting down the champion here in the early going.
And what-- Oh, there-- there's a cover, the cover by the challenger.
Batista is a pounder, a mauler,
using great strength and high impact.
And then at some point, just as any human being would,
the human body starts breaking down,
and that's what we're looking for here if Batista can maintain the offense.
[Mick] And I think that offense is a keyword.
There's one thing Batista brings to this match--
-[Ross] Sternum first. -[Mick] What?
[Ross] Sternum first to a turnbuckle.
[Mick] Is the potential to change the game in a hurry.
Anyone of Batista's big offensive moves
can change a match and win a match in a hurry.
[Ross] Snapmare with ease.
And nothing fancy about a big size 14 or 15 boot to the face.
Batista dictating a pace,
punishing the champion,
looking to gain one fall
and become the World Heavyweight Champion.
And look at that jackhammer.
The cover-- and Batista.
And he is dancing with what brought him here to Texas tonight.
[Mick] Yeah, indeed he is.
Pure power, but in addition to the power game,
Batista, along the way, has become a complete package,
adding endurance and strategy as well.
[Ross] Thus-- Oh, man, the impact there.
Thus far, Batista has made,
really, no significant or…
profound mistakes that I can remember.
[Mick] No, no, but he-- Importantly,
he is not wrestling not to lose, he's wrestling to win,
and I think he needs to do that to prevail in this matchup.
[Ross] Edge, uh-- Oh, man.
Opportunistically, using the ring post
as a unnamed tag team partner.
[Mick] Man, man.
And we have seen Edge as the Ultimate Opportunist
using anything and everything in his disposal to gain an edge.
Or an advantage.
[Ross] Edge, uh, not only punishing Batista
using a ring post as an ally,
but it also bought Edge a little bit of time here.
Referee counting-out.
[Mick] Watch this.
Oh, a tremendous impact.
Oh, let's take one more look.
That left shoulder-- oh, left shoulder of The Animal.
[Ross] Well, we can look at it all we want,
but the referee's about to count Batista out. And Batista
[Mick] Oh.
[crowd chatter]
[Ross] Remember now, if Batista is counted out,
Edge obviously retains the heavyweight title.
[Mick] And Batista will never have a chance to challenge
for the World Heavyweight Championship again.
[crowd chatter]
[Ross] Referee Mickie Henson's got a 10-count to work with
in this situation.
[crowd chatter]
[Ross] How much damage,
collateral damage was done to Batista
flying over that announce table?
[Mick] Well, I can't help but think there was quite a bit of damage, though.
Watch this baseball slide,
just sending-- oh, The Animal sprawling over our ECW announce table.
[Ross] Batista in great shape, no doubt about it,
but his body not meant to be crashing into a wooden announce table.
And then to go-- the momentum taking him all the way to the floor.
[Mick] Yeah, and he's endured some world-class poundings
at the-- at the hands of Edge and La Familia
the last several weeks on SmackDown.
[Ross] The Ultimate Opportunist, also known as Edge,
the Heavyweight Champion of the World,
has created his break,
has created his opportunity,
first with the ring post and then with the announce table.
Two inanimate objects coming into play
as Edge uses his right hand very effectively.
[Mick] Yeah, earlier on this night, uh, Edge is really adamant
about reminding Ryder and Hawkins about his own accomplishments.
Uh, he may be the most decorated champion in WWE history.
But he is also adamant about doing this on his own
without the help of La Familia,
All right. Batista, get inside.
[Mick] which would be a welcome change of pace.
[Ross] And no doubt about that.
Edge, uh, since have had a, uh, a lot of help
politically and from his familia, as you say, Mick,
as Batista tried to fight back in this thing.
Batista's will and his desire.
It's gonna be hard to overcome tonight,
but that was a very strategic, uh, drop toehold
that, again, destroyed the vertical base of the challenger.
[Mick] Yeah, one thing about Edge, he's a man who does his homework.
Not only does he know Batista well from their battles inside the ring.
-Here's a cover. -[Ross] Swinging neckbreaker,
got a two-count.
When you-- when you have an opponent
as big and as strong as Batista
destroying the vertical base is one of the keys to success.
[Mick] Because if he can do that, destroy the vertical base,
Batista becomes just a man, albeit, a strong, powerful man.
[Ross] Let's put it this way.
Batista is at his best and dangerous
when he is at a upright position.
And right now, Edge is using leverage,
his own weight to grip the neck of Batista.
[Mick] And that vertical base is so important
to so much of Batista's major league offense,
whether it be the big spear or the Batista Bomb.
He needs those legs, those quadriceps to generate that power.
[Ross] Edge can be called cagey, or cunning,
perhaps even calculating.
But no one can deny the success of, uh, the Rated-R Superstar.
[Mick] I think an unlikely adjective
you can throw into that mix is bitter, J.R.
There seems to be a bitterness kinda pervading Edge's persona.
[crowd cheering]
[Mick] He thinks perhaps it took him longer than it should have
to get to this level.
He's hell-bent on staying there no matter what the method may be.
[Ross] And look at Edge, trying that rear-naked choke,
but Batista rising to that vertical base.
-[Mick] Oh. -[Ross] And again,
Edge goes to the drop toehold.
And this time, Batista eats the center turnbuckle.
And the center turnbuckle is not covered with barbecue sauce, let me tell you.
That is a high impact tough move right here.
[Mick] And watch it, here's his drop toehold.
[Ross] Oh, oh.
[Mick] And with a neck trapezius muscles as heavily muscled as Batista's are,
that physical structure can actually work against a man of his size
with that type of maneuver.
[Ross] Sixteen thousand one hundred fifty-one looking on here
at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
First, it was the ring post, then the smack of the ECW announce table
and now the turnbuckle all again,
inanimate yet effective objects that the Rated-R Superstar is utilizing.
[Mick] Yeah, he uses everything and anything at his disposal.
[Ross] Highly-skilled and may sound somewhat, uh, ridiculous to some,
but Edge is highly skilled in maneuvering
a man like Batista into a ring post.
[Mick] Yeah, yeah. I know I've said on many occasions
whether it be verbally or in print
that I think Edge is the most talented superstar in WWE.
It's just that I sometimes question his motives and his methods,
but never his ability.
[Ross] Batista trying to fight back in this thing,
and Batista will go-- if this gets into a slugfest,
-I don't like Edge's chances. -[Mick] No, no. Oh!
[Ross] And the neckbreaker,
that's a wrestling maneuver with technique,
with leverage applied.
Batista, in trouble, the cover and--
you see referee Mickie Henson's hand was going south.
[Mick] And Edge hesitated for just a moment for--
before going for that cover and I think that moment
may have really cost him there.
[Ross] Edge again grounding his bigger,
stronger adversary
in this tremendously hard-fought, thus far, main event
here at Night of Champions.
[Mick] A few moments ago,
I said that Batista had changed as a-- as a wrestler
who had gone from being strictly a guy using power to his advantage
to putting athleticism, strategy, and endurance into his game.
As a matter of fact, J.R., I think he's a guy who's completely redefined
what fans can expect from a guy of his stature.
[Ross] And, uh, Batista who’s been denigrated from being in Evolution,
just countered a nice movement by Edge
and Edge now with that Jack Brisco roll-up…
-[Mick] Oh. -[Ross] …from the corner.
And that almost got the three for the world champion.
[Mick] Yeah, we saw The Animal with a beautiful counter
using leverage and momentum,
but Edge was there to counter the counter,
which is why he is such an incredible World Heavyweight Champion.
And, thus far, not a peek from La Familia.
[Henson] Get inside the ring. One
[Ross] Both men are-- have reached down into their resources here.
Both men are obviously spent.
It will become now a matter of will
and maybe pushing Edge's tenacity.
And maybe then have been perhaps we shouldn't.
[Mick] No, because as I've seen time and time again, Edge is-- oh.
Big clothesline Batista.
Edge's resiliency as an underrated wildcard
in the Rated-R Superstar's arsenal.
[Ross] Batista, like a big heavyweight boxer
and, uh, by that, I mean, this illustration.
Watch the right.
[Mick] Just that clothesline comes from out of nowhere,
buying Batista some time.
Both men have been through a lot, thus far,
in this Heavyweight Championship matchup.
[Ross] When you're 6'6" and 290,
one big, high-impact move
can change the entire complexion of a championship match.
And look at this, overpowering strength.
Batista looking to become world champion,
take the title back to Monday Night Raw.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] A momentum, you can feel it changing.
And a sidewalk slam.
Could be all.
The count is-- did he?
No.
[Mick] So close. So close.
I think a lot of fans in this sell-out crowd
thought they'd just seen the Heavyweight Championship change hands.
[Ross] Edge got a shoulder up,
referee in great position to make the call.
Batista just can't get frustrated, got to stay focused.
-[Mick] And there it is! -[Ross] Oh, my God!
What a slobberknocker spear. That's gotta be-- oh.
Oh, my-- how in the heck did Edge roll a shoulder on?
The fans might not like the count,
but referee was in, again, perfect position.
I'm thinking shows the resilience of the world's champion.
[crowd cheering]
[Mick] If he gets-- if he got that Batista Bomb, J.R.,
I think it would've been over.
[Ross] Now the high impact.
Indeed.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Batista's feeling it.
Monday Night Raw may be receiving it.
Edge in big trouble.
[crowd cheering]
-[Ross] Oh, Edge. -[Mick] Oh!
[Ross] That Impaler DDT, an amazing counter.
[Mick] That should do it.
[Ross] Oh. And it almost did.
A near-fall.
A strong two-count for the counter from the Impaler DDT.
But the question is, how much pain
and punishment can Edge--
or has Edge sustained here?
Edge looking for the homerun.
[Mick] And he didn't get it.
[Ross] Edge swinging for the fences, but the spear came up short.
And Batista, somewhat uncharacteristically, going to the top.
And Edge countered.
An amazing counter with a dropkick.
Batista with nowhere to go in midair.
[Mick] Yeah, yeah, that top rope is not territory
that Batista inhabits very frequently and he paid for it there.
Watch this. Edge counters.
[Ross] A great counter.
And that counter caught Batista in the sternum,
driving the air out of the challenger.
Both men are down.
If this match ends in a--
Well, there's our general manager from SmackDown, Vickie Guerrero,
along with Hawkins and Ryder.
[Mick] Yeah. A little earlier, I said we hadn't seen a peep from La Familia
and that's, uh, changed here in a hurry.
[Ross] I'll be respectful of the general manager
of Friday Night SmackDown, obviously.
Edge ready to uncoil, looking for the spear.
Look out. Amazing athleticism by Batista.
Batista Bomb.
That'll do it. That'll do it.
We've got a new World-- what?
[crowd cheering]
[Mick] You gotta be kidding me.
-[Ross] Vickie Guerrero… -What are you doing?
[Ross] …just stopped the count.
What the--
And Edge couldn't capitalize.
Edge looked to capitalize,
instead just got smashed into the ring post.
But remember, Batista can't win the title by count-out.
[Mick] No, I know, technically,
Vickie Guerrero as general manager is Mickie Henson's boss,
but shouldn't this match be over?
[Henson] Six,
seven…
[Ross] Wait a-- what the heck? Referee?
[Mick] Uh, you don't put your hands on an official.
[Ross] Hey, hey.
That's gotta be a disqualification.
Now we've got no official.
Wait, wait, wait. Send me another referee.
Send me another one.
Just send me another one.
[overlapping chatter]
-["Chavito Ardiente" playing] -[singer] ♪ Ooh, Chavo! ♪
-[Ross] What? -[singer] ♪ Chavo e'todo un hombre ♪
♪ Whoo! ♪
♪ Aah! ♪
[Ross] My God, this reeks of collusion.
[Mick] It reeks of nepotism, too.
[singer] ♪ Oh, Chavo ♪
[Ross] Chavo Guerrero sauntering down to the ring
with that official shirt on and-- well, how convenient was that?
Hey, wait a minute.
Batista putting his hands on Vickie Guerrero.
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] The Animal
has gone…
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] What am I-- My--
Wait a minute. Oh, no!
[crowd cheering]
[Ross] Oh, my God!
Vickie Guerrero thrown out into the woods.
And Edge with the world title belt
catching Batista right between the eyes
after Batista physically threw Vickie Guerrero
over the ropes to the floor.
Now, Chavo with the count.
-I don't-- my God. -[bell ringing]
[Ross] My God. Edge has just beat Batista.
[Justin] The winner of this match
and still World Heavyweight Champion,
the "Rated-R Superstar", Edge.
-["Metalingus" playing] -♪ On this day♪
[Ross] After Edge tells us his impassioned plea
he wanted to do this match on his own,
that Edge wanted to beat Batista all by himself, one-on-one,
and then we all witness
this amazing situation.
I wish I could say how I felt about this situation,
but the bottom line is that Edge is still the Heavyweight Champion
and Batista's dreams of being Heavyweight Champion
have been eroded, destroyed by La Familia.
[Mick] Yeah, yeah. He was impassioned indeed, J.R.,
on wanting to do it all by himself,
but in the end, it took his fiancé.
It took Bam Neely, it took Chavo Guerrero,
it took Ryder, it took Hawkins.
It took a travesty to hold on to the World Heavyweight Championship.
[Ross] I--
Vickie Guerrero could certainly be injured here.
I'm just shocked if she was not.
How Edge can be proud of this accomplishment.
It's should have been over right here.
[Mick] There it is. Now, watch this.
Watch the bottom of your screens, Referee Mickie Henson slides out,
courtesy of the wheelchair-bound general manager, Vickie Guerrero.
[Ross] Henson taken off his count,
didn't make the count,
and then this should've been an automatic disqualification.
[Mick] Right away. Right away.
[Ross] But that wouldn't have helped Batista
because Batista couldn't win the belt.
But then look at this, Batista had had enough.
Batista, uncharacteristically.
My God! Vickie Guerrero sailing through the air.
And then Batista turning around,
and boom,
that huge world title belt right in the face.
And the Ultimate Opportunist wins the match, but not without--
[Mick] You know, J.R., I-- just in this case
-[bell ringing] -[Mick] I cannot blame The Animal
for losing his cool and putting his hands on Vickie Guerrero.
He just endured too much, he finally snapped.
♪ Regret won't waste my life again ♪
[Ross] Man, I cannot believe this whole--
how this whole circumstance came to be.
Edge-- how can Edge be proud of being the World's Heavyweight Champion,
retaining his title this way?
[Mick] And for that, man, Batista has accomplished so much
and meant so much to the fabric of SmackDown
to leave our show in that manner is a disgrace.
[Ross] Well, I know-- I can't blame Batista.
Look at this, amazing strength, passion.
All Batista wanted was a fair shot, and this is what he got.
-[Mick] Bam. Oh. -[Ross] Batista got a shot all right.
[Mick] And the Ultimate Opportunist proves the nickname once again,
seizing any opportunity to hold on to that championship.
[Ross] But I'll tell you one thing,
Monday Night Raw is getting one hell of an Animal.
That will be a beast unleashed come tomorrow night in Oklahoma City.
[Mick] Oh, I gained so much respect over the past several weeks for The Animal.
I hate to see him go,
but I know there are big things,
even bigger things in store for him every Monday night.
[crowd chatter]
[Ross] Certainly, one would think that Batista could be--
obviously, that dazed look in his eyes,
that from being a hit in the face.
[inaudible]
[Mick] And no question, you could really hear the impact
even from our table out there,
that championship just clanging off the skull of The Animal.
[Ross] Batista has that faraway look in his eyes,
a dazed look after-- could be concussed.
I'm certainly not gonna diagnose the man.
But he couldn't have done any more in the ring tonight than he did.
He left everything he had
-in the ring, did Batista. -[Mick] Yeah.
And I think that's also disappointment in his eyes.
He wanted so badly
to bring that Heavyweight Championship,
that would restore some of the luster
that I think he's lost over the past several weeks, to bring it to Raw.
[Ross] That's one hell of a man, ladies and gentlemen.
He gave us everything he had tonight.
♪ A place where no one follows me ♪
[Ross] And I guarantee you, you count the folks it took to beat Batista,
there was Edge, and Hawkins, and Ryder, and a referee, and Bam Neely,
and, of course, our beloved general manager of SmackDown, Vickie Guerrero.
What's that, seven, eight people?
[Mick] And, J.R., I'm gonna just repeat or refrain,
how does that woman still have a job here?
["I Walk Alone" playing]
♪ I’ve never understood A damn thing that they said ♪
♪ From words to actions Never knowing what they're about ♪
Wanna give your final thoughts before you head to the ring to face John Cena?
Final thoughts?
I'm gonna go out there and I'm gonna do what I should've done two years ago.
[crowd cheering]
-["Devour" playing] -♪ Devour, devour ♪
[Michael] Now, ladies and gentleman, up next,
it is the most anticipated rematch in recent memory,
Triple H versus Cena for the WWE title.
Ladies and gentleman, it is a match for the ages.
♪ Devour, devour ♪
[Cena] The truly great thing about WWE
is once in every great while, it provides moments.
Moments that every single one of you
know exactly where you were
and what you were doing.
[commentator] This is just the greatest tribute
any champion could ever have.
[Gorilla] We have a new champion,
history made in Madison Square Garden.
I got it with a tear in my eye.
[Ross] Tombstone.
[Vince] Oh, yeah.
[Ross] The title moves to the dark side.
[Vince] The boyhood dream has come true
for Shawn Michaels.
[Michael] Frog splash, frog splash.
Eddie Guerrero is champion.
[Ross] Austin is the champion.
Stone Cold, Stone Cold, Stone Cold.
[Cena] At Night of Champions,
they will receive that moment that transcends time.
[Ross] These two men will indeed create a moment in time
for the richest prize in the WWE.
[dramatic music playing]
[Triple H] It's never been personal between you and me.
What it comes down to is being the best.
And right now,
you're looking at the best.
[Cena] Yeah, but if memory serves me correct,
the one match that we've had
-[Jerry] Whoa, whoa, whoa! -[Ross] Oh.
STFU, this could be the match.
It's all on the line.
[Jerry] Look at this. Look at this. He tapped.
-[Ross] He tapped. -[Jerry] He tapped.
-[Ross] The Game taps. -[Jerry] He tapped.
[Ross] I don't believe it.
You beat me, and I've never gotten over it.
You know why? Because I know you're not as good as me.
You'll never be as good as me.
-[Cena] Triple H. -[Triple H] Cena.
-[Cena] Are you ready? -[Triple H] If you want some…
-[Cena] Are you ready to fight? -[Triple H] …come get some.
Until you take this from me…
[Cena] You may have that, but until you beat me…
[Triple H] You are nothing.
You're nothing.
At Night of Champions…
[Triple H] It's gonna be a moment.
[crowd cheering]
[bell ringing]
[Lilian] This contest is scheduled for one fall
and it is for the WWE Championship.
[crowd cheering]
-["The Time Is Now" playing] -[crowd cheering]
♪ Krrr, Amadou ♪
♪ Your time is up, my time is now ♪
♪ You can't see me, my time is now ♪
♪ It's the franchise Boy, I'm shining now ♪
♪ You can't see me, my time is now ♪
♪ In case you forgot Or fell off, I'm still hot ♪
[Jerry] Well, I'll tell you something.
If you don't have goose bumps right now, there's something wrong with you.
[Michael] If you're not excited about this,
ladies and gentlemen, go home.
It is a big fight atmosphere
here in front of a sell-out crowd in Dallas, Texas.
The WWE Championship is on the line
and here is the number one contender for that title,
the three-time champion,
John Cena.
And, King, it's simple.
A win tonight, and the WWE title will stay on Monday Night Raw.
A loss for John Cena,
Triple H takes the gold to SmackDown.
♪ Let 'em hate I drop their whole clan ♪
♪ Lay your ass down For the three-second tan ♪
♪ Your time is up, my time is now ♪
[Jerry] I don't think I've ever seen John Cena more pumped
than he is at this moment.
[Michael] For the first time since WrestleMania 22
over two years ago,
John Cena will go one-on-one with "The Game" Triple H.
The WWE title on the line at Night of Champions.
[Jerry] Oh, you mentioned John Cena wanting to bring the…
the WWE Championship to Raw.
Our fans voted earlier, they were wrong about Batista,
but maybe they'll be right about John Cena.
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chattering]
[Michael] Cena unaccustomed to waiting.
Here we go.
Here we go, baby.
[Jerry] Well, they don't call him The Cerebral Assassin for nothing.
[man] Cena!
[Jerry] The Game is making Cena wait.
["The Game" playing]
♪ It's time to play the game ♪
[crowd cheering]
♪ Time to play the game ♪
[crowd cheering]
♪ It's all about the game And how you play it ♪
♪ All about control And if you can take it ♪
♪ All about your debt And if you can pay it ♪
[Jerry] And the wait is over, Michael.
They're gonna get it on.
♪ I am the game You don't wanna play me ♪
♪ I am control, no way you can change me
[Michael] Triple H should be the poster boy
for Night of Champions.
He is perhaps the greatest, the most prolific champion in WWE history.
A 12-time world champion,
a Grand Slam winner,
he's won all the titles in WWE.
He's won King of the Ring,
he's won the Royal Rumble.
He is indeed The Game.
["The Game" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Wow. Well, seldom, Michael,
do you ever see two huge fan favorites,
two WWE superstars so idolized, go at it.
And these two, John Cena and Triple H, maybe the two most--
the two biggest fan favorites ever.
[Michael] King, this night has been etched in the mind of Triple H
for nearly two and a half years.
-[Jerry] Oh. -[Michael] It has been eating at him.
Triple H obsessed over the fact
that he has never beaten John Cena.
That he tapped out to John Cena…
-[Jerry] Oh. -[Michael] …back in WrestleMania 22.
[Jerry] And in his own words, he admits he's never gotten over it.
♪ I know you can't take me ♪
♪ Play the game ♪
♪ You're gonna be the same ♪
♪ You're gonna change your name You're gonna die in flames ♪
[Jerry] Wow. What a sight, what a night.
[Michael] They are jam-packed to the rafters,
over 16,000 here in Dallas
to see this historic main event
between two great champions,
Triple H and John Cena.
♪ Time to play the game ♪
Introducing first, the challenger
from West Newbury, Massachusetts,
weighing in at 240 pounds,
John Cena.
[crowd cheering and booing]
And from Greenwich, Connecticut,
weighing in at 255 pounds,
he is the WWE Champion,
Triple H.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Senior referee Mike Chioda will officiate this matchup.
Matches like this do not happen often.
So ladies and gentlemen, sit back and enjoy what should be a classic.
[Jerry] Well, classic is right.
What a night-- what a Night of Champions.
[Michael] Three titles have changed hands tonight.
Will that title, the WWE Championship,
the greatest of them all change hands in this one?
[Jerry] Well, huge matchup.
And quite frankly, Michael, I'm gonna be pulling for John Cena
to bring that title back to Monday Night Raw.
Do you realize that if not, we won't have a championship on Raw?
[bell ringing]
[Michael] Edge ensured the world title stayed on SmackDown moments ago.
John Cena hopes to bring it home,
the WWE title, home to Monday night right now.
And this matchup is underway.
[Jerry] Triple H, the new property of SmackDown.
[Michael] From the draft last week.
Both men feeling each other out here in the early going.
Again, the first time they've met one-on-one in over two years.
For John Cena, the quest to regain the gold began
when he eliminated Triple H,
battle for Royal Rumble in January.
Cena's return from that pec injury.
And remember King, Cena never lost the WWE title.
He had to relinquish it because of the torn pectoral muscle.
[Jerry] And when I look at Cena, the bulging muscles,
and look at the physique on Triple H,
and when you think about strength,
it's hard to figure which one of these guys
is gonna have the advantage
when it comes to strength and power in this match.
[Michael] John Cena beat Triple-- uh, I should say beat Jeff Hardy
to get to this matchup tonight
to become the number one contender.
The smile breaking onto the face of The Game
in the early going of the matchup.
Oh. And there's the power you were talking about from the champion.
[Jerry] And that smile you were talking about I think comes from--
Triple H would love to give--
-oh, John Cena -[Michael] Oh.
[Jerry] a little wrestling lesson along the way.
[Michael] Triple H "The Cerebral Assassin."
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] There's the exclamation point.
[Michael] Or the mind games,
the psychological warfare from the veteran.
A very shrewd and wise Triple H
trying to set the tone in the early going.
[Jerry] Yeah, but, you know, some may disagree,
I don't know if that was a wise thing to do.
One thing that Triple H, I think, does not wanna do
is get John Cena angry.
[crowd cheering and chanting]
[Jerry] Cena, I think a little bit--
and now just a little bit disappointed in himself so far.
Slapping his head, saying, "Come on, get with it."
[Jerry] Here-- now here we're talking about strength and power.
That headlock clamped on by The Game,
and now Cena powered out of it and reversed it.
[Michael] Yeah, the tenacious Cena to do a headlock of his own.
[Jerry] Oh, man.
Now, that's the ground, Michael,
we haven't seen the pound yet, but that's the ground.
That headlock is clamped on John Cena--
or is clamped on Triple H by Cena like a vise.
[Michael] Again, referring to Cena's pound-and-ground attack,
very aggressive Cena.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] A little, "In your face," from the former champion.
-[Michael] Oh. -[Jerry] Oh.
[Michael] So both champions trying to stake their ground here, King.
[Jerry] Well, if you go to the well once too often.
Yeah.
Not exactly a cross chop,
but the message sent by John Cena.
Whoa. Look out!
-[Michael] Oh. -[Jerry] This thing's gonna break down.
-Here we go. -[Michael] A brawly game as John Cena
hammering away on the WWE Champion.
The brawling game may indeed favor Cena.
[crowd chatter]
[Jerry] Oh, man.
[Michael] Fisherman. Cena, quickly to the cover,
hooks the leg, title on the line, first cover in the matchup,
and a kickout at two by Triple H.
[Jerry] Oh, I don't know. You said the brawling game may have--
Cena may have the advantage, I don't know.
I mean, both of these guys are so evenly matched,
I've seen-- I've seen Triple H in some fabulous brawls
and he could go with the best of them.
-Look at this. -[Michael] Ooh.
Shoulder knockdown by Cena, Cena trying to build
the momentum, nobody home.
And there's The Cerebral Assassin.
[Jerry] Yup.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] It looks like he sucked John Cena right in there
and outsmarted him, out-moved him and-- well, you see the results.
[Michael] This matchup for the WWE title is simply about being the best, period.
[Jerry] That's why we see-- saw Cena…
-[Michael] Oh. -[Jerry] …slap his forehead earlier.
It's like keep your-- keep your eye on the ball.
You know, Cena, he'll make some mistakes, but he's so tenacious.
It's like he overcomes them.
He would keep coming at you.
[Michael] Triple H makes very few mistakes.
Get off the ropes. Get off the ropes.
[Jerry] Wow. Oh, man.
-One, two… -[Michael] Ooh.
Driving the knee to the spine of Cena,
looking to wear down the number one contender.
[crowd chanting] Cena! Cena! Cena!
[Jerry] Ooh.
[Michael] Knee to the back. And it looks like Hunter is targeting
the small of the back in the early going.
[Jerry] You're right. That's not gonna help--
it's not gonna help that back of John Cena
after two knees driven in there
and then to be dropped across the knee of The Game.
His legs are gonna have an effect as well.
[Michael] WWE Champion Triple H yet to go for a pinfall in the matchup
punishing Cena.
[Jerry] You know, Michael,
"The Game", Triple H, is-- he's calculating.
I mean, look at-- look at this-- look at this strategy right now.
I mean, he is zeroing in
on the small of the back of John Cena
and he'll stay there.
[Michael] Triple H has something to prove in his mind tonight, King.
He's got to prove a point.
[Jerry] Wow.
[Michael] Obsessed over the fact that he's never beaten Cena,
that he lost to John Cena at WrestleMania.
Triple H would like an emphatic victory here tonight.
[crowd chatter]
[Jerry] I don't [chuckles] I don't know. You're right.
Triple H would love an emphatic victory,
but these two superstars are to me, in my opinion,
are so well and evenly matched,
I don't see how either of them can get an emphatic victory.
[Michael] Quickly, to the cover, hook at both legs, may have it here,
first one in the matchup, and a kickout by Cena.
A near-fall for the WWE Champion Triple H.
[Jerry] Each one of these guys so far, at least to me,
it appears that each one are trying to--
trying to prove and show their dominance over the other.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Each one trying to sustain the upper hand.
[grunting]
[Jerry] Watch the hands, too close for him.
The head of Cena, and Cena retaliating.
[Michael] Really been a stalemate thus far.
[crowd cheering]
-[Michael] Oh. -[Jerry] Uh-oh.
Cena ran into those big boots.
-Look at this shot. Oh, no! -[Michael] Ooh, and John Cena countered.
[Jerry] Uh-oh. Triple H
-[Michael] Cena saw him coming. -[Jerry] He's woozy.
[Michael] And now Cena looks to build momentum.
When he gets that near 250-pound frame rolling, it's hard to stop.
[Jerry] Oh, God.
[crowd cheering and booing]
[Jerry] Oh, here we go.
This could be the beginning of the end-- no, wait.
[Michael] Triple H taking advantage of Cena taking too much time
and John Cena with a great right hand of his own.
[Jerry] Cena relishing the upper hand for way too long there.
[Michael] Oh, a high knee.
Vintage Triple H.
-[Jerry] Reversal-- oh. -[Michael] Oh.
Face crusher by Triple H.
As each man tries to gain control of the matchup,
gain the upper hand, King, they haven't been able to.
Back and forth, back and forth.
[Jerry] Oh, watch this.
The Game is stalking and he's going for it.
Pedigree time. No.
[Michael] Cena saw it coming.
A throwback by John Cena!
Skull-first goes Triple H.
Can Cena capitalize?
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Well, it looks like Cena is going to the top.
We don't see this too often from John Cena.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Oh!
What a leg drop to the back of the neck.
This could be it.
Can John Cena take advantage?
And Cena is feeling it.
Adrenaline pumping.
[Jerry] Oh, what do we got here?
[Michael] Look like he may have been going for the submission hold, that STFU.
The same submission he beat Triple H with at WrestleMania 22.
[Jerry] You gotta know that that's the foremost thing
-in the mind of The Game… -[Michael] Oh.
[Jerry] …not to succumb to that move again.
[crowd cheering and booing]
[Jerry] Cena, you-- you're giving The Game too much time.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Here it is, vintage John Cena.
[Michael] I think you're right, King.
I think Cena's trying to establish dominance.
[Jerry] You can't see me. Five Knuckle Shuffle.
[Michael] No. And it caught Cena again!
[Jerry] Right.
[Michael] Another knee lift to the jaw.
[Jerry] Man, I question, does Cena realize--
is he forgetting who he's in the ring with?
It's Triple H, the WWE Champion.
You can't grandstand on The Game.
[Michael] Well, the grandstanding, as you called it,
has allowed Triple H to seize control.
And The Cerebral Assassin, you could see the gears
turning in his mind
as he stalks and measures the number one contender.
[Jerry] Well, Triple H wants to hit that Pedigree.
You can taste it. And Cena maybe tasting it.
Oh, and Cena, able to--
-[Michael] Oh. -[Jerry] Look out. Look out!
[Michael] Triple H.
-[Jerry] Oh, uh-oh. -[Michael] Uh-oh.
[boy] Come on, Triple H, get up!
-[man] Come on, Triple H, get up! -[boy] Get up!
[Jerry] Oh no, check his knee.
[crowd chatter]
[man] Come on, baby. Come on, baby.
[Michael] Triple H went right for the knee when he flew over the top rope.
And remember, King, the history of the leg problems with Triple H,
torn quads on two separate occasions.
The first thing that flashes into your mind
when Triple H went through the legs--
-that's a nasty fall. -[Jerry] Right, right.
And the power of John Cena,
he just literally whipped Triple H over that top rope.
And he landed awkwardly out there.
-[crowd] Four -[Jerry speaks indistinctly]
You can see that again from a different angle.
Watch as he lands on-- oh, man.
I don't know if that knee was hyperextended.
[Michael] Well, Triple H, the champion, back to the ring,
broke the count for John Cena.
-[Jerry] And look at Cena now! -[Michael] Oh!
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] May not like the response,
but John Cena doing what he has to do, King,
to try to win the WWE title,
that's take advantage of an injury.
[Jerry] Well, we saw earlier on,
-Triple H-- oh. -[Michael] Oh!
[Jerry] Triple H went after the small of Cena's back,
but at least he did it in the ring.
[Michael] And Cena taking a page out of Triple H's playbook,
right out of the playbook of The Cerebral Assassin.
[Jerry] Yeah, looks like John Cena now sees a bullseye
-on the leg of Triple H. -[Michael] Oh.
And now it's Cena who's clever and calculating,
wearing the champion down.
[crowd chatter]
[Jerry] Nothing--
you know, if you-- if you think about it, nothing illegal so far from either man.
[Michael] No, not at all.
[Jerry] It's been a great matchup.
[Mike] Cena, I'm telling you, listen up. Get off his leg.
[Michael] Oh!
[speaking indistinctly]
Come on.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Cena, beating the referees count, back in the ring. And now--
[Michael] John Cena trying to drag the champ back
towards the middle of the ring and--
[Jerry] He wants to hook that STFU on Triple H so bad.
[Michael] The veteran knowing exactly where he was in the ring.
And Cena goes right back for the injured knee.
[Jerry] Oh, man.
Come on, John. I'm rooting for you.
Bring that title back to Raw.
[Michael] Every time Cena goes for the STFU,
Triple H tries to battle out, but this time he may not be able to.
Cena's gonna-- he's gonna turn Triple H over on his belly.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] And The Game realizing that. Ooh.
[Jerry] But Cena, relentless.
He's got a death grip on the leg of Triple H.
[Michael] Cena did turn and--
[Jerry] Here we go. Here we go!
-[Michael] There it is! -[Jerry] No, no, no. He hasn't got it.
[Michael] Can he get it locked in? He's gotta get it locked in.
[Jerry] Okay.
[Michael] And Triple H battling and fighting
for everything he's worth.
And Cena forced to break the STFU as Triple H made it to the bottom rope.
[Jerry] Well, you have to know-- you have to know in your heart
that the one thing that The Game has thought about in this match
that he was not gonna tap out again.
He's gonna try-- he's gotta have devised any number…
-of ways to try… -[Michael] And look-- and look at that.
[Jerry] …to counter that STFU, but--
[Michael] Went for the FU. Triple H countered.
[Jerry] Pedigree! Pedigree!
-[Michael] Triple H got Cena. -[Jerry] Oh, oh, oh.
He landed right on that bad knee again.
[Michael] But can he take advantage?
Crawls towards the cover, hooks the leg,
-title on the line… -[Jerry] Whoa!
[Michael] …and John Cena kicks out at two and a half!
[Jerry] Oh.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Perhaps that slight hesitation because of the injury to the knee
may have cost The Game.
[Jerry] I'm telling you, that injury to the knee
may cost The Game this match because that may have been all he had.
[boy] Come on, Triple H!
[Michael] A look of anguish in the eyes of The Game, the WWE Champion.
[crowd chatter]
[Jerry] Get up, Cena. Come on.
That Pedigree had its effect on Cena. He's--
Four…
[Jerry] Referee up to a count of five.
Five…
[Michael] Title will not switch hands if there is a draw here.
[Jerry] Well, you have to know that if Triple H's leg
hadn't given out after that Pedigree,
it would have been a successful title defense by The Game.
[Michael] Both men back to their feet, both men dazed.
-John Cena looks to take advantage! -[Jerry] Oh.
-FU! That's it! -[Michael] FU!
FU connects!
[Jerry] Come on, Cena.
[Michael] Can Cena take advantage and become a four-time champion?
-Into a cover. Hooks the leg. -[Jerry] Here we go.
[Michael] There's one, two--
-[Jerry] Did he get him? -[Michael] No, two and a half.
[Jerry] He didn't--
[Michael] Triple H kicked out.
[Jerry] That wasn't a three-count?
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Oh, how close was that.
[crowd chatter]
-[Mike] One… -[boy] Come on, Triple H! Get up!
…two…
[Jerry] I don't think that Cena didn't have the velocity
that he would normally have on that FU
because of this-- that repeated abuse
that his back had taken from Triple H earlier.
[Michael] Cena stirring, but referee Mike Chioda's at a count of five.
Six…
[Jerry] The Game-- The Game not moving much.
There he goes.
Eight…
[Jerry] We're at the eight.
[Michael] Cena hoping to build momentum as he gets back to his feet first.
[Jerry] Oh.
[crowd jeering]
[Michael] What a right.
[Jerry] I think he may have knocked a tooth out.
-[Michael] Oh. -[Jerry] Oh, wow.
Triple H answers with a hard right of his own.
[Michael] Oh.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Man, these guys are just hauling off
and throwing bombs now, Michael.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] How are they standing?
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] This is amazing.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] It's like-- it's like they're--
almost it's like they're knocking sense into each other,
giving each other more adrenaline and power.
[Michael] Triple H missed widely with the right. John Cena
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Both men leaving it all on the line
for the WWE Championship.
[crowd cheering and booing]
[Jerry] With the third time the charm?
You can't see me.
Five Knuckle Shuffle.
-He is! -[Michael] It is.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] I think psychologically, at least for himself,
John Cena had to connect with that.
And Cena, the contender now, stalking the champion.
[Jerry] Are you feeling it, Michael? I'm feeling the beginning of the end.
-And he-- no. -[Michael] Went for the FU,
Triple H trying to hang on.
His championship reign may be just hanging on to the top rope.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Uh-oh.
[Michael] Triple H with a counter.
-Cena with a counter! -[Jerry] This is it!
[Michael] STFU in.
-[Jerry] Yes! He's got him! -[Michael] It's locked in!
[Jerry] He's tapping! Is he tapping?
[Michael] No, he's not tapping.
Triple H is trying to make it to the bottom rope.
[Jerry] Oh, but look at the strength and the power that Cena is exerting.
He's gonna have to tap.
Come on, give it up.
[crowd cheering]
What do you say, Triple H?
Are you gonna tap?
[speaking indistinctly]
[Michael] This is what Triple H tapped to two years ago at WrestleMania.
[Jerry] This had to be The Game's biggest fear coming into this match.
What do you say, Triple H?
[Jerry] And now he's really-- look at--
look at the way The Game's leg is contorting.
This has gotta be excruciating pain.
[Michael] Fingertip away…
[Jerry] Whoa-ho.
[Michael] …for a moment.
[Jerry] No help from the ropes.
[Michael] Back to the center of the ring.
[Jerry] Oh, look at The Game trying to block.
[Michael] Triple H blocking and trying to counter.
Triple H trying to counter!
-[Jerry] What? -[Michael] Triple H counters
John Cena!
[Jerry] John Cena now locked in!
[Michael] Will Cena tap?
[Jerry] Oh!
[Michael] Will John Cena tap?
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] I can't believe this turn of events.
Now Cena is the one in excruciating pain.
I don't see any way out.
[Michael] There may be no way out.
Cena fading.
Triple H "The Game" with a crossface locked in.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Cena's fading.
The number one contender's fading.
[Jerry] I don't think I've ever seen anyone block that STFU submission
like The Game did, but now-- and look at the strength.
-[Michael] Oh, my God. Look at this. -[Jerry] Oh, my God.
[Michael] The strength and the power, the grip, the determination
of John Cena.
He lifted Triple H up into an FU position.
[Jerry] Oh.
[crowd cheering]
[Jerry] Oh, this is amazing.
-Pedigree. Pedigree! -[Michael] Another Pedigree, face-first.
-Triple H, the cover, hooks the leg. -[crowd] One, two, three.
-[Jerry] Oh, my God. -[bell ringing]
["The Game" playing]
♪ It's all about the game And how you play it ♪
[Jerry] It's over.
[Lilian] Here is your winner
and still the WWE Champion,
Triple H.
[Michael] It was a moment of twist and turns,
of ups and downs, but finally the WWE Champion
was able to capitalize with the Pedigree
and retain the title.
♪ From a smoking gun ♪
[Jerry] What a match.
I don't know when I've ever enjoyed a match of two great fan favorites
as much as that one.
♪ Come on over, sucker Why don't you ask me? ♪
[Jerry] And retribution for The Game.
[Michael] Triple H doing what he said he should have done two years ago.
[Michael] Triple H evening the score with John Cena,
retaining the WWE Championship.
["The Game" continue playing]
[Michael] Indeed a moment here at Night of Champions in Dallas, Texas.
[Jerry] The dejection and the disappointment
on the face of John Cena and then--
but this is--
you know I'm looking at him. I'm wondering if--
I'm wondering if Cena might have suffered a torn pectoral muscle there.
You know, that's the same way he carried his arm
when he had that last pectoral injury.
♪ It's all about the game And how you play it ♪
[Michael] Triple H retains the WWE Championship
and Triple H is bringing that title to Friday Night SmackDown.
♪ I am the game, you don't…♪
[Jerry] Well, each one of these great superstars
has a victory over the other now.
♪ I am your debt And you know you can't pay me ♪
♪ I am your pain ♪
[Michael] A classic, classic battle
for WWE supremacy.
[Jerry] I'm worried about Cena's pec.
That did not look good.
♪ You're gonna die in flames ♪
[Jerry] Here's that moment.
That moment that these two created tonight.
Check this out. Earlier in the match,
the Pedigree,
but the injury to Triple H's knee
stopped him from getting the pin in time.
Then the FU.
[Michael] It was the same with Cena.
He couldn't get into the cover in time to take advantage of the FU.
And then the STFU,
the same move that Triple H tapped out to at WrestleMania.
But watch this counter by Triple H on John Cena.
[Jerry] He blocked Cena from being able to hook his head and then turned.
Look at-- look at this. Amazing.
He pulled Cena's right arm right into that crossface.
[Michael] But on top of that amazing, look at this,
the amazing strength and power of John Cena.
[Jerry] And possibly with a torn pectoral muscle at this time,
but still able to get The Game up.
And those three elbows to Cena's jaw and then the Pedigree.
[crowd cheering]
One, two, three.
-[bell ringing] -[Michael] Triple H retaining
the WWE Championship
in a great battle at Night of Champions.
[Jerry] I gotta tell you, I don't wanna be crass,
but these two men literally beat the hell out of each other.
[Michael] Thank you for joining us from Dallas, Texas. Goodnight, everybody.
[Jerry] What a night.
♪ 'Cause I am the game And I want to play ♪
[music fades] m the game And I want to play ♪