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Wrestling Recap: Hulk Hogan vs. Shawn Michaels (SummerSlam ’05)

31/07/202431/07/2024Dr. KLeave a comment

The Date: 21 August 2005
The Venue: MCI Center; Washington, D.C.
The Commentary: Jim “J.R.” Ross, Jerry “The King” Lawler, Jonathan “The Coach” Coachman
The Referee: Mike Chioda and Chad Patton
The Stakes: Legend vs. Icon dream match

The Build-Up:
When you think of wrestling, it’s hard not to picture “The Immortal” Hulk Hogan. For years, the Hulkster was not just a wrestling icon, but a mainstream star who was largely responsible for putting the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) on the map. A controversial figure, to be sure, one who used his backstage power and star appeal to his advantage more than once, Hogan would later be the linchpin of the “Monday Night Wars” when he jumped to rival promotion World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and formed the ridiculously popular New World Order (nWo). During that time, many wrestlers would jump back and forth between WWF and WCW, but one who remained loyal to Vince McMahon’s company, despite the appeal of WCW, was the “Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels. An equally controversial figure, HBK was known for his athleticism and arrogance, a culmination of factors that earned him a reputation as “The Showstopper”. One thing both men had in common was that they both returned to the WWF, now known as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), in 2002 after a significant time away; Hogan due to his WCW contract and HBK due to a career-threatening back injury. While Hogan’s tenure with WWE was as tenuous as his relationship with McMahon, HBK embarked on an unexpected and much celebrated second run that saw him capture the World Heavyweight Championship, and the two finally crossed paths in mid-2005, initially as a tag team. HBK needed a tag team partner to face Muhammad Hassan and Daivari and literally begged Hogan to join forces with him. At first, it seemed this “dream team” was a match made in heaven but, after another victory over Kurt Angle and Carlito, HBK shocked everyone by delivering his patented Sweet Chin Music to Hogan. What followed was a hugely entertaining and systematic attack upon the Immortal One by his upstart opponent in which HBK attacked Hogan’s ego, backstage politics, and his hogging of the limelight. HBK famously imitated a frail, broken Hogan in a memorable backstage skit and went out of his way to rile up Hogan, who was insulted by HBK’s underhanded tactics. With tensions mounting, spilling over into verbal and physical alterations, the stage was set for this once-in-a-lifetime main event bout between two legitimate icons of the industry, though, as we’ll delve into later, it was initially set to just be the tip of the iceberg between these competitors.

The Match:
Despite everything Shawn Michaels had said and done, all the spiteful comments and him revisiting much of the egotistical jackassery that defined his early career, HBK still received his fair share of cheers and crowd support at the beginning of this match, and throughout, though it’s equally fair to say that he had done a masterful job of briefly turning heel and turning much of the crowd against him. Thus, loud and consistent chants for Hogan permeated the arena and led to a massive pop when the Immortal One made his way to the ring accompanied by the familiar tunes of “Real American” and bathed in the shadow of Ol’ Glory itself, as fired up and ready for action as the arrogant HBK, who initially lingered on the outside, refusing to let the bell ring and winding Hogan up even more. Eventually, both men stood face to face and, after milking the crowd and the anticipation, finally got into a lock up and the match immediately took a turn for the ridiculous as, when Hogan shoved HBK away, Shawn comically bounced across the ring as though knocked over by a gust of wind! Twice more Hogan shoved HBK, the second being a simple push to the chest, and again Shawn pinballed to the mat and the shock, the confusion, was visible in Hogan’s stunned expression. He had to know, even in the early going, that HBK was mocking him by over exaggerating his selling. Indeed, this seemed to be the case as Hogan tore off his bandana and tossed it HBK after the Showstopper pinwheeled across the ring and out to the floor off a simple shoulder block, playing up his frustration at Hogan’s apparently superhuman strength even as the Hulkster showed visible anger at HBK’s antics.

*HBK bounced around like a madman for Hogan and viciously busted the Hulkster open.*

Once back in the ring, HBK took control with a knee to the gut and some knife-edge chops in the ring corners but found himself launched into the far corner off an Irish whip and receiving some hard boots to the gut as he lay prone across the top rope, which Shawn sold as though he were being tossed up to the rafters! After landing some shots to HBK’s forehead, Hogan rammed Michaels into the top turnbuckle pad and Shawn comically backflipped out of it, selling it like a shotgun blast and only regaining control of the match after a desperate thumb to Hogan’s eye. After some more chops, Shawn tumbled head over heels and some ways up the aisle off a basic clothesline over the top rope and started swinging wildly, punch drunk, as though dazed by Hogan’s incredible power. After regrouping on the outside, Shawn was forcibly returned to the ring when Hogan powered him over the top rope and floored by more shots and another clothesline, though HBK avoided a back body drop and returned to lighting up Hogan’s chest with some chops. When Hogan avoided having his head ran into the top turnbuckle, HBK haughtily slapped him across the face a couple of times and used his speed to keep the pressure on with the chops, only to be turned inside out when launched into the opposite corner and knocked off the ring apron. This time, Hogan followed HBK to the outside and slammed him into the barricade and across the Spanish announce table for some rapid shots to the forehead and then launched the Showstopper shoulder-first into the ring post. However, HBK returned the favour by wriggling out of Hogan’s power lift and shoving him face-first into the same ring post, then doubled down by awkwardly pushing Hogan into another ring post and aggressively targeting Hogan’s head with repeated blows that, eventually, turned Hogan’s face into the proverbial crimson mask.

*HBK’s underhanded ways were nothing against Hogan’s superhuman aura.*

Pleased with his efforts, HBK kept the pressure on a dazed and bloodied Hogan who could barely stay on his feet much less avoid being worn down to the canvas by a tightly-knit sleeper hold. The swell of crowd support naturally saw Hogan get his second wind; he powered to his feet and dropped HBK with a back suplex to create some separation but was too weak to avoid HBK’s signature flying forearm. Riding the adrenaline rush, Shawn went for his diving elbow, but Hogan rolled out of the way and finally got back into the fight with his “Hulk Up” spot. Hogan literally rocked Shawn with a series of clubbing blows, but Shawn avoided the Big Boot with another flying forearm and inadvertently sent referee Mike Chioda tumbling from the ring, forcing Chad Patton to run in and take over. In keeping with his newfound asshole tendencies, Shawn earned the ire of the crowd by clumsily tying Hogan up in the Sharpshooter. However, Hogan crawled to the ropes to break the hold, then accidentally took Chad Patton out while frantically kicking HBK off when he went for the hold again. Visibly limping from the Sharpshooter, Hogan stumbled right into a vicious low blow and was powerless to stop HBK from cracking a steel chair right across his skull! With Hogan downed, Shawn hit his big top-rope elbow drop, revived Chad Patton, and nailed Hogan with the Sweet Chin Music…for a two count! Livid, Shawn tried to pound on Hogan with right hands but the crowd went nuts as Hogan Hulked Up again, this time scoring with the Big Boot that hit so hard that Shawn bounced to his feet, twirled around, and cartwheeled to the canvas! Hogan then showboated before scoring with the Leg Drop for the three count, much to the delight of the crowd. Afterwards, HBK interrupted Hogan’s raucous celebration and, though annoyed by the loss, offered Hogan a handshake, saying he “needed to know” if he could defeat the Immortal One. Hogan accepted the handshake, turning HBK face again, and was left to celebrate in the ring with his classic strongman poses and taunts.

The Aftermath:
Oh my, is this a crazy match! Unlike the intensity of Hogan’s showdowns with The Rock, HBK decided the best way to showcase Hogan’s vaulted superhuman persona was to bounce around the ring like a pinball! It must’ve been so shocking and annoying for Hogan to see Shawn making a fool of himself, flipping inside out from the simplest of moves and really playing up the pantomime theatrics of Hogan’s larger than life persona. These antics, however, are used more sparingly than you might have been led to believe and are standout highlights of an otherwise fairly by-the-numbers match. Hogan seems quite slow and ungainly here, not able to do much more than his usual spots and take some chops, and I really don’t think we needed two ref bumps in this one. Still, for sheer spectacle, Hogan vs. Michaels delivers an entertaining match; the crowd loved every second of it, cheering themselves into a frenzy for everything Hogan did and jeering HBK whenever he did something underhanded while still appreciating his athleticism, however over the top it may have been. Of course, this was actually supposed to be one of a series of matches between these two wrestling icons but, behind the scenes, the two struggled to come to an arrangement. HBK never wanted to turn heel and was frustrated by Hogan’s resistance to a three-match series. Thus, Shawn decided to massively oversell Hogan’s offense to make him appear truly superhuman, an act that caused much ire backstage, and cut one last promo mocking Hogan on the following night’s episode of Raw, forever putting the kibosh on another match between the two. Following this match, HBK moved into a feud with “The Masterpiece” Chris Masters and would find himself embroiled in a rivalry with Vince McMahon by WrestleMania 22, while Hogan largely disappeared from television until WrestleMania 25, after which he left WWE altogether for a largely disastrous second run in Total Nonstop Action (TNA)/Impact Wrestling. However, Hogan and HBK would cross paths again during the infamous match between Triple H and Sting at WrestleMania 2015 that saw Hogan and his nWo buddies brawl with HBK and D-Generation X.

My Rating:

Fantastic

What did you think to the epic classic between Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels? Did HBK’s overselling take you out of the match or did you find it entertaining? Do you think the match needed two ref bumps or did it add to the drama for you? Were you hoping for a different outcome, and would you have liked to see another match between these two? What are some wrestling dream matches you’d like to see, or wish we’d gotten? Which SummerSlam match or event is your favourite? Whatever your thoughts on Hogan vs. Michaels, and SummerSlam, leave a comment below and be sure to check out my other wrestling content across the site.

Wrestling Recap: Money in the Bank Matches (Money in the Bank ’10)

06/07/202402/04/2025Dr. K1 Comment

The Date: 18 June 2010
The Venue: Sprint Center; Kansas City, Missouri
The Commentary: Michael Cole, Jerry “The King” Lawler, and Matt Striker
The Referees: Mike Chioda, John Cone, et al
The Stakes: Two eight-man ladder matches for a chance to cash-in on a World Heavyweight Championship or a WWE Championship at any time within a year

The Build-Up:
Thanks to their uncontested dominance of the wrestling landscape, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has been at the forefront of creativity with their celebrated Superstars, pay-per-views, and memorable matches. Since 1993, Superstars could earn a first-class ticket to a World Championship match at WrestleMania by winning the annual thirty-man Royal Rumble match, and fans had been enamoured by ladder matches and their exciting variants, but it was long-time veteran “Y2J” Chris Jericho who conceived of combining these concepts with the “Money in the Bank” ladder match. Debuting at WrestleMania 21, this multi-man ladder match (which saw the winner retrieve a briefcase to cash in for a championship match anywhere, anytime) became an annual fixture of the Showcase of the Immortals until 2010, where it not only featured on the WrestleMania XXVI card but also got its own self-titled event. By this point, WWE had split their rosters into two brands and, rather than mix Raw and SmackDown! competitors together in a single eight-man Money in the Bank ladder match, each brand got their own match at this inaugural Money in the Bank pay-per-view. 2010 was quite the tumultuous year for the WWE: their ill-fated revival of Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) gave way to the first questionable season of NXT, leading to the doomed Nexus stable, and the company was full of highs and lows as Superstars left, returned, and won and lost championships. Most of the drama heading into these matches was found on Raw; initially, R-Truth was supposed to take part in the Raw match but an attack from the Miz saw him unable to compete and replaced with Mark Henry. Over on SmackDown!, two matches were held to determine the final two men in the other match, with the “Chosen One” Drew McIntyre earning a spot by pinning fellow competitor (and reigning Intercontinental Champion) Kofi Kingston and Dolph Ziggler (who was being given preferential treatment by SmackDown!’s General Manager, Vicki Guerrero) overcoming Montel Vontavious Portal/MVP and Chavo Guerrero in a triple threat match to get added to the match.

The Review:
I have to say that as exciting as the prospect of the Money in the Bank ladder match is, I’ve never been a fan of it having its own pay-per-view; I get why it does, since it’s basically akin to the Royal Rumble match, but it seems like overkill. But nothing’s more overkill than hosting two Money in the Bank ladder matches on the same event on the same night! To me, I think it would have made more sense and kept the match from growing stale to just have four to six men from each brand compete in one big, longer match for the briefcase, especially later down the line when the brand-specific rule for the Money in the Bank contract got waved. Still, it is what it is, and we can’t change it now and, at this first-ever Money in the Bank pay-per-view, the SmackDown! contest kicked things off. This match for a World Heavyweight Championship opportunity featured then-Intercontinental Champion Kofi Kingston, Dolph Ziggler, Christian (who Michael Cole pegged as his favourite due to his previous experiences with the match), “Dashing” Cody Rhodes, Matt Hardy (who Matt Striker called the “sentimental favourite”), Drew McIntyre, Kane (who’d been driven into a psychotic frenzy after his brother, the Undertaker, was taken out by an unknown attacker), and, incredibly, the Big Show! Although the competitors waited patiently until the bell rang to get into it, the six smaller men immediately targeted the two giants once the match got underway. The long-time rivals and former Tag Team Champions soon swatted away their attackers, though, and even worked together to slap down Cody when he tried to make a climb for the briefcase amidst the chaos, only to inevitably come to blows. After knocking Kane down with a big shoulder block and clearing the ring, the Big Show tried to climb the ladder only for the rungs to break under his weight! Exasperated, he fought off the other competitors and tossed the ladder right in Kane’s face before the others got on the same page long enough to gang up on him and temporarily take him out of the equation by running him into the ring steps.

*While the Big Show struggled to utilise the regular ladders, the other competitors were free to go nuts!*

It was Drew McIntyre who came out on top of the predictable melee that followed. He booted and smacked down each man with ease, catapulted Christian face-first into a ladder, but took so long setting the ladder up in the ring that Matt Hardy was able to bash him in the spine and gut with another ladder. Matt then made the first significant climb up the ladder, only to be intercepted by old rival Christian. Matt returned the favour soon after and the two ended up brawling out of the ring, leaving Cody and Kofi to fight over the ladder. After bashing Cody’s face off the ladder, Kofi tried to go for the briefcase, but Dolph Ziggler intercepted him, clambered to the top, and was just seconds away from unhooking the briefcase when Christian interrupted him. The two exchanged blows at the top of the ladder but it was Ziggler who took the big fall to the canvas. There was a bit of a botch afterwards as Matt toppled the ladder and it seemed like Christian was supposed to spill out of the ring and onto the Big Show, but the positioning was off so he simply dropped to the ring and a slugfest broke out between the two, Cody, and Kofi to try and cover for it. Matt and Christian then worked together to counter an attempted double Chokeslam from Kane into a double DDT and then crushed him between two ladders before getting back into it in an exchange that saw Christian counter Matt’s Twist of Fate into a flapjack onto a ladder and then being crushed underfoot. Christian’s next attempt to climb the ladder saw that planned spot finally come to fruition as Cody toppled the ladder and Christian went flying into the Big Show on the outside. Cody, Kofi, and Matt then worked together to subdue Kane with a finisher-fest before McIntyre reinserted himself into the match by pushing Matt and Cody off the ladder and ramming both (and Ziggler) shoulder-first into the ring post, but it was Kane’s timely intervention that kept him from climbing. A baseball slide into a ladder ended Kane’s brief rampage; Kofi then resumed his recent rivalry with McIntyre by laying him out over the announce table with a Trouble in Paradise and then crushing the Sinister Scotsman through the table with a Boom Drop off a ladder!

*After some shenanigans with a giant ladder, Kane ended up the unlikely winner!*

Just as Ziggler grabbed at the briefcase, the Big Show knocked him down, drilled him with a One-Handed Chokeslam, and then took Kane out with a ladder and his massive bulk. Enraged, the Big Show shrugged off every attempt to topple him, crushed Matt and Christian with a body splash to a ladder placed over both men, and then pulled a massive, reinforced, “350lbs” ladder out from under the ring! With a supreme effort, the Big Show hefted the gigantic apparatus into the ring, but Cody smashed a step ladder into the giant’s ankle to keep him from climbing. Although Ziggler intercepted Cody with an electric chair drop, the Big Show recovered but was too hobbled to make the climb and was planted with a ridiculously impressive jumping DDT from Kofi off the ladder! Cody’s beautiful Missile Dropkick knocked Kofi from the ladder and his shitty Cross Rhodes finisher smashed the Intercontinental Champion into a ladder before Ziggler bashed the back of Cody’s head off the big ladder with a Zig-Zag, by which point the Big Show was back up and dishing out headbutts. However, Kane returned and toppled the massive ladder, spilling the Big Show to the outside where he was buried under a pile of ladders! Kane then frantically fought off Christian, Matt, Cody, and Kofi as the four scrambled up the ladder, but Kane was almost too slow to intercept Cody’s grab for the briefcase. Ziggler suddenly returned to the ring, climbed over Kane, and even slapped on his Sleeper Hold before getting his head bounced off the ladder and awkwardly being choke-shoved off the ring apron to the pile of ladders below. Kane then Chokeslammed Kofi to this same pile, rammed Cody face-first into a truck by the entrance way, and then ate a slam off the ladder courtesy of Matt and Christian. The two battled for the briefcase and took nasty spills to the canvas for their troubles; finally recovered, McIntyre seemed poised to steal the victory, but Kane intercepted him, tossed him off the ladder, and unhooked the briefcase for the win to a massive ovation! I really enjoyed the story being told with the Big Show being too big, heavy, and strong for a normal ladder but he was a bit of a slug here. There was a lot of dead air where some of the guys just vanished and not enough of a desperate scramble to take out the two big men, but some impressive physicality from Kofi, the speed and explosive intensity of McIntyre, and Kane’s righteous victory helped to pull together into a decent opening contest.

*As impressive as Bourne’s agility was, it was Mark Henry’s strength that stood out in the early going.*

The Raw Money in the Bank ladder match was the penultimate match of the show. “The Viper” Randy Orton, The Miz (who was the reigning United States Champion, and Michael Cole’s “dark horse” pick), “The World’s Strongest Man” Mark Henry, Ted DiBiase (who was the current Million Dollar Champion and came to the ring with Maryse, though neither really upped his charisma-less void), John Morrison, Chris Jericho (Lawler’s pick to win), Evan Bourne (fresh off that RKO), and the “Rated-R Superstar” Edge (Striker’s pick to win) were the competitors for this match and a chance at the WWE Championship. Edge immediately stirred the pot by sliding a ladder into the ring and then retreating to the outside to watch as the other guys fought over it. Mark Henry then asserted himself as the biggest, strongest guy in the ring but Bourne, far from intimidated, assaulted him in the corner and the fight spilled to the outside. Seizing his opportunity, Edge dashed inside and came within a hair of unhooking the briefcase before Orton intercepted him. Orton’s need to avenge himself against Edge saw him temporarily forget about the ladder to deliver more punishment on the outside, allowing DiBiase and Morrison to fight in the ring, but it was a cartwheel dropkick from Bourne that put a stop to Ted’s short-lived ladder-based offense. The Miz attacked Bourne from behind and tossed him from the ring before getting into a fist fight with Jericho, but Henry shut this down by blasting both guys with a ladder and damn-near breaking the Miz’s neck by crushing him between the ropes! Jericho made the big man pay with a ladder shot to the face before getting smashed into the same ladder after Bourne dodged his attack and kicked him in the back of the head. Although Bourne took Edge out with a headscissors off the ladder, this distraction allowed Orton to target the high-flier. The “Apex Predator” then planted Bourne with his Draping DDT through the ladder rungs before being smacked with a springboard kick from Morrison. After bashing his own head off a ladder, Morrison faced a double team assault from the Miz and DiBiase but recovered and caused both men to run face-first into a ladder set up in the far corner. Morrison then tried to make a climb using a ladder set just to the side of the briefcase; despite Striker’s best attempts to provide a reason behind this, it soon became clear that it was to set up a double ladder spot as Jericho climbed up a second ladder and he, Morrison, Edge, and Orton all exchanged blows and tried to grab the swinging briefcase. The payoff for this was Mark Henry standing between the ladders and toppling both over, spilling all four men out of the ring in one huge show of strength, before Bourne used another ladder to leverage a swinging springboard kick to take out Henry!

*While every man scrambled to win with high-risk chances, the Miz ultimately stole the victory!*

Maryse then distracted Morrison by trying to climb the ladder, which allowed DiBiase to almost grab the briefcase before being crushed chest-first against a ladder and smashed off the barricade courtesy of Morrison. As Cole cheered him on, the Miz gave Morrison a taste of his own medicine on the outside, but Morrison fought him off and intercepted Edge’s climb by riding a toppling ladder into the ring! Edge responded by wedging Morrison between the ladder rungs and working with the Miz to crush his ribs with another ladder. Edge’s next climb was interrupted by DiBiase, who fought off Jericho and Orton and set a couple of ladders up in a strange configuration before getting drilled to the mat by Mark Henry’s World’s Strongest Slam. As Henry started to climb, Bourne, Edge, and Orton swarmed him; Bourne ended up tossed into Henry’s arms and crushed to the floor outside by a World’s Strongest Slam. A finisher-fest to Henry took him out of the match and allowed the remaining men to scramble up the ladder; DiBiase created a ladder bridge, which he smashed Miz into before Orton and Edge sent him sliding out of the ring in a nasty-looking bump to the floor outside. An RKO outta nowhere downed Edge and Jericho ended up dangling from the ladder when he traded blows with Morrison; after another RKO to Morrison, Orton got crushed by Air Bourne but Jericho sent Bourne crashing to the canvas after bashing him with the briefcase. Jericho’s desperate attempt to grab the swinging briefcase was interrupted by Edge but it was an RKO that put an end to Jericho’s title aspirations. Orton then yanked Edge off the ladder and right into the ladders stacked up in the ring (which had to hurt!) and climbed the ladder unopposed to thunderous applause. However, right as he was unhooking the briefcase, the Miz came out of nowhere, toppled the ladder, and snatched the briefcase for himself to a sea of boos and the irritating adulation of Michael Cole. While I feel the structure of this match was paced a little better and geared more towards high spots, I feel it lacked a bit of star power. DiBiase was as forgettable as ever, I can never bring myself to care about Mark Henry, and as good as Evan Bourne was, he wasn’t quite on the same level as some of the other guys. The Miz winning was the right call as he was almost universally despised and none of the other guys really needed the win, though I do wish the WWE had done more with John Morrison as the guy screamed “superstar” but never really got a decent main event run in the company. Ultimately, both matches had positives and negatives that might’ve resulted in a higher rating if it had been one big chaotic match but it’s pretty neck and neck from where I’m sitting.

The Aftermath:
Kane didn’t waste any time cashing in his Money in the Bank contract; he suddenly burst back into the arena after Rey Mysterio successfully retained the World Heavyweight Championship against Jack Swagger. Already injured from a post-match attack, the luchador stood no chance and was summarily dethroned in less than a minute. Kane would then go on to accuse Mysterio of attacking the Undertaker and the two faced off for the belt at SummerSlam, which revealed that it was actually Kane who had attacked his brother, reigniting their feud and resulting in a series of wins for Kane over the Deadman. The Miz held on to his Money in the Bank contract until November, when he successfully cashed in on Randy Orton (who had become the WWE Champion at Night of Champions). This, of course, led to an unlikely championship run for the Miz and an even more unlikely WrestleMania main event, where he infamously got seriously concussed, played second fiddle to the Rock, and defeated John Cena in the main event of WrestleMania XVII! Dolph Ziggler and Kofi Kingston went on the feud over the Intercontinental Championship, the Big Show got into it with CM Punk’s Straight Edge Society, Chris Jericho stayed in the WWE Championship mix until taking a brief hiatus from wrestling, and Matt Hardy was also gone a few months later after the WWE’s European tour. John Morrison notoriously ended up teaming up with Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi and Trish Status against Dolph Ziggler, Layla, and Michelle McCool at WrestleMania XVII, Mark Henry and Evan Bourne formed a brief tag team, Ted DiBiase tried and failed to win the United States Championship, and Christian would be in Edge’s corner at WrestleMania XXVII for his successful World Heavyweight Championship defence. After this, Edge was forced to retire for a spell and Christian realised his own short-lived championship ambitions, and the Money in the Bank pay-per-views continued to be an annual occurrence following this inaugural event.

SmackDown! Money in the Bank Match Rating:

Raw Money in the Bank Match Rating:

Pretty Good

What did you think to the inaugural Money in the Bank pay-per-view? Which of the Money in the Bank ladder matches was your favourite? Do you agree that it dilutes the concept to have two or more of the matches on the same show? Were you happy that Kane and the Miz won or would you have liked to see someone else grab the briefcases? What did you think to the Big Show’s massive ladder and Evan Bourne’s athleticism? Which of the competitors was your favourite? Were there any competitors you would’ve liked to see included in these matches? What’s your favourite Money in the Bank match? Whatever your thoughts on the Money in the Bank match, share them below or leave a comment on my social media and be sure to check out my other wrestling reviews!

Wrestling Recap: Jeff Jarrett vs. Booker T (Bash at the Beach ’00)

01/07/2024Dr. KLeave a comment

The Date: 9 July 2000
The Venue: Ocean Center; Daytona Beach, Florida
The Commentary: Tony Schiavone, Scott Hudson, and Mark Madden
The Referee: Billy Silverman
The Stakes: Main event match for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship

The Build-Up:
On 4 September 1995, World Championship Wrestling (WCW) changed the face of the wrestling industry with the debut of WCW Monday Nitro, a weekly broadcast that kicked off the “Monday Night Wars” by directly competing with the World Wrestling Federation’s (WWF) Raw is War. Over eighty-four weeks, WCW dominated this ratings war thanks to signing wrestling’s biggest names to lucrative contracts and the incredible success of the New World Order (nWo). Unfortunately, this boom period wasn’t to last; the nWo soon outlived its welcome and the WWF’s dramatic change of attitude saw them outpace and ultimately dethrone WCW before long. In desperation, WCW turned to controversial wrestling writer and figurehead Vince Russo, who spearheaded a bold new direction for the company that focused on dramatic swerves, blurring the lines between what was “real” and “fake”, and pushing his favourite talents at the expense of WCW’s established stars. This earned him the ire not just of thousands of wrestling fans for years to come thanks to his wacky match concepts and inconsistent storytelling, but also famed wrestling icon “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan, who infamously clashed with Russo over the direction of this pay-per-view event and their dramatic on-air grievances overshadow what little intriguing in-ring action remained in the dying WCW.

The Match:
To say that WCW, and the state of their World Championship scene, was in chaos during the year 2000 would be an understatement. WCW had tried everything, from an ill-fated rebranding, to stripping all their championships, reviving the nWo and trying to push young stars, to regain their foothold in the ratings but a slew of departures and backstage politics and drama meant that the company was haemorrhaging money and effectively on life support at this point. For me, the two biggest indicators of this were the increased, obnoxious onscreen presence of the divisive Vince Russo and the unlikely appointment of perennial mid-carder “The Chosen One” Jeff Jarrett not just to the main event, but into the role of WCW World Heavyweight Champion. WCW’s desire to blur the lines between fantasy and reality backfired big-time at this event, which saw Russo, Hogan, and the commentary team make numerous scathing insider references to the backstage politics, Hogan’s lucrative contract, and the state of the company, and this all came to a head earlier in the pay-per-view when “the biggest stars in the universe”, WCW Champion Jeff Jarrett and “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan met for a championship contest. Rather than actually fighting for the company’s richest prize, Hogan was left incensed when Russo simply tossed him the belt and ordered Jarrett to lay down for the Hulkster, who pinned the champion with one foot after going on a tirade about Russo’s “bullshit” influence. Russo later returned to the ring and fired back with his own “shoot” outburst, burying Hogan for holding down WCW’s rising stars, firing him onscreen, and announcing that Jarrett would defend the belt against Booker T in the main event. The commentary team begrudgingly lauded Russo’s declaration and spent most of the night, and this match, attacking the Hulkster for being a politician and a negative influence on guys like Booker T, Jarrett, and keeping WCW from moving forward with new blood.

*With Hogan out in controversial fashion, Booker T finally got his shot at the belt.*

Thus, with all that drama and confusing nonsense clouding the entire event, the company, and this match, Bash at the Beach concluded with reigning WCW Champion Jeff Jarrett facing Booker T, who had previously appeared on the event in a losing effort against “Positively” Chris Kanyon but was awarded this shot simply because of his work ethic. The commentary team spend a lot of time hyping up that Booker, despite being unprepared for the match, wasn’t going to turn down the opportunity and casting both guys as being the fresh blood WCW has needed for some time, which might be true about Booker, but I’ll never see any positives in pushing Jarrett to the top. Regardless, the match begins with the crowd firmly behind Booker and Jarrett reluctant to lockup with the fired-up challenger; indeed, while Jarrett wins the early exchange, Booker easily overpowers him and shoves him down to build anticipation. The two continued to exchange fundamentals, an odd choice for such a match and it’s almost as if the two weren’t sure what to do with each other. Despite eating a shoulder block, Booker showcased his speed and agility with a leapfrog and a dropkick that saw Jarrett take a powder to the outside to regroup. Back in the ring, Jarrett resorted to straight shots and slamming Booker’s head off the turnbuckle pad to build some momentum, but Booker shut him down with a big jumping side kick and took the fight to the barricade with a double axe handle off the ring apron. Booker and Jarrett wandered through the raucous crowd for a bit but didn’t really do anything before returning to the ringside area, where Jarrett smashed a steel chair over his spine and hit a super stiff looking piledriver on the announce table (which didn’t budge an inch), which the referee apparently was okay with despite this not being a no disqualification match.

*After enduring Jarrett’s dull offense and underhanded tactics, Booker T finally captured the gold!*

Back in the ring, Jarrett pressed his advantage with some stomps and punches and shut down Booker’s rally with a sleeper hold to really grind the match to a halt. Naturally, Booker fought out of it, feeding off the energy of the crowd, and returned the favour with a sleeper of his own. Jarrett escaped by attacking Booker’s leg for the first time with a single move, which was all the opportunity he needed to go for his patented Figure Four Leglock. However, Jarrett was almost pinned when Booker countered into a sudden roll up. Jarrett retaliated with the Figure Four, forcing Booker to again feed off the crowd’s support, turn the move in his favour, and reverse the pressure to force Jarrett to scramble out of the hold. Jarrett continued to target Booker’s leg afterwards, but Booker fired back with the Scissors Kick, celebrated with a Spinaroonie, and planted Jarrett with a spinebuster for a close two count. Jarrett wisely dodged another Harlem Sidekick, causing Booker to get hung up on the top rope, and then briefly took the referee out of the match by shoving Booker into him. Jarrett tried to take advantage with a belt shot but Booker ducked and decked Jarrett with the title belt, but the referee was a little too slow to make the three count and too dazed to notice when Jarrett hit Booker in the nuts. Although Booker avoided being rammed into the chair and drove Jarrett into it instead, the champion still kicked out of the follow-up pin attempt. Jarrett then snapped and attacked the referee, laying him out with the Stroke and kicking Booker in the dick for good measure. Jarrett grabbed his guitar and went to the top rope, but Booker caught him with the Book End and referee Mark Johnson hit the ring to make the three count and award Booker his first of what would eventually be five reigns with the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. A monumental moment for Booker, to be sure, and one he truly deserved, but this was a lethargic and cumbersome main event match. It really needed some energy, some underhanded tactics from Jarrett to keep the heat up, and a bit more life to it. The opening sequence where they traded lock-ups and takedowns should’ve been replaced with Booker going on a tear and forced Jarrett to resort to cheating to regain the momentum. Still, it’s a great moment for Booker T, it’s just a shame it came when WCW was spiralling the drain.

The Aftermath:
This wouldn’t be the end of Jeff Jarrett’s quest to be the top dog in WCW; he and Booker T squared off again at the following month’s pay-per-view, New Blood Rising, in a losing effort at an event apparently so bad that the crowd were openly calling for Russo’s firing. Although Booker T would lose the belt to “Big Sexy” Kevin Nash not long after New Blood Rising, he regained it by defeating Nash in a steel cage match at Fall Brawl by the end of the month, before trading the belt with Jarrett and, of all people, Vince Russo, and securing his fourth World Heavyweight Championship after feuding with “Big Poppa Pump” Scott Steiner in the last days of WCW. Of course, the real story coming out of Bash at the Beach 2000 was the fallout from the Hogan/Russo drama; Hogan would sue both Russo and WCW’s parent company, Turner/Time Warner, for defamation of character and never returned to the company, choosing to sit out his lucrative contract until he finally returned to the WWF in 2002.