WWE Heat Report: 6th January 2008
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Commentators: Todd Grisham & Jack Korpella
Ring Announcer: Lilian Garcia
Happy New Year everybody. Welcome to the first helping of Heat in 2008. Four matches on hand so let’s dive right in. We begin this week with…………………
Super Crazy vs Snitsky
Snitsky qualified for the Royal Rumble at a recent house show with a victory over upcoming Heat debutant Drew McIntyre. I hope Heat gets some Rumble qualifiers. Grisham congratulates Jonathan Coachman as a Smackdown announcer before welcoming Jack Korpella. Right off the bat Korpella is happy to be here because of matches like this. Crazy doesn’t look excited to be wrestling Snitsky. Crazy ducks a grab attempt before Snitsky elbows free from a waistlock attempt. Snitsky tosses Crazy to the corner who gets his feet up on a charge. Crazy lands kicks to the back of the leg and punches to the chest before applying a side headlock. Crazy stops a back suplex but gets thrown to the mat face first. Snitsky drops an elbow across the back then applies a modified camel clutch/crossface/face rip type hold on the mat. Snitsky stomps the back then traps Crazy in his patented double underhook wrench. Crazy holds on while trying to knee free so Snitsky turns it into a double underhook suplex. Snitsky lands clubbing punches to Crazy’s chest. Snitsky slams, drops an elbow then picks Crazy up and throws him into the corner. Crazy gets tangled in the ropes before falling to the mat. Snitsky swats Crazy’s head with his boot before picking a groggy Crazy up only to punch him back down again. Snitsky delivers a suplex but misses a legdrop attempt. Crazy fires up and kicks a crouched Snitsky before nailing a low dropkick and standing moonsault. Cover 1-2-kickout. Crazy continues to kick until Snitsky grabs him by the throat. Crazy breaks the grip with more kicks before getting shutdown after running into a big boot. Snitsky delivers his pumphandle slam to end it. 1-2-3. Here is Your Winner: SNITSKY. Not bad. At least it was a competitive squash and Crazy went down fighting.
D.H Smith vs David Owen
Smith jogs down to what seems like piped in applause. He needs some promo time. Owen is like a tattooed version of Senshi in terms of his look. Smith wins a shove exchange as Owen briefly backs off. Owen suckers Smith in to boot then grabs a side headlock. Smith elbows free, sends Owen off the ropes but Smith gets floored by a shoulder tackle. Smith comes back with a hiptoss, armdrag and armbar. Owen manages to reverse a hammerlock but Smith cleverly steps outside onto the apron then back inside to reverse it, trapping Owen’s arm in the rope. Smith then kicks at the rope where Owen’s arm is resting. Part of the crowd appreciate this good wrestling display. Smith continues with an armwringer then uses his feet to take Owen down and trap him in an armbar on the mat. Owen gets his feet to the ropes to force a break. As Owen recovers in the corner the referee steps in to stop Smith from advancing but this allows Owen to sucker punch then send Smith shoulderfirst into the ringpost. Owen kicks and punches on Smith’s arm then delivers a wrench and applies a wristlock. As Smith gets up, Owen throws Smith to the mat by the hair before applying an armbar. Smith gets up managing to punch free. Owen knees the gut then rams Smith’s shoulder into the corner. Smith puts the block on a second shoulder ram then backelbows Owen away twice. Smith stings Owen with a forearm then takes him down with two uppercuts. Smith gets some feeling back in his shoulder before delivering two clotheslines. Smith sends Owen off the ropes, Owen manages to kick Smith in the shoulder. Smith counters a lunge into a waistlock before catching Owen’s switch attempt with a back suplex. Smith lies on top of Owen, pressing his arms to the mat as the referee counts 1-2-3. Here is Your Winner: D.H SMITH. Good 5 minute match with some good wrestling and psychology on show from both men. Smith continues to build momentum. I’d love to see him wrestle William Regal soon. Hopefully Smith doesn’t get jobbed out on Raw and can continue his little run. I do wish he’d use the running powerslam as his finisher. Post match sees Smith celebrate while selling his shoulder.
Charlie Haas vs Drew McIntyre
Haas gets some mic time at the start. After saying WWE and what it stands for, Haas says for sure he isn’t the ‘E’ in entertainment. He’s the ‘W’. He’s the wrestler. He’s the only all-american wrestler in this arena. Haas asks for a show of hands for any other all-americans before saying there’s no-one. According to Haas, he’s the only one on the whole roster that can wrestle and rip anybody…on that note Haas gets interrupted by some generic scottish music. Out comes Drew McIntyre for his Heat debut. The commentators put McIntyre over saying he was trained by fellow brit Dave Taylor. There’s no mention of the two’s brief stay on Smackdown a few months back. We don’t get to hear a rebuttal or any pre-recorded comments from McIntyre so the crowd don’t currently care for him. Haas receives some boos though. Haas begins with an armwringer and shoulder thrusts. McIntyre comes back with an armthrow and a couple of side headlock takedowns. Haas uses the hair to take McIntyre to the corner where Haas works over him with several shots. Haas Irish whips, McIntyre floats over a charge then lands two armdrags and a third side headlock takedown. Haas again uses the hair but this time to reverse the headlock. Haas hits a shoulder tackle but runs into a dropkick. Haas rolls outside, ducks under the apron for a bit and comes back out wearing a red and gold luchador mask. The commentators speculate on this being Haas’ alter ego. Haas comedically flips back in onto his back then poses before poking McIntyre in the eye. Haas throws McIntyre down then poses again. Haas slaps the face resulting in McIntyre firing back with forearms. Haas cuts off a rope whip and hangs McIntyre up on the top rope. Haas rubs McIntyre’s face into the mat several times before choking him in the middle rope with his hands. Haas sends McIntyre’s head into the corner before climbing up and choking McIntyre with his knee. Haas poses at the referee as he gets reprimanded. McIntyre tries fighting back but Haas cuts him off, throwing him down onto his back then booting him in the head. Haas Irish whips but charges into an uppercut. Haas quickly recovers then stands with his arms folded and counters a McIntyre lunge into a belly-to-belly suplex for a nearfall. Haas applies a chinlock and head vice. McIntyre elbows free so Haas hits a high knee to the face then a back suplex. Haas punches at the fallen McIntyre, rolls over him then heads up to the top rope. Haas is quite a way away as he flexes. Haas simply jumps down onto his feet by McIntyre then splashes on top for a series of one counts. Haas dusts off his finger then mockinghly points it at the referee. McIntyre kicks Haas in the back from behind. Haas responds with a knee but McIntyre blocks a suplex and pulls his mask off. McIntyre throws the mask at a shocked Haas then hits two clotheslines, a backbodydrop off the ropes and swinging neckbreaker for a nearfall. Haas cuts off an Irish whip attempt with a boot. Haas Irish whips then charges into a knee. McIntyre delivers a belly-to-back suplex with a bridge for the 1-2-3. Well that was different. Here is Your Winner: DREW McINTYRE. At last Haas has a gimmick albeit one which is going to take away from his future match quality. It was still entertaining and both men were solid. The crowd politely applause McIntyre as the commentators question the win being over Haas or his alter ego.
Trevor Murdoch vs Hardcore Holly
With Lance Cade nursing a shoulder injury for about a month, Murdoch comes out alone, as does Holly. Holly receives a big pop and a Hardcore Holly chant at the start. The commentators put over Holly’s toughness throughout. Lockup, Murdoch ducks his head outside to force a break. Murdoch applies a side headlock, Holly starts to muscle out so Murdoch knees the back to keep the hold on. Holly sends Murdoch off the ropes into a knee to the gut. Holly hits a groin kick ala Bret Hart teasing the sharpshooter back in the day. Holly snapmares then drops two elbows for a nearfall. Murdoch off the ropes, Murdoch kicks a crouched Holly’s head then takes him down with a running boot. Murdoch plays to the booing crowd then delivers a knee to the gut, back club and gut kick. Murdoch presses his boot onto Holly’s head while holding the top rope. Murdoch backelbows Holly down off the ropes but can’t cover with Holly being too near to the ropes. Holly blocks then reverses a head ram to the corner. Holly punches then Irish whips but charges into an elbow. Murdoch boots the head as the Hardcore Holly chant starts up again. Murdoch applies an abdominal stretch using the ropes for extra leverage. Grisham runs down referee Chad Patton for allowing this for too long. Chad catches Murdoch at the third attempt and the distraction allows Holly to hiptoss free. Murdoch quickly boots Holly into the corner where Holly gets worked over with punches and a boot choke. Murdoch goes back to the abdominal stretch without using the ropes this time. Holly refuses to quit so Murdoch punches him in the side to break the hold. Murdoch elbows the back of Holly’s head twice but then runs into two shovedowns. Holly hits a backbodydrop off the ropes. Murdoch gets up in the ropes so Holly scoops him up by the legs and lands a dick kick. Holly continues with an inverted atomic drop and clothesline for a nearfall. Holly Irish whips, Murdoch attempts a float over but Holly catches him on his shoulders and hits the Alabama slam. 1-2-3. Okay match. Here is Your Winner: HARDCORE HOLLY. Post match Holly bows to the crowd then mounts the corner to pose with his tag belt.
On behalf of Grisham, Korpella shills for Raw Roulette tomorrow night before thanking us for watching to end the show.
Best Match: D.H Smith vs David Owen.
Worst Match: Trevor Murdoch vs Hardcore Holly was the worst of an inoffensive bunch this week.
Show Verdict: Thumbs up. Nothing bad. Quite a solid show. Some of the newer guys could do with some promo time to get over with the crowd. Just a quick minute here and there like Charlie Haas did today as he sowed the seeds to his new gimmick.
I’ll be back on Wednesday with the results of the Heat awards for 2007. Until then keep the votes coming in. You’ll find the list archived in the columns section of the site. For everyone that’s already voted I’d like to say thanks. It’s very much appreciated. See you Wednesday. Shaun.
If anyone wants to sound off, chew the fat or talk wrestling get in touch. Comments/praise/feedback/criticism/discussion points please direct to [email protected].