WWE Smackdown/ECW house show
Innsbruck, Austria
Report by Dot Net reader Markus Gronemann

The show was not sold out by any means, but the building was about 3/4 full. I'm really bad at estimating crowd sizes, but I would guess there were about 4,000 to 5,000 people inside. Lots of kids with their parents too, but not as many as I am used to from the shows in Vienna, a lot more teens and adults on their own as well. The crowd was not a rabid as in Vienna, but they popped for all the usual spots one expects a crowd to pop for. They were pretty quiet at times, though.

According to a few local fans, there was an autograph session featuring Michelle McCool and MVP in the afternoon at a local Toys 'R' Us store, which we didn't attend, because we a.) knew nothing about it, and b.) arrived by train from Vienna, and probably only after the session was over or way in progress.

The show started at 8 p.m., Justin Roberts welcomed us and announced the first match:

1. Jimmy Wang Yang beat The Brian Kendrick (w/o Ezekiel). Yang came out first, followed by Kendrick (no Ezekiel, no idea why). Kendrick stalled at first, and didn't want to get into the ring with Yang. After a few minutes, Yang hit a nice huracanrana and standing moonsault for a near-fall. Kendrick threw Yang out of the ring, and later applied a camel clutch, which Yang eventually powered out of. Yang then hit a moonsault from the top rope onto a standing Kendrick for the win.

Jesse and Festus defeated Curt Hawkins and Zach Ryder. Jesse and Festus were out first, with Festus being his catatonic self. Ryder and Hawkins fled to ringside early after working a few spots with Jesse. Festus tagged in and cleaned house on them. Jesse tagged back in after a short time, and Hawkins/Ryder began working his arm. A repeated spot was Ryder distracting the ref and Hawkins snapping Jesse's arm over the top rope while playing to the crowd.

In a fun spot, Jesse gave Ryder's arm to Hawkins, who went to snap his own partner's arm over the rope. Jesse played face in peril for most of the time, but suddenly got the pinfall via roll-up without hot-tagging Festus, who was limited to a short cleaning house spot. A little strange, as one would have expected Festus to clean house again or some kind of double team spot from Jesse and Festus. Didn't hear or notice anything about an injury of Festus, which might have explained his limited involvement.

3. Jeff Hardy over Vladimir Kozlov by DQ. Kozlov came to the ring, and cut a promo in Russian, with the occasional, "I demand better competition" thrown in. Jeff Hardy came out to a good pop. Kozlov dominated early on with power moves and restholds, working over Hardy's arm. Hardy eventually put his feet up against a charging Kozlov in the corner. He went for an early Twist of Fate, but Kozlov brushed him off. Hardy then went for tow Whisper in the Wind from different corners, but couldn't get the pinfall. Kozlov eventually got a chair from ringside and attacked Hardy, who had followed outside, for the DQ. Hardy eventually got the upper-hand and hit a Swanton Bomb post-match, back in the ring.

4. Michelle McCool beat Maryse to retain the WWE Divas Title. Both girls looked pretty nice (even though I'm not too much into the platinum blonde bimbo type, I was kind of disappointed not to see Maria, who is more to my taste). One minor observation: Not as much chants for the girls to undress or profanity screamed in their direction as I am used to in Vienna (lots of our equivalent of a redneck visit the Vienna shows usually). Both girls worked hard, and had a sympathy contest early on, with McCool easily drawing more cheers, of course.

Maryse held onto the ropes after a whip-in, then mimicked how she was not going to let Michelle hit her wit a move. Michelle later imitated Maryse's signature throwing back of her hair. They went to ringside with Maryse dominating for a while. Michelle eventually had her comeback and hit her finisher, which according to my brother is called Wings of Love.

5. Finlay (w/Hornswoggle) beat Jack Swagger. Swagger cut a pre-match promo, partly in German, telling us how he is the best wrestler, etc. Finlay and Hornswoggle came out, the kids really love Horny. Swagger lost no time and attacked Finlay, as he entered the ring. Finlay lost no time and brawled back, Swagger eventually fled to ringisde. Hornswoggle got up on the apron, rand along it and hit a running plancha on Swagger. Swager go back in and started working Finlay's leg, applying a spinning toe-hold a few times throughout the match, sometimes using the rope for leaverage behind the ref's back.

He threw Finlay out of the ring, then rolled Horny in and pushed him down. As he went to further attack the little guy Finlay entered the ring and hit Swagger over the head with the shillelagh for the same old, lame, Finlay-Horny-finish. After the match, Finlay brought a bunch of kids to the ring to dance and run around with Horny and later both of them. The kids got t-shirts and Finlay even went out of his way to get a few more items for the remaining kids, since there not enough for all of them. One kid even got to pose on the ropes with his toy-belt.

Afterwards, Finlay took the mic and said in German "I love you, Austria". He seemed to genuinely have fun, maybe he enjoyed working his old "home crowd" (Finlay wrestled in Vienna, Graz and Hannover for many year's for Otto Wanz'/Peter William's Catch Wrestling Association and is even married to a German woman, I believe).

Intermission. No items thrown to the fans this time.

6. Shelton Benjamin beat R-Truth to retain the U.S. Title.. R-Truth was out first, rapping to his theme song with a mic. MAJOR screw-up as he entered the ring and said, "Hello Australia" (I wasn't sure at first if I had misheard him, but my brother heard it too, so it seems he really said it). Usually mixing up Austria with Australia is a guarantee for cheap heat, but the crowd let it slip, maybe because they didn't hear it, or because they thought it was a slip-up too. Easily the best match of the night. They started the match with a fair handshake, offered by Benjamin.

The match went back and forth, and stayed very fair, clean breaks in the corner, etc. Arm drags and arm bars from both men, then another handshake. Test of strength which Shelton won, pushing R-Truth down into a bridge, which he eventually got back up from again. Shelton went to ringside and played and teased the crowd, who booed this move heavily. he eventually took his belt and went for the back. R-Truth held up the ropes for him and let him enter back in, after which they slapped fists in another display of mutual respect. Another clean break in the corner into which R-Truth was backed, when Shelton finally attacked him in textbook heel fashion.

R-Truth came back and hit his very cool-looking spinning shoulder block for a near-fall. Shelton loosened a turnbuckle, with which the ref fiddled long enough to miss an inside cradle from R-Truth which of course way outlasted a three-count. In the end, R-Truth missed his scissors kick finisher and Shelton hit Paydirt for the win. Shelton kept attacking R-Truth after the match. R-Trush eventually got the upper hand and hit the scissors kick. Shelton then cut a post-match promo which was hard to understand (bad PA), but I think he demanded that his music be played, and that he wouldn't leave until they did, since he was the winner of the match.

7. Matt Hardy defeated Mark Henry (w/Tony Atlas) in a no DQ match to retain the ECW Title. They could have called it Extreme Rules, since it basically was, and involved quite a few weapons and other items. henry and Atlas were out first, Atlas removed his jacket and Henry sent the time-keeping girl to the back (presumably because he wanted her to give her chair up for Atlas, who never used it anyway). Hardy played the crowd on all sides of the ring at the beginning to major pops, indicating the various sides to scream or quiet down again. He ducked a few Henry attacks early on and mocked Henry by posing like him a few times.

He went for a body press from the top, but Henry caught him and dropped him across the ropes in a corner. he then picked Hardy up again and hit a power slam. He later on blocked a Twist of Fate attempt too. Hardy was on the apron and wen for some kind of springboard move, but Henry threw him off the top rope as he was getting ready to launch himself at Henry. Hardy then got a trash can from under the ring and proceeded to beat Henry over the head a few times with it at ringside. Henry eventually kicked him and Hardy lost the trash can.

Henry then picked up the upper part of the ring steps and threw them into and across the ring in a cool display of strength. It bounced so far across the ring that it almost hit the referee who got out of the way at the last second. Henry propped the steps up in the corner, but failed to throw Hardy into them. Hardy went to ringside again and pulled out a ladder to a big pop. He git Henry with it, then put it up inside the ring, and hit what I believe was a double-foot-stomp of the ladder on Henry for a near-fall.

Hardy got a chair, but Tony Atlas got involved and pulled it from Hardy's grasp as he was about to hit Henry with it. Hardy disposed of Atlas and then hit a drop-toe hold on a chargin Henry, who crashed into the still-propped-up stairs in the corner. Hardy then hit Henry with a chair on the head which was still on the steps. He then hit the Twist of Fate for the win. Hardy celebrated on top of the ladder post-match.

8. Undertaker and Triple H beat Big Show and MVP. MVP and Big Show came out first and seperately, Show received a nice pop and even smiled at a girl in the front. HHH followed to a massive pop and finally the Undertaker arrived to an even bigger one. Show and MVP were at the outside at first, with nobody wanting to get into the ring first. Show then just grabbed MVP and rolled him into the ring to meet HHH.

Taker again slapped and punched his knee, bended it a few times, and placed one leg on the ring steps from time to time while standing on the apron. I also heard (strictly) a rumor from another fan that he twisted his knee while stepping out of the bus recently, according to some sort of security guy at the arena. Lots of stalling from MVP, who went into the corner oppostie takers to stretch his leg on the top rope. As Taker approached he fled to his own corner to stretch there.

After a few minutes, MVP posed to the crowd. HHH ducked an attack and then imitated MVP's pose. Taker tagged in and tried to go for Old School, but was blocked. Taker attacked MVP some more and was then able to hit Old School. Taker then took a bump over the top rope (as I think bigh Show pulled it down) and it seemd like he got stuck with his foot on the top rope, which certainly didn't do the knee any favors. He hot-tagged HHH who worked with MVP, until finally Big Show got in. Show dominated HHH and teased the Undertaker, smiling at him in his laid-back, relaxed way.

MVP tagged back in and applied an abdominal stretch on HHH, getting leaverage from Big Show at times. HHH finally countered the move, but Big Show tagged back in and appllied a claw-hold. HHH played face in peril for a long time, with Show easily pulling him back every time he tried reaching Taker. In a somewhat strange move, Undertaker spilled a bottle of water over his head and started banging his hair, on the outside. Finally HHH managed the tag and it was Undertaker vs Big Show. Taker hit his flaying clothesline, a leg drop and went for a chokeslam, which Show blocked and gave Taker one of his own.

As he reached down, Taker applied the gogoplata on Show, until MVP broke it up. Show headed for the back, HHH motioned for Taker to follow, which he did. Taker and Show brawled down the aisle, and the Undertaker got the better of Big Show. He looked at HHH and made the cut-throat-motion, signaling the finish. HHH then hit the kick and Pedigree on MVP for then win.

Taker and HHH posed in the ring, first to HHH's music, then Taker did his usual one-knee-pose as his music hit. He then went for the back, and raised his arm one last time in the entrance. HHH's music hit again and he posed some more to send the crowd home happy.

Notes: After the show we went outside to were the wrestlers' busses were parked inside the compound. There was a steel fence separating the fans from the wrestlers, and security wouldn't let anybody pass, which seemingly happens on the WWE's/wrestler's order. One security guy was persuaded to go and get a few autographs for some kids and Finlay signed a few tickets. None of the other wrestlers came to where we stood for pictures or autographs, which disappointed quite a few people. A few guys at least waved at our direction before getting on the bus.

All in all a nice show with a few good quality matches and considerable star power. I especially enjoyed the R-Truth/Benjamin and Hardy/Henry/No DQ matches. This was my third WWE show during the last 18 months (and I think my ninth WWE house show overall). I will certainly be at the next show in Vienna, but would really like to attend a Raw and/or SmackDown!/ECW taping in Great Britain one of these days (with all the travel and hotel costs involved, I'd rather not see "just another house show").

Pictures of the show will be available soon at http://darkguy.pycoos.com/galleries/index.php?spgmGal=wrestling

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