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Raw: July 9, 2040
Opening Match: King of the Ring Second Round - Quentin McDaniels vs. Caleb Greene
The King of the Ring continues with four matches tonight and the final three on Superstars to get the final 8 determined. Greene is a hard to pin down high flyer here in the face of a vicious and determined McDaniels. McDaniels is so determined that his fist manifests a foreign object and it collides with Greene's face allowing McDaniels to pick up the pin and be the first man in the quarterfinals. *****, 94% overall.
Backstage, Vivian Merrick walks into Lisa Benton's office apparently in response to a summons. Benton wants to know how the Future Foundation are faring. Vivian rolls her eyes and responds they're still the best team the WWE has got going if that's what she means. Benton only asks because any personal animosity amongst Vivian's group could be disastrous, especially when Benton is making a Unified Tag Team championship match for King of the Ring. Vivian wonders who could possibly be good enough right now to take down her boys. Benton responds by saying it's a team Vivian has seemed to shown great interest in these last few weeks: The Wyldhearts. Vivian reacts with an odd expression, with a mix of anger and content.
Elsewhere backstage the Royal Effect want to yell and bitch about a couple of things. First thing first, the fact that dumb pretty boy teams like the Wyldhearts getting a title shot over the Royal Effect is just more fuel to what they've been saying. The Play Pals are a symptom of rot here in the WWE and they need to be taught a lesson.
Second Match: King of the Ring Second Round - Salvatore Scabbia vs. Martyn LaSalle
LaSalle makes it known that he's aware of what Hotbody is trying to do with his insults and theatrics. Hotbody shouldn't be worried about whether or not LaSalle has friends because the comfort of the Cruiserweight Championship along with the King of the Ring crown is more than enough. Scabbia tries his usual overpowering tactics here forcing LaSalle to take this to the mat in order to stand a chance. LaSalle manages to counter the Omerta and turn it into an attempt at locking in the Martynizer but Michael Hotbody makes his presence known being accompanied by an obvious, umm, 'professional companion', and offers her up to LaSalle. This is enough to break LaSalle's focus and Scabbia escapes and goes back into locking in the Omerta which causes LaSalle to pass out sending Scabbia to the quarterfinals. After Scabbia leaves Michael Hotbody and his, er, company enter the ring and Hotbody gets on the mic and mocks LaSalle for not being able to 'rise' to the occassion despite Hotbody bringing him a companion. ****1/2, 92% overall.
Third Match: The Wyldhearts vs. The Wolves of Wall Street
The Wyldhearts have some fire here as they're happy to be the number one contenders to the Unified Tag Team Titles. Vivian Merrick once again makes it a point to watch the match from the stage. Well that aside, this is all about making the Wyldhearts look good and they isolate Hughs and hit the Heartstopper for the win. Vivian looks impressed and possibly a little aroused. *****, 95% overall.
In-Ring Super Special Talky Time with Paul Andrews. He wants to talk about the level of disappointment he feels in the current Intercontinental Champion, Brandon Reigns. Much like Jake Connelly, Paul Andrews pegged Reigns as a future top name even before Connelly decided to take Reigns under his wing. Andrews doesn't want to slight Reigns for his choices but rather his attitude. Reigns feels that he has nothing left to learn but as the saying goes, the day you stop learning is the day you die. Reigns' career is far from over granted but its decline can be sped up if he continues this grandstanding. Ultimately, Reigns will be judged on how he faces adversity just like everybody else who laces those boots and struts their way into this ring. So Andrews is daring Reigns to step up to the adversity known as Conner Buchanan and accept his challenge for an Intercontinental Title match.
This brings out the Intercontinental Champion himself and he joins Andrews in the ring. Reigns declares that he's not afraid of adversity but he's not interested in wasting his time. That's why he opted out of the King of the Ring and that's why he said no to Conner's challenge last week. He had his time in the spotlight and it's not Reigns' fault that Conner has to resort to latching onto another has-been like Paul Andrews to stay afloat. It's actually quite sad. So Reigns will once again reject the challenge but with one small caveat: if Conner or Andrews waste his time again with crap like this, Reigns won't be so merciful. Andrews retorts that a match with Buchanan wouldn't be a waste of time but a chance for Reigns to show a 'has-been' like Andrews that he is indeed the future like he claims to be. Wouldn't it be so sweet in Reigns' mind if he was able to shove Andrews' words down his throat? Reigns says that he knows that Andrews has to speak for Buchanan as a manager so he gets what he's trying to do. But the problem is Reigns doesn't need a match to do what Andrews is asking for. And with that Reigns nails Andrews with his Money in the Bank briefcase. Reigns proceeds to pound the shit out of Andrews and even locks him in the Iron Reign. He lets go when it looks like Andrews is out and thus takes his leave.
Fourth Match: Fatal Four Way Number One Contender's Match for the Women's Title - Tania vs. Billie Padgett vs. Hannah McCormick vs. Faith Connors
As the WWE Women's Champion Naomi Bailey feels entitled to watch this from ringside standing near the announce table. Faith and Hannah continue their little drama but it all boils down to Tania escaping Padgett's Red Hook and countering into the Nose Dive to score the pin and earn herself a championship match. Hannah and Faith battle it out to who knows where and Tania and Naomi exchange glares. ****1/2, 94% overall.
Fifth Match: King of the Ring Second Round - Haven vs. Azazel
Two dark monsters battling it out here. Haven once again demonstrates his desire to not fuck around in this tournament. After a grueling heavyweight slugfest Haven manages to score a clean victory after hitting the Sting of Solace for the pin to advance to the quarterfinals. ****1/2, 93% overall.
More In-Ring Special Talky Time with the challenger to the Unified World Title, Kerry Cemenko. Cemenko asks the crowd if Butch Fleming has the ability to fly. Does Butch Fleming has superhuman strength and bulletproof skin? Does Butch Fleming have lasers that shoot from his eyes? Can Butch Fleming turn invisible or lift things with his mind? Can he even use a bow and arrow? If the answer to all of those question is no, then quite frankly those threats that Fleming made last week ring a little hollow. You see, here's a shocking truth that Fleming doesn't want any of us to process: he's only a man. A vicious man? Yes. A tough man? Absolutely. An invincible man? No. He wants to talk about making life difficult well for Kerry Cemenko there have been plenty of days that are difficult. He calls them days when he hasn't been the Unified World Champion. You see, when you get into this business with an eye to wear that top prize, you had better get rid of the fear of another man because you might as well just pack it in and head home. There will be pain, there will be torture, there will be heartbreak but it's all worth it when you can sit at home, looking at that championship, with a proud feeling in your soul that it was worth it and you didn't let somebody like Butch Fleming and his words deter you. King of the Ring is not Fleming's playground where he throws his weight around and Cemenko is just supposed to run away crying to his mommy. It's a night where Cemenko takes all of what Fleming has to offer and he spits right in Fleming's face and laughs it off because winning that Unified World Title is too damn important. You're a man, Fleming, not a monster. And even if you were, Cemenko would find a way to slay you anyway.
Bold words, but Fleming has managed to sneak his way into the ring behind Cemenko and nails him knocking him down. The champion hasn't taken kindly to Cemenko's bravado and proceeds to pummel the challenger all around the outside of the ring. Fleming sets up the announce table looking to put an exclamation point on this. SLAUGHTERHOUSE SPECIAL THROUGH THE TABLE!!! Cemenko stands tall and shouts some more smack to his fallen adversary.
Sixth Match: Leah vs. Missy Brantley
Leah and Nathan Quinn make it a point to hand out photos of their beatdown of Jenna Kyle from last week to the crowd. Quinn points out that Jenna might just never show her face again around here! The match goes along without a hitch until Leah looks to hit the Sultry Splash but HERE COMES JENNA running down the aisle! She makes a beeline for Leah and tackles her down for the DQ. Jenna will not be denied though! She smashes Leah's face into the canvas a few times before Quinn pulls her off and gets Leah the hell out of there. ****1/2, 92% overall.
MAIN EVENT: King of the Ring Second Round - Ryan Pattillo vs. Zed Jones
This will do it for our King of the Ring matches for the night. Michael Hotbody accompanies Zed and invites Martyn LaSalle to watch a real King of the Ring contender in Zed Jones...if he's still not off in dreamland, that is. This is another hard-hitting contest with Hotbody interjecting himself whenever he can behind the ref's back. Ultimately Martyn LaSalle comes down and stalks Hotbody. Hotbody shits his pants and backs off pleading with LaSalle. They have themselves a chase through the crowd leaving Zed by himself with Pattillo. The whole ordeal is enough to allow Pattillo to take advantage of Zed's pre-occupation with the shenanigans and hit the Shutdown to get the win and advance to the quarterfinals. ****1/2, 91% overall.
Overall show rating: 90%
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