WWE Heat Report: 20th January 2008
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Commentators: Todd Grisham & Jack Korpella
Ring Announcer: Lilian Garcia
Heat begins by airing a highlights package from Raw two weeks ago, where Jeff Hardy flew off the top of the cage to beat Umaga. On a personal note, Kudos goes out to Victoria for acknowledging in her MySpace blog, her victory in the 2007 Heat Awards (Best Diva). Looks like the Heat awards are getting some well deserved recognition. Onto this week’s Heat, three matches on tap and we start with………………..
Santino Marella vs D.H. Smith
WWE.com in error list this match as being Carlito vs D.H. Smith. Sloppy. No mic time for Santino who opts to shake the referee’s hand. Grisham states the importance of Smith needing to keep winning in order to get a shot at qualifying for the Royal Rumble. Smith starts with two side headlock takedowns. Santino counters both times with a headscissors. Smith wins a shove exchange before looking down on Santino menacingly. Santino comes back with a side headlock but a shoulder tackle attempt doesn’t budge Smith. Santino experiences a delayed pain in his shoulder from this and goes to the corner. Smith laughs, Santino tries to talk trash but gets cut off by another side headlock takedown. Smith pushes off two more headscissor counter attempts. Instead, Smith hits a shoulder tackle for a one count before going back to the side headlock takedown. Smith hits a second shoulder tackle then a big throw for a nearfall. Smith goes back, yet again to another side headlock takedown. A frustrated Santino tries to hook the hair but to no avail. Smith reverses Santino off the ropes into a dropkick for a nearfall. Smith sends Santino staggering around the ring with an uppercut and several punches. Santino manages to telegraph a dropkick off the ropes by hanging on, allowing Smith to crash and burn. Santino works over the back with some shots, before delivering a backbreaker for a nearfall. Santino applies a brief camel clutch. Santino breaks to pull Smith further from the ropes before cinching it back in. Santino breaks to land a sitdown shot to the back, followed by more punches and stomps. Santino funnily reprimands the referee for getting too close, telling him he doesn’t have to do that. Santino goes back to the camel clutch. Smith gets up with Santino on his shoulders, using an electric chair drop to escape. Santino staggers around so Smith uses the ropes as leverage to land a forearm, clothesline and dropkick. Santino stops a backbodydrop attempt with a flurry of quick shots, but as he runs the ropes Smith catches him in a powerslam. Cover 1-2-no. Smith Irish whips but Santino avoids a charge as Smith hits the corner front first. Santino takes advantage by hitting a roll the dice neckbreaker, which Korpella calls the rolling cutter for the shock 1-2-3. Here is Your Winner: SANTINO MARELLA. Post match sees Santino trumpet his own success as Smith favours his head. Grisham calls Santino the dark horse in the Rumble after winning here against the bigger guy. This was a shock to me and is a shame for Smith who I feel will now just be another guy that’s lost in the shuffle. I’d have had Cody Rhodes face Santino here to play up their ongoing tag team feud.
The Highlanders vs Hacksaw Jim Duggan & Super Crazy
Korpella dubs this as a tremendous tag team match which is a dubious claim. The Highlanders come out to the new music they debuted on ECW this past week. Grisham notes their ECW appearance and the fact they’ve appeared on every brand. I don’t remember them being on Smackdown. Korpella notes it’s Hacksaw’s birthday which is pointed out by a sign in the crowd. Happy Birthday Hacksaw. Grisham talks up Hacksaw being similar to Ric Flair in that his career spans over three decades. The similarities don’t end there as both are former Rumble winners. The crowd are very into Hacksaw and Crazy. The Highlanders work over Crazy with several shots. Crazy comes back with a crucifix pin attempt on Robbie for a one count. Crazy delivers a hiptoss and armdrag to Robbie. Hacksaw works over Robbie’s arm with elbows and several punches before driving his shoulder into the corner. Grisham speculates on the Highlanders’ desire to get in the Rumble match, before mistakenly reflecting on the time that Hawk and Animal started a Rumble off as numbers 1 & 2. That feat actually belongs to Demolition from 1989. For some reason WWE always downplay Demolition’s contribution to the industry when they were actually a phenomenal team. Back to the match and Robbie receives a double backelbow off the ropes. After a nearfall, Crazy Irish whips then monkey flips Robbie out of the corner. Despite being quite a way away, Crazy springs to the second rope. Rory distracts Crazy who gets thrown off armfirst by Robbie who quickly tags out. Crazy squirms on the mat favouring his shoulder. Rory goes to work with several stomps. Rory ties Crazy’s arm in the ropes then kicks. Behind the referee’s back, Robbie wrenches the arm down across the middle rope. Rory covers for a nearfall. Robbie lands more shots to the arm before pulling Crazy away from Hacksaw and slamming him onto his arm/shoulder. Robbie hits a double axehandle for a nearfall, before pounding away on Crazy’s head with punches. Rory kicks at the arm, gets a nearfall then twists at the arm as he presses his knee into it. Rory cuts off Crazy’s fightback by driving him backfirst into the Highlander corner. Crazy crawls underneath Rory who hooks a leg. Rory starts to pull Crazy away from Hacksaw, so Crazy rolls onto his back, using his other leg to kick Rory into Robbie. The impact knocks Robbie off the apron allowing Crazy to make the tag. Hacksaw punches Rory before getting in and delivering two clotheslines and a slam. Hacksaw punches Robbie through the ropes then connects with his three point stance clothesline on Rory. Hacksaw unselfishly tags in Crazy who gingerly hits a standing moonsault to get the 1-2-3. Here Are Your Winners: HACKSAW JIM DUGGAN & SUPER CRAZY. Post match, Crazy shows no ill effects of the shoulder that was just worked over. Korpella says Hacksaw and Crazy are a team turning heads while Grisham advises the Highlanders to pick a brand, stay on it, do some homework and get some results. This was what you would expect from these four. Not good but they’ve had worse matches.
Charlie Haas vs Brian Kendrick
Main Event time. Conspicuous by his absence again is Paul London. Where is he thesedays? Is he injured? He’s not even appearing on House shows. Crowd pop for Kendrick. Korpella speculates on possible knee damage for Kendrick stemming from his loss last week to Santino Marella. Haas begins with a side headlock and shoulder tackle. Kendrick comes back with a hiptoss and armdrag into an armbar. Haas uses the hair to take Kendrick to the corner. Haas lands a punch and back club. Kendrick off the ropes, Kendrick telegraphs a backbodydrop with a boot to the head. Kendrick gets a leg trip and one count before nailing a tilt-a-whirl headscissors. Haas goes outside, angrily kicking the steps as Heat cuts away for a Royal Rumble commercial. We return to see Haas come from under the ring in luchador mode, as the mask to match his singlet makes an appearance. Kendrick looks on confused before ushering Haas forwards. Haas reverses a rollup attempt off the ropes for a nearfall. Haas delivers a dropkick, some shots to the gut, a snapmare and stiff kick to the back for a nearfall. Haas applies a bow and arrow submission (neck tie) while wedging a knee into Kendrick’s back. Kendrick gets up and muscles free, before landing kicks to the back of Haas’ leg. Haas catches a leg then ducks to avoid Kendrick’s enziguiri attempt. Haas slams and lands two rolling sentons off the ropes for a nearfall. Haas lifts Kendrick for a powerbomb but Kendrick punches at Haas’ head, yanks his mask off then jumps down. Kendrick teases Haas with the mask in the corner. Kendrick slithers out onto the apron as Haas charges into the corner. Haas charges again but Kendrick leaps back in, rolling over the back of Haas. Kendrick boots the gut and quickly hits Sliced Bread #2 for the 1-2-3. Here is Your Winner: BRIAN KENDRICK. Post match sees Kendrick high five fans around ringside on his way to the back. Korpella hypes Kendrick as Grisham says in a nutshell that the underdogs all won this week. This was a really good match. I’d like to see more matches between these two.
Korpella thanks us for watching to end the show.
Best match: Charlie Haas vs Brian Kendrick.
Worst match: The Highlanders vs Hacksaw Jim Duggan & Super Crazy.
Show verdict: Thumbs in the middle. Things picked up with the Main Event to prevent an uneventful thumbs down.
Edited off the show this week was Umaga vs Drew McIntyre and Hardcore Holly (in his hometown) vs Carlito.
Looking forward to a good week with my birthday Friday then my favourite PPV of the year next Sunday. Take care, have a good week yourselves and I’ll see you back here next Sunday with Heat and my thoughts on the Royal Rumble. 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].
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