JUDGMENT DAY RESULTS
Undertaker def. Edge (World Heavyweight Championship Match)
Undertaker came, he saw, he conquered. However, his victory over Edge came by way of a count-out, and therefore The Phenom was unable to walk away with the gold.
After a battling inside the ring, the two Superstars carried their war out into the stands. But it was Undertaker who was able to get back in the ring before the ref’s 10-count. It appeared as if The Phenom had just become new World Heavyweight Champion. That was until SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero – amidst a chorus of boos – entered the arena flanked by Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder, to remind everyone that a championship can only be won by pinfall or submission.
The championship has remained vacant ever since Guerrero stripped Undertaker of the gold on the May 2 episode of SmackDown. The move was prompted by the Deadman’s repeated use of an illegal choke hold – including against the GM’s fiancé Edge at WrestleMania XXIV and Backlash. Guerrero’s controversial decision prompted a swift and emotional response from our fans.
With the title vacant, the GM declared The Deadman would have the opportunity to regain the gold in a World Heavyweight Title Match at Judgment Day. To determine his opponent, Guerrero set up the Championship Chase to Judgment Day on SmackDown on May 9. As a surprise late entrant, Edge emerged victorious.
The GM’s efforts to help her fiancé regain the gold seemed to be going just as planned. However, just two nights before Judgment Day on SmackDown, Assistant GM Theodore Long revealed startling news from the WWE Board of Directors. Guerrero herself had to face The Phenom in a match – or she would be stripped of her title – just as she stripped the Undertaker of his. She did what she had to do and stepped into the ring for the first time ever and luckily, escaped without serious harm – thanks to having a four-man advantage in the encounter with The Deadman.
After all that had transpired between Undertaker, Edge and his family members this year, the stage was finally was set for one Superstar to reclaim the gold at Judgment Day. But with Undertaker’s win by count-out, the question lingers: who will be the next World Heavyweight Champion? Will the Rated-R Superstar and Undertaker continue to be the frontrunners for the gold? Or, will another Superstar step up and claim the title?
When Randy Orton met WWE Champion Triple H in a Steel Cage Match at Judgment Day on Sunday night, the Legend Killer had hoped to recapture the title and resuscitate the Age of Orton.
Unfortunately for Orton, however, The King of Kings pulled the plug on his plans.
For months now, these two have locked horns, their animosity reaching a fevered pitch at WrestleMania XXIV when the then-champion Orton eked out a victory in a Triple Threat Match involving The Game and John Cena. Triple H’s determination finally culminated at Backlash when he defeated Orton to secure the WWE Title, his 12th World Championship in his illustrious career.
Since then, the Legend Killer has been unwavering in his resolve to reclaim the title he possessed for six months. Orton started off the match by bolting for the cage door once the bell rang, but Triple H caught him before he could escape. From there, the two traded a series of vicious blows and The Game even seized his foe in a Figure-Four Leglock. As the match progressed, though, Orton scaled the steel mesh barrier several times, appearing frustratingly close to marshalling back in the Age of Orton. Each time, however, Triple H managed to thwart his efforts, dragging him back to the center of the ring.
In the end, the power of Triple H would not be denied. After nearly 30 minutes of sweat-soaked combat, The Game clasped Orton into a Pedigree, dropped the Legend Killer and pinned him for the three-count. The definitive victory further buried the Age of Orton and may have ushered in an entirely new era: Game Time.
Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels have been in a war of words the past few weeks, ever since Michaels’ controversial victory over Batista at Backlash. When all was said and done at Judgment Day Sunday night, HBK broke down the walls by reversing Y2J’s Walls of Jericho into a roll-up for the three-count.
At Backlash, HBK had seemingly injured his knee, but was still able to connect with Sweet Chin Music to eke out a victory over Batista. Jericho, the special guest referee for their Backlash bout, insisted Michaels feigned his knee injury. The Showstopper denied Y2J’s accusations until this past Monday’s Raw, when HBK admitted the injury was a fabrication and proved it by laying Jericho out with Sweet Chin Music.
In a brutal battle filled with reversals and near-falls, both men gave it their all looking to walk out of Judgment Day with the win. From the get-go, both men went for high-risk finishes, reversing one another’s attempts. In the end, Michaels was the one to walk out with the win after reversing the Walls of Jericho.
After the match, Y2J stood up disappointed after losing the encounter, but still extended his hand as a sign of respect to The Showstopper. After waiting a moment, HBK took his hand, acknowledging the hard-fought battle. Michaels walked up the ramp relishing in the fans’ approval of his big win.
A short time later, Batista confronted Michaels in the locker room. The Animal had promised that if HBK’s injury was a ruse, he would hurt him — and to watch his back at Judgment Day. However, Batista didn’t hurt Michaels tonight, because Michaels’ time for punishment would be determined by only one person: himself. What’s next for HBK? When will The Animal make true his promise of revenge? Only Batista knows.
WWE Tag Team Champions The Miz & John Morrison were primed for their moonlight meeting Sunday night as the champions retained the titles against ECW Champion Kane & Mr. Money in the Bank CM Punk.
At the end of a match that saw Kane & Punk in control for the majority, the tables quickly turned. As the Big Red Machine chokeslammed The Miz outside the ring, the Straightedge Superstar was distracted long enough for Morrison to take advantage and hit Punk with the Moonlight Drive to set up the three-count.
After their tag team victory against Chavo Guerrero & Bam Neely, Kane & Punk realized what a force they could be. They immediately challenged the WWE Tag Team Champions, as first seen in an AT&T Mobile exclusive video. Since then, the Shaman of Sexy and the self-proclaimed “Chick Magnet” have had their number, most prevalent last Tuesday when they beat down Kane and Punk after defeating them in one-on-one contests.
Despite their Judgment Day loss, the Big Red Machine and the Straightedge Superstar have golden days ahead. No one has come close to taking Kane’s ECW Championship away from him since he won it at WrestleMania XXIV. Meanwhile, CM Punk still has a firm grasp on the briefcase he earned at The Granddaddy of Them All in the Money in the Bank Ladder Match. He has yet to cash it in for a title opportunity of his choice. Will he go after his tag team partner’s championship? Punk has until WrestleMania XXV to decide.
John “Bradshaw” Layfield said he’d introduce John Cena to a world of pain at Judgment Day. But after Cena defeated the self-made millionaire in stunning fashion at the Qwest Center Sunday night, JBL was the one left hurting in the latest chapter of their intense rivalry.
In a barnburner between two former WWE Champions, the financial tycoon took it to the Chain Gang commander, dominating the match throughout as he sought retribution for Cena’s alleged interference a month earlier at Backlash.
JBL specifically targeted Cena’s surgically-repaired shoulder, looking to get an early submission from the former champ. He continued to brutally punish Cena with thunderous punches and submission maneuvers.
But the resilient Cena was able to absorb everything JBL threw at him. Despite collapsing in pain during a previous FU attempt, Cena bounced back and picked his spot. He caught the tycoon leaning forward, and quickly scooped up JBL for the FU and picked up the three-count.
The sour JBL raged through the locker room after the match, furious that he let a great opportunity slip away. His dreams of climbing the championship ladder were temporarily stymied by Cena, whose strong recovery and surprising victory out of seemingly nowhere has a return to the WWE Championship on the minds and hearts of his loyal fans.
Former United States Champion MVP came to Judgment Day Sunday and issued an open challenge to any WWE Superstar, intent on proving that he is better than everyone else. Instead, what MVP got was a rude awakening from Jeff Hardy, whose appearance rocked the Qwest Center.
It seemed that United States Champion Matt Hardy would be the one to answer the challenge, but he was quick to tell MVP that he wasn’t there to fight, as he had already proven he is better than the cocky Baller. That’s when Matt introduced his brother Jeff, who showed MVP and the world that he is refocused on climbing to the top of WWE competition. In a hard-fought, back-and-forth match, the difference in styles was evident, with MVP using a physically intimidating approach, and Jeff utilizing his no holds barred in-ring maneuvering – with Hardy using the Whisper in the Wind to win the match.
It was last Monday when Jeff defeated Umaga in his surprising return, and his success continued Sunday night when he delivered his own judgment to the Ballin’ Superstar – whose ego once more put MVP on the losing end of a match with a Hardy.
Mickie James def. Beth Phoenix & Melina (Triple Threat Match)
Melina was still seething over Monday’s Raw, when her former ally, Phoenix, brutally attacked her in the locker room as Jillian looked on. While Melina was out for revenge against The Glamazon, she also had the women’s title set in her eyes. But Phoenix, who was also seeking to regain the Women’s Championship, physically dominated much of the Judgment Day Triple Threat Match.
At one point, The Glamazon dexterously and mightily held both James and Melina above her head for several moments. However, Phoenix’s strength could only carry her so far. After Melina knocked The Glamazon out of the ring, James capitalized on the one-on-one situation she had with Melina. The swift Women’s Champion hit Melina with a thunderous DDT and pinned her for the win.
While a vengeful Melina and a dominant Phoenix were fierce competitors for James, the crafty Women’s Champion’s clever thinking and quick moves were exactly what she needed to retain her gold at Judgment Day.