Great American Bash

Sunday, July 22nd in San Jose, CA

– The WWE promo hits.
– A video package airs highlighting tonight’s scheduled matches.
– A graphic opening then hits welcoming us to The Great American Bash. We go live to San Jose where a series pyro goes off inside the H.P. Pavilion.
– Michael Cole welcomes us to the show along with JBL. They pass it on to Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler and then they pass it on to Joey Styles and Tazz at ringside as well.

– MVP defeated Matt Hardy to retain the WWE United States Championship. Matt Hardy got a big reaction from the crowd in San Jose. The match kicked off with MVP leaving the ring right away to compose himself. In the ring, MVP pulled off a big superplex. Hardy pulled off a quick bulldog. Another bulldog and MVP continues to kick out. Hardy with a big leg drop on MVP. Hardy hits the Side Effect on MVP, covers and MVP once again kicks out. Finish saw MVP hit the Playmaker on Hardy to get the pinfall and retain his title. Very good match.

– Backstage, Todd Grisham was with Dusty Rhodes. Rhodes had a bull rope around his neck. Rhodes brought up how many feel he created the Great American Bash. He said Randy Orton has a lack of respect and said the cow bell was going to be used on Orton tonight.

– Hornswoggle won the WWE Cruiserweight Championship in a “Cruiserweight Open” Match over Jamie Noble, Chavo Guerrero, Funaki, Shannon Moore & Jimmy Wang Yang. Not a very long match here. The first person to gain a pinfall or submission is the winner and the Cruiserweight champion. All five competitors were in the ring to start the match. Tons of nearfalls early on in the match. Hornswoggle then appeared out of no where from under the ring and splashed Jamie Noble off the top rope as Chavo Guerrero gave Jimmy Wang Yang a superplex off the top rope while on the shoulders of Noble. I guess he is legal? Hornswoggle pinned Noble to become the new Cruiserweight champion. After the match, Hornswoggle ran to the back and a frustrated Chavo Guerrero yelled out that his title was stolen from him.

– A promo hyping Triple H’s return airs.
– A video package on Bobby Lashley airs.

– Carlito defeated The Sandman in a Singapore Cane on a Pole Match. The first one to get the singapore cane can use it legally in the match. Sandman with some big right hands and offense on Carlito early on. Sandman took the action to the ground and worked on Carlito’s left arm. Carlito responded with some shoulder charges to the corner on Sandman. The finish saw Sandman eventually get up and get the singapore cane. Sandman swung at Carlito, but Carlito ducked and hit Sandman with the Backcracker. Carlito got the pinfall to get the win.

– Backstage, Todd Grisham was with Randy Orton. Orton noted today was Shawn Michaels’ birthday, but that he probably couldn’t remember it since he took him out. He promised he was going to kill the legend of Dusty Rhodes tonight.

– Candice Michelle defeated Melina to retain the WWE Women’s Championship. Jim Ross points out an interesting fact about Candice Michelle in that she is the first person to take part in the WWE Diva Search to become Women’s champion. Another short match tonight on the card. Candice got the win with her new finisher called the Candy Wrapper (which is a modified standing bulldog/headlock) on Melina to get the pinfall to retain her title.

– A promo for WrestleMania 24 in Orlando airs.
– Backstage, Jeff and Matt Hardy were talking. Matt said he lost focus tonight in his match with MVP and that is why he lost. Candice then walks by and grabs a water, pouring it all over her chest. This distracts both Hardy’s. Candice pours even more water on herself still distracting Jeff and Matt. Simmons looks at The Hardy’s and gives out his “DAMN” line of the night.

– Umaga defeated Jeff Hardy to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Umaga took the action to the ground working on Jeff’s head. Jeff attempted a comeback by lifting Umaga up, but Umaga came back down splashing Jeff. Umaga splashed Jeff across the chest jumping off the top rope near the corner. Big sidewalk slam by Umaga on Jeff. Jeff responded with an impressive cross-body over the top rope on Umaga. They did a nice series of near-falls with Hardy hitting the Twist of Fate and Swanton Bomb, but Umaga kicked out each time. The finish saw Umaga hit Jeff with the splash to Jeff’s head in the corner and then hit the Samoan Spike to get the pinfall and retain his title. Fans were really into this match and it was a nice change of pace.

– A video package on John Cena airs.

– John Morrison defeated CM Punk to retain the ECW World Title. Joey Styles and Tazz pointed out this was the first ever ECW Title Match in the history of The Great American Bash (also interesting to point out that this is the only match they are calling tonight). CM Punk went for the Go To Sleep very early on, but John Morrison was able to avoid it. Punk with a shining wizard, but Morrison kicked out on the pinfall attempt. The action spilled to the outside and Morrison worked on Punk against the guard railing. The finish saw Punk come off the top rope with a springboard attempt, but Morrison pulled up his knees and connected them with Punk’s gut. Morrison then got the pinfall to retain his title. Solid match, but the crowd wasn’t as receptive with previous matches on the card.

– A video package aired showing highlights of Cody Rhodes speaking at the 2007 WWE Hall of Fame inducting his father Dusty Rhodes. The events leading to tonight’s Texas Bull Rope Match is also highlighted.

– Randy Orton defeated Dusty Rhodes in a Texas Bull Rope Match. Ross and Lawler make it clear you can win by pinfall or submission in this contest. We see each being strapped to the bull rope to get the match underway. Early on in the match, Orton continued to try and escape, but Rhodes would pull him back each time. Dusty was way over with the crowd in San Jose. Yet another short offering from WWE tonight with just a little over five minutes. The finish saw Orton hit Rhodes with the cow bell, a noise that echoed throughout the arena, to get the pinfall and the win. After the match, Orton looked to attack Dusty some more when Cody Rhodes hit the ring. Randy and Cody had a stare down as Randy left to the back. Really came off as a squash match believe it or not.

– A video package airs highlighting the events of Smackdown this past week showing how The Great Khali won the World Title in a 20 Man Battle Royal and how a no contest between Batista and Kane led into tonight’s match.

– The Great Khali defeated Batista & Kane in a Triple Threat Match to retain the World Heavyweight Championship. During the entrances, Michael Cole noted that Edge had successfully surgery this week for his left torn pectoral muscle. Batista and Kane teamed up early on to slam Great Khali through the ECW announce table (which Khali cleared off earlier). Back in the ring, Kane gave Khali a chokeslam that got a big reaction from the crowd in San Jose. Batista broke up the pinfall attempt by Kane on Khali. Batista with a big spinebuster on Khali and Kane breaks up the pinfall attempt. Kane then responds with a big chokeslam on Batista. Kane leaves the ring going for a steel chair, but Batista counters that attempt by Kane. Batista hits a spinebuster and Batista Bomb on Kane, but Khali pulled Batista out of the ring during the pinfall. Khali then slammed Kane and got the pinfall to retain the title. Was about as much as you could expect out of a match involving Khali.

– Another promo for Triple H’s return.

– King Booker came out to the arena along with Queen Sharmell. Booker cut a promo on Triple H saying he isn’t the king of anything and that only king in WWE was King Booker. He also requested once again that Jerry Lawler, or “Jermone” Lawler as he called him, stop referring to himself as The King and charged him with an act of treason. Jim Ross announced that Triple H would returning at SummerSlam on August 26.

– A video package airs highlighting tonight’s WWE Championship Match tonight between John Cena and Bobby Lashley.

– John Cena defeated Bobby Lashley to retain the WWE Championship. Lilian Garcia did the introductions for both Cena and Lashley before the match. Ross noted that Cena’s title reign is now over 300 days. Cena and Lashley have a test of strength early on. Cena attempted an STFU early on, but Lashley was able to escape out of it. Lashley missed a splash in the corner on Cena and Cena dropped Lashley with a big bulldog. Cena hit Lashley with some hard rights backing him into the corner. Lashley hit a modified firemans carry on Cena after Cena caught him with a boot to the face in the corner. Lashley picked up Cena and slammed him into the corner following that up with some shoulder charges. Cena with a big leg drop over the back of Lashley’s head from the top rope. Lashley responded by dropping Cena on his face and then got his back applying a neck submission. Cena with the five knuckle shuffle on Lashley, but it didn’t do much. Cena with an FU attempt, but Lashley counters that into a big powerslam. Lashley with a big torture rack drop on Cena. Cena responds with the FU, but wasn’t able to crawl over and cover Lashley in time. Cena gets Lashley locked in the STFU. They made this really dramatic. Lashley eventually got the ropes. Lashley levels Cena with a Spear, covers, but Cena kicks out. The finish then saw Cena hit the FU on Lashley off the middle rope. Cena covers and gets the pinfall to retain the title. Very solid match. After the match, Cena celebrated by holding the WWE Title over his head.

Source: Adam Martin, Wrestleview.com