The opening video to the event focuses on this match, which is ironic really because due to the definition of the stipulation, this match doesn't exist in WWE lore. Michael Cole and Jerry “The King” Lawler are on commentary for this match. Chris Jericho enters the match first, staring intensely as he walks to the ring. After a delay for Jericho to revel in the reaction Michaels makes his way down, wearing street clothes just like the oldschool days.
CHRIS JERICHO VS. SHAWN MICHAELS (Unsanctioned match)
WWE Unforgiven 2008 (7th September 2008)
Shawn Michaels lays into Jericho with right hands. Jericho attempts to fight back on his feet, but gets nowhere so tries to scramble away from the assault. Shawn Michaels lays in the boot then takes his boot off to use the heel as a weapon. Chris Jericho gets knocked out of the ring. Shawn Michaels follows and launches himself at Jericho, sending them both into the crowd for some more brawling and dumping him back to ringside. Shawn Michaels sends Jericho face first into the ringpost and grabs a chair. Shawn Michaels swings at Jericho's head, but connects with the post. Chris Jericho gets in some rights and a kick to the gut, dropping Michaels over the barricade. Chris Jericho hits a DDT on the floor and Michaels takes some time to tell the referee how pointless he is in this match whilst Jericho retrieves a table from under the ring. Chris Jericho throws the table at Michaels, sending him into the Smackdown announce table. Chris Jericho sets up the table, Shawn Michaels tries to fight out of a powerbomb so Jericho drops him onto the apron. Chris Jericho takes it back into the ring, bringing the chair along. He drives the chair into Michaels' ribs and hits him across the back. Chris Jericho hits a back suplex and wedges the chair between the top and middle turnbuckles.
Shawn Michaels is on his feet across the ring, Jericho chokes Michaels out with his boot as the referee realises he can't do a damn thing. Chris Jericho smirks gleefully at the crowd as they chant for HBK Shawn Michaels reverses an irish whip, but switches direction, sending Jericho shoulder first into the ringpost. Chris Jericho falls out to the apron, Michaels goes to retrieve him but Jericho fights back. Shawn Michaels is able to fight off a suplex attempt to the outside, Jericho is positioned above the table from earlier. Chris Jericho eventually lifts Michaels up but Michaels counters, landing beside Jericho on the apron, sending Jericho back into the ring with a clothesline. Shawn Michaels has an injured left arm, that's heavily taped up, so he uses his right to back Jericho into the ropes. Chris Jericho reverses an irish whip but Michaels knocks him down with the running forearm. Shawn Michaels kips up, choking Jericho back down to the mat as Cole mentions Michaels' new aggression. Understandable really, when someone chinned your wife. Shawn Michaels hits the elbow drop but stops in his tracks before connecting with the Sweet Chin Music.
Shawn tells Jericho he's not finished and hammers him with more right hands. Chris Jericho tries to cover up, so Michaels uncovers his head and hits Jericho with punches and elbows, they don't have the desired effect as Shawn has to use his injured arm. Shawn Michaels applies a crossface knowing Jericho can't break it with the ropes, but Jericho is able to work to his feet and send Michaels into the chair he wedged into the corner earlier. The fans chant for Michaels as both men slowly get to their feet. Shawn Michaels turns around into a right hand aimed at his injured eye. The second one knocks him down so Jericho mounts him and continues the targetted attack. Jericho chokes Michaels on the mat and gouges at his eye. Shawn Michaels is allowed to his feet but Jericho dances around, hitting Michaels with jabs. Shawn Michaels tries to swing for Jericho but doesn't connect due to his impaired vision. Jericho toys with Michaels, slapping him around. Shawn Michaels lunges at Jericho and connects, knocking him back into the corner. Chris Jericho reverses an irish whip, sending Michaels upside down and back again, but Michaels sends Jericho down with a Lou Thesz press. Chris Jericho covers up from Michaels' attack, but that doesn't stop HBK swinging.
They get to their feet and Michaels knocks Jericho down with a clothesline. Chris Jericho blocks a piledriver and counters into the Walls of Jericho, Michaels makes it to the bottom rope but it doesn't mean anything in this match. Michaels crawls further out of the ring as we see Jericho screaming at him, Michaels has a fire extinguisher from underneath the ring and he sprays Jericho in the face to break the hold. Shawn Michaels uses the ropes to get to his feet, Jericho does the same across the ring, temporarily blinded. Shawn Michaels rams the extinguisher into Jericho, knocking him out of the ring. Shawn Michaels sends Jericho into the guardrail near the entrance ramp, liking the result so much he repeats it across the way. Shawn Michaels hits a suplex on the steel ramp. Lance Cade runs out but gets cut-off by Michaels. At this point Cade was Jericho's protege, having been trained by Michaels. HBK goes back to Jericho, knocking him down with another clothesline at ringside. Lance Cade is back, he blocks a right hand by Michaels, knocking his injured trisceps and sends Michaels inside out with a lariat. Cade slides Michaels in the ring and positions him near the corner post. Jericho wraps Michaels' arm around the post so Cade can drive his knee into it.
You have to give credit to the referee for trying to reason with Jericho and Cade, but he might as well be talking to a wall. Lance Cade holds Michaels so Jericho can slap him around some more, Jericho headbutts Michaels and Cade isolates his injured arm, Jericho runs at Michaels, kicking the arm. Lance Cade grabs a chair from ringside, holding out Michaels' arm for, well, chair shots. The chair is wrapped around Michaels' arm as Jericho climbs to the top rope, taking his time as Cade holds Michaels down. Shawn Michaels starts fighting back, kicking at Cade and knocking him into the ropes, crotching Jericho on the top turnbuckle. Lance Cade runs back into the ring, into a Sweet Chin Music. Shawn Michaels has the chair and he swings it at Jericho, sending him from the top rope through the table to the floor! Shawn Michaels brings the steel chair out to the floor and swings it at Jericho with his one good arm if he lost his grip there would be a BIG health and safety lawsuit. Shawn Michaels sets up Chris Jericho and Lance Cade on the announce table, sending them both through it with an elbow drop from the top rope!
When Shawn Michaels brings it back in the ring he lashes at Jericho with his belt, the last shot catches Jericho in the eye. Shawn Michaels wraps the belt around his fist and traps Jericho's arms, stopping him from protecting himself from the punches. Shawn Michaels carries on punching at Jericho until the referee calls the match off.
WINNER: SHAWN MICHAELS (Referee stoppage)
That's a new one. The match was supposed to be unsanctioned, no rules but the referee is allowed to stop it due to barbarity? The whole match felt subdued because at this point WWE was still getting used to adhering to the PG rating, but it felt incredibly tame for what it was. Shawn Michaels tried to show his anger at Jericho punching his wife but to me, this didn't click, as a match or a fight. – WORKRATE: 3.25/5 PERSONAL ENJOYMENT 1.75/5 OVERALL 5/10
This match is available on the WWE release “Shawn Michaels: My Journey”
No comments:
Post a Comment