Finlay was supposed to be defending the championship against Bobby Lashley but Theodore Long walks out on to the ring before the match, he says Lashley was one of about 83 people in the company suffering from elevated liver enzymes that night so he can’t compete. This brings out the former US Champion for some rare promo time, he says he disagrees with the doctors and feels fine, the crowd are as compassionate as you would expect chanting “let him fight” but Teddy Long can’t allow him to wrestle. Finlay walks past Lashley with William Regal on his way out to the ring. Teddy Long says Finlay shouldn’t be out here and both British men try out an exaggerated hood shake. Finlay wants Teddy to raise his hand and announce him the winner, but the Smackdown GM says there’s still going to be a WWE United States Championship match tonight, Finlay defends against Regal right now. Nick Patrick sprints down to the ring and the match begins.
Michael Cole and
John “Bradshaw” Layfield are on commentary for this match.
FINLAY © VS. WILLIAM
REGAL
(WWE United
States Championship)
Great American Bash 6 (23rd July 2006)
“I’ve got a liver like Jake Roberts and I’ve never had elevated enzymes!” – JBL. William Regal checks under the ring for Little Bastard and goes to walk out of the match, Finlay rolls him up but only gets 1.
I think he should have let Regal walk out to stick it to Teddy Long, and Finlay’s idea got him a slap in the face. William Regal backs Finlay into the corner, Finlay is able to force Regal back and drops to his knees, they roll out of the ring and around ringside in the tie-up before making their way up the ring steps and back inside. Finlay is backed into the corner again and slapped across the chest. Regal trips Finlay and puts him in a toe hold as Cole mentions that they haven’t wrestled in 10 years. Finlay reverses the hold with a headspin. They lock up and Finlay puts on a headlock. Regal backs him into the ropes to try and break, Finlay is sent across the ring at 4 and he knocks Regal down. Finlay goes back to the headlock, Regal sends him across the ring and helps him over the top rope to the floor before following. William Regal connects with a European uppercut but his ankle is grabbed from under the ring.
Little Bastard shows his face and hits Regal in the calf with the shillelagh. Regal is chased around ringside and he gets on to the ring steps. Regal turns around to see Little Bastard and is scared back in the ring. Finlay knocks Regal down with a short-arm clothesline, covering but only getting 1. Finlay puts Regal in a trapeze hold, then pulls on Regal’s face and drops an elbow to the top of his head. William Regal is sent off the ropes but comes back with a kick to the midsection. They trade European uppercuts like it’s nothing, Regal seems to have the best of it but a thumb to the eye evens things out. Finlay rolls Regal up for 2 and sends his head into the top turnbuckle. William Regal is sent across the ring, he tries to kick Finlay away and is sent into the turnbuckles again. Finlay walks into Regal’s boot in the corner and Regal hits a butterfly suplex for 2. William Regal crawls to the side of the ring and Little Bastard gets his hand as Finlay has Nick Patrick distracted.
Finlay starts targeting Regal’s hands with stomps and sends it into the top turnbuckle. Finlay sends Regal’s hand into the top rope, which I’ve never seen before and it’s enough for Regal to start fighting back with kicks to the midsection and a European uppercut. He forces Finlay to the mat and puts him in a chinlock. Finlay kicks his way out and knocks Regal back into the ropes. Finlay sends Regal across the ring and bodychecks him before dropping all his weight on Regal’s midsection. William Regal is dragged across the ring and his chest is dropped onto the apron before being sent kidney first into the side of the ring. Back in the ring, Finlay snapmares Regal down into a chinlock, Regal gets to his feet, he tries to send Finlay into the turnbuckles but Finlay stops himself with his foot and they collide near the corner. William Regal is the first to his feet and he lays the boots in on Finlay.
William Regal starts choking Finlay, moving to a choke using his shin before the count of 5. Regal hits a knee drop and covers, he gets 2. Regal keeps trying to cover but Finlay immediately kicks out of the next attempts. Regal connects with a European uppercut and sends Finlay off the ropes into a dropkick for 2. William Regal hits a T-Bone suplex and celebrates before hitting a jumping knee drop for 2. Finlay is dumped through the ropes as the fans turn on the match, Cole says it’s because they want to see Lashley, which is a good cover. Finlay’s head is sent into the ring post, but he crotches Regal on the curtain over the side of the ring and lays in strikes. When Regal gets back in the ring he’s missing a shoe, so Finlay stomps on the exposed foot. Finlay clubs at Regal’s chest in the corner and knocks him down with a right hand, Regal is sent into the corner but he avoids the charge and Finlay’s shoulder hits the ring post, Regal rolls Finlay up, but he kicks out at 2 so William Regal takes possession of the shillelagh.
Little Bastard hands Finlay Regal’s boot and Finlay strikes first! Finlay stacks up Regal and puts his feet on the middle rope for the win.
WINNER: FINLAY (STILL WWE United States Champion)
This was a solid match, it was slow to start but the intensity built at a nice pace, the fans weren’t expecting it and might not have anticipated an impromptu match going on for as long as it did, but it was another enjoyable match for their catalogues. [***½] 7/10
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