12 July, 2023

MICHELLE McCOOL (C) VS. MELINA

 Michelle McCool won the WWE Women’s Championship at The Bash the previous month, becoming the first woman in history to do so. JR sounds as enthusiastic about that as I do about most pre-2014 women’s match reviews. The champion makes her way out and slaps hands with fans, but she looked like the heel on Smackdown the previous Friday.

 Jim Ross and Todd Grisham are on commentary for this match.

MICHELLE McCOOL VS. MELINA

WWE Night of Champions (26th July 2009)


  Michelle McCool jumpstarts the match, interrupting the best entrance in the business with a dropkick. The referee runs interference after the bell rings and that allows Melina to spear McCool down.
  Melina bends back like the Matrix to avoid a clothesline and takes McCool down with an arm drag. Melina keeps control of the arm as she connects with elbows to McCool’s head and then sends Michelle into the corner for some convoluted mule kicks. Michelle McCool goes out to the floor, but is dragged back in by the hair. Melina doesn’t let the champion beg off and dropkicks her, Melina connects with a forearm before a tilt-a-whirl around Michelle McCool into another mule kick. Michelle McCool is knocked into the ropes but avoids the charge, Melina goes out to the floor by way of her own momentum. Michelle McCool sends Melina into the security wall and connects with a boot before bringing it back in the ring, she covers but only gets 2. Another immediate cover gets 2 again so Michele McCool puts on a brutal looking single-leg boston crab. Michelle McCool releases the hold as Melina gets to the bottom rope, Melina goes out to the apron and her back is snapped off the middle rope as JR mentions her natural flexibility.
  Melina shows off her spatial awareness, getting out of the way of a big boot at the last second. Melina and Michelle McCool get to their feet on the security wall and McCool hits a DDT! Holy fuck. Melina makes it to the apron as we see the replay and jumpsover the baseball slide attempt, McCool hits the floor and stands up into a headscissors from Melina (I’ve had worse) as her head is sent into the ring apron (I still stand by it). Melina shoves McCool away with her feet and dives at the champion from the apron. Back in the ring McCool connects with a kick, but is draped across the middle rope. Melina hits the running knees across the ropes and shoulder thrusts in the corner. Michelle McCool is draped across the middle rope in the corner and Melina connects with double-knees again, Michelle McCool stumbles out of the corner into a rough-looking back elbow and Melina gets 2. Michelle McCool eats strikes and hits a belly-to-belly suplex for 2.
  Michelle McCool forces Melina into the corner but is cut off with the headscissors and an axe kick, Melina hits a seated senton from the middle rope, 1, 2, McCool reverses it for the 3!

WINNER: MICHELLE McCOOL

  This wasn’t as terrible as I expected, there were some things that didn’t look great but they were negated by some of the bigger spots in the match. The DDT on the barrier should have really been a finish, but that could be my Old School mind talking, the visual of Melina in the boston crab is something that stays with you even after seeing it a few times. [*] 2.5/10

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