Ruthless Aggression | A WWE Universe

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December Week 1 | Alamogordo, NM

Match #1: Jeff Hardy w/ Matt Hardy vs. Kevin Nash w/ Sting '98 | One on One Normal Match
With Hollywood Hogan retiring from WWE and vacating the World Heavyweight Championship, not only would the company be without a world champion, but the nWo would also be left without a leader. Or so we thought. Kevin Nash came out without Scott Hall, who was sick this evening, but rather flanked by... Sting? Sporting red face paint and Kevin Nash in red and black instead of the traditional nWo white and black, Nash announced that the nWo had formed a new version of itself, the Wolfpac, and Sting had taken over as leader. They didn't exactly get off to a hot start though. One half of the tag team champions in Nash took on multi-time champion Jeff Hardy in singles action. Hardy was simply too big for Nash, and after countering a Jackknife Powerbomb from the big man, Hardy climbed the top rope and hit a Swanton Bomb to put him down for the three count. Will the Hardyz aim for the tag titles once again now?
Winner: Jeff Hardy by pinfall.

Middle Card Promo: Trish Stratus | Call Out
Another title that had been vacated, in this case by a superstar being released from the company, not retirement, was the WWE Women's Championship. Chyna is no longer part of WWE, and with her gone, Trish Stratus came down to the ring to make her own claim for the championship. She didn't demand she merely be appointed champion though, instead, she called out her long-time rival and the woman who beat her for the Women's Championship way back in June at King of the Ring, Lita. Lita came out and stated to the crowd that the WWE was in for a revolution, a woman's revolution, where women wouldn't just be divas and eye candy but actual legitimate wrestlers capable of having great matches. Her and Trish were the two best in the business right now and she agreed that the two of them should face off at the next pay-per-view, Night of Champions, for the biggest prize in women's sports entertainment.

Middle Card Promo: Shawn Michaels | Call Out
We haven't seen Shawn Michaels on TV in some time, but he was out here tonight to address the fans. HBK said, "You know, I've been out of the title picture for a bit, and hey, maybe I'm not deserving of being in the world championship picture, but there's a belt I haven't won since I was a young'un, the Intercontinental Championship. Orton, I know you've buddied up with my old boy Triple H now and he helped you beat Austin at Survivor Series, but well, another legend's coming for your belt." This prompted Orton to come down to the ring, he smiled cockily, "You want a shot at the IC champ? You've got it Shawn." They stared each other down for a bit until Batista came in from behind and clubbed Shawn over the head. Ric Flair came next, stomping on HBK's leg before locking in the Figure Four. When he released it, HBK hobbled to his feet but was immediately brought back down for good with an RKO from Orton. Michaels lay motionless in the ring while three quarters of Evolution stood over him triumphantly as the show faded to commercial.

Main Event: Sting vs. Goldberg vs. The Rock vs. Triple H | Fatal 4-Way | Undisputed WWE Championship
Vince McMahon was shown in the ring after the commercial break standing in front of a veiled object. He announced that he was planning to retire the World Heavyweight Championship along with Hogan. "We have a new deal now to show WWE programming across RAW is WAR, Smackdown! and Velocity! To be champion across all three of these shows, one needs to be the UNDISPUTED best in the world. So without further ado, I give you, the Undisputed WWE Championship!" Vince removed the cloth from the object to show a brand new championship belt. "I've selected the four superstars I believe to be the top men in the company to compete for this belt: The Icon Sting, Goldberg, The Rock and the The Game Triple H! They will compete in a Fatal 4-Way match for this championship and that match starts... RIGHT NOW!

This ended up being an incredible back and forth matchup. Initially it split up into essentially two separate one on one matchups, with the former WCW guys, Sting and Goldberg facing off while The Rock and HHH, longtime WWE guys went head to head. But eventually it devolved into total chaos. There were many opportunities for each guy to win as all four men gave and were on the receiving end of each other's finishers throughout the bout. If anyone stood above the rest it was Goldberg, who never went down for any more than a one count to that point. As the match continued, The Rock hit Triple H with a spinebuster, forcing The Game to roll out of the ring in pain and recover. Before he could do anything though, The Rock was also tossed over the top rope by Goldberg. When Goldberg turned around, Sting came flying off the top rope, hitting him with a clothesline and about to set up a Scorpion Death Drop for the possible win. But before he could do that The Rock came back into the ring, spun Sting around and capitalized with a surprise Rock Bottom. Goldberg simply didn't have the strength to make it over to break up the pin. 1, 2... and 3! The Rock is your new and first WWE UNDISPUTED CHAMPION!
Winner: The Rock by pinfall.

[Xixak]

December Week 1 | Kansas City, MO

Show Opener Promo: The Rock
The newly crowned Undisputed Champion and most electrifying man in all of sports entertainment, The Rock, opened up HIS SHOW, Smackdown! to a deafening applause from the crowd. "Finally, The Rock has come back to... Smack... Down! And The Rock is back as your CHAMPION! You know I thin---." The Rock was cut off, "It doesn't matter what you think... EEEEEEEEEEVER," as Chris Jericho sauntered his way down to the ring. Y2J continued much to The Rock's annoyance, "For some reason, Vince didn't even put me in the Undisputed Championship match, and I think that just ain't right. So I am here to challenge YOU to a match at Night of Champions for that belt babayyyy!" The Rock looked at Jericho and smiled, "You, you think you deserve to challenge The Rock?" He looked to the crowd, raised an eyebrow, then turned back to Jericho and hit him with a devastating Rock Bottom. "The Rock does NOT upset your challenge!" and The Rock flipped the mic onto Jericho before walking out of the ring and backstage.

Match #1: Brock Lesnar w/ Paul Heyman vs. Big Show | One on One Normal Match
It's rare you see The Big Show get man handled like this. Brock tossed Big Show all over the ring from start to finish. The one sliver of hope for the giant came when he actually kicked out of Brock's first F-5, but that only seemed to further enrage Lesnar. He, like Jericho, was upset about not being included in the Undisputed Championship match and he took out all of his aggression on Show. Several more suplexes followed by a second F-5 meant Show would not kick out a second time. Lesnar beat the hell out of Show after the bell rang as well, only stopping when his manager, Paul Heyman, was finally able to calm him down.
Winner: Brock Lesnar by pinfall

Match #2: Rhyno vs. Shane McMahon | One on One Normal Match
The boss's son, Shane McMahon, made his first TV appearance in quite some time tonight, scheduled to go one on one with Rhyno. During the bout, Shane was being overpowered and at one point decided to slip out of the ring and under the apron. Rhyno went after him, dragging him out from under the ring, but Shane had a sledgehammer in hand. He bashed Rhyno's skull with it and the referee immediately called for the disqualification. Shane continued to deliver blow after blow to the dome of Rhyno with the hammer, before stopping, grabbing the mic and addressing the WWE universe, "I think it's time to bring back something we've all been missing. This might be the ruthless aggression era, but WWE is still ALL about attitude. And what symbolizes that more than the Hardcore Championship?" Over the course of the next 4 weeks, starting this Saturday, 8 superstars of my choosing will compete in a knockout tournament, culminating in a final at Night of Champions to crown a brand new, WWE Hardcore Champion! Each of these matches will be extreme rules, ANYTHING goes!"
Winner: Rhyno by disqualification

Main Event: John Cena vs. Randy Orton w/ Evolution | One on One Normal Match
To close out the show a match was scheduled between the current United States Champion, John Cena, and Intercontinental Champion, Randy Orton; two of the brightest young stars in the business. Cena took control of the match early on, but that didn't last long. The numbers game proved to be way too much for the United States Champion, as a distraction from Batista gave Orton just enough time to recover from Cena's slam and hit him with an RKO to win the matchup. The misery wouldn't end there for Cena. While Evolution decided not to beat him up, Rey Mysterio appeared on the stage and issued a challenge to the United States Champion for his belt.
Winner: Randy Orton by pinfall.

[Xixak]

WWE Hardcore Championship Bracket Announced

[Xixak]

December Week 1 | East Lansing, MI

Match #1: Bryan Danielson (8) vs. Rhyno (1)| One on One Extreme Rules | Hardcore Championship Quarter-Final
Former independent wrestling scene star, Bryan Danielson, made his debut in WWE as the #8 ranked participant in the Hardcore Championship tournament. He showcased his highly technical moveset against Rhyno, locking the big man into several working and submission holds despite his size disadvantage. Danielson nearly forced Rhyno to submit with a cattle mutilator, but Rhyno was eventually able to use his strength to break free. A desperate Danielson looked to take flight to try and gain an advantage. Rhyno rolled out of the way of his diving headbutt, and when Bryan stumbled to his feet, dazed, he was leveled with a Gore Spear. Absolutely no chance of kicking out and Rhyno earned his way to the semi-finals of the tournament.
Winner: Rhyno by pinfall

Match #2: John Cena vs. Shelton Benjamin | One on One Normal Match
Shelton Benjamin's held both the Intercontinental and United States championships this year, but he's been in a bit of a dry-spell for the last little while. Testing his mettle against the current US champion, John Cena, would be a great way to get back on a roll. And things started out exactly that way with Benjamin putting on a clinic against John Cena. It looked like he was going to get a big non-title victory over the champion as he set up the Paydirt following a superkick, but Cena dodged it and then put Benjamin in a school-boy roll-up to seal the victory. Cena ran out of the ring and walked away seemingly proud of himself as a visibly enraged Benjamin seethed in the ring. Benjamin eventually lost his cool and went after Cena, hitting him and dragging him back into the ring before beating him up and leveling the champion with a Paydirt in the center of the ring.
Winner: John Cena by pinfall

Main Event: Godfather (6) vs. DDP (3) | One on One Extreme Rules | Hardcore Championship Quarter-Final
Godfather was in the middle of his entrance when Diamond Dallas Page clubbed him from behind triggering the start of the matchup with a cheap shot. The advantage Page had hoped to gain from this quickly dissipated though as an incensed Godfather eventually hurled him into the ring. Before heading in himself, he selected his weapon of choice, a kendo stick, and proceeded to beat the living hell out of Page with it. Welts started to form across the back and abdomen of DDP, and a Ho Train and Pimp Drop that followed looked like they would be enough for the win. However, DDP kicked out at two, infuriating Godfather further. He decided to up the ante, grabbing a table and setting it up in the middle of the ring to put Page through. But DDP was too quick and by the time Godfather's setup was done, Page had returned to his feet and hit a Diamond Cutter putting Godfather's face directly through the table, bloodying him and knocking him unconscious. Page rolled up his opponent for three to advance to the next round of the tournament.
Winner: DDP by pinfall

[Xixak]

Updated Hardcore Championship Bracket

[Xixak]

December Week 2 | Kansas City, MO

Match #1: Lita vs. Trish Stratus | One on One Normal Match | WWE Women's Championship
Trish Stratus and Lita were all set to face off for the women's title after their confrontation last week. Before the match, Lita offered a handshake to her rival, but when Trish went to accept, she pulled it back, showing an act of poor faith. When the match got started, Lita used the fact that she'd gotten in Trish's head through her pre-match actions to her advantage, taking control initially. However Lita's momentum was brought to an abrupt halt by Trish with a Spinebuster. She followed that up with her signature Stratusfaction finisher but to Trish's bewilderment, Lita kicked out at two. Lita was able to take advantage of Trish's shock and put her down with a Twist of Fate, but her Diving Moonsault was countered by Trish putting her knees up. Clutching at her stomach, Lita rose to her feet slowly but was immediately put down and out by a Chick Kick to the head from Stratus, as she pinned her to claim the vacant Women's Championship.
Winner: Trish Stratus by pinfall

Match #2: Scott Hall w/ Kevin Nash vs. Matt Hardy w/ Jeff Hardy | One on One Normal Match
Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy came out to a new theme and gimmick. Hardy wore a red robe and pants while Hardy carried a lanturn, giving the Hardyz a more ominous look than they typically sported. And this reflected in the ring as Matt Hardy wrestled in a style that threw off one off one half of the World Tag Team Champions, Scott Hall. This one was full of near falls, but primarily in Matt's favour. Hall kicked out of a number of Twist of Fates and Side Effects, just barely surviving the matchup. Eventually Matt Hardy took it to the next level, hitting a Twist of Fate off the top rope that bloodied Hall and looked sure to end the match, but Nash distracted the referee to prevent the count. Jeff took exception to this and pulled Nash off the apron and delivered a Twist of Fate to him, before Matt hit yet another one on Hall to get the victory. With both members of the nWo tag team having now lost to a Hardy brother, tensions seemed to flare between the two as they argued post-match and Hall pushed Nash aggressively before walking backstage on his own.
Winner: Matt Hardy by pinfall

Match #3: Shawn Michaels and ??? vs. Ric Flair and Batista | Two on Two Tag Team
Shawn Michaels was seen backstage with Stephanie McMahon demanding retribution against Evolution after their actions last week. HBK seemed to have forgotten about the off-screen relationship between Stephanie and Evolution leader, Triple H, and that cost him. It seemed that relationship had extended and Stephanie was now in cahoots with Evolution as well. Stephanie booked him in a tag team match against Ric Flair and Batista, but his teammate would be... Randy Orton? This hardly made any sense. It became very evident early that this was a ruse when Orton simply refused to tag in against his Evolution teammates, leaving HBK to deal with both Flair and Batista on his own. The Showstopper put on a valiant effort but what was essentially a handicap match proved to be unwinnable. Flair did some major damage to Michaels' leg with a figure four leglock, and Batista would later take advantage of his reduced mobility by delivering a devastating spear that pickup up the victory for his side. Orton celebrated with his Evolution teammates again post-match, once again standing over the body of a prone Shawn Michaels.
Winner: Ric Flair & Batista by pinfall.

Main Event: Steve Austin vs. Triple H w/ Stephanie McMahon | One on One Normal Match
Austin had a little score to settle with Triple H, after the leader of Evolution directed his stable to interfere in Austin's match with Orton at Survivor Series and cost him his shot at the Intercontinental Championship. HHH wasn't done with the shenanigans though, as during Austin's entrance he tried to attack him from behind, but luckily the Rattlesnake was coy to it. That hammer would come into play quickly during the match though. When Austin started gaining the upper hand and looked ready to set up HHH for the Stunner, Stephanie slipped the hammer to HHH and an unsuspecting Austin got leveled with it as the steel smashed against his skull. The match was called off by the official but HHH continued to assault Steve Austin with the sledgehammer relentlessly as the show went off air.
Winner: Steve Austin by disqualification.

[Xixak]

December Week 2 | Sacramento, CA

Match #1: The Rock vs. Brock Lesnar w/ Paul Heyman| One on One Normal Match
Brock Lesnar stepped up to challenge The Rock after being snubbed from the original Undisputed Championship match and a commanding victory over Big Show last week. The Rock was outmatched physically but more technically sharp and smarter than his competitor and used that to his advantage. He almost looked like putting away Lesnar after following up a spinebuster with a Rock Bottom, but Paul Heyman pulled the referee out of the ring before he could make the count. This pissed off The People's Champion and he went after Heyman, clotheslining him. However, by the time The Rock got back in the ring, Lesnar was waiting for him with an F-5, and he grabbed the shocking pinfall victory over the champ. The Rock's troubles didn't end there though, once he got to his feet, Chris Jericho's music started to play. With The Rock's eyes trained on the stage, Jericho sneaked in from behind and attacked The Rock, leaving him battered and bruised in the ring.
Winner: Brock Lesnar by pinfall.

Match #2: Bryan Danielson vs. Rey Mysterio | One on One Normal Match
Rey Mysterio got off to a hot start against the relative newcomer, Bryan Danielson. It was basically all Rey early on and it looked over when Mysterio hit the 6-1-9 followed by the Frog Splash, but Bryan Danielson somehow kicked out. When Rey went for the pin again, a prone Danielson locked him into the Calf Mutilator submission, nearly forcing Rey to submit before Mysterio grabbed onto the bottom rope. The match continued, more evenly this time, but an error from Danielson allowed Mysterio to hit a second 6-1-9 and Frog Splash combination to get the win. Post-match, John Cena came out to the ring with his title and stood face to face with Rey. Cena raised his title, saying nothing, while Mysterio pointed at the belt and nodded his head. Looks like the challenge is on.
Winner: Rey Mysterio by pinfall.

Match #3: Trish Stratus vs. Stephanie McMahon | One on One Normal Match
New WWE Women's Champion, Trish Stratus, was scheduled for a singles match with Stephanie McMahon, but it never got started. During her entrance, the woman she defeated to win the belt, Lita, attacked her from behind. The two brawled but the confrontation eventually ended with Lita smashing Trish over the head with her own title, before standing over the champion with the belt held high.
Winner: No Contest

Main Event: Randy Orton w/ Evolution vs. Eddie Guerrero | One on One Normal Match
Randy Orton took on Eddie Guerrero in non-title action. Guerrero was actually outperforming the intercontinental champion, surviving multiple RKO attempts with crafty counters and dodges. One such counter from Guerrero ended up with Orton on the receiving end of the Three Amigos. Ric Flair tossed a chair into the ring for Orton to use, which triggered an argument with the official. Meanwhile, Eddie Guerrero climbed the top rope to deliver the Frog Splash to get the win, but Orton grabbed the chair and put it between himself and a flying Guerrero, causing major damage to the latino superstar. When Guerrero got to his feet, Orton delivered an RKO and pinned him to win the match. Post-match, Evolution, in typical fashion, started an all out assault on Guerrero, but this time Shawn Michaels, who had received his own share of beatings from the group, came out to aid Guerrero and drove them off.
Winner: Randy Orton by pinfall.

[Xixak]

December Week 2 | Long Island, NY

Match #1: Ivory & Jacqueline vs. Stephanie McMahon & Beth Phoenix| Two on Two Tag Team
Stephanie McMahon and Beth Phoenix knocked off the makeshift "Ebony and Ivory" team when a distraction from Beth Phoenix gave Stephanie enough time to pedigree and pin Ivory before Jacqueline could get back into the ring to break it up.
Winners: Stephanie McMahon & Beth Phoenix by pinfall.

Match #2: Big Boss Man (4) vs. Rikishi (5) | One on One Extreme Rules | Hardcore Championship Quarter-Final
The two biggest wrestlers in the new hardcore division faced off for a trip to the semi-finals. These two larger than life competitors couldn't be contained by the ring and things almost immediately spilled to the outside where they brawled relentlessly, making full use of the barricade and ring posts to do maximum damage to each other. Neither competitor opted to make use of traditional weapons though despite this being an extreme rules match, rather opting to use their environment and individual strength to compete. In the end Rikishi would hit Big Boss Man with a Rikishi Driver to put him down for the count and advance to a semi-final matchup with Rhyno next week.
Winner: Rikishi by pinfall.

Main Event: Mr. Perfect (2) vs. Shane McMahon (7) | One on One Extreme Rules | Hardcore Championship Quarter-Final
Mr. Perfect came into this looking to have a wrestling match, Shane McMahon came looking for a fight. It was a technical clinic from Perfect early on as he whipped Shane around the ring and locked him into working hold after working hold. But once a kendo stick got involved, Shane started to gain the upper hand, lashing the back of Perfect several times before going for a DDT that earned a 2-count. Perfect started to work his way back into the match from there but a surprise chair shot to the head left him dazed. Shane loaded Mr. Perfect onto a table and dove from the top rope through Perfect and the table to get the shocking upset win. Post-match, Shane offered a handshake to Mr. Perfect but Perfect, clearly frustrated at losing to someone who's barely even a pro-wrestler, just waved it off and walked away.
Winner: Shane McMahon by pinfall.

[Xixak]

Updated Hardcore Championship Bracket

[Xixak]

December Week 3 | East Lansing, MI

Match #1: nWo Wolfpac vs. The Hardy Boyz | Two on Two Tag Team
Sting came out with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall to try to correct their chemistry issues from the last two weeks. They took on the Hardyz in a non-title match and things were looking fine until Nash went to clothesline Jeff Hardy in the corner, but accidentally took out Hall instead. In the confusion, the Hardyz hit both of the nWo tag team members with baseball slides. They then rolled Nash back into the ring and hit the Extreme Combination as Sting could only look on in disgust as his teammates fell for the third straight week in head to head competition with the Hardyz.
Winners: Hardy Boyz by pinfall.

Match #2: Lita vs. Trish Stratus | One on One Normal Match
After Lita assaulted her last week on Smackdown!, Trish demanded that Lita come out and face her in a non-title match. Lita obliged and the two faced off, but it was Trish who would eventually be victorious, hitting a Chick Kick seemingly out of nowhere after Lita looked the stronger woman for most of the matchup.
Winner: Trish Stratus by pinfall.

Match #3: Randy Orton w/ Ric Flair & Batista vs. Shawn Michaels | One on One Normal Match
Randy Orton was set to face Shawn Michaels in a non-title match. HBK gained the upperhand quickly, but surprisingly rolled out of the ring while he had momentum. He grabbed a sledgehammer from under the apron, the weapon of choice for Evolution's leader, Triple H, and proceeded to clean house with it. He blasted both Flair and Batista in the abdomen with the weapon before returning to the ring and doing the exact same to Randy Orton in clear sight of the official. The referee called for the bell, but Michaels continued to dish out punishment on Orton, before Flair and Batista came to and he made a quick exit from the ring. Seems like this one was more about inflicting punishment for HBK than actually winning the match.
Winner: Randy Orton by disqualification.

Main Event: Brock Lesnar vs. Steve Austin vs. The Rock vs. Triple H | Fatal 4-Way
Arguably the top four guys in the company faced off in a match that wasn't for the title, but where the winner would earn a lot of bragging rights. The young Brock Lesnar did not look out of place at all in the ring with Austin, The Rock and HHH and it showed throughout the night as his powerhouse offense was almost overwhelming for them to deal with. At one point it looked like Lesnar might grab a second straight pinfall victory over The Rock, but the champion was able to get his hand on the rope after being hit with an F-5. A visibly frustrated Lesnar then lost focus before being hurled out of the ring by Triple H. HHH's momentary celebration was stopped instantly though after he turned around and received a kick to the groin followed by a stunner from Steve Austin, who pinned him to win the match. Not the greatest day for Evolution with three of their members being beaten by HBK, and their leader, HHH, being pinned clean by Austin who he viciously attacked with a sledgehammer on last week's RAW.
Winner: Steve Austin by pinfall.