That Was Then 08.15.13: The Year That Was 2005

It’s Thursday (well, it is in Australia), it’s 411 Wrestling, and that means it’s time for ‘That Was Then…The Year That Was’. I am your host Rory James, and I should probably start by apologising for my absence last week. I won’t bore you with details, let’s just say I had some technical issues and leave it at that. The feedback was pretty lacking for the catch-up column, which leads me to guess that people aren’t as interested in these as I thought they might be. So from now on, I’ll just share some brief thoughts on missed out matches at the start each week instead. This week, we are looking at a year that doesn’t alway get that much love, 2005. This was the year that the main event landscape of the WWE really changed, and the year that John Cena began to be cemented as ‘The Man’ in the WWE. Let’s get to it…..

Elimination Chamber Match for the Vacant World Heavyweight Championship: Triple H vs. Randy Orton vs. Batista vs. Chris Benoit vs. Edge vs. Chris Jericho – New Year’s Revolution
This is one of the stronger Elimination Chamber matches in WWE history. Every stage of this match serves a different purpose, providing us with a contest that contains many different and interesting moments. The match begins with a very even exchange between Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho. They spend five minutes exchanging hard chops, hard hitting moves and signature reversals. Triple H’s entrance is timed perfectly, entering just as both men are down from a superplex. Triple H dominates before Jericho slows him down by being the first person to use the environment to his advantage. When Triple H is slammed on the steel floor, he really sells the pain of the situation. Next to enter is Edge, who dominates with a quick succession of signature moves on all of his opponents. We get some cool catapults into the cage, with Edge dominating until being knocked for six with a brutal enzeguiri. From here, each superstar gets a close two count on an opponent. By the time our next competitor, Randy Orton, enters the ring, everyone else is bleeding. Jericho escapes pinfall from a Pedigree by rolling out onto the steel, a very smart move which he does again later after absorbing an RKO. Babyface Randy Orton, a character I never really enjoyed, comes in with a flying cross body and assault on his former mentor, Triple H. Orton brutalises ‘The Game’ with the steel walls of the chamber, with Triple H bouncing all over the ring. There’s a really cool moment when Benoit reverses an RKO into a Crossface, and Triple H taunts Orton as he is locked in the move. Benoit drops the hold and applies a Sharpshooter to Triple H, who is saved from tapping by an RKO on Benoit from Orton. With everyone down, Edge prepares to spear Orton, but connects with guest referee Shawn Michaels. After successfully hitting the move on Orton and dragging the referee up, Michaels slaps Edge with an super kick, and a Jericho Lionsault eliminates him. Benoit is next in the driver’s seat, hitting Triple H with multiple german suplexes, before climbing atop one of the chamber pods and delivering a brutal headbutt to ‘The Game’. An opportunistic Jericho locks Triple H in the Walls of Jericho, with only the entrance of Batista saving the Evolution leader. Batista gets his chance to shine, dominating everyone as the crowd chants his name. With everyone down, Batista and Triple H tease a confrontation, only for the other superstars to attack and prevent them coming to blows. Batista press slams Jericho into the cameraman in an great spot. Jericho recovers to bulldog Triple H on the steel floor. The pace slows down a bit here, every man looking exhausted and Triple H hitting a Flair flop in the middle of the ring. Things soon pick up, as Batista spine busters Benoit, before spine busting Jericho on top of him and eliminating Benoit. Batista and Jericho pair off, as do Orton and Triple H. Batista over powers Jericho, catching him in mid air and hitting a powerslam, following up with Batista Bomb for the elimination. At this point, the fantastic background story of this match comes into play, as Orton is up against his two former Evolution team mates. Orton fights hard, but is soon overpowered and dominated by his rivals. Orton sells this offence masterfully, making his plight all the more emotional. Orton miraculously fights back, stopping a Batista Bomb with a low blow, and eliminating ‘The Animal’ with an RKO. The story point here is that Triple H makes no attempt to save Batista from elimination. Orton and Triple H finish the contest going at it tooth and nail, throwing each other into the chamber walls. Orton hits an RKO, but Michaels is dealing with Ric Flair,as the gate is open for Batista’s exit. Batista takes the opportunity, drilling Orton with a brutal clothesline. With both men down, Triple H eventually drags up a near unconscious Orton up and hits a Pedigree for the win and the championship. There are a few slow spots in this match, but overall the offence is brutal, the selling is masterful, and the storyline based around the Evolution saga gives it something a little different. Simply a great, intense contest.

The 2005 Royal Rumble Match – Royal Rumble
This is one of my favourite Rumble matches. The pacing of the match, with the exception of the odd slow point in the middle, is excellent. There’s a great roster of superstars involved and some excellent moments. The match started out with the two men that closed WrestleMania with an in-ring embrace, Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit. Although they had a great exchange at the start, they really added to the match by working together in the early stages. Their abuse of Tough Enough winner Daniel Puder is particularly amusing, topped only by notorious grump Hardcore Holly initiating the newcomer with some of the stiffest shots ever. I liked the way that Muhammed Hassan was used, with the entire roster stopping at his entrance, and quickly pounding him down and eliminating him. This put over what a true heel this character was, so bad that the entire roster hated him. He also beat the hell out of Scotty 2 Hotty on the entrance ramp, ensuring that he still looked strong despite the quick elimination. This Rumble also has one of the best eliminations in the match’s history, with a Gene Snitsky clothesline causing Paul London to do a 360 flip to the floor off the apron. The real star of the match is, of course, Batista. Like the previously mentioned Chamber match, the story of Batista’s ‘evolution’ to the main event (I made a funny!) helps elevate this match to another level. He is presented as a star, and this is one of the pivotal points of his ascension. My favourite Batista moment from the match comes after he has been working as a unit with Evolution cohort Ric Flair. Flair attempts to sneakily eliminate him, but ‘The Dirtiest Player In The Game’ sees his plan backfire. Batista’s reaction, particularly his facial expression, and Flair’s when he realises what is happening, is really funny. The end of the Rumble is a bit messy, with Batista and Cena tumbling out at the same time. It’s generally perceived that this was a mistake, and I would like to think so, as a clean and clear Batista win was the right decision. What this ending does mean is that Mr. McMahon marches to the ring to restart the contest, famously blowing both of his quads as he entered the ring. If you ever needed evidence of how tough and committed Vince is, this would be it. Add to all this the set up for the Shawn Michaels/Kurt Angle feud and the presence of brand general managers Eric Bischoff and Teddy Long at ringside to highlight the importance of winning the Rumble, and this is a great contest that really is worth watching.

#1 Contenders Match: John Cena vs. Kurt Angle – No Way Out
While the Rumble served the purpose of cementing Batisa’s spot at WrestleMania, this match ensured that there would be two newcomers in the main events for WrestleMania 21. Cena had evolved remarkably in the two and a half year he had been on the roster. Initially coming in as a rookie, he took a comedy character and made it believable, first as a heel, and now, as a never say die face. This match really serves to highlight what Cena’s character was all about. Up against the wrestling machine, Cena has to prove his resiliency and truly earn his shot at the gold. Angle hones in on two areas of Cena’s body, weakening him greatly. A power bomb into the turnbuckle cuts off Cena’s momentum first, and Angle targets the sore neck. Later in the match, he abuses Cena’s ankle, culminating in a highly emotional spot where Cena is locked in the Ankle Lock for what seems like forever. The crowd are whipped into a frenzy as Cena refuses to give up, escaping and hitting an FU (so much better than the AA) for the win. If you want to see how Cena got to being ‘the man’, this is one of the matches you need to see. The jaded fan might not want to admit it, but when required, he has the ability to really draw the fans in. It’s a pity we don’t see that side of Cena more consistently.

Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Chris Benoit vs. Edge vs. Chris Jericho vs. Kane vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Christian – WrestleMania 21
The first money in the bank ladder match is, for my money (another funny) the best one. I don’t know if it is because it presented a fresh format to an established gimmick, or if it was because the build was as not familiar and repetitive as it is now, but I find this match to be captivating. Every superstar plays their role to perfection. Edge is the ultimate heel, Christian the sneaky bastard, Kane the monster, Benjamin the spot master, Benoit the expert seller and Jericho really holds things together as a constant presence throughout the match. There are so many highlights: the group attack on Kane as he makes his entrance, the plancha over the ropes by Shelton onto a group of men, immediately followed by a top rope clothesline to the outside from Kane onto the same group. We also get a brief Edge and Christian reunion. Shelton Benjamin really is a star in this match. His T-Bone suplex on Edge from a ladder is brutal, and his run up a ladder to stop Jericho winning is a true epic moment. Chris Benoit’s diving headbutt off the top is sick, and may be troubling to watch for some given what we now know. It is Benoit’s selling though that really makes this match. It is so easy to feel for him, as he clutches his damaged arm to his side throughout. When he climbs the rungs at the match’s conclusion, the crowd are solidly behind him. This makes Edge’s use of a chair to the injured arm, and subsequent win, a solid heat getter. This match just works on every level: pacing, spots, selling, storyline. Eight years later, I still don’t think it has been topped.

Legend vs. Legend Killer: Undertaker vs. Randy Orton – WrestleMania 21
From what I have seen online, this match is not rated that highly by most people. I am sure that my deep respect for The Undertaker may be clouding my judgment, but I absolutely love this match. For me, this is the beginning of the Undertaker’s genesis into the super worker he would become on the big stage. Perhaps what I love about it is the way in which I was able to suspend my disbelief and actually think that the streak was in jeopardy. Watching this match live with friends, there were two spots where we all thought it was over. When Orton reversed a chokeslam into an RKO, we all counted along with the pin, and exploded with noise when the kick out came. The same happened after Bob Orton nailed Taker with his infamous cast. These two moments stand out in my memory as great WrestleMania moments. The rest of the match is highly enjoyable, and really helped to rebuild Orton after his disappointing face run. If you are a fan of the streak, you need to have this in your viewing catalogue.

Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle – WrestleMania 21
What impresses me the most in the world of wrestling is when a match lives up to the tremendous expectations that are placed upon it. To endure such pressure and still deliver an excellent contest is something that deserves respect and appreciation. This is one of those matches. From the second this feud began at the Rumble, everyone has this pegged as a five-star, match of the year classic. Shawn and Kurt went out there and gave us exactly what we wanted. The pace of this match is just ridiculous, you feel tired just watching it. Every move looks stiff, every reversal is crisp. There are so many great moments, but highlights that stand out are the tease of a German suplex from the apron to the floor, Angle missing a stunning moonsault and Michaels’ plancha on Angle, laid out on an announce table that doesn’t give. The finishing sequence of reversals and near falls is one that I have heard some people say is overdone. I couldn’t disagree more. in fact, the pace and intensity of the match built up to this, and made it seem viable and believable. This is a true classic, and one that is as good today as it was eight years ago.

Gold Rush Tournament: Shawn Michaels vs. Shelton Benjamin – RAW
This match is held in high regard and considered one of the greatest in the history of Monday Night RAW. You won’t get any arguments from me there. These two have such great chemistry, and cut such a good pace in the ring, I could watch them wrestle a hundred times. There are some cool spots throughout: Shelton shifts his weight on a super back suplex for a near fall, sunset flip counters galore, and a sequence where a super kick is reversed into another kick which is reversed into a dragon whip. The finish, where Michaels catching a spring boarding Shelton with Sweet Chin Music, is one of my favourite finishes to a match ever. It may be something we see often now, but it was innovative at the time. Great little match.

I Quit Match for the WWE Championship: John Cena vs. JBL – Judgment Day 2005
While John Cena’s big title win at WrestleMania came in a very underwhelming fashion, this rematch uses the stipulation to full effect and creates a match that is everything their initial encounter was. While these feud would struggle to find chemistry later in their careers, here they have it by the bucket load. The JBL character is a perfect foil to the John Cena one, as he is everything that Cena stands against. This is a well orchestrated and brutal match that tells a story. It is both another step in the genesis of Cena’s character, and the perfect conclusion to JBL’s main event run. Although Bradshaw would main event again in the year, it rally wasn’t the same. Cena bleeds epically in the match, and takes some serious punishment. The spot where JBL hits multiple Clotheslines From Hell is excellent. They fight around the ring, up the ramp and on top of vehicles. The ending, where JBL begs Cena not to hit him with a steel pipe, is just perfect, as it really fits with his character. This is a great main event, and the first classic of John Cena’s championship career.

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Mike Awesome vs. Masako Tanaka – ECW One Night Stand
I’d just like to state that, as as whole, the One Night Stand event is excellent and worth watching in full. However, when considering a list of must see matches, this is the match that stands out. These two guys had an excellent war back in 1999, and managed to live up to their history here. This is a hard hitting and very physical contest, and one that proves just how much Mike Awesome was under-utilised in WCW. Sickening chair shots, Awesome bombs from the apron and top rope through tables, need I say more? The other thing I love about this match is Joey Styles’ commentary. Still pissed at Awesome for the way he abandoned ECW, his commentary is venomous and really adds to the entertainment level of the match.

Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle – Vengeance
I spoke earlier of the expectations the world had for these two mens WrestleMania encounter. Their success there only increased the pressure upon them for this rematch. Although the stage wasn’t as grand, the action is just as exceptional. This match is different to their WrestleMania classic: they start slow, trying to outwrestle each other. Michaels keeps escaping Ankle Lock attempts, with Angle getting more and more frustrated with him doing so. After a german suplex through the announce table, Angle really lays in the beating to his opponent. Angle’s vicious assault is made all the more hard hitting by Michaels’ masterful selling. This is just another example of Shawn Michaels being the greatest seller in wrestling history. Michaels eventual comeback, after a first is stopped by a hard clothesline, is timed and executed perfectly. The final moments are similar to their previous match, with kick outs and reversal aplenty, but again, like at Mania, it fits the story they have been building. Another near perfect encounter between two of the very best.

Hell in a Cell Match for the World Heavyweight Championship: Batista vs. Triple H – Vengeance
After three pay-per-view outings, this stunningly constructed feud finally includes a match that compliments the story that has built to it. Batista and Triple H’s previous two encounters were solid, but not memorable in the way that their feud had been. This match, however, is the perfect end to a gripping rivalry. Having lost to Batista two matches in a row, Triple H needed something to make people believe he could defeat ‘The Animal’. Placing the match inside the Cell, where Triple H had already achieved so much success, was the perfect booking scenario. Triple H dominates the early moments of the match, as he should giving his experience in the environment. Batista plays out taking a while to get his head into the game, but once he does, this one really kicks off. The level of violence is just what it should be, suitably ending this ‘blood feud’ with a vicious, nasty and intense bout. Steel chains, a tool box, ring steps and a barbed wire chair all make an appearance. The pacing of the action is perfect, with both men selling the ordeal of the violence, without the match dragging. Both men bleed at the perfect moments, and this is one of those matches that the blood really elevates the action. The finish, with Batista holding Triple H up in a Batista Bomb, sledgehammer in hand, desperately trying to connect before Batista finishes him, is the perfect end to the feud. Once again, despite his best efforts, ‘The Cerebral Assassin’ is just a step behind his former friend. If WrestleMania crowned Batista as ‘the man’, then this match cemented his status.

Shawn Michaels vs. Hulk Hogan – SummerSlam
This is a match that seems to divide opinion. Some consider it a fitting conclusion to a great rivalry. Others see it as a match ruined by ego. I fall somewhere in the middle. Shawn Michaels worked as a heel here for the first and only time since returning from injury in 2002. His mocking of Hogan in the build to the match was exceptional. When it came to the match itself, Michaels behaviour was interesting to say the least. Michaels sold all of Hogan’s offence like it was the most brutal thing he had ever faced. He bounced around the ring for Hogan. Some think he was trying his hardest to make Hogan’s limited offence look as good as possible and elevate the match. Others see it as his way out pointing out how ludicrous it was for him to be losing to Hogan at this stage in ‘The Hulkster’s’ career. I have yet to hear or read Michaels himself discuss the match, and therefore don’t really have an opinion on this. Regardless, this is two legends facing each other for the only time in an entertaining, memorable match.

Steel Cage Match: Edge vs. Matt Hardy – Unforgiven
After the WWE decided to book this real life feud in very questionable fashion, Unforgiven saw Matt Hardy and Edge finally give us a match that was worthy of the unique history between them. Lost in all the scandal of the affair between Edge and Lita was the fact that Hardy and Edge had defined each others careers through their TLC wars. This singles feud between them was another chapter in a long in ring history. The cage match here is solid, with some really great, well time moments. The psychology of the match is great, with Hardy out for blood and retribution, while Edge seems desperate to get out of the cage in one piece. As the match progressed, Edge’s goal transformed, as he seemed determined to prove himself against the spurned lover. Most people remember the conclusion of this one, Hardy’s sickening leg drop to Edge from the top of the cage. As great a moment as this is, there are other great moments to be found in this match. One bit I really like is when Hardy is stuck between the cage and ropes, and Edge drills him with a spear. With this match, Edge draws towards the end of his mid card career and is being prepared for the main event. This is a great match, one you should take

Steel Cage Match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship: Ric Flair vs. Triple H – Taboo Tuesday
Following his turn on Ric Flair in early October, Triple H explained his actions by saying that nobody loved Flair more than him, but that Flair was no longer ‘The Man’, and it was his job to end him. Unlike when Shawn Michaels took this task upon himself in 2008, Triple H’s tone did not sound respectful, but arrogant and insulting. Fans rallied behind Flair, who seemed to have new vigour in this feud. He came out on RAW and begged for the fans to vote for a cage match, and that is what we got. These two are in many ways the perfect opponents. The phycology of this match is just flawless. Triple H is masterful as the cerebral heel, brutalising Flair with pinpoint offence. Every punch, every use of the cage, is direct and intentional. Flair is fighting from the bottom up, desperate to prove himself. The match is a bloody war, with Triple H using not only the cage, but a steel chain he pulls from it, to cut Flair up. Flair ultimately gets what has to be considered an upset, using a chair to repeatedly drill Triple H before escaping the cage. This is a great example of how to give fans what they have paid for, and yet keep a feud going. Nobody would feel short changed by this match, and yet it was clear that the contest was far from over. Their match at Survivor Series is also worth a watch, but this is the match that these two were always destined to have. The only thing that I didn’t like about it was that, with Flair’s newly won Intercontinental Championship on the line, it was pretty obvious that Flair would somehow win. Even worse was the following month in their Last Man Standing Match, when the title was not on the line. This made it obvious that Triple H would win. In retrospect, Flair should have won the belt after this feud, if he even needed to win it at all.

Hell in a Cell Match: The Undertaker vs. Randy Orton
The second Hell in a Cell encounter of 2005 is one that people tend to disregard when talking about the Cell. For my money, it is a strong encounter that caps off a long and epic feud between these two men. This match is quite different to other Cell encounters. I think the reason for this is that Undertaker really dominates from the start, brutalising his opponent with high impact power moves and weapon shots. Orton eventually turns the tides, hitting an RKO to give himself breathing room before doling out some physical punishment of his own. Things escalate from here, with Bob Orton interfering, and Orton hitting a nice splash on Take through a table. Orton hits Taker with a Tombstone for a great fake finish, but ultimately ‘The Dead Man’ ends it with a Tombstone of his own. This is a fantastic end to a very important rivalry in both men’s careers. Orton proved he could be a big time player and Taker began to evolve his ring style. Everyone was a winner.

Conclusion
So that was 2005, a year framed by some pretty impressive rivalries, namely Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle, Batista and Triple H, and Undertaker and Randy Orton. As you may have noticed, there was a pretty big feud that I missed out this week, namely that between Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio. After watching back their matches for the column, I really struggled to decide on a match to add. I found their WrestleMania contest distracting due to Rey fidgeting with his mask, disliked the involvement of Rey’s son in the ladder match, and found their other matches to be good, but not great. I’d love to hear what everyone out there thinks about that. Feel free to sound off in the comments about this, or anything else for that matter. If you want, i can be emailed at [email protected]. I’m also looking for someone with some decent tech skills to make me a banner for the column. If anyone has the skills and the time, please get in touch. See you all next week.