FPR Royal Battle 2010
January 24, 2010
Theme Song: Three Days Grace - "Break"
Check out the FPR Royal Battle 2010 Highlight Video HERE!
http://www.viddler.com/explore/tigerXgroge/videos/32/
PRESTORY: Next month the 4th annual Super J Cup begins. Eight of the participants were placed in an eight-man tag as somewhat of a preview to the upcoming tournament that will crown the #1 contender for the Junior Championship at WrestleMania. The finals will take place at next month's Valentine's Massacre
Eight Man Tag Team Super J Cup Preview Match: Juventud, Dragon Kid, Ultimo Dragon, & Low Ki def. Rey Mysterio, JT Lamotta, AJ Styles, & Amazing Red (28:04) when Ki pinned Styles with a double underhook suplex hold
AFTERSTORY: All eight looked impressive and Low Ki gains huge momentum by scoring the winning pinfall.
PRESTORY: Last month at Final Showdown, Evan Bourne won a fatal four way over Matt Palmer, JT Lamotta, and Rey Mysterio. Bourne pinned Palmer in the match to gain the victory. Those two have had a competitive rivalry as well as formed a tag team based on mutual respect over the past year. Palmer challenged Bourne to a one on one match to kick off the new year for FPR.
Evan Bourne def. Matt Palmer (11:31) with a hurricarana
AFTERSTORY: Exciting, fast-paced action at it's finest. Bourne picks up the big win as both men look forward to heading into the Super J Cup.
PRESTORY: Last year, The Briscoes and LAX had the tag team division's feud of the year. It finally came to some sort of a culmination when the Briscoes won back the belts at the Ultimate Encounter in September. Naturally, LAX would've gotten a rematch but the next PPV was Cyber Saturday where the fans voted the challengers to all championships. The fans voted in Edge & Christian who would go on to win the belts from the Briscoes. LAX never got their rematch and one week later, the Briscoes did. The Briscoes won back the gold and were champions heading into Survival of the Sickest. LAX and E&C joined forces for an eight man tag to take on the Briscoes & Hardyz where LAX shined when Hernandez eliminated all of the opposing team. At this point, LAX and Edge & Christian both laid claims to tag title rematches but the Guerrero Cup was to begin where 32 teams had a chance to earn a shot. LAX and E&C were both unsuccessful in the tournament as Team 3D came out on top with a victory over the Road Warriors. 3D would win the belts from the Briscoes at Eve of Destruction and in the week that followed, Beat the Clock took center stage to name the number one contenders to each title. This time it was D-Generation X reforming to beat the clock and earn the shot. DX were unsuccessful in their title bid and 3D retained. In a weekly event earlier this month, The Briscoes defeated Edge & Christian to earn a rematch with Team 3D. LAX felt jipped and challenged Edge & Christian to a match at Royal Battle.
Latin American XChange def. Edge & Christian (18:32) when Hernandez forced Christian to submit
AFTERSTORY: The tag title scene is definitely a hot one and LAX continue their pathway to earn another shot at the belts.
PRESTORY: Lacey Von Erich has been surprisingly unstoppable since her debut in November. She injured Gail Kim, went on to gain a pinfall victory (using brass knuckles) over Trish Stratus and then defeated Gail Kim upon her return. Trish and Gail tagged up with Lita in hopes to takedown Von Erich and her Beautiful People stablemates. Lacey joined up with Maryse and Madson Rayne. They announced prior to the match that Angelina Love would return next month to challenge Victoria, who injured her at Survival of the Sickest.
Six Woman Tag Team Match: Lacey Von Erich, Maryse, & Madison Rayne def. Lita, Trish Stratus, & Gail Kim (22:07) when Lacey forced Trish to submit
AFTERSTORY: And somehow still, The Beautiful People came out on top with Lacey gaining the victory over Trish. Lacey dropped Trish with the iron claw slamming her down and then forcing her into submission. The Beautiful People reigned supreme and continue to climb the ranks of the women's division.
PRESTORY: Spoiler 2000 debuted at Survival of the Sickest as a member of Team Jericho. Spoiler challenged Jericho's biggest rival of the past year, Jakob Furis, to a one on one match, following their encounter in a beat the clock match last month.
Spoiler 2000 def. Jakob Furis (15:09) after a lariat
PRESTORY: Yoshinari Ogawa and Bryan Danielson have been going back and forth. Starting at Survival of the Sickest when Danielson eliminated Ogawa in an elimination 8 man tag match. Ogawa challenged him to a match at Eve of Destruction where Ogawa shocked Danielson with a surprise rollup victory in less than five minutes. Danielson was irate following the match and demanded a rematch at Final Showdown. The wish was granted and Danielson redeemed himself with a victory over the former worlds heavyweight champ. Here at Royal Battle, it was time for round three.
Yoshinari Ogawa def. Bryan Danielson (9:39) after a jawbreaker into jackknife rollup
AFTERSTORY: Ogawa got one over on Danielson and breaks their 1-1 stalemate. Ogawa takes the lead in their series. No word yet on if Danielson will continue to seek retribution.
PRESTORY: At Eve of Destruction, the inevitable happened. Bob Sapp once again became FPR Octagon Champion. Lesnar won the title at Cyber Saturday but it didn't last long before Sapp won it back. Lesnar geared up for their rematch which was to take place at Royal Battle.
Octagon Championship Match: Bob Sapp def. Brock Lesnar via 2nd Round KO (2:01) with the Beast Bomb (7:01) to RETAIN the championship!
AFTERSTORY: Sapp remains champion as he continues his latest reign. Last time he held it for three years and it will be interesting to see who challenges Sapp this time around.
PRESTORY: During Beat the Clock week, D-Generation X reformed to beat the tag team clock. They did so at the expense of the tag team of Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger. Swagger and Ziggler did not take their loss kindly and challenged DX to a rematch. Their rematch occurred during a weekly event earlier this month where DX were once again victorious. Swagger and Ziggler got closer and closer but still could not get the victory. They challenged DX to one more match at the Royal Battle.
D-Generation X def.Jack Swagger & Dolph Ziggler (23:21) when HHH pinned Swagger
AFTERSTORY: DX with yet another victory as they continue on looking for another shot at the tag team titles. Many teams lay claim to title shots and the tag team scene is definitely hot right now!
PRESTORY: Last month at Eve of Destruction, Bret Hart was unable to take the international title away from The Big Show. Bret had hoped to drive a final nail into the Faithful and take away their last remaining gold but it was not to be. Big Show had another successful defense over the Great Muta. As the Royal Battle approached, Foundation member, Kane challenged the Big Show for his international championship.
International Championship Match: The Big Show def. Kane (11:07) with the running elbow drop to RETAIN the championship!
AFTERSTORY: Big Show continues his dominant ways as he takes on all challengers for the title. Kane was a challenge but Show managed to hang on once again. Who will challenge the Big Show next?
PRESTORY: As described earlier, Team 3D became tag team champions following winning the Guerrero Cup, defeating the Briscoes. 3D would go on to have a successful defense in the tough challenge of D-Generation X. The Briscoes would defeat Edge & Christian to earn their rematch at the tag team titles.
World Tag Team Championship Match: The Briscoes def. Team 3D (21:15) when Mark pinned Devon after a tornado DDT to become the NEW Champions!!
AFTERSTORY: The Briscoes have done it again! Just when you think they're down, they bounce right back. That was the story of 2009 and the Briscoes are primed to have another incredible year. The Briscoes get a huge win defeating Team 3D to win back the belts and it will be interesting to see who will get the next shot. 3D will obviously want a rematch, LAX have been waiting months for their rematch, Edge & Christian despite losing back to back matches never received their official rematch and D-Generation X has been climbing the ranks since losing to 3D.
PRESTORY: Being Royal Battle, the Worlds Heavyweight Championship was not on the line as the Royal Battle itself would take centerstage. FPR Worlds Heavyweight Champion, Hulk Hogan, was in the building however. Hogan was there and he was there to take on any challengers in a non-title matchup. Ted DiBiase, the million dollar man, who has been sort of the leader of the crusade against Hogan in the last several months stepped up to take on the Hulkster.
Non Title Match: Hulk Hogan def. Ted DiBiase (12:44) after a powerslam
AFTERSTORY: Hulkamania trumps another enemy. Hulk overcame the Million Dollar Man as he is looking towards WrestleMania V as the reigning champion.
PRESTORY: At Survival of the Sickest, Maria Menounos debuted as a member of her friend Candice Michelle's team. Menounos made an impressive debut but was eliminated by the Angel of Mercy, Claudia. Menounos became involved in a rivalry with fellow newcomer and member of the opposing team in Alissa Flash. Alissa defeated Maria at Eve of Destruction and at Final Showdown in a tag team match Menounos and Wendi Richter defeated Claudia and Alissa, when Menounos scored the surprising pinfall on Claudia. The former women's champion was in disbelief that she had been pinned. Soon after a singles match between the two was signed to take place at Royal Battle.
Claudia def. Maria Menounos (22:38) via submission
AFTERSTORY: And what a match it was! These two tore down the house with a classic encounter. Both gave it everything they had and it could have conceivably gone either way. They also survived each other's biggest maneuvers in the match. Maria came close with several near falls, Claudia connected the Kiss of Death mist into the face but Menounos was able to recover. A huge point of the match came when Menounos went high-risk and came off the top rope but Claudia was able to catch her in mid-air with her own version of her leader Mike Foxx's career killer submission. Miraculously, Menounos survived that but soon thereafter, Claudia gained the victory with a Texas cloverleaf. The match definitely impressed those in FPR Management, who have since named Claudia the number one contender to the women's championship once again. Claudia has held the title before and she seems to manage to stay in the title hunt all the time. Claudia's partner as of late, Alissa Flash, joined her in the ring in their celebration. It has since been confirmed that Maria Menounos will once again go one on one with Alissa Flash at Valentine's Massacre in a number one contender's match, the winner will look to challenge the champion at WrestleMania V!
PRESTORY: At Final Showdown, Frankie Kazarian did what few thought he could pull off. He defeated Jushin "Thunder" Liger to become the new FPR Junior Champion. Liger had dominated the junior division for most of 2009 and Kazarian came out of nowhere on Liger. Kazarian began his first title reign despite being with the company since the very early days in 2004. Liger couldn't believe what had happened and of course he immediately wanted his rematch. At Royal Battle, for the first time since losing the Junior Championship to Matt Palmer a year ago, Liger returned to his traditional red and white outfit rather than the black he wore throughout his last title reign.
Junior Championship Match: Frankie Kazarian def. Jushin Liger (13:42) via backslide to RETAIN the championship!
AFTERSTORY: Kazarian was able to cement his title reign to not be a fluke, he defeated Liger again. Both men put on a great performance, taking everything the other had. At the end, Kazarian looked to finish things off with the rarely seen Flux Capacitor, Liger tried to block it in mid move and was able to force Kazarian to adjust. Liger avoided the full impact but Kazarian quickly capitalized and rolled up Liger with a backslide for the win. Liger has entered the Super J Cup and plans to earn his next title shot, but in order to do so he'd have to overcome 31 others!
PRESTORY: Last month at Final Showdown, the year ended with a bang for the women's division. Gina Carano's long road to the title came to an end when she defeated "Best in the World", Candice Michelle, for the championship. Carano and Candice have a mutual respect for one another, as evidenced when Carano joined Team Candice at Survival of the Sickest and when the two shook hands following Carano's title victory at Final Showdown. As Royal Battle came around, Candice was ready for her rematch.
Women's Championship Match: Gina Carano def. Candice Michelle (13:08) via submission to RETAIN the championship!
AFTERSTORY: Gina Carano has defeated the Best in the World, twice! It was a definite shock to many to see Candice go down once again but as it stands, is Carano the one that Candice simply cannot overcome? Gina debuted in September and has remained undefeated in singles competition and is now the reigning champion. Carano's only techincal defeat at Survival of the Sickest in the 8 woman tag came at the hands of Claudia. And now, Carano's next defense will be against the Angel of Mercy, Claudia at Valentine's Massacre!
PRESTORY: The main event was of course the Royal Battle. 8 participants, 1 winner. The participants included: Mick Foley, who defeated Hulk Hogan in a non-title match back at Halloween Havoc, hoping to earn his title shot in the main event of WrestleMania. Randy Orton, who has been opposing Hogan for months now looking for revenge on his failed cash-in of Money in the Bank. Sid, who has the biggest history with Hogan as he injured Hogan last year, Hogan unmasked him as Colossus and Sid wanted another shot. Randy Savage, who is Hogan's partner and closest friend in FPR. Savage hoped to get the title shot he was never able to get from his previous money in the bank win. Kurt Angle, who had won the Royal Battle in 2007 but never won the championship. Angle has been vying for a shot at the title since the summer when he was seemingly rejuvenated and became embroiled in a long rivalry with Yoshinari Ogawa. CM Punk, who won the very first ever Royal Battle in 2006. Punk headlined WrestleMania I and hoped to repeat at WrestleMania V's main event. Bret Hart, who has his own history with Hogan as Hogan defeated Hart in the finals of last year's King of the Ring which of course led to Hogan becoming champion in August. And lastly, Ric Flair, who was the final entrant into the match. Flair ended 2009 on a roll and looked to carry that into 2010. Flair was hoping to get a match with Hogan at WrestleMania V which would no doubt be a classic. Eight men would enter the ring but only one would be able to come out the victor.
The Royal Battle: Mick Foley -vs- Randy Orton -vs- Randy Savage -vs- Sid -vs- Kurt Angle -vs- CM Punk -vs- Bret Hart -vs- Ric Flair
*Flair eliminated Savage (16:52)
*Hart eliminated Sid (19:23)
*Hart eliminated Angle (21:02)
*Hart eliminated Flair (24:15)
*Hart eliminated Orton (26:44)
*Hart eliminated Foley (27:45)
*Punk eliminated Hart (28:10)
AFTERSTORY: CM Punk has done it! For the second straight year, Bret Hart suffered the ultimate heartbreak in the Royal Battle. Bret once again did the majority of the eliminations and looked primed and ready to win the matchup but as he turned around following his final elimination, Punk hoisted him up and connected the Go to Sleep and that was all she wrote. Punk was definitely looked at as an underdog in this match but he managed to pull it off.The crowd seemed to be in shock as it looked for sure that the Hitman would finally pull it off but it was not to be. We can definitely say for sure that Bret will want revenge and it is very likely we will see a Hart vs Punk match in the near future. But what we also now know is that at WrestleMania V, we will see CM Punk against Hulk Hogan for the FPR Worlds Heavyweight Championship!
©FPR. Comments, questions, requests, and feedback of all sorts are accepted and appreciated here as always! FPR's next PPV event will be Valentine's Massacre, tentatively scheduled for February 20, 2010, The Road to WrestleMania V continues!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
FPR Eve of Destruction Results + Final Showdown Results + End of Year Awards!
FPR Eve of Destruction
December 24, 2009
Theme Song: Story of the Year -Take Me Back
Check out the Eve of Destruction + Final Showdown highlight video HERE!
http://www.viddler.com/explore/tigerXgroge/videos/31/
PRESTORY: Throughout December, the 5th annual Guerrero Cup tag team tournament took place. The two teams that made it to the finals were the Road Warriors and former tag team champions, Team 3D. The Road Warriors had their most impressive showing in a very long time while 3D skyrocketed back into the tag team scene after a long absence. 3D's biggest win in the tournament thus far had been over the Hardyz in the semi finals. The Hardyz had been looking to get into the tag title picture but it was not to be. On the other side, The Road Warriors overcame last year's tournament winners, Beer Money Inc. in a great battle that both teams put great effort into.
Guerrero Cup Finals: Team 3D def. The Road Warriors (30:36) when Devon pinned Animal
AFTERSTORY: Team 3D win their tournament and get a shot at the tag team titles. It was a big win over the legendary Road Warriors and Team 3D would go on to face the tag team champions, the Briscoes later on in the night
PRESTORY: Bryan Danielson eliminated Yoshinari Ogawa in the elimination 8 man tag at Survival of the Sickest. Danielson along with the rest of Team Angle would go on to win the match. Ogawa wanted a one on one match with Danielson to prove that he could beat him when there was nobody else in the match. Danielson, feeling confident, gladly accepted the challenge.
Yoshinari Ogawa def. Bryan Danielson (4:34) via victory roll
AFTERSTORY: Ogawa beat Danielson and not only that, he did so in record time! Ogawa caught Danielson with a quick rollup and gained the three count in under five minutes. As would be expected, Danielson was livid about his loss. Danielson didn't waste anytime in making a challenge for Final Showdown should neither man win one of the beat the clock challenges.
PRESTORY: Survival of the Sickest saw the feud between Lita, Victoria, Gail Kim, and Trish against The Beautiful People continue in a big way. They defeated the Beautiful People but after the match, Lacey Von Erich debuted and injured Gail Kim. Madison Rayne and Maryse challenged Lita and Victoria to a tag team match after Trish had challenged Von Erich to fight in Gail's place.
Lita & Victoria def. Madison Rayne & Maryse (13:33) when Lita pinned Maryse with a victory roll
AFTERSTORY: Another big win over the Beautiful People in a great matchup. Lita caught Maryse out of nowhere with a victory roll to get the win for her team.
PRESTORY: At Survival of the Sickest, Jushin Liger's team had a clean sweep against their opposition. JT Lamotta was the last man eliminated in that match and with no official number one contender, he was granted a shot at Liger's junior championship.
Junior Championship Match: Jushin Liger def. JT Lamotta (11:13) after a brainbuster to RETAIN the championship!
PRESTORY: Last month at Survival of the Sickest, we saw two debuts of Alissa Flash and Maria Menounos on opposite teams. Alissa debuted as a part of Team Mickie James and quickly formed an impressive partnership with fellow team member, Claudia. Maria Menounos came in to FPR as a close friend of team captain, Candice Michelle. Both were impressive in their debuts and as a result of their in ring altercations, they were booked to face each other one on one.
Alissa Flash def. Maria Menounos (11:35) after a discus lariat
AFTERSTORY: Alissa picked up the big win here in another good matchup as she climbs the ranks of the women's division as the division continues to become stronger and stronger. Both women were again impressive here and would surely meet in the ring again.
PRESTORY: Last month at Survival of the Sickest, The Foundation finally defeated the Faithful. Though the Faithful had finally been defeated, Faithful member The Big Show still held the International Championship. Bret Hart wanted to put the final nail in the Faithful and challenged Show to a title match to try and take the title away from the Faithful and into the Foundation.
International Championship Match: The Big Show def. Bret Hart (12:42) when Show choked out Bret to RETAIN the championship!
AFTERSTORY: Bret was unsuccessful in his title aspiration as Big Show was able to defeat him and keep hold of the gold. Show continues to look dominant in his one on one bouts since ending the year + reign of Mark Henry. Who can stop The Big Show?
PRESTORY: As noted above, last month saw the debut of Lacey Von Erich. Lacey entered the ring following the Stratusfaction vs Beautiful People elimination tag match and delivered a brutal Clawslam to Gail Kim, putting her out of action. Trish Stratus, the team captain, challenged Von Erich to face her one on one at Eve of Destruction.
Lacey Von Erich def. Trish Stratus (19:15) after a punch with brass knuckles
AFTERSTORY: This match turned out to be a brawl all over the place with definite hatred. Lacey surprised pretty much everyone in going toe to toe with Trish. Trish ended up busting open Lacey on the outside. Trish was able to survive Lacey's deadly Clawslam, but Lacey also took Stratusfaction. In the end, Lacey used a pair of brass knuckles and delivered a vicious punch to Trish's head which knocked her out for the three count. It was definitely a major win for Von Erich and some points in The Beautiful People's favor. A win that definitely pleased all the members of TBP.
PRESTORY: At Cyber Saturday, Brock Lesnar shocked the world when he ended the three year reign of Bob Sapp as Octagon Champion. Lesnar became champion and he didn't feel like Sapp deserved an immediate rematch. They met again in a non-title fight which Sapp won to prove his worth. At Survival of the Sickest, they led opposite teams against each other in a match where the stipulation agreement was that if Sapp's team won he'd get his rematch but if Team Lesnar won then Lesnar could continue his reign without giving Sapp a rematch. Sapp's team won the match and ensured his rematch would take place here at Eve of Destruction.
Octagon Championship Match: Bob Sapp def. Brock Lesnar via 2nd Round KO (1:28) after a short arm clothesline (6:28) to become the NEW Champion
AFTERSTORY: Bob Sapp has become Octagon Champion once again. The most dominant champion of all time has begun yet another reign and looks primed to dominate the division once again. Who will be able to stop The Beast this time around and will he rule for another three years?
PRESTORY: At Cyber Saturday, Mick Foley was voted into the Hardcore Deathmatch championship match and won the title from Raven. Foley's win seemed to revitalize his career and give him a new start here in FPR while he defeated Raven, who has been the kingpin of the hardcore division for years. Foley won the championship and told Raven to earn his rematch in the Chamber of Horrors. While Foley went on to make a statement at Halloween Havoc, when he defeated FPR Worlds Heavyweight Champion, Mick Foley in a non-title cage match. Raven went on to win the Chamber of Horrors to guarentee his rematch while Foley hasn't let anyone forgot he beat the champ. At Survival of the Sickest, Foley led his team over Raven's and now the stage was set for their rematch.
Hardcore Deathmatch Championship Match: Mick Foley def. Raven (8:55) after a piledriver on a lighttube to RETAIN the championship!
AFTERSTORY: Foley defeated Raven and cemented his status as the new top dog in the Hardcore Division. Raven's definitely not happy with Foley having the gold but for now he's going to have to live with it. Foley's been all over the map since winning the title, involving himself in the world title scene as well, and we'll have to wait and see where this all goes next!
PRESTORY: Earlier in the night, Team 3D defeated The Road Warriors to win the Guerrero Cup and earn their shot at the tag team titles held by the Briscoes.
World Tag Team Championship Match: Team 3D def. The Briscoes (15:45) when Ray pinned Jay after the Bubba Bomb to become the NEW Champions!
AFTERSTORY: Team 3D are officially back. It has been years since 3D have held the tag team gold much like The Briscoes at the end of 2008. 3D end the Briscoes reign and become champions once again. The Briscoes have had one hell of a year in 2009 but it seems like they won't end the year as champions. It will be interesting to see the direction the tag team title scene takes as Team 3D are now the champions.
PRESTORY: At Survival of the Sickest, Team Mickie defeated Team Candice. The win came largely due to Claudia garnering the last three eliminations. Claudia lastly eliminated Gina Carano to win the match for her team. Her impressive performance, which included eliminating the champion herself, made her the number one contender once again to Candice Michelle's championship belt.
Women's Championship Match: "Best in the World" Candice Michelle def. "Angel of Mercy" Claudia (8:11) after a russian legsweep to RETAIN the championship!
AFTERSTORY: Candice was able to retain her title and have another great showing. Candice and Claudia have had a very heated rivalry and one of the top feuds of the year and Candice picked up one more victory over Claudia to retain the belt over her longtime enemy.
PRESTORY: At Halloween Havoc, following the Hulk Hogan-Mick Foley steel cage match, the two were ambushed by Randy Orton and Sid, who were brought to the ring by the Million Dollar Man, Ted DiBiase. DiBiase proclaimed that at Survival of the Sickest his Million Dollar Team would go against Hogan's team. In the weeks to come Hogan formed his team to consist of Randy Savage and the Ultimate Warrior, later forcing a last minute replacement addition to his team of Mick Foley. DiBiase's team consisted of himself, Orton, Sid and his son Ted DiBiase Jr. In the end it was DiBiase Jr. eliminating Hogan and Savage to get the win for his team. The win, which was huge for DiBiase Jr.'s debut, skyrocketed him into Fire Pro R like no one before him. Orton and Sid were a bit miffed that Ted Jr. was getting the shot over them but they accepted it because of the victory he did earn.
Worlds Heavyweight Championship Match: Hulk Hogan def. Ted DiBiase Jr. (8:47) via CRITICAL after the Leg Drop to RETAIN the championship!!!
AFTERSTORY: DiBiase Jr. may have picked up two big pins at Survival of the Sickest but taking on Hulk Hogan must have been too much, too soon, for the brash newcomer. Hogan gained quick revenge for Survival of the Sickest, cementing his victory with a CRITICAL on Ted Jr. Hulkamania ran wild and the entire Million Dollar corporation were none too pleased.
(In the days that followed Eve of Destruction, beat the clock challenges were held to determine the challengers for each championship at Final Showdown)
FPR Final Showdown 2009
December 31, 2009
Theme Song :Story of the Year - Take Me Back
Check out the Eve of Destruction + Final Showdown highlight video HERE!
http://www.viddler.com/explore/tigerXgroge/videos/31/
PRESTORY: The Beat the Clock challenge to name the number one contender for the women's championship saw the FPR debut of Hamada. Hamada debuted against Shinobu Kandori and was extremely impressive. Hamada was able to pin Kandori but it was seconds after the time set had passed. Kandori was not going to forget that as she had recently been trying to reassure her dominance in the division. Kandori challenged Hamada to a rematch to take place at Final Showdown.
Shinobu Kandori def. Hamada (9:21) via side armbar CRITICAL
AFTERSTORY: Kandori certainly evened the score here and did damage to Hamada's arm. But it was not without a fight. Hamada gave it her all and was moments away from victory when Kandori got her in the armbar for the victory. We surely haven't seen the last.
The Miracle Violence Connection def. Vader & Bam Bam Bigelow (12:37) when Gordy CRITICAL'd Vader
AFTERSTORY: A classic tag team match relived and the Miracle Violence Connection picked up a huge victory!
PRESTORY: A match was setup to determine a future contender for Jushin Liger's junior championship. It featured four of the top contenders to the title in a fatal four way where the first pinfall to occur would get the victory.
Fatal 4 Way Match: Evan Bourne def. JT Lamotta, Rey Mysterio, & Matt Palmer (14:03) when he pinned Palmer with a northern lights suplex
AFTERSTORY: Bourne gained a huge victory as he pinned Palmer just as Mysterio had almost pinned Lamotta. Bourne will get another shot at the champinoship in the near future!
PRESTORY: At Eve of Destruction, Ogawa caught Danielson in the rollup that got him the win in under 5 minutes. Danielson challenged him to a rematch and as neither man beat the clock, Danielson got his rematch and it took place at Final Showdown
Bryan Danielson def. Yoshinari Ogawa (13:50) with a fisherman's suplex
AFTERSTORY: Danielson avenged his previous loss to Ogawa here and what a battle it was. Ogawa came close again but Danielson delivered move after move refusing to give Ogawa an edge. In the end Danielson hit a series of suplex variations to finally hold Ogawa down for the three count.
PRESTORY: In the International beat the clock, The Great Muta defeated Desmond Wolfe to beat the clock in the last match in the set. Muta would advance to Final Showdown for an international title shot against The Big Show.
International Championship Match: The Big Show def. The Great Muta (11:52) after a running elbow drop to RETAIN the championship
PRESTORY: At Eve of Destruction, Alissa Flash defeated Maria Menounos. The two met again in Beat the Clock where Alissa beat Maria to beat the then-clock by a second. The time would later be beaten though and Alissa would not get the title shot. Alissa tagged up with Claudia, as they were a very formidable duo at Survival of the Sickest and accepted a challenge sent by Maria Menounos who wanted another shot at Alissa. Menounos tagged up with fellow Team Candice member, Wendi Richter.
Maria Menounos & Wendi Richter def. Claudia & Alissa Flash (29:46) when Menounos pinned Claudia with a small package
AFTERSTORY: A great match and Maria Menounos got the victory this time and finally got one over on Alissa Flash. Richter and Maria made quite the team themselves against the Alissa/Claudia team that has proven to work very well together. Menounos scored a huge pinfall victory with a small package out of nowhere on the former women's champion in Claudia. Needless to say, Alissa and Claudia were both irate after the match. This feud has definitely been a heated one!
PRESTORY: At Eve of Destruction, Bob Sapp once again became Octagon Champion. Brock Lesnar was unable to get his rematch as he did not beat the clock. It was Scott Steiner that beat the clock when he beat Bobby Lashley in the Octagon. Steiner would go on to fight Sapp in Sapp's first defense of his new reign.
Octagon Championship Match: Bob Sapp def. Scott Steiner via 2nd Round KO (0:20) after the Beast Bomb (5:20)
PRESTORY: At Survival of the Sickest, Lacey Von Erich debuted and put Gail Kim out of action. At Eve of Destruction, Lacey had her first match scoring an upset victory over Trish Stratus. After Eve of Destruction it was announced that Gail Kim would make her return to challenge Von Erich to a match at Final Showdown!
Lacey Von Erich def. Gail Kim (14:38) after the Clawslam
AFTERSTORY: Lacey managed to pull off the victory again. Perhaps, Gail returned from injury a bit too soon. The Beautiful People joined Lacey in the ring and looked to inflict further damage on Gail but Trish, Lita, and Victoria ran to the ring to make the save. It led to a standoff between the two groups but the Beautiful People left with this victory from Lacey who remains undefeated!
PRESTORY: Frankie Kazarian won the beat the clock challenge to face Jushin Liger for the Junior Championship. On most occasions throughout the year Kazarian was on the same side as Liger, the two had not met one on one in the ring since Liger defeated him at Final Burns 2008. Kazarian though had earned another shot at the title by winning his match in the quickest time.
Junior Championship Match: Frankie Kazarian def. Jushin Liger (15:15) after the Wave of the Future to become the NEW Champion!!!!
AFTERSTORY: Kazarian did it! Kazarian upset Liger in what has to be considered a major upset. Liger was almost reaching a full year as champion and was heading into 2010 with confidence. Liger dominated a majority of the bout but the action spilled outside where Kazarian took the advantage. Upon heading back into the ring, Frankie surprised Liger with the Wave of the Future and gained the huge pinfall victory. There's no doubt Liger will be getting a rematch, likely at Royal Battle, as we are once again in the months leading up to WrestleMania V and that means the 2010 Super J Cup is only a month away.
PRESTORY: Kevin Nash won the Hardcore Division's beat the clock in dominating fashion. Nash would go on to get his shot at Mick Foley in the hardcore deathmatch environment with the title on the line.
Hardcore Deathmatch Championship Match: Mick Foley def. Kevin Nash (17:35) after a piledriver to RETAIN the championship!
AFTERSTORY: A bloody war it was and many thought Nash would have the title won but in the end, Foley pulled it off again. Foley has definitely had a hell of a run these past few months and he heads into 2010 with a lot of steam. He is the hardcore deathmatch champion and sources say he will be entering his name in the Royal Battle as soon as the chance arises. The Royal Battle of course will see the winner receive a Worlds Heavyweight Title shot at WrestleMania V.
PRESTORY: Shawn Michaels and Triple H teamed up to reform their D-Generation X tag team for the beat the clock challenge and ended up winning the whole thing. The two have not teamed in FPR before but they're doing so turned out very well for them. They would then be the ones to get the very first shot at newly crowned tag team champions, Team 3D.
World Tag Team Championship Match: Team 3D def. D-Generation X (29:08) when Devon pinned Michaels after Saving Grace to RETAIN the championships
AFTERSTORY: Team 3D managed to keep hold of their belts for now. It was definitely a tough competitive battle that saw DX on the verge of winning several times. Team 3D head into the new year as champions but they'll definitely have some competition ahead of them. DX want another shot, The Briscoes still have their rematch upcoming and on the same boat, Edge & Christian have not yet received their rematch from losing the belts back at Halloween Havoc! The tag team scene is certainly a wild one.
PRESTORY: In September 2009, Gina Carano made her FPR Debut in the first annual Queen's Cup. Carano took the women's division by storm and ended up winning the tournament, looking extremely impressive in doing so, capping it off with a win in the finals over Awesome Kong. Following the tournament, Carano became embroiled in a rivalry with Shinobu Kandori, who was not impressed by Carano. The two would meet in a K1 Rules match at Cyber Saturday. Carano won the match and remained undefeated. At Survival of the Sickest, Candice Michelle brought Carano onto her team as the hired gun of sorts for her team. Their team was unsuccessful with Carano being the last eliminated by Claudia. She remained however undefeated in singles competition. Carano got her revenge in Beat the Clock when she beat Claudia to set the time. Carano won the challenge and would go on to challenge the FPR Women's champion, the Best in the World, Candice Michelle.
Women's Championship Match: "Queen of FPR" Gina Carano def. "Best in the World" Candice Michelle (16:07) via submission to become the NEW Champion!!!!
AFTERSTORY: Gina Carano has become FPR Women's Champion! Carano and Candice put on one hell of a match, as expected. Carano had plenty of momentum coming in undefeated but Candice is known as one of the greatest FPR Women's champions of all time. Carano managed to defeat Candice and claim the women's championship for the first time. After the match Candice and Carano shook hands in a show of respect from both as they will surely meet in the ring again and probably soon at that.
PRESTORY: The hatred between the Foundation and Faithful is one that will likely never end. The two faction leaders met in the Beat the Clock challenge and Mike Foxx defeated Bret Hart to beat the clock. Foxx earned himself a world title shot and proclaimed that his forthcoming victory would be the rebirth of the Faithful as he challenged Hulk Hogan.
Worlds Heavyweight Championship Match: Hulk Hogan def. Mike Foxx (11:05) after the Leg Drop to RETAIN the championship!!
AFTERSTORY: Hogan defeats Foxx and remains World Champion! Hulk Hogan has had his best career year in a long, long time, in 2009. From winning King of the Ring to becoming Worlds Heavyweight Champion for the first time in four years. Hogan's reign has been quite the ride so far as Hulkamania has ran wild through Fire Pro once again. As we look forward to FPR in 2010, we are sure to see some more bright things!
©FPR Eve of Destruction/FPR Final Showdown 2009 - The final shows of 2009! Comments, questions, requests, feedback of all sorts are appreciated as always. FPR's next PPV broadcast will be the 2010 Royal Battle as the Road to WrestleMania V begins!
Also don't forget to check out the 2009 FPR YEAR END AWARDS:
WRESTLER OF THE YEAR: HULK HOGAN Hogan suffered an injury in January 2009 but bounced back with a return at WrestleMania IV in March. Hogan won the King of the Ring tournament in April and held onto his momentum through the summer. Hogan won the Worlds Heavyweight Championship in August at Final Burns when he defeated Yoshinari Ogawa. Immediately after the match, Randy Orton cashed in his money in the bank title shot but Hogan was able to trump him too! Following that, Hogan resumed his feud with the man that injured him in January, the masked giant Colossus. Hogan/Colossus' feud reached new heights and on September 9, 2009 they signed the contract to meet in the ring raising the stakes higher than ever before when Hogan put his championship belt on the line against the mask of Colossus. They met at the Ultimate Encounter and Hogan was once again victorious, this time winning the mask of Colossus and forcing him to unmask which revealed Sid! (Sid had quit FPR in November 2008 after failing to win the World Title from Bruiser Brody). Hogan continued his reign on to Cyber Saturday where you the fans voted Stone Cold Steve Austin in to face him in a Last Man Standing Match. Hogan again defied the odds and defeated the rattlesnake in a grueling 17 minute match. Hogan then headlined Halloween Havoc in a non-title steel cage match against Hardcore Deathmatch Champion, Mick Foley. Foley was victorious and a post-match assault from Orton and Sid led to the main event of Survival of the Sickest where the Million Dollar Team (Orton, Sid, DiBiase, and DiBiase Jr.) defeated Hogan's Hulkamaniacs team which consisted of himself, Randy Savage, Ultimate Warrior, and a last minute replacement partner in Mick Foley who promised Hogan he would owe him one for his services. In the SOTS matchup, Ted DiBiase Jr (who was making his debut) was the one that pinned Hogan and Savage in the end to win it for his team. This earned Ted a shot at Hogan's championship which was held at Eve of Destruction. Hogan took on the newcomer and showed him he was in for too much, too soon, CRITICALing him with a deadly leg drop! The days that followed Eve of Destruction featured Beat the Clock challenges to determine Hogan's challenger for the final show of the year, Final Showdown. Mike Foxx was the man who beat the clock with a victory over his arch-nemesis, Bret Hart (2008 wrestler of the year). Foxx got his shot at Final Showdown but Hogan was once again able to overcome and retain his gold. Hulkamania has ran wild all over 2009!!
TAG TEAM OF THE YEAR: THE BRISCOES No tag team came close to having the year that the Briscoes had. Every time you thought they were out, they bounced right back. And in the most impressive of ways too. At Final Showdown 2008, The Briscoes ended 2008 and started 2009 with the biggest bang possible, they ended the one year long title reign of The Big Show & Hardcore Holly - shocking absolutely everyone. The Briscoes reign was short-lived however as they would lose the belts to LAX at Valentine's Massacre in February. However the Briscoes wouldn't give up there as they won the titles right back the following month at WrestleMania IV. Following that, LAX won a contenders match to earn their next rematch in which they defeated the Briscoes again this time in a Texas Tornado tag team match. Around this time, the Real World Tag League took place which prevented the Briscoes from getting a rematch at Bloodlines. LAX held onto the belts (over Big Show & Holly at that) and the Briscoes were pressed to find another way to the tag team titles. Soon, FPR Management announced the first ever FPR Summer Spectacular tag team tournament to coincide with the Road 2 GAB singles tournament. The Briscoes entered and through some massive competition and despite all the odds, they came out the winners in a 32 team tournament to prove undoubtedly that they deserved the tag team title shot no questions asked. They had proven themselves on that night unlike any team before them. The Briscoes would go on to regain the titles at the Great American Bash in the most spectacular finish of the year (more on that later). The Briscoes-LAX feud would not end there as LAX won the belts back at Final Burns only for the Briscoes to gain them back immediately at the Ultimate Encounter. With that win, The Briscoes felt in the clear of LAX as they knew the fans would be picking their next opponents at Cyber Saturday. However, they didn't know quite who to expect. The fans voted in Edge & Christian, who came in and shocked the Briscoes into defeat. The Briscoes however as they always did, bounced right back and won the belts back the following week at Halloween Havoc. The Briscoes would hold onto the gold as the reigning champions during the Guerrero Cup tag team tournament to crown #1 contenders. The tournament was won by Team 3D who would go on to defeat the Briscoes to end their last championship reign of 2009. The Briscoes are sure to start 2010 remaining in the title picture.
WOMAN OF THE YEAR: CANDICE MICHELLE For the second year in a row, Candice Michelle is the FPR woman of the year. Candice ended 2008 with losing her championship and in 2009 she began alongside Gail Kim feuding with Maryse and Claudia. Candice and Claudia have had a very long running feud and as 2009 progressed, their rivalry grew hotter. Candice being aligned with Bret Hart and the Foundation while Claudia came into FPR under Mike Foxx and is a member of his Faithful. Candice and Claudia met in a super grudge match at WrestleMania in which Candice was the victor. Meanwhile Tiger Dream had been womens' champion since Final Showdown 08 and carried it into 09 with a heck of a reign. Candice's win over Claudia at Mania made her the number one contender to the title. However on the road to getting there, Tiger Dream was upset by Maryse in Mexico City. With Maryse as the new champion, Candice challenged her at Redemption and went on to win the gold once again. Following the match, Candice's never-ending rival, Claudia, attacked once again, furthering the feud with the Foundation and the Faithful. At Bloodlines, they met in a mixed tag match where Foxx and Claudia defeated Candice and Hart, which led to Claudia being named #1 contender. Their match was signed for the Great American Bash on a night where the Foundation and Faithful would meet in War Games. As they prepared to wrestle, Candice asked for the steel cage to be lowered early and she wanted Claudia in the cage. Candice's rage may have got the best of her as Claudia finally became women's champion at the Great American Bash. At Final Burns they would meet again, this time in a 2/3 falls match where Candice regained the gold in 2 straight falls. As September began so did the first annual FPR Queen's Cup which got the women's division hotter than ever. At the Ultimate Encounter, Candice once again defeated Claudia decisively to put a temporary end to their rivalry. Candice went on to Cyber Saturday where the fans voted in her opponent. The fans vote ended up a tie between Awesome Kong and Trish Stratus which led FPR management to declare a three way for the belt. The odds were stacked against the champion big time but she did it again, Candice retained over Kong and Trish in a triple threat encounter. Also at Cyber Saturday, Mickie James became #1 contender winning the fulfill your fantasy battle royal. Mickie would receive her shot at Halloween Havoc where Candice was able to beat her as well. Candice offered a handshake after the match to Mickie which was accepted. Mickie then turned and violently attacked Candice, challenging her to meet her in the ring again for an 8 woman tag at Survival of the Sickest. Mickie's team defeated Candice's team largely in part to the final three eliminations from Claudia. Claudia's dominance in that match made the Angel of Mercy once again the number one contender to her biggest rival's belt. At Eve of Destruction, Candice defeated Claudia one more time as Candice continued to prove why she earned the moniker of Best in the World in 2008. Gina Carano beat the clock and would get her long awaited title shot at Final Showdown. Carano won the Queen's Cup and now she would get her shot. In a classic matchup, Carano got the victory over Candice and became women's champion for the first time. After the match the two friends shook hands in a great moment. It was a great 2009 for the Best in the World and Candice looks forward to big things in 2010.
FEUD OF THE YEAR: THE FAITHFUL VS THE FOUNDATION It began in 2008 with the Faithful (Mike Foxx, King Umaga, The Big Show, & Hardcore Holly) against The Foundation (Bret Hart, Samoa Joe, Kane, & The Undertaker). It really kicked into high gear at Survival of the Sickest 2008 when the Faithful defeated the Foundation and looked to take over FPR. From there Foxx and Umaga severely injured Samoa Joe at Day of Destruction 08. Kane gained a big one for the Foundation when he won the worlds heavyweight championship at Final Showdown and as 2009 began King Umaga won the Royal Battle for the Faithful and for the right to face Kane at WrestleMania IV. On that same show, Kane retained his belt over Faithful leader, Mike Foxx. At Valentine's Massacre, one of the biggest matches was held when Foundation leader, Bret Hart, put his career on the line against King Umaga and his WrestleMania title shot. (Umaga vs Bret was the 2008 feud of the year as well as 2008 match of the year). Umaga would win that match and afterwards when it looked as though Umaga and Foxx would do further damage to Bret, Samoa Joe made his shocking return to chase them off. Joe challenged Foxx to a last man standing match at Mania where if Foxx won, Joe would join the Faithful but if Joe won, Bret would be re-instated. Joe would go on to win the match and bring Bret back into the mix. Kane and Umaga would trade the title back and forth, Bret and Foxx met several times to resume their rivalry included a lumberjack match and a mixed tag match. All to culminate in the two factions meeting once again in the main event of the Great American Bash inside of War Games. As well as the two factions' leading ladies meeting in a cage as well when Claudia defeated Candice. They met in War Games where the Faithful was once again victorious after Foxx shot a fireball into the face of the Undertaker to give them the win and put Taker out of action for months. King Umaga then injured Foundation friend, Franco D'Angelo at Final Burns as the Faithful felt on top of the world again. At Cyber Saturday, the fans voted one person from each group to step into the ring and the way it turned out, King Umaga defeated Samoa Joe. At Survival of the Sickest, the two teams agreed to meet in one last 8 man tag against each other. The match featured the return of the Undertaker and this time the Foundation got the victory finally. That match was an ending of sorts, but the hatred between the two groups is one that will never die and one that will rise again each and everytime two members go at it in the ring.
MATCH OF THE YEAR: THE BRISCOES VS. MITSUHARU MISAWA & KENTA KOBASHI - SUMMER SPECTACULAR FINALS - 7/5/09 This match had absolutely everyone on the edge of their seats. The constant thoughts of will or can the Briscoes do this, could they pull it off and get a tag title rematch in the biggest way possible. They had already gone through so much in the tournament at this point. Misawa and Kobashi were dominant and in this match they gave the Briscoes everything they had but the teamwork never slowed down. They were always getting back up, breaking up pins, whatever it took, the Briscoes would not quit. After 26 minutes of non-stop exciting action from pillar to post, Jay was able to pin Kobashi and the crowd erupted like never before. It was an incredible match to end an absolutely awesome tag team tournament!
CRUISERWEIGHT OF THE YEAR: JUSHIN LIGER Was there ever really any doubt? Nobody in the junior division had the year Liger had. Liger started the year as champion and suffered a shocking upset when he lost his title to Matt Palmer. Liger quickly regained it a month later at Valentine's Massacre and would steamroll the competition that followed which included Super J Cup winner, Psicosis, at Wrestlemania, the returning Austin Aries who once ruled the division, the fans vote of Evan Bourne, and seemingly everyone else that came his way. Liger held the title for almost a full year that is until the final night of 2009 when he shockingly lost the championship to Frankie Kazarian! Regardless, Liger's sheer dominance gave him this award without a doubt.
FINISH OF THE YEAR: THE BRISCOES DOUBLE FINISH ON LAX - GREAT AMERICAN BASH - 7/26/09 It was a great match in its own right but the finish is one that will never ever be forgotten in FPR history. The finish of the match witnessed both Briscoes hitting their respective finishers on LAX simultaneously which led to the pinfall. Mark hitting the Cutthroat Driver on Homicide and Jay hitting the J-Driller on Hernandez. Double impact if we ever saw. The crowd exploded at the sight and it was the perfect finish to the match. It stands out in the Great American Bash 2009 highlight video.
December 24, 2009
Theme Song: Story of the Year -Take Me Back
Check out the Eve of Destruction + Final Showdown highlight video HERE!
http://www.viddler.com/explore/tigerXgroge/videos/31/
PRESTORY: Throughout December, the 5th annual Guerrero Cup tag team tournament took place. The two teams that made it to the finals were the Road Warriors and former tag team champions, Team 3D. The Road Warriors had their most impressive showing in a very long time while 3D skyrocketed back into the tag team scene after a long absence. 3D's biggest win in the tournament thus far had been over the Hardyz in the semi finals. The Hardyz had been looking to get into the tag title picture but it was not to be. On the other side, The Road Warriors overcame last year's tournament winners, Beer Money Inc. in a great battle that both teams put great effort into.
Guerrero Cup Finals: Team 3D def. The Road Warriors (30:36) when Devon pinned Animal
AFTERSTORY: Team 3D win their tournament and get a shot at the tag team titles. It was a big win over the legendary Road Warriors and Team 3D would go on to face the tag team champions, the Briscoes later on in the night
PRESTORY: Bryan Danielson eliminated Yoshinari Ogawa in the elimination 8 man tag at Survival of the Sickest. Danielson along with the rest of Team Angle would go on to win the match. Ogawa wanted a one on one match with Danielson to prove that he could beat him when there was nobody else in the match. Danielson, feeling confident, gladly accepted the challenge.
Yoshinari Ogawa def. Bryan Danielson (4:34) via victory roll
AFTERSTORY: Ogawa beat Danielson and not only that, he did so in record time! Ogawa caught Danielson with a quick rollup and gained the three count in under five minutes. As would be expected, Danielson was livid about his loss. Danielson didn't waste anytime in making a challenge for Final Showdown should neither man win one of the beat the clock challenges.
PRESTORY: Survival of the Sickest saw the feud between Lita, Victoria, Gail Kim, and Trish against The Beautiful People continue in a big way. They defeated the Beautiful People but after the match, Lacey Von Erich debuted and injured Gail Kim. Madison Rayne and Maryse challenged Lita and Victoria to a tag team match after Trish had challenged Von Erich to fight in Gail's place.
Lita & Victoria def. Madison Rayne & Maryse (13:33) when Lita pinned Maryse with a victory roll
AFTERSTORY: Another big win over the Beautiful People in a great matchup. Lita caught Maryse out of nowhere with a victory roll to get the win for her team.
PRESTORY: At Survival of the Sickest, Jushin Liger's team had a clean sweep against their opposition. JT Lamotta was the last man eliminated in that match and with no official number one contender, he was granted a shot at Liger's junior championship.
Junior Championship Match: Jushin Liger def. JT Lamotta (11:13) after a brainbuster to RETAIN the championship!
PRESTORY: Last month at Survival of the Sickest, we saw two debuts of Alissa Flash and Maria Menounos on opposite teams. Alissa debuted as a part of Team Mickie James and quickly formed an impressive partnership with fellow team member, Claudia. Maria Menounos came in to FPR as a close friend of team captain, Candice Michelle. Both were impressive in their debuts and as a result of their in ring altercations, they were booked to face each other one on one.
Alissa Flash def. Maria Menounos (11:35) after a discus lariat
AFTERSTORY: Alissa picked up the big win here in another good matchup as she climbs the ranks of the women's division as the division continues to become stronger and stronger. Both women were again impressive here and would surely meet in the ring again.
PRESTORY: Last month at Survival of the Sickest, The Foundation finally defeated the Faithful. Though the Faithful had finally been defeated, Faithful member The Big Show still held the International Championship. Bret Hart wanted to put the final nail in the Faithful and challenged Show to a title match to try and take the title away from the Faithful and into the Foundation.
International Championship Match: The Big Show def. Bret Hart (12:42) when Show choked out Bret to RETAIN the championship!
AFTERSTORY: Bret was unsuccessful in his title aspiration as Big Show was able to defeat him and keep hold of the gold. Show continues to look dominant in his one on one bouts since ending the year + reign of Mark Henry. Who can stop The Big Show?
PRESTORY: As noted above, last month saw the debut of Lacey Von Erich. Lacey entered the ring following the Stratusfaction vs Beautiful People elimination tag match and delivered a brutal Clawslam to Gail Kim, putting her out of action. Trish Stratus, the team captain, challenged Von Erich to face her one on one at Eve of Destruction.
Lacey Von Erich def. Trish Stratus (19:15) after a punch with brass knuckles
AFTERSTORY: This match turned out to be a brawl all over the place with definite hatred. Lacey surprised pretty much everyone in going toe to toe with Trish. Trish ended up busting open Lacey on the outside. Trish was able to survive Lacey's deadly Clawslam, but Lacey also took Stratusfaction. In the end, Lacey used a pair of brass knuckles and delivered a vicious punch to Trish's head which knocked her out for the three count. It was definitely a major win for Von Erich and some points in The Beautiful People's favor. A win that definitely pleased all the members of TBP.
PRESTORY: At Cyber Saturday, Brock Lesnar shocked the world when he ended the three year reign of Bob Sapp as Octagon Champion. Lesnar became champion and he didn't feel like Sapp deserved an immediate rematch. They met again in a non-title fight which Sapp won to prove his worth. At Survival of the Sickest, they led opposite teams against each other in a match where the stipulation agreement was that if Sapp's team won he'd get his rematch but if Team Lesnar won then Lesnar could continue his reign without giving Sapp a rematch. Sapp's team won the match and ensured his rematch would take place here at Eve of Destruction.
Octagon Championship Match: Bob Sapp def. Brock Lesnar via 2nd Round KO (1:28) after a short arm clothesline (6:28) to become the NEW Champion
AFTERSTORY: Bob Sapp has become Octagon Champion once again. The most dominant champion of all time has begun yet another reign and looks primed to dominate the division once again. Who will be able to stop The Beast this time around and will he rule for another three years?
PRESTORY: At Cyber Saturday, Mick Foley was voted into the Hardcore Deathmatch championship match and won the title from Raven. Foley's win seemed to revitalize his career and give him a new start here in FPR while he defeated Raven, who has been the kingpin of the hardcore division for years. Foley won the championship and told Raven to earn his rematch in the Chamber of Horrors. While Foley went on to make a statement at Halloween Havoc, when he defeated FPR Worlds Heavyweight Champion, Mick Foley in a non-title cage match. Raven went on to win the Chamber of Horrors to guarentee his rematch while Foley hasn't let anyone forgot he beat the champ. At Survival of the Sickest, Foley led his team over Raven's and now the stage was set for their rematch.
Hardcore Deathmatch Championship Match: Mick Foley def. Raven (8:55) after a piledriver on a lighttube to RETAIN the championship!
AFTERSTORY: Foley defeated Raven and cemented his status as the new top dog in the Hardcore Division. Raven's definitely not happy with Foley having the gold but for now he's going to have to live with it. Foley's been all over the map since winning the title, involving himself in the world title scene as well, and we'll have to wait and see where this all goes next!
PRESTORY: Earlier in the night, Team 3D defeated The Road Warriors to win the Guerrero Cup and earn their shot at the tag team titles held by the Briscoes.
World Tag Team Championship Match: Team 3D def. The Briscoes (15:45) when Ray pinned Jay after the Bubba Bomb to become the NEW Champions!
AFTERSTORY: Team 3D are officially back. It has been years since 3D have held the tag team gold much like The Briscoes at the end of 2008. 3D end the Briscoes reign and become champions once again. The Briscoes have had one hell of a year in 2009 but it seems like they won't end the year as champions. It will be interesting to see the direction the tag team title scene takes as Team 3D are now the champions.
PRESTORY: At Survival of the Sickest, Team Mickie defeated Team Candice. The win came largely due to Claudia garnering the last three eliminations. Claudia lastly eliminated Gina Carano to win the match for her team. Her impressive performance, which included eliminating the champion herself, made her the number one contender once again to Candice Michelle's championship belt.
Women's Championship Match: "Best in the World" Candice Michelle def. "Angel of Mercy" Claudia (8:11) after a russian legsweep to RETAIN the championship!
AFTERSTORY: Candice was able to retain her title and have another great showing. Candice and Claudia have had a very heated rivalry and one of the top feuds of the year and Candice picked up one more victory over Claudia to retain the belt over her longtime enemy.
PRESTORY: At Halloween Havoc, following the Hulk Hogan-Mick Foley steel cage match, the two were ambushed by Randy Orton and Sid, who were brought to the ring by the Million Dollar Man, Ted DiBiase. DiBiase proclaimed that at Survival of the Sickest his Million Dollar Team would go against Hogan's team. In the weeks to come Hogan formed his team to consist of Randy Savage and the Ultimate Warrior, later forcing a last minute replacement addition to his team of Mick Foley. DiBiase's team consisted of himself, Orton, Sid and his son Ted DiBiase Jr. In the end it was DiBiase Jr. eliminating Hogan and Savage to get the win for his team. The win, which was huge for DiBiase Jr.'s debut, skyrocketed him into Fire Pro R like no one before him. Orton and Sid were a bit miffed that Ted Jr. was getting the shot over them but they accepted it because of the victory he did earn.
Worlds Heavyweight Championship Match: Hulk Hogan def. Ted DiBiase Jr. (8:47) via CRITICAL after the Leg Drop to RETAIN the championship!!!
AFTERSTORY: DiBiase Jr. may have picked up two big pins at Survival of the Sickest but taking on Hulk Hogan must have been too much, too soon, for the brash newcomer. Hogan gained quick revenge for Survival of the Sickest, cementing his victory with a CRITICAL on Ted Jr. Hulkamania ran wild and the entire Million Dollar corporation were none too pleased.
(In the days that followed Eve of Destruction, beat the clock challenges were held to determine the challengers for each championship at Final Showdown)
FPR Final Showdown 2009
December 31, 2009
Theme Song :Story of the Year - Take Me Back
Check out the Eve of Destruction + Final Showdown highlight video HERE!
http://www.viddler.com/explore/tigerXgroge/videos/31/
PRESTORY: The Beat the Clock challenge to name the number one contender for the women's championship saw the FPR debut of Hamada. Hamada debuted against Shinobu Kandori and was extremely impressive. Hamada was able to pin Kandori but it was seconds after the time set had passed. Kandori was not going to forget that as she had recently been trying to reassure her dominance in the division. Kandori challenged Hamada to a rematch to take place at Final Showdown.
Shinobu Kandori def. Hamada (9:21) via side armbar CRITICAL
AFTERSTORY: Kandori certainly evened the score here and did damage to Hamada's arm. But it was not without a fight. Hamada gave it her all and was moments away from victory when Kandori got her in the armbar for the victory. We surely haven't seen the last.
The Miracle Violence Connection def. Vader & Bam Bam Bigelow (12:37) when Gordy CRITICAL'd Vader
AFTERSTORY: A classic tag team match relived and the Miracle Violence Connection picked up a huge victory!
PRESTORY: A match was setup to determine a future contender for Jushin Liger's junior championship. It featured four of the top contenders to the title in a fatal four way where the first pinfall to occur would get the victory.
Fatal 4 Way Match: Evan Bourne def. JT Lamotta, Rey Mysterio, & Matt Palmer (14:03) when he pinned Palmer with a northern lights suplex
AFTERSTORY: Bourne gained a huge victory as he pinned Palmer just as Mysterio had almost pinned Lamotta. Bourne will get another shot at the champinoship in the near future!
PRESTORY: At Eve of Destruction, Ogawa caught Danielson in the rollup that got him the win in under 5 minutes. Danielson challenged him to a rematch and as neither man beat the clock, Danielson got his rematch and it took place at Final Showdown
Bryan Danielson def. Yoshinari Ogawa (13:50) with a fisherman's suplex
AFTERSTORY: Danielson avenged his previous loss to Ogawa here and what a battle it was. Ogawa came close again but Danielson delivered move after move refusing to give Ogawa an edge. In the end Danielson hit a series of suplex variations to finally hold Ogawa down for the three count.
PRESTORY: In the International beat the clock, The Great Muta defeated Desmond Wolfe to beat the clock in the last match in the set. Muta would advance to Final Showdown for an international title shot against The Big Show.
International Championship Match: The Big Show def. The Great Muta (11:52) after a running elbow drop to RETAIN the championship
PRESTORY: At Eve of Destruction, Alissa Flash defeated Maria Menounos. The two met again in Beat the Clock where Alissa beat Maria to beat the then-clock by a second. The time would later be beaten though and Alissa would not get the title shot. Alissa tagged up with Claudia, as they were a very formidable duo at Survival of the Sickest and accepted a challenge sent by Maria Menounos who wanted another shot at Alissa. Menounos tagged up with fellow Team Candice member, Wendi Richter.
Maria Menounos & Wendi Richter def. Claudia & Alissa Flash (29:46) when Menounos pinned Claudia with a small package
AFTERSTORY: A great match and Maria Menounos got the victory this time and finally got one over on Alissa Flash. Richter and Maria made quite the team themselves against the Alissa/Claudia team that has proven to work very well together. Menounos scored a huge pinfall victory with a small package out of nowhere on the former women's champion in Claudia. Needless to say, Alissa and Claudia were both irate after the match. This feud has definitely been a heated one!
PRESTORY: At Eve of Destruction, Bob Sapp once again became Octagon Champion. Brock Lesnar was unable to get his rematch as he did not beat the clock. It was Scott Steiner that beat the clock when he beat Bobby Lashley in the Octagon. Steiner would go on to fight Sapp in Sapp's first defense of his new reign.
Octagon Championship Match: Bob Sapp def. Scott Steiner via 2nd Round KO (0:20) after the Beast Bomb (5:20)
PRESTORY: At Survival of the Sickest, Lacey Von Erich debuted and put Gail Kim out of action. At Eve of Destruction, Lacey had her first match scoring an upset victory over Trish Stratus. After Eve of Destruction it was announced that Gail Kim would make her return to challenge Von Erich to a match at Final Showdown!
Lacey Von Erich def. Gail Kim (14:38) after the Clawslam
AFTERSTORY: Lacey managed to pull off the victory again. Perhaps, Gail returned from injury a bit too soon. The Beautiful People joined Lacey in the ring and looked to inflict further damage on Gail but Trish, Lita, and Victoria ran to the ring to make the save. It led to a standoff between the two groups but the Beautiful People left with this victory from Lacey who remains undefeated!
PRESTORY: Frankie Kazarian won the beat the clock challenge to face Jushin Liger for the Junior Championship. On most occasions throughout the year Kazarian was on the same side as Liger, the two had not met one on one in the ring since Liger defeated him at Final Burns 2008. Kazarian though had earned another shot at the title by winning his match in the quickest time.
Junior Championship Match: Frankie Kazarian def. Jushin Liger (15:15) after the Wave of the Future to become the NEW Champion!!!!
AFTERSTORY: Kazarian did it! Kazarian upset Liger in what has to be considered a major upset. Liger was almost reaching a full year as champion and was heading into 2010 with confidence. Liger dominated a majority of the bout but the action spilled outside where Kazarian took the advantage. Upon heading back into the ring, Frankie surprised Liger with the Wave of the Future and gained the huge pinfall victory. There's no doubt Liger will be getting a rematch, likely at Royal Battle, as we are once again in the months leading up to WrestleMania V and that means the 2010 Super J Cup is only a month away.
PRESTORY: Kevin Nash won the Hardcore Division's beat the clock in dominating fashion. Nash would go on to get his shot at Mick Foley in the hardcore deathmatch environment with the title on the line.
Hardcore Deathmatch Championship Match: Mick Foley def. Kevin Nash (17:35) after a piledriver to RETAIN the championship!
AFTERSTORY: A bloody war it was and many thought Nash would have the title won but in the end, Foley pulled it off again. Foley has definitely had a hell of a run these past few months and he heads into 2010 with a lot of steam. He is the hardcore deathmatch champion and sources say he will be entering his name in the Royal Battle as soon as the chance arises. The Royal Battle of course will see the winner receive a Worlds Heavyweight Title shot at WrestleMania V.
PRESTORY: Shawn Michaels and Triple H teamed up to reform their D-Generation X tag team for the beat the clock challenge and ended up winning the whole thing. The two have not teamed in FPR before but they're doing so turned out very well for them. They would then be the ones to get the very first shot at newly crowned tag team champions, Team 3D.
World Tag Team Championship Match: Team 3D def. D-Generation X (29:08) when Devon pinned Michaels after Saving Grace to RETAIN the championships
AFTERSTORY: Team 3D managed to keep hold of their belts for now. It was definitely a tough competitive battle that saw DX on the verge of winning several times. Team 3D head into the new year as champions but they'll definitely have some competition ahead of them. DX want another shot, The Briscoes still have their rematch upcoming and on the same boat, Edge & Christian have not yet received their rematch from losing the belts back at Halloween Havoc! The tag team scene is certainly a wild one.
PRESTORY: In September 2009, Gina Carano made her FPR Debut in the first annual Queen's Cup. Carano took the women's division by storm and ended up winning the tournament, looking extremely impressive in doing so, capping it off with a win in the finals over Awesome Kong. Following the tournament, Carano became embroiled in a rivalry with Shinobu Kandori, who was not impressed by Carano. The two would meet in a K1 Rules match at Cyber Saturday. Carano won the match and remained undefeated. At Survival of the Sickest, Candice Michelle brought Carano onto her team as the hired gun of sorts for her team. Their team was unsuccessful with Carano being the last eliminated by Claudia. She remained however undefeated in singles competition. Carano got her revenge in Beat the Clock when she beat Claudia to set the time. Carano won the challenge and would go on to challenge the FPR Women's champion, the Best in the World, Candice Michelle.
Women's Championship Match: "Queen of FPR" Gina Carano def. "Best in the World" Candice Michelle (16:07) via submission to become the NEW Champion!!!!
AFTERSTORY: Gina Carano has become FPR Women's Champion! Carano and Candice put on one hell of a match, as expected. Carano had plenty of momentum coming in undefeated but Candice is known as one of the greatest FPR Women's champions of all time. Carano managed to defeat Candice and claim the women's championship for the first time. After the match Candice and Carano shook hands in a show of respect from both as they will surely meet in the ring again and probably soon at that.
PRESTORY: The hatred between the Foundation and Faithful is one that will likely never end. The two faction leaders met in the Beat the Clock challenge and Mike Foxx defeated Bret Hart to beat the clock. Foxx earned himself a world title shot and proclaimed that his forthcoming victory would be the rebirth of the Faithful as he challenged Hulk Hogan.
Worlds Heavyweight Championship Match: Hulk Hogan def. Mike Foxx (11:05) after the Leg Drop to RETAIN the championship!!
AFTERSTORY: Hogan defeats Foxx and remains World Champion! Hulk Hogan has had his best career year in a long, long time, in 2009. From winning King of the Ring to becoming Worlds Heavyweight Champion for the first time in four years. Hogan's reign has been quite the ride so far as Hulkamania has ran wild through Fire Pro once again. As we look forward to FPR in 2010, we are sure to see some more bright things!
©FPR Eve of Destruction/FPR Final Showdown 2009 - The final shows of 2009! Comments, questions, requests, feedback of all sorts are appreciated as always. FPR's next PPV broadcast will be the 2010 Royal Battle as the Road to WrestleMania V begins!
Also don't forget to check out the 2009 FPR YEAR END AWARDS:
WRESTLER OF THE YEAR: HULK HOGAN Hogan suffered an injury in January 2009 but bounced back with a return at WrestleMania IV in March. Hogan won the King of the Ring tournament in April and held onto his momentum through the summer. Hogan won the Worlds Heavyweight Championship in August at Final Burns when he defeated Yoshinari Ogawa. Immediately after the match, Randy Orton cashed in his money in the bank title shot but Hogan was able to trump him too! Following that, Hogan resumed his feud with the man that injured him in January, the masked giant Colossus. Hogan/Colossus' feud reached new heights and on September 9, 2009 they signed the contract to meet in the ring raising the stakes higher than ever before when Hogan put his championship belt on the line against the mask of Colossus. They met at the Ultimate Encounter and Hogan was once again victorious, this time winning the mask of Colossus and forcing him to unmask which revealed Sid! (Sid had quit FPR in November 2008 after failing to win the World Title from Bruiser Brody). Hogan continued his reign on to Cyber Saturday where you the fans voted Stone Cold Steve Austin in to face him in a Last Man Standing Match. Hogan again defied the odds and defeated the rattlesnake in a grueling 17 minute match. Hogan then headlined Halloween Havoc in a non-title steel cage match against Hardcore Deathmatch Champion, Mick Foley. Foley was victorious and a post-match assault from Orton and Sid led to the main event of Survival of the Sickest where the Million Dollar Team (Orton, Sid, DiBiase, and DiBiase Jr.) defeated Hogan's Hulkamaniacs team which consisted of himself, Randy Savage, Ultimate Warrior, and a last minute replacement partner in Mick Foley who promised Hogan he would owe him one for his services. In the SOTS matchup, Ted DiBiase Jr (who was making his debut) was the one that pinned Hogan and Savage in the end to win it for his team. This earned Ted a shot at Hogan's championship which was held at Eve of Destruction. Hogan took on the newcomer and showed him he was in for too much, too soon, CRITICALing him with a deadly leg drop! The days that followed Eve of Destruction featured Beat the Clock challenges to determine Hogan's challenger for the final show of the year, Final Showdown. Mike Foxx was the man who beat the clock with a victory over his arch-nemesis, Bret Hart (2008 wrestler of the year). Foxx got his shot at Final Showdown but Hogan was once again able to overcome and retain his gold. Hulkamania has ran wild all over 2009!!
TAG TEAM OF THE YEAR: THE BRISCOES No tag team came close to having the year that the Briscoes had. Every time you thought they were out, they bounced right back. And in the most impressive of ways too. At Final Showdown 2008, The Briscoes ended 2008 and started 2009 with the biggest bang possible, they ended the one year long title reign of The Big Show & Hardcore Holly - shocking absolutely everyone. The Briscoes reign was short-lived however as they would lose the belts to LAX at Valentine's Massacre in February. However the Briscoes wouldn't give up there as they won the titles right back the following month at WrestleMania IV. Following that, LAX won a contenders match to earn their next rematch in which they defeated the Briscoes again this time in a Texas Tornado tag team match. Around this time, the Real World Tag League took place which prevented the Briscoes from getting a rematch at Bloodlines. LAX held onto the belts (over Big Show & Holly at that) and the Briscoes were pressed to find another way to the tag team titles. Soon, FPR Management announced the first ever FPR Summer Spectacular tag team tournament to coincide with the Road 2 GAB singles tournament. The Briscoes entered and through some massive competition and despite all the odds, they came out the winners in a 32 team tournament to prove undoubtedly that they deserved the tag team title shot no questions asked. They had proven themselves on that night unlike any team before them. The Briscoes would go on to regain the titles at the Great American Bash in the most spectacular finish of the year (more on that later). The Briscoes-LAX feud would not end there as LAX won the belts back at Final Burns only for the Briscoes to gain them back immediately at the Ultimate Encounter. With that win, The Briscoes felt in the clear of LAX as they knew the fans would be picking their next opponents at Cyber Saturday. However, they didn't know quite who to expect. The fans voted in Edge & Christian, who came in and shocked the Briscoes into defeat. The Briscoes however as they always did, bounced right back and won the belts back the following week at Halloween Havoc. The Briscoes would hold onto the gold as the reigning champions during the Guerrero Cup tag team tournament to crown #1 contenders. The tournament was won by Team 3D who would go on to defeat the Briscoes to end their last championship reign of 2009. The Briscoes are sure to start 2010 remaining in the title picture.
WOMAN OF THE YEAR: CANDICE MICHELLE For the second year in a row, Candice Michelle is the FPR woman of the year. Candice ended 2008 with losing her championship and in 2009 she began alongside Gail Kim feuding with Maryse and Claudia. Candice and Claudia have had a very long running feud and as 2009 progressed, their rivalry grew hotter. Candice being aligned with Bret Hart and the Foundation while Claudia came into FPR under Mike Foxx and is a member of his Faithful. Candice and Claudia met in a super grudge match at WrestleMania in which Candice was the victor. Meanwhile Tiger Dream had been womens' champion since Final Showdown 08 and carried it into 09 with a heck of a reign. Candice's win over Claudia at Mania made her the number one contender to the title. However on the road to getting there, Tiger Dream was upset by Maryse in Mexico City. With Maryse as the new champion, Candice challenged her at Redemption and went on to win the gold once again. Following the match, Candice's never-ending rival, Claudia, attacked once again, furthering the feud with the Foundation and the Faithful. At Bloodlines, they met in a mixed tag match where Foxx and Claudia defeated Candice and Hart, which led to Claudia being named #1 contender. Their match was signed for the Great American Bash on a night where the Foundation and Faithful would meet in War Games. As they prepared to wrestle, Candice asked for the steel cage to be lowered early and she wanted Claudia in the cage. Candice's rage may have got the best of her as Claudia finally became women's champion at the Great American Bash. At Final Burns they would meet again, this time in a 2/3 falls match where Candice regained the gold in 2 straight falls. As September began so did the first annual FPR Queen's Cup which got the women's division hotter than ever. At the Ultimate Encounter, Candice once again defeated Claudia decisively to put a temporary end to their rivalry. Candice went on to Cyber Saturday where the fans voted in her opponent. The fans vote ended up a tie between Awesome Kong and Trish Stratus which led FPR management to declare a three way for the belt. The odds were stacked against the champion big time but she did it again, Candice retained over Kong and Trish in a triple threat encounter. Also at Cyber Saturday, Mickie James became #1 contender winning the fulfill your fantasy battle royal. Mickie would receive her shot at Halloween Havoc where Candice was able to beat her as well. Candice offered a handshake after the match to Mickie which was accepted. Mickie then turned and violently attacked Candice, challenging her to meet her in the ring again for an 8 woman tag at Survival of the Sickest. Mickie's team defeated Candice's team largely in part to the final three eliminations from Claudia. Claudia's dominance in that match made the Angel of Mercy once again the number one contender to her biggest rival's belt. At Eve of Destruction, Candice defeated Claudia one more time as Candice continued to prove why she earned the moniker of Best in the World in 2008. Gina Carano beat the clock and would get her long awaited title shot at Final Showdown. Carano won the Queen's Cup and now she would get her shot. In a classic matchup, Carano got the victory over Candice and became women's champion for the first time. After the match the two friends shook hands in a great moment. It was a great 2009 for the Best in the World and Candice looks forward to big things in 2010.
FEUD OF THE YEAR: THE FAITHFUL VS THE FOUNDATION It began in 2008 with the Faithful (Mike Foxx, King Umaga, The Big Show, & Hardcore Holly) against The Foundation (Bret Hart, Samoa Joe, Kane, & The Undertaker). It really kicked into high gear at Survival of the Sickest 2008 when the Faithful defeated the Foundation and looked to take over FPR. From there Foxx and Umaga severely injured Samoa Joe at Day of Destruction 08. Kane gained a big one for the Foundation when he won the worlds heavyweight championship at Final Showdown and as 2009 began King Umaga won the Royal Battle for the Faithful and for the right to face Kane at WrestleMania IV. On that same show, Kane retained his belt over Faithful leader, Mike Foxx. At Valentine's Massacre, one of the biggest matches was held when Foundation leader, Bret Hart, put his career on the line against King Umaga and his WrestleMania title shot. (Umaga vs Bret was the 2008 feud of the year as well as 2008 match of the year). Umaga would win that match and afterwards when it looked as though Umaga and Foxx would do further damage to Bret, Samoa Joe made his shocking return to chase them off. Joe challenged Foxx to a last man standing match at Mania where if Foxx won, Joe would join the Faithful but if Joe won, Bret would be re-instated. Joe would go on to win the match and bring Bret back into the mix. Kane and Umaga would trade the title back and forth, Bret and Foxx met several times to resume their rivalry included a lumberjack match and a mixed tag match. All to culminate in the two factions meeting once again in the main event of the Great American Bash inside of War Games. As well as the two factions' leading ladies meeting in a cage as well when Claudia defeated Candice. They met in War Games where the Faithful was once again victorious after Foxx shot a fireball into the face of the Undertaker to give them the win and put Taker out of action for months. King Umaga then injured Foundation friend, Franco D'Angelo at Final Burns as the Faithful felt on top of the world again. At Cyber Saturday, the fans voted one person from each group to step into the ring and the way it turned out, King Umaga defeated Samoa Joe. At Survival of the Sickest, the two teams agreed to meet in one last 8 man tag against each other. The match featured the return of the Undertaker and this time the Foundation got the victory finally. That match was an ending of sorts, but the hatred between the two groups is one that will never die and one that will rise again each and everytime two members go at it in the ring.
MATCH OF THE YEAR: THE BRISCOES VS. MITSUHARU MISAWA & KENTA KOBASHI - SUMMER SPECTACULAR FINALS - 7/5/09 This match had absolutely everyone on the edge of their seats. The constant thoughts of will or can the Briscoes do this, could they pull it off and get a tag title rematch in the biggest way possible. They had already gone through so much in the tournament at this point. Misawa and Kobashi were dominant and in this match they gave the Briscoes everything they had but the teamwork never slowed down. They were always getting back up, breaking up pins, whatever it took, the Briscoes would not quit. After 26 minutes of non-stop exciting action from pillar to post, Jay was able to pin Kobashi and the crowd erupted like never before. It was an incredible match to end an absolutely awesome tag team tournament!
CRUISERWEIGHT OF THE YEAR: JUSHIN LIGER Was there ever really any doubt? Nobody in the junior division had the year Liger had. Liger started the year as champion and suffered a shocking upset when he lost his title to Matt Palmer. Liger quickly regained it a month later at Valentine's Massacre and would steamroll the competition that followed which included Super J Cup winner, Psicosis, at Wrestlemania, the returning Austin Aries who once ruled the division, the fans vote of Evan Bourne, and seemingly everyone else that came his way. Liger held the title for almost a full year that is until the final night of 2009 when he shockingly lost the championship to Frankie Kazarian! Regardless, Liger's sheer dominance gave him this award without a doubt.
FINISH OF THE YEAR: THE BRISCOES DOUBLE FINISH ON LAX - GREAT AMERICAN BASH - 7/26/09 It was a great match in its own right but the finish is one that will never ever be forgotten in FPR history. The finish of the match witnessed both Briscoes hitting their respective finishers on LAX simultaneously which led to the pinfall. Mark hitting the Cutthroat Driver on Homicide and Jay hitting the J-Driller on Hernandez. Double impact if we ever saw. The crowd exploded at the sight and it was the perfect finish to the match. It stands out in the Great American Bash 2009 highlight video.
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