Welcome to our live coverage of WWE’s Judgment Day pay-per-view live from Chicago, IL.

As always, we’re looking for your feedback on tonight’s show via email on the address below, via our MySpace page at www.myspace.com/ifight365, or via Twitter at www.twitter.com/ifight365.

If you’ve not already done so, you check out our Judgment Day PPV preview courtesy of myself, Mark Bright and Michael Campbell at this link.

Pre-PPV update: We’ve got a huge spoiler on the outcome of one of tonight’s matches online at this link.

- In a dark match, Melina beat Beth Phoenix.

We’re underway with the PPV. The usual video package and ringside introductions open the show. We’ve got all three announce tables at ringside with WWE bringing out the white ring ropes.

- CM Punk vs. Umaga opens the show. Huge pop for the hometown boy, Punk. Match gets underway with CM Punk chants. Umaga dominated early with power moves and nerveholds. They worked a steady pace early on as Umaga kicked Punk off the apron to the outside. Punk eventually counters to get back into the move and tried unsuccessfully to pick up Umaga, allowing Umaga to regain control.

Umaga missed a headbutt off the second turnbuckle. Umaga then got sent to the outside and Punk followed it up with a dive through the ropes. Punk continued with his comeback, hitting some high kicks and a clothesline off the top rope. Punk went for a GTS but Umaga reversed it and hit a Samoan Drop for a two count. Umaga missed the spike and Punk hit him with three kicks to the head. He went for the GTS again but couldn’t get Punk up. Punk hit a superkick then a Samoan Spike and made the cover. 1, 2, 3 and its over. Winner: Umaga.

Solid opener which the crowd were into although the way Punk lost was almost as if he’ll be cashing in his title shot later tonight.

Backstage, Vickie and Chavo Guerrero were talking. Chavo said the trainer had told him John Cena was cleared to wrestle. Big Show was then shown in the same room as them. He told Vickie that Raw is already without Triple H and tonight John Cena will be taken out of action as well, which he said wasn’t good for business. Vickie said if Cena is ruled out, somebody else will step up and take his place. Edge interrupted as Big Show and Chavo left, with the cameras cutting away as Vickie and Edge were left alone to talk.

- Christian vs. Jack Swagger for the ECW title is up next. Crowd firmly behind Christian. Swagger took him down early. Christian pulled down the top rope so Swagger went to the outside then dived off the turnbuckle over the top rope to the outside onto Swagger. Good opening. Swagger picked Christian up on the outside and threw him into the ringpost as he dominated with power against Christian’s speed. Christian missed a splash off the top rope. Swagger then caught him on the top rope with an overhead throw. Swagger got a near fall from countering a sunset flip before Christian hit an inverted DDT. Swagger got a two count but used the trunks which the referee saw. Christian went for the Killswitch which Swagger countered. Swagger went for the powerbomb but Christian countered, pulled down Swagger’s straps (unsporting in amateur wrestling as Marr Striker put over) and rolled him up, holding onto the tights which the referee didn’t see and getting the pinfall. Winner and still ECW champion: Christian.

Backstage, Chavo was waiting for Edge to leave Vickie’s office. Edge called him an embarrassment for not sticking up for Vickie when Santino/a called her a pig.

- Shelton Benjamin (w/Charlie Haas) vs. John Morrison is up next. Decent pop for Morrison. Slow paced start then Morrison hit an insane springboard somersault to the outside. Morrison then got caught on the top turnbuckle and sent to the floor from a kick by Benjamin. Pace slowed down again as Benjamin dominated. They had a good series of exchanges as the crowd got behind them. Morrison hit a running knee to the head for a two count. Benjamin had a two count of his own. Benjamin then countered a monkey flip and landed on his feet but Morrison hit him with a Flying Chuck kick and followed it up with a split-legged corkscrew moonsault for the win. Winner: John Morrison.

Another solid outing. Morrison looked great and Ross and Grisham put him over huge.

- The Miz came out for a promo. 53 minutes into the show and its the first time we’ve heard from Jerry Lawler and Michael Cole. Oh my. Miz said he wanted to recognise the winner of the last match and said: “Give it up for Marty Jan….John Morrison!” Miz ripped on the fans doing the ‘What?’ chants and said since he can’t face John Cena tonight, he’s going to challenge a substitute. He ripped on the Chicago Cubs and Alfonso Soriano who was sat ringside. Miz said Alfonso doing ‘You can’t see me’ in his case means he’ll never win a World Series. Miz challenged Alfonso to step up as a Cena-substitute. Miz then pretended to be on the phone and said the Cubs’ manager Lou Piniella would rather Alfonso got his annual injury on the field rather than off it. Miz said it was a forfeit win and is now 4-0 against Cena.

Miz got interrupted by Santino Marella. Santino said Alfonso was a fellow Italian. Miz cut him short and asked what he wanted. Santino said WWE superstars are starting to resemble animals. Vickie is a pig, Vladimir Kozlov is Sam the American Eagle from the Muppet Show. Miz asked what he was, so Santino called him a jackass and started to make eeyore noises. Miz decked him and they got into a brawl – crowd were into Santino huge. Miz laid him out with a DDT to end the segment…or maybe not. Chavo then came to the ring with Santino laid out. Chavo went to the top rope and hit him with a frog splash.

Backstage, Josh Matthews interviewed Chris Jericho. Jericho said since being moved to Smackdown he’s been robbed of a title shot twice. He guaranteed there will be no ‘619′ tonight and that he’d beat Mysterio for the IC title.

- Rey Mysterio vs. Chris Jericho for the Intercontinental title is up next. Mysterio went for the 619 early on but Jericho avoided it.Jericho tossed him to the outside and followed him out. Rey got whipped into the guardrail before they went back into the ring. Mysterio hit a legdrop from the top rope. Jericho caught Mysterio with a springboard dropkick that sent Rey to the outside. Jericho tried to slow the pace down but Mysterio fought back and hit a kick to the head. Mysterio went for a 619 but Jericho backdropped him instead. Mysterio went for a huricanrana but Jericho countered into some kind of spinning modified backbreaker across his shoulders. They both got on the top rope and Jericho tried to remove Mysterio’s mask.

Mysterio hit a springboard and connected with a kick to the head for a two count. Jericho went for the Walls of Jericho but it was countered. He then hit a backbreaker but Mysterio kicked out. Rey set up for the 619 again but Jericho got out the way. Rey went for the West Coast Pop but Jericho blocked and went for the Walls. Mysterio countered that and went for the 619 which Jericho CAUGHT and locked in the Walls. Really good stuff and Jericho actually had the crowd behind him by this point. Rey eventually countered the move with an inside cradle for a two count. Superb stuff. Jericho hit a powerbomb for another near fall. Jericho was sent into the ring post. Mysterio then hit the 619 and a springboard for the cover. Winner and still IC champion: Rey Mysterio.

This was fantastic. Good pace, some great spots and a lively crowd. Awesome match.

- Randy Orton vs. Batista for the WWE title is up next. Surprised this has gone on before Cena/Big Show. Batista was in control early which got a somewhat mixed reaction. Orton hit him with a dropkick on the apron as they went to the outside where he dropped Batista on his back over the guardrails. Orton then slowed the pace down for what seemed like a good few minutes. Batista powered out but Orton hit him with a dropkick and hit the DDT off the ring ropes. Orton set up for the RKO but then decided on the punt instead. He took his run up but ran straight into a spear. Crowd are probably about 50-50 at this point. Batista hit a powerslam. Orton bailed to the outside and asked the referee to count him out. Batista went to the outside to get him back into the ring where he hit a clothesline. Orton again found himself able to leave the ring but this time got a chair. Batista punched him and the chair was tossed aside. Batista went to the top rope and hit a shoulder tackle for a two count. Orton escaped a Batista Bomb and went to the outside for his title belt. He started walking to the back but Dave caught him and brought him back into the ring. orton went to hit him with the belt but walked into a spinebuster. Batista went for the Batista Bomb but Orton countered and went for the RKO, which Batista blocked. He charged Orton but went into the turnbuckle. He turned round and Orton went for an RKO which was blocked. Orton then purposely slapped the referee to get himself DQ’d, which pissed Batista off. Winner via DQ: Batista.

Post-match, Legacy hit the ring and attacked Batista. It was a 3-on-1 until WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Ric Flair hit the ring and made the save. Batista powerbombed Orton before he and Flair took out Legacy. Crowd totally into Flair. 60-years-old or not, he got one of the biggest pops of the night. The match itself was the weakest thing on the card though, although the last few minutes were decent.

- John Cena vs. Big Show is up next. Show dominated early on, stalking Cena who was selling his injuries, but Show couldn’t get much momentum. He tossed Cena to the outside then picked him up and sent him stomach first into the ring post. Back in the ring, Cena went for a bulldog but Show countered it and then put Cena in a bear hug, wearing him down some more. Cena made his comeback and went for the five knuckle shuffle, but Show went for a chokeslam. Cena blocked and countered with a DDT but went for the STF and couldn’t lock it in. Show went to the second rope and hit Cena with the Vader Bomb but Cena kicked out on two. Show stood on Cena and went for the splash again but Cena moved and tried for the STF again. Show countered and sent Cena out of the ring.

Cena got back up and hit Show with a top rope legdrop. He went for the STF again but Show blocked again as the announcers made out Cena had no alternative way to win…despite Show being beaten with the FU in the past on more than one occasion. Show got him up for a powerbomb but instead sent him face first. He went for the knockout punch but Cena ducked and got Show up for the FU. 1, 2, 3. Winner: John Cena.

An ok match I guess but not one I can say I really enjoyed.

- Edge vs. Jeff Hardy for the World Heavyweight title is up next. Jeff Hardy was in control early on with some armdrags. Lively crowd we got here. Hardy dived over the top rope to land onto Edge on the outside before missing Whisper in the Wind back in the ring.

Edge speared Hardy off the ring apron back to the outside before working over his back, in the ring, and slowing things down. Hardy fought back and went for a Twist of Fate but Edge countered. Hardy hit a cross body for a two count then a jawbreaker. Hardy hit a cross body off the top rope as the pace picked up. He locked in a sharpshooter which got a mixed reaction before hitting a Twist of Fate for another two count. He went for the mule kick in the corner but Edge countered and went for a powerbomb only for Hardy to counter again into a pin attempt. Some real good stuff here.

Edge caught Hardy on the top rope but Hardy countered into a sunset flip off the top for another two count. The match went to the outside with Hardy laying Edge on the Smackdown announce table. He did his run across the guardrail to dive onto the table but Edge got up and speared Hardy in mid-air. Cool spot. Jeff got back into the ring at the count of nine. Edge set up for a spear but Hardy fought back and hit a Twist of Fate on the ropes and a legdrop. Hardy then hit Whisper in the Wind for another near fall as Edge escaped to the outside. Hardy followed him and set up the ringsteps with Edge against the guardrail. Hardy hit Edge with a flying kick off the steps which sent them both into the crowd. Then from out of nowhere, Matt Hardy interfered and laid Jeff out with the cast on his arm. Back in the ring, Edge made the cover, but Jeff kicked out. Edge set up for a spear but Jeff moved and Edge hit the turnbuckles. Jeff went to the top once again but lost his balance. Edge hit, as Jim Ross called it, ‘the nastiest superplex I think I’ve ever seen’ and made the cover and got the win. Winner and still World champion: Edge.

So much for the advert in New Orleans we wrote about earlier today. Still, hardly the first time WWE have done something like that and changed plans. Really good main event to close a really good show which delivered for me apart from the Orton-Batista and Cena-Show matches. Everything else was real good.

Thanks for joining us tonight!

Phil Lowe
phil@ifight365.com