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The Great American Bash (2008)
Encyclopedia
The Great American Bash (2008) was the fifth annual Great American Bash
professional wrestling
pay-per-view
(PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment
(WWE). It took place on July 20, 2008 at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
in Uniondale, New York
and featured talent from the Raw
, SmackDown, and ECW brands
.
The main match on the SmackDown brand was between Triple H
and Edge for the WWE Championship
. Triple H won the match and retained the WWE Championship after pinning Edge following a Pedigree. The primary match on the Raw brand was between CM Punk
and Batista for the World Heavyweight Championship
, which ended in a double disqualification following interference from Kane
. The predominant match on the ECW brand was between Mark Henry
and Tommy Dreamer
for the ECW Championship, which Henry won by pinfall due to the interference and heel turn of Colin Delaney
, with Henry proceeding to perform a World's Strongest Slam to retain the championship. The featured matches on the undercard included John Cena
versus John "Bradshaw" Layfield
(JBL) in a New York City
Parking Lot Brawl and Shawn Michaels
versus Chris Jericho
. The event also crowned the first ever Divas Champion, and it was the last pay-per-view event by WWE before transitioning to PG rating.
The main feud heading into The Great American Bash on the SmackDown brand
was between Triple H
and Edge, with the two feuding over the WWE Championship
. On the July 4 edition of SmackDown, SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero
announced that Triple H would defend the WWE Championship at The Great American Bash against Edge. On that same edition, Edge took his frustrations out on Vickie due to the fact that he lost the World title (that he had won at One Night Stand
in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match
) to CM Punk
several days earlier Raw and told her the wedding was off. The following week, however, after Guerrero saved Edge from a con-chair-to by The Big Show
, Edge re-proposed, and the wedding was back on. On the July 18 edition of SmackDown, Edge and Vickie Guerrero held their kayfabe
wedding reception. At the end of the reception as Guerrero and Edge were in the ring, Triple H appeared to reveal Edge's secret love affair with Edge and Guerrero's wedding planner, Alicia Fox.
The primary feud going into The Great American Bash on the Raw
brand was between CM Punk and Batista, with the two feuding over the World Heavyweight Championship
. On the June 23 edition of Raw, CM Punk and Batista was drafted to Raw from their respective brands on the same edition where WWE Champion, Triple H was drafted to SmackDown from Raw. At Night of Champions
, it was determined that either Batista or John Cena
would bring a World Championship to the Raw brand. During that event, Batista was unsuccessful at winning the World title from Edge while John Cena failed to defeat Triple H for the WWE title in a WrestleMania 22
rematch. On the following night on Raw, CM Punk cashed in his Money in the Bank contract
that he won at WrestleMania XXIV
and defeated Edge to capture the title, after Batista delivered a beating to Edge. Later on that night, Punk defeated John "Bradshaw" Layfield
(JBL) to retain the World Championship with the help from John Cena and Cryme Tyme
. On the July 7 edition of Raw, CM Punk successfully defended his World title over Snitsky
. Later that night, Batista became the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship after defeating JBL, John Cena, and Kane
in a Fatal Four-Way match. On the July 14 edition of Raw, Punk defeated Kane by countout in a non-title match. After the match, Kane attempted to attack Punk, but Batista ran to the ring to stop Kane. Batista took a steel chair
and hit Kane in the forehead, as Kane rolled out of the ring. Punk offered Batista a handshake, but Batista declined and instead delivered a spinebuster to Punk.
The predominant feud on the ECW brand was between Mark Henry
and Tommy Dreamer
. On the July 1 edition of ECW, Henry faced Colin Delaney
in a match where if Delaney had won, Dreamer would receive a title shot against Henry. Henry won the match, and Dreamer was not granted a title match. The following week on ECW Henry faced Dreamer in a non-title match. The match ended in a no-contest after Henry escaped the ring to try and attack Delaney, who was at ringside with Dreamer. Tony Atlas
was the special guest ring announcer for this match, and stepped in to save Delaney from Henry's attack. Instead, Atlas turned heel
, and allowed Henry to attack Delaney. Henry then returned to the ring to attack Dreamer, as the match was ruled a no-contest.
defended the titles against Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder
, Jesse and Festus
and Finlay
and Hornswoggle. As the bell rang, Festus cleared the ring until The Miz and Morrison tossed Hornswoggle in the ring. The Miz and Morrison then jumped onto the ring apron, but Festus knocked them off. Hornswoggle dove out of the ring through the top and middle ropes to land on top of The Miz and Morrison. Throughout the match, the eight wrestlers would attempt to make physical contact with their respective partners to get themselves tagged into the match. Hawkins and Ryder won the titles after pinning Jesse.
The next match was a singles match for the WWE United States Championship
. United States Champion Matt Hardy
faced Shelton Benjamin
. Hardy was pinned after being hit with the Paydirt, meaning Benjamin was the new United States Champion.
The next match was a singles match for the ECW Championship. ECW Champion Mark Henry with Tony Atlas retained the title against Tommy Dreamer with Colin Delaney. Tommy Dreamer was on the turnbuckle about to finish Henry off but Delaney turned on him and pulled him into the top rope. Mark Henry then hit the World's Strongest Slam to get the win.
The next match was a singles match between Shawn Michaels
and Chris Jericho
. The match started and already Michaels suffered kayfabe cracked ribs and internal bleeding. During the match Jericho hit a wild elbow to Michaels' right eye which was injured months before by Jericho. Michaels was bleeding for the remainder of the match. Lance Cade also interfered and hit many cheap shots on Michaels while the referee's back was turned. After Jericho hit many shots on Michaels' face the referee deemed Shawn Michaels unable to continue, therefore Chris Jericho was declared the winner.
The next match scheduled was a match to determine the inaugural WWE Divas Champion between Michelle McCool
and Natalya
. McCool forced Natalya to tap with a Leglock. After the match, [Eve Torres]] and Cherry
joined McCool in the ring to celebrate.
The next match was for the World Heavyweight Championship. The champion CM Punk faced Batista. Each man continually built momentum on different occasions. Batista managed to hit a Spinebuster outside of the ring. As Batista pushed Punk back into the ring Kane interfered by attacking both Batista and Punk which ended the match. This meant that Punk retained the World Heavyweight Championship by double disqualification.
The next match was a New York City Parking Lot Brawl. The contestants were John Cena and John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL). They both performed extreme moves including Cena using JBL's body to smash a car door off its hinges. In a planned spot, JBL set fire to a car with Cena inside. Cena destroyed a car with JBL in it with a forklift. Cena was about to hit the FU but JBL countered and pushed Cena into a window, which cut Cena's arm, allowing JBL to win the match.
The final match was for the WWE Championship. WWE Champion Triple H defended the title against Edge. Both men were dominating at different times of the match. Near the end of the match Alicia Fox tried to give Edge the WWE Championship belt so he could use it as a weapon. Vickie Guerrero started brawling with Fox, however, and Edge accidentally speared Guerrero in an attempt to hit the referee to delay the match. This distraction allowed Triple H to hit a Pedigree to retain the WWE Championship.
, Edge would face Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell match, where the ring is surrounded by a steel structure. On the following week's edition of SmackDown, Mick Foley
gave Edge a stern taking about what he needed to do to win Hell in a Cell against the Undertaker. After recalling his own words from the past, describing Edge as the "Greatest Superstar in the WWE", Foley warned that if the new Edge - the "white-tuxedo-wearing" and "luffa-sponge bathing Edge" - walks into Hell in a Cell, the Undertaker will tear him apart. After Foley's cutting words, Edge claimed to understand the advice but suddenly attacked Foley, leading to a melee culminating in Edge leaping from atop of the ladder and smashing Foley through a table. At SummerSlam, Undertaker defeated Edge after performing a Tombstone Piledriver. Following SummerSlam, Edge was scripted to be out of action. Undertaker began to feud with Guerrero and Big Show (Paul Wight
) at the next pay-per-view event, Unforgiven
, when Big Show attacked Undertaker to save Guerrero from being attacked. After Chris Jericho
beat Shawn Michaels
in a singles match, Michaels came to the ring on August 17 at SummerSlam to announce his storyline
retirement. Jericho, however, interrupted the announcement and, in an attempt to punch Michaels, accidentally struck Michaels' wife Rebecca. On the following night on Raw, Jericho stated that he had no remorse for what he did to Michaels wife, claiming that Michaels "had it coming to him". The following week on Raw, Michaels announced he was not going to retire and asked Jericho for an Unsanctioned match
at Unforgiven
. Jericho agreed to the match and the following week on Raw there was a contract signing for the match. The signing ended with Jericho and Michaels attacking each other. During the match at Unforgiven, Michaels' persistent assault on Jericho would lead to Jericho obtaining a legitimate bruised and swollen jaw.
Following The Great American Bash, John Cena and JBL ended their feud, as did Batista and CM Punk (after a rematch the next night on Raw, which Punk won). On the July 28 episode of Raw, John Cena and Batista defeated JBL and Kane in a tag team
match. After the match, on-screen authority figure, Mike Adamle
announced that at SummerSlam, Batista would face John Cena in a standard match. On the following episode of Raw, Cena and Batista defeated Cody Rhodes (Cody Runnels) and Ted DiBiase
to capture the World Tag Team Championship. On the August 11 episode of Raw, Cena and Batista lost the tag team championship to Rhodes and DiBiase in a tag team rematch.
On the August 4 episode of Raw Adamle announced that JBL and Chris Jericho would face CM Punk in a two-on-one match that night, where whoever pinned Punk (if anyone) would face Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam. JBL won the match for his team after he pinned Punk, setting up the match between himself and Punk for SummerSlam.
rated the event as 8 out of 10. The reviewer praised the Michaels/Jericho match, with particular praise going to Shawn Michaels. Similar praise was given to the emphasis on storylines and good quality wrestling, such as the Edge/Vickie storyline and the Cena/JBL match. The World Heavyweight Championship match was criticized, however, as was the fact that Punk played a very minor role in both the match and the outcome.
WWE The Great American Bash
The Great American Bash was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced in the summer in either the month of June or July by professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment . The 2009 edition was known as The Bash...
professional wrestling
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
(PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWE). It took place on July 20, 2008 at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Uniondale, New York, United States. Home to the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League, the Coliseum is located approximately east of New York City on Long Island...
in Uniondale, New York
Uniondale, New York
Uniondale is a hamlet as well as a suburb of New York City in Nassau County, New York, United States, on Long Island, in the Town of Hempstead. The population was 24,759 at the 2010 United States Census.-Geography:...
and featured talent from the Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
, SmackDown, and ECW brands
WWE Brand Extension
WWE, formerly the World Wrestling Federation and World Wrestling Entertainment , currently promotes its core business of professional wrestling through two "brands" named after their two major television shows Raw and SmackDown...
.
The main match on the SmackDown brand was between Triple H
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
and Edge for the WWE Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
. Triple H won the match and retained the WWE Championship after pinning Edge following a Pedigree. The primary match on the Raw brand was between CM Punk
CM Punk
Phillip Jack "Phil" Brooks , better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE and working on its Raw brand currently serving his second title reign as WWE Champion....
and Batista for the World Heavyweight Championship
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
, which ended in a double disqualification following interference from Kane
Kane (wrestler)
Glenn Thomas Jacobs is a Spanish-born American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name, Kane. He is signed to WWE, appearing on its SmackDown brand, but is currently inactive due to injury....
. The predominant match on the ECW brand was between Mark Henry
Mark Henry
Mark Jerrold Henry is an American professional wrestler signed with WWE, where he performs on its SmackDown brand as the reigning World Heavyweight Champion. He is a 1992 Olympian, and winner of the 2002 Arnold Strongman Classic...
and Tommy Dreamer
Tommy Dreamer
Thomas James "Tom" Laughlin is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is currently working for various promotions on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time spent with Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...
for the ECW Championship, which Henry won by pinfall due to the interference and heel turn of Colin Delaney
Colin Delaney
Colin Matthew Delaney is a American professional wrestler, best known for wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment. He has also wrestled for promotions such as 2CW Squared Circle Wrestling, Chikara, NWA Upstate, Pier 6 Wrestling, Buffalo Championship Wrestling, NWA Empire, LakeShore Wrestling,...
, with Henry proceeding to perform a World's Strongest Slam to retain the championship. The featured matches on the undercard included John Cena
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand....
versus John "Bradshaw" Layfield
John Layfield
John Charles Layfield is a former American professional wrestler, a former commentator/host for mixed martial arts promotion Vyper Fight League and financial analyst for Fox News...
(JBL) in a New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
Parking Lot Brawl and Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
versus Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...
. The event also crowned the first ever Divas Champion, and it was the last pay-per-view event by WWE before transitioning to PG rating.
Background
WWE Brand Extension
WWE, formerly the World Wrestling Federation and World Wrestling Entertainment , currently promotes its core business of professional wrestling through two "brands" named after their two major television shows Raw and SmackDown...
was between Triple H
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
and Edge, with the two feuding over the WWE Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
. On the July 4 edition of SmackDown, SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero
Vickie Guerrero
Vickie Lynn Guerrero is an American professional wrestling personality, manager, shifting authority figure and occasional wrestler. She is the widow of professional wrestler Eddie Guerrero, currently signed to WWE on its Raw brand...
announced that Triple H would defend the WWE Championship at The Great American Bash against Edge. On that same edition, Edge took his frustrations out on Vickie due to the fact that he lost the World title (that he had won at One Night Stand
One Night Stand (2008)
One Night Stand was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment that took place on June 1, 2008 at the San Diego Sports Arena in San Diego, California. It was the fourth and final event promoted under the One Night Stand name...
in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match
Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match
A Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match, often abbreviated as a TLC, is a type of professional wrestling match originated within WWE, but can be seen under different variations in other wrestling promotions....
) to CM Punk
CM Punk
Phillip Jack "Phil" Brooks , better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE and working on its Raw brand currently serving his second title reign as WWE Champion....
several days earlier Raw and told her the wedding was off. The following week, however, after Guerrero saved Edge from a con-chair-to by The Big Show
Paul Wight
Paul Donald Wight, Jr. , better known by his ring name, Big Show, is an American professional wrestler and actor, currently signed to WWE on its Raw brand....
, Edge re-proposed, and the wedding was back on. On the July 18 edition of SmackDown, Edge and Vickie Guerrero held their kayfabe
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
wedding reception. At the end of the reception as Guerrero and Edge were in the ring, Triple H appeared to reveal Edge's secret love affair with Edge and Guerrero's wedding planner, Alicia Fox.
The primary feud going into The Great American Bash on the Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
brand was between CM Punk and Batista, with the two feuding over the World Heavyweight Championship
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
. On the June 23 edition of Raw, CM Punk and Batista was drafted to Raw from their respective brands on the same edition where WWE Champion, Triple H was drafted to SmackDown from Raw. At Night of Champions
Night of Champions (2008)
Night of Champions was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on June 29, 2008 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. It was the first annual event to be promoted solely under the Night of Champions name and the eighth...
, it was determined that either Batista or John Cena
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand....
would bring a World Championship to the Raw brand. During that event, Batista was unsuccessful at winning the World title from Edge while John Cena failed to defeat Triple H for the WWE title in a WrestleMania 22
WrestleMania 22
Notes: .The predominant feud on the SmackDown! brand was between Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio, and Randy Orton over the World Heavyweight Championship. Mysterio won the 2006 Royal Rumble match, last eliminating Orton, to earn a World Championship match at WrestleMania. At No Way Out, Orton defeated...
rematch. On the following night on Raw, CM Punk cashed in his Money in the Bank contract
Money in the Bank ladder match
The Money in the Bank ladder match is a professional wrestling ladder match held by WWE. The match can feature anywhere from six to ten participants from any WWE brand, with the objective being to retrieve a briefcase that is suspended 20 feet above the ring...
that he won at WrestleMania XXIV
WrestleMania XXIV
WrestleMania XXIV was the twenty-fourth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . The event took place on March 30, 2008, at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida and was the first WrestleMania to be held in the state of Florida...
and defeated Edge to capture the title, after Batista delivered a beating to Edge. Later on that night, Punk defeated John "Bradshaw" Layfield
John Layfield
John Charles Layfield is a former American professional wrestler, a former commentator/host for mixed martial arts promotion Vyper Fight League and financial analyst for Fox News...
(JBL) to retain the World Championship with the help from John Cena and Cryme Tyme
Cryme Tyme
For animated series named Crime Time, visit Crime TimeCryme Tyme was a professional wrestling tag team that was signed to WWE.The team consisted of JTG and Shad , an over-the-top parody of stereotypical street thugs.-Early lives:Of Haitian and...
. On the July 7 edition of Raw, CM Punk successfully defended his World title over Snitsky
Gene Snitsky
Eugene Alan "Gene" Snisky is a professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Snitsky, who is best known for his time spent with World Wrestling Entertainment. He had played college football at the University of Missouri and was on the pre-season roster in 1995 for the Birmingham Barracudas...
. Later that night, Batista became the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship after defeating JBL, John Cena, and Kane
Kane (wrestler)
Glenn Thomas Jacobs is a Spanish-born American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name, Kane. He is signed to WWE, appearing on its SmackDown brand, but is currently inactive due to injury....
in a Fatal Four-Way match. On the July 14 edition of Raw, Punk defeated Kane by countout in a non-title match. After the match, Kane attempted to attack Punk, but Batista ran to the ring to stop Kane. Batista took a steel chair
Folding chair
A folding chair is a light, portable chair that that folds flat, and can be stored in a stack, row, or on a cart.-Uses:Folding chairs are generally used for seating in areas where permanent seating is not possible or practical. This includes outdoor and indoor events such as funerals, college...
and hit Kane in the forehead, as Kane rolled out of the ring. Punk offered Batista a handshake, but Batista declined and instead delivered a spinebuster to Punk.
The predominant feud on the ECW brand was between Mark Henry
Mark Henry
Mark Jerrold Henry is an American professional wrestler signed with WWE, where he performs on its SmackDown brand as the reigning World Heavyweight Champion. He is a 1992 Olympian, and winner of the 2002 Arnold Strongman Classic...
and Tommy Dreamer
Tommy Dreamer
Thomas James "Tom" Laughlin is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is currently working for various promotions on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time spent with Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...
. On the July 1 edition of ECW, Henry faced Colin Delaney
Colin Delaney
Colin Matthew Delaney is a American professional wrestler, best known for wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment. He has also wrestled for promotions such as 2CW Squared Circle Wrestling, Chikara, NWA Upstate, Pier 6 Wrestling, Buffalo Championship Wrestling, NWA Empire, LakeShore Wrestling,...
in a match where if Delaney had won, Dreamer would receive a title shot against Henry. Henry won the match, and Dreamer was not granted a title match. The following week on ECW Henry faced Dreamer in a non-title match. The match ended in a no-contest after Henry escaped the ring to try and attack Delaney, who was at ringside with Dreamer. Tony Atlas
Tony Atlas
Anthony White better known by his ring name "Tony Atlas" is an American bodybuilder, powerlifter, and professional wrestler who has held multiple titles and championships in each sport. He is also known by his bodybuilding title, "Mr...
was the special guest ring announcer for this match, and stepped in to save Delaney from Henry's attack. Instead, Atlas turned heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
, and allowed Henry to attack Delaney. Henry then returned to the ring to attack Dreamer, as the match was ruled a no-contest.
Event
The first match of the Bash was a Fatal Four-Way Tag Team Match for the WWE Tag Team Championships. John Morrison and The MizJohn Morrison and The Miz
John Morrison and The Miz were a professional wrestling tag team and former WWE Tough Enough contestants. The team worked for World Wrestling Entertainment on its ECW brand, but also appeared on the SmackDown and Raw brands due to ECW's talent exchanges with those brands during their tenure as a team...
defended the titles against Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder
Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder
Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder were a American professional wrestling tag team who appeared on the independent circuit and WWE under a variety of evolving names....
, Jesse and Festus
Jesse and Festus
Jesse and Festus, also once known as The Dalton Boys, were an American professional wrestling tag team made up of Ray Gordy and Drew Hankinson . As of April 22, 2010, Ray Gordy was released by World Wrestling Entertainment...
and Finlay
Dave Finlay
David John "Fit" Finlay Jr. is a Northern Irish professional wrestler and road agent. He is perhaps best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling and WWE as an active wrestler and later as a road agent...
and Hornswoggle. As the bell rang, Festus cleared the ring until The Miz and Morrison tossed Hornswoggle in the ring. The Miz and Morrison then jumped onto the ring apron, but Festus knocked them off. Hornswoggle dove out of the ring through the top and middle ropes to land on top of The Miz and Morrison. Throughout the match, the eight wrestlers would attempt to make physical contact with their respective partners to get themselves tagged into the match. Hawkins and Ryder won the titles after pinning Jesse.
The next match was a singles match for the WWE United States Championship
WWE United States Championship
The WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It was originally a National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling championship, and is currently the secondary championship of the Raw brand....
. United States Champion Matt Hardy
Matt Hardy
Matthew Moore "Matt" Hardy is a semi-retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for his stints in World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
faced Shelton Benjamin
Shelton Benjamin
Shelton James Benjamin is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment. Benjamin has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling in high school and at the University of Minnesota. In addition, Benjamin has acted...
. Hardy was pinned after being hit with the Paydirt, meaning Benjamin was the new United States Champion.
The next match was a singles match for the ECW Championship. ECW Champion Mark Henry with Tony Atlas retained the title against Tommy Dreamer with Colin Delaney. Tommy Dreamer was on the turnbuckle about to finish Henry off but Delaney turned on him and pulled him into the top rope. Mark Henry then hit the World's Strongest Slam to get the win.
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
and Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...
. The match started and already Michaels suffered kayfabe cracked ribs and internal bleeding. During the match Jericho hit a wild elbow to Michaels' right eye which was injured months before by Jericho. Michaels was bleeding for the remainder of the match. Lance Cade also interfered and hit many cheap shots on Michaels while the referee's back was turned. After Jericho hit many shots on Michaels' face the referee deemed Shawn Michaels unable to continue, therefore Chris Jericho was declared the winner.
The next match scheduled was a match to determine the inaugural WWE Divas Champion between Michelle McCool
Michelle McCool
Michelle Leigh McCool , is a retired American professional wrestler who is best known for her time in WWE.McCool originally worked as a middle school teacher in Palatka, Florida. She joined WWE in 2004 after participating in the 2004 WWE Diva Search. In her initial on-screen role, she acted...
and Natalya
Nattie Neidhart
Natalie "Nattie" Katherine Neidhart is a Canadian professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE on its SmackDown brand under the ring name Natalya....
. McCool forced Natalya to tap with a Leglock. After the match, [Eve Torres]] and Cherry
Kara Drew
Kara Elizabeth Drew is a former American professional wrestler and valet, better known by her ring name Cherry. She is best known for working in World Wrestling Entertainment as the manager of former Tag Team Champions, Deuce 'n Domino, and as a performer for its SmackDown brand.After becoming...
joined McCool in the ring to celebrate.
The next match was for the World Heavyweight Championship. The champion CM Punk faced Batista. Each man continually built momentum on different occasions. Batista managed to hit a Spinebuster outside of the ring. As Batista pushed Punk back into the ring Kane interfered by attacking both Batista and Punk which ended the match. This meant that Punk retained the World Heavyweight Championship by double disqualification.
The next match was a New York City Parking Lot Brawl. The contestants were John Cena and John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL). They both performed extreme moves including Cena using JBL's body to smash a car door off its hinges. In a planned spot, JBL set fire to a car with Cena inside. Cena destroyed a car with JBL in it with a forklift. Cena was about to hit the FU but JBL countered and pushed Cena into a window, which cut Cena's arm, allowing JBL to win the match.
The final match was for the WWE Championship. WWE Champion Triple H defended the title against Edge. Both men were dominating at different times of the match. Near the end of the match Alicia Fox tried to give Edge the WWE Championship belt so he could use it as a weapon. Vickie Guerrero started brawling with Fox, however, and Edge accidentally speared Guerrero in an attempt to hit the referee to delay the match. This distraction allowed Triple H to hit a Pedigree to retain the WWE Championship.
Aftermath
On the July 25 episode of SmackDown, Edge apologized to Vickie Guerrero for his actions at The Great American Bash. Guerrero accepted the apology, but informed Edge that she has already re-instated The Undertaker (Mark Calaway), who had been fired as a part of the storyline between himself and Edge. Guerrero announced that at the upcoming pay-per-view event, SummerSlamSummerSlam (2008)
SummerSlam was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on August 17, 2008 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was the 21st annual SummerSlam event and starred wrestlers from the Raw, SmackDown and ECW brands.Seven...
, Edge would face Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell match, where the ring is surrounded by a steel structure. On the following week's edition of SmackDown, Mick Foley
Mick Foley
Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...
gave Edge a stern taking about what he needed to do to win Hell in a Cell against the Undertaker. After recalling his own words from the past, describing Edge as the "Greatest Superstar in the WWE", Foley warned that if the new Edge - the "white-tuxedo-wearing" and "luffa-sponge bathing Edge" - walks into Hell in a Cell, the Undertaker will tear him apart. After Foley's cutting words, Edge claimed to understand the advice but suddenly attacked Foley, leading to a melee culminating in Edge leaping from atop of the ladder and smashing Foley through a table. At SummerSlam, Undertaker defeated Edge after performing a Tombstone Piledriver. Following SummerSlam, Edge was scripted to be out of action. Undertaker began to feud with Guerrero and Big Show (Paul Wight
Paul Wight
Paul Donald Wight, Jr. , better known by his ring name, Big Show, is an American professional wrestler and actor, currently signed to WWE on its Raw brand....
) at the next pay-per-view event, Unforgiven
Unforgiven (2008)
Unforgiven was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on September 7, 2008 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio...
, when Big Show attacked Undertaker to save Guerrero from being attacked. After Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...
beat Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
in a singles match, Michaels came to the ring on August 17 at SummerSlam to announce his storyline
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
retirement. Jericho, however, interrupted the announcement and, in an attempt to punch Michaels, accidentally struck Michaels' wife Rebecca. On the following night on Raw, Jericho stated that he had no remorse for what he did to Michaels wife, claiming that Michaels "had it coming to him". The following week on Raw, Michaels announced he was not going to retire and asked Jericho for an Unsanctioned match
Hardcore wrestling
Hardcore wrestling is a form of professional wrestling that eschews traditional concepts of match rules in favor of matches that take place in unusual environments, using foreign objects that are not normally permitted...
at Unforgiven
Unforgiven (2008)
Unforgiven was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on September 7, 2008 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio...
. Jericho agreed to the match and the following week on Raw there was a contract signing for the match. The signing ended with Jericho and Michaels attacking each other. During the match at Unforgiven, Michaels' persistent assault on Jericho would lead to Jericho obtaining a legitimate bruised and swollen jaw.
Following The Great American Bash, John Cena and JBL ended their feud, as did Batista and CM Punk (after a rematch the next night on Raw, which Punk won). On the July 28 episode of Raw, John Cena and Batista defeated JBL and Kane in a tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
match. After the match, on-screen authority figure, Mike Adamle
Mike Adamle
Michael David "Mike" Adamle is a sports personality and former National Football League player. He is best known as the co-host of American Gladiators series for seven years....
announced that at SummerSlam, Batista would face John Cena in a standard match. On the following episode of Raw, Cena and Batista defeated Cody Rhodes (Cody Runnels) and Ted DiBiase
Ted DiBiase, Jr.
Theodore Marvin "Ted" DiBiase Jr. is an American professional wrestler and actor signed with WWE, where he appears on its SmackDown brand...
to capture the World Tag Team Championship. On the August 11 episode of Raw, Cena and Batista lost the tag team championship to Rhodes and DiBiase in a tag team rematch.
On the August 4 episode of Raw Adamle announced that JBL and Chris Jericho would face CM Punk in a two-on-one match that night, where whoever pinned Punk (if anyone) would face Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam. JBL won the match for his team after he pinned Punk, setting up the match between himself and Punk for SummerSlam.
Reception
The event was met with mixed to positive reception from critics. The SunThe Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
rated the event as 8 out of 10. The reviewer praised the Michaels/Jericho match, with particular praise going to Shawn Michaels. Similar praise was given to the emphasis on storylines and good quality wrestling, such as the Edge/Vickie storyline and the Cena/JBL match. The World Heavyweight Championship match was criticized, however, as was the fact that Punk played a very minor role in both the match and the outcome.
Results
| # | Matches | Stipulations | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Umaga Eddie Fatu Edward Smith "Eki" Fatu was a Samoan-American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Umaga... defeated Mr. Kennedy |
Singles match | TBA | |
| 1 | Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder were a American professional wrestling tag team who appeared on the independent circuit and WWE under a variety of evolving names.... defeated John Morrison and The Miz John Morrison and The Miz John Morrison and The Miz were a professional wrestling tag team and former WWE Tough Enough contestants. The team worked for World Wrestling Entertainment on its ECW brand, but also appeared on the SmackDown and Raw brands due to ECW's talent exchanges with those brands during their tenure as a team... (c), Jesse and Festus Jesse and Festus Jesse and Festus, also once known as The Dalton Boys, were an American professional wrestling tag team made up of Ray Gordy and Drew Hankinson . As of April 22, 2010, Ray Gordy was released by World Wrestling Entertainment... , and Finlay Dave Finlay David John "Fit" Finlay Jr. is a Northern Irish professional wrestler and road agent. He is perhaps best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling and WWE as an active wrestler and later as a road agent... and Hornswoggle |
Fatal four-way match for the WWE Tag Team Championship WWE Tag Team Championship The WWE Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship in WWE. It was established as a second title for tag teams in WWE in 2002 to complement the original World Tag Team Championship... |
09:04 |
| 2 | Shelton Benjamin Shelton Benjamin Shelton James Benjamin is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment. Benjamin has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling in high school and at the University of Minnesota. In addition, Benjamin has acted... defeated Matt Hardy Matt Hardy Matthew Moore "Matt" Hardy is a semi-retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for his stints in World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling .... (c) |
Singles match for the WWE United States Championship WWE United States Championship The WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It was originally a National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling championship, and is currently the secondary championship of the Raw brand.... |
15:37 |
| 3 | Mark Henry Mark Henry Mark Jerrold Henry is an American professional wrestler signed with WWE, where he performs on its SmackDown brand as the reigning World Heavyweight Champion. He is a 1992 Olympian, and winner of the 2002 Arnold Strongman Classic... (c) (with Tony Atlas Tony Atlas Anthony White better known by his ring name "Tony Atlas" is an American bodybuilder, powerlifter, and professional wrestler who has held multiple titles and championships in each sport. He is also known by his bodybuilding title, "Mr... ) defeated Tommy Dreamer Tommy Dreamer Thomas James "Tom" Laughlin is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is currently working for various promotions on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time spent with Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment... (with Colin Delaney Colin Delaney Colin Matthew Delaney is a American professional wrestler, best known for wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment. He has also wrestled for promotions such as 2CW Squared Circle Wrestling, Chikara, NWA Upstate, Pier 6 Wrestling, Buffalo Championship Wrestling, NWA Empire, LakeShore Wrestling,... ) |
No Holds Barred match for the ECW Championship | 11:02 |
| 4 | Chris Jericho Chris Jericho Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer... defeated Shawn Michaels Shawn Michaels Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December... |
Singles match | 18:20 |
| 5 | Michelle McCool Michelle McCool Michelle Leigh McCool , is a retired American professional wrestler who is best known for her time in WWE.McCool originally worked as a middle school teacher in Palatka, Florida. She joined WWE in 2004 after participating in the 2004 WWE Diva Search. In her initial on-screen role, she acted... defeated Natalya Nattie Neidhart Natalie "Nattie" Katherine Neidhart is a Canadian professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE on its SmackDown brand under the ring name Natalya.... |
Singles match to determine the inaugural WWE Divas Champion | 04:39 |
| 6 | CM Punk CM Punk Phillip Jack "Phil" Brooks , better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE and working on its Raw brand currently serving his second title reign as WWE Champion.... (c) fought Batista to a double disqualification |
Singles match for the World Heavyweight Championship World Heavyweight Championship (WWE) The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand... |
11:09 |
| 7 | John "Bradshaw" Layfield John Layfield John Charles Layfield is a former American professional wrestler, a former commentator/host for mixed martial arts promotion Vyper Fight League and financial analyst for Fox News... defeated John Cena John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand.... |
New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... Parking Lot Brawl |
15:36 |
| 8 | Triple H Triple H Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley... (c) defeated Edge |
Singles match for the WWE Championship WWE Championship The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963... |
24:49 |
See also
- WWE The Great American BashWWE The Great American BashThe Great American Bash was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced in the summer in either the month of June or July by professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment . The 2009 edition was known as The Bash...
- List of WWE pay-per-view events