Armageddon (2006)

Infobox Wrestling event
name=Armageddon (2006)


tagline=The End...Is Only the Beginning
theme=
promotion=World Wrestling Entertainment
brand=SmackDown!
date=December 17, 2006
venue=Richmond Coliseum
city=Richmond, Virginia
attendance=8,200
lastevent=December to Dismember (2006)
nextevent=New Year's Revolution (2007)
event=Armageddon
lastevent2=Armageddon (2005)
nextevent2=Armageddon (2007)

Armageddon (2006) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), which took place on December 17, 2006 at the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia. The event starred wrestlers from the SmackDown! brand.cite web|first=Brian|last=Elliott|date=2006-12-17|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/PPVReports/2006/12/18/2859158.html|title=Unexpected ladder contest steals Armageddon|publisher=Canadian Online Explorer|work=SLAM! Sports|accessdate=2008-03-29]

The main event was a tag team match, in which Batista and John Cena defeated the team of King Booker and Finlay.cite web|first=Brett|last=Hoffman|date=2006-12-17|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/armageddon/history/2006/matches/347294412/results/|title=Champs prevail|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|accessdate=2008-03-29] Two featured bouts were scheduled on the undercard, including The Undertaker versus Mr. Kennedy, in a match where the objective is to place an opponent in a hearse located on the entrance stage and drive them out of the arena, which Undertaker won.cite web|first=Craig|last=Tello|date=2006-12-17|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/armageddon/history/2006/matches/34729442/results/|title=Ride to Hell|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|accessdate=2006-03-29] The other match was an Inferno match featuring wrestlers attempting to set the opponent on fire with flames surrounding the ring. Kane defeated Montel Vontavious Porter.cite web|first=Mike|last=McAvennie|date=2006-12-17|url= http://www.wwe.com/shows/armageddon/history/2006/matches/34729443/results/|title=Back-burner|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|accessdate=2008-03-18]

Background

Armageddon 2006 was the seventh annual Armageddon event. Eight professional wrestling matches, performances with pre-determined outcomes between wrestlers with fictional personalities that are portrayed as real, were featured on the event's card. The buildup to the matches and the scenarios that took place before, during, and after the event were planned by WWE's script writers.

The leading staged rivalry written into the event was between Batista (David Bautista, Jr.) and King Booker (Robert Huffman). At Survivor Series, WWE's November pay-per-view event, Batista defeated Booker to win the World Heavyweight Championship. On the December 1, 2006 episode of "SmackDown!", one of WWE's primary television programs, King Booker and Finlay (Dave Finlay) both demanded a match against Batista for the World Heavyweight Championship. General Manager Theodore Long, a portrayed match maker and rules enforcer, announced that Booker and Finlay would instead form a tag team to compete against Batista and a partner of his choice at Armageddon. Later that night, Batista announced that his partner would be WWE Champion John Cena, a member of the "Raw" brand.cite web|url=http://www.wrestleview.com/results/smackdown/smackdown2006/1165033362.shtml|last=Martin|frst=Adam|title=World Title and more|date=2006-12-01|publisher=WrestleView|accessdate=2008-09-20] The following week on an episode of "SmackDown!", Batista defeated Finlay by disqualification after Booker interfered on Finlay's behalf.cite web|url=http://www.wrestleview.com/results/smackdown/smackdown2006/1165636943.shtml|title=Booker and Finlay unite|date=2006-12-08|last=Martin|first=Adam|publisher=WrestleView|accessdate=2008-09-20] On the December 15 episode of "SmackDown!", Cena defeated Finlay after lifting Finlay up on his shoulders and slamming him to the mat, a move that Cena dubbed the FU.cite web|url=http://www.wrestleview.com/results/smackdown/smackdown2006/1166253264.shtml|title=Cena & Finlay|date=2006-12-15|publisher=WrestleView|last=Martin|first=Adam|accessdate=2008-09-20]

The secondary rivalry was between The Undertaker (Mark Calaway) and Mr. Kennedy (Ken Anderson). On the September 8, 2006 episode of "SmackDown!", Kennedy announced that he was looking for a new opponent, one that he had never faced before. Long informed Kennedy that he knew a SmackDown! superstar that had never faced Kennedy, The Undertaker. A match was made between the two for No Mercy, in which Kennedy defeated Undertaker by disqualification.cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/nomercy/history/2006/matches/322528211/results/|title=Undertaker shows No Mercy on Kennedy|last=Hunt|first=Jen|date=2006-10-08|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|accessdate=2008-07-12] cite web|url=http://www.wrestleview.com/news2006/1191814054.shtml|title=WWE No Mercy PPV Results|last=Martin|first=Adam|date=2006-10-08|publisher=WrestleView|accessdate=2008-09-20] At Survivor Series, Kennedy once again defeated Undertaker in a match where the winner was the wrestler who made their opponent bleed, called a First Blood match.cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/survivorseries/history/2006/matches/33324801111/results/|title=First blood, last laugh|last=McAvennie|first=Mike|date=2006-11-26|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|accessdate=2008-07-12] cite web|url=http://www.wrestleview.com/news2006/1164599352.shtml|title=WWE Survivor Series PPV Results|date=2006-11-26|last=Martin|first=Adam|publisher=WrestleView|accessdate=2008-09-20] On the December 1 episode of "SmackDown!", Undertaker fought Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP) (Alvin Burke, Jr.) in a match where neither wrestler won the match. During the match, MVP was scripted to attempt and escape from the ring, but Kennedy caught him during the process and tried to throw him back into the ring. MVP instead threw Kennedy in. Undertaker then kicked Kennedy in the face, and Kane (Glen Jacobs) attacked MVP at ringside. The following week as Kennedy was in the ring, the hearse, appearing to have nobody in the driver's seat, drove into the arena; suddenly, The Undertaker appeared from the back of the hearse, as Kennedy sprung from the ring. Later that night, Kane defeated Kennedy by disqualification after MVP interfered on Kennedy's behalf. On the December 15 episode of "SmackDown!", The Undertaker and Kane teamed together to face Kennedy and MVP in a tag team match, which ended in neither team winning the match. Kennedy knocked Kane down in the aisle and jumped into the driver's seat of the hearse that had appeared again, and threatened to run him over with it.

Event

Preliminary matches

The first match to air live was between Kane and MVP in an Inferno match. The only way to win an Inferno match was by throwing one's opponent into a fire that surrounded the ring on all four sides. This match was the first time that the Inferno match had been used in over seven years. At the start of the match, MVP attempted to leave the ring, but was unable to due to the flames surrounding the ring prevented. Kane kicked MVP in the head and threw him into the ring corner. MVP escaped the ring and was unable to go past the fire, so he returned to the ring and was continuously knocked down by Kane. The finish of the match saw Kane grab MVP and force him backwards into the fire. MVP's costume was scripted to catch on fire as he ran to the entrance ramp. MVP fell to the floor as WWE workers were scripted to put out the flames with fire extinguishers.cite web|url=http://www.wrestleview.com/news2006/1197864103.shtml|title=WWE Armageddon PPV Results|publisher=WrestleView|last=Martin|first=Adam|date=2006-12-18|accessdate=2008-09-20] cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/armageddon/history/2006/matches/34729443/results/|title=Back-burner|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|last=McAvennie|first=Mike|date=2006-12-17|accessdate=2008-07-12]

The following match featured Paul London and Brian Kendrick, the Blue Bloods (William Regal, otherwise known as Darren Matthews, and Dave Taylor, MNM (Joey Mercury, otherwise known as Adam Birch, and Johnny Nitro, otherwise known as John Hennigan), and The Hardys (Matt and Jeff) in a four-team ladder match for the WWE Tag Team Championship. In this match, the only way to win and capture the titles was by climbing a ladder and releasing the championship belts that were suspended above the ring. Towards the end of the match, while MNM and The Hardys were out of the ring, Regal and Taylor attempted to climb the ladder, but Kendrick managed to knock the pair off. Kendrick fought off Regal and Taylor as London climbed the ladder and captured the titles to win the match for his team and retain the championships. During the match, Mercury suffered a legitimate nose injury after being hit by a ladder.cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/armageddon/history/2006/matches/34729444/results/|title=Climbing the rungs of respect|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|last=Tello|first=Craig|date=2006-12-17|accessdate=2008-07-12] The third match was a standard wrestling match between The Boogeyman (Marty Wright) and The Miz (Mike Mizanin). The Boogeyman controlled the majority of the match and eventually won by pinfall.cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/armageddon/history/2006/matches/347294441/results/|title=A worm welcome|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|last=Starr|first=Noah|date=2006-12-17|accessdate=2008-07-12]

The next match featured Chris Benoit versus Chavo Guerrero (Salvador Chavito Guerrero III) (accompanied by Vickie Guerrero) for the United States Championship. Before the bell rang to start the match, Chavo was scripted to attack Benoit, but as the match began, Benoit retaliated by rushing and hitting Guerrero with his forearm, a move called the clothesline. Benoit and Guerrero wrestled inconclusively until Benoit covered Chavo to try to pin him, but Chavo managed to get his foot on top of the bottom rope, which forced Benoit to break the pin per official wrestling match rules. While Guerrero was lying on his stomach, Benoit held Guerrero's face back and legs back, stretching his body, and pinned Chavo to retain the championship and win the match.cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/armageddon/history/2006/matches/34729441/results/|title=Wolveriene prevails at Armageddon|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|last=Hoffman|first=Brett|date=2006-12-17|accessdate=2008-07-12]

The fifth match was the encounter of Gregory Helms and Jimmy Wang Yang (James Yun) for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. Helms performed a swinging neckbreaker on Yang, a move which sees Helms grab Yang's neck under his armpit and turns around to slam Yang's neck onto the mat. Yang retaliated, but Helms quickly moved back into the power position by pinning Yang to retain the championship. Helms was scripted to be bleeding from the mouth as he left the ring.cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/armageddon/history/2006/matches/347294441/results/|title=Helms still in Cruiserweight control|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|last=McAvennie|first=Mike|date=2006-12-17|accessdate=2008-07-12]

Main event matches

The following match was a Last Ride match between The Undertaker and Mr. Kennedy, where the only way to win was by throwing one's opponent into a hearse and driving it out of the arena. During the beginning of the match, The Undertaker tossed Kennedy into steel steps on the side of the ring and then onto the commentator's announce table. The Undertaker then threw Kennedy into the ring apron, which is the apron covering the area under the ring. Kennedy and The Undertaker wrestled inconclusively until The Undertaker tossed Kennedy on top of the roof of the hearse. The Undertaker then grabbed and lifted Kennedy by the throat and slammed him down onto the roof of the car. The Undertaker then grabbed Kennedy, turned him upside-down and dropped into a kneeling position, driving Kennedy's head into the mat. The Undertaker threw Kennedy into the hearse and drove it out of the arena to win the match.cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/armageddon/history/2006/matches/34729442/results/|title=Ride to Hell|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|last=Tello|first=Craig|date=2006-12-17|accessdate=2008-07-12]

After the Last Ride match, Jillian Hall (Jillian Fletcher), Layla El, Ashley Massaro, and Kristal Marshall all took part in a "Naughty or Nice" contest, a lingerie contest, where the Diva with the loudest fan reaction would win. The host of the contest was Santa Claus (portrayed by Big Dick Johnson, otherwise Christopher DeJoseph). Johnson declared all four of the Divas as the winners and proceeded to take off his Santa costume and dance to music being played in the arena.cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/armageddon/history/2006/matches/3472944411/results/|title=Secret Santa|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|last=Starr|first=Noah|date=2006-12-17|accessdate=2008-07-12]

The main event was the tag team match between John Cena and Batista versus the team of King Booker and Finlay. Batista wrestled the match with his left arm taped up due to a previous scripted injury. Both teams wrestlers inconclusively until Cena grabbed Finlay's face and bent it back, stretching Finlay's body, a submission move that Cena dubbed the STFU. Finlay broke the submission hold, and The Little Bastard (Dylan Postl) ran into the ring. Little Bastard attempted to kick Cena, but accidentally kicked himself in his head when Cena moved out of the way. Then, Booker tried to kick Batista, but Batista moved out of the way, and Booker accidentally hit Finlay. Batista then lifted and sat Booker onto his shoulders and slammed him down onto the mat, a move he dubbed the Batista Bomb. Batista pinned Booker to get the victory for his team.cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/armageddon/history/2006/matches/347294412/results/|title=Champs prevail|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|last=Hoffman|first=Brett|date=2006-12-17|accessdate=2008-07-12]

Aftermath

On the December 22, 2006 episode of "SmackDown!", King Booker and Finlay demanded a rematch against Batista and John Cena. General Manager Theodore Long informed the pair that they would instead be facing Kane and The Undertaker later that night in a match, which the Kane and The Undertaker eventually won.cite web|url=http://www.wrestleview.com/results/smackdown/smackdown2006/1166843826.shtml|last=Martin|first=Adam|title=Taker & Kane, more|publisher=WrestleView|date=2006-12-22|accessdate=2008-09-20] cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/smackdown/archive/12222006/|title=Bells will be ringing|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|last=DiFino|first=Lennie|date=2006-12-22|accessdate=2008-07-12] At the Royal Rumble, The Undertaker won the Royal Rumble match to earned a title shot at WrestleMania 23, a match where the winner is the final person left in the ring after the other twenty nine wrestlers are eliminated by being thrown over the top ring rope.cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/history/2007/|title=A Phenom-enal Rumble|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|last=Dee|first=Louie|date=2006-01-28|accessdate=2008-07-12] At WrestleMania, he defeated Batista to win the World Heavyweight Championship and maintain his WrestleMania undefeated streak.cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania/history/wrestlemania23/matches/3916184/results/|title=The streak lives on for The Deadman|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|last=Hunt|first=Jen|date=2006-04-01|accessdate=2008-07-12]

Chris Benoit continued to feud with Chavo Guerrero over the WWE United States Championship. On the December 22, 2006 episode of "SmackDown!", Benoit defeated Guerrero in a rematch for the title, with Vickie Guerrero accompanying Chavo to ringside. Benoit won the match by disqualification when Vickie hit Benoit in the head with the championship belt. On the January 12, 2007 episode of "SmackDown!", Mr. Kennedy defeated Chris Benoit in a standard match, with help from Chavo Guerrero. The following week, Benoit defeated Chavo yet again with the championship on the line.cite web|url=http://www.wrestleview.com/results/smackdown/smackdown2006/1169269456.shtml|title=Taker and Kennedy|publisher=WrestleView|last=Martin|first-Adam|date=2006-01-19|accessdate=2008-09-20]

The feuds between Kane and Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP), and The Undertaker and Mr. Kennedy did not continue after the event. On the January 5, 2007 episode of "SmackDown!", Kennedy set the time to beat in the "Beat the Clock" sprint, a tournament based on the time wrestlers win matches, to become the new number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. On the January 12, 2007 episode of "SmackDown!", Kennedy won the "Beat the Clock" sprint by preventing The Undertaker from winning his match and from beating Kennedy's time. At the Royal Rumble, Batista defeated Kennedy to retain the title.cite web|url=http://www.wrestleview.com/news2006/1170044000.shtml|title=Royal Rumble PPV Results|last=Nemner|first=Adam|publisher=WrestleView|date=2006-01-28|accessdate=2008-09-20] The feuds between Gregory Helms and Jimmy Wang Yang, and The Boogeyman and The Miz also did not continue, as Helms was scripted into a rivalry with The Boogeyman.cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/smackdown/archive/01052007/|title=Race against time|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|last=DiFino|first=Lennie|date=2006-01-05|accessdate=2008-07-12] cite web|url=http://www.wrestleview.com/results/smackdown/smackdown2006/1168055099.shtml|title=Beat the Clock sprint|last=Martin|first=Adam|publisher=WrestleView|date=2006-01-05|accessdate=2008-09-20] Yang was put into a temporary rivalry with Tatanka (Chris Chavis).cite web|url=http://www.wrestleview.com/results/smackdown/smackdown2006/1168672396.shtml|title=Beat the Clock winner|publisher=WrestleView|last=Martin|first-Adam|date=2006-01-12|accessdate=2008-09-20] cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/smackdown/archive/01122007/
title=Race against time|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|last=DiFino|first=Lennie|date=2006-01-12|accessdate=2008-07-12]

Reception

The Richmond Coliseum has a maximum capacity of 13,000, but that was reduced for the 2006 Armageddon. [cite web|url=http://www.ci.richmond.va.us/departments/parks/coliseum.aspx|title=Richmond Coliseum|publisher=RichmondGov.com|accessdate=2008-08-23] The event grossed over $423,500 in ticket sales from an attendance of 8,200. "Canadian Online Explorer's" professional wrestling section rated the WWE Tag Team Championship match a nine out of ten stars, the highest match rating. The United States Championship, Cruiserweight Championship, and Last Ride matches all received seven out of ten stars. The main event match received a five and a half stars out of ten rating. [cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/PPVReports/2006/12/18/2859158.html|title=Unexpected ladder contest steals Armageddon|publisher=Slam! Wrestling|last=Elliott|first=Brian|accessdate=2008-08-23]

The event was released on DVD on January 16, 2007,cite web|url=http://www.fye.com/WWE--Armageddon-2006-Front-Page_stcVVproductId8332172VVcatId455366VVviewprod.htm|title=WWE: Armageddon|publisher=For Your Entertainment|accessdate=2008-08-23] by Sony Music Entertainment. The DVD reached second on "Billboard's" DVD Sales Chart for recreational sports during the week of February 18, 2007, and it dropped to the tenth spot the following week. [cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=394&cfgn=Videos&cfn=Video+Sales+-+Recreational+Sports+DVD&ci=3064430&cdi=8551056&cid=02%2F25%2F2006|title=Video Sales - Recreational Sports DVD|publisher=Billboard.com|accessdate=2008-08-23] It remained on the chart's "top ten" for two consecutive weeks until the week of March 4, 2007, when it ranked 17th. [cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=394&cfgn=Videos&cfn=Video+Sales+-+Recreational+Sports+DVD&ci=3064603&cdi=8555487&cid=03%2F04%2F2006|title=Video Sales - Recreational Sports DVD|publisher=Billboard.com|accessdate=2008-08-23] The DVD also received reviews from customers; the average customer rating from "Amazon.com" was a four and a half out of five stars. [cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/WWE-Armageddon-2006-Chris-Benoit/dp/B000KHX6ZE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1219492686&sr=1-1|title=WWE - Armageddon 2006 (2006)|publisher=Amazon.com|accessdate=2008-08-23]

Results

ee also

*WWE Armageddon
*List of WWE pay-per-view events

References

External links

* [http://www.wwe.com/shows/armageddon/history/2006/ Official Armageddon website]