Judgment Day 2006: Rey Mysterio Finally Gets a Night Worthy of His Championship

London and Kendrick arrive with enough momentum that the title change feels possible from the opening exchange. MNM try to slow the challengers with quick tags and Melina's involvement, while London and Kendrick repeatedly create separation through speed. The match is strongest when both teams begin countering familiar sequences rather than simply trading dives. Nitro's accidental collision with Melina creates the decisive distraction, and Mercury is caught in London's sunset-flip jackknife for the three-count. The crowd reacts like it has been waiting for the change. The post-match collapse of MNM adds another layer, with Nitro and Melina turning on Mercury. It is a satisfying opener because the wrestling, title change, and breakup all point in the same direction.

Benoit and Finlay wrestle like neither man is interested in giving the other a comfortable inch. The opening lockup lasts long enough to establish the tone, and the match stays grounded in hard forearms, body control, and stubborn counters rather than rapid sequences. Finlay is especially effective at turning simple holds into punishment, while Benoit gradually increases the pace with German suplexes and the Three Amigos. The closing stretch feels earned because both wrestlers have spent twenty minutes forcing the other to work for every transition. Benoit finally traps Finlay in the Crossface and gets the submission. There is no elaborate story beyond professional pride and retaliation, but the physical credibility makes that more than enough.

Jillian and Melina are asked to continue a personal issue in barely enough time to establish a match. Melina controls early and spends more energy on attitude and character than sustained offense, while Jillian's comeback is straightforward and brief. The finish is supposed to create controversy. Jillian catches Melina in a sunset flip, the referee counts three, and Melina's hand is visibly on the bottom rope. The disputed result fits Melina's awful night and gives her another reason to complain backstage, but it does not give the audience a satisfying competitive conclusion. The post-match frustration is more important than the match itself. Four minutes of limited wrestling and an officiating mistake make this one of the easiest skips on the show.

Super Crazy gives the match its early urgency by attacking with quick near falls and the expected dive to the floor, forcing Helms to slow things down. Once the champion gains control, he repeatedly targets the neck with variations of the neckbreaker and turns the match into something more methodical than a pure cruiserweight sprint. The crowd responds whenever Crazy creates space, especially during his aerial comeback. Helms survives the strongest burst, cuts him off with the powerbomb, and eventually uses the ropes for leverage on the winning pin. The shortcut is consistent with the champion's character, even if it prevents a fully satisfying finish. Ten minutes is enough for a decent title defense without creating anything especially memorable.

Angle does most of the heavy lifting by selling the taped ribs and giving Henry's offense a sense of consequence. He attacks the leg early, creates movement with a German suplex and Angle Slam, and briefly makes the ankle lock feel like a possible finish. Henry's size keeps the structure simple, and the match never develops enough momentum to become more than solid. The countout ending is designed to protect Angle while giving Henry the official victory. Henry drives Angle into the ring post and returns to the ring before ten. The crowd dislikes the finish, but the post-match revenge gives it some energy as Angle unloads with a chair, ankle lock, and announce-table attack. The angle is more memorable than the bout.

Booker is experienced enough to guide Lashley through a simple final built around the younger wrestler's power and the veteran's shortcuts. Lashley controls early with suplexes and clotheslines, while Booker gradually creates openings through ring awareness and Sharmell's distractions. The match becomes more interesting once Lashley begins kicking out of Booker's stronger offense and appears ready to win with the Spear. Finlay decides the tournament instead. Sharmell distracts the referee, Finlay hits Lashley with the shillelagh, and Booker follows with the Scissors Kick for the pin. The wrestling is ordinary, but the result is historically important because the victory immediately creates King Booker. Lashley spearing Booker through the throne gives the loser a final measure of revenge.

The match is structured as a showcase for Khali's size, which means Undertaker spends most of eight minutes making the newcomer look like an impossible physical problem. Khali throws him across the ring, cuts off Old School, survives the leaping clothesline, and repeatedly uses simple strikes because his movement is too limited for anything more complicated. Undertaker deserves credit for bumping hard and committing to the illusion, but the match never develops rhythm or suspense. The finish is intentionally shocking. Khali lands the big chop and then a kick to the head, covering Undertaker with one foot for a clean pin. The result gets the monster over, but the wrestling is slow enough that the surprise cannot redeem the experience.

JBL gives Mysterio the kind of main event his championship reign badly needs by treating Rey's size as an obstacle without making him look helpless. The challenger controls with boots, power moves, and ringside punishment, eventually opening Mysterio up through the mask. Rey's comeback grows in stages rather than arriving all at once, which lets the crowd believe in every escape. The referee chaos briefly threatens to overwhelm the finish, but the final sequence is clean enough. JBL brings in a chair, Mysterio dropkicks it into his face, lands the 619, and follows with the frog splash for the pin. The tribute to Eddie Guerrero gives the victory emotional weight without replacing the match's own story.