Full WWE RAW Results - 7/7/03 (Jericho confronts HBK, NEW IC Champion)
» On Tuesday, July 8, 2003 at 12:06 AM EST
Full WWE RAW Results - 7/7/03
LIVE from: Belle Centre - Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Commentators: Jim Ross & Jerry "The King" Lawler
Reported By: Justin Krisik of WrestleView.com
Last Week
Fans were treated to title defenses by Intercontinental Champion Christian and World Heavyweight Champion Triple H. Both men retained their respective championships, as Christian wrestled to a draw with Booker T, while Triple H was able to defeat Rob Van Dam in a Falls Count Anywhere Match with a little help from fellow Evolution members Ric Flair and Randy Orton. Throughout the course of the show, RAW Co-General Manager Eric Bischoff had been hounding Kane to walk out and face the fans now that he has been de-masked, or else he would be fired. Kane showed his face to the fans alright--- when he came out from behind the curtain to chokeslam Eric Bischoff off the stage and through a table as RAW went off the air. This week, RAW goes north of the border to the Bell Center in Montreal, and the big question heading into tonight’s show is whether or not Eric Bischoff has recovered from his injuries enough to accompany his Co-RAW General Manager “Stone Cold” Steve Austin in running tonight’s show. If Bischoff is unable to attend tonight’s show, what does Austin have in store for the RAW Superstars if he is given complete control of the show? Those questions will be answered when RAW goes off the air two hours from now!
Show Introduction
This week’s edition of RAW kicks off with a video recap of last week’s saga with Kane fearing that the fans would not accept him now that they’ve seen his face. We are shown the conclusion of last week’s RAW where Kane made his way out from backstage and chokeslammed Eric Bischoff from the stage and through a table. Once the video concludes, we’re taken inside the Belle Centre.
The unmistakable sound of glass shattering echoes throughout the arena, and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin makes his way out to a very loud ovation from the Montreal crowd. After pacing around the ring for awhile to soak in the cheers from the fans, Austin gets down to business. Austin thanks the crowd for their appreciation, and says it’s good to be back on RAW. Austin blames his food poisoning last week on six lousy Mexican T.V. dinners, and says while he was at home, it made him feel real good to see Eric Bischoff chokeslammed straight to hell. He says that Bischoff isn’t here tonight, and that he has total control of the show. The fans are estatic over the announcement, and they are even happier when Austin announces that an Intercontinental Title Match will be taking place right now, and it will feature Christian defending the gold against a man whom he wrestled to a draw with last week, Booker T. Booker and Christian are introduced, and this week’s edition of RAW is off to a fast start with a great Intercontinental Championship match-up.
On his way to the ring, Christian takes out a microphone and says he has nothing to prove because he’s beaten Booker T too many times to count in the past few weeks. He says that if Booker wants to beat him so bad, tell the referee to start counting because he’s leaving. Austin then says that there’s a special stipulation that the title can change hands on a count-out. Christian says the match can’t start until he’s in the ring, so Austin heads up the ramp, grabs him, and then throws him into the ring.
IC TITLE MATCH
IC Champion Christian -VS- Booker T
The bell sounds, and Booker ducks a clothesline and takes Christian down with right hands and then backs him up against the ropes with some chops. Booker executes a backdrop, and then mounts Christian and goes to work with right hands. Christian gets in a shot to the gut and attempts an Irish whip, but Booker reveres and catches Christian with an elbow. Christian tries to flee the ring, but Booker catches him and brings him back in. When Booker gets back into the ring, Christian attacks him and goes to work by stomping away at Booker’s head and shoulder area. Christian whips Booker into the corner, but Booker springs up on the turnbuckles and comes up behind Christian and plants him with a spinebuster. He gets a two count, but Christian manages to fight back to his feet, and the two men exchange chops in the corner until Booker gains the upper hand. Booker climbs the ropes and hammers away on Booker’s head, but Christian is able to take Booker out by dropping him down on the turnbuckles. Christian executes a backbreaker and gets a two count, and then applies a reverse chinlock. The fans get behind Booker, and he battles back to his feet and hits the ropes, ducks a clothesline, but catches a knee to the stomach.
Christian celebrates a bit too long, as he only gets a two count. Booker reverses an Irish whip and plants Christian with a flapjack, and then catches him with a Harlem sidekick to the jaw. While Booker is getting ready to execute the spinerooni, Christian plants him with a boot to the jaw. Both men get to their feet and Booker catches Christian with a scissors kick that lays the Intercontinental Champion out. He covers and gets the pin at 4:51, but meanwhile Christian had his foot on the ropes. The referee throws out his previous decision and declares that the match will continue. Booker rolls back into the ring as the show heads to commercial. When RAW returns, Christian has Booker in a reverse chinlock. Booker fights back with reverse elbows to the stomach, hits the ropes, and executes a cradle for a two count. When both men get to their feet, Christian hits Booker with a dropkick to the chin and gets a two count. Christian hammers away with right hands, but Booker is more than willing to get into a slugfest. He gets Christian off balance, and then plants him with a powerslam when he tries to charge at Booker. The two men get to their feet, Christian whips Booker into the ropes, but Booker ducks and connects with a clothesline and then plants Christian with a sidewalk slam and gets a two count. Christian gets out of position and is planted with a Book End, but again, kicks out at two. After another two count after a Jack Brisco roll-up, Booker gets caught climbing the ropes, but is able to throw Christian off the top rope after a failed superplex attempt. Booker nails a missile dropkick, but Christian kicks out.
Booker sets up again for the spinerooni, goes down stairs and goes for his scissors kick, but the referee gets in the way long enough for Christian to get a roll-up for a two count. Christian gets the Intercontinental Title belt and tries to hit Booker with it, but Booker ducks and kicks Christian in the midsection. Booker hits the ropes and beheads Christian with a scissors kick and gets the pin. Booker T is the new WWE Intercontinental Champion, and is clearly very happy that he finally got the ever-elusive victory over Christian.
WINNER AND NEW IC CHAMPION: Booker T via Pinfall at 12:27
BACKSTAGE
“Stone Cold” is backstage with Mark Jindrak looking at a video monitor. He tells Jindrak that one of these days, that could be him in the ring winning the Intercontinental Title. Jindrak says he is grateful for the opportunity to wrestle on RAW and will do his best to beat Chris Jericho here tonight. A referee comes up to Austin and tells him that there is an emergency and he needs to come quick, and RAW goes to commercial with Austin heading off to see what is wrong.
---COMMERCIAL BREAK---
When RAW comes back, Tommy Dreamer is laid out with his head busted open, and “Stone Cold” heads into the room and tells Bubba Ray and Spike Dudley to leave so the paramedics can work on him. The paramedic says that Dreamer is not breathing, and Austin tells them that they have to get to work right away.
We are then shown a video flashback to the 1997 Survivor Series between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels and the infamous Montreal screwjob, and Jim Ross announces that Shawn Michaels will be Chris Jericho’s guest on tonight’s “Highlite Reel” to discuss that night that took place nearly six years ago.
Theodore Long makes his way out with Rodney Mack and Rosie. Theodore complains about how he and his stable have been held down by “the man,” but they refuse to be held down. Long tells Rosie that if he wants to be successful like Rodney Mack, he has to learn how to “thug and bug” like Rodney Mack. The camera then cuts backstage as paramedics, Bubba Ray Dudley, Spike Dudley, and Steve Austin are helping load Tommy Dreamer up into an ambulance. Jonathan Coachmen asks Bubba if he has any idea who may have done this, and Bubba says that he has a pretty damn good idea as to who’s responsible for the attack.
---COMMERCIAL BREAK---
Rosey -VS- The Hurricane
The match begins with Hurricane offering a handshake, but Rosey hits him in the face. Hurricane battles back with some right hands of his own and tries to flip Rosey over the top rope, but Rosey hits the ropes and demolishes Hurricane with a clothesline and then follows it up with a legdrop. Rosey batters Hurricane in the corner, but Hurricane manages to duck a right hand to deliver some punishment of his own. Hurricane is whipped into the ropes, but avoids a splash. As Rosey struggles to his feet, Hurricane vaults himself up to take out Rodney Mack with a flying dropkick, but winds up getting squashed with a Samoan Drop and gets pinned. After the match, Rosey gets upset over something Theodore Long says to him while they’re in the ring, and throws him into the corner. He then takes out Rodney Mack and then splashes Long in the corner. Mack attacks from behind and beats Rosey out to the floor and whips him into the steps. With Rosey laid out, Mack assists a wounded Long up the ramp and continues to taunt Rosey as they leave.
WINNER: Rosey via Pinfall at 3:34
Bubba Ray Dudley is backstage screaming at Ric Flair and Randy Orton for attacking Tommy Dreamer. Austin interrupts and asks Bubba what he’s doing, and Bubba tells Austin that his best friend’s blood is on his hands and he wants Flair and Orton to pay for what they did. Orton pleads his innocence by saying he was drinking a protein shake when the attack went down, and Flair says he was on the phone. Just as things begin to cool down, Jackie Gayda comes running up to “Stone Cold” and says that something has happened to Rico and that he needs to come quickly. RAW goes to commercial with Jackie and Austin running down a hallway to check on the injured Rico.
---COMMERCIAL BREAK---
When RAW returns, Rico is hunched over on a technician case, and Austin tells him to snap out of it. When Austin asks who attacked him, Rico faintly tells him that it was Kane who attacked him. Jim Ross can not believe what Rico has just said, but Jerry Lawler appears to be pretty content with the fact that Kane is responsible for both backstage attacks so far tonight on RAW.
Steven Richards & Victoria -VS- Val Venis & Gail Kim
Gail Kim and Victoria start the match by shoving each other around, but Victoria gets so enraged that she grabs Gail by the throat and backs her into the corner. Victoria military presses Gail over her head and drops her stomach-first onto her knee. Gail executes a nice flying head scissors and a monkey flip in the corner. She rolls Victoria up and gets a two count, and then stings her with a series of chops. Victoria makes a blind take, and after slapping Steven to the canvas, Val Venis enters the match and hammers away on Richards. Victoria trips Val from the outside, allowing Steven to execute a DDT for a two count. Steven applies a chin lock, but Val fights out of it and executes a beautiful gutwrench powerbomb. Steven tags Victoria back in, and once both females re-enter the match, Gail continues to dazzle the crowd with high-risk moves. Steven tries to run over Gail with a clothesline, but hits Victoria instead. Steven tries again to clothesline Gail, but she ducks and Val ends up planting Steven with a spinebuster. Victoria whips Gail into the ropes, but Gail is able to set up Victoria just right and takes her down with a huracanranna and gets the pin.
WINNERS: Val Venis & Gail Kim when Gail pins Victoria at 3:32
Backstage
Ivory wishes Trish good luck, and as Trish stretches, Test walks up behind Trish and says that since he’s single, Trish has a good shot of hooking up with him. Test tries to force himself onto Trish and says he doesn’t take “no” for an answer. Kevin Nash interjects himself into the situation and asks if there is a problem. Test says there isn’t a problem, but Nash says he was asking Trish and not him. He then asks if Test thinks he’s a big man because he can beat up on women, and then tells Test that he should try picking on somebody his own size. Nash lays down a challenge, and Test says he’ll see Nash in the ring!
---COMMERCIAL BREAK---
Chris Jericho’s Highlite Reel
This Week’s Guest: Shawn Michaels
When RAW returns, carpet is covering the ring, several props are set up, and a Jeritron 5000 is present. This can only mean that it is once again time for the “Highlite Reel,” and as you know by now, tonight’s edition will feature Shawn Michaels; as he will be talking about the controversial match between he and Bret Hart for the WWE World Title from the 1997 Survivor Series. Jericho is greeted with a thunderous ovation from his fellow Canadians, and he looks proud to be back home in Canada. Once Jericho enters the ring, a chant of “Y2J” breaks out, and Jericho says that it looks as though the fans are ready to see Canada’s most exciting athlete. When Jericho says that Shawn Michaels will face the music right here tonight, the fans break out into boos. Jericho says that six years ago in the very same arena that they are gathered in tonight, Shawn Michaels committed a travesty by involving himself in the plot to screw Bret Hart out of the WWE Title. Footage of the incident is shown on the Jeritron 5000, including Bret spitting in Vince’s face after the match, and also destroying announcer equipment at ringside.
When the footage concludes, Jericho looks just disgusted with what he just saw, and says that footage makes his blood boil every time he sees it. He promises that Shawn Michaels will give a necessary and long overdue apology for what he did. When Michaels is introduced, the boos clearly drown out the cheers for the “Heartbreak Kid,” but Michaels doesn’t seem to mind, as he is his usual charismatic self. As Michaels prances around and flexes his muscles in the ring, Jericho claps and gives Michaels a look of “lets get the damn show on the road!” Fans chant “You screwed Bret!” and Jericho points that out to Michaels. Shawn says he his grateful for the chance to explain himself, but the chants of “asshole” make it almost impossible for Shawn to be heard. Shawn says he’s publicly apologized to Bret Hart, but says he’s never publicly apologized to the fans in Montreal. He says that he is sorry and will forever be sorry that the incident took place. But, he says that he is most sorry about the fact that the people of Montreal all have not been able to get on with their lives while everybody in the United States and all over the world don’t really care about what happened in 1997. He says the fans of Montreal are the only fans who care about what took place in November of 1997, and is greeted with a chant of “You Screwed Bret!” once again.
To that chant, Michaels says “And your point would be what?” As Michaels gives his reasons for taking part in the plot, Jericho steps in and calls Michaels a son of a bitch and asks him if he really expects the people to believe him. He asks Michaels how he can expect the people to forget about the travesty. Michaels says that the fans can find something else to hate him for, like beating their fellow Canadian, Chris Jericho, at WrestleMania X9. Jericho calls Michaels an asshole and tells him to hold on, and says that they are never going to forget what Shawn did and the blackeye he gave to professional wrestling for the incident. Michaels asks Jericho what is up with the “we” stuff, and asks if Jericho is “Mr.Canada.”
The fans cheer at that statement, and Jericho soaks up the cheers. Michaels asks if that’s the case, then why does Jericho reside in Florida, which is in the United States. Michaels says that if Jericho really wants to extract revenge for his fellow Canadians, then they should settle it right now. Jericho throws down his coat and appears ready to battle, but then says he will not wrestle Shawn in Montreal because the economy in Canada is poor and him wrestling Shawn here tonight in Montreal would be the same as wrestling him for free. He says that he’ll face Michaels in two weeks in sunny Hollywood, California. Michaels gives him one final chance to face him here tonight, but Jericho says he’ll face him in Hollywood in two weeks and only then. The fans are not very happy about what Jericho said, and Jericho replies by saying that Shawn screwed Bret in 1997, and in 2003, Chris Jericho is saying “Screw Montreal!”
Backstage
Backstage, Jonathan Coachmen asks Austin how he is going to stop Kane’s rampage, and Austin replies by saying that he’s not going to call 911 because he plans on solving the problem on his own. When Austin goes into his office, he turns around and sees Kane sitting in his chair. The chair spins around, and Kane has a towel over his head and tells Austin that they need to talk.
---COMMERCIAL BREAK---
When RAW returns, Austin says he can’t believe what he’s hearing from Kane. He can’t believe that Kane wants to quit, and then he tries to make Kane feel guilty for wanting to quit. He calls Kane a coward for attacking Tommy Dreamer and Rico just for thinking that they were laughing at him. Austin says he’s tired of trying to motivate Kane, and says that he can not have Kane killing his Superstars backstage; he needs him to kill his Superstars in the ring. He says that after what he did to Bischoff, the fans are going to cheer him, and he guarantees it. Austin says that Kane can come out to the ring with him, or sit backstage and quit. He tells Kane to please remove himself from his chair, and Kane gets up, stares Austin down, and then leaves the room. Once Kane leaves, Austin is left with a puzzled look on his face.
Kevin Nash -VS- Test
Before the match between Nash and Test gets underway, footage is shown from the Tag Team Match from last week when Test pumphandle slammed and subsequently injured Stacy Keibler. Jim Ross announces that Stacy is not at RAW tonight because of her injuries, and Scott Steiner is away with her as well. The bell sounds and the two giants stalk each other. Nash drills Test with a knee to the stomach, and then beats him down with forearm shots. He whips Test into the ropes, and then floors him with a clothesline. Test staggers to another corner and gets drilled with more elbows to the jaw, and Nash sends him to the floor with a hard forearm shot. Nash goes for a bodyslam, but Test slides down his back and shoves him into the post. In the ring, Test beats Nash down my stomping away on his knees, and then takes the padding off the top turnbuckle while the referee assists Nash. Meanwhile, Trish comes out to try and get even with Test for what he did to her earlier, but Test pulls her into the ring and throws her into Nash. Nash catches Trish, but gets floored with a big running boot to the face. Test covers and gets the win, and then pulls Trish out of the ring after the match. Trish falls hard on her face, and rather than show mercy, Test throws her into the security barrier and gloats about attacking yet another woman.
WINNER: Test via Pinfall at 1:49
Backstage
Booker T is standing backstage with Terri, and says that he is smiling bigger than ever because he’s the new Intercontinental Champion. He says that he feels fine, looks even finer, and is inviting the whole city of Montreal to join him in a victory party to celebrate his winning of the Intercontinental Title. He and Terri walk off the set of the interview, and it looks as though Booker’s night of celebration is just about to get underway.
---COMMERCIAL BREAK---
Chris Jericho -VS- Mark Jindrak
Jericho and Jindrak lock up, and Jericho fires off by slapping Jindrak in the face and beating him down with right hands. He stomps Jindrak down, and then executes a dropkick to the back of the head. Jericho goes for Lionsault, but Jindrak gets his legs up and then runs Jericho over with a clothesline. Jindrak scores a backdrop and a dropkick, and then whips Jericho into the ropes. Jericho avoids a splash and scores with a springboard dropkick that sends Jindrak to the outside. Jericho tries to hit an ax-handle off the ring apron, but Jindrak catches him with a right hand and throws him into the steps. Back in the ring, Jericho manages to duck a right hand and takes Jindrak down, but Jindrak is able to muscle out of the Walls of Jericho. Jindrak whips Jericho into the ropes, but Jericho gets his boot up to the jaw, but Jindrak plants Jericho with a powerslam when he charges out. Jericho goes for a dropkick, but is caught and sling-shotted into the post. Jindrak then plants Jericho with an impressive slam and would have gotten the three count, but Jericho gets his foot on the ropes. The action spills to the outside, and Jericho scores a low blow and rolls Jindrak into the ring, where he clamps on the Walls of Jericho and gains the submission victory. Jericho grabs a microphone after the match and says that in two weeks, that will be Shawn Michaels when he gets his WrestleMania X9 rematch in Hollywood.
WINNER: Chris Jericho via submission at 3:47
---COMMERCIAL BREAK---
When RAW returns, the Main Event for Heat is announced, and it will pit World Heavyweight Champion Triple H against Maven. Lawler says that if Maven can pull off the upset, he may be as good as Freddy Blassie was. Lawler says this because he is holding a copy of the new WWE Magazine that features Freddy on the cover and also contains a very in-depth look back at his career.
Winner Gets Women’s Title Shot
Trish Stratus -VS- Molly Holly
The winner of this match gets a WWE Women’s Title shot against Gail Kim next Monday night, and Molly tears into Trish right away and goes right to work on her injured neck. Molly grabs Trish by the hair and throws her across the ring, and then executes a neckbreaker that gets a two count. Molly wrenches on Trish’s neck. Trish mounts a comeback, but Molly again goes to work on Trish’s injured neck with chinlocks. Molly fires Trish into the corner, but Trish catches her in a victory roll, then a backslide, and finally a victory roll--- getting two counts on all three attempts. Trish is then thrown into the corner and snap-mared. Molly whips Trish into the corner, and as Trish tries to elevate herself up over Molly, she is caught in a shoulderbreaker. Molly clamps on an inverted camel clutch, and Trish has no choice but to surrender. This means that next Monday, Molly will be wrestling Gail Kim for the WWE Women’s Championship.
WINNER: Molly Holly via Pinfall at 3:47
Backstage
Austin turns around in his office and sees Kane behind him, and Austin asks Kane what the hell he’s doing. Kane says that he’ll take Austin up on his offer to face the fans here tonight, and then leaves Austin’s office.
---COMMERCIAL BREAK---
Bubba Dudley & Rob Van Dam -VS- Randy Orton & Ric Flair
The match begins with Orton catching RVD with a hard shot to the face, and then whips RVD into the corner. RVD catches Orton with an elbow, and then scores a two count with a flying crossbody. After a few seconds of typical Rob Van Dam offense, RVD is tripped up by Flair on the outside, and Orton takes RVD down with a unique sleeper-like takedown. Flair is tagged in, and he goes to work on RVD with some devestating stomps, and then lays in a few chops. RVD fires back with some right hands, but ends up getting thrown down by Flair. Orton is tagged in, scores a standing dropkick, and gains a two count. RVD blocks a kick, steps over the leg, and then catches Orton with a spinning heel kick. Orton mounts some offense, takes Bubba off the apron, and then tags in Flair. Flair clamps on the figure four leglock, and RVD is doing everything in his power to not tap out. Flair pulls RVD into the middle of the ring after RVD inched his way to the ropes, but gets rolled up for a two count when he tries to reapply the hold. Orton is tagged in and whips RVD into the ropes, but RVD ducks a clothesline and levels Orton with a spinning heel kick.
RVD finally tags in Bubba, and Bubba takes Flair and Orton out with running clotheslines and suplexes. Bubba catches Orton with a neckbreaker, and then tags Flair with numerous right hands and a bionic elbow. Bubba whips Flair into the corner and connects with a splash, and then atomic drops Orton. Flair gets a thumb in Bubba’s eye, but gets caught trying to leap off the top rope and is thrown to the canvas. Orton breaks up the pin attempt, but Bubba is able to ward off the double-team and tags in RVD. RVD leaps off the top rope and takes out Flair with a flying martial arts kick, but the cover is broken up by Orton. RVD goes for the Five Star Frog Splash, but Orton grabs his leg. Spike Dudley runs out and attacks Orton from behind while he is trying to impede RVD from going for the kill, and RVD scores the Five Star Frog Splash and covers Flair for the victory.
WINNERS: Bubba Dudley & Rob Van Dam when Van Dam pins Flair at 6:41
Backstage
Kane is shown in a locker room with a towel on his head as he is about to make his way out into the arena, and he drills the camera man with a right hand when he tries to get a close-up of his face.
---COMMERCIAL BREAK---
When RAW returns, Austin makes his way to the ring and says he’s talked with Kane long enough. He says that the fans can boo him or cheer him, but he just wants Kane to show some guts and come out to the ring. Kane makes his way to the ring, and is greeted with a standing ovation from the crowd. Kane makes his way out with a towel on his head, and Austin smiles at Kane once he steps into the ring. Austin tells Kane that he told him the fans would respect him, and that wrestling isn’t a beauty contest. He says all they want from Kane is for him to demolish his competition in the ring, and says that Kane is one of the toughest men he’s ever faced in the ring and it’s time for him to surpass what he once was. Austin said that all he and RVD were trying to do was motivate him, and that he didn’t need the mask to be appreciated. Footage is shown of Kane chokeslamming Eric Bischoff off the stage, and Austin says that the video showed him the Kane that he remembers from the days of old. Austin says the attack was not hysterical, because it was straight up funny.
Kane asks Austin if he thinks he looks funny, and Austin says that he thought Kane’s actions were funny. Kane screams at Austin for lying to him about not making fun of him, and then drills Austin with a right hand. Kane batters Austin in the corner, but Austin fights back and knocks Kane to the floor and smashes him into the ring post. Austin then grabs a steel chair and smashes Kane over the head; cracking his skull open. Austin rolls Kane into the ring and scores a Stunner, and the Montreal crowd is going crazy. Austin is tossed a beer, but Kane sits right back up from the Stunner and chokeslams Austin when he turns around. The show goes off the air with Kane standing over Austin’s motionless body.
Personal Thoughts
I thought tonight's edition of RAW was pretty solid overall. It was nice to see Booker T finally win a major WWE singles title, and I think he'll make a great Intercontinental Champion. This run is long overdue, and hopefully it's a sign of good things to come for Booker. I was also really impressed with the skill that Gail Kim showed again tonight, and I think her Women's Title defense next Monday night against Molly Holly should be a pretty solid Women's Match. I thought the writers did a good job of continuing the whole Kane de-masking saga by having him attack Tommy Dreamer and Rico backstage, and the altercation between he and Austin as RAW went off the air was about as good of a conclusion as this week's edition of RAW could have had. Some big names who were not on RAW tonight include World Heavyweight Champion Triple H, reigning Tag Team Champions La Resistance, Goldberg, Scott Steiner, and Lance Storm. While Triple H, Steiner, and La Resistance did wrestle in the taped matches that will air on Heat this Sunday, I thought it was a bit unusual that they'd keep that many of the brand's top stars off of RAW---especially since the WWE likes to put on big shows whenever it travels to Canada.
I really like the direction that the WWE is taking Randy Orton, and I think a feud between he and Rob Van Dam could provide for some great matches. RVD has taken his game to a whole other level the past few weeks, and Orton continues to impress fans with his natural wrestling talent and his ability to draw heat from the crowd. Mark Jindrak also looked promising in his match with Chris Jericho, but there were a few "boring" chants during their contest. I think Jindrak will be a big star in the WWE as he continues to develop, but I don't know if adding him as the fouth member of Evolution is such a good idea right now, despite what many of the rumors say.
Finally, what can you say about tonight's edition of the "Highlite Reel?" Before turning his back on his avid Montreal fans, Jericho was doing a great job of bringing heat onto Michaels over the Bret Hart/1997 Survivor Series incident. I thought Michaels played his role as the "bad guy" perfectly tonight as he always does, and I agree with him over the fact that the fans in Montreal have to move on with their lives and get over what happened six years ago. The bottom line is that Shawn Michaels defeated Bret Hart in their final two matches against each other, both of which were World Title Matches, and no matter how angry the Montreal fans are over the 1997 incident, the record books will always say that Shawn Michaels defeated Bret Hart for the WWE World Title via submission. That's just how it is and that's how it's always going to be! It also appears as though Michaels and Jericho will have their WrestleMania X9 rematch in two weeks when RAW comes to us live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, and let me just say that to anyone who missed their classic match at WrestleMania, you can ILL AFFORD to miss this rematch! Michaels brought out the best in Jericho, and Jericho likewise did the same to Michaels. Definately try to get tickets to see this one if you can, and if you can't, grab a seat on the couch at home and prepare for an awesome match. Michaels/Jericho 2 will not disappoint, I guarantee it!