» On Monday, June 20, 2005 at 11:43 PM EST WWE Raw
June 20, 2005
Phoenix, Arizona
Commentators: Jim Ross and Jerry the King Lawler
Reported by: Hunter Golden of WrestleView.com
The opening pyro hit and JR and King welcomed us to Phoenix, AZ and ran down the night’s card.
John Cena’s music the arena and he made his way down to the ring. JR and King ran down the events from last week that happened between Chris Jericho, Christian, and the WWE champion. Cena grabbed the mic and began to speak. Cena said he figured out how things worked on Raw even though he’d only been there a little while. He said it was kind of like the wild west. He said the only way to do things was to just suck it up and do it. He gave Christian props for at least talking smack to his face. He said Chris Jericho was a different story. He said that Jericho wanted to make a statement and make things personal. Cena then called Jericho out to the ring. He said that he didn’t forget about Christian either. He said he was feeling saucy and that he wanted both out there to fight him. He said if they wanted some, they could come get some.
Mohammed Hassan’s music then hit the arena and he and Daivari made their way down to the ring.
Hassan grabbed the mic and said he couldn’t believe it. He said he wasn’t surprised by ‘this’. He said he was a typical American bitching and complaining when there was nothing to complain about to begin with. He said Cena had nothing to complain about and that the people in the arena welcomed him with open arms. Hassan said it wasn’t like that for him when he was greeted by hatred. He said Stone Cold Steve Austin screwed him out of the Intercontinental title and that he deserved more respect then that.
Cena interrupted and mocked Hassan saying that Daivari tied him to a post where Daivari gave him ‘glorious spankings’. He said that he didn’t care what race Hassan was. He said the people didn’t hate him because he was an Arab American, that he was an (expletive). He said that since Christian and Jericho wouldn’t come out, that tonight he was looking for a fight, and it might as well be Hassan.
Eric Bischoff came out to the ramp.
He said that Teddy Long was no real GM and told Cena that things were different on Raw. He said that was something he should have realized before he came out on his first night and disrespected him. He said that not only would the fans get Angle-Batista tonight, but they’d also get Cena-Hassan for the WWE championship.
Hassan told him he was crazy and that he’d have to get ready before they could fight. Daivari then bantered in Arabic and Cena clocked him. Hassan left the ring jaw jacking at Cena from the ramp.
****Commercial****
We came back to JR and King putting over Edge and Lita’s wedding later tonight.
Eric Bischoff was in the ring and said that it was time to reveal the next draft lottery pick from Smackdown. He said that Raw had done it again and were three for three. Bischoff brought out Shelton Benjamin, the WWE Intercontinental Champion. He congratulated Shelton on his long reign as Intercontinental Champion. He said that he defeated Chris Jericho at Taboo Tuesday for the title and said in a twisted sense of irony he’d be facing the next draft lottery pick for the Intercontinental Championship.
Shelton said instead of seeing another boring Bischoff speech, they should just introduce the pick.
It was Carlito Caribbean Cool.
Bischoff shook his hand and we’re under way.
WWE Intercontinental Championship
Shelton Benjamin v. Carlito Caribbean Cool
Carlito landed a kick to the gut and worked Shelton into the corner. He landed some punches before Shelton Countered with some punches and kicks of his own. Carlito took off to the outside. He climbed back in and Benjamin hit a back elbow off the ropes before Carlito spun back under the ropes. Shelton, agitated by Carlito hot-dogging outside the ring, propelled himself over the ropes, but his foot caught and he landed rather awkwardly on the outside of the ring.
****Commercial****
We came back with Carlito in control, sitting in on a reverse chin-lock on the champion. Shelton hit some elbows and fought out of it. He came off the ropes but got caught with a kick to the gut and a takedown. Carlito went for two covers but didn’t get more than a one count. He mounted Shelton and began punching away before going for yet another cover. He brought the Champion to his feet and clamped on a front face lock, trying to wear out Benjamin. Shelton fought his way to his feet and tossed Carlito off the ropes who ducked the first Shelton clothesline attempt, and both athletes managed to nail each other with the second. The ref counted the two on the mat as the two fought their way to their feet and exchanged punches.
Benjamin gained the upper hand and hit two forearms before nailing Carlito with a big back body drop. Benjamin went to the top but Carlito caught up to him and the two exchanged blows on the top buckle. Benjamin head-butted Carlito off the rope and nailed the challenger with his big flying clothesline and went for a cover that got a two count.
The two traded some more punches before Carlito was hoarded into the corner and hit with a northern lights suplex and pin combo that got a two count. The two scrambled but Carlito nailed a huge DDT and got a two count. Benjamin countered with a small package which got a two count. Carlito was sent into the corner where he avoided a stinger splash attempt. Benjamin landed on the ropes and hit another flying clothesline for another near pin-fall.
Shelton then hit a big Samoan drop and another near fall. The two fought their way to their feet and Carlito connected with some punches. Shelton went for a cradle, but Carlito countered and used the ropes for leverage and got the 1, 2, 3 and the victory.
Winner and NEW Intercontinental Champion: Carlito Caribbean Cool
JR and King put over the WWE title match later tonight between John Cena and Mohammed Hassan as we went to commercial.
****Commercial****
Edge was shown in the back getting ready for his wedding as JR and King put over the wedding to Lita later tonight.
Superstar Billy Graham was shown in the crowd.
Maria was backstage with new Intercontinental Champion, Carlito Caribbean Cool. She asked him how he did it. He looked at her funny and said “simple. I got the 1,2,3. Now go get Carlito and apple!”. He said he became a champion on his first night on Raw. He said he would be the greatest Intercontinental champion the WWE had ever seen. He took a bite of apple from Maria and spat it all over her.
Viscera’s music hit the ring and he came down wearing a Hugh Heffner jacket. Simon Dean said he looked ridiculous. Dean said he looked like a moron calling him “huge heffner’. He said he didn’t think a person in Phoenix could ever be fatter than Charles Barkley. He said Viscera took the cake, and the fries, and the chips, etc. Viscera cut him off and sent him into the corner, beginning the match.
Simon Dean v. Viscera
Viscera nailed Dean into the corner and hit some huge chops. He whipped Dean into the opposite corner and missed a splash attempt. Dean kicked away at Viscera’s legs knocking the big man down. He mouthed at Lillian before getting nailed with a chop and a flying wheel kick from the big man. Viscera then hit his big splash and began humping away at Dean’s backside. Viscera did his hip swerve and then hit his sit out choke power bomb for the pin-fall victory.
Winner: Viscera via pin-fall
After the match Lillian came into the ring smiling. She told Viscera that they’d been moving pretty fast but since they were going to be in Vegas this Sunday that she was hoping they could move a little faster. She said that at Vengeance she had a feeling he was going to get lucky and hit the jackpot. The two kissed and went their separate ways.
A video clip showing the first round of the Raw Diva search aired. JR and King said the finalists would be revealed later tonight.
****Commercial****
JR and King put over the WWE Championship match later tonight again yet again, featuring John Cena and Mohammed Hassan. They also pushed the Batista-Kurt Angle match later tonight.
Chris Jericho was in the back with Todd Grisham. Grisham asked him if he felt a renewed passion since he got his WWE Championship title shot against John Cena at Vengeance. He said that he renewed his interest in wrestling again. HE said that he hadn’t had a championship match in three years. He said he took matters into his own hands. He said his interest in wrestling would continue. He said that Fozzy’s record sales would sky rocket after he won the title.
Christian butted in and said he was overlooking him. He said the last time he overlooked him, he got beat by him. He said while Jericho was dreaming about going platinum, he’d be going gold at Vengeance. He said both Cena and Jericho’s albums suck.
JR and King ran down the Vengeance card, most notably the hell in a cell match for the World Heavyweight Championship between Triple H and Batista.
A video package aired of Triple H’s accomplishments at Hell in a Cell.
Erich Bischoff was in the back with Kurt Angle. He said it looked like it’d be a long week for Batista, starting tonight with him. He said he’d prove that he was the man around Raw just like he proved he was the man when he made HBK tap out at Wrestlemania 21. He said he’d do the same thing at Vengeance and that he’d dedicate the win to a GM he could respect, Eric Bischoff. Bischoff said it was a pleasure to have someone like him on Raw unlike John Cena. He said he had a little more decency than that street thug, Cena. He said unlike Cena, he wanted to shake his hand. The two embraced and that they’d have a great relationship.
We came back to the ring with it being transformed into a wedding chapel. The Edge and Lita wedding is next!
****Commercial****
The Edge and Lita Wedding
The chaplain was in the ring awaiting the entrance of both the bride and groom. Edge came down carrying his briefcase and wearing a top hat. The song hit and here comes the bride. Lita came out wearing an absolutely ridiculous bridal gown. It was cut low. Very low. JR made the funny comment of the night: “Her shoulder tattoo matches her shoes.”
The priest began the ceremony, doing the ‘we are gathered here today’ speech. Edge and Lita had apparently prepared a nice video package of their life. It showed Lita slipping Edge the brief case and whacking Kane with it. There were shots of them making out and Kane crying a lot. Another shot was of Lita flushing Kane’s ring down the toilet with sound effects included. The two began to make out again as the priest tried to get their attention and continue on with the ceremony. Now they’ve prepared their own vows.
There was also an unusual looking man who wanted to say something and insisted on being here. Snitsky came out to the ring. Snitsky grabbed the mic. Snitsky said he was giving the two a gift. He said he wrote a special passage called ‘it’s not my fault!’.
It’s not my fault you fell in love
It’s not my fault it came from above
It’s not my fault Edge and Lita chose this direction
It’s not my fault Kane can’t get an erection.
It’s not my fault the things love can do to us.
Just like it’s not my fault that you had a dead baby in your uterus.
The priest said ‘that’s very nice’ and tried to get the ceremony going again. The two had prepared their own vows. The two put wedding rings on. Edge said he was known as money in the bank. He she knew him as money in the sack and cackled. He said he had problems from Kane. He said she would be marrying a man. Boring chants broke out big time.
A slut chant broke out and Lita tried to speak. She said she was lucky in marriage but never lucky in love. She said that now since she fell in love with Edge, that she was never in love with any man. Lita was choking up trying to get her lines out. She said if falling in love with Edge made her a slut, then she’s proud to be the slut of the century. The priest didn’t know what to say.
“Is there anyone here who feels these two should not be wed, please speak now.” And the fans chanted for Kane.
MATT HARDY’S MUSIC HITS THE ARENA!
Then he didn’t come out. Matt Hardy’s music was apparently a joke. Huge ‘we want Matt’ chants broke out. Edge said he’d explain it at the reception. A camera shot of Kane looking through the floor was shown as he raised up attacking both. Edge nailed Kane and ran up the ramp with Lita in his arms. Kane destroyed the wedding chapel in the ring. Kane picked up the priest and stared down Edge and Lita from the ring. He turned around and choke slammed the priest and set off his four corners pyro as he stood snarling at Edge and Lita who were on the top of the ramp.
****Commercial****
A video replay of the wedding was shown.
Kane was in the back with Coach. He immediately grabbed coach and the mic away from him. He said he hated to ruin their ‘special night’. He said he was ‘baack’ and began laughing.
JR and King put over the WWE Championship match again.
Christy and Todd Grisham were in the back. A video replay of Victoria attacking Christy two weeks ago was shown. Grisham said we were surprised to see a very different side of Christy Hemme and her assault on Victoria was shown. Todd asked her what it will be like to face Victoria at Vengeance on Sunday. Christy said that ‘bitch’ made her blood boil. Victoria came flying out with a huge flower vase or bottle or something and nailed Christy with it. She said that Christy was right, she was a bitch. Grisham noticed she was bleeding and called for help as we went to commercial.
****Commercial****
A video recapping the attack on Christy was shown.
Christy was in the back coming to. The EMT’s put a neck collar on Christy and tried to keep pressure on the neck. Christy couldn’t say what day of the week it was.
It’s time for the first WWE Championship match on Raw since 2001..
WWE Championship
John Cena © v. Mohammed Hassan
The two locked up and Hassan was sent into the ropes. Cena hit a shoulder block and then clotheslined the challenger over the top rope to the floor. Cena stomped the challenger and tossed him back in the ring. Daivari held Cena back long enough for Hassan to get the upper hand with some stomps.
Hassan choked out the champion and hit some right hands on the mat. Hassan hit a suplex and could barely get a one count. Cena fought back with some punches and some head-butts. Cena hit two clotheslines and hit big hip toss of the ropes. Cena hit the proto-plex and prepped for the five-knuckle shuffle. Daivari was on the apron and Cena knocked him off before nailing Hassan with the FU and the pin fall for the victory.
Winner and STILL WWE Champion: John Cena
Cena celebrated with the title in the ring as they showed a replay of the FU.
Cena celebrated at the top of the ramp and was jumped by Chris Jericho. Cena fought back just as Christian came out. The two double teamed Cena but then got after each other as well, having a stare down. Christian eventually left for the back but Jericho continued his assault, picking up the WWE Championship belt and looking down at it longingly as we went to commercial.
****Commercial****
Christian was in the back and jaw jacked with some ladies. He walked off to the parking garage.
Another video of the Raw Diva search aired.
JR and King put over our getting to meet the Diva search finalists next week on Raw. They then ran down the Vengeance pay per view Card.
RAW presents VENGEANCE 2005
Thomas and Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV
World Heavyweight Championship—Hell in a Cell
Batista © v. Triple H
WWE Championship
John Cena © v. Christian v. Chris Jericho
WWE Intercontinental Championship
Carlito Caribbean Cool © v. Shelton Benjamin
Kurt Angle v. Shawn Michaels
Kane v. Edge
Christy Hemme v. Victoria
Kurt Angle v. Batista
The two locked up in the middle of the ring. Angle attempted a go behind but was shoved off. Batista rushed Angle into the corner and hit some big shoulders and a punch. Batista whipped angle off the ropes but got nailed with a boot to the face. He picked up Angle but Angle scurried down Batista’s body and got the ankle lock. The hold was broken and Angle got shoved hard into the corner. Batista charged in but missed and flew into the ring post.
Angle hoped right on that shoulder cranking Batista’s shoulder with the arm-bar. Batista powered out hitting a sidewalk slam and then clothes lining Angle up over the top rope. He followed Angle out slamming his head off the ring steps. He threw Angle back in the ring and then Triple H and Ric Flair came out of nowhere and started whaling on the champion.
Winner: Batista via DQ
Triple H tossed him in where Angle went to work on him. The three triple teamed Batista but in came Shawn Michaels to make the save. Everyone was dumped out and the two faces began to celebrate in the ring. Batista was announced the winner via disqualification then Eric Bischoff came out. He said Raw would not end like this tonight and that right now it’ll be Kurt Angle and Triple H v. Batista and Shawn Michaels. Triple H protested as we went to commercial break.
****Commercial****
Kurt Angle & Triple H v. Batista & Shawn Michaels
We joined the match in progress with Triple H working over HBK. HBK fought out of the chin lock and the two traded blows. They knocked each other down to the mat and HBK nipped up. HBK hit Angle off the apron which distracted the ref. Flair snuck in and hit a low blow on Michaels and Triple H and Kurt Angle went to work on HBK.
Angle went to work on Michael’s right leg stomping away at it and putting him in a Boston crab like hold with his leg draped over Angle’s neck. Angle spiked HBK’s leg off the mat and tagged in Triple H. Triple H went to work on the leg as well, hammering away on it on the rope. Michaels fought out of the corner but got nailed in the leg again.
Triple H tagged in Angle who continued work on the leg and then locked in a step over STF. The hold evolved into a headlock that Michaels began fighting out of. HBK landed a short suplex but it wasn’t enough to get to Batista. Angle hit the tag to Triple H.
Triple H came in and went back to work on the leg and taunted Batista who was on the outside. Triple H perched HBK’s leg on the bottom rope and hit a springboard elbow on the leg. He lifted Michaels off the ground and hit a huge shin breaker. He wrapped his leg for the figure four, but HBK kicked Triple H off hard, sending him flying into the buckle.
HBK struggled to the corner but couldn’t get the tag as Angle came scurrying in. HBK it an enzeguiri on Angle and reached for the corner. Triple H and Batista both got their tags. Batista came in and landed a plethora of rights to the face before whipping Triple H off the buckle and hitting a back body drop. He knocked down Angle. He came flying off the ropes and hit a big double clothesline. He lined the two up in opposite corners and hit two big splashed in the corner. He went for a first power slam but Triple H powered out of it and Batista flew forward clothes lining Angle. Batista then hit the power slam and got a two count but Angle broke it up. HBK came in and threw Angle to the outside and into the crowd. Triple H and Batista were in the ring. Triple H hit a huge face buster but couldn’t capitalize as Batista hit his big spine-buster. He went for the Batista bomb but Flair jumped in. Batista hit a spine buster on Flair as well but when he turned around caught a boot to the gut and then a pedigree. Triple H covered him and got the 1, 2, 3 and the victory.
Winners: Triple H and Kurt Angle via pin fallRAW THOUGHTSThe Good-- I have to say, the tag match was an excellent way to end tonight’s show. No long Triple H promos, no forced Batista talking, no over the top beat down, just a decent match which tells two stories well.
Carlito may be the best pick of this draft so far. He’s like the second guy in a big trade in baseball that no one thinks about off the top of their heads, but will likely contribute what’s needed. Carlito beefs up the mid-card very well. Shelton, Carlito, Mohammed Hassan, etc. makes for a decent Intercontinental title picture. Carlito and Shelton had a decent match tonight and will only grow with each other as the years go by. Carlito will bring out Shelton on the mic, Shelton can help Carlito grow in the ring. They can get better together. Mark my words, these two may headline a Wrestlemania some day. Great move.
Christy Hemme gets props again. She took a pretty rough glass shot to the head. The Vicky-Christy feud actually has a little heat to it. It won’t produce much in the way of a match, but it’s been a decent feud and it’s nice to see them giving a little airtime to let the women develop a real story line outside the women’s title.
Kane is back. Hopefully he can breathe some life back into his career after Vengeance. He seriously could be a sleeper pick to go to Smackdown. It might be the best thing for him.
The Bad-- The Edge-Lita thing hits yet another low tonight, poking fun at Hardy. We’re going one of two ways here. This really IS a total work and Hardy comes back at Vengeance, or it’s just more spit in the face of Hardy. It REALLY looked like Lita was crying trying to get her words out tonight. Those two drew a ton of heat, but it’s just not the ‘right’ kind of heat.
I usually defend John Cena in the ring. He’s underrated and the guy can wrestle. But good god he was sloppy tonight, for the second straight week. Ending Hassan’s winning streak like that really kills his momentum as well. He’s had two title shots in two weeks, and both times looked like a chump.
I apologize to my readers for sounding like a broken record every week, but the matches on Raw have just been terrible. This week was a minor improvement with two passable efforts in the shape of the IC championship match and the main event tag team match. However, the Cena-Hassan match was completely anti-climatic as was the Viscera ‘match’. I really wish they could push more of a consistent wrestling product then run a two-hour commercial for their pay per views.
As glad as I am that Christian and Jericho are both getting title shots, I’m under-whelmed with this feud. Doesn’t have the heat yet. There’s nothing that seems ‘personal’ at all about the feud. Christian has been ridiculously underused in the feud as well. I love all three guys in the feud, I’m just not into this program.
The Ugly-- Two words. Diva. Search. This crap got boo’d like crazy. Any time we saw a diva tonight they got booed. People are tired of this stuff. It has it’s place, but does it really need almost 25-30 minutes of air time between commercials and mind-numbingly dumb interview segments? Give them their spots but give them a valuable spot on the show wrestling, managing, etc. Not just dancing and being dumb.
That and did anyone but me get lost in all the adds and highlight/promo videos? Excessive wasn’t the word.
Overall- C+-- Tonight’s show just couldn’t quite get over the hump. Again, a lot was done. The Hemme-Victoria feud was advanced, the WWE title feud was advanced, Hell in a Cell and Angle-HBK advanced. Edge-Lita advanced and we’ve got a mini feud brewing between Carlito and Shelton. The WWE got a lot done. The matches were an improvement over last week, but still not anywhere close to where they need to be. Again, despite some interesting turns and twists, tonight’s show just couldn’t seem to get off the ground. Again, a lot accomplished, but little to remember.
Quick Results
Carlito def. Shelton Benjamin to win the Intercontinental Championship
Viscera def. Simon dean
John Cena def. Mohammed Hassan to retain the WWE Championship
Batista def. Kurt Angle via DQ
Triple H & Kurt Angle def. Batista & Shawn Michaels
Who’s Hot, Who’s Not?
Biggest Pops
1. John Cena
2. Batista
3. Matt Hardy music
4. Kane
Most Heat
1. Edge and Lita
2. Mohammed Hassan
3. Carlito
4. Triple H
Match of the Night: Triple H & Kurt Angle v. Batista & HBK **
WWE Draft Lottery Results as of 6/20/2005
To RAW
1. John Cena
2. Kurt Angle
3. Carlito Caribbean Cool
4.
5.
To SMACKDOWN
1. Chris Benoit
2. Randy Orton
3.
4.
5.
Any Questions, comments, or feedback send email me at Raw@wrestleview.com