411’s WWE Raw Report 05.10.04

This is Dave Gagnon. This is TNA…no wait, it’s not! It’s RAW! Wow! I am recapping a show that people cares about. What an exciting time to be alive.

PK isn’t here this week because he has to work so you get me for one week only. So it’s a very special sweeps month RAW episode with a very special recapper.

1st match: HHH vs Shelton Benjamin – Round 3

You know this had to happen one day or another. HHH really stepped up his game lately (no pun intended). And he is the curtain jerker tonight. As you all know by now, Benjamin is 2-0 against The Game. HHH attacks early but Benjamin counters with an arm drag. The match is all Benjamin early with several nearfalls. “You tapped out” chant for HHH. HHH comes back with an atomic drop but Benjamin counters with a DDT for a nearfall. Benjamin miss the stinger splash and HHH throws him outside of the ring. HBK runs in like a madman and brawl with HHH.

Winner: HHH, by disqualification

It’s a big brawl until the referees break up the fight. HHH escapes in the crowd. HBK challenges HHH to a match tonight (using the word “butt”, well, that’s religion for ya). Eric Bischoff interrupts him and tells him that he will make an example out of HBK for causing chaos. AND HE HAS 3 MINUTES! Ok, he didn’t say that. Security comes out and we learn that HBK is suspended. HBK answers by attacking HHH again.

Recap of Orton/Edge. It’s for the intercontinental title and it’s tonight.

Backstage, Evolution is angry about HBK’s attack on HHH. Pep talk by Flair. Batista vs Tajiri is next. I predicted Tajiri for the upset win, by the way. TSN censors a racial slur by Flair. Let’s see if people gives him shit like they did with Big Show. Time will tell. Eric Bischoff comes in and sucks up to HHH. He grants him a world title shot against Chris Benoit next week on RAW. I have a feeling that HBK will have something to do with the finish of that match.

2nd match: Tajiri vs Batista

Batista’s bodybuilder poses scares me a little. Tajiri starts with kicks until Batista throws him out of the ring. Batista rams him into the ring. Back in the ring, Batista dominates to no one’s surprise. Tajiri counters a suplex with a sunset flip but Batista comes back with a big sidewalk slam. He manhandles him for a while. Lawler speculates about the future of HBK, suggesting that he might become a male stripper. Tajiri comes back with kicks. Handspring elbow but Batista recovers and hits a clothesline. Demon bomb is countered by a ddt for a nearfall. He goes for the kick of death but Batista blocks and hits a huge spinebuster for the pin.

Winner: Batista, by pinfall

After the match, Batista kills Tajiri with a couple of demon bombs. He then beat the mist out of Tajiri in a neat visual. That or Tajiri bleeds green. In that case, he should consult a doctor.

Whoa! Stacy Keibler comes out. Eric S. must be so happy. She pimps the Divas DVD. Well, it’s hot women in bikinis. Oh and Sable is there too. Gail Kim and Baldie Holly interrupts. Man, Kim looks so small in front of Keibler. Kim demands TV time. Eventually, they double team Keibler until Victoria runs in for the save. Jazz runs in to help the heels but Nidia runs in to even the odds. Can you say 6 women tag team match? And can you say “Oh God, I hope it will be on Heat”?.

The 6 divas tag team match will take place later tonight. Damn. I’m here only one week and it falls on me?

Backstage, Todd Grisham is with Chris Jericho. He’s upset at Bischoff for giving HHH a title shot next week. He will give it rough to Christian tonight. Oooooook.

3rd match: Randy Orton vs Edge – IC Title Match

Hell yeah, my man Randy Orton. Yeah, I am a huge Orton fan so sue me. Randle calls him “Dorkboy” but, as always, he is wrong. Lawler: “Edge was the poster boy for birth control”. Haha. He still has it. Lockup to start. Headlock by Orton but Edge powers out. Back and fourth action until Edge takes the upperhand with forearms. Backbreaker for 2. Edge uses the ringpost to work on Orton’s back in a neat spot. Slow action with punch and kick offense from both wrestlers. Edge clotheslines Orton out of the ring. Double axe handle to the outside. Orton is thrown hard into the stairs. Ric Flair comes out and the crowd pops. We go to a commercial break. When we come back, we see that Flair interfered during the break. Orton takes the upperhand with an armbar. Edge powers out but Orton counters with the COBRA CLUTCH. How can you not love this guy? Once again, Edge powers out and both men are out. Orton is up first but Edge surprises him with a small package for 2. Neckbreaker by Orton. He goes to the top, hits a beautiful bodypress slam but Edge rolls with it and gets a two count in a great nearfall. Slugfest. Edge with a back suplex for 2. Orton is on the apron and Edge spears him from behind, sending him into the railing. Edge with a missile dropkick for a great near fall. The crowd is really into it. Edgecutionner for 2. Orton attepts a ‘rana (!) but Edge counters with a huge powerbomb. The crowd thought for sure that it was the finish. Flair distracts Edge, Orton goes for the RKO but it’s blocked. Edge goes for the spear but hits Flair instead. Orton rolls up Edge for the pin. Started slow, but the match was great after the commercial break.

Winner: Randy Orton, by pinfall.

Recap of the great Eugene training skit.

Backstage, Eugene warms up. Eric Bischoff comes in and has a private talk with Regal. He tells him that he hopes that Eugene lose. If he lose, he’ll quit wrestling and Regal will get the opportunity to have a spot in the RAW active roster. Regal assures Bischoff that he will do everything in his power so that the best man win. Let’s see if they do this right.

4th match: Victoria/Keibler/Nidia vs Jazz/Holly/Kim

Back and fourth action. Kim uses her sweet looking submission move on Victoria but Keibler breaks it up. All the 6 women are in the ring and brawl. At the end, it’s only Kim and Victoria in the ring. Kim makes Victoria tap to Konnan’s Tequila Sunrise. To make a hockey analogy, Victoria is the Toronto Maple Leafs and Kim is the Philadelphia Flyers (last one, Randle, I swear!). Kim made Victoria tap out twice and, really, I don’t know why.

Winners: Jazz, Holly and Kim.

It’s time for the SmackDown Rebound! The show sucks! Oh and Bradshaw killed Eddie’s mother last week which, as you might guess, pissed off Eddie big time. You know where I’ll be Sunday? Nowhere near my TV, that’s for sure.

Backstage, Todd Grisham is with Christian, Trish and Tomko. Tomko is scary as hell. Christian has the Bret Hart tights tonight. Christian will have a title shot next week, apparently. That’s him, HHH and Jericho thus far (fatal four way perhaps?).

Trish then joins Lita in front of the coffee machine. She acts like Kane is there to scare Lita. Now that’s funny. They fight until Matt Hardy breaks it up. Matt Hardy comes out for a match but, sadly, we have no Matt Facts. Oh, nice cleavage on Lita tonight. Anyway, he was supposed to face Val Venis but Kane got a hold of him and there won’t be any match tonight. I can live with that. He has an indecent proposal for Lita and he wants his answer next week. Lita and Kane…will they get their freak on?

6th match: Eugene vs Rob Conway

Regal has a pep talk for Eugene before the match. Eugene hugs him and we see a look of concern on Regal’s face. Lots of Eugene signs in the arena. He goes to the top early but quickly comes down. Lock up. Chain wrestling. Big “Let’s Go Eugene!” chant. Hard slap by Conway and he takes control. He rams Eugene’s head 3 times into the turnbuckle which leads to Eugene “hulking up”. Atomic drops for Conway, followed by an airplane spin. Goes to the top for a double axe handle. He hits a legdrop and when he tries for a second time, Regal trips him up. Eugene uses a rollup with the bridge for the pin. Regal is less than happy about the situation. Great crowd heat for Eugene’s debut.

Video feature on Chris Benoit’s road to the World Heavyweight Title. We finally see the footage of Benoit in the Dungeon. The video has that crappy song from Finger Eleven. Highlights of Benoit’s career (with old footage) including his Royal Rumble win and when he made HHH tapped out at WrestleMania XX.

Eric Bischoff and Johnny Nitro(!) comes out. Nitro announce that Lita will face Trish Stratus next week. Bischoff also announced a 20 men battle royale for the shot at Benoit’s title at Bad Blood. Here’s hoping Jericho will win that one. All that, next week! (and I won’t be there to recap it).

Lillian Garcia is hot in blue. Just saying.

Main Event: Christian vs Chris Jericho – Steel Cage Match

Y2J attacks Christian before he enters the cage with a baseball slide. He goes for the Walls Of Jericho early but Christian kicks out. Hard chops by Y2J. He tries to escape early but to no avail. Jericho dominated for a while until Christian hits a modified backbreaker. Christian tries to escape but he falls crotch first on the top rope. Y2J is about to escape but Tomko use a chair to scare him off. Y2J decides to hit a crossbody from the top of the cage. Wow. Big “Y2J” chant after that. Tomko gets thrown out, even though he botched his kick on Y2J. Y2J is about to escape through the door but Christian prevents it. Christian backdrops Y2J into the cage. They really hype it as the blowoff match. Christian dominates until he is thrown face first into the steel cage, drawing blood. Great looking bladejob by Christian. Y2J rams his head several times into the steel cage. Christian goes for the unprettier twice and actually hit it the second time for a two count. Christian tries to escape but Jericho hits a double arm suplex from the top rope. Holy shit chant. Trish enters the cage with a chair but Y2J counters with the Walls of Jericho on her. Christian doesn’t even try to save her and tries to escape instead. Y2J goes for him and it leads to the Walls Of Jericho. Christian tries to escape but he taps out. Jericho wins.

Winner: Chris Jericho, by submission

Jericho celebrates on the top of the cage to celebrate to end the show.

Great RAW tonight. It will surely be better than Judgment Day.

I hope you enjoyed my RAW report this week. Feedback is always appreciated. PK will be back next week.

I see you this wednesday with the TNA report and next saturday on Black with Le Samedi Noir.

Gags