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RAW 1/31/05

syxxpakkPosted on 02/01/05 at 06:42:49

-      Live, duh.

-      Hosts are JR and Jerry Lawler, and Ross is freaking out about Batista and Orton winning last night.

-      Randy Orton and Ric Flair make their way out to a pretty positive reaction.  J.R. is trying to sell him as a heel though.  "I just don't agree with the methods he used King!" Yeah okay J.R.  Ric Flair gives a kick ass spiel about putting on, in his words, "wrestling clinics with broomsticks named Ronnie and Dusty when Triple H was sucking at his mother's teet."  Flair bitches about how Triple H treated him.  Orton then brags about winning.  Triple H comes out to a largely negative reaction.  Then, in a rather brilliant move, Batista joins him, however the crowd goes INSANE for him.  Triple H tells them to "shut the" something "up."  Whatever it was, it got bleeped.  Triple H complains about losing, then he complains about Flair turning his back on him, then he complains about Batista winning the Rumble.  Trips then wants a title shot but Orton tells him no.  Bischoff hits the Titantron and says that there's a lot of drama in the world of Evolution (uh, with Flair leaving Orton, wouldn't that mean...nevermind) and he intends to capitalize on it so tonight in the main event: Triple H and Batista vs Randy Orton and Ric Flair.  Could be good, but could be bad.  Orton doesn't want the match.  Batista FINALLY gets to speak and tells Orton that he doesn't care what Orton has to say, what Flair has to say, what Bischoff has to say, or what Triple H has to say, all that he cares about is that at Wrestlemania 21 he is leaving the World champion.  Neither Orton nor Triple H are happy about that.

-      Commercials.

-      Tajiri/William Regal vs Christian/Tyson Tomko: Tajiri and Christian start off.  Nice chain wrestling leads to, of course, INDDDDDDDDDDDDDY APPLAUSE~! ©  Christian grabs the upperhand with a headlock and gets belly-to-back suplexed for his efforts.  Tajiri tries to outwrestle Christian but Tomko gets the tag and pounds away with clubbin' forearms.  Tajiri hits a spinning heel kick though and tags in Regal.  Regal tries to outwrestle Tomko, but Tomko is like a wall or something, so no dice.  Tomko hits a gutbuster on Regal for two.  Reverse chinlock but Regal counters it somehow with a reverse neckbreaker and tags in Tajiri.  Tajiri nails Tomko with the dropkick to the face for two.  Tajiri tries a snap suplexes, but he just snaps instead and kicks the fuck out of Tomko.  Christian makes a blind tag and lowblows Tajiri, follows it up with the knee-to-the-back backbreaker, and only gets two.  Falling reverse DDT only gets two.  Christian hits a series of snap suplexes and tags in Tyson.  Christian dropkicks Tajiri from behind and Tajiri stumbles into a big boot by Tomko.  Tomko press slams Tajiri, but only gets two.  Tajiri ducks a clothesline and hits the handspring elbow.  He almost tags in Regal but Tomko holds on to him, and yanks him up only to clothesline him back down.  Tomko tags in Christian and then press slams Christian ON to Tajiri for two.  Christian pounds away on Tajiri in the corner, but Tajiri fights off and power bombs Christian.  He makes the MOLTEN HOT tag to Regal and the crowd pops.  Regal slugs away at Christian, then Tomko, and then hits the Union Jack neckbreaker on Christian.  Ref gets Tajiri and Tomko out.  Christian low blows Regal and rolls him up for two.  Christian tags in Tomko and they attempt a double suplex but Tajiri prevents it and it's CARNAGE in the ring.  Regal backdrops Christian outside and Tajiri nails the KICK OF UTTER DESTRUCTION~! on Tomko, allowing Regal to make the cover for three at 9:18.  (**¾)  Solid, tag team wrestling.

-      Commercials.

-      Tajiri and William Regal confront Bischoff backstage about getting titleshots, but Bischoff says no.

-      Backstage Edge is ANGRY.  He tells little Todd that HE should of won the Royal Rumble, and that he got screwed.  Okay, not sure how.  Edge talks about having the greatest match of the night against Shawn Michaels being reason enough to put him in the main event at WM21.  Benoit shows up and tells Edge to shut up.  Staredown leads to Edge challenging leads to Edge vs Benoit later.

-      Commercials.

-      HIGHLIGHT REEL BABY.  Tonight's guest star is Shawn Michaels.  Shawn admits his loss last night was staggering but it's okay cause he's still the showstopper, the icon, and the main event.  Jericho wants to know where Shawn goes from here, Shawn says he wants a rematch against Edge but he's content in the fact that he is still the single, greatest, most entertaining athlete in WWE history.  Jericho's facial expressions during this are great.  Shawn poses and leaves.  Wow, a Highlight Reel that doesn't end in a sneak attack?  Oh wait, as if on cue Muhammad Hassan comes from the crowd to beat up Jericho.

-      Commercials.

-      Jericho isn't be looked at by physicians backstage.  Must of suffered internal injuries.

-      MEANWHILE Triple H complains about the Royal Rumble being pretty much the worst night of his life, and then he gets off a good one: "Or at least since the last time I slept with Chyna."

-      Edge vs Chris Benoit: Chain wrestling to start gives Benoit the upper hand with a guillotine choke.  Series of snap suplexes keeps Benoit on the offense.  Edge ducks a clothesline and hits the spinning heel kick but Benoit quickly rolls him up for two and then stomps away at him.  More chain wrestling and AGAIN Benoit gains the advantage with a waistlock/bearhug.  Edge tries to power out but gets German suplexed.  Benoit works on Edge's neck, but Edge tackled him into the turnbuckle.  Edge slugs away at Benoit and whips him into the other turnbuckle HARDCORE style.  Edge hits a belly-to-back suplex for two.  He then begins working the leg, Bret-style.  Benoit mounts a comeback, but Edge dropkicks his leg out from under him.  He tries the Figure Four Sharpshooter but Benoit kicks him off and tries a Crossface but Edge counters THAT with a DOWNWARD SPIRAL woot!  Clever.  It only gets two.  Edge locks in a half crab and continues working on the leg.  He drags Benoit up and flips him with a dragon legwhip.  Tries again but before he can Benoit hits an enzuguri out of NOWHERE.  Both men are out and we cut to break.  Back from break and Benoit FLIES BABY FLIES through the ropes onto Edge.  He rolls Edge back in and signals for the headbutt.  Edge crotches Benoit on the turnbuckle and superplexes him off.  It only gets two.  Edge attempts a diving headbutt but Benoit moves out the way.  Edge runs into the Crossface but quickly makes the ropes.  Benoit attempts a German but edge rolls him up for two and SPEARS him out of NOWHERE for three at 15:25.  (**¾)  Finish was EXTREMELY anti-climactic.  That and the commercial break knock it down a good bit.  Benoit gets up and gets SPEARED again.  Edge grabs a chair and lays Benoit one more time.  He then wedges the chair in the turnbuckles and SPEARS Benoit into it.  Benoit starts coughing up blood.  Damn those pesky internal injuries.

-      Commercials.

-      Backstage Triple H is STILL whining and Batista tells him to shut up.  They stare each other down and leave with J.R. pondering about the dissention in Evolution.

-      Gene Snitsky vs. Garrison Cade: Cade starts off by punching Snitsky pretty sloppily.  He whips Snitsky into the ropes and misses a dropkick by a mile, Erik Watts-style.  Snitsky sells it anyway.  Cade tries a spinebuster but blows the spot falling over.  Snitsky gets up and boots Cade down, but Cade is an idiot and drops down too early.  J.R.: "My God the atrocity of what is happening in this match."  No shit man.  Snitsky hits the pump handle powerslam on Cade for the pin at 1:27.  (-*1/4)  Whoo.  Bet Cade gets fired now.  BAH GAWD THROUGH HELLFAWRE AND BRIMSTONE here comes Kane and he and Snitsky brawl.  J.R. calls it "Insane destruction!"  Refs try to separate them but it's no use.  The lights go out and pop back on and all of a sudden Kane is unconscious and bleeding on the mat, and Snitsky is smiling.  Huh?

-      Commercials.

-      BACKSTAGE Eric Bischoff tells Coach as soon as he irons out the details tomorrow, he'll have BIG news next week on RAW concerning the Madison Square Garden show coming up.

-      Ric Flair and Randy Orton are HAPPY and Orton keeps calling them the "New Evolution."  Uh.  Okay.

-      Benoit and Jericho are roommates in the hospital apparently.  Hilarious convo leads to Jericho getting the line of the night: "I hate internal injuries."  Great stuff from these two.

-      Commercials.

-      Ric Flair/Randy Orton vs Triple H/Batista: Triple H and Batista come out separately.  Batista gets the biggest pop of the night.  Batista and Flair start off.  Batista goes for the lock up but Flair instead kicks him in the knee and then punches him.  This pisses Batista off so ole Dave tosses Flair into a corner and unloads on him.  Batista wants Orton though, but ole Randy is hesitant to get in which draws, FINALLY, some boos on him.  Batista tosses Flair over to Randy, and Triple H tags himself in to some boos, which pisses Batista off.  Him and Triple H get into an argument and Batista walks out on Triple H!  Crowd is going fucking nuts.  And we cut to commercial.  Back from break and it's Triple H wrestling Ric Flair.  Trips has Flair in the corner chopping him.  Replay of Batista walking out on Triple H.  Triple H whips Flair into the ropes and Flair does the Flairflip.  Suplex by Triple H is broken up by Orton.  "You all suck." Chant by the crowd, heh.  More suplexes by Triple H on Flair.  He drops a knee for two.  Triple H wants Orton so he tosses Flair that way.  Orton tags in and they size each other up, but Flair out of nowhere chopblocks Triple H.  Orton stomps away at the 10-timer champ, then bodyslams him, then drops an elbow, then covers for two.  Orton ducks a clothesline, dodges a high knee, and nails a flying forearm.  Uh, Orton you're a heel now.  He hits a reverse neckbreaker and tags in Flair, they execute a wishbone split on Triple H.  Flair works the leg, and J.R. brings up Triple H's quad injury.  Flair tags in Orton and Orton slingshots in across the leg.  Orton tries an RKO but gets shoved up, and then high kneed.  Unfortunately Triple H is an idiot and uses the hurt knee.  Triple H is also an idiot because he crawls for the tag, forgetting Batista ditched him.  Flair runs in and stomps away at the knee some more.  He attempts a Figure Four but Triple H kicks him into the turnbuckle.  Triple H clotheslines Flair, but unbeknownst to him Orton made the dreaded BLIND TAG.  And wouldn't you know it, it's Pedigree time for Flair.  Ref won't make the cover and Orton out of nowhere RKOs Triple H.  He doesn't make the cover right away, allowing Triple H to stumble up and get RKOed again.  This time he covers and that's all she wrote for Triple H at 12:32.  (**)  Decent enough.  Batista comes out again to a big pop.  Orton and Flair back off.  Batista powerbombs the SHIT out of Triple H.  Flair and Orton cozy up to him and as Orton turns around FLAIR gets powerbombed.  Orton turns his attention back to Batista and he's scared shitless and the crowd is going insane again.  Orton suffers the same treatment, a powerbomb.  Batista eyes the title belt to end the show.

-      Final thoughts: Pretty solid follow up show.  It's obvious that WWE HQ were attempting a double turn with Triple H/Randy Orton.  Good thing Batista is so freakin' over, otherwise it probably wouldn't of worked.  I'm guessing Batista/Triple H/Randy Orton at WM21, but I'm hoping not.  Also, good comedy stuff with Benoit/Jericho.  And of course there's the hype for next week's HUMONGOUS SUPER ANNOUNCEMENT by Bischoff.  See ya next week.


rey619Posted on 02/02/05 at 13:08:32

It's definetely good to see a new format here on the boards, but I am still undecided if I like it or not. It seems like you're criticizing your own product, but then again, it's hard not to criticize the WWE for something these days. I hope that after some time has passed, and you have molded WWE to your liking, the criticism will fade.
americamamushiPosted on 02/02/05 at 15:57:37

I think it shows realism of booking.  Making choices that aren't always what everyone likes.  I mean, I made Hogan my world champion, not because I wanted to but because it was realistic to have Hogan in the title scene.

Plus what would be the fun in reading an internet dirt sheet if it was all candy and nuts, right?  Even if the product was more solid than shaft the dirt sheet writers would still trounce it in someway.

I, personally, like it.  Though rey, you've made an excellent point, it definently won't be everyone's cup'o'tea ;)