RAW in the Astrodome 2015
Results
Vampiro pinned Dean Malenko with the Vampiro Spike in 0:15:35.
Rating: *** 1/2
Dean Malenko whips Vampiro into the ropes.
Vampiro hits Dean Malenko with a clothesline.
Vampiro whips Dean Malenko into the turnbuckle, but Dean Malenko reverses it.
Dean Malenko runs shoulder-first into the corner, but Vampiro lifts his knee.
Vampiro executes the Vampiro Spike on Dean Malenko.
Numerous fans are using Vampiro for target practice.
Vampiro goes for the pin.
Earl Hebner counts: One, two, three.
Numerous fans are using Vampiro for target practice.
The winner is Vampiro. Time of match: 0:15:35
Rating: ** 1/4
Brian Christopher puts Taz in an abdominal stretch.
Taz reaches the ropes after being trapped for 5 seconds.
Brian Christopher whips Taz into the turnbuckle, but Taz reverses it.
Taz nails Brian Christopher with T-Bone Tazplex.
The crowd is giving Taz a standing ovation.
Taz executes the Tazmission on Brian Christopher.
Brian Christopher is writhing in pain.
Brian Christopher submits after 13 seconds.
The crowd is on its feet cheering for Taz.
The winner is Taz. Time of match: 0:01:56
The Acolytes defeated The Dudley Boys when Bradshaw pinned D-Von with the Clothesline From Hell in 0:02:55.
Rating: * 1/4
D-Von Dudley goes for a lariat, but Bradshaw ducks out of the way.
D-Von Dudley hits Buh Buh Ray Dudley.
Faarooq tangles up Buh Buh Ray Dudley.
Bradshaw hits D-Von Dudley with a short lariat.
Bradshaw paces the ring.
The cheers for Bradshaw are drowning out the boos.
Bradshaw runs into the ropes.
Bradshaw executes the Clothesline From Hell on D-Von Dudley.
Bradshaw goes for the pin.
James Beard counts: One, two, three.
The crowd seems to be rallying behind Bradshaw.
The winners are The Acolytes. Time of match: 0:02:55
Masato Tanaka pinned Kendo Ka Shin after a short lariat in 0:16:41.
Rating: ****
Masato Tanaka fights his way out of the hold after 31 seconds.
Masato Tanaka chops Kendo Ka Shin.
Kendo Ka Shin kicks Masato Tanaka.
Kendo Ka Shin hits Masato Tanaka.
Kendo Ka Shin locks Masato Tanaka in an armbar submission.
Masato Tanaka reaches the ropes after being trapped for 5 seconds.
Kendo Ka Shin hits a chop on Masato Tanaka.
Kendo Ka Shin runs into the ropes.
Kendo Ka Shin goes for a clothesline, but Masato Tanaka ducks out of the way.
Masato Tanaka hits Kendo Ka Shin with a short lariat.
Earl Hebner counts: One, two, three.
The crowd is going into a frenzy.
The winner is Masato Tanaka. Time of match: 0:16:41
Mankind made Sabu submit to the Mandible Claw in 0:09:01.
Rating: **
Sabu uses a spinning leg lariat on Mankind.
Mankind bumps into Tim White.
Sabu is going for the pin.
There is no referee to count.
Sabu climbs to the top turnbuckle, but Mankind nails him in the stomach.
Sabu falls onto the top turnbuckle.
Mankind executes the Mandible Claw on Sabu.
There is no referee there to ask Sabu.
Sabu is valiantly trying to break the hold.
Tim White is back on the job.
Sabu summons one last burst of energy.
Sabu submits after 13 seconds.
Security guards are restraining some fans from hitting the ring.
The winner is Mankind. Time of match: 0:09:01
(Ken Shamrock and Chris Benoit retained the WWF World Tag Team Titles.)
Rating: ** 3/4
Bret Hart breaks the hold after 10 seconds.
Bret Hart executes a Russian legsweep on Chris Benoit.
The crowd is behind Bret Hart all the way.
Bret Hart goes for an elbowdrop from the second turnbuckle, but Chris Benoit
rolls out of the way.
Chris Benoit nails Bret Hart with a diving headbutt.
The crowd is going crazy.
Chris Benoit goes for the pin.
Danny Davis counts: One, two, thr... shoulder up.
Chris Benoit signals that he's going for the kill.
Chris Benoit goes for the Crippler Crossface, but Bret Hart counters it with a
go-behind.
Chris Benoit in turn counters it with a go-behind.
Chris Benoit executes a German suplex on Bret Hart.
Both combatants' shoulders are on the mat.
Danny Davis counts: One, two, three.
Chris Benoit has the crowd going wild.
Both combatants have been pinned ! Time of match: 0:10:44
(Edge retained the WWF Intercontinental Title.)
Rating: ***
Shawn Michaels nails Edge with a flying elbowdrop.
The crowd is really behind Shawn Michaels.
Shawn Michaels goes for the Superkick, but Edge blocks it.
Shawn Michaels executes a kick to the midsection.
Shawn Michaels goes for a piledriver, but Edge counters it with
a slingshot into the turnbuckle.
The crowd is behind Edge all the way.
Edge hits an inverted DDT on Shawn Michaels.
The crowd erupts.
Edge screams out loud.
The crowd is going into a frenzy.
Edge hits Shawn Michaels with a spear.
Edge is going for the pin.
Earl Hebner counts: One, two, three.
The crowd is giving Edge a standing ovation.
The winner is Edge. Time of match: 0:01:59
(Rocky Maivia retained the WWF World Title.)
Rating: *****
Rocky Maivia goes for the Rock Bottom, but Chris Benoit counters it with
an elbowsmash.
Chris Benoit hits Rocky Maivia with an elbowsmash.
Chris Benoit executes an elbowsmash.
Chris Benoit runs into the ropes.
Chris Benoit hits Rocky Maivia with a running lariat.
Chris Benoit signals that he's going for the kill.
The crowd erupts.
Chris Benoit goes for a flying headbutt, but Rocky Maivia rolls out of the way.
The crowd is going into a frenzy.
Rocky Maivia goes for the pin.
James Bears counts: One, two, thr... in the ropes.
The crowd is on its feet cheering for Chris Benoit.
Rocky Maivia raises the People's Eyebrow.
The crowd is giving Rocky Maivia a standing ovation.
Rocky Maivia goes for the Rock Bottom, but Chris Benoit counters it with
a kneelift.
Chris Benoit hits Rocky Maivia with a chop.
Chris Benoit hits Rocky Maivia with a chop.
Chris Benoit executes a chop on Rocky Maivia.
Chris Benoit signals that he's going for the kill.
The crowd is behind Chris Benoit all the way.
Chris Benoit runs into the ropes.
Chris Benoit goes for a running lariat, but Rocky Maivia ducks out of
the way.
Rocky Maivia executes the Rock Bottom on Chris Benoit.
The crowd is going into a frenzy.
Rocky Maivia goes for the pin.
James Beard counts: One, two, three.
The crowd erupts.
The winner is Rocky Maivia. Time of match: 0:19:44
Match Observations:
My oh my ! Just when I thought things were going to cool down a bit in the WWF,
here we go with the series of shocks !
WWF officials surprised everybody in the audience - including this writer - by
signing both Vampiro and Taz and debuting them tonight. Both men by themselves
could stir up lots of trouble in the WWF but both entering the WWF at the same
time could and probably will cause turmoil.
Vampiro defeated the master of the Texas Cloverleaf, Dean Malenko, a several-
time former WWF Intercontinental Champion, while Taz made short work out of
recent WWF World Champion Brian Christopher.
Two other former ECW mainstays, the Dudley Boys, also came up with the short end
of the stick in their match against the brutal and ferocious Acolytes, who seem
to not only be picking up steam as far as their careers go but they also seem
to be picking up lots of steam with the fans, as was evident by the crowd
reaction they got for their match tonight. The Acolytes are now officially the
top contenders for the World Wrestling Federation Tag Team Titles, currently
held by Chris Benoit and Ken Shamrock.
In another match to determine the number one contender for the WWF IC Title,
Masato Tanaka pulled a win out of nowhere against Kendo Ka Shin. These two are
having really good matches lately... probably at least in part because they have
gotten to know each other very well through their previous encounters.
Lo and behold, it didn't take long for former tag team partners Cactus Jack and
Sabu to end up on opposite ends of the ring. After both won their respective
WrestleMania matches against Hayabusa and Stan Hansen, they moved up in the
singles rankings to where they were the two top contenders for the WWF World
Title. Mick Foley, in his new Mankind persona, gave Sabu all he could handle -
although, to be honest, the actual match seemed to lack good work. Whether it
is just a temporary problem that both have adjusting to singles competition or
whether the Mankind gimmick is holding Mick Foley back... we can't really tell
for sure yet. Be that as it may be, Mankind caught Sabu offguard, "sock"ed him
and now is the official number one contender for the WWF World Title.
Bret Hart and Val Venis proved to be excellent opponents for the WWF World Tag
Team Champions Chris Benoit and Ken Shamrock. Unfortunately, their match ended
prematurely and in questionable fashion but they will definitely be rematched
at the next In Your House event called "Lock, Sock And Barrel".
Shawn Michaels had his last IC title shot in some time tonight because he now
has lost to Edge two times in a row, and one can only guess which loss was more
embarrassing - the one yesterday where Michaels lost his own speciality match,
the ladder match, or the one today where Edge completely blitzed Michaels,
defeating him in just under two minutes ! We will see where Masato Tanaka fits
in here...
We have often used the term "Best Match In WWF History" but after tonight, I'm
afraid we won't be using it for a long, long time. Rocky Maivia and Chris Benoit
silenced all the critics that they couldn't possibly have a good match without
help from outside. Thanks for the advice, but you are wrong as wrong can be,
dear critics. Tonight's WWF Title Match was not only packed with electricity,
although the crowd was buzzing from start to finish. It didn't only have
psychology, although you would be hard-pressed to find a match with more of that
in recent history. It had the best finish in WWF history and when it was all
said and done, everybody was on the edge of their seats waiting what would
happen next. Friends... it may be time to add a sixth star to the ratings
because this one blew the top off the ratings system. Mankind and Rock will have
a very hard time following this match at In Your House... that's a definite.
See you then !
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