WWE Raw - 6-28-2004

WWE Raw - Live from Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia

Welcome to another Raw review. Let's get to it:

We start the show with a recap of the events leading up to the Triple H vs. Eugene match from last week. As always, nice video segments by the WWE production team.

The pyro hits and we're off and running.

JR and the King welcome us to a big night on Raw where we will see the Bad Blood rematch of Kane vs. Chris Benoit for the World Heavyweight Championship tonight. But before that, JR has been ordered by Eric Bishoff to interview Kane tonight. Bishoff has assured JR that there will be security around the ring to protect him in case Kane tries anything. Recall Kane set JR on fire a while back when he (Kane) was unmasked.

We cut to the ring as Evolution's music hits and all four members make their way to the ring. Triple H gets on the mic and informs us that he will be challenging the winner of the Kane vs. Chris Benoit match tonight at Vengeance. But, he isn't here to talk about that; he's here to talk about his match last week with Eugene. He goes over the events at the end of the match last week and then calls Eugene down to the ring. Eugene music hits and he makes his way slowly to the ring (he has a bandage with a smile on it where he was hit with the chair). Triple H explains to Eugene that he was rough on him last week to prepare him for other guys in the back that want to beat him up; like Chris Benoit who hit him with a steel chair. Eugene tells Triple H that Benoit apologized, but Triple H will have none of it and says only he will tell Eugene the truth; Benoit is a jerk. Eugene doesn't need Benoit, cause he has Evolution. So, tonight, Triple H is going to make Eugene an honorary member of Evolution. At this, the other members of Evolution start to look at each other and grumble.

William Regal then comes down to the ring and is trying to talk sense into Eugene about Evolution. Triple H then tells Eugene that Regal doesn't care about him...he only was helping Eugene to get his job back. Regal is forced to admit the truth. Triple H then rips into Regal how there is nothing lower than pretending to be Eugene's friend to get what he wants. Triple H then demands a choice from Eugene; Evolution or Regal.

Before he can answer, Eric Bishoff comes out onto the entrance ramp. He is not going to let Triple H pressure his nephew. If Triple H and Regal have a problem with each other, then they'll settle it in the ring tonight. But, for a match like that, you need a special referee. That ref will be none other than Eugene! Excellent segment to start Raw. Triple H playing the "friend" to Eugene is classic stuff; old school DX Triple H.

Before we go to break we find out that NEXT is the rematch from last week:

Match 1 - Chris Jericho & Edge vs. Randy Orton & Batista - Jericho & Edge get the win when Edge hit a spear on Batista and Jericho followed it up with the Lionsault for the pin. Solid match for the 2nd week in a row from these four. It was nice to see them let this match run after using it last week as a way to make sure Jericho wouldn't be around to help Eugene. During the match, the fire alarm in the arena went off (no doubt from the mix of Jericho's and Edge's pyro) and the crowd was doing a Y2J chant to the beat of the alarm. There was also a big pop when the alarm finally went off. I know I was wondering what it was...I was making dinner and walking back and forth and heard that alarm and thought it was my smoke detector...

We get a recap video of last week's chapter of the Matt Hardy / Lita / Kane triangle. Quick update: Lita is pregnant, Matt proposed, and Kane interrupted and said the child is his. Lita couldn't deny it and is not sure whose the father.

Triple H and Ric Flair are back in Evolution's locker room and Flair is complimenting Triple H on his manipulation of Eugene. Triple H says that once he has the World Title back, Eugene goes bye-bye for good.

Raw Diva Search recap 1...yawn...wake me when the show starts again...

Back to the locker rooms, where Lita is trying to reach Matt Hardy on the phone. She leaves him a message and then Stacy enters and asks Lita what she is going to do. Lita has no answer.

Back at ringside, the security for JR's interview with Kane is in place, so to the ring JR goes. Kane's pyro goes and he comes down to the ring with a smile on his face at the sight of JR. He informs JR that if he wanted to hurt him, no one could stop him. Unfazed, JR asks Kane why he attacked Shawn Michaels a few weeks back. Simple answer from Kane; Michaels was in his way, and when you're in Kane's way bad things happen. JR then asks about the situation with Lita. Kane has craved one thing, that is to have a normal life. That starts tonight when he beats Chris Benoit for the World Title. Then, in 8 months, he becomes a father. JR reminds Kane there is still a chance the child is Matt Hardy's. Kane starts to stalk JR. As he's about to attack, Matt Hardy comes out of the crowd and attacks Kane. Bishoff comes out onto the entrance ramp and orders the security to remove Matt Hardy from the building. He apologizes to Kane and, due to Benoit coming out to help Eugene last week, in tonight's World Title match Benoit can only win by making Kane submit. However, Kane can win the title by pin, submission, count out, or DQ.

Match 2 - William Regal vs. Triple H - Special Referee - Eugene - Triple H wins by DQ when Eugene catches William Regal with Flair's brass knuckles. Not a very long match, but it was good to see Regal back in the ring. As the match goes on, Regal starts to get the upper hand, so Flair gets up on the apron to distract Eugene and tosses Triple H the knuckles. Regal punches Triple H and get the knuckles. Eugene turns around and sees Regal with the knuckles and calls for the bell.

Post match, Regal is trying to talk to Eugene and Triple H hits Regal from behind, bumping Regal into Eugene. Eugene thinks Regal attacked him, so he charges Regal and pounds him with a flurry of rights and lefts. It takes both Flair and Triple H to pull Eugene off Regal.

La Resistance come down to the ring and get on the mic and do their normal act to get the crowd mad at them.

Match 3 - Non Title - La Resistance vs. Rhyno & Sgt. Slaughter - La Resistance picks up the win with their tag team finisher, now called the "Au Revoir". Sarge looked in great shape in this match and it's always great to see Rhyno in action on Raw. Did you here the pops for him, WWE? Push him. Decent match that kept the crowd alive and ready for the main event.

We come back from the break to find Triple H hyping up Eugene. He tells Eugene that Kane, Benoit, and even Regal were just pretending to be his friends and that he is part of Evolution now and NO ONE is ever going to hurt him again.

Raw Diva Search recap 2...zzzzZZZZzzzzZZZZ...Oh, the show is back on.

JR and the King run the card as it stands so far for Vengeance:

- World Heavyweight Championship - Kane or Chris Benoit(c) (Depending on the outcome tonight) vs. Triple H

- Intercontinental Championship - Randy Orton(c) vs. Edge

- Chris Jericho vs. Batista

Cut to Eric Bishoff's office where Ric Flair is talking with Eric Bishoff. As Flair leaves, in comes Coach. Bishoff informs Coach that while Bishoff is off on vacation next week, the interim GM for Raw will be...Eugene.

Up next, the main event!

Match 4 - World Heavyweight Championship - Chris Benoit(c) vs. Kane - Benoit can only retain by submission / Kane can win the title via pin, submission, count out, or DQ - Chirs Benoit wins by making Kane submit in the Crippler Crossface to retain the World Championship. A nice match that played off the stipulations well. More than once, Benoit went for a pin "out of instinct" and the ref would wave it off. There was also a moment where Benoit was outside the ring and Kane was "one second away" from winning the World Title. The end saw Benoit going up to the top rope for a move and Kane caught him by the neck, ready for a chokeslam, but Benoit countered by dropping to the outside and hanging Kane's arm up on the top rope. This plus a shot to the pole was enough for Benoit to make Kane submit.

After the match, Kane attacks Benoit from behind and chokeslams him to hell. He signals for a Tombstone, but then Lita's music hits. She comes down the ramp with a big smile on her face. The crowd is very confused. She gets into the ring, grabs the World Title, and hands it to Kane. She then raises his hand. As he turns away from her, she gives him a low blow and grabs the belt, ready to hit him with it. Lita misses with the belt and Kane sets her up for a chokeslam. As he is about to do it, he realizes he can't; Lita is carrying his child. He lets her go, and she slides out of the ring. As he turns away from her, Benoit waffles Kane with the belt, much to Lita's delight.

We see Benoit holding the belt above his head as we fade to black.

Review - An ok edition of Raw. Not enough wrestling for my taste (only four matches). Also, did anyone else notice the only women on were Lita and Stacy, and Stacy didn't even go into the arena, she was backstage. Where are Trish and Victoria and Molly? Obviously I'm in the minority in my belief that the ladies have been busting their butts the past few months in the Women's Division. After looking at the Sunday Night Heat taping list, I see a few of them get to wrestle, but still...also it would have been nice to see the Sarge win right before the 4th of July. Maybe they are saving that for next week?