WWE Raw - 7-5-2004

WWE Raw - Live from Winnipeg Arena in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Welcome to this week's Raw Review. A happy 4th of July weekend to all my fellow US readers and a hello to any outside the US. We got a lot to cover, including the full card (as it stands now) for Vengeance this Sunday, so let's get to it:

We were promised a surprise by JR at the 7:45pm (central time) break in, and after the pyro, we see six chairs in the ring along with Tyson Tomko, the King, Tajiri, The Coach, and Stacy Keibler. Ric Flair's music hits and he makes his way down to the ring. Then the arena explodes as Chris Jericho makes his way to the ring. After all seven superstars are in the ring, Eugene, our acting GM for the night, comes out onto the stage. He reminds everyone that his Uncle Eric wont be here tonight but left him in charge (he's even got a sport coat on). He wants everyone to have fun tonight and asks the crowd if they want to see a title match. Of course they do, so Eugene books:

Match 1 - Tajiri vs. Tyson Tomko vs. Jerry Lawler vs. The Coach vs. Stacy Keibler vs. Ric Flair vs. Chris Jericho - Musical Chairs - Yes, you read that right, musical chairs. Eugene calls for the music to start and only Stacy is walking around the chairs. After a moment, the King starts to follow Stacy around the chairs. The music stops and they both take a seat. After a heartbeat, all the others dash for chairs. Tajiri is left standing and is eliminated. Coach finds this amusing and starts laughing at Tajiri and this buys him the green mist in the face. Pull one chair, and the music starts again. The other four superstars start around the chairs while Coach stumbles around the ring. When the music stops, everyone sits, including Coach who sits down right on the mat. Coach is eliminated. Pull another chair and the music starts again. When the music stops, everyone gets a seat but the King who sits on Stacy's lap, getting a cheer from the crowd. Pull another chair and hit the music. As they start around again, Ric Flair is doing his strut. As the music stops, he pushes Stacy down and she is left without a chair and is eliminated. The crowd boos till Stacy leaves the ring, and that makes them happy again. Down to three, another chair gone. Flair continues his strut in the next round, but gets too into it, loses track of the music, and is eliminated. We're down to two; Chris Jericho and Tyson Tomko. One chair left...they start around the chair and as the music stops Jericho pulls the chair out from under Tomko, nails him with it, and then sits down. Jericho wins the game of musical chairs.

Eugene declares Jericho the winner and announces tonight, in that very ring, it will be Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton with the Intercontinental Title on the line! Jericho plays to the crowd and throws a few armbands to the crowd.

Match 2 - Non Title - La Resistance vs. Rhyno & Val Venis - La Resistance picks up the win when they hit Val Venis with the Au Revoir. Interesting to see that a Canada crowd outside Quebec didn't take to La Resistance. Standard tag match here. It seems they are setting up for Rhyno to find a new tag partner...maybe for a debut at Vengeance this Sunday?

We cut to backstage where Randy Orton is complaining to Ric Flair and Batista about Triple H making Eugene a honorary member of Evolution last week. They are headed to Eugene's office because Orton doesn't feel it's fair he has to defend the Intercontinental Title tonight against Chris Jericho and then again Sunday at Vengeance against Edge. As they are walking, we see a sign behind them pointing towards Eugene's office. They stop, shocked at something off camera. We pan to see Eugene office; a moon jump (you know, those inflated things kids jump in at picnics?). Eugene sees Evolution and comes rolling (literally) out of his office. He is happy to see them and reminds them of how Triple H said now that Eugene is a member of Evolution, no one will hurt him. So, tonight, it'll be Batista vs. Kane. He also makes a match for Vengeance for the World Tag Team Championship...La Resistance will take on the team of Ric Flair and....Eugene gets distracted by his wrestling guys and starts to play. Flair gets upset and presses Eugene for an answer, who is his tag partner for Vengeance? Eugene! Eugene goes back into his office and it takes both Batista and Orton to keep Flair from killing Eugene.

Cut to the ring where Triple H is making his way to the ring. Triple H cuts a decent promo stating that on Sunday he's going to answer the age old question; God or Evolution when he beats Chris Benoit for the World Title. The "You Tapped Out" chants start and Triple H states that no man, woman, or god can stop him.

"You think you know me..." Edge comes out to interrupt The Game. Edge says that in the year he was out, he watched Evolution dominate Raw. In the time he's been back, not much has changed, but that is going to stop. He sends a message to Randy Orton that, regardless of if he beats Jericho tonight or not, at Vengeance he's his. He then tells "Hunter" to listen real close. The rest of them are going down too. One by one, they are all going to fall to Edge. Triple H just stares at Edge, he then takes off his jacket and tells Edge that all he said sounds great, but he's heard it all before from MANY guys; Foley, Austin, Michaels, Benoit; they all say the same thing. What makes Edge any different? Edge answers by lying right hands into Triple H. As Evolution comes down to make the save, Edge ducks out and over the rail. Orton tries to give chase, but gets a stiff right hand for it. Edge makes his way to the back through the crowd. In the ring, Triple H is irate, yelling after Edge.

Match 3 - Kane vs. Batista - This went to a no contest when Matt Hardy came down and rammed Kane into the steel stairs five to seven times.

After the match, Todd Grisham catches up with Matt Hardy and informs Matt (and us) that his match with Kane at Vengeance is now a no DQ match. Matt asks if Todd saw what he did to Kane out there and says it's just a sample of what awaits Kane. Brave words, but when you get Kane mad to this level, he will snap you in two. Todd tries to ask some questions about Lita, but Matt will not answer them. The Intercontinental Title is on the line next!

Match 4 - Intercontinental Championship - Randy Orton(c) vs. Chris Jericho - Randy Orton wins by rolling up Jericho and using the ropes after the distraction by Batista to retain the Intercontinental Championship. This was a solid match that the crowd was 100% into (especially high number of Y2J chants, it is his hometown, after all) and they deserved a better ending. Even if it was Orton winning clean with the RKO. Jericho had Orton beat in the middle of the ring with The Walls of Jericho and he let it go to chase Batista off the apron (who had come down half-way into the match). Jericho got his mouth busted open at a point in this one. Obvious heat setup for the Chris Jericho vs. Batista match on Sunday.

Backstage, Triple H is in Eugene office (this was a great shot..."Do...We...Have...A...Deal...Eugene?") and meets Ric Flair outside. Flair wants to know if Triple H got him out of the match with Eugene as his partner this Sunday. He says it never came up, but he did get what he wanted tonight; the first step in getting the World Title back. In the main even tonight, it will be Chris Benoit & Edge vs. Triple H, Ric Flair, & Eugene in a 2 vs. 3 handicap tag team match.

SmackDown Rebound - This Thursday see John Cena defend the United States Championship against Booker T. Should be a solid match there, if they give it time.

We come back to the arena to the sound of Victoria's music to find we have what looks like a triple threat women's match.

Match 5 - Nidia vs. Victoria vs. Molly Holly - Contract On A Pole Match - Nidia retrieves the contract and gets a Women's Title match in the near future. Decent stuff from the ladies. This kind of a match is hard to get any type of momentum going in. The shot of the match was the stiff kick from Victoria to Nidia while Nidia was on the top rope.

After the match, Trish and Tyson Tomko hit the ring. Trish has a cast on her arm from a "shattered wrist" (Trish does have a legit hand injury). She congratulates Nidia for her win and informs her that her title match is RIGHT NOW and SMACKS her with the cast, knocking her out. Trish then orders the ref to ring the bell and start the match.

Match 6 - Women's Championship - Trish Stratus(c) vs. Nidia - Trish wins by covering the lifeless Nidia. NICE heel heat for Trish here. Could be a setup for a match at Vengeance.

Raw Diva Search Update = Some time for GrzeTim to get the laundry from the dryer. At least they got the idea and have the semi-finals on after SmackDown on Thursday. At least then the folks who want to watch it can watch it. I know for a fact I am in the minority in this. My neighbor from upstairs was down borrowing my vacuum on Monday and was there when this started and stayed though the bikini segment and then left once Trish and Lita were done (see below). I guess I just wish for more than eye-candy. Don't get me wrong, the ladies of the WWE are lovely, but I like seeing them mix it up too (cause many of them can very well)...sorry...end rant.

We come back to the arena and JR & King run down the card for this Sunday at Vengeance:

Chris Jericho vs. Batista

Kane vs. Matt Hardy - No DQ

Intercontinental Championship - Randy Orton(c) vs. Edge

World Tag Team Championship - La Resistance(c) vs. Ric Flair & Eugene

World Heavyweight Championship - Chris Benoit(c) vs. Triple H

Backstage, Trish and Tomko run into Lita. Trish feigns concern for Lita being pregnant. As she walks away, Trish comments "and to think...they call me a slut.". OUCH!

Cut to outside Eugene office, where Triple H is giving him a pep talk for the main even, which is NEXT.

Match 7 - Chris Benoit & Edge vs. Triple H, Ric Flair, & Eugene - Triple H, Ric Flair, & Eugene win after Eugene uses a chair on Benoit while the ref is down to break up a Sharpshooter on Triple H. Triple H then hits the Pedigree for the win. This match was ALL about playing up how Triple H has been using Eugene. Twice in the match, Eugene was lured into attacking Edge or Benoit. Seeing Eugene chain wrestle with Benoit at the start was a treat. I don't think we got to see Edge and Eugene at all. Eugene didn't want to hit Benoit with the chair but Triple H was screaming about how Benoit was hurting him. As we fade to black, you could see Eugene saying "I didn't want to do that...".

Review - A good buildup show for the PPV this weekend. Not much in the line of "new" storyline, but that's what next week is for. This week, as it should have been, was "sell the PPV". They did that, and I respect that. I expect at least one more match to be added to the card either on WWE Experience this Sunday morning or on Heat before the PPV. Have to wait and see on that, but my guess would be either Nidia vs. Trish for the title or a four way with the three ladies from the pole match and Trish. The 2nd makes more sense cause they can protect Trish depending on how hurt her hand is. Not that she needs it, but she is one of their "A" talents.

See you later in the week for SmackDown & Vengeance!