The Smart-Mark’s Guide To The WWE
Raw Review 1/3/05
By Scott McCarthy
Welcome back and Happy New Year everyone, hopefully you all had a great New Year’s eve and day. Tonight is the first show of 2005 for the WWE and I am looking forward to see if they are able to keep the momentum from the last few weeks of 2004 going. The Raw brand has a handful of good storylines in place that should carry the show all the way up until this Sunday’s Pay Per View. Tonight’s Raw if done right should set up the tone for the PPV and should be a good lead in, Okay, on with the show!
The show starts off with Raw GM Eric Bischoff backstage, holding the WWE World Title. He talks about last weeks “Beat The Clock” matches, that tonight the six participants in the Elimination Chamber will get the chance to beat each other and sets up a series of matches with all six wrestlers that will be in the Elimination Chamber match.
Segment Rating- ** ½
The first match of the night is Batista vs. Chris Benoit, as Batista comes to the ring JR & The King talk up the fact that he has earned the right to enter last into the Elimination Chamber, and what a huge advantage it is. This match really ended up going well, and it really set up Batista to be a monster. In one of the more impressive finishes in recent Raw history, Batista grabs Benoit as he comes off the ropes and attempts a spine buster, but Chris Benoit is able to slide down into the Crippler Crossface, he has it locked in and has seemingly no place to go, but then suddenly while still in the move Batista powers up to his feet, Batista then slams Benoits head into an exposed turbuckle repeatedly until he decides to just drop him, he then hits the Batista Bomb, and gets the 1-2-3. One of the more impressive showings from the big man, this guy is so huge that it looks like he might actually be on Barry Bond’s personal trainers speed dial. The guy is just massive!
Match Rating- * * * ½
After the commercial break we see Flair putting over Batista to Triple H, just then Batista walks in. They talk about the game plan for the PPV. Batista tells Triple-H he is behind him, but he owes him $100 from the bet last week. There’s a little tension, before Hunter tells Ric Flair to give him $100. Batista tells him to put his money away, he is not the one who lost the bet, that he wants Triple H’s money. Triple H finally goes to hand Batista the $100 only to have Batista laugh at him and tell him to lighten up and get a sense of humor, and walks away leaving Triple H and Ric Flair not looking at all happy.
Segment Rating- ***
Next up, we have an interview segment with Maria & “DOI’s own Johnny 5’s all time personal favorite” Gene Snitsky! Maria ask’s Snitsky how he feels about his match with Kane at the PPV, Snitsky says he’s actually surprised surprised Kane was able to come back. He asks Maria if she likes surprises, he does. He says I bet you would be surprised (he leans in and whispers in Maria’s ear) Maria runs off. Snitsky grins and says “Well I guess she doesn’t like surprises” Then he says he has a surprise for Kane and that he won’t like it, but he brought it on himself and as always “IT’S NOT MY FAULT!”
Segment Rating- ****
Next we have Edge talking to Bischoff backstage, Edge says he can’t believe the position he has been put in. Eric says I thought you would have a good match with Jericho, Edge says that he is talking about Eric making “HBK” Shawn Michaels the special referee for the main event at the PPV. Bischoff says Edge is to blame, since he speared HBK at Taboo Tuesday, Michaels has lost time, which means he lost revenue, and having him as the ref is how he is going to make that revenue back. Then he tells Edge to get ready for his match, because it is next!
Segment Rating- ***
Edge vs. Chris Jericho: This is another very good match that has the usual back and forth momentum shifts and other typical WWE back and forth stuff, and yet another good finish. Edge is setting up the spear, Jericho leapfrogs it and Edge slams into the corner post. Jericho leaps on to Edges shoulders while he is in the corner and goes for the victory roll, the roll stops half way and Edge grabs the ropes for leverage for the pin and the win!
Match Rating- ***
Next we have The Coach backstage and he questions if Randy Orton can beat Triple H, Randy orton shows up and says in 2004 Triple H took everything away from him, but in 2005 Randy Orton will take everything away from Triple H. He says he will hit the RKO tonight and get the win! That’s taking a page out of the Joe Namath & Mark Messier play book!
Segment Rating- ***
Shelton Benjamin vs. Sylvan Grenier: Maven comes out prior to the start of the match and sits with JR & The King. The match had really nothing to it, it was an average match with Rob Conway doing a run in that backfires and ends up allowing Shelton to hit the T-Bone suplex and get the 3 count.
Match Rating- **
Now it is time for the debate, if Hassan’s wrestling ability is even half as good as his mic skills he will be a star. The guy can flat out do great heel promos, and while he benefits from an “easy heat” gimmick. I really believe he could thrive with any gimmick that allows him to speak. The debate eventually leads to Daivari & Hassan attacking JR & The King, the Kings gets busted open & JR is chocked out with a leather belt. The King gets back to his feet and attempts to help JR, but as he flails at Hassan & Daivari he falls down from the beating he has already taken. Hassan & Daivari just walk away laughing. My personal dream match for Hassan at Wrestlemania 21 would be Hassan vs. Hulk Hogan, so Vince call up Hogan and get it done. It would be money in the bank!
Segment Rating- **** ½
Trish Stratus vs. Victoria- The match itself is the typical woman’s match fair, nothing to write home about. Victoria gets knees to the gut after attempting to hit a moonsault and then gets kicked in the head by Trish and Trish gets the win.However it is the post match antics involving Lita coming to the ring to confront Trish, then Snitsky comes out and attempts to crush her throat with the steel chair, just like he did to Kane. He sets her up and then Kanes music hits and sure enough here comes Kane, Snitsky showing no fear charges at him and the two brawl for a bit outside the ring before being separated. Kane then enters the ring and helps Lita up. At first Lita looks to be afraid of Kane, but then she looks at him and smiles.
Match Rating- * ½
Post Match Segment- *** ½
Next is a hilarious segment involving Eugene, Christy and William Regal. Christy is backstage doing a photo shoot, Eugene walks over to say hi and tell her she has “Pretty red hair, like Lindsay Lohan” and that he is listening to her CD. Christy asks if he likes her, he says yes and that she is from right here in Long Island, NY. Then she asks him to sing one of her songs for him. At first he hesitates but he soon starts singing “Rumors” Regal shows up and tells Eugene to stop singing and to get ready for his match against Christian. Eugene walks of with Christy, but he forgets his walkman and Regal picks I up and puts the headphones on. Thinking he is alone, he starts singing and dancing to “Rumors” and Eugene & Christy come back to get the walkman.
Segment Rating **** ½
Eugene vs. Christian- The match is filled with the usual Eugene antics, with him mimicking superstars of the past, including one spot where he shakes the ropes like the Ultimate Warrior and then runs off the ropes and coming down with the Warrior Splash on Christian. In the end Tyson Tomko on the outside is just to much for Eugene to over come, they recycle a finish from earlier in the night Eugene goes for the roll up, but Tomko grabs Christians hand and stops the roll halfway through it and helping Captain Charisma get the three count.
Match Rating- ***
To further the Batista/Triple H tension the next segment has Triple H tell Flair & Batista he wants to do this on his own, and wants him to stay in the back. Batista says he knew Triple H would want it that way, but you know how Flair is, Triple H is starting to walk out and Batista says “Don’t worry I’ll stay back here….Unless he starts to really kick your ass” Triple H pauses for a second, batista smiles and tells him to “Lighten Up” again. I said last week I liked how they were handling this, and I still think they are doing it right.
Segment Rating- *** ½
Triple H vs. Randy Orton- The match starts with a stare down, Triple H gets the early advantage, I am of the opinion if you have seen one Triple H match you have seen them all, complete with Ric Flair getting involved. The match does not get interesting into late mid point of the match so that is where I will pick it up. Randy Orton & the Ref’s head clash after having Triple H in a sleeper, and Hunter kind just moved Randy around until it happened. Now with the ref out, Flair passes the ring bell to Triple H. Triple H messures Orton with the bell, but like a Jason Giambi at bat it is a big swing and miss! Orton nails Hunter, then Flair. Then Orton hits Triple H with the ring bell. Randy orton is in charge, but then herecomes Batista, and he hits a hard clothesline on Orton. Then out comes Chris Benoit who battles to the outside with Batista, and slams his head into the stairs. Then out comes Shawn Michaels in ref attire, while Shawn is checking on the original ref, Edge comes down and sets up behind HBK to spear him, Shawn Michaels does not know he is there and Edge charges at him…BUT…Chris Jericho cuts him off!Jericho throws Edge outside the ring, and then jumps outside himself landing on Batista & Edge. Triple h gets up, and starts fighting with HBK, Michaels points out that he is wearing the ref shirt. Randy Orton gets up and signals for the RKO, he attempts it but Triple H throws him off and goes for the pedigree, Orton takes out Triple H’s legs,and flips over for a two count. They both climb to their feet, only to have Orton hit the RKO and Shawn Michaels count ONE….TWO….THREE! Orton celebrates as the camera fades to black.
Match Rating- *** ¾
Raw has not lost a step and seems to be actually getting better each week, I certainly hope the trend continues. So what do you guys think of the new format? I had a lot of compliments on how detailed my first recaps were, but I started thinking whoever reads this most likely already seen Raw or may not want to sit through a move by move recap. I figured I would try something more streamlined and add a rating system for matches and segments. Here is how the system breaks down.
0 stars- Horrible! 10 minutes of my life will never get back
1 star- Not Good at all, but at least you tried JOBBER!
2 stars- Below average, I guess it is better then watching 1 night in China
3 stars- Average, can’t say I hated anything, but nothing stands out
4 stars- Damn Good, this is what we need more of!
5 stars- Instant Classic!
One half of DOI’s “General Admission” team, Johnny 5 was in attendance at the Nassau Coliseum last night, so if anything of interest happened after Raw went off the air, I am sure he will let us know, and in related “General Admission” news, the other half of the team (LC) did indeed make the top 10 in Raw Interactive last night, until a horrible point gamble backfired on him in the final 10 minutes of Raw. Those “General Admission” boys certainly know their stuff, even if Johnny 5 is a Gene Snitsky mark! LOL
I will be back later in the week with my Smackdown review, hope to see you all back and thanks for reading!
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