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The Dames' Diatribe on WWE Raw - November 24th, 2003
Posted by The Dames on Nov 25, 2003, 01:50
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The Dames� Diatribe on WWE Raw � November 24, 2003
I apologize to everyone looking for last week�s TNA Diatribe, but I was having some cable issues and to be quite honest, I don�t know when they�ll be resolved. I guess it�s a good thing that I�ve started doing Raw now then�
Coming off of the heels of Survivor Series 8 days ago, last week�s Raw showed a lot of promise and was the best Raw show I�ve seen in quite some time. This week, I�m actually hyped to review the show, despite the fact that the first Raw Roulette didn�t turn out so great. Anyway, let�s get right to it.
Raw emanates from Salt Lake City, Utah were Eric Bischoff announced last week the return of Raw Roulette. At the start of the program, the big wheel, along with Bischoff, are in the ring. Bischoff gets a good amount of heel heat by insulting Salt Lake City again as he explains the rules of Raw Roulette.
HBK�s music starts up and Shawn Michaels comes into the ring, where he tells Bischoff that since he was interrupted during an interview segment last week, he�s come to repay the favor. He lets Bischoff know that he DID think about his actions at Survivor Series and his conscious was clear. He puts the blame not on himself, but on Bischoff and Evolution.
This brings out Batista, who stays at the top of the ramp with THE STICK~! Michaels cuts him off before he even says anything and dares him to come down into the ring. Batista tells him that he has no time to mess around with HBK, since he has chunks bigger than him in his bowel movements. He agrees with HBK�it wasn�t Michaels� fault that Austin lost his job, it was Batista�s powerbomb that did it. Michaels gets all riled up, calling Batista a �jacked up nimrod� and heads towards Batista for a brawl, but Bischoff cuts them off and decides to make a match between the two. However, since Salt Lake City has gotten enough out of Bischoff tonight, he decides to make the match between Batista and HBK for Armageddon. This announcement gets a ton of boos from the live audience, who obviously wanted the match to take place there.
Bischoff then makes another match for tonight, Batista and Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels�and Chris Jericho.
This was a pretty good segment as it didn�t take FOREVER, like most opening segments do and just like last week, it ended with some match making and planning towards the next pay per view. Batista is pretty decent on the mic for someone of his stature and Michaels showed a believable intensity directed at him that really added something special to this confrontation.
Coming back from commercial, the WWE Rewind shows Matt Hardy breaking up with Lita.
Lita comes out for the first match of the night, but Bischoff appears on the Tron in order to spin the wheel and see what kind of match that she�s going to have. He lets her know that he wasn�t exactly thrilled with Christian using his favor to give Lita her job back, but that just means more fun for Bischoff.
He brings out the Women�s Champion Molly Holly, to spin the wheel and determine Lita�s match instead. She does so and her match with Victoria is a Steel Cage match. (Side note: This makes Raw Roulette 2 for 2 in terms of starting off with a Steel Cage match.)
Lita vs. Victoria in a Steel Cage Match
Match Background: They�ve never crossed paths as Lita was injured throughout the entire time Victoria came up in WWE. This is the first time that women have ever competed in a Steel Cage match in WWE, I believe.
The Match: Lita attacks Victoria as she enters the cage, tossing her into the steel structure a couple of times. She attempts her new DDT finish, but Victoria reverses it and slingshots Lita into the cage. Victoria picks Lita up and swings her around for her modified sidewalk slam. Lita appears to be hurt from the maneuver, but I�m not sure if she�s selling or not. Either way, the match continues.
Victoria heads for the door and Lita cuts her off, monkey flipping her and hitting a head scissors off the ropes. I guess Lita isn�t too badly hurt then. Lita looks to escape the cage, but Victoria catches up to her and looks to slam her down. Lita is able to kick Victoria off, but she pops right back up and slams Lita down to the canvas for a two count. Victoria looks for the Widow�s Peak, but Lita escapes and tries to climb up the cage. In what appears to be a botched spot, Lita actually slips climbing the cage and falls back down. Victoria heads up the cage, seemingly covering for the spot, but gets tossed down. Victoria rams Lita into the cage with a shoulder block and heads up the cage again as the crowd chants for Lita big time. Lita gets up and powerbombs Victoria down and looks to climb up once again. She instead hits a moonsault onto a standing Victoria and looks to head out of the door. Matt Hardy then comes running down and slams the cage door in Lita�s face, giving Victoria the easy win as she�s able to get out the door untested.
Winner: Victoria
Matt Hardy comes into the cage to inflict more damage�but CHRISTIAN makes the save by chasing Hardy out! Christian tends to Lita as Matt Hardy back pedals up the ramp with a smile on his face.
My Opinion: I think it was a great decision to make this a steel cage match as it allowed the fans to get behind Lita a little more. Victoria being her opponent also helped as she�s proven to have a mean streak and the only other female competitor that would take advantage of such a match would be Jazz. Matt Hardy costing Lita the match in the fashion that he did got him more heel heat and Christian making the save advanced his romantic storyline with Lita, so I was quite pleased with the post-match antics. The match itself was very short, although I wouldn�t expect a cage match between women to get much airtime. Hell, they don�t get enough time for a regular match. *
In the back, Bischoff looks on as Randy Orton fraternizes with the Showgirls that apparently come with the Roulette Wheel. Bischoff lets Orton know that he�s already spun the wheel and a �Legend Killer� match came up, which Orton finds to be a coincidence, since he�s the �Legend Killer� and all.
He goes off to get ready and Hurricane & Rosie appear behind Bischoff. Bischoff tells them that they�re going to be competing against each other�in a �Capture the Midget� match or else, they�re fired. They start chasing a little midget by the name of Fernando as we head to commercial.
We couldn�t go two weeks without a silly segment on Raw, could we?
We�re back and the WWE Rewind this time around shows Orton costing RVD his match with Flair last week.
It�s time for Orton�s match up, so let�s hit the music!
EVOLUTION WASHES WINDOWS CLEAN~!
Orton heads to the ring, unaware of who his opponent is. The music hits and tonight, we have:
Randy Orton vs. Sgt. Slaughter
Match Background: None. Bischoff spun the wheel, so Orton gets a �Legend� tonight.
The Match: Sgt. Slaughter looks like he�s lost quite a bit of weight, actually.
Orton goes for a cheap shot on Slaughter right away, but the former WWF Champion ducks a right hand and slaps on the Cobra Clutch! Orton gets to the ropes as the crowd chants �USA� for Sarge. Sarge hits a gutbuster for a two count, but misses a clothesline, allowing Orton to take over with a standing dropkick. Orton applies a sleeper, but its reversed into the Cobra Clutch, with Orton getting to the ropes again. He low blows Sarge near the ropes and hits the RKO for the victory.
Winner: Randy Orton
After the match, Orton puts the boots to Sarge and RVD makes the save to a big pop. He looks for the Five Star Frog Splash to an even bigger pop, but Orton rolls out of the ring and heads up the ramp.
My Opinion: Of course, this match was to put Randy Orton over, which seems to be a recurring theme for the past 5 months or so. It was quite short, which was to be expected considering Sarge isn�t a full time wrestler by any means. RVD making the save is nothing more than just hyping up their singles encounter at Armageddon, where he�ll most likely drop the IC Title in another effort to get Orton over. 1/4 *
We then get a video package on the rivalry between Goldberg and Triple H, focusing on the events since Survivor Series leading up to tonight�s World Title match.
They hype a Goldberg segment to be shown on Heat where the Raw Champ was on the Maury Povich show. Insert your own jokes here.
Lance Storm and Val Venis are in the back, awaiting some dates. Venis lets Storm know that since these girls are from Utah, they�re pretty conservative, so they have to act like normal guys tonight. The girls show up and they let Storm & Venis know that they�ve heard about wrestlers being a little crazy�so they�re a bit nervous. Storm tells them that there�s nothing to worry about�
All of a sudden, Fernando the midget comes running past them, being chased by Rosie & The Hurricane. He shoves a stagehand out of the way as the Super Heroes continue the chase, leaving Storm & Venis to explain themselves to the ladies. Not NEARLY as funny as it should have been, due to the lack of comedic timing by Venis and Storm and the flat out stupidity of chasing midgets.
The Coach then interviews Ric Flair, giving him props for having the fastest selling DVD in WWE History, the Ultimate Ric Flair Collection. If you don�t have the DVD, GO GET IT. It is AWESOME and by far, the best DVD that WWE has EVER produced.
Flair once again shows how unselfish he can be by stating that he�s more proud of Evolution than he is of his historic career. He puts over the rest of Evolution again, hyping up tonight�s tag match and Orton�s victory over Slaughter. He then states that in a few moments, Triple H �the World Heavyweight Champion�in my eyes�, will win back the title from Goldberg. Flair messed up and didn�t even miss a beat correcting himself. He�s just THAT good.
Matt Hardy and Bischoff are in the back, about to spin the Raw Roulette wheel to see what kind of a match Hardy is going to have tonight. They actually work in a TRIPLE plug for YJStinger, Austin�s book and the UPN special on Austin in the process as the wheel is spun and lands on a �Strange Bedfellows Match�. According to Bischoff, a Strange Bedfellows Match is a tag match where the teams consist of partners who necessarily wouldn�t tag together.
A shot of Goldberg doing what he does best, working out, is shown before we head to commercial.
When we come back, WWE works out a pretty cool way to put over the new Smackdown: Here Comes The Pain game as they show clips of Goldberg spearing Triple H in the game, followed by Triple H hitting the Pedigree on Goldberg. Now that is certainly an innovative way of hyping up a match.
Matt Hardy is already in the ring, along with Bubba Ray Dudley and Garrison Cade, who are his opponents tonight. It turns out that his partner will be�Christian! Matt Hardy doesn�t look pleased.
Matt Hardy & Christian vs. Bubba Ray Dudley & Garrison Cade
Match Background: This match is a result of the Raw Roulette wheel landing on �Strange Bedfellows�. Bubba Ray Dudley (along with his tag partner D-Von) lost to Garrison Cade and his partner Mark Jindrak in a non-title match a few weeks ago on Raw. Matt Hardy and Christian have never been on the same side of any battle, facing each other numerous times when Edge & Christian squared off against the Hardy Boys. Now, they�re on opposite sites when it comes to Lita as Christian chased Matt Hardy away earlier tonight after Lita�s cage match with Victoria.
The Match: The match starts off with Christian shoving Matt Hardy into Bubba from behind. Bubba chops the SHIT out of Matt Hardy in the corner before Hardy is able to knock him down and tag in Christian. Christian runs into a side walk slam by Bubba and Cade comes in to face the former IC Champ. Cade gives Christian a hard chop as well, following it up with a nice bulldog for a two count. Christian uses heel tactics to take advantage as the announcers continue to hype that silly �CLB� catchphrase for him. The fans want tables apparently as Cade hits a shoulder tackle off the 2nd rope onto Christian and tags in Bubba. Even Bubba tries to put �CLB� over, calling Christian a Creepy Little Bastard before hitting a Samoan Drop. Bubba sets Christian up for the Senton That Never Hits and it lives up to its name as Christian moves out of the way and looks for a tag. Christian looks for the tag, but Hardy drops off of the apron like he did to Lita last week, allowing Bubba to hit the Bubba Bomb. Bubba then directs his attention to Matt Hardy, who�s walking up the ramp, so Cade tags himself in and hits a top rope elbow onto Christian for the pinfall.
Winners: Bubba Ray Dudley & Garrison Cade
After the match, Bubba confronts Cade about stealing the pinfall. Cade tries to smooth things over and hand Bubba his tag belt, but when Bubba goes to pull away with it, Cade makes sure to hold onto it. This leads to a handful of boos from the crowd as Bubba then snatches his tag title back and warns Cade to watch himself.
My Opinion: While �Strange Bedfellows� is an interesting concept, it won�t work unless something important is on the line or else we�ll have finishes like this all of the time. All of the heat in this match came for Bubba Ray Dudley as they�re indifferent towards Garrison Cade and both Hardy and Christian are heels.
The match was alright, but once again too short. I�m starting to sound like a damned broken record, aren�t I? It looks as if we�re leading to Cade & Jindrak vs. The Dudleys at Armageddon (with Cade & Jindrak most likely winning since WWE really wants to push them) and Hardy vs. Christian. *1/2
Triple H and Ric Flair head to the ring to face Goldberg as we go to commercial.
Shawn Michaels is with Terri when we come back and she asks him about facing Batista and Flair tonight with Jericho as his tag partner. Michaels puts over Jericho�s ability, but they just can�t stand each other. He doesn�t care though, because he�ll just overcome the odds like he normally does.
He then lets Terri know that a midget is staring up her skirt and hilarity supposedly ensues as Hurricane, Rosie and the stagehand chase the midget some more with Terri joining the chase.
HHH (w/Ric Flair) vs. Goldberg for the World Heavyweight Title
Match Background: These two men have been feuding with each other for the World Title since the middle of the summer. Goldberg won the title from Triple H at Unforgiven and successfully defended the title against him at Survivor Series last week. The following night, Triple H and Evolution defeated Goldberg in a 3 on 1 handicap match and afterwards, Trips told Goldberg that he would be using his Bischoff-granted favor to face him for the World Title once again tonight.
The Match: Goldberg isn�t wearing his ankle cast or even limping at all anymore, so the announcers claim that he�s trying to hide the pain as to not give away any weaknesses.
Trips and Goldberg meet face to face in the middle of the ring and talk trash to each other before backing away. Flair distracts the champion, allowing Triple H to attack from behind and stomp a mudhole in him in the corner. Goldberg retaliates with a back body drop and a clothesline, causing Trips to bail. Goldberg follows him out to continue the beating and clotheslines Trips on the floor. Goldberg talks some trash to some anti-Goldberg fans at ringside (what a great guy) and the momentum flips as Trips whips him into the steel steps. Goldberg sells the shoulder as Triple H tosses him back in and knocks the champion down. A knee drop connects to the face of Goldberg (which Ross oversells since it�s Triple H and all) and Flair chokes the champion by the ropes as Trips distracts the ref.
Triple H and Goldberg slug it out in the corner with the champion coming out on top, but a charging Goldberg then EATS BOOT, causing him to stagger back. Triple H climbs to the top, but gets tossed down ala Flair. Goldberg then adds to his limited repertoire by hitting a side slam and sets himself up for the Spear. Triple H sees this as he gets up and bails to the outside to a chorus of boos.
Goldberg brings Triple H back in, but eats a face buster, followed by a high knee for a nearfall. Triple H then goes for the DREADED double axe handle off the top, so of course, Goldberg gets the foot up in a spot that I was hoping and praying wouldn�t be used again this decade. Goldberg then hits his press slam into a powerslam to a pop and sets himself up for the Spear again. Flair tries to hold onto Goldberg�s leg, so Goldberg pulls him onto the apron and knocks Flair down.
Randy Orton then comes running into the ring to hit the RKO, but Goldberg shoves him off and hits the Spear! The bell rings and apparently, it�s a DQ finish despite the fact that Orton didn�t make any real contact with him. Goldberg goes over to Triple H, who low blows him and hits the Pedigree! He goes for the cover�and the referee counts! ONE�TWO�NO! Kane�s pyro goes off, causing the referee to stop in mid count!
Kane walks down the aisle and gets on the apron, only to be knocked down by Triple H. He turns around, only to get Speared�but Kane comes into the ring and hits a Big Boot on Goldberg. The bell rings for a second time and this time, it seems the match is over.
Winner: Goldberg via DQ
Kane continues to beat Goldberg down and finishes it off with a chokeslam.
My Opinion: This was probably the best Triple H/Goldberg encounter so far, but damn, the finish was terrible. The Pedigree false finish did nothing but put a damper on Goldberg�s reign as it now seems as if Goldberg would have lost the title back to Trips had Kane not interfered then. Not only that, but Orton�s interference caused the bell to ring, causing confusion amongst those watching as to why the match was continuing. We couldn�t have a clean finish to end this feud, huh? **
Also, I�m not the best guy to give fashion tips, but Trips really needs to change up his ring attire. The biker shorts are NOT appealing and either Triple H has put on a few unsightly pounds or they�re pretty much making the guy look fat.
Immediately after a replay of Kane�s attack, Triple H barges into Bischoff�s locker room and DEMANDS another title shot at Goldberg. He rants and raves until he realizes that Kane is RIGHT BEHIND HIM and then Kane demands a shot at Goldberg as well. Bischoff goes back and forth with his decision before deciding that the match at Armageddon will be a Triple Threat match for the World Title.
DAMN YOU TRIPLE H! GET OUT OF THE DAMN TITLE PICTURE!
We couldn�t just have Kane vs. Goldberg? For those of you who haven�t realized this, the last time Triple H wasn�t the World Champion or in a match for the World Title was last year�s SummerSlam 15 months ago! The �World Heavyweight Title� wasn�t even around back then! GET OUT OF THE TITLE PICTURE!!!!
In the back, the hunt for the midget continues.
We head to the ring for the next match as Mark Henry is going to face Booker T. Before that happens though, Bischoff spins the wheel and this match is going to be a �Salt Lake City Street Fight�. Bischoff informs Henry that he�s got some weapons for him to use, so go right on ahead and take them with him. Teddy Long wants to know where the black women at though�
Mark Henry vs. Booker T in a Salt Lake City Street Fight
Match Background: Mark Henry eliminated Booker T in the Raw Elimination Match at Survivor Series and last week, Booker T used the ropes to defeat Mark Henry one on one.
The Match: Booker heads up the ramp, standing on the side of the entrance to surprise Henry and does so as Henry makes his way out to the ring. Booker T picks up a Stop sign and bashes Henry in the head with it several times as they make their way down the aisle.
In the ring now, Henry connects with a boot to the midsection and then proceeds to bend the Stop sign in a display of strength. Booker then attacks with a 2x4, choking the big man with it, but Henry backs him into a corner. He misses a charge and Booker comes back with a few shots to the head�with a frying pan. Henry knocks Booker down and slams him down, opting to bend the pan in another display of strength rather than attack Booker some more. He ends up clotheslining Booker to the outside and Booker grabs a fire extinguisher from under the ring, spraying it into Henry�s face.
Booker heads up top and connects with the missile dropkick, following it up with the SPINAROONIE~! He hits the Scissors kick�but Mark Henry kicks out! Booker T wedges a trash can in between the middle and top turnbuckles and looks to whip him into it, but Henry reverses it. Booker stops short and flips over a charging Henry�but still gets tossed into the can. Henry picks the trash can up and nails Booker over the head with it for the pin.
Winner: Mark Henry
My Opinion: WHAT!? I was upset when Henry pinned Booker T at Survivor Series, but to pin the man clean in what was basically a hardcore match doesn�t do anything for Booker T at all. I will make no bones about it, push or not, Mark Henry shouldn�t ever get a clean win over Booker T like that. The man was a former WCW World Champion and Mark Henry hasn�t won a damn thing EVER. No, the Euro title doesn�t count, he was given that.
Anyway, biases aside, this was a throwaway hardcore match which will probably lead to some sort of gimmick match between the two at Armageddon. Booker T deserves so much better than this. 3/4 *
In the back, Trish Stratus is with Eric Bischoff and the wheel results in a Bra and Panties match for her. She�s been in enough of them so that she�s not worried about it at all. Trish leaves his office and runs into Chris Jericho, who�s willing to use his favor and talk to Bischoff about changing the match if she wants to, but she�s fine with it. Instead, she wants to talk to Jericho about his match tonight instead.
She knows that he and Michaels don�t get along, but she tells Jericho that Bischoff is only using him as a puppet to do his bidding�She wants him to do the right thing and just team with Michaels with no problems. She wants him to be the man that she knows he can be. Trish gives Jericho a kiss on the cheek and tells him that if he�s good out there tonight, she�ll be good to him tonight as well�
As J.R. & The King hype the Austin special, the midget chase ends up in the arena�with the midget jumping on J.R.�s lap. This apparently declares him the winner of this stupid, stupid waste of time somehow.
RVD heads to the ring for his match and Bischoff appears on the Titantron to tell him the kind of match he�s got. The wheel is already on �Handicap Match�, but Randy Orton, RVD�s opponent at Armageddon, is with Bischoff and wants to spin the wheel again to add to the stips. It lands on �Singapore Cane Match�, so it�ll be a Handicap Singapore Cane Match�
Rob Van Dam vs. Scott Steiner & Test (w/Stacy Keibler) in a Handicap Singapore Cane Match
Match Background: None, really. Steiner and Test support Bischoff, which is probably why this match was made.
The Match: All three men have Singapore Canes in their possession prior to the match starting. RVD nails Steiner as he gets on the ring apron and slingshots himself to the outside onto Test. Steiner nails RVD across the back with the cane and looks to toss him into the steel steps, but it�s reversed. Test charges at RVD with the cane, but gets whacked several times. Steiner connects with a shot to RVD�s thigh, but RVD connects with a leg sweep. He looks to go for Rolling Thunder, but Test hits him in the back with the cane as he bounces off of the ropes. Test sends him to the outside, but RVD recovers quickly, so Test uses Stacy as a shield. Steiner attacks RVD with the cane from behind and the heels beat RVD down with the kendo sticks.
Back in the ring, the stick beatdown continues until RVD is able to counter with kicks on both men. He ducks a cane shot by Test, causing him to nail Steiner instead and RVD sends him over the top to the floor. RVD hits the Five Star on Steiner, but Test comes back into the ring and nails RVD SQUARE in the back of the head for the pinfall.
Winners: Test & Scott Steiner
My Opinion: Although not a technical marvel, the match was entertaining while it lasted and DAMN, that finish looked really believable. With Test getting the pin on RVD, I�d say that he would be in line for an IC Title shot, but we all know that the title is just being warmed up for Orton. It�s a shame too, since RVD�s pops have been getting bigger and bigger as of late. Test and Steiner definitely need some sort of direction as well. *1/2
In Bischoff�s office, Chris Jericho comes in to try and change Bischoff�s mind about the Bra and Panties match up. Bischoff says that Jericho�s only doing so because he�s falling for her�which Jericho denies, but everyone can see right through. Bischoff won�t change Trish�s match�he�s more concerned about what Jericho will do when he teams up with Michaels later on tonight. Jericho tells him that he�s going to �do the right thing�.
Miss Jackie (w/Rico) vs. Trish Stratus in a Bra and Panties Match
Match Background: Trish faced Jackie Gayda in a tag match on Raw last year in what was considered to be the worst match of 2002. Will the spot blowing wonder that is Jackie Gayda live up to her reputation and drag Trish down to her level? That�s the only real reason to care about this match.
The Match: The announcers actually talk about Jackie�s nipple slip last week prior to the match. I�m surprised they even mentioned it.
Jackie attacks Trish as the bell rings and goes for a sunset flip, trying to pull down Trish�s pants and revealing a thong. Trish actually reverses this and removes Jackie�s top, to a pop of course. Jackie hits a drop toe hold on Trish and starts to choke her with her top before putting her in the Tree of Woe. Jackie then rips off Trish�s top as she�s upside down to even things out. Trish chops Jackie in the corner and whips her to the far side, only to eat a back elbow. Jackie gets on the 2nd rope, but Trish goes for her handstand rana. Jackie is able to block it momentarily, trying to remove Trish�s pants while she�s upside down�but Trish fights back and ranas her down anyway. Rico lunges at Trish from the apron, only to get tossed in by Stratus. She then pants Rico to reveal HIS thong�and I loathe Rico segments. He begins to prance around in his thong until Jackie goes to kick Trish and ends up kicking Rico instead in a mistimed spot. Rico falls out of the ring and Trish rolls Jackie up only to remove her pants and win the match.
Winner: Trish Stratus
After the match, Jackie argues with Lillian Garcia about her announcement of the winner�.and rips Lillian�s shirt open. Lillian gets feisty, tossing her shirt at Jackie and Rico escorts Jackie to the back, ass hanging out and all. The fans pop for Lillian as she parades around without a shirt�
My Opinion: Well, it must say something about the company�s faith in Jackie if the only match they�ll put her in is a bra and panties match. Even then, she mistimed the finish, but at least she didn�t blow every spot she attempted like last time. I just hope this doesn�t lead into a silly feud between her and Lillian Garcia as we don�t need any more non-wrestlers getting involved in feuds.
As for the match, I wouldn�t even know how to rate a bra and panties match, so I won�t. If you think I should, do me a favor and e-mail me with the kind of rating system I should go by or something. Seriously, what�s a ***** bra and panties match supposed to look like?
Backstage, Jericho congratulates Trish on her win. He asks if they�re still on for later on tonight and Trish tells him that it depends on his actions in his match.
Lillian is now in a WWE T-Shirt to cover up herself and still receives a pop from the crowd as she does the ring announcing for the main event.
HBK & Chris Jericho vs. Batista & Ric Flair
Match Background: This match is derived from the new HBK/Batista feud which kickstarted at Survivor Series when Batista powerbombed HBK and caused Austin�s team to lose. This match was made earlier tonight by Bischoff with the intention of it being 3 on 1 against Michaels since he and Jericho have a history. Jericho and HBK feuded for most of the first half of the year, including a memorable match at Wrestlemania 19. Jericho nailed HBK in the head with a steel chair at Survivor Series, adding to the severe blood loss that Michaels suffered during the match.
The Match: Evolution is out first, so let�s hit the music!
EVOLUTION IS A BIT PRISTINE~!
Michaels starts the match out against Flair, knocking the 16 time World Champ down with a shoulder tackle, prompting him to go after HBK, only to get slapped away. Flair gets a knee to the midsection and some chops in the corner, but Michaels fights back with some chops of his own and a back body drop.
HBK then reluctantly tags in Jericho who goes after Flair! Jericho connects with a 2nd rope dropkick on Flair for a nearfall and chops him in the corner. Jericho hits a bulldog and goes for the Lionsault, but Flair moves out of the way. Flair whips Jericho into his corner where Batista grabs Jericho down by the throat and tosses him down.
The smoke from HBK�s pyro has simply blanketed the ring in a deep fog and you can barely make out the fans anymore!
Batista comes in and puts the boots to Y2J in the corner. He hits a backbreaker and glares at Michaels before handing Jericho a hard spinebuster. He tags back out to Flair, who heads straight for the top rope, only to get slammed off of it for the 9,865th time in his career. I still can�t believe that he won the NWA title with a cross body block off the top�and I watched the match a couple of days ago!
Jericho tags in HBK, who whips Flair into the ropes�but something goes VERY wrong and Flair ends up underneath the top rope as he bounces back, breaking his nose!
Jericho tosses Flair back in and HBK hits his flying forearm. He kips up and knocks Batista off of the apron before going after Flair again. Flair pokes him in the eye, blinding Michaels, but HBK is still able to toss Batista to the outside. Jericho tries to help the blinded Michaels, only to eat a right hand!
Flair chops Michaels, clearing up his vision and Michaels nails Sweet Chin Music! Jericho goes back into the ring and nails Michaels with Sweet Chin Music of his own! Michaels lands on top of Flair for the pinfall!
Winners: Chris Jericho & Shawn Michaels
After the match, Batista comes into the ring and powerbombs Michaels again! He then wraps his hands around Michaels throat, choking him until Michaels begins to bleed out of his mouth! Batista stands above Michaels in victory as the show heads to a close.
My Opinion: This was definitely the match of the night as they didn�t have much competition tonight. While Batista isn�t a bad worker, he�s the least talented worker of the 4 and was used sparingly. He was much more effective that way and his actions after the match definitely make him out to be a monster. Michaels has always done well going up against bigger opponents, so I have no doubt that he�ll be able to get a great match out of him. Of course, the Jericho/Michaels team was the main issue of the night and it ended satisfactory, with Jericho getting revenge for what he assumed was a purposeful right hand by Michaels, yet still obtaining victory. Will Trish see it that way? **1/4
Overall: Tonight wasn�t as good as last week�s show but at least they�re putting the card for Armaggedon together quickly. Most of the segments tonight had some sort of purpose and those which did not fell flat with me, such as the end of the silly midget chase and the Storm/Venis segment. It�s sillyness like that that turns me off of the product as it really doesn�t put anyone over and just drags the show down. The highlights for tonight (for me anyway) were the Jericho/Trish segments and the Batista/Michaels segments at the top and close of the show. The lowlights were the silly midget chase and the fact that Triple H just REFUSES to get out of the damned World Title picture. Still, they�re on the right track, they just need to get there�.
�Til next time,
The Dames, Damian Gonzalez
Any questions, comments, hate mail, fan mail, whatever�send it all to [email protected] or [email protected].
Also, if you�d like to read some of my older material, you can find my archives HERE.
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