(This report was originally published 10 Years Ago on PWTorch.com)

WWE Raw house show report
April 10, 2004
Saginaw, Mich. at Wendler Arena
Report by Hank Schaller, Torch Newsletter/VIP subscriber

I don't know if it was the economy or whether fans stayed away in droves after Triple H and Ric Flair were scratched from the announced card, but only 1,000 or 1,500 fans attended the Raw house show in Saginaw. Less than half as many fans as attended a house show that I attended there two years ago where Scott Steiner and RVD wrestled Triple H and Ric Flair in the main event if memory serves me right.

You would have thought it was a Smackdown House Show as the crowd sat on its hands most of the night. The loudest chants by far were "Rest Holds Suck" and when Molly Holly wrestled in a fatal four way against Lita, Jazz and Victoria, the chant directed at Molly was "Chin Strap" as Molly had the ugliest wig I have ever seen fastened to her peach fuzzy head with a Chin Strap.

To start the show, Stacy Keibler came out, showed off the longest legs in the world and welcomed everyone to Raw in Saginaw. Then Johnny Nitro came out and told Stacy only hot people are allowed to stand in the middle of the ring and told her to stand off to the side. Nitro said Eric Bischoff had put him in charge of the show that night and Ric Flair and Triple H would not be there. Lots of boos. He said the main event would be Batista versus Chris Benoit

(1) Hurricane & Rosey defeated La Resistance. Standard match by both teams with Hurricane and Rosey combining on a move that looked like an airplane spin into a neck breaker to win. Suddenly Eugene came out clutching a stuffed Easter Bunny and began gladhanding with ringside fans while the referee tried to get him to go to the back. All Eugene wanted to do was to shake Hurricane's hand and he was content to head backstage. Eugene was one of the more over wrestlers Saturday night.

(2) Garrison Cade defeated Tajiri. Cade got no crowd reaction at all. Except a few ringsiders who yelled that he looked like Barry Windham. Tajiri, as always, threw some very realistic kicks. If Cade was trained by HBK, he has a long way to go to have a fraction of his heat.

(3) Victoria won a Fatal Four-way Women's Match over Molly Holly, Lita, and Jazz.. Lita and Victoria wound up pinning Molly and Jazz simultaneously and then wrestled a technical match until Lita missed on a move off the top rope and Victoria rolled her up.

Suddenly, there was Eugene again clutching his Easter Bunny and a box of marshmallow Easter candies he fed to Lita and Victoria who were happy to oblige. Suddenly, William Regal came out and threw the candies to the floor and scolded Eugene with one of those looks he does so well.

(4) Eugene beat A-Train. A-Train raced out to Shave Your Back chants. This is where the crowd found that Eugene could actually wrestle. During the match, A-Train tore up the Easter Bunny and Eugene then tried to gather up the pieces. While clutching what was left of the Easter Bunny, Eugene sort of outsmarted A-Train when he tried to crush him in the corner and A-Train knocked himself out after hitting the turnbuckle. I had some misgivings about this Eugene angle with Regal, but now I think it will be an overwhelming success at getting laughs anyway. It wasn't very offending, if at all offending.

(5) Kane beat Rhyno. A forgettable match with Kane winning with his power moves. Edge then raced out and after nearly being chokeslammed and speared Kane, who looked real pissed storyline wise anyway, The crowd didn't know who the heel was in the Rhyno Kane match and cheered both.

(6) Randy Orton fought Shelton Benjamin to a draw so Orton retained the IC Title. This was the worst of the night. Once again, Johnny Nitro came out and told fans that Bischoff had told him to make it a two-out-of-three fall 20-minute match. Boring chants filled the air for most of the next 20 minutes as Orton and Benjamin tried to wrestle the deliberate style McMahon wants to prevent injury. Neither wrestler sold the holds well and the crowd booed and chanted boring.. The best wrestling was in the 20th minute when Benjamin rolled up Orton and had a two count when the bell rang and the referee declared a draw. Benjamin got some polite applause and Orton was greeted by the squeals of love struck girls sitting ringside.

Ten-minute intermission.

(7) Chris Jericho defeated Christian in one of the best matches of the night, but no Trish Stratus was present. Jericho was extremely over with the crowd who rejoiced when he defeated Christian with the Walls of Jericho.

(8) Matt Hardy, who also was popular with the crowd, defeated Chuck Palumbo who was taunted with chants like "You Have No Gimmick" and "You Suck, Billy told us."

(9) Chris Benoit beat Batista to retain the World Hvt. Title. Benoit carried Batista to a match that was okay, but that's about it, Crowd did pop when Benoit defeated him with crossface and when Cade and Orton ran in to triple team Benoit. Tajiri then ran in, sprayed Orton with green mist and the night was over on a fairly high note.

It was obvious Saturday that Evolution is only as good as the sum of its four parts. There were times when Batista and Orton looked lost. And Johnny Nitro must be taught how to speak in the ring mike. Two of the three times he gave a promo, I could barely hear him and I was in the second row.

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