WWE News 2/25 WWE Raw HOLT report #1: What the live crowd in Phoenix saw that TV viewers didn't
Feb 26, 2008 - 1:55:06 AM
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PWTorch.com reader Marcus Lee sent the following notes from attending the WWE Raw event in person...
I attended the Raw taping in Phoenix. The doors opened up a little after 5, and Heat started at 6, local time. Packed house tonight (probably 13,000) with only the standard camera areas taped off. WWE has definitely taken a stronger stance on video cameras and cell phone videos. A lot of people were approached by security about the use of their electronic devices. Now if only they could do something about those signs...
The last time Raw was here (3/5/2007): IC Champion Umaga defeated Jeff Hardy clean and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin was announced as the special referee for the Battle of the Billionaires match at WrestleMania 23.
HEAT TAPING
(1) Vladimir Kozlov defeated Gabriel D. (couldn't hear his last name). Gabriel was announced as being from nearby Tempe, AZ. Kozlov won in about 4 minutes with a backbreaker from a torture rack position. (Gabriel got some "Arizona" chants from the crowd).
(2) Hacksaw Jim Duggan defeated Jason Riggs. Before the match, Hacksaw announced that this was the 500th episode of Heat and that he has been on 127 of them and "after Raw, Smackdown, ECW, A.M. Raw, and the Diva Search specials, Heat is the best!" Lots of "hoooo" and "USA" chants. Riggs got in little offense. Hacksaw won after a 3-point stance into a running clothesline. After the match, Paul Burchill and Katie Lea attacked Duggan after Katie started to flirt with Duggan.
Josh Roberts plugged the merchandise stand and a guy shot t-shirts into the crowd. I NEARLY grabbed one, but it bounced off my hand and to the guy behind me (the shirts were child-sized anyways).
Jillian Hall came out and announced that since this was the 500th episode of Heat, she would serenade us. She sang uninterrupted for a few minutes and was drowned out by constant booing. She's good at butchering songs.
(3) Val Venis, Super Crazy & Brian Kendrick defeated Snitsky, Robbie McCallister & Charlie Haas. Typical 6-man tag match which included Haas hiding under the ring and coming back up with a luchador mask on. Finish came when Kendrick hit Robbie with Sliced Bread #2 and Venis followed with a money shot for the win.
RAW NOTES
While the recap of last week's Raw played, Triple H, John Cena, Randy Orton, and William Regal crawled into the ring for the opening segment.
The commercial breaks were filled with WrestleMania 24 promo videos, Timbaland's song with the WWE Divas, a plug for WWEshop.com, WWE's visit to the troops, and a commercial on the WWE being active in the community.
I don't know if this was put in the Maria/Playboy video, but Maria said something that sounded a little awkward, especially with the number of kids in attendance. She said something along the lines that girls should aim to pose for Playboy. After it was said, you could look around and see the upset look on a lot of parents' faces. Very uncomfortable segment with all the families in the arena.
After the final segment, Triple H posed and left the ring. John Cena then got up and cut a promo about expecting the best from Triple H and being ready for Wrestlemania. I am not a Cena fan, but he does show some passion and gets the crowd to cheer (or boo) very loudly. The locally advertised dark match of DX vs. Kennedy & Umaga did not take place.
BIGGEST POPS
1. John Cena (LOTS of kids in attendance)
2. Jeff Hardy
3. Ric Flair vs. Triple H
LOUDEST BOOS
1. Randy Orton
2. Mr. McMahon
3. John Cena (from the men in attendance
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