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The following report originally published 20 years ago this week here at PWTorch.com.
WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW REPORT
JULY 11, 2005
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. AT CONTINENTAIL AIRLINES ARENA
REPORT BY WADE KELLER, EDITOR
—Q1—
-Jim Ross, Coach, and Jerry Lawler introduced Raw.
-Carlito’s Cabana opened the show. Carlito talked about what a newsmaker he’s become and how he’s made Raw more of a must-watch show than ever. He said his big guest this week would be the man who superkicked Hulk Hogan last week, Shawn Michaels. When he introduced Michaels, instead Chris Jericho came out. Carlito took that to mean even his competing talk show host wants to be part of the Cabana. Jericho got a nice “Y2J” chant. Jericho said last week he interviewed WWE Champion John Cena – and beat him up. Pleasing WWE management, that statement got no cheers. Cena is over without that anti-babyface crowd that tends to be vocal anytime someone gets a big push. Jericho made fun of Carlito’s Cabana and then said he wanted to introduce his guest, Shawn Michaels.
Carlito interrupted and made fun of Jericho’s love handles, saying they pour out of his trunks when he wrestles. “Love handles, they’re not cool,” said Carlito. Jericho responded, “You’re not exactly bucky abs of steel yourself. You don’t tell me what’s cool. I’m the epitome of cool. I’m Canadian. I’m Chris Canadian Cool.” The Jersey crowd booed. He referred to Carlito as Sideshow Bob, which got a good pop. He fun of his flowery shirt and fancy purple pantsies. Jericho told Carlito that Michaels wants to be on the Johnny Carson of wrestling talk shows, not Carson Daly. Jericho introduced Michaels. No music played. Then Roddy Piper’s music played and he walked out. Ross, Lawler, and Coach wondered what Piper was doing there.
Piper asked Jericho if he said the Highlight Reel is the Original Deal? Piper said, “Let me tell you and your friend Buckwheat there is only one original, and you’re looking at him.” He said as for interviewing Shawn Michaels, he would be handling that. He said the fans need to know why he blindsided Hogan and where he’s coming from, and by the end of the show he’d have the answer to that question. He said Michaels would be on Piper’s Pit.
(Keller’s Analysis: At first, I didn’t like the inclusion of both Carlito and Jericho on Raw since it seemed better to give Smackdown the Highlight Reel. They’ve done a nice job of having Carlito and Jericho “compete” for the biggest guests, and like the Raw-Nitro battle (but on a much, much, much smaller scale of course), it does make the wrestling talk show format seem more important as a result. Piper was good in his role. Not great, but certainly good enough. When he’s not rambling without a script, his charisma can carry him.)
-The announcers plugged Carlito defending the IC Title against Shelton Benjamin later, plus the Raw Diva Search and Kane vs. Edge (w/Lita).
—Q2—
[Commercial Break]
-A highlight video aired of WWE wrestlers in Japan with John Cena, Stacy, Chris Jericho, Shelton Benjamin the main wrestlers featured. Cena said the Japanese fans are the most charismatic he’s ever met.
-Ross announced that Summerslam tickets go on sale for MCI Center in Washington D.C. on Saturday.
1 — TAJIRI vs. CHRIS MASTER
Masters stomped away at Tajiri at the start. Tajiri came back with his rapid-fire kicks. He got a nice crowd response. Masters blocked the Tarantula.
WINNER: Masters at 3:17.
STAR RATING: * — Not bad.
-They showed Shawn Michaels backstage.
[Commercial Break]
—Q3—
-Edge (with a new shorter hairstyle) and Lita hung out backstage together. Gene Snitsky joined them. Edge showed Snitsky footage on a TV screen of the Matt Hardy video tease. Edge let Snitsky sniff Lita’s feet. Edge used that to entice him to help him. Snitsky was about to bite into Lita’s feet, but Edge blocked it. He told Snitsky he has to complete his mission to destroy Kane first. When Snitsky left the room, Edge and Lita mocked Snitsky with their facial expressions. I can’t imagine why they keep putting Matt Hardy’s name in circulation unless he is on the verge of returning, yet everything Hardy has written in recent days on his website (www.thematthardy.com) indicates he is going to be working independent dates for a couple of months at the very least. Edge and Lita are tremendous as conveying creepy, sleazy persona.
-Ross gave about three seconds warning for parents before they went to an extremely bloody Triple H at the Hell in a Cell. They showed Hunter being helped out of the ring. They said that was the last time they’ve seen The Game. Coach said they don’t know when he’s coming back, and he hasn’t updated his condition. Ross said his gut tells him that some day they’ll see a “new Triple H.”
(Keller’s Analysis: The whole disappearance of Triple H has been pretty interesting so far. Is it because Hulk Hogan – not exactly a close pal – is being featured, or is that a conspiracy theory? Is it because he needs some time off to recharge? Is it because domestic house shows haven’t been drawing and despite his clout as the son-in-law, his arm has been twisted into stepping away from a spotlight so that Cena, Jericho, Benjamin. Hogan, Michaels, and others can get some extra TV time?)
[Commercial Break]
2 — CARLITO COOL vs. SHELTON BENJAMIN — IC Title match
When Carlito got an early advantage, he got cocky and turned his back on Shelton. Shelton then nipped up. Carlito got wide-eyed and bailed out to ringside. Shelton slidekicked him. They cut to a break at 2:15.
[Commercial Break]
—Q4—
Carlito went to a series of chinlocks. Shelton did a nice job keeping them reasonably interesting by squirming to get out. Coach gave Ross a hard time for the way he was phrasing his play-by-play with overuse of the article “the.” Ross no-sold it. Coach really is just there to convey whatever Vince McMahon wants said to try to get under Ross’s skin. After a DDT, Ross said, “That should do it.” That is a welcome relief from years of “that’s it, it’s over!” phrasing. Benjamin came back at 10:15 with a backbreaker and two count. Benjamin rammed the back of Carlito’s head into his knee after escaping a suplex. Carlito seemed a bit rocked by it.
Carlito reversed a roll-up and held onto tights for a near fall. Carlito hit a superplex at 11:45. Ross said, “It’s academic here. No it’s not!” when Shelton kicked out before three. A frustrated Carlito grabbed his IC Title belt and brought it into the ring. The ref saw it and yanked it out of the ring. Shelton kicked a distracted Carlito in the gut and then hit a Samoan drop at 12:30. Carlito went back to ringside to get his title belt, but Shelton grabbed him by his hair first. They struggled over who would suplex whom. Shelton finally hit a spin wheel kick to knock Carlito to the floor. Nice sequence. Carlito just grabbed his title belt and left, getting intentionally counted out.
WINNER: Shelton at 14:03 via countout so Carlito retained the IC Title.
STAR RATING: **3/4 — Good match. The finish was a letdown, but it makes sense for this stage of the feud and given Carlito’s character.
-They showed Cena and Eric Bischoff arguing backstage. In a nice touch, unusual for WWE, the went to a wide shot so that it appeared as if viewers were eavesdropping and Cena and Bischoff didn’t know they were on camera.
[Commercial Break]
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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—Q5—
-Cena walked out and said he feels the energy of the fans, but he’s been having a bad day. He said Bischoff is “up his ass” and Jericho is bragging about beating him up last week. He called for Jericho to walk out. Instead, Bischoff came out. When Cena was distracted by fans chants at Bischoff, Bischoff told him to listen to him. Cena interrupted and said he was distracted by the fans calling him an asshole and he’d rather listen to them. He showed great timing, leadership, and charisma in that one spot, more glimpses of his continued improvement and comfort level on the mic and control of the crowd. Bischoff told him he doesn’t decide when he defends the title. Cena took offense to his tone and told him if he came at him with that tone again, he’d get dirty.
Jericho’s music then played and he walked out toward the ring. Bischoff told him to stop in his tracks, but told him not to bother getting his hands dirty on a thug like Cena. Cena told him not to talk to him that way or he’d get a beating. Bischoff announced that Cena would be defending the WWE Title at Summerslam against Jericho. Jericho applauded Bischoff in a kiss-ass way for his decision. “I won’t let you down, sir,” he said. Jericho said Cena is a disgrace. He said he calls him Y2Cheap, but he’s the one who disgraces the WWE Title just by wearing it. He said he’s a thug who dresses poorly and has a bad attitude. He said he doesn’t deserve to be a champion.
Cena asked if he’s saying he can’t be a champion because he cares about “his peoples.” Jericho said he deserves to be champion. Jericho said after he beats Cena, he will be the multimedia superstar of WWE. Cena said when he wins, he’ll buy himself a mansion in Cheapland where Cheapsauce flows like wine. He told him to get off of himself. Cena said it’s not about being a superstar, it’s about “real recognizing real.” He said it’s about “taking care of those who takes care of you.” He said if he has a problem with how he dresses, he invited him to the ring. Jericho took off his jacket, but then with the encouragement of Bischoff, he decided not to go to the ring. Jericho said his crystal ball has a prediction – a new WWE Champion at Summerslam.
Cena then mockingly laughed and stared at Bischoff. Cena said if Bischoff and Jericho are in cahoots, maybe he can settle his difference with Bischoff instead of Jericho. He gave Bischoff an FU. “Welcome to the new Raw, bitch!” said Cena. Money line at the end, although there should be serious consequences for attacking the G.M. unprovoked just so it seems to be an even bigger deal, as opposed to a random meaningless move.
(Keller’s Analysis: Good segment. It’s sooooo nice to have a top program getting this much TV time that doesn’t involve Triple H as the centerpiece. It just feels fresh, and Cena and Jericho (and Bischoff, too) were up to the task. Jericho’s been really good as he’s transitioned to a full-fledged heel in recent weeks. He’s updated his look (which was badly needed) and now has something to sink his teeth into on the mic. The Y2Cheap theme sounds forced, but Cena makes it work better than almost anyone else could.)
—Q6—
[Commercial Break]
-Coach entered the ring with all of the Raw Divas and announced that Alexis had been cut. Alexis faked crying and then put on a smile and waved to the fans as she left. Christy Hemme said the rules of this week’s competition are simple – they each have 60 seconds to show the world their “special talent” (well, that which can air on cable TV). One diva did a monkey flip on Christy. Christy’s underwear showed. The next diva was going to do a sexual dance for Earl Hebner, but then gave him a low blow. She said that was for disqualifying her last week. “Earl needs ice,” said Ross. The next diva did some backflips and the splits. “Very flexible young lady,” said Ross dryly.
The next Diva poured blue and yellow paint on her chest and then rolled around on white paper on the mat. Lawler said if they sell that on the WWE Auction site, he’d buy it. He’s probably very serious. Ross said Lawler has “arrested development.” The next Diva did a strip tease dance dressed as a police officer (although like no police officer I’ve ever seen). She handcuffed Christy to the middle rope. Then Chris Masters raped her and was turned babyface and Christy said she liked it. Oh, wait, that idea by the creative team was vetoed just before showtime. They thought that would be repetitive to have yet another woman be forced into a sexual situation by a man and like it. The next Diva danced with a sword and rubbed Coach’s body and came close to blowing him. The crowd booed. That came a bit too close to seeing Coach have sex for their taste.
The next Diva said Christy needed a lesson in chair dancing. As Christy laughed, the diva chair danced and mat danced and then rubbed herself in Christy’s lap. Each diva was shown once again so fans could decide who to vote for this week at WWE.com.
—Q7—
[Commercial Break]
-Kurt Angle said since nobody came close to beating him in the Kurt Angle Invitational on Smackdown, he was holding one on Raw. Out came a challenger. He said his name, but Angle said that wasn’t his real name, that his real name was Matt Striker, that school teacher who lied and skipped work to wrestle.
3 — KURT ANGLE vs. MATT STRIKER
Striker survived almost long enough to win Angle’s Gold Medals as all he had to do was last three full minutes. During the match, Ross played up Striker as a babyface who had such a passion for wrestling. Coach and Lawler said a teacher is supposed to teach kids the right thing to do, and Striker lied and that’s not a good example.
WINNER: Angle via tapout at 2:58.
STAR RATING: n/a
—Q8—
-Todd Grisham interviewed Kane about facing Edge. Kane just laughed. They cut to Edge and Lita walking to the ring for their match. Hardy attacked Edge and then stared down Lita. When agents arrived, he then ran out the back door before anyone could grab him.
[Commercial Break]
-Ring introductions took place for the TV main event. Edge and Lita walked out first. All Ross said about Hardy’s supposedly unplanned attack on Edge was, “Well, it’s been quite a night. What fate awaits Edge tonight.” Kane then walked out next.
4 — EDGE (w/Lita) vs. KANE
Loud “We Want Matt” chants filled the arena. At 1:45, after back and forth action, Kane grabbed Lita by the throat. Snitsky then attacked Kane, and the ref called for the DQ.
WINNER: Kane via DQ at 2:02.
STAR RATING: 1/4* — Not long enough to amount to much.
Kane and Snitsky brawled through the crowd. The crowd began to cheer, and then it became obvious why as Hardy jumped into the ring and attacked Edge. As he struggled with security, he grabbed the house mic and said, “Adam, you bastard, I’m going to make your life miserable. And Lita, you whore, I’m going to make your life miserable too. And WWE, you can kiss my ass!” Hardy was tackled and handcuffed by security and cops and dragged off. He got a huge pop as he was dragged away. He got in a final word about seeing fans at “Ring of Honor, ROH.” At least it sounded that way. Then as he was being dragged out, he made some derogatory comments toward John Laurenaitis/Johnny Ace who was with security, symbolically holding him down.
[Commercial Break]
—Q9—
-Ross said, “How wild has tonight been?” Lawler said no more wild than last week. They went to a clip of what a big segment of Raw’s usual audience missed – the Shawn Michaels turned on Hulk Hogan last week.
-Roddy Piper walked out for Piper’s Pit.
[Commercial Break]
-Shawn Michaels walked out to the ring. Piper asked Michaels to explain himself. Michaels said for the last 20 years he has come to the ring “with one intention and one intention only – and that is to leave you people with something you would never forget. I literally broke my back to give you that. And I believe I delivered.” He said no one has created more Raw and PPV moments than he has. He said no one has left him with more WrestleMania memories than he has. And no one has had a greater impact on the direction of the wrestling industry than he has. He said he heard at the Hall of Fame the fans chanting “One more match, one more match.”
He said at that point he decided to sacrifice himself one more time to give the fans what they wanted. “Last week, I believe I guaranteed that Hulk Hogan will have one more match. I just guaranteed that last match was going to be against me.” He said Hogan is known the world around as the Immortal Hulk Hogan. A “Hogan, Hogan” chant broke out. “I’m going to be honest with you,” said Michaels. “I have (not), nor will I ever see that the way that you do. I am going to prove that this instance, perception is not reality.”
Micnaels officially challenged Hogan to a match at Summerslam. He messed up his final line and said that at Summerslam, “I will prove that mortality – I mean immortality has a price.” Piper said he still hasn’t answered the question of why. “You may be able to fool these people, but you can’t fool me,” said Piper. He said the fans made him, he didn’t make them. “These fans stood behind you when you were down and you were up. They never left you.” Piper said Michaels came to him when he was just starting out and asked him for advice on becoming a main eventer.
He said he spent hours helping him because “you were worth it.” The crowd applauded, hanging on every one of Piper’s words. Piper’s voice cracked as he said he ashamed of him. When Michaels looked down, Piper said, “Look at me!” Piper said Michaels let him down by hitting Hogan from behind. “Why would you ruin a reputation for that? I want to know why.” Michaels paused, then he said, “You think this isn’t hard for me. Look, I respect you, I always have, but I’ve given my answer and that’s it.” Piper told him not to walk away from him.
He called him a “two bit punk.” Piper got even more worked up and said, “I know the answer. It’s because you’re a coward.” Michaels then superkicked him. The crowd responded as preferred – with big boos and an “asshole” chant. Michaels stared at the fallen Piper just as he did for Hogan the week before. No comments from announcers. Michaels turned and walked away as the show ended.
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