20 YRS AGO – Keller’s WWE Raw Report (8/8/2005): Jericho’s Highlight Reel with Eric Bischoff, Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels interviewed by Jerry Lawler, plus Snitsky, Hardy, Eugene, Angle

The following report originally published 20 years ago this week here at PWTorch.com.

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WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW REPORT
AUGUST 8, 2005
PITTSBURGH, PA.
REPORT BY WADE KELLER, EDITOR

Note: My apologies for being late with the “virtual time” coverage of Raw. I just finished a “Torch Talk” with Nora “Molly Holly” Greenwald (which ran longer than anticipated), her only in-depth media interview since leaving WWE. We will be making the audio of the interview available in the VIP section this week and then printing the transcript in the Torch Newsletter in upcoming weeks. I will summarize what I picked up from watching Raw in the background during the interview, cover the rest of the show in detail, and then catch up on what I missed after the show concluded. Check out Mallory Mahling’s “alternative perspective” report right now for more details on the first 35 minutes.

-Kurt Angle yapped at Eugene in the ring.

1 — EUGENE beat KURT ANGLE via DQ with 30 seconds left in the Eugene Invitational when Angle knocked the ref down inadvertently. Angle protested, but the decision stood.

-Edge cut a biting promo about the Matt Hardy situation. He told Hardy to wear his seatbelt and keep himself safe until Summerslam so he can have the satisfaction of beating him. He said if he wanted to marry Lita, what took him so long to propose. He said the best thing to happen to his career was his girlfriend leaving him because he now has a job because his girl fell in love “with a main eventer.” He said in Matt Hardy’s world, his career comes first, including ahead of his girlfriend. It’s almost as if the joke is on Matt in that Edge and Lita are being allowed to cut babyface promos that make him look bad.

2 — ROB CONWAY beat VISCERA

Ross asked if it was an upset or not.

-Ross plugged that John Cena’s new music video’s world premiere would air later on Raw.

—Q4—

[Commercial Break]

3 — ROSEY & HURRICANE (w/Stacy) vs. THE HEART THROBS

WINNERS: Heart Throbs at 3:25.

STAR RATING:

[Commercial Break]

ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…

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—Q5—

-Highlight Reel: Chris Jericho introduced Eric Bischoff as his guest. Ross said Bischoff is the man who drove WCW into the ground. It was surreal to see Jericho and Bischoff hug and shake hands with big smiles on their faces considering Jericho left WCW in a state of great frustration with Bischoff’s lack of faith in his ability to be a top tier player. Jericho then premiered his music video which featured a Fozzy song with clips of Jericho beating up John Cena. Bischoff then ordered referee Chad Patton to the ring to address the run-in he did last week when special ref Jericho went down. Bischoff said he had one question for Patton: Who was the referee during the Cena-Carlito match last week. They showed a clip of Patton running in to count to three for Cena and award him the match. Ross said he was just doing his job. Coach said it wasn’t his job. The ref said he was just doing his job. Bischoff slapped him several times for talking back to the Raw G.M. Is that legal for a boss to hit an employee? Bischoff demanded an apology. Patton said, “Sorry.” It wasn’t loud enough for Bischoff. Bischoff kept slapping him. He said that’s not enough and he wants to make an example out of him by punishing him. He said he’d have to wrestle Jericho in a competiive match next.

[Commercial Break]

4 — CHRIS JERICHO vs. CHAD PATTON

Jericho beat up the ref as Bischoff got in his face and verbally assulted him and then slapped him when he was in the Walls of Jericho. Carlito came to ringside. Eventually, Cena made the save and cleared the ring.

WINNER:

STAR RATING:

—Q6—

[Commercial Break]

-Coach hosted the Diva Search competition.

—Q7—

[Commercial Break]

5 — MATT HARDY vs. GENE SNITSKY

This was billed as Hardy’s first official match since returning to WW. Snitsky got a two count at 2:00. Coach and Lawler joked about how if Hardy’s mad at you, he’ll send you a nasty email. Harrdy came back with a flying clothesline for a quick two count. After Ross made a crack about Coach breaking hearts, Coach said Ross has never broken any hearts and is lucky to be married. Ross said at least he is married and “at least I’m attracted to the opposite sex.” The announcers spent most of the match bickering and hardly putting over Hardy as anything but a whining ex-boyfriend whose obsessed with his image on the internet. Hardly an indication WWE sees Hardy as a top tier returning star. Edge then attacked Hardy after the match.

WINNER: Hardy at 3:45.

STAR RATING: *

-Backstage Hardy charged at Edge i the locker room. They had a pullapart brawl. Hardy shouted, “You’re dead you bastard!” Coach wondered if those two would even make it to Summerslam. Ross introduced the world premier of the John Cena music video.

[Commercial Break]

-Ross and Coach plugged that next week on Raw, Hulk Hogan would face Kurt Angle.

-Jerry Lawler introduced Shawn Michaels and Hulk Hogan for their face-to-face debate. Lawler said his goosebumps have goosebumps right now. Michaels sarcastically thanked Hogan for taking time off from his multitude of media events to “grace us with your presense.” Lawler asked the fans if they were happy Hogan showed up. They popped. Lawler asked Michaels if he was upset by Hogan’s comments on Larry King Live about his not reaching the top tier and being jealous. Michaels said he wanted to make one thing perfectly clear. “There is nothing about you or your life that I desire,” he said. “In this ring, you can’t touch me.” He said perhaps he was upest that one of his peers had not respected him or his accomplishments. “Hulk Hogan is not one of my peers,” said Michaels. “You, Hulk Hogan, have built a career on personality and show. I want you to look me in the eyes and understand this, Hulk Hogan. At Summerslam, personality and show isn’t going to amount to a hill of beans when you step in the ring with the Show Stopper.” Lawler asked Hogan about his feelings on Michaels imitating his appearance on Larry King Live.

Michaels interrupted before Hogan could speak. “I’ll tell you what it means. For the first time in his career, Hulk Hogan is going to have to deal with the truth. For the first time in your career, you’re dealing with somebody who doesn’t sweat you. Not out here, not back there, not anywhere. I’m gonna be the first guy who is not going to buckle underneath the image of Hulk Hogan and Hulkamania. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, what are they going to do, fire me? Do you know how many times I’ve been fired from this place? They always bring me back, and I’ll tell you why. This big machine that is WWE does not exist without the Showstopper.” Michaels got a healthy dose of cheers. Lawler asked Michaels to let Hogan answer the question. Michaels said, “There is no question. Look at me. Look at me, legend. I am the most real thing on TV today and don’t you forget it.. At Summerslam, I’m gonna kick your teeth down your throat. I don’t care if I have to leave the arena, go to your hotel room, grab your false teeth out of the glass sitting next to your bed, bring them back to the arena, and stuff them in your mouth…”

—Q9—

Hogan interrutped and said, “Let me tell you something. You’ve taken this thing to a whole new level, dude. If you wanted a match with me, all you had to do was ask. But instead you cheap-shotted me. But that is your m.o., the king of cheapshots and backstabbing. As far as casting stones, all I’d have to do is call up Bret Hart.” Michaels mouthed, “Go right ahead” with a big grin on his face. A “You Screwed Bret” chant broke out. Michaels said, “Don’t you forget it, and you’re next.” Hogan said, “Let me lay this out plain and simple. Everything you do out here is for you, for Shawn Michaels. When you did leave WWE for seven years, you said you lost your smile. I’m not out here for my smile, I’m out here for their smile, dude,” pointing at the crowd. “Yeah, for better or for worse I’m here for each one of these Hulkamaniacs and Hulk Hogan isn’t going to change, dude. This is the way it goes. I try to give these maniacs everything they want everytime I step out here. If they want me at Summerslam to kick your skinny old ass, well then I’m going to kick your ass Shawn Michaels. I guess we’re at the crossroads where everybody in this business has to ask themselves the same question. What are you going to do when the power of all of these Hulkamaniacs and Hulk Hogan runs wild on you?”

Lawler asked Michaels, “That’s the question. What’re you gonna do? Michaels superkicked Lawler. Hoga pointed his finger at Michaels’s face. Michaels punched away at Hogan and rammed his head into the top turnbuckle. Hogan no-sold it and punched Michaels, who took a flatback bump and then took a big boot to the face. Hogan then tossed Michaels over the top rope. Michaels threw a fit at ringside as Hogan ripped off his t-shirt and posed as his music played. Ross said, “Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels for the first time at Summerslam and by god it’s personal.” Hogan invited Michaels back into the ring. They replayed Michaels superkicking Lawler. Michaels backed up to the stage and mocked Hogan’s posing. Hogan used his hand to indicate Michaels was “all talk.”