SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
The following report originally published 20 years ago this week here at PWTorch.com.
WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW REPORT
SEPTEMBER 5, 2005
NASHVILLE, TENN.
REPORT BY WADE KELLER, EDITOR
-After the Raw opening, Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, and Coach introduced and previewed the show, hyping the Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Master match.
1 — KURT ANGLE vs. EUGENE
Angle dominated for the opening minute, then Eugene took over briefly. Angle went after one of Eugene’s knees, then applied an anklelock for the tapout win. Angle refused to break the anklelock for several seconds as Ross reacted with outrage. John Cena made the save. As Cena cleared the ring of Angle, Tyson Tomko blindsided Cena and KO’d him. Angle returned to the ring, waved his hand in front of Cena’s face, and mocked him for not seeing Tomko coming his way.
WINNER: Angle via tapout at 3:52.
STAR RATING: 3/4*
[Commercial Break]
-Backstage, Kurt Angle and Eric Bischoff applauded Tomko for his actions in the previous segment. Bischoff awarded Tomko a one-on-one match with Cena later on the show.
2 — VAL VENIS & VISCERA vs. THE HEART THROBS
Coach said even if Cena has a concussion, he expects him to wrestle Tomko later. Val worked the majority of the match. The Throbs doubled on him for a few minutes until a hot-tag to Viscera. He beat up both Throbs. When he charged them in the corner, they raised their boots. That didn’t lead to any sustained advantage for the Throbs as Viscera gave Romeo a Samoan Drop for the pin. Viscera did the hip gyrations with Val after the win.
WINNERS: Val & Viscera at 5:01.
STAR RATING: * — When was the last time Val had a win of any kind on Raw?
-A brief Chris Masters video aired.
[Commercial Break]
-Linda McMahon promoted WWE viewers giving to americares.org to benefit the efforts to help those affected by Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent levy breaks in New Orleans.
-Carlito’s Cabana: Carlito introduced Ashley has his guest. He called her Ass-ley, and she corrected him. Carlito shifted to talking about Ric Flair and getting revenge on him. Then he turned back to Ashley. A clip aired of last week’s angle with the women. Ashley said even though she’s early in her wrestling training, she knows she can fight so she’s looking forward to wrestling Torrie later. Carlito pulled out an apple and said while the women have their form of initiation, he has his version. He then took a bite out of his apple.
At that point, Flair’s music played and he walked toward the ring. Flair charged into the ring at Carlito. When Carlito fought back, Flair grabbed his crotch and dragged him around the ring. Flair then threw some chops, then hit him with a low blow and poured apples over him. Carlito bailed out and grabbed his crotch. Flair stood inside the ring and grabbed the mic. “Hey boy, where you goin’ Carlito? I’ll tell you where – you’re going to school at Unforgiven,” Flair said. He said if Carlito thinks it’s funny to take a bite out of apples, at Unforgiven he’s going to take a bite out of his ass. Then he predicted he will for the first time become the Intercontinental Champion. Flair began dropping elbows onto apples in the ring. He finished with a big “whooo!”
-Another Masterlock Challenge clip aired.
-WWE officially announced that JBL vs. Batista and Rey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero would headline a special one hour edition of Smackdown on Friday following a one-hour special fund raiser for Katrina victims.
[Commercial Break]
-Ross, Coach, and Lawler said that Edge and Matt Hardy couldn’t wrestle tonight after what they did to each other last week. Back life, Bischoff chewed out Hardy in his office for putting everyone in WWE at risk last week with his actions against Edge. Hardy said his only concern is getting his hands on Edge. Bischoff offered Hardy a cage match at Unforgiven. Hardy said he will not die. Bischoff said he was putting Hardy against Snitsky in a warm-up match next. Hardy didn’t look pleased.
[Commercial Break]
3 — MATT HARDY vs. GENE SNITSKY
Hardy didn’t look 100 percent as he walked to the ring. Edge and Lita joined the announcers at ringside. Edge said insincerely that he wanted a warm-up match, too. Lita said she performed excellent nursing duties over the last week. Edge said last week Hardy almost got the job done, but not quite. Lita said Edge has still been able to get the job done, “if you know what I mean, off the record.” Snitsky was going to hit Hardy with the ring bell after the match when Big Show came out to intimidate Snitsky into leaving before administering any more damage.
WINNER: Snitsky at 2:36.
STAR RATING: 1/2* — Pretty much a total squash. Sure, Hardy had the built-in excuse of being forced into the match before he had recovered from last week’s match with Edge, but it’s yet one more high profile, decisive job he’s done since returning that hardly “protects him” or sets him up as a top star.
[Commercial Break]
-A vignette aired with Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch. Murdoch threatened to take anyone who doesn’t respect them and bend them over and drop his pants.
4 — JOHN CENA vs. TYSON TOMKO
Coach stressed the word “literally” as he said that earlier in the night Tomko “literally kicked the head off of John Cena.” Cena attacked Tomko aggressively at the start. They rolled around on the mat, punching each other. Tomko eventually took over the match. He went for his KO boot, but Cena ducked and then went into his finishing sequence and scored the pin after an FU.
WINNER: Cena at 3:52.
STAR RATING: *
-As Cena celebrated on the stage, Angle attacked him on the stage including an Angleslam. Angle then stood over Cena holding the belt over his head. Good intensity from Angle.
[Commercial Break]
-After a replay of Angle’s attack on Cena before the break, Todd Grisham interviewed Angle backstage. He said he will prove to Cena before it’s over that he is the most vicious son of a bitch in WWE.
5 — TORRIE WILSON (w/Candice Michelle, Victoria) vs. ASHLEY
Ross said he’s not sure how much formal training Torrie has had, but it’s more than Ashley at this point. Ashley and Torrie tossed each other around the ring by their hair. Victoria dropped Ashley face-first across the ring apron, then threw her back into the ring for an easy pin for Torrie.
WINNER: Torrie at 2:40.
STAR RATING: 1/4* — They did a good job keeping Ashley from having to do anything requiring much refined skills.
-Another Masterlock Challenge clip series aired.
[Commercial Break]
-Linda McMahon’s request for charitable contributions aired again.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
Check out the latest episode of “The Nicky’s Club” with Nick Barbati, part of the PWTorch Dailycast line-up: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “pwtorch” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
6 — SHELTON BENJAMIN vs. ROB CONWAY
Kerwin White rolled to the ring in a golf cart before the match. That distracted Benjamin and gave Conway a chance to take initial control. When Ross referred to Kerwin as “Chavo Guerrero,” Lawler said, “It’s White, J.R.! If he were any whiter, he’d be an iPod.” Shelton fought out of a chinlock and appeared to be on the verge of victory when Kerwin tripped him with his golf club leading to Conway rolling him up for the pin. It should be noted that during this match, Ross revealed he “rarely wears underwear.”
WINNER: Benjamin at 5:06.
STAR RATING: *1/4
[Commercial Break]
-A really good commercial spot aired for TNA Impact including a good shot of the Universal Studios arena that looked professional and slick, plus a series of really hot moves, a glimpse of Jeff Jarrett, and a final close-up of Monty Brown screaming. Vince McMahon is livid that Spike is airing these commercials during Raw.
-A video aired of recently re-signed Mick Foley at a book signing for Scooter. He was asked if there was any problem with him being accepted in the book world. Foley said there was some resentment, but he said, “My feeling is the dues I paid in professional wrestling carried me through the entire entertainment spectrum.” He said he is “getting the itch again” to be in a WWE ring. That itch increases when you take a TNA offer to WWE and let them top it and make an offer you can’t refuse to return.
-Ross said he doesn’t endorse any book, but he just read Scooter and strongly endorses it.
7 — HURRICANE & ROSEY vs. LANCE CADE& TREVOR MURDOCH
Murdoch is one of those guys whose physique screams “never expect a job with WWE,” but he is living proof that WWE does have certain slots for differing bodytypes. Cade gave Rosey a hotshot over the top rope at 2:00. Rosey surprisingly worked the majority of the match, hot-tagged Hurricane at 5:00. Hurricane got in some offense, but after four-way action, Murdoch finished off Hurricane with a top rope bulldog.
WINNERS: Cade & Murdoch at 6:25.
STAR RATING: 1/2*
[Commercial Break]
-The announcers ran down the line-up of Unforgiven.
-Grisham interviewed Chris Masters backstage. Masters bragged about making Flair cry like a little girl, then they went to a clip. He said he has brought 300 pound men to their knees with his Masterlock, so Michaels won’t be a challenge. He predicted the show will be stopped for the Showstopper once and for all.
[Commercial Break]
SHAWN MICHAELS vs. CHRIS MASTERS — Master Lock Challenge
After full ring intros from Masters and then Michaels, Michaels sat down in a chair in center-ring. Masters stalled at first, then locked it on Michaels. Michaels struggled to escape. The crowd chanted “HBK, HBK.” Michaels knocked Masters backwards into the turnbuckle twice. Masters held his grip. Michaels pushed off the top turnbuckle with his foot, but Masters held it. Michaels began to show signs of losing steam a minute into it. Michaels worked his way to the corner and rammed Masters’s head into the turnbuckle. Masters held his grip.
Michaels showed another sign of a comeback and rammed Masters again backward into the corner four times, and then pushed off the opposite turnbuckle, falling onto Masters. Masters held his grip, although barely. Michaels flailed and kicked, but then at about 3:00 passed out. The ref dropped his arm, but Michaels raised it. Michaels then gained a second wind and gave Masters a mule kick. Michaels began to power out, so Masters threw Michaels down on the mat face-first. Masters then grabbed a chair and KO’d Michaels with it. Michaels came up bleeding. Masters put him in the Masterlock again. Ross said, “Michaels cannot survive this!” WWE agents Steve Keirn and Dean Malenko and several referees pulled Masters away from Michaels. The show ended with Masters standing over Michaels’s bloodied face and limp body. Ross said somebody was going to pay.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.