Match-by-match results
and television rating of this edition of WWE Monday Night Raw.
Quick Results
World's Greatest Tag Team & Chris Masters
def Cryme Tyme & Carlito
Umaga def. Balls Mahoney
Super Crazy def. Johnny Nitro Women's Championship Match:
Mickie James def. Melina
Jeff Hardy def. Ric Flair ECW Championship Match: Bobby
Lashley def. Kenny Dykstra
#1 Contender Match: Shawn Michaels
def. Edge, Randy Orton
Detailed Results
TV Rating
4.1
On this day 19 years ago, Hulk Hogan's 1st WWE title reign
came to a controversial end. Would something similar happen
tonight in Sioux City, Iowa? Well.......
No theme music for the 4th straight week. We open with Undertaker,
who comes down to the ring, illuminated in the lights amidst
the fog. One by one, the champions of each brand, John Cena,
Bobby Lashley, & David Batista, make their way out. Undertaker
chooses Batista as his opponent for Wrestlemania, confirming
original plans. Shawn Michaels comes out and declares he wants
Cena. So does Rated RKO, individually. Vince McMahon comes
out to the stage and announces that Lashley will defend the
ECW title tonight against a Raw wrestler, and that HBK, Edge,
& Randy Orton will have at it in a triple threat #1 contender's
match to determine who will face Cena at Wrestlemania.
Carlito (w/Torrie Wilson) & Cryme Tyme vs. Chris
Masters & the World's Greatest Tag Team. Shad
Gaspard was favoring his left knee as he came out, and was
not much of a factor in the match. Way too short, as per usual.
Referee Marty Elias blew it again on the finish, as the wrong
man was in the ring for the pinfall. The finish saw Carlito
& Masters as the legal men, but Gaspard clotheslined Masters
& himself over the top. In the confusion, Carlito rolled
up Charlie Haas, but Shel Benjamin came off the top rope with
a blockbuster on Carlito, reversing positions. Haas waited
until Elias ran by to grab the tights to secure the pin, gaining
another cheap victory.
Winners: Chris Masters & the World's Greatest Tag Team.
Highlights are shown of Donald Trump appearing via video last
week and having money pour out of the ceiling. In the office,
Vince is with Jonathan Coachman, who has a letter purportedly
from Trump. Seems "The Donald" will appear next
week on Raw, and Vince decides to induct Trump into a certain
club of his. Uh-oh! Meanwhile, Kenny Dykstra comes in and
volunteers to take on Lashley. McMahon is mindful of the fact
that at 20, Dykstra could become the youngest singles champion
in WWE history.....
Maria interviews Ric Flair, who will face Jeff Hardy in a
non-title match later. If Flair wins, he gets Jeff in an IC
title match at Wrestlemania. Meanwhile, Melina & Candice
Michelle are having a mutual fawning session. Melina put over
Candice's Super Bowl commercial, but no mention of her pal
Kevin Federline's ad for Nationwide. Candice leaves and Johnny
Nitro shows up. They're already putting the cart before the
horse, thinking Melina will win the women's title tonight.
Balls Mahoney vs. Umaga. The "ECW Original"
is already in the ring and introduced by Jonathan Coachman,
who announces that Mr. McMahon will dish out some payback
to the other originals tomorrow night on ECW. Umaga comes
down and totally destroys Mahoney, who gets his shots in early,
but Umaga no-sells. By this point, if you've seen one Umaga
squash, you've seen them all. Winner: Umaga..
Johnny Nitro (w/Melina) vs. Super Crazy (w/Mickie
James). Yes, you read that right, pilgrim. The women's
champ accompanied Crazy to offset Melina, and it turned out
to be a good move. Pretty even match, but Nitro didn't even
break out his entire offense. Again, not enough time given
to a match that potentially is a show-stealer on PPV. Melina
tripped Crazy, and that got the ref's attention long enough
for Mickie to return the favor and trip Nitro. Nitro went
for a back suplex off the top, but Crazy elbowed him off and
hit the moonsault to end this match. The hang time on the
moonsault is worth watching over and over again.Winner: Super
Crazy.
Mickie James (w/Super Crazy) vs. Melina (w/Johnny
Nitro) [Women's Championship Match]. The quartet
switch places, as the guys now act as the cornermen. Not a
good night for Team Poser at all. Melina dominated in the
early going, and Mickie was moving like she was sleepwalking
in spots. Probably saving energy for Kenny for later on. Anyway,
Mickie gets back into it and makes a rally. She tries a sunset
flip, but Melina blocks and reaches for the ropes. The ref
catches her and forces a break. Mickie capitalizes and pins
Melina to retain the title. Winner: Mickie James.
Jeff Hardy vs. Ric Flair. Call this the battle
of North Carolina, Charlotte vs. Cameron. Early on in the
match, Hardy landed awkwardly and tweaked his left leg on
a flip off the top. That's tantamount to a shark smelling
blood, or in Flair's case, a perfect opportunity to apply
the figure four. Flair wastes too much time wrenching the
leg to set up his finisher, but before he can finish applying
the hold, Hardy wraps him up in an inside cradle, and Flair
is denied his golden ticket to Wrestlemania for now. Winner:
Jeff Hardy.
Bobby Lashley vs. Kenny Dykstra [ECW Championship
Match]. Give the kid credit, he gave it the old college
try. In fact, it was difficult enough trying to follow the
last match, but they tried. Lashley tossed Dykstra around
like a child's toy, but gave the challenger an opening by
missing a corner charge and hitting the ring post. Dykstra
didn't close the deal. He blocked a spear by kicking Lashley,
but the force of the kick knocked down the youth. He then
ran right into a gorilla press into a powerslam, and Lashley
hangs on to the ECW title for another night.Winner: Bobby
Lashley.
Edge & Randy Orton agree on one thing. One of them, and
not Shawn Michaels, will win the 3-way main event, but there
is some definite friction between the former tag team champs.
Meanwhile, Todd Grisham interviews Batista, who has no problem
facing Undertaker at Mania, nor does he have a problem with
UT as his tag partner at No Way Out on 2/18. He has a sly
smile on his face at the end of the segment. Backstage, Carlito
& Torrie (& Chloe) are on their way out, and are stopped
by Ric Flair. Carlito's not sticking around for the main event,
and that hits a nerve with Flair, who cuts a emotional, intense
promo on Carlito, ripping him for lacking passion. Based on
what I've read on the newsboards, this sounds like a worked
shoot promo, with Flair speaking on behalf of the veterans
who have been critical of Carlito's work ethic, or lack thereof.
Someone's turning heel.....
Shawn Michaels vs. Randy Orton vs. Edge [#1 Contender Match
For WWE Championship At Wrestlemania]. Match of the
night. Rated RKO doubled on HBK to start, taking turns pounding
Michaels into the canvas. HBK's back began bothering him,
or so it would seem, and he sold the back the rest of the
match. At one point, Orton hit the RKO out of nowhere and
went for the pin, but Edge broke it up so he could try for
the win. Orton broke that up, and suddenly, Rated RKO imploded
as the former champs went at each other like cats & dogs.
A double cross body block attempt left both vulnerable to
a recovering Michaels, who hit the elbow off the top on Edge.
One superkick attempt was blocked. Edge went for the spear,
and hit Orton, taking the "Legend Killer" right
out of the match. Michaels hit the superkick this time, and
put the Rated R Superstar away.
Winner: Shawn Michaels. Post-match, John Cena came out and
as he went face-to-face with his tag partner, Batista &
Undertaker came out separately. Team Smackdown nearly came
to blows until locking eyes on Cena & Michaels, reminding
all of the No Way Out main event, to end the show.
World's Greatest Tag Team & Chris Masters
def Cryme Tyme & Carlito
WrestleMania 13: Bret Hart vs. Stonecold