Match-by-match results
and television rating of this edition of WWE Monday Night Raw.
Quick Results
Masterlock Challenge: Bobby
Lashley def. Chris Masters Last Chance Battle Royal For Money In
the Bank III: Edge def. Ric Flair,
Carlito, World's Greatest Tag Team, Kenny Dykstra,
Big Vis, Val Venis, Super Crazy, Johnny Nitro
Umaga def. Eugene Bra and Panties Match: Melina
def. Candice Michelle
Jeff Hardy def. Randy Orton by dq
John Cena def. Chris Benoit
Detailed Results
TV Rating
3.6
Tonight's show is dedicated to the memory of Arnold Skaaland,
who passed away late last week, and was laid to rest earlier
today. Ring announcer Lillian Garcia is on the DL at least
for now after injuring her knee in a skiing accident over
the weekend. ECW's Justin Roberts fills in tonight at least.
John Bradshaw Layfield vs. Shawn Michaels [Wrestlemania
Reversal] JBL wasn't dressed for action. Apparently,
his back isn't healed enough where he'd have gotten at least
a 3:00 match in. Instead, JBL does what he does best these
days, run his mouth, claiming that no one tells him what to
do or when. Tell your story walking, cowboy. He says that
when he does decide to come out of retirement, it'll be on
his terms, and in New York, rather than in Indianapolis. He
tries to create some sort of doubt in HBK, but it isn't working.
Shawn doesn't like being dictated to, either, but strikes
quickly with the superkick, KOing Layfield. Too bad there
wasn't a referee around to record that act for posterity.
Chris Masters vs. Bobby Lashley [Masterlock Challenge]
After a montage of clips of some of Masters' victims over
the last 2 years, the ECW champion comes out to take the challenge.
Masters, of course, stalled a bit, and slapped Lashley in
the back of the head. Talk about fatal mistakes. Twice, it
looked like Lashley would fall like all the rest, but he came
back up one last time, and broke the hold as if it was nothing
at all. Masters was aghast and shocked, then threw a tantrum.
His gimmick is history, but we may be seeing these two hook
it up again sooner, rather than later, if the rumors are true
that Masters could be ticketed to ECW down the line.
Winner: Bobby Lashley.Back from break, and Lashley finds Vince
McMahon, Jonathan Coachman, and Rent-a-jobber security waiting
for him. Lashley ends up being escorted out. McMahon turns
to head back to the office, and collides with Eugene, who
spills his drink on McMahon's suit jacket & tie. Eugene
vs. Umaga is made for later.
Meanwhile, Randy Orton confronts Edge about the Rated R Superstar's
deliberate ejection from Orton's match vs. Lashley last week
on ECW. McMahon has pulled Edge out of Money in the Bank III
as punishment for failure, but the former champ is entered
in a Last Chance Battle Royal to get his spot back.......
Last Chance Battle Royal for Money in the Bank III
The field consists of Edge, Viscera, Val Venis, Kenny Dykstra,
Carlito, Super Crazy, Ric Flair, Johnny Nitro, and the World's
Greatest Tag Team. Everyone gangs up on Vis to take him out.
Edge feigns a knee injury, supposedly sustained when he kneed
Venis in the head. While he's outside, the battle continues,
and the final six are Shel Benjamin, Edge, Flair, Carlito,
Nitro, & Dykstra. Flair eliminated Benjamin & Dykstra.
Carlito dismissed Nitro. Remember, Edge stayed seated on the
floor. Flair dumped Carlito, and thought he'd won, but Edge
snuck in and dumped the Nature Boy to win the match. Given
the fact that they've hidden Edge's jaw injury from viewers,
his minimal effort is of little surprise. Winner: Edge.
No Chance in Hell plays as McMahon & Coachman make their
way to the ring, and have the barber's chair and pole brought
with them for the next match....Umaga vs. Eugene.
McMahon doesn't even bother to remember that Umaga is the
Intercontinental champ, and in fact the only one who actually
mentions this is Justin Roberts after the match. Total squash,
as Eugene got no offense in at all. Post-match, Chairman Wackjob
cut Eugene's hair, picturing Donald Trump in his twisted mind.
Eugene would end up bald by the end of the night. Winner:
Umaga.
Candice Michelle is out, and addresses the feud between women's
champ Melina and Playboy covergirl Ashley Massaro. Candice
has been in Playboy herself, but before she can dish further,
the poser princess is out, and the war of words is on. Melina
claims that posing for Playboy is beneath her. Give me a break.
Candice throws down a challenge for a bra & panties non-title
match. Melina suprisingly accepts, and just as surprisingly
takes her shoes off as we go to break.: Melina vs.
Candice Michelle [Bra and Panties Match] Melina is,
for the first time that I can think of, competing in her stockings.
Little Ms. Selfish loses her shorts, but systematically undresses
Candice to get yet another win. Winner: Melina. Post-match,
Ashley comes out, and finishes what Candice started by taking
Melina's top. Great Khali comes out. Melina gets some cheap
shots in and leaves Ashley to suffer the wrath of the Bengali
Behemoth. Jerry Lawler leaves the desk to sacrifice himself
to save Ashley, and takes a tree slam, finishing his evening.
Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton Todd Grisham has
taken over on color for the rest of the show. Good match,
but too short by design. Edge comes back out and pulls out
a ladder from under the ring. Shoves it into the ring. Ref
Marty Elias tries to take it out, but Orton decides to use
it anyway. Not a smart move, as it costs him the match. Orton
pays for it later, as Edge just stands there and lets Hardy
go up top, leap frog the ladder, and hit a legdrop on Orton.
Winner: Jeff Hardy via DQ.
John Cena vs. Chris Benoit. HBK's back to
do color commentary. Cena & Benoit have not faced each
other in 3 1/2 years, when both were on Smackdown. With rumors
that Benoit will jump back to Raw, we may be getting a preview
of Cena's post-Wrestlemania feud. Again, it was kept short.
Benoit applied the Sharpshooter early in the match. Way too
early, in fact, and Cena made it to the ropes to cause a break.
Benoit hit the rolling Germans, but missed the Air Canada
headbutt. Cena nearly collided with Michaels at ringside at
one point. Cena hit the 5 Knuckle Shuffle, but Benoit countered
the FU into an attempted Crossface, but Cena countered that
with the STFU. Unbelievably, and this is rare indeed, Benoit
tapped out. Winner: John Cena. Post-match, HBK teased a superkick,
and Cena teased an FU. JBL came back out, having recovered,
and announced two main events for next week. The first had
actually been announced by Chairman Wackjob before the main
event, as McMahon will face Lashley. The other is a return
from No Way Out, as Cena & Michaels will face Batista
& Undertaker. The gong sounds and the lights dim as the
show ends.
Masterlock Challenge: Bobby
Lashley def. Chris Masters
WrestleMania 13: Bret Hart vs. Stonecold