We open with Jonathan Coachman, who takes credit for the success, at least in terms of Raw, at last night's Great American Bash. Tonight's main event is a non-title, no-DQ "Champions Only" match with John Cena & Candice Michelle vs. Umaga, Lance Cade, & Trevor Murdoch.

After "To Be Loved", King Booker & Queen Sharmell make their way down to the ring. Booker has set up a ersatz "royal feast" in the ring, and invites Jerry Lawler to join him, repeatedly addressing him as "Jerome", picking up from last night. Lawler's mic doesn't work at first, so Booker rambles on about why he is the King, and gets some digs in on the NBA's Sacramento Kings and the NBA itself. As soon as he mentions Triple H, however, Booker is annoyed by the face pop the disabled former champion gets in absentia. Lawler finally gets in a rebuttal, and makes it known to Booker what the people really think of him & Sharmell. Booker dares Lawler to get in his face. Lawler knocks him down with a punch and chases him out, then tosses the plate of fruit at Booker. Lawler stands tall for a 2nd week.

Match 1. Melina & Beth Phoenix vs. Mickie James & Maria (w/Santino Marella) Santino joins the announcers for commentary, and sings the praises of his beloved Maria. Maria & Mickie took turns playing face in peril. Maria got the hot tag at the end of the match, but the heels doubled on her behind the back of ref Marty Elias. With Elias still detained getting Mickie out of the ring, a upset Santino leaves the desk and trips both Beth & Melina. Maria cashes in with a running bulldog on Melina to collect the fall. Winners: Mickie James & Maria.

A quick vidpack is shown regarding the Cena-Lashley match at the Bash. No one turned heel after all, despite the teases by Lashley two of the last three weeks.

Gerald Brisco is trying to advise Cody Rhodes for his rematch vs. Randy Orton tonight when the "Legend Killer" shows up and confronts Cody, who saved his dad last night. Cody thinks Randy is scared. Randy's clearly looking at cue cards while Cody looks him dead in the eyes. Not good.

Snitsky talks about breaking a kid's arm at age 7. No remorse then, no remorse now.

Todd Grisham interviews John Cena. Cena has Todd shut his eyes and imagine being approached by Candice Michelle. He cracks wise on Umaga, Cade & Murdoch, referring to the tag champs as the "cast of 'Brokeback Mountain'". Funny stuff. There's a #1 contender's match later to determine Cena's opponent at Summerslam. Cena's not worried, it seems.

Match 2: Sandman & Hacksaw Jim Duggan vs. Carlito & William Regal I stand corrected on the #1 contender. That decision is left up to Jon Coachman, and that can't be good. Protracted squash match that didn't get enough time to develop. Duggan did the punches in the corner on Carlito, and even cut off Regal in the course of doing so. However, Carlito got the last shot in, as he avoided the 3 pt. clothesline and hit the Backstabber for the victory. Winners: Carlito & William Regal.

Carlito is backstage post-match, and thinks that maybe, just maybe, he'll be the #1 contender, which he thinks is cool. He crosses paths with Bobby Lashley, and brazenly spits apple into Lashley's face. Big mistake! Carlito turns tail and runs all the way back to the ring. He snatches the mic from Lillian Garcia, and cuts a quick promo, trying to apologize. Enter Lashley, with a new theme song and vidpack. Carlito meets him at the apron, and tries beating him down. He whips Lashley toward the steps, but Lashley vaults over the steps. Running snake eyes onto the apron is the beginning of the end for Carlito. The battle moves back into the ring. Carlito tries to run, but Lashley grabs him again and hits the Dominator 2.0, this time with some air underneath him. That may make Carlito think twice about the apple spit. Then again, it might not.

Match 3: Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes Return match from last week, "requested by Cody". Unfortunately, to borrow a line from Herman's Hermits, the second verse is the same as the first. Cody had his moments in the ring, but one missed missile dropkick proved to be the difference. Orton pounced with the RKO, and that was it. Winner: Randy Orton.

Post-match, Orton was poised to kick Cody's head in, just like he wanted to last week. Dusty jogged down to make the save, but as he was attending to Cody, Randy kicked Dusty in the head, which he wanted to do last night. I'm willing to bet, given the past history on this show, that this will get Orton the #1 contender's slot. It took the entire Raw referee squad to force Orton out of the ring.

Match 4: Mr. Kennedy vs. Jeff Hardy Pre-match, Kennedy cut a promo campaigning to become the #1 contender. Right about now, I'd prefer him over Orton. To his credit, Kennedy had control for a good part of the match, and worked on Hardy's neck after an Alabama Slam-style spinebuster, and after Jeff tumbled off the top rope after botching an attempted Whisper in the Wind. Hardy came back and hit the Whisper, but Kennedy dodged the Swanton Bomb. Hardy chased Kennedy outside, and ran the rail to hit a clothesline. They fought all the way back to the stage, and Hardy bounced Kennedy's head off the set, then sprinted back to the ring to beat the 10 count. Winner: Jeff Hardy via countout.

Backstage, Dusty Rhodes is being loaded into an ambulance, "bound for the hospital". Hacksaw Duggan, who wrestled earlier, and Arn Anderson are among those at the scene.

Match 5: Brian Kendrick & Paul London vs. Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin Kendrick & London have apparently ditched the masks they wore to the ring on Smackdown. On paper, this would be a match of the year candidate any night of the week, provided they had more time. Unfortunately, time isn't on the side of either team. Standard fare. Kendrick missed a pescado on the floor on Benjamin, and the World's Greatest Tag Team capitalized. They doubled on London, and Haas won with a German suplex & perfect bridge for the clean pinfall. Winners: Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin.

Back from break, and we are reminded again of what happened to Dusty Rhodes earlier. King Booker & Queen Sharmell return, and cut another promo on Jerry Lawler. Lawler-Booker is set for next week.

Meanwhile, Jonathan Coachman leaves his office and is interviewed by Heat partner Todd Grisham. Coach has made his decision on the #1 contender, and has to meet with said challenger first before making it public. It has to be Orton. Candice Michelle intercepts, pleading to be taken out of the main event, knowing how much of a mismatch it is. Coach isn't budging.

Umaga, Cade, & Murdoch are on their way, and that handicap tag match is next.

Match 6: Lance Cade, Trevor Murdoch, & Umaga vs. John Cena & Candice Michelle (non-title, no-DQ) As usual with heel authority figures, the no-DQ stip comes back to bite Coachman on his posterior. Candice never tagged into the match, as you might've expected. Cena wrestled alone and was in peril. Cade & Murdoch stalked Candice and forced her into the ring. Candice fell and wound up in the corner. The tag champs held her in place, but then Jeff Hardy returned with a chair and waffled Umaga. Candice fled, and Hardy chased Umaga away with chair shots. That left Cade & Murdoch all alone with Cena, and Da Champ got his 2nd & 3rd wind. Throwback to Murdoch. Killswitch to Cade. Both meet the corner post, with Cade eliminated. FU to Murdoch, and that's it. Winners: John Cena & Candice Michelle.

Post-match, Randy Orton returns and RKO's Cena. Coach comes out and makes it official. Orton will face Cena at Summerslam, where Orton won his only World title 3 years ago. Will history repeat itself?