Source: Todd Martin, WrestlingObserver.com
WWE Raw Report
By: Todd Martin
Email: MartinT2007@lawnet.ucla.edu
Date: 04/11/05 from Moline, IL.
The Big News: Shawn Michaels asked Hulk Hogan to be his tag team partner in
a match at Backlash against Muhammad Hassan and Khosrow Daivari. Also, HHH
made a match for next week between Jim Ross and Batista.
Title Changes/Turns: None.
Match Results: Christy Hemme & Victoria b Trish Stratus & Molly Holly;
Triple H b Rosey & Hurricane Helms; Chris Masters b Seth Skyfire; Khosrow
Daivari b Shawn Michaels; Christian b Chris Benoit.
Show Analysis:
Christy and Victoria beat Trish and Molly. Molly started with Victoria, and
Victoria used arm drags, a body slam and the jigglesault for a near fall.
Christy tagged in, who appeared to receive some boos. She used her lame
kicks, and a leg drop. Trish kicked her coming off the ropes, and came in
with slaps, kicks and chokes. Christy made the tag to Victoria, who came in
with clotheslines. She went for the Widow’s Peak on Molly but Trish broke it
in. Christy tagged back in. Molly accidentally hit Trish with the handspring
elbow and Christy rolled up Molly for the pin. This was a good match, and
certainly much better when the Great Liability was standing on the apron.
The crowd was dead.
Christy sucks in the ring, has no physical credibility, and her
happy-go-lucky attitude in matches just makes the whole thing seem like a
joke. The fact she continues to wrestle reminds me of WCW under Russo, where
there was no respect for wrestlers and thus anyone could be thrown in there
to pretend wrestle. It’s such an insult to the talents WWE has in the ring.
However, it does seem as if fans are finally turning on her, and I’m amazed
it has taken this long. After the match, Kane chased Trish into the crowd.
So apparently the Kane/Lita marriage is being acknowledged again.
They showed Randy Orton’s surgery. They said his injury came from the
Undertaker and Batista matches. Orton vowed revenge on Batista. Backstage,
Stacy was speaking with some of the nameless women about nothing when Trish
ran in. Kane followed her into the dressing room. Elsewhere, Hassan vowed to
defeat Shawn Michaels. He knocked American sitcoms, once again affirming my
long held belief that he is at least supposed to be a tweener.
HHH delivered a HHH promo, where he went on and on with nothing to say.
Basically, the pedigree is the secret to defeating Batista, and Batista is
afraid of it. Hurricane and Rosey then came out looking for revenge. After
they beat up HHH two on one, HHH demanded a match.
HHH proceeded to beat Rosey and Hurricane in a handicap match. He worked
over Hurricane, who came back with a spinning head scissors and tagged
Rosey. Rosey used a splash into HHH’s head in the corner. He slammed HHH and
Hurricane came off the top with a leg drop. Hurricane went to the top but
HHH crotched him. He then knocked Rosey off the apron and caught Rosey’s leg
in the ropes. He gave Hurricane the pedigree for the pin. HHH beat them up
some more after the match, vowed to pedigree Batista by the end of the
night, and gave Rosey a pedigree on the floor. It’s kind of sad they have
made the faces so impotent that beating them one on one doesn’t mean
anything, and they need to be cleanly defeated in handicap matches to make a
point.
Chris Masters made his eagerly anticipated return to Raw, eliciting “boring”
chants in a 90 second squash over Seth Skyfire. Masters made a $1,000
challenge next week that no one can get out of the Masterlock. With money
like that on the line, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Rock show up to try to
get the money. Seriously, this is so lame. It’s like Billy Jack Haynes vs.
Hercules, as we go back in time 20 years. The $1,000 makes him look like
such a loser. I know wrestling went overboard with inflated worked figures
over the years, but it’s possible to go too far in the other direction. I
mean, I can afford $1,000, and I’m living on student loans. Why not just
have him put up 50 bucks while they are at it? Plus, HHH just beat two faces
by himself, so Masters beating a jobber is completely irrelevant.
Then, timed perfectly to make Masters look like even more of a punk, they
aired an ad for a new $250,000 Raw Diva Search. I can’t believe they are
bringing that back. Well, I guess I can, but I hate it. They have enough
nameless, worthless women to last them the rest of the decade. They don’t
need any more. They could just make another one of them a “star” and spend
that money on developmental contracts. This is such unwelcome news.
Khosrow Daivari beat Shawn Michaels. Hassan said Michaels isn’t worthy of
facing him, and if Michaels wanted to face Hassan he would have to beat
Daivari first. Daivari got some offense including a leg drop off the top.
When Michaels came back, Hassan interfered, and ended up giving Michaels a
low blow behind the referee’s back. Daivari pinned Michaels.
I want to address something here. There has been so much cynicism directed
at Michaels recently when it comes to doing jobs. Yes, Michaels was awful
about doing jobs when he was younger. He was terribly unprofessional. But
that period is long over. He did not need to lose to Daivari to “prove” he
will do fake jobs, ala Kevin Nash. He did not job to Angle because he is
expecting the favor returned in the near future. The fact is, he does jobs
all the time. Michaels’ PPV record since his return is 5-12-1. Unless you
want him to be completely jobbed out, I just don’t get what people want from
him. He is a legendary babyface, and as such he should be protected to some
degree. But he basically isn’t. He loses all the time, and it isn’t like he
is manipulating the company to keep himself on top. So give it a rest with
the bias against Michaels. You can’t punish someone forever.
Backstage, Michaels demanded a handicap match with Hassan and Daivari.
Bischoff said he couldn’t make that match. Why was completely unclear given
HHH seems to have booking power on and off camera, and booked himself in a
handicap match just minutes earlier. Bischoff said he would give Michaels a
tag team match against them at Backlash, but he would need a partner or no
match.
Chris Jericho held a Highlight Reel, saying the Money in the Bank was a good
match except for the fact he didn’t win. He said he has been off track since
he lost the Intercontinental Title to Shelton Benjamin. He brought out
Benjamin and said he wants the belt back. Benjamin said Jericho had his shot
last week and lost. Benjamin said if Jericho wrestles him again, his
problems won’t end but get worse. This drew some boos. Jericho said holding
the Intercontinental Title six months isn’t that big of deal, and he only
has the belt because Jericho hasn’t tried to get it back. Benjamin put over
what a great pure athlete he is, and Jericho told him to shove the title up
his ass. Benjamin threatened to use his fist and create more hits than the
last Fozzy album. Jericho responded the new Fozzy single is “Shelton
Benjamin is a little bitch,” which was a really lame line. They ended up
brawling. This was a good segment.
Kane ran into Lita backstage. Kane said Trish is scared to death and Lita
said they are just getting started. They kissed romantically, which is fine
I guess if WWE expects its audience has no semblance of memory. In the last
year, Kane forced Lita to have sex with him, impregnated her, and forced her
into marriage against her will. And they are now romantically involved.
Okay. Michaels came out, saying he had to pick his tag team partner. He
asked Hulk Hogan to join him, and got the crowd to chant “one more match.”
Christian beat Chris Benoit. There were some big Christian fans in
attendance. Edge came out to commentate, and complained throughout the
entire match. It was quite irritating, although obviously that was desired
to some degree. Christian worked over Benoit’s arm for the vast majority of
the match. Benoit came back with the rolling Germans, but missed the head
butt off the top. Benoit got the crossface anyway, and knocked Tomko and
Edge off the apron. Christian took advantage of the opportunity to hit the
unprettier for the pin. This match was rather boring and paint by the
numbers given the talent involved. I love the booking. Around and around in
circles we go.
Batista came out for his first interview as champion. Jim Ross did the
interview just in case something went wrong. There was a big fireworks
display. Batista said he isn’t afraid of challengers gunning for him,
because he is the predator at the top of the food chain. Batista said if HHH
sees fear in his eyes, he is just looking at his own reflection. Batista
concluded he plans on being world champion for as long as he wants. HHH came
out of the crowd and attacked Batista. He went for the pedigree but Batista
threw him to the outside. HHH said he has had it, and next week at Madison
Square Garden, Batista will wrestle Jim Ross. Again, I don’t understand why
HHH has booking power, and I have no idea where they are going with that. I
was shocked HHH didn’t deliver his promised pedigree. Batista’s interview
was fine. He obviously isn’t a very good talker, but his delivery was at
least passable here. They still haven’t explained who he is, however.
