Jim Ross opens RAW by welcoming us to Texas Tech, home of the Red Raiders, and he emphasizes the title match between Cena & Triple H will open the show. Lillian introduces Triple H first. JR puts over that the Game is 0 for 2 against Cena, but that he may be due. A replay of last week’s pedigree on Cena and subsequent crotch chops is shown. Lillian introduces Cena, but Vince’s music hits instead and McMahon struts down to the ring. Vince has great news for the fans, and for Triple H. He is changing the main event, but for the better. The Intercontinental Championship will be on the line as well! Rob Van Dam will be teaming with John Cena in a match against Triple H and his partners, Shelton Benjamin & Chris Masters in a 2 on 3 Texas Tornado Handicapped Match!
WWE Championship/Intercontinental Title Match
John Cena, WWE Champion & Rob Van Dam, Intercontinental Champion vs. Triple
H, Shelton Benjamin, & Chris Masters
John Cena comes right out before everyone and punches HHH. Masters and Benjamin come out and attack Cena. RVD is out next and does for Benjamin. Masters and Benjamin double team RVD as Triple H tosses Cena outside. HHH slams Cena on the announcer’s table. Masters powerslams RVD in the ring as HHH punches Cena. Cena is thrown into the ring steps. Masters works over Van Dam in the corner. Cena smashes HHH’s head on the ring steps. RVD dumps Masters from the ring, rolls over Benjamin and gives him a huracanrana. He then does a suicide leap over the top rope to the outside onto Cena, Masters, and Triple H.
Commercial.
On Unlimited, Triple H is in control of Cena back in the ring.
Back from break, a spinebuster from Triple H to Cena. All other men are laid out by the ring. Triple H neglects to cover . Cena ducks a clothesline, hits a shoulderblock, and powerslams Triple H for a two count. Triple H dumps Cena to the outside. He throws Van Dam into the ring steps. Cena throws HHH into the barrier, but Benjamin attacks him. An spinning heel kick knocks Cena into the audience. Lawler points out he can’t lose his title when he is among the fans. Masters is beating RVD, whose title is
also on the line. JR points out the history of the match. HHH gives RVD a running kneelift to RVD and Masters kicks him. Standing suplex by Masters to RVD and HHH gets a knee-drop to the head. Benjamin kicks RVD in the head and covers, but HHH breaks it up. Benjamin wants to know what is going on. While they fight, Masters puts on the Masterlock until Benjamin and HHH break that up. Masters, HHH, and Benjamin start arguing. Van Dam mounts a comeback and knocks down all three men, kicking HHH out of the ring with a heel kick. Benjamin gets a Rolling Splash and Masters is dropkicked out of the ring. RVD goes for the Frog Splash on Benjamin but is knocked off the top. Cena starts attacking the heels. Suplexes for all! Five Knuckle Shuffle on Benjamin. HHH goes for the pedigree, but is thrown to the floor, as is Masters. Drop Toe Hold on Benjamin sets up the STFU, but Masters barely breaks it up. RVD goes for a Frog Splash and hits it, but is Pedigreed before he can cover. Cena FU’s Masters but HHH Pedigrees Cena as he turns around. He goes for the cover on Cena, but Benjamin drapes his arm over RVD. It’s a double pin! Shelton gets the three count since he covered first, and barely wins.
Your winner and new Intercontinental Champion, Shelton Benjamin!
Post match, HHH is livid and Pedigrees the ref. It is pointed out that he got in three pedigrees, but couldn’t get the pin. Commercial. I didn’t get anything on Unlimited, but I had buffering problems, so…Back from break, there WAS something on Unlimited. HHH blew off Todd Grisham. Later tonight, Mick Foley explains his actions. Trish Stratus comes out to the ring. Trish says she has ‘unfinished bidness’ with Mickie, and it is personal. Trish wants to settle it immediately. Mickie obliges and comes out. Trish puts her mic down and Matrixes to avoid a clothesline. When Mickie turns around, the mystery woman from last week (Beth Phoenix) attacks. Trish says Beth is her new friend. Beth won’t let Mickie get away with what she did to her.
Shill for Kane’s movie premiere…Kane really lives the gimmick! Mick Foley is pictured with his favorite diva, Melina. Commercial.
Todd Grisham is doing Sign of the Night on Unlimited. A guy has a sign that says ‘Luckily My Playboy is Laminated’. Okaaayyy.
RAW returns with This Week in Wrestling History. May 17, 1963, Bruno Sammartino squashed the Nature Boy Buddy Rogers to win the Championship, proceeding to set attendance records.
Triple H is in the locker room stewing when Shane McMahon comes in. The Chairman wants to collect on his favor, Triple H is pissed about the cluster he was thrown into. Shane says the title was on the line. Triple H says he won’t be the referee, but Shane says not to worry because Shane O’Mac is the ref. Vince just wants Triple H in Kenny’s corner since the Spirit Squad is banned from ringside.
The Spirit Squad comes out sans Kenny for a Championship match. Commercial.
WWE World Tag Team Championship Match
The Spirit Squad (Johnny & Nicky) vs. Goldust & Snitsky
Johnny starts off with Snitsky. Headlock to Snitsky, but Snitsky gets a shoulderblock. He slams both members defending the titles and gets a two count. Goldust tags in and hits Johnny with his bottom. Nicky is tagged in. Armdrag takeover into an armbar by Goldust to Nicky. Nicky gets to the ropes, but Goldust punches followed by an Atomic Drop. Nicky gets back in control and kicks Goldust outside so the non participating Spirit Squad members can interfere. Two count in the ring. Nicky distracts the ref so
they can interfere again. Two count by Nicky. Front facelock by Nicky. Snitsky gets distracted, so Goldust can’t get the tag. Johnny is tagged in and Goldust punches out before being overwhelmed. Johnny with a headlock on Goldust. Goldust powers out, but Johnny gets a hiplock takeover. Nicky tags in and tries for an armdrag, but reverses it into a backslide for a two count. Powerslam by Goldust to Nicky and both men are down. Snitsky is tagged in and he cleans house with scoop slams. Double clothesline by Snitsky. Side slam and pin attempt is broken up by Johnny. Mikey then leaps off the trampoline from the outside clean over the top rope and hits a bulldog on Snitsky. Wow! Nicky covers and gets the 1-2-3.
Your winners, and still Tag Team Champions, The Spirit Squad!
Mick Foley is out next. Commercial. How creepy is that Skittles ad with the beard?!
Back from the break, last week’s mugging of Tommy Dreamer is shown. Foley is out to give his explanation. He wants to answer the question on everyone’s mind…what was he doing hanging out with Melina at Kane’s movie premiere? Mick can’t believe what he had to do to an old time friend. More unbelievable that he was in cahoots with Edge. Foley won’t give excuses, saying the fans deserve an apology. He says he is sorry. He couldn’t say sorry to Dreamer personally since Dreamer had an adverse reaction to being hit in the genitalia with a barbed wire bat. Instead, he brings out his mentor, the Texas Bronco Terry Funk! Footage of Wrestlemania 14’s Dumpster Match against the James Gang, I mean New Age Outlaws is shown. Terry gets his name chanted by the crowd. Terry knows why Cactus humiliated Dreamer. However, he asks Mick why he did it. Mick says at Mania, he and Edge made history with the greatest hardcore match ever. He couldn’t let second rate ECW scumbags into ‘our house’ and say they are what hardcore is about. Foley will defend three things with his life…his wife, his kids, and his legacy. Terry says Mick doesn’t get it…he calls Mick ECW. ECW is family. Terry is family to Mick. They beat the hell out of each other and have
been in everything possible. Terry says Mick is like a son to him. They hug. Mick wants to tell his “Dad” something…it is the first time they have been in a WWE ring together since 1998. Mick says it wasn’t supposed to be like that. In 2003, Terry skipped Mick’s Hardcore Legend ceremony. Terry didn’t come because he wanted too much money, says Mick. Mick says he will inevitably get the call that the Funker is gone. When that happens, Mick will say it will cost some money to get him out to a dump like West Texas. But Mick says he will come for free to spit on Terry’s grave. Funk threatens to beat the hell out of Foley, and asks Mick to take his best shot, repeatedly slapping Foley. If Terry had a head like Mick’s, he’d have it circumcised. He calls Foley’s wife a whore. He calls Foley’s kids bastards. Funk says the WWE sucks. Foley knocks Funk down. Punches by Foley to Funk, but Terry fights back, Edge comes out, but Funk hits Edge, too. Lita with a low blow from behind and Foley and Edge work over Funk. Edge grabs the barb wired baseball bat and hits Funk in the stomach and back. Foley pulls out Mr. Socko and gives Funk the Mandible Claw so Edge can spear him. Commercial.
On Unlimited, Terry Funk is helped to the back.
Back on RAW, Matt Striker is in the ring. He says he was going to lecture them on the problems caused by immigration, but considering his audience is made of immigrants… He says if you aren’t smart enough to get into the University of Texas, you go to Texas Tech, Tonight, he is going to teach Eugene a lesson.
Eugene vs. Matt Striker
Striker throws Eugene’s hat out of the ring. As Eugene tries to get it, Striker kicks him. He puts the boots to Eugene in the corner. Striker with a headlock, but Eugene throws out of it. Striker gets a knee to the head and punches Eugene. He tries to throw Eugene’s head into the turnbuckle, but Eugene “Eug’s” up. Punches and then an airplane spin to Striker. Stunner is blocked, but Eugene gets the big boot and leg drop for a near fall. Rock Bottom is blocked into a neckbreaker followed by a modified swinging neckbreaker, cracking Eugene’s neck on his knee for the three count.
Your winner, Matt Striker!
Kane clips are shown. Lots of them in fact, as it seems to be a career retrospective. Commercial. Kiss Cam on Unlimited.
RAW is back with a replay of the wild finish of the title match to start the show. Maria is in the back with Carlito. Maria reminds us of last week when Carlito attacked Eugene for getting involved in the match. Carlito says it is not cool to interfere. Maria likes his shirt, but does not understand the “Spit or Swallow” question. Carlito asks if she spits or swallows, and she wants to know if he means an apple. Yeah, uh, apple. She says she swallows. That’s cool.
In Vince’s office, Triple H interrupts the now weekly makeout session with Candice. Vince cuts Triple H off by reminding him he gave him a title shot. Vince gives Triple H a present. It is a sledgehammer so he can bash Shawn Michaels’ head in.
Commercial.
On Unlimited, Vince and Candice play “Ride ‘Em Cowboy”.
Back on RAW, Armando Alejandro Estrada is in the ring. He is dogging a jobber before bringing out Umaga.
Umaga vs. Chris Wellman
Splash in the corner from Umaga to start. He blocks a kick and throws Wellman down, and then outside the ring. Outside, he puts Wellman on the ring steps, then tosses him by the neck over his head. In the ring, Umaga gets Wellman in the Tree of Woe and hits a headbutt. Whiplash and then the Samoan Spike. It’s over.
Your winner, Umaga!
JR spent much of the match putting over Umaga’s athleticism. Smackdown Rebound is Rey getting squashed by The Great Khali. In the hallway, the Spirit Squad show their appreciation for Shane McMahon with a cheer. Commercial.
On RAW, there is another shill for Kane’s movie. Here comes the money, Shane McMahon. Kenny is out next. Triple H comes out to his special non match theme song “King of Kings”. Commercial.
On Unlimited, Saturday Night’s Main Event is shown, then Shane McMahon’s match three weeks ago where he hit the awesome elbow drop.
Back on RAW, Kenny thrashing Shawn Michaels is shown as a replay. Shawn Michaels finally comes out.
Kenny vs. Shawn Michaels.
Michaels attacks Kenny right away and throws him out of the ring. Shawn then chases Shane around the ring. Shane regroups with HHH and Kenny. Kenny gets back in and Michaels punches him and chops his chest. McMahon blocks Michaels punch attempt and Kenny punches Michaels. Shane “warns” Kenny about the fists. Michaels reverses Kenny into the corner, but Kenny throws Michaels into the opposite corner and out of the ring. Michaels blocks a cheap shot and throws Kenny back in and goes for an elbow drop, but Shane throws him off the top. Flying elbow by Kenny gets a two count. Kenny whips Shawn with a belt, but Michaels avoids the fast count. Kenny
chokes Michaels and then puts him in a headlock. HBK fights back up, but Kenny overwhelms him. Kenny and Michaels trade punches. Chops by Michaels, and then a flying forearm. Inverted Atomic Drop by Michaels. He lashes Shane with the belt and Shane takes off. Scoop Slam to Kenny and he connects with an elbow drop off the top. HBK tunes up the band and hits the Sweet Chin Music. Shane spears Michaels and hits some knees to the stomach and hits multiple backbreakers before calling Triple H into the ring. HHH takes his time. He tells Michaels to look at him so he sees it coming and hits Shane in the face when Michaels ducks. Vince comes out and calls for medics. Triple H picks up the sledgehammer and leaves the ring. Triple H shrugs as Vince hugs his boy in the ring. HHH says it was an accident.