Full Credit: Ed Shirreffs, PWInsider.com
RAW opens with a tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. “Long Live the Dream.”
John Cena is the first out for the Contract Signing that is opening the show. Coach introduces Cena to the crowd and says it may be the last time he ever calls him the World Champion, and brings Umaga out with his manager, Armando Alejandro Estrada.
Coachman has decided that the match can’t be a regular one, and has decided to let Estrada pick the stipulation. Estrada says fluke wins are impossible in this match and Cena will defend the title in a Last Man Standing match, where the only way to win is to beat your opponent so badly he can’t reach the count of 10. Estrada says there is no way Cena will walk out as WWE Champion. Estrada signs on behalf of Umaga (I presume he has Power of Attorney). Before Cena signs, he wonders if they think he is crazy enough to do a Last Man Standing match with Cena. He explains that there are two things they should know. One, he is crazy enough to sign, which he then does, and two, he is full of surprises. Cena pounces on Umaga and they spill to the floor. Cena hits Umaga with the ring steps and gives Estrada an FU through the table set up in the ring. Cena poses on the ramp with the belt.
Johnny Nitro & Melina vs. Jeff Hardy & Maria
Nitro pounds Hardy to start and hits a European Uppercut to knock him down. He gives Hardy a Breakdance Leg Drop. Hardy punches back and goes for the Twist of Fate but it is blocked. Melina and Maria tag in. Maria slaps Melina and throws Melina’s head into the turnbuckle before giving her a bulldog out of the corner. Maria kicks Melina, but Nitro interferes. Melina knocks down Maria and then ties her up in the ropes. Melina kicks the back before making Maria humble and putting her in the Camel Clutch. Maria fights back, but Melina kicks her. Melina goes for a Side Slam, but Maria hits a headscissors takedown to get out. Nitro tags in and knocks Hardy off the apron before intimidating Maria. She steps on his foot and Hardy charges in with clotheslines and a mule kick. Hardy hits Whisper in the Wind and goes to the top. Melina interferes and Nitro recovers. He goes for a Superplex, but Hardy throws him off the top and nails the Swanton Bomb for the victory.
Your winners, Jeff Hardy & Maria!
Coach and Mr. McMahon are in the back. Coach is explaining he doesn’t know what went wrong. Vince interrupts him to call Trump. He says it is Vince, but then has to give his last name. He then has to spell his last name and give his position. Vince gets through to Rhona, Trump’s personal secretary from The Apprentice and asks to speak to Trump. Trump is at dinner though and Vince hangs up, certain Donald will call him right back.
Rated RKO come out to the stage and don’t move. DX’s music begins to play but it turns into a long beep, like a flatline. Randy Orton talks about how that flatline is a metaphor and the beep starts again. Orton says tonight he and Edge take on Shawn Michaels. He says Triple H got off easy compared to what they will do to HBK. They won’t stop until he is put down permanently. Orton excuses himself to check on something backstage. Edge takes the mic and gives a fun fact, saying Michaels’ television debut happened in Cajun Country. His last match will happen in the same place, tonight. Edge then excuses himself to check on Randy. They drag out a beaten and bloody Hacksaw Jim Duggan. Edge talks about how Hacksaw is a longtime friend of Michaels and the perfect example. He says that if Duggan was going to help Michaels, you can scratch him off the list. He warns anyone else that might help Michaels that this will happen to them as well. Edge then gives Duggan a one man conchairto as Orton holds off the refs. The camera focuses on a beaten Duggan before going to break.
Ric Flair vs. Kenny Dykstra
A replay of Flair interfering in Kenny’s title match last week is shown. The start with a lock up in the corner and chop each other. Flair gets a side headlock. He takes him down and punches him on the mat. Kenny comes back and works on the leg. He hits a standing vertical suplex and goes back to the leg. Kenny puts Flair in the Figure Four, but Flair makes the ropes.
Dykstra goes to put it on again but is kicked out of the ring. Kenny runs back in but gets chopped down. Flair follows up with a Back Body Drop. He then punches Kenny in the corner. Flair goes to the top. Kenny tries to take him down, but Flair hits an axe handle for two. The two then trade roll ups with the tights but the ref catches them. Flair rolls him up again and gains leverage with his feet on the ropes to win.
Your winner, Ric Flair!
Michaels is walking in the back and tells Grisham he is sorry that Duggan got mixed up in things, but he intends to deal with Rated RKO on his own. Flair comes up and says he has HBK’s back.
McMahon is still waiting for Trump to call him back. McMahon pulls out a letter that Trump sent to him. Vince says that he has never criticized Trump. He then reads from Trump’s letter, which lists everything that people have said about last week’s match, and ends with a plug for The Apprentice. Vince says if Donald wants compelling television, he is going to give it to him.
Mr. McMahon is following up on his promise and walks to the ring. Vince is upset that Trump is at the Golden Globes instead of talking to him. Vince talks about how many enjoyed last week’s “skit” (sic) and shows a replay of it. So we know the masters of the match haven’t been burned. Vince calls it brilliant and the crowd kind of boos. He shows a replay in slow motion. Vince talks about the biggest difference between himself and Donald. Donald asks the audience what they want, and Vince tells them what they want (it’s true), and then they like it (not so much). Vince then brings up the Miss USA incident and he says he would handled it differently. Vince then calls out Miss USA. Torrie Wilson is reluctantly playing the part. Vince tells her to smile and wave. Vince asks her if she has something to say. Torrie reads from a card and says, “I am Miss USA, and I have been a very bad girl.
What can I do to make it up to you, Mr. McMahon, America’s Favorite Billionaire.” Vince says she has been very bad, but gets interrupted by Carlito’s music.
Carlito walks out to the ring. Carlito says he is taking a big risk in coming to the ring, but tells Vince that he isn’t cool. He says the Rosie-Donald skit sucked, and tonight’s skit is brutal. Carlito says Trump was right and Vince doesn’t know what the people want. They don’t want stupid skits, and they don’t want to see Vince talk. He says they want to see people fight. He’s shooting! Vince takes off his jacket, and says if Carlito wants a fight, he can take on…The Great Khali (which my brother called as soon as Carlito came out).
Carlito tries to punch Khali, but gets a headbutt for his troubles. Khali blocks the springboard back elbow and stomps Carlito on the mat. Khali then lifts Carlito up by his head before tossing him down. Vince raises his hand in victory. Vince says that was cool.
Women’s Championship Match: Mickie James (c) vs. Victoria
They lock up and Victoria throws Mickie down by the hair. Mickie dodges a charge in the corner and returns the favor. Mickie lifts Victoria across the top rope and spanks her. She brings her back in, but Victoria is able to throw her from the ring before hitting a baseball slide. She kicks her on the mat. Victoria steps on Mickie’s hair before lifting her up by the arms. Mickie gets a quick rollup for two. Victoria works on the leg. Mickie recovers and clotheslines Victoria. She chops her to the mat. Mickie blocks another charge and gives Mickie a headscissors takedown out of the corner for two. Victoria puts Mickie in the Fireman’s Carry position before throwing her down with a side slam. Mickie ducks a clothesline and gives Victoria a Thrust Kick to retain the title.
Your winner, Mickie James!
Chris Masters is already in the ring when we come back from the commercial. Masters says it is Rumble time, and the winner stands before them, because no one can break the Masterlock. He has a signed document from Mr. McMahon stating that the Masterlock was not broken in Iraq when JBL interfered. He issues an open challenge. Damn! Ron Simmons comes out to accept. Masters tries to beg off and wants someone else to come out. Ron shoves him to the mat and sits in the steel chair. Masters locks it in, but Simmons begins to break it. Just as he starts to make some progress, Super Crazy comes out and dropkicks Masters in the back. He gives him a Tornado DDT and a Moonsault. Simmons grabs the mic and gives Masters a hearty, “Damn!”
The Wrestlemania Recall is the Money in the Bank match that Rob Van Dam won last year.
Grisham is in the back giving us breaking news. Ric Flair is seen being attended to, with a hospital on its way to take him to the hospital. Todd tells us that Rated RKO were last seen in Flair’s locker room.
JTG w/ Shad vs. Shelton Benjamin w/ Charlie Haas
Shelton knees and then nails JTG with a clothesline. JTG comes back with a flying body press. Shelton catches JTG in the corner and gives him a shoulderbreaker. He follows that with a jumping armbreaker and a key lock. JTG punches out of the corner and hits Shelton a reverse elbow and dropkick.
Shelton kicks JTG in the face to knock him down. Shad exposes the turnbuckle in the corner. Charlie Haas goes over to check on it, and when he does, Shad trips Shelton as he has JTG in a powerbomb position, allowing JTG to fall on him and get the victory.
Your winner, JTG!
Grisham reports that Flair is en route to a medical facility. Michaels comes up to him and says he is not going down alone, and if he goes down, it will be in a blaze of glory. For good measure, he hits Sweet Chin Music on Grisham.
A video package on Triple H’s trip to Birmingham to see world class surgeon Dr. James Andrews is shown.
Edge asks the crowd if they are ready before HBK comes out. Orton continues the DX impersonation. He has two words for us…Get em. Orton says by order of Vince McMahon, every DX sign is to be confiscated and brought to the ring. He says not even the fans will help Shawn. Edge and Orton tear the signs up in the ring. Commercial.
Rated RKO (Edge & Randy Orton) vs. Shawn Michaels
Michaels runs in and starts throwing punches. He tosses Edge over the top and gives Orton a back body drop before clotheslining him out. He then goes out and hits Edge. Back in the ring, HBK chops Edge in the corner, and knocks him to the mat. The ref forces Orton to get on the apron as Michaels stomps Edge. Edge blocks a charge and kicks Michaels in the jaw. Michaels counters with a swinging neckbreaker and punches Orton off the apron. Edge kicks Michaels in the face to stop a back body drop and tags Orton in. Orton punches away, but misses a dropkick. Michaels leaps on him and punches him in the head. He chops him in the corner. Edge low bridges the ropes, dumping Michaels from the ring. Edge tags in and punches HBK in the corner. They trade rights, but Edge has him cornered. Orton comes over and punches HBK as well. Michaels is busted open. Orton comes back in and punches Michaels down a couple times for two. Orton hits a backbreaker but Michaels kicks out. Edge tags in and continues with the punches in the corner. Orton comes back in and asks where HHH is. Michaels chops back and gets Orton in the corner. Orton gives him a hard irish whip into the corner, but Michaels gets a clothesline out of nowhere. Edge comes in and sets up for the spear. Michaels sends him into Orton. Michaels chops back once again and hits a flying forearm. He follows that up with an inverted atomic drop and a couple right hands. After a scoop slam, HBK climbs to the top rope and connects with the Flying Elbow Drop. Both men are down, but Michaels gets up first and begins to tune up the band. Orton runs in, but HBK gives him a Lou Thesz Press. Edge spears him when he gets off and all three men are down. Edge brings two chairs into the ring as the ref calls for the bell. Edge winds up with a chair, but HBK kicks the chair in his face. He then gives Orton a drop toe hold onto the other chair. Edge and Orton get low blows. Michaels goes under the ring and grabs the Sledgehammer. He hits Edge in the ribs and Orton in the face. HBK then gives them some crotch chops. Michaels puts Orton in the conchairto position and scares Edge off. Michaels connects with the conchairto on Orton as Edge watches to finish the show.
