Reported by Hunter Golden of WrestleView.com
On Monday, April 3, 2006 at 11:26 PM EST

WWE RAW
April 3, 2006
Chicago, IL
Commentators: Jonathan Coachman, Joey Styles & Jerry “The King" Lawler
Reported By: Hunter Golden of WrestleView.com

John Cena came out to an incredibly mixed reaction. Cena asked them to stop the music because he wanted to hear the boos. Cena smiled as the boos reigned down. Cena put the mic to his mouth and told us that the champ was still here. He said he needed to be honest with people though. He said going into Wrestlemania 22, he didn’t think he’d be standing here telling us that. He said for those in the free world just waking up out of hibernation, last night he and Triple H beat the hell out of each other. He said that was what it was all about, capturing the WWE Championship and defending it night in and night out.

He said it wasn’t about winning a popularity contest. He said the belt meant that one rises to the occasion and you stand up in the face of adversity. He said you meet every challenge head on, hit hard, fight hard, and stand tall no matter what the circumstances. He said he’d admit, there was a small er large group of people… and was cut off by Triple H’s new entrance music.

The Game came out as well to a mixed reaction. The game stared down Cena in the middle of the ring. He extended his hand to Cena to shake it. Cena went to shake it and Triple H pulled his hand away.

Triple H said he had to hand it to Cena that he was a tough kid. He said the whole world saw him kick his ass last night but that he found a way to win and that he was pissed off about it. He said he wasn't mad at Cena but he was mad at himself. He said he made the same dumb mistake that everyone had made with Cena, that he underestimated him. You tapped out chants reigned down from the crowd. Triple H said they were right because he underestimated the champ.

He said they could trust him when he says it’ll never happen again. He said Cena knew the deal and everyone else knew it too that he felt the title was his and he wanted another shot.

Edge came out to the ramp and told both of them to hold the phone. He said that Hunter thought he should have an endless amount of title shots because he was the almighty Triple H. He said there was a news flash, that he lost and there’s no rematch clause. He said he needed to go to the back of the line and a person who won gets the shot. He said he destroyed Mick Foley in his own environment. He said he remained perfect at Wrestlemania as well.

Triple H said it was right, Edge was perfect at Wrestlemania. Triple H asked him how many Manias Edge main evented which is none. He told him to run along and play with the other curtain jerkers while the main event guys stayed in there and handled their business.

Edge said he was a main eventer and said Triple H thought he was Connan. He said Edge had defeated Cena for the title before. Triple H said he was right but his 20-minute nap caused him to miss the whole thing. Edge said he stole the show last night and stayed up long enough to watch Hunter tap out. Triple H said that was last night and tonight he’d knock Edge out.

Cena said Heman and Skelator had some unfinished business. He said he wasn’t the one who made the matches but how about we have Edge v. Triple H tonight and the winner would get a shot at him. Cena said Lita could get some medication for her face.

Edge said he couldn’t wrestle tonight because of the condition he was in. He said he had a better idea. He said what if he and Triple H faced Cena tonight in a handicapped match and Cena accepted the challenge.

The announce team put over the World Tag Team Championship, which is next.

****Commercial****

World Tag Team Championship
Kane & Big Show v. The Spirit Squad (Kenny and Mikey)

Kane got jumped by Mikey who was quickly floored. Kane grabbed Kenny and tossed him off Mikey. Mike got whipped twice before getting hit with a big side slam. Kane quickly went to the ropes and came flying off with his clothesline. Kane leveled Mitch and Kenny but missed Mikey and crashed into the ring post. Kenny nailed his arm off the ring post before tagging in Mikey again who hit a stomp off the ropes.

Mikey worked over Kane and tagged in Kenny who dropped an elbow on Kane’s head. Mikey tagged right back in and wrenched Kane’s arm and placed him in a hammer lock in the middle of the ring. Kane picked him up however and hit a fall away slam.

Kenny tagged in but accidentally knocked Kane into Show who tagged in. Show cleaned house but when he picked up Mikey to power slam him he knocked his feet into the referee. The Squad jumped into the ring and hit their big lift. Kenny came flying off the top ropes with a leg drop and nailed it. He covered Show for the win and the titles.

Winners and NEW Tag Team Champions: The Spirit Squad

The announcers put over the handicapped match for later tonight.

****Commercial****

Maria was in the back with the new tag team champions. Nicky said they’d celebrate by doing a cheer. They put over their win and knocked on Big Show and Kane.

A video recapping the money in the bank ladder match last night, which was won by Rob Van Dam.

Van Dam’s music hit and he came out with the newly won contract and a mic. RVD said he had a lot of names in the past but he had a new one tonight, “Mr. Money in the Bank". He said last night he finally broke through the glass ceiling and won a shot at the WWE title any time he wanted to. He said there was a lot of congratulations and he was asked when he’d cash in the contract. He said he wasn’t going to wait as long as Edge did. He said this opportunity couldn’t have happened at a better time. He said good timing was so important, that it would be EXTREMELY important.

****Commercial****

Chris Masters v. Jobber

Masters bull rushed his opponent and gorilla press slammed him. He clamped on the master lock and the match was over.

Winner: Chris Masters

All of a sudden Carlito’s music hit and he came down to the ring and the two looked peeved at each other. Masters took a huge bite of his apple and stared Masters down and then spat his apple on the jobber on the mat. He raised Masters’ hand and the two smiled and pranced around before Carlito hit a brutal back cracker on Masters and pummeled him on the ground. Carlito took another bite of his apple and spit it on Masters before leaving the ring.

The announcers again put over the handicapped match later tonight. Another video aired recapping last night’s Wrestlemania 22.

****Commercial****

HBK’s music hit and he came out to the ring. He put over his win last night and immediately said if everyone was moving on, he should do the same. He said he’d come out and challenge Cena for the title, as beating the champion up was so popular lately.

Shane McMahon’s music hit and he came out to the ramp. HBK introduced McMahon as the newest member of the ‘kiss my ass’ club. Shane said it was his honor to introduce the chairman of the board, Vince McMahon. Vince asked HBK if he had any idea of what he’s done. He said his wife Linda and Steph saw what happened to him last night.

He said by the way, his daughter was pregnant. He said nothing could compare to the emotional scarring he put Shane through when he made him kiss his ass. He said he may not realize this, but Shane would be scarred for life. He said there was no chance of HBK getting a title shot. He said he had two words for him.

Michaels cut him off and mentioned two words that Vince could listen to would be ‘suck it’. Vince said his two words were ‘divine intervention’. He said he got some unexpected help from God last night. Vince said God was picking on him. HBK said he didn’t want to interrupt his conversation with God, but he thought he went totally insane. He asked Vince what his point was.

Vince said HBK couldn’t beat the McMahons. He said he’d win the battles here and there but never would he win the war. He said they’d be in a war and there’d be a tag team match at Backlash. He said it’d be him and his tag team partner, God, against Vince and Shane. That’s right… he said god.

****Commercial****

A video aired putting over Mickie James’ win over Trish Stratus last night.

Mickie James came out in a Trish Stratus outfit with the hair cut and dyed like Trish and everything. Completely freaky.

Trish Stratus & Torrie Wilson v. Candice & Mickie James

Candice jumped Trish from behind a bit before the two tied up. Trish clamped on a headlock and got a take down. James hung the belt up in the corner. Trish hit her spinning hurricanranna before tagging in Torrie. Mickie tagged in and immediately nailed Trish in the knee.

Torrie whipped Mickie in who hit a quick chick kick for the pin fall victory.

Winners: Mickie James and Candice Michelle

The announcers put over the handicapped match again which’ll be on later tonight.

****Commercial****

A video recapping the Hall of Fame inductions aired.

Chavo came out to the ring with a mic in his hand. Chavo told us who he was and he wasn’t ever more proud in his life than he was last night at Wrestlemania of all the fans for keeping the memory of Eddie alive. He said what made last night even more unbelievable was that his ‘family member’ Rey Mysterio won the World Heavyweight Championship. He said his only regret was that he couldn’t get a chance to go for a championship at Wrestlemania. He said tonight was a little different. He said tonight was his night and that he’d go for the Intercontinental Championship. He said he’d dedicate his win to Eddie.
He said November 13 he would never forget. He said the torch was passed that night to him that he wouldn’t let them down and he’d win the title.

That match is next.

****Commercial****

WWE Intercontinental Championship
Shelton Benjamin v. Chavo Guererro

Chavo hit a quick back suplex and got a one count on the cover attempt. The two locked horns again and Shelton hit a kick to the gut. He bullied Chavo into the corner and slapped him. Chavo hit a kick to the gut followed by some vicious European uppercuts. Chavo stomped away at Shelton in the corner before pulling away to get some heat.

He whipped Shelton off the ropes and missed a dropkick. Shelton sling shotted Chavo but Chavo landed on the ring apron. Shelton hit a big knee lift though and sent Chavo to the floor. Shelton followed him to the outside and slammed him off the ring apron before tossing him back into the ring and getting a two count on the cover attempt.

Shelton clamped on a rear chin lock but Chavo amped up with the crowd chanting his name. He hit some elbows but got nailed with another knee lift. Shelton came off the ropes but got caught with a drop kick. Chavo landed some shots to Shelton’s face before back body dropping him to the mat. Chavo was tossed into the air but hit a drop kick and got another near fall.

Shelton fought back with some punches but missed the splash in the corner. Chavo hit an impressive tilt a whirl before Chavo clamped on the three amigos. Chavo headed for the top rope for the frog splash. Shelton moved out of the way at the last second however and snagged Chavo in the T-bone suplex and connected. He got the cover and the victory.

Winner and STILL Intercontinental Champion: Shelton Benjamin

Chavo walked up the ramp extremely upset.

****Commercial****

Over the break Chavo began crying because he let everyone down. He said that maybe he wasn’t supposed to be a wrestler and he quit.

Ric Flair’s music hit and he came out to the ramp and sauntered down to the ring. He said he had some unbelievable moments in Chicago. He said better than that though, he had some unbelievable moments in his career in Chicago. He said last night he gave his all but came up short. He said that didn’t mean his pursuit of the World title was any less. He said he thought he had a seventeenth reign left in him.

All of a sudden a spanish guy came down to the ring and introduced himself as Hermando Alejandro Estrada. He put over Flair as the sixteen time world champion. He said his time was up and that the country needed a new hero. Flair cut him off and asked him who he was talking to. Estrada cut him off and said his name again and put himself over as watching Flair as a child in Cuba. He said that was then and this was now. He said he was a businessman and he enjoyed the nicer things in life.

He said he enjoyed nice clothes, nice women (chicas), and that more than anything else, he enjoyed the money. He said Flair’s time was up and that he would introduce to us the man who would change the face of Monday Night Raw and the entire WWE. Flair cut him off and asked him if he just raised his voice at Ric Flair. He called him an island jumper and took off his coat. Flair told him to bring his man on out to the ring. Estrada introduced Omanga. He came right at Flair and stomped away at Flair before choking him out. He hit a huge butt to the face in the corner before Omanga picked up Flair and hit a big fall away slam on Flair. The two celebrated in the ring.

****Commercial****

Edge and Triple H were in the back making amends.

****Commercial****

Handicap Match
Edge & Triple H v. John Cena

Edge and Cena started off the match. The two locked up in the middle of the ring and Cena hit a go behind and rushed Edge to the corner and hit a chop to the back. Edge went for a kick to the gut but got tripped up. Cena got his leg hooked by Lita on the outside and Edge capitalized, pummeling the champion in the corner.

Edge kept hammering away at Cena before tossing him into the ropes. Cena countered however and tossed Edge to the outside. He turned around and stared down Triple H who came off his perch in the corner. Edge came running in from behind and Triple H sat back up in the corner. Edge kept punching away at Cena who went for an FU but Edge wiggled out of it.

Edge dropped Cena with a back suplex before getting a two count on the cover. Cena caught a punch to the gut and the two laid each other out with a double clothesline. Triple H eked down the ropes and waited for Cena to stumble to hit feet. Cena turned around to face Triple H and Edge came out of nowhere and missed Cena and hit Triple H with a spear. Cena hit a back body drop and punched away at Edge in the corner.

Out of nowhere Triple H went after Edge. The two traded turns in hitting Edge before Triple H hit a big spine buster. Cena went for the five knuckle shuffle but Triple H hit a big kick to the gut and the pedigree for the pin fall victory.

Winner: Triple H

Edge looked on from the ring looking very angry.

---

RAW THOUGHTS
The Good-- Tonight was a real ‘ground laying’ Raw of course being the first step of the booking year. The show very much had that feel as old feuds were, for the most part, concluded and new ones began.

Triple H-Cena-Edge is actually a neat idea for a program and gives Edge a little to do while he waits for an opponent. Based on his reactions and performances of late, he deserves to be there.

The Cena boo-ing may be an okay thing is WWE plays their cards right. I’m glad they’re not knee jerking here. If I were them I’d play the tweener angle here and see if it catches on. It could open up some interesting options down the line.

The Masters-Carlito feud officially began tonight and it’ll be interesting to see who the fans side with. Kudos to these guys for trying to put each other over in a feud where its readily apparent egos aren’t the driving force. They’ve been given the ball a bit and it’ll be interesting to see how they handle things.

RVD also planted the seeds for his challenge for the World Title, which will likely come at the ECW pay per view.

P.S. Mickie James is gold.

The Bad-- Sadly, the McMahon-HBK saga is not over. Believe it or not, God was booked in a match tonight. Can’t wait to see what his finisher is.

The Ugly-- Oomaga or whatever his name is… was that me or was that the artist formerly known as Jamal?

Overall B – This was a horrible wrestling Raw but again, this show is always traditionally a building one so it had it’s place tonight and laid the ground work enough to make it difficult to really pass judgement on it. Let’s strap in for the Summer.

Quick Results

The Spirit Squad def. Kane & Big Show to become the NEW Tag Team Champions
Chris Masters def. Unnamed Jobber
Mickie James and Candice def. Trish Stratus & Torrie Wilson
Shelton Benjamin def. Chavo Guererro to retain the IC Championship
Triple H & Edge def. John Cena

Who’s Hot, Who’s Not?

Biggest pops
1. Triple H (the pedigree)
2. Shawn Michaels
3. Chavo Guererro
4. Kane & Big Show

Most Heat
1. John Cena
2. Edge
3. Triple H
4. The Spirit Squad

Match of the night: Triple H & Edge v. John Cena *1/2

Power Rankings

WWE Champion: John Cena (Last Week: WWE Champion)—Cena is such a colossal question mark at this point in time. He’s got a lot of work to do if he wants to get pushed as a face but I don’t know if that’s the right route to take with him. A huge, huge question mark in every respect.

Intercontinental Champion: Shelton Benjamin (Last Week: Intercontinental Champion)—Shelton put on a pretty decent match tonight but has yet, like his last IC reign, establish much of a character. Too early to tell where they’re going with him yet though.

1.Triple H (Last Week: 1)—Can’t demote the Game despite losing at Wrestlemania thanks to his pinning Cena tonight. He’s getting great heat but it’d be nice to see what they’re going to do with this new entrance music.

2. Edge (Last Week: 2)—Makes the logical step up to the WWE Championship program. There’s nothing else for him to do right now so it’s the logical place for him to be. Not much going on other than that. .

3. Rob Van Dam (Last Week: 3)—The new Mr. Money in the Bank cut a decent enough promo tonight. He’ll likely get a big program or two before challenging for the belt at the ECW pay per view.

4. Shawn Michaels (Last Week: 4)—Ugh, the McMahon mess isn’t done yet. It’ll be interesting for sure to see how HBK works with God.

5. Big Show (Last Week: 5)—Took the pin fall in the loss tonight. Again, question mark as to where he’s going so he doesn’t move.

6. Kane (Last Week: 6)—See Big Show.

7. Ric Flair (Last Week: 7)—Flair gets squashed by Vince’s newest concoction Oomaga. Not overly excited I have to say. Look for him to fall in the coming weeks.

8. Carlito (Last Week: 8)—Finally the turn on Masters but it’s still a huge question mark as to who’ll be taking which role. I don’t know if either are ready for a face turn yet, so it’ll be interesting to see who the fans pick.

9.Chris Masters (Last Week: 9)—Same as Carlito for the most part. WWE seems to want him to play the baby face and that may be the way to go, it’s a question whether the fans will buy it. Again though, props to both for taking the ball and letting the crowd run with it the way they want to.

10. Mickie James (Last Week: NR)—Why not? She’s been outstanding the last four weeks. Here’s to a long, healthy reign

Dropping Out: Mick Foley