Reported by Hunter Golden of WrestleView.com
On Monday, February 25, 2008 at 11:35 PM EST

WWE RAW
February 25, 2008
Phoenix, AZ
Commentators: Jim Ross & Jerry “The King” Lawler
Reported By: Hunter Golden of WrestleView.com

William Regal is in the ring with Triple H, John Cena & WWE Champion Randy Orton. It’s time for a photo opportunity! The three gave us their best vanity pose and now it’s time to talk a little trash. Joy!

Cena thanked both for coming out but he was mad at someone. He said where he came from, if you had something to say, you say it to their face. He turned to Triple H. He said part of him should probably thank Triple H for letting him win and get into the ring at Wrestlemania. But the other part of him took issue with the pedigree.

Triple H said he did what was right. He wanted John Cena in the ring at Wrestlemania. He said some people didn’t like what he did but a lot did. He said he didn’t care if they liked it or not, they just better get used to it, because he’d get the same thing. Cena said if memory served right, they met before and Triple H was the one who tapped out.

Triple H began taking off his jacket and he and Cena had a little showdown before Orton interjected himself. He said they could talk all the trash they wanted, one thing would remain the same. He was still the WWE Champion. He said both of them had given him their best and he was still champion. He said he made up his own catch phrase; “the champ is here!”. He said there wasn’t a damn thing either of them could do about it.

Cena and Triple H decked Orton and quickly dispatched of him before going at it. The two went pillar to post before Randy Orton popped into the ring and laid both out with dueling RKOs. Orton posed with his belt over both while the crowd told him how they felt.

****Commercial****

Mr. Kennedy stopped Randy Orton. He said he’d be winning Money in the Bank this year and he’d be cashing it in that night. He said if Orton won, he’d lose. He just wanted to let him know and not leave any surprises out there. Orton said he could threaten him all he wanted. He’d be walking out of Wrestlemania as the WWE Champion.

Santino Marella & Carlito (w/ Maria) v. Cody Rhodes & Hardcore Holly

Rhodes and Marella started things off and countered a bit to get it going before Rhodes hit a body slam and a hard Irish whip to gain control. Rhodes worked over Marella in the corner before tossing him out head over heels and onto his back. Rhodes missed a kick and Marella hit a take down to give himself some breathing room.

Carlito tagged in and began stomping away at the back of Rhodes’ head before going for a quick cover attempt. Carlito slapped on a rear chin lock on Rhodes who fought to his feet with some punches to the gut. Carlito hit a swinging neck breaker and went for another cover for a two count.

Santino tagged in and began clubbing away at the back of Rhodes only to wind up for a right and get countered. Rhodes crawled to his corner and got the hot tag to Holly who put the beat down on Carlito.

Holly hit a back body drop before kicking Carlito in the junk. King tossed Maria his crowd and there’s some sort of deal going on there. Marella went to the top rope but noticed Maria flirting with King. Holly chucked him off the top rope before hammering him with an Alabama slam for the win.

Winners: Cody Rhodes & Hardcore Holly via pin fall

Marella was pretty upset after the match..

****Commercial****

A video package put over the Big Show-Floyd Mayweather fun before taking us to the Wrestlemania 24 press conference in Los Angeles earlier today.

Todd Grisham is with William Regal whose got an announcement over the main event tonight. There’s be a tag team match tonight. Mr. Kennedy and Randy Orton would take on John Cena and Triple H. Chris Jericho popped up and Regal said he looked like a cockatoo. Jericho asked him if he could get him some tea and got a chuckle.

Jericho wants to be in Money in the Bank this year. Regal said he’d face the man who pinned him in the elimination chamber tonight, Jeff Hardy and the match was next.

****Commercial****

Money in the Bank Ladder Match Qualifying Match
Chris Jericho v. Jeff Hardy

This is ONLY a qualifying match for Chris Jericho.

Hardy backed Jericho into the ropes before we got a quick break. Jericho grabbed an arm wringer before hardy reversed and took Jericho down. Jericho countered into a head lock before Jericho flat backed Hardy with a shoulder block. Hardy countered with a hip toss and we got a few more counters before Hardy hit the mule kick.

Hardy got back dropped to the apron before Jericho missed the springboard drop kick. Hardy came swooping in off the top rope with a cross body but Jericho rolled through for a near fall.

Jericho loaded Hardy up for a suplex and connected before hitting a senton for a cover attempt. Jericho hit some chops before missing a drop kick. Hardy sling shotted Jericho up and over the top rope and Hardy’s walking tall. Hardy missed a baseball slide and Jericho sneaked into the ring as the two stared each other down into a commercial break.

****Commercial****

We came back with Jericho holding Hardy in a bow and arrow. Hardy missed a swanton earlier so that’s why we’re here. Hardy kicked at Jericho’s mid section before eating a knee lift to the gut. Jericho went for a cover attempt but only got a two count.

Jericho started getting all sultry, casually booting Hardy in the head before backing Hardy up whipping him to the ropes. Big exchange here before both hit cross bodies and lay each other out on the mat.

The two exchanged running and kick-ish moves before we got a fun whip sequence. Jericho went for his bulldog but Hardy countered and sent him balls-first into the corner. Hardy hit his catapult drop kick for a two count. Jericho came fighting back with a lariat for a two count and is getting frustrated now.

Jericho hit a knee lift before following hardy to the corner. Hardy went for whisper in the wind, but Jericho caught him and crotched him on the top buckle. Hardy fought off Jericho on the top rope and this time hit whisper in the wind for a two count.

Hardy tossed Jericho to the corner and tried to hit a head scissors on the rebound, but Jericho caught it and countered into the Walls of Jericho. Hardy reached the ropes before Jericho started to get really cranky, now stomping (not booting) Hardy’s back.

Hardy fought back with an inverted suplex and mounted the top rope for the swanton. Jericho avoided the swanton and hit the lionsault for a super hot near fall. Jericho went for a fisherman buster but Hardy countered into a cradle. Hardy slammed Jericho and went for the twist of fate but Jericho spun out and went for a walls of Jericho. Hardy rolled through with a roll up but Jericho had one more counter in his pocked and got the roll up for the win.

Winner: Chris Jericho via pin fall

Jericho and Hardy exchanged sort-of niceties after the match.

A video putting over the big beat down on little Hornswaggle aired before we see Vince flexing for his make-up lady.

****Commercial****

Vince came out to the ring. He said for the first time in his life, he made a mistake. He said that mistake was made last Monday night on Raw when he allowed his own son to be put in jeopardy. He said he wanted to show him tough love and he showed that by beating Hornswaggle with the belt, but what he didn’t deserve was the beating he got from JBL.

And for placing his son in that kind of jeopardy, he said he needed to apologize and apologized to him into the camera. He said he wasn’t the only one who’d apologize. He said the person who put him in the care of doctors would also come out tonight. He said he didn’t have all night and of course, JBL’s music hit and he came out to the ramp.

JBL looks a little guilty I must say. Vince said he ought to beat the hell out of him in front of these people right now. He wanted an explanation right now. He was there to control Finlay, not to annihilate his son and he demanded an apology. JBL looked at him while Vince made more demands.

JBL paused for a long while before saying he was sorry that he didn’t do it sooner. He said he had it on very good advise that Hornswaggle was not his son. JBL said this rouse that made him look like a fool goes all the way to the top of the WWE, straight to his family. He said Hornswaggle wasn’t his son, he was Finlay’s son. Vince said he didn’t know whether to believe all this or not.

He said it made some sense because some people in his family are rotten to the core. He said he always wondered whether or not he could have produced that rotten, vile creature from his loins. JBL said Finlay knew the entire time. He said if he wanted documentation, he’d give it to him.

Vince said he’d better get it or the beating he gave his son would be nothing compared to the beating he’d get. JBL said he’d make Finlay admit it next time they were in a WWE ring.

Triple H is in the back before John Cena shows up. Triple H said this must be the part where Cena says they need to work together, blah blah. Triple H said he doesn’t like Cena and Cena doesn’t like him. He said what he did want to do was what he did best and that was win. He told Cena to do himself a favor and try not to get beat. Cena feels the same way he does. He said tonight, he doesn’t need to watch his back, but he’d better watch his own.

****Commercial****

Umaga v. DH Smith

Oh good lord, this squash could rule on epic levels.

Umaga splashed Smith who got some punches in. Umaga kicked him over the top rope and followed him to the outside where he killed him with a chop before tossing him back into the match. Umaga scaled the top rope and hit a HUGE splash off the top. He heaped little Smith into the corner and began peppering him with punches before backing up and giving us that look and wrecking the little turd-let with a big old booty to the grill.

Umaga picked him up and spiked the Englishman like no Englishman has been spiked since Keith Richards. Umaga wins. By a lot.

Winner: Umaga via pin fall

Speaking of Limeys, Paul Burchill is in the back with William Regal. Vickie Guererro has challenged William Regal to a brand superiority match at Smackdown. The hot British chick said he should pick Paul to represent Raw. Regal said he loved Paul, but wanted to see more. Burchill said he understood, but just so he was clear, anytime he wanted to have a little chat about these sorts of things, he’d be around. Especially his sister. He says he thinks she likes Regal. Good lord she’s hot.

****Commercial****

Lance Cade (w/ Trevor Murdoch) v. Shawn Michaels

Cade is looking very metro sexual again this week.

The two locked it up before Cade knocked Michaels to the mat with a back elbow. Cade began laying in the right hands before going for a back suplex and connecting for a cover attempt. Cade kept up the pressure and hit a power slam before planting some good old knees into the small of Michaels’ back.

Cade slapped on a neck vice but HBK fought out of it quickly. Michaels hit some chops before tossing Cade to the ropes and ate a boot to the grill. Cade backed Michaels to the corner and whipped him, but ate a boot of his own shortly thereafter.

Cade countered a clothesline and turned it into an indy-tacular side slam thing for a two count. Michaels popped up though and did the victory sequence deal. He hit the big elbow before tuning up the band. Murdoch tried to interject himself but Michaels dispatched of him. Michaels slapped on the Indian death lock and got Cade to tap to end the match.

Winner: Shawn Michaels via pin fall

After the match Murdoch dropped an elbow on Michaels to try and get a beat down going. Michaels fought off both and is celebrating in the ring with a bloody nose.

After HBK pranced around a little while, Ric Flair’s ‘wooo’ hit and he’s coming down to the ring to show Michaels how a real man prances.

Flair said Michaels was absolutely incredible. He said he was honored to have him introduce him as the first active inductee to the WWE hall of fame. Michaels said no one deserved it more than Flair. Flair said it was the highlight of his career. He said there was only one thing that could make it more magical, and that was wrestle the man whose name was synonymous with Wrestlemania, Shawn Michaels. He wanted to wrestle Flair at Mania.

Michaels said he knew Flair knew how he felt about him. But he said he also knew that if Michaels beats him, Flair’s done. Michaels said he had to live with a lot of things he did in the past and ending Ric Flair’s career wasn’t going to be one of them. Flair said he wasn’t going there with that. Flair wondered if Shawn thought it was a given that he’d lose. He said for all the respect he gave him last week means nothing if he doesn’t give him the opportunity to have the greatest match of his career at the grandest stage of them all. Flair said all that meant nothing to him if he didn’t sign on for it.

Michaels looked him in the eye and said it’d be an honor. The two gave each other some loving and left the ring. I wish Flair would’ve hit him in the nuts.

****Commercial****

We’ve got a new Hall of Fame inductee, err two inductees.

High Chief Peter Maivia and Rocky Johnson. Both will be inducted by their son and grandson, The Rock.

The Wrestlemania XXIV card is shaping up:

WWE Championship--Triple Threat Match
Randy Orton v. John Cena v. Triple H

World Heavyweight Championship
Edge v. The Undertaker

Ric Flair v. Shawn Michaels

Floyd Mayweather v. Big Show

Bunny Mania
Candice Michelle & Maria v. Beth Phoenix & Melina

Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Jeff Hardy v. Shelton Benjamin v. Chris Jericho v. Mr. Kennedy v. TBD v. TBD v. TBD v. TBD

Brand Superiority match
Smackdown Star v. Raw Star

The main event is next!

****Commercial****

Mr. Kennedy & Randy Orton v. Triple H & John Cena

The match started and quickly Triple H and Cena dumped Kennedy and Orton to the outside. They’re already arguing.

****Commercial****

We came back to Cena ripping off Kennedy’s arm in the middle of the ring. Triple H tagged in and started decking Kennedy in the mush for fun. Kennedy caught Triple H with an elbow to the mug and began beating him back with right hands. Triple H eventually caught him in a spine buster and Cena’s back laying them in on Kennedy before Cena tagged in Triple for a little one ups manship. Triple H gave him a crotch chop.

Orton tagged in and cheap shotted the Game and began stomping away at him. Are these guys just running through spots or is it just me? Orton connected with the big knee and got a cover attempt out of it.

Kennedy tagged in and he and Orton pulled out some hellish stuff in the corner before Triple H tried to fight out. Kennedy kept up the abuse and got a cover attempt but the Game kicked out. Orton tagged in and it’s rest hold time with a rear chin lock of doom.

Triple H fought to his feet only to get hammered with a big right hand. Orton talked some smack to Cena while Kennedy mugged Triple H behind the ref’s back. Orton hit his big suspended DDT and went for another cover attempt and Triple H again kicked out.

Kennedy tagged in and did his thing some more before whipping Triple H to the buckles. Triple H got the boot up and we’re rolling around. Cena waited for the tag but Orton cut him off just in the nick of time before killing him with the inverted back breaker. Orton went for an RKO but Triple H countered.

Cena got the hot tag and began pummeling Kennedy. Cena went into victory sequence and motioned for the five knuckle shuffle and connected. Cena went for an FU but Orton broke it up. Triple H added to the party and all hell has broken loose. Cena catches him in the STFU and Kennedy quickly tapped.

Winners: John Cena & Triple H via submission

Cena and Triple H gave each other some not nice noise before Kennedy dove in the ring and hit the mic check on Cena and rolled out of the ring. Triple H looked at Cena on the mat. Kennedy’s celebrating, no idea why.

---

RAW THOUGHTS
Show Thoughts-- I honestly have to say that’s one of the most peculiar Raws leading up to a Wrestlemania I’ve ever seen. Often we get these sorts of shows, shopping list shows I call them, which just sort of run from one segment to the next just to hit on all the points they need to, but this one, while I guess it achieved it’s goal, was just really weird.

First bit of weird was the Jericho-Hardy match. Don’t get me wrong, cool match up and the result was pretty good, too, but WHY is Hardy the jobber fodder on this? Hardy’s the ‘guy on a roll’ so to speak, so why have him lose to Jericho, whose done little to nothing worth noting in the past few weeks?

Second bit of weird was the fact that unless you weren’t paying attention, we’ve got a big Smackdown-Raw match at Mania, but really, outside of that, why should we care about the participants? Umaga HAS to be on the card somewhere, but just weird.

Third bit of weird was the whole Michaels-Flair thing, while it was straight forward enough, it just doesn’t seem to have ANY heat to it. To me, that segment came off weird.

Fourth bit of weird was the odd twist the Hornswoggle-JBL-Vince-Finlay thing took tonight. Especially after the hot angle last week, why tweak this so much?

And finally, in an act of weirdness to end all weirdness, it’s not Triple H whose walking tall. It’s not Randy Orton, ether. Heck, it’s not even John Cena. It’s….. Kennedy!?

I dunno, I just felt like the whole show just came off really weird and it seemed like for the first time in forever, the creative team didn’t seem to have a definitive direction to take the show in. All in all it was ok, far from bad, but just really weird.

Overall Grade: C-

Quick Results
Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes def. Santino Marella & Carlito
Chris Jericho def. Jeff Hardy
Umaga def. DH Smith
Shawn Michaels def. Ric Flair
Triple H & John Cena def. Randy Orton & Kennedy

Who’s Hot, Who’s Not?

Biggest Pops
1. Jeff Hardy
2. Triple H
3. John Cena
4. Chris Jericho

Most Heat
1. Randy Orton
2. JBL
3. Mr. McMahon
4. Mr. Kennedy

Match of the Night: Jeff Hardy v. Chris Jericho **1/2

Power Rankings
5 Points= Title Win
4 Points= World Title defense/win
3 Points= Singles PPV Win
2 Points= Tag PPV Win
2 Points= TV Singles Win
1 Point= TV Tag Win
0 Points= Loss

WWE Champion: Randy Orton 3-4, 5pts. (Last Week: WWE Champion) -- Orton looked a little overlooked tonight. Not buried or anything, just overlooked.

Intercontinental Champion: Jeff Hardy 5-4, 9pts. (Last Week: IC Champion)— Typical night for Hardy tonight. He goes out, gets a huge reaction, puts on a good match and calls it a night. Despite the loss, that’s a good night.

1. Triple H 5-1, 8pts.(Last Week: 4) -- I guess it was a good night, but it didn’t feel like anything you wouldn’t expect from him. Just the Game being the Game. Triple H and Cena are better than ANYONE at getting a program over and both did a pretty bad job of it tonight. Bleh night despite the win.

2. John Cena 5-1, 6 points. (Last Week: 5) -- So like the Game, Cena doesn’t do much tonight despite being all over the show. He just seemed to be flying through the motions out there. Kind of un-Cena.

3. Shawn Michaels 6-2, 9pts. (Last Week: 1) -- Michaels did a really great job conveying his mixed emotions in his promo tonight with Flair despite a pretty flat performance in the ring. It’s just the first night, so I’ll give it a chance, but I hope they really build on the conflicted-ness

4. Ken Kennedy 4-3, 9pts. (Last Week: 2)-- I guess any night you get to punk out the champion and John Cena is a good one. He stays put for now.

5. Chris Jericho 4-4, 7pts. (Last Week: 3)-- I like the motivated Jericho. I thought tonight was one of his better individual performances in a while. A win’s a win and Jericho is playing at Mania.

6. JBL 2-4, 4 points (Last Week: 8) -- I’m really kind of dumbfounded as to why the WWE decided to jerk this angle into soap opera land so quickly, but I suppose if there’s anyone who can get the angle over on the mic, it’s JBL.

7. Ric Flair 3-0, 7 points (Last Week: 6) -- Flair’s got a big match at Mania. All is good in the world.

8. Umaga 2-4, 4 points(Last Week: 7) -- Another ’thank god he’s got a match’ thing. Great squash for him and I hope whomever they give to him at Mania, which right now I’d put money on it being Batista, that he comes away with something. This guy is such a phenomenal talent that I hope they give him some focus and direction in the next few weeks.

9.>Cody Rhodes 2-1, 2 points (Last Week: NR) -- Team young punk/grumpy old man takes a win tonight and they move back into the top 10.

10. Hardcore Holly 3-1, 3pts. (Last Week: 10)-- See Cody Rhodes.

OTHERS :
Carlito 3-2, 5 pts. (Last Week: 9)
Paul Burchill 2-0, 4 points (Last Week: 10)
Jerry Lawler 0-0 points (Last Week: NR)
Lance Cade 0-2, 0 points (Last Week: NR)
Santino Marella 1-1, 1 point (Last Week: NR)
Paul London 0-1, 0 points(Last Week: NR)
Brian Kendrick, 0-4, 0 points (Last Week: NR)
Trevor Murdoch 0-3, 0 points (Last Week: NR)
Super Crazy 0-2, 0 points (Last Week: NR)
William Regal 0-2 0 points (Last Week: NR)
Ron Simmons 0-0, 0 points (Last Week: NR)
Harry Smith 0-1, 0 points (Last Week: NR)
Jim Duggan 0-0, 0 points (Last Week: NR)
Rory 0-2, 0 points (Last Week: NR)
Charlie Haas 0-1, 0 points (Last Week: NR)
Robbie 0-2, 0 points (Last Week: NR)
Mick Foley 1-0, 1 point (Last Week: NR)
Sgt. Slaughter 0-0. 0 pts. (Last Week: NR)
Val Venis 0-1 0pts. (Last Week: NR)
Snitsky 1-4, 2 points (Last Week: NR)