» On Tuesday, April 19, 2005 at 12:13 AM EST WWE RAW Results 4-18-2005
Commentators: Jonathon Coachman & Jerry “The King” Lawler.
Live! From New York City, New York (Madison Square Garden)
Reported by: Hunter Golden of WrestleView.com
Eric Bischoff was in the back with Jim Ross. He said that announcers were a ‘dime a dozen” and that JR’s match tonight with Triple H ‘intrigued’ him. He said that their match would be a no disqualification match and Batista would be in JR’s corner.
The usual pyro hit and Jonathon Coachman and Jerry “The King” Lawler welcomed us to the show.
Edge came out to the ring with his trusty briefcase in hand to some intense heat.
Chris Benoit v. Edge
Edge threw a big flurry of punches once Benoit hit the ring. Benoit eventually countered into five straight German sumplexes and went for his finisher. Benoit went for his flying head butt off the top rope, but Edge avoided the move as Benoit crashed to the canvas. Edge grabbed Benoit’s arm and went to work on it. Eventually Benoit countered into the crossface, but Edge rambled into the ropes
Benoit smashed Edge’s head off the ring steps and pursued him around the ring before Edge regained the advantage knocking Benoit’s head into the steps. Benoit eventually countered an Irish whip and the two fought up into the stands with Benoit landing some heavy kicks and Edge landing some punches. The two took the fight into the back stage where Benoit slammed Edge into the underside of the bleachers. Edge rammed Benoit'’ head into a table before Benoit ended up dictating the action, fighting into the back hallways. The referees broke the situation up backstage as we cut to commercial break.
****Commercial****
We came back to the divas reading magazines in the back. They were quickly dispersed as the Beniot-Edge melee spilt into the back. Eric Bischoff appeared in the middle of the debacle and split the two up. He declared that at Backlash, the two would be in a last man standing match.
Winner: NO CONTEST
Trish Stratus made her way to the ring to some great heat. Trish asked the crowd to hold their applause and played to the heat. Trish took the time, she said, to clear the air and create a fresh start between herself and Lita. Trish invited Lita out to the ring to ‘talk’. Lita’s music hit the ring and she hobbled to the ring on a crutch.
Trish called the crowd a bunch of idiots. She said she wanted Lita to know she wasn’t talking to her because of what happened with Kane last week. Trish said she was doing some ‘soul searching’. The crowd chanted slut and Trish said that they shouldn’t speak to Lita that way. She put over the history the two had together and that she had done some things that she regretted. “You screwed Matt” chants began ringing out from the crowd. Trish said that she respected Lita and not the crowd and that Lita was like a sister to her.
The ‘you screwed Matt” chants kept on coming while the two continued on, with Trish asking Lita if she accepted her apology. Lita grabbed the mic and said that it was ‘sweet’ of her to apologize, and that it must explain why Trish made her life a living hell over the last year. Lita insisted that she didn’t believe a word out of Trish’s mouth. She said ‘payback was a bitch’. Kane’s pyro hit the ring and Lita cold-cocked Trish with the crutch.
Trish high-tailed it down the aisle but tripped. Kane eventually grabbed her by the neck before Viscera came out of nowhere and attacked Kane. Viscera worked Kane down the aisle before tossing him into the ring. Viscera then hit a big avalanche before hitting a big fallway slam on the Big Red Machine. He hit his big splash and taunted Kane while Trish looked on with a sly look on her face. Viscera then left the ring and picked up Trish like a bride and carried her to the back.
****Commercial****
Trish was backstage thanking Viscera for his help in disposing of Kane. Viscera thanked Trish back and said that he was looking forward to Trish “servicing’ him in return. Trish said she wanted to talk ‘strictly business’. Viscera said he liked to mix business with a whole lot of pleasure. Trish told him to hold up and that they were going to have to take things slow. Viscera agreed saying they’d take things slow ‘all night long’. Trish tried to get away before Viscera gave Trish a big wet kiss.
William Regal and Tajiri v. The Heart Throbs
Romeo and Antonio were introduced as the “heart throbs”, taking advantage of the open challenge issued to anyone by Tajiri and Regal. Tajiri and Regal had baffled looks on their faces. Romeo and Antonio came out and gyrated their hips and danced to a mixed reaction from the crowd.
Regal and Antonio kicked things off with Antonio getting a headlock on Regal. Regal slung him off the ropes before getting hit with a cross body by Antonio. After getting a near fall the two exchanged weird looks before Tajiri was tagged in.
The two locked up and Antonio synched Tajiri in an arm bar which was quickly countered. Antonio attempted to roll out but got caught. He eventually got out and tagged in Romeo. Tajiri tagged in Regal and they hit the newcomer with a double chop. Romeo followed up with a big spear to the corner before tagging Antonio back in. Antonio hit a snapmare take down before putting Regal in a stretch of sorts before tagging Romeo back in. Romeo hit some punches and went for a cover. Romeo pounded Regal on the mat before tagging his partner back in.
Antonio threw Regal back into the corner but Regal escaped and tagged in Tajiri. Tajiri eventually hit his springboard elbow and went for a cover. Regal came back in but got caught in a double team. Tajiri fought out of the predicament and tossed Antonio out of the ring. Tajiri then rolled Romeo up for the pin fall victory.
Winners: Tajiri and William Regal via pin fall
After the match the two attacked the tag champs and delivered a double rock bottom of sorts to Tajiri and taunted him before leaving the ring.
****Commercial****
Mike Ciota was in the back with JR who was looking for Batista. We then flashed to a clip of Triple H in the back with Flair. Flair asked him what he’d do when Batista showed up. Triple H told him not to worry and that he had a conversation with the limo company at the airport and said Batista was on the ride of his life at that moment. Flair put him over as the cerebral assassin.
Muhammad Hassan was interviewing with Daivari and put over the fact that it wasn’t satisfying enough that Daivari beat HBK last week. He said NYC was the most hateful city in the world and that he didn’t appreciate his treatment from Americans. Hassan was then asked about his feelings about possibly facing HBK and Hulk Hogan at Backlash. Hassan said that HBK and Hogan were whining like children. He said Hogan didn’t return HBK’s calls. He called Hogan selfish, self-serving, and in it for himself like all Americans. He said no one could save HBK at Backlash, and wouldn’t be able to later tonight.
****Commercial****
Muhammed Hassan w/ Daivari v. Shawn Michaels
Hassan came out to a lot of heat and Shawn Michaels came up to as much praise.
HBK immediately attacked Hassan, knocking him to the outside while he took off his entrance attire. The two locked up and traded punches. Michaels gained the advantage and dumped Hassan to the outside. Hassan climbed back in to the ring and gained the advantage working HBK in the corner. HBK came back out and landed some hard chops before being whipped in to the ropes and hitting a knee-lift. Daivari made his presence known but Michaels chased him around the ring.
Hassan took advantage of the situation and tossed HBK into the ring as we broke for commercial.
****Commercial****
We came back to HBK appearing to be exhausted against Hassan. The two ended up lying out on the mat when HBK nipped up. Michaels hit his elbow off the top rope and began tuning up the band for sweet chin music. Daivari jumped in the ring and distracted Michaels from hitting his finisher. After chasing Daivari around the ring, the official tried to rush Daivari out of the ring. HBK turned to Hassan who planted him with his version of an overdrive. Daivari jumped in and the two kicked the heck out of Michaels as the ref called for the bell.
Winner: Shawn Michaels via DQ
Hassan eventually took his headscarf and attempted to hang Michaels over the top rope. Just when it seemed as if Michaels had been had, HULK HOGAN’S music hit the arena and he came out and cleaned house, nailing Hassan with the big leg drop.
Michaels came back to the ring and the two posed down together before eventually leaving for the back. HBK seemed to be having a ton of fun with Hogan, even cracking a smile and a giggle when Hogan did his cupped-ear to the crowd routine.
****Commercial****
Chris "The Masterpiece" Masters posed on the stage to almost no reaction. He said he knew how touch New Yorkers were so he issued an open challenge to anyone who thought they could break out of his Masterlock Full Nelson finisher. He picked some guy from the crowd named “Roman” and asked him if he was tough. Roman replied that he was definitely tough because he was from New York. Masters sat Roman down in a chair and applied the Masterlock, swinging the guy all over the ring. The ref called for the bell and Masters ‘celebrated’.
****Commercial****
Shelton Benjamin made his way out to the ring and Chris Jericho came out. Jericho said that at Backlash, it was on between the two as he would be challenging Shelton for his Intercontinental Championship at Backlash. Benjamin appeared unfazed until Jericho dragged out his Fozzy lead guitarist and sang a little song about Shelton. Basically it went “Shelton, Shelton, is a little bitch. Shelton, Shelton is a little bitch”. The crowd really appeared to be genuinely baffled.
Shelton Benjamin v. Simon Dean
During the Jericho ‘concert’ Simon Dean apparently had enough. Benjamin and Dean fought around the ring, but eventually got caught in the T-bone. Shelton covered for the quick victory.
Winner: Shelton Benjamin via pin fall
****Commercial****
Christian came out to the ring and he grabbed the mic. He noted that he felt he should have had the same reaction that Hulk Hogan received earlier. He went on to knock Gary Sheffield and Hulk Hogan before “NO CHANCE” hit the arena.
Mr. McMahon strutted down to the ring and asked Christian if he knew why Mr. McMahon was making his first public appearance since the Royal Rumble. Christian tried to grab a second mic and said that he thought McMahon wanted to congratulate him on his win from last week. McMahon said that his enemies were right when they called Christian a “creepy little bastard”. He threatened to fire Christian if he kept speaking. Tomko covered Christian'’ mouth immediately.
McMahon said he had a colossal announcement. He said that it was that time of year to again shake things up, and that he would hold the annual draft lottery in about a month’s time. No one is exempt from being selected. Christian said he was happy that he could possibly go to Smackdown and beat John Cena for the WWE Championship. McMahon asked him if he was sure he was a main eventer, and Christian responded with an affirmative. McMahon said ‘then next week it’s you and Batista, one-on-one”. Christian accepted the match.
****Commercial****
Triple H was in the back doing an interview with Todd Grisham. Triple H said it was a fact that at Backlash, when he hits Batista with the Pedigree, he’ll win his eleventh World Heavyweight Championship. He said JR would find out tonight and Batista knows it.
A video package ordered with Drowning Pool’s “The Game” song from 2002 and showed clips of all of Triple H’s pedigree championship wins.
Triple H asked Todd “need I say more?”
JR was in the back walking through the bowels of Madison Square Garden getting ready for his match.
****Commercial****
Triple H w/ Ric Flair v. Jim Ross
Triple H came out to big time heat and JR walked to the ring like he was walking to his execution.
The bell rings and Triple H circles JR. Triple H extended his hand in a gesture of sportsmanship. JR refused and when Triple H implored him again, he landed a stiff left to JR’s stomach. He began parading around the ring. He landed to more big rights to the head and basically played to the crowd trying to get heat. King implored the referee to stop the match from the announcers’ booth. JR ended up cuffing Triple H right across the face, which set the Game off.
Triple H landed another big right and landed some big fists on the ground. The referee went to split the two up and got hoarded to the corner by Triple H who warned him not to interfere again. Triple H went back to the pretty banged up body of Jim Ross. Triple H picked up Ross’s head and he was bleeding. Triple H hit him with a few more shots before jaw-jacking with the official some more. The crowd was showering the ring with Boring chants.
Triple H ripped up JR’s Oklahoma University Sooners jersey and landed a few more punches. Triple H appeared to rake at JR’s cut (looked like he was blading him some more) before fully tearing off JR’s OU jersey. Coach put over the fact that Batista wasn’t anywhere near the arena. JR was gushing blood by this time.
Triple H removed JR’s belt and rolled it up in his fist and hit him with a few shots to the head before trying to choke JR out some more. King said he couldn’t take it anymore and took off his headset and headed to the ring.
King made it into the ring and pleaded with Triple H to stop the match. King went to remove the belt from JR’s neck and got dropped with a big right. Triple H loaded him up with the pedigree and nailed it and resumed the assault on JR.
We immediately were shown the garage where World Heavyweight Champion Batista’s limo pulled up and a fired up Batista got out and headed to the ring.
Batista’s music hit the arena and the two went toe to toe with Batista eventually gaining the advantage despite Ric Flair’s attempts to turn the tables. Flair jumped in again and got nailed with a Batista spine buster. Triple H then sneaked up and nailed Batista with a chair. He loaded up the Animal for the pedigree but got back body dropped over. Batista grabbed the chair and nailed Triple H over the head with it.
Batista smirked checking out Triple H and JR. He picked up JR’s carcass over to the unconscious Triple H and draped him over his body. The referee counted to three and JR picks up the upset win.
winner: Jim Ross via pin fall
After the match Batista gave the still unconscious game the thumbs down and posed with the belt in the ring as the show went off the air. RAW THOUGHTS
The GOOD-- Again tonight, booking made the most of their time, accomplishing a lot. We have a decent set up for Backlash and as well as a pretty appealing card on paper. Hulk Hogan coming back is always a great mark out moment for sure and Shawn Michaels most definitely seemed to be really enjoying himself out there posing with Hogan. I also liked the way the JR-Triple H match ended tonight. Batista gets another lift from the Game. Right now he needs it. THANK GOD for the draft. Perfectly timed on the part of the WWE. They’re letting their feuds for the early spring play out and finish and just as ratings will appear to dip, they’ll get another extended bump with the draft lottery shaking things up a bit. Refreshing news, indeed.
Ahh, and who doesn’t love the NYC crowd, chanting “you screwed Matt” at Lita. I LOVE Madison Square Garden crowds. They call it like they see it.
IMO, Trish Stratus is the best heel in the WWE. Yeah, quote me.
The BAD-- Basically everything tonight was very, very blah even though the WWE really used their time well. I’m NOT digging the HeartThrobs new gimmick. Very over the top and looks like a genuine Billy and Chuck rip off. Not feeling it, but hey, it’s a new tag team and at least a step in the right direction.
What in the blue hell was with Jericho’s promo tonight? Possibly the worst thing I’ve ever…. EEEEEVVVVEEERRRR seen him do. The crowd was pretty funny tonight as they just didn’t know HOW to react to it.
The UGLY-- I’m convinced no one cares about Chris Masters at all. He’s just not getting any heat or reaction whatsoever. They’ve got to stick him in some sort of feud and pray to god he gets a reaction out of someone.
My last ugly goes to the wrestling quality as a whole tonight. Just pitiful. Shelton-Dean really served no point. HBK-Hassan was pretty poor as well. Benoit-Edge was a respectable effort, but the HeartThrobs—Regal/Tajiri match got nothing but boring chants. Triple H-JR? Well it served it’s purpose, but it was an absolute farce of a match.
OVERALL—C A lot of everything happened tonight. Everything except wrestling. The two things that score points with me though are the great use of time in developing story lines. There seems to be a lot more story behind Backlash, even though it’s bad story. It’s the WWE and after this fall, I take these things in baby-steps. Of course the ridiculous Hogan mark out moment also is noteworthy. The draft announcement was music to my ears as well, so I’ll be nice this week and give the show a C, but for all the wrong reasons. It's a gift considering the total lack of wrestling and poor storylines.
Quick Results:
* Chris Benoit and Edge fought to a no contest
* William Regal and Tajiri def. The Heart-Throbs
* Shawn Michaels def. Mohammed Hassan
* Shelton Benjamin def. Simon Dean
* Jim Ross def. Triple H
WHO’S HOT, WHO’S NOT
Biggest Pops--
1. Hulk Hogan
2. Shawn Michaels
3. Batista
Most Heat--
1. Triple H
2. Mohammed Hassan
3. Edge
MATCH OF THE NIGHT: Chris Benoit v. Edge *3/4
Any questions, comments, or feedback send email me at Raw@wrestleview.com