» On Monday, May 30, 2005 at 11:36 PM EST WWE Raw
May 30, 2005
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Commentators: Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler
Reported by: Hunter Golden of WrestleView.com
A video package aired commemorating our veterans for Memorial Day.
The opening pyro hit and JR and King welcomed us to the Saddledome for Raw.
King was in the ring and noted that summer had officially started. King said there was no better way to kick off summer then to have a Raw Diva swimsuit competition. King called Christy Hemme, Candice Michelle, Maria, Victoria, and Lillian Garcia down to the ring.
King said that the rules of the competition were simple. Each woman had 15 seconds to display their swimsuit, and after they were done, King would choose the winner. King called Lillian out to strut her stuff. She went to remove her towel as Viscera’s music hit the arena.
King said he was going to let Viscera help him judge the swimsuit competition. Viscera said he wasn’t out there to judge the competition, but rather the thought of seeing Lillian in a swim suit is what brought him out. Sexy music played some more as Viscera swerved his hips and picked Lillian up and carried her from the ringside area.
JR said that Lillian left, but it wouldn’t ruin the competition as he called out Victoria. Victoria did her thing before Maria came out to show off her goods. Maria was wearing a leopard skin bikini. King said he never wanted to be a leopard until now.
Candice Michelle was next was wearing a greenish bikini as she sort of spun around in circles. Christy came up last and was wearing an orange and yellow bikini as she put her towel around King’s head. King caught his breath before picking Christy Hemme the winner. Victoria left the ring looking fairly angry. Victoria then stormed into the ring and began beating up the Divas. She specifically went after Christy who pounded away at her on the canvas. King went to help Christy but Victoria landed a low blow. She went back to Christy and hit her with the widows peak before leaving the ringside area.
****Commercial****
World Tag Team Championship
Team Hero (c) v. The Heartthrobs
Romeo and Antonio jumped Rosey before tossing Hurricane into the ropes. Hurricane tossed out Romeo and went to work on Antonio hitting a leg lariat and countering an Irish whip. Hurricane went up to the top rope before getting knocked off to the outside. Romeo worked over Hurricane and tossed him back into the ring. Antonio hit a neck-breaker and got a near pin fall before tagging in Romeo.
Romeo went to work hitting a few elbows to the back of the neck of Hurricane. Romeo bum rushed Hurricane into the corner and made the tag. The two hit a double suplex on Hurricane before getting another near fall. Antonio tagged Romeo right back in and hit a snap mare take down and put Hurricane in a key lock like hold. Hurricane fought out of it but got nailed with some big left hooks. He eventually blocked the fifth attempt and responding before getting nailed again. Antonio countered a double Irish whip attempt and hot tagged Rosey who hit a double clothes line and some shoulder blocks.
Rosey whipped the tandem into the corner and Rosey hit the big avalanche. Rosey body-slammed Antonio before tagging in Hurricane. Hurricane ascended to the top rope and hit a big splash off of Rosey’s shoulders for the pin fall and the win.
Winners and STILL World Tag Team Champions: Team Hero
Batista was shown in the back arriving at the arena.
****Commercial****
A clip putting over the upcoming Raw Diva search aired.
JR and King discussed last week’s incident between Triple H and Batista. A video package was then aired recapping last week’s events.
Batista was in the back with Eric Bischoff. Bischoff said that his hands were tied that he couldn’t do anything Batista asked of him. Batista told him that he accepted Triple H’s challenge. He wanted the hell in a cell contract in writing next week and Bischoff agreed to make sure it happened next week. Mohammed Hassan came in and said that Triple H had no business getting a title shot against Batista. Hassan said that he was undefeated and therefore should get the title shot. He stared Batista down at which point Batista ordered Bischoff to make the match for later tonight and that he’d take out his frustrations on Hassan. Daivari went into one of his rants before getting slapped in the face by Batista. Hassan left with Daivari and the segment ended
****Commercial****
Intercontinental Championship
Shelton Benjamin (c) v. Sylvain Grenier v. Rob Conway
The three stared each other down in the ring. La Resistance jumped Benjamin and went to work on Benjamin against the ropes. The two whipped him off the ropes but Benjamin countered with a kick to Grenier and a Samoan drop to Conway. He went for the cover on Conway but Grenier broke it up. Grenier went to work on Benjamin laying some stomps to the back. Conway broke it up tossing Benjamin into the corner. Not to be outdone Grenier did the same. Conway repeated the head to the buckle as did Grenier.
Conway hit a hard right to Benjamin as Grenier taunted the champion. His punch was blocked and Benjamin fought the two off with some big punches. He knocked Grenier to the outside and hit a big back body drop on Conway.
He went to work whipping Conway into the corner, but Conway countered. Benjamin then hit a knee and went for the cover but only got a two count. As Benjamin went off the ropes again, he was caught by Grenier. Conway hit a big clothesline but when Grenier went for the cover, Conway broke it up. The two argued before Grenier decked Conway. Conway eventually gained the advantage and dumped Grenier over the top rope.
A regrouping Shelton Benjamin then made his way back into the ring and tossed Conway back over the ropes. He kicked them between the ropes, before tossing Conway back into the ring. He went to the top rope and hit a big flying lariat after being held up briefly by a meddlesome Grenier. He went for the cover but Grenier broke it up.
Grenier and Conway then exchanged right hands and chops before Conway hit a neck breaker. Conway went for a cover but Grenier kicked out at two. Conway hit some punches on his knees before hitting some stiff shoulders in the corner as the crowd chanted ‘separate’.
Grenier reversed a hard Irish hip, as Benjamin shot past him and hit the big stinger splash. Grenier went to hit Benjamin on the rebound but got caught with a kick to the gut. Benjamin promptly hit his T bone suplex for the pin fall and the victory.
Winner and STILL Intercontinental Champion: Shelton Benjamin
JR and King put over the Hassan-Batista match later tonight and the Highlight reel segment with Kane and Lita, which is NEXT!
****Commercial****
Chris Jericho’s music hit the arena and we’re ready for the highlight reel.
Jericho welcomed us all as pyro went off. Jericho said that he almost didn’t make it on time again this week because of an autograph signing this week that had a lot of people at it. He told parents to bring their kids earlier if they want to meet him.
He put over next week’s draft lottery before saying that he was going to interview the very first draft lottery pick on next week’s Raw at the highlight reel. He said this week’s guests were interesting. One of them, he said, had no remorse, was a monster and had no remorse but he would get to Lita later. Kane’s pyro went off as he made his way to the ring.
Jericho told Kane that he didn’t take any satisfaction from the incident, but asked him how it felt to find out that Lita was cheating on him with Edge. Jericho said he couldn’t imagine how he felt because he’d never been dumped by a woman before. Jericho asked him if there was any indication that anything would happen or if it was a case of his ‘equipment malfunctioning’. He asked him if he was suffering from some pre-mature pyro. He called him “silent bob”, finding it difficult to get any answers from Kane. He said he’d buy him some Kleenex, some Hagen-Daz ice cream, and a movie from Blockbuster and rent him the “Ya-Ya Sisterhood” so he could cry all night long. He said he was just kidding.
Edge appeared on the Titan-Tron and said that he was wondering what it was like to get speared by him two weeks ago. He wanted to know how it felt to know he was spearing his wife for months behind his back. He told Kane he didn’t feel bad for what he did. He said every time she needed rehab or needed help, she went to see him. He said that Lita wouldn’t be coming out to tell him how she felt, that she’d do it from the locker room.
Lita appeared and said that she officially filed for divorce. She said she no longer had to deal with his disgustingly sweaty body or his stupid laugh. She said he was a fourth grader in the bedroom. She took off her ring and led the camera to the bathroom where she flushed it down the toilet. She made out with Edge as Kane looked like he was about to explode crying in the ring as the segment ended.
****Commercial****
Eric Bischoff’s music hit and he came out to the announcer’s booth with a mic. He said he was on a crusade against the ECW: One Night Stand Pay Per View. He said that he’d be coming into the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York with a group of Raw wrestlers to end ECW once and for all. Bischoff said that he was happy to know he wasn’t alone.
He put over Kurt Angle’s Smackdown group who were aiming to do the same thing. He asked the crowd why he’d approve a Tables match later tonight if he hated ECW so much. He said that Raw could have ECW matches any night. He said if Benoit wanted to go extreme, he was going to introduce a man who would be a general in the ECW invasion, Edge.
Edge came out with Lita and his briefcase in tow.
Table Match
Edge v. Chris Benoit
The two locked up as Edge pushed Benoit to the corner. Benot hit some knees and some right hands before hitting some big chops. Benoit whipped Edge off the ropes and hit a forearm takedown. Edge fought his way back to his feet landing some clubbing blows before working Benoit over in the corner.
Benoit fought his way out and landed some more chops before landing some knees to the back, knocking Edge from the ring. Benoit tossed Edge back in the ring after hitting some more rights and hit a snap suplex. He threw Edge into the corner and landed some more chops. He whipped Edge into the corner, but it was reversed and Benoit came smashing off the buckles to his back. Edge went outside the ring and retrieved a table. Benoit recuperated though and came through the ropes and hit Edge with a suicide dive as the show went to commercial break.
****Commercial****
We came back to Edge climbing back in the ring and Benoit on his back. Edge hit some stomps amidst some big heat. He slapped Benoit’s head before hitting some punches and forearms. Benoit quickly grabbed Edge’s legs and began pummeling him on his back. Edge reversed and did the same before going off to the corner to regroup.
Edge shot Benoit into the ropes but missed a double legged drop kick. Benoit went for the sharpshooter, but it was blocked. Benoit pped Benoit into the corner and hit a running spear as a follow up. Edge then climbed back to the outside and went to get the table he left outside. He put the table on the apron but got nailed with a baseball slide drop kick from Benoit, propelling him to the ramp.
Benoit then set the table up on the outside as Edge regrouped and crawled back in the ring. Benoit didn’t finish the setting up the table and went to go get Edge. He hung him up on the bottom rope pulling at him. Benoit finished setting up the table and went for a big German onto the table from the apron. Edge hit some elbows to fight out of it and picked up Benoit to body slam him through the table.
Benoit countered but almost got caught with a suplex through the table outside. Benoit eventually countered and hit a suplex of his own into the ring. Benoit worked Edge back to the apron and went for a spear to the outside but got caught. Edge ascended the ropes but was nailed by Benoit before he could get to the top. Benoit hit another baseball slide drop kick and knocked Edge to the outside.
Benoit came out of the ring again set up another table this time, inside the ring. He went to retrieve Edge, landing some stomps before going to the top rope and attempting a super-plex. He hit the move, but Lita moved the table out of the way just in time. As the two laid on the ground, Lita slid the briefcase into the ring.
Edge gathered it but as he did, Benoit hit his three German suplexes, causing Edge to drop the briefcase. Benoit moved the table closer to the exhausted Edge and hit another German suplex. He set Edge up on the table hitting a flurry of headbuts. He signaled for the flying headbutt and went to the top rope. Lita shoved Benoit off the rope. Bischoff then called Tyson Tomko and Maven down to the ring.
The two went right after Benoit, but he fought them off. Bischoff then called Snitsky down to the ring. Snitsky hit a big boot as he implored Edge to finish off the fallen Benoit. Edge collected the battered Benoit and power-bombed him straight through the table and the win.
Winner: Edge
After the match, Eric Bischoff said he hoped that Paul Heyman was watching because this was just a sample of what his invasion would be all about.
Benoit laid motionless in the middle of the ring as JR put over the passion of ECW.
Triple H was shown in WWE studios back in Stamford, CT and we’d be hearing from him next!
****Commercial****
JR put over the Hassan-Batista match coming up shortly. King put it over as the biggest match of Hassan’s career and that Batista wasn’t 100%.
The same video package recapping the Triple H-Batista incident last week aired again.
Triple H was on the monitor and JR did the interview. He said that he wasn’t here to listen to JR, that he was here to talk to Batista. He asked Batista if he thought he was just going to leave Raw. Did he think he’d jump through hoops to get another title shot? He said that the wrestling world was his theatre and that he was letting Batista play a role.
He said Batista’s role was to play the victim. He said that last week he did something that he didn’t think Batista had ever experienced. He said he beat him up bad and made him taste his own blood. He said that when you beat an animal it either becomes more violent or it becomes submissive. Last week when he beat him and he looked into his eyes, he thought Batista was scared. He said that was the first step.
He said the final step was hell in a cell. He said it was the most barbaric, sadistic, twisted, and violent match in the industry. He said it was a match that could make you or break you. He said that he had made a career of ending careers in the cell. He told Batista to ask Kevin Nash and Mick Foley. He said they’d tell him that the hell in a cell would shorten his career, life, and that it was the most barbaric thing he’d ever experience and that they were right. He said that Batista shouldn’t fear the cell, that he should fear him.
He said he and Batista would get locked in that cell, but only he has been to hell and back and liked it. Triple H said Batista would go face to face with the devil himself. He said he’d take a piece of his career and his life. He said they were both going to hell, but only he would be coming back with the World Heavyweight Championship. Triple H gave an intense look as the segment ended.
****Commercial****
Chris Master’s music hit as he came out to the ring with his elaborate entrance.
Master Lock Challenge
Masters said he upped the ante to $10,000 AMERICAN. He said he did that because Canadian money wasn’t worth anything these days before asking the crowd who wanted a shot at the money. He said ‘well too bad’. He said that no one he’d brought out of the crowd had given him even the slightest challenge. He said that he wasn’t going to pick someone from the crowd, but someone from the locker room.
Val Venis’ music hit the arena and he made his way out to the ring.
Masters told the mc to cut the music. He said that he was a huge fan of his. He said that his roommate in college had every single one of his movies. He said that’s why it would be an honor and challenge to make him pass out from the master lock.
Venis said he was looking for someone in the locker room to step up. He said that the ladies knew he gives everyone very stiff competition. He said the question was whether he was up for the challenge.
Venis sat in the chair but got nailed with a kick. He hit some knee lifts before clamping on the master lock. Masters struggled as Venis fought tenaciously before finally passing out. Masters posed in the ring as the segment ended.
A promo featuring the Sandman aired putting over the upcoming ECW: One Night Stand pay per view.
****Commercial****
Christian’s music hit as he walked out to the ramp with the mic to a huge pop. He stood on the mic soaking the cheers in.
He said that America should take note that this was a response that a superstar like him should receive. He said that everyone knew about the draft lottery next week. He said that he had been looking over the Smackdown roster and it seemed to him they were missing something. He said that they had Americans, Mexicans, Japanese, and French wrestlers. They had a giant, a st-st-stutterer, a dead man, a rapping hip hop poser champion that couldn’t make him say “I quit’ even if they forced him to listen to his ‘lame-ass CD’. What they were missing was a Canadian he said. He said a Canadian that would kick the holy living hell out of anyone on Smackdown. He said that after next week, he would either stay on Raw, or Smackdown. He said if he goes to Smackdown that they’d get an injection of the “Three C’s”; Charisma, Canada, and Christian. He checked out his peeps as the segment ended.
****Commercial****
JR and King put over the Hell in a Cell contract signing next week and that the Highlight Reel would have a mystery guest.
Batista v. Mohammed Hassan
Batista came out to new entrance music, which is really just a remix of his old music, but far edgier. The crowd popped big time.
Hassan attempted to jump Batista but got caught and bullied into the corner. Batista hit some big reverse elbows and knees. He whipped Hassan into the ropes and hit a huge shoulder block, which caused Hassan to roll out of the ring. Batista chased him and clocked Daivari.
Hassan hit a DDT on the head of Batista once he tried to re-enter the ring. He worked over the head of Batista hitting three big boots to the champion’s head outside the ring. Back on the inside, Hassan choked Batista on the ropes before hitting a hanging neck breaker. Hassan got a two count on the cover and put the champion in a cobra clutch on the mat.
Batista flipped Hassan over his head and charged Hassan in the corner but was met with a boot. Hassan charged back at Batista but got caught with a big running lariat. Batista went to work hitting some big punches before powering Hassan into the corner. He landed some big time spears in the corner before getting hit with a kick on a back body drop attempt.
Hassan tried to follow up but got caught with another big spine-buster. Daivari jumped in but got hammered with a big slam and an avalanche in the corner. He dumped Hassan to the outside and beat the heck out of Daivari on the inside of the ring. Hassan came in with the belt but was turned away again. Batista hit another big spine-buster and Daivari was clearly busted open from the punches.
Hassan came back in on Batista but got pounded on in the corner. The referee tried to break it up as Batista destroyed Hassan in the corner. Batista refused to let up on a knee on the five count and lost the match.
Winner: Mohammed Hassan via DQ
After the match, Batista started to beat the hell out of Daivari again. He caught Daivari trying to grab a chair on the outside, and started slamming his head off the concrete. He picked up the chair and crushed Hassan with it. He kicked the stairs in a rage on the outside before throwing Hassan back into the ring.
With Hassan bleeding badly, the officials tried to subdue Batista, but to no avail. He hit a monstrous Batista bomb on Daivari. He went back to Hassan and nailed and equally big one on Hassan, leaving both in a bloody heap. He put his foot on Hassan and raised the World Heavyweight Championship belt above his head. He posed for the fans as JR put over the fact that it could have been Triple H. Daivari was bleeding everywhere as they shot back to Batista posing as the show went off the air.RAW THOUGHTS
The Good-- Not a whole lot was what I would call “good” but nothing particularly bad either. Again, the WWE takes a real ‘shopping list’ approach to Raw, getting a lot done in their allotted time, but not really stopping to get anything over in particular.
I actually enjoyed the master-lock challenge tonight. Venis helped add at least a little drama to an otherwise mundane segment. Masters the wrestler doesn't do much for me, but he won’t for a while until he gets some serious ring time. Masters the character though, I really enjoy. He’s got a certain sense of believability to him that other characters with similar gimmicks didn’t have. I’m willing to give him a chance.
The tables match tonight, although the segment as a whole wasn’t done well, was good. Benoit puts on a good show week in and week out and Edge is starting to show signs of improvement. For a while it seemed as if he had hit the proverbial glass ceiling as far as his in ring ability was concerned, but he’s starting to show signs of improvement. Good match.
Triple H’s promo was fairly redundant for the most part, but for the first time, his ‘I’ve defeated so and so’ promo actually works. He’s most definitely going to put over Batista at Vengeance, and all in all, I’m not wild about the program as a whole. But, I DO understand the reasoning behind it and if they were going to take an approach to the third leg of this feud, this is the one to take.
Batista’s new music is great and it was unveiled on an entirely appropriate night. The Hassan beat-down was great to really get over what was needed to be put over about Batista, that he’s an uncontrollable animal. Again, not wild about the continuation of the Triple H feud, but if they were going to take an angle, this is the one to take.
Shelton Benjamin continues to impress in the ring and to be honest, he’s there as far as being able to work a main event match. He needs feuds. Develop that character and he’s going to be one of the greats.
I’m totally digging Christian’s mic work. He’s so incredibly good and works well in the ring as well. I don’t know what it’s going to take for Vince to finally get the clue. This guy is a top tier heel.
Victoria gets my medal of the night. I never expected to highlight a Bikini contest, but I am. This kind of Diva stuff is what they should do week in and week out. Use them to progress story lines. Victoria, given the proper push, is right up there with the best female heels of all time. It’s great to see her psychopathic side back. Props to Christy Hemme for taking a widow’s peak as well.
The Bad-- As much as I’m liking the Edge-Lita alliance, I’m a little nervous about this whole angle. Something about it IS too real for TV, at least for those of us who know and have followed the real life saga between Hardy, Edge, and Lita. The alliance is a good thing, and honestly the feud, though typical WWE over-dramatic, is a decent one, but something about it just really bothers me.
Viscera got a great pop tonight, but I felt like they could’ve done a lot more tonight. They’re taking their time with it and I’m keeping in mind the fact that it wouldn’t be entirely appropriate to call this an important program. It does provide humor so maybe we could’ve done more.
The Ugly-- I don’t know if I was the only one who caught this, but why in the blue hell was SNITSKY out there helping Edge and LITA out? Isn’t he the guy who KILLED Lita’s baby? Wasn’t one of the reasons she left Kane was because he couldn’t protect the baby Snitsky killed? Not anything too entirely important, but certainly appropriate to highlight the lack of thought that goes into WWE booking.
Overall—B Tonight was a solid show I thought. Nothing great, but a lot of minimally good stuff. The in ring work, as is typical when the WWE heads to Canada, was a big step up from week’s past, but still isn’t at the level I’d like to see it at. Continuing the theme of the year, it was another ‘get it done’ night on Raw, progressing a lot of story-lines and trying to cover as much as possible in the given amount of time. A good Raw tonight.
Quick Results
Team Hero def. The Heartthrobs to retain the World Tag Team Championship
Shelton Benjamin def. Sylvain Grenier and Rob Conway to retain the IC Championship
Edge def. Chris Benoit in a Tables match
Mohammed Hassan def. World Heavyweight Champion Batista via DQ
Who’s Hot, Who’s Not!
Biggest Pops
1. Christian
2. Batista
3. Chris Benoit
4. Chris Jericho
Most Heat
1. Edge
2. Mohammed Hassan
3. Triple H
4. Lita
Match of the Night: Edge v. Chris Benoit—Tables Match **1/4
Any Questions, comments, or feedback send email me at Raw@wrestleview.com