� On Tuesday, July 19, 2005 at 12:04 AM EST WWE Raw
July 18, 2005
Philadelphia, PA
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jonathon Coachman and Jerry “The King” Lawler
Reported by: Hunter Golden of WrestleView.com
Eric Bischoff’s music hit the arena and he came out to the ramp to interrupt Lillian Garcia. He said that last week something so appalling and heinous happened that he could allow it to go unaddressed.
A video was shown of John Cena giving the FU to Bischoff.
Bischoff said it didn’t matter if it was a new Raw or an old Raw, he was still in charge. He said he could suspend John Cena or bring him out right now and fire him. But he had a better idea and he said he liked it. He announced we’d see Snitsky v. John Cena live tonight on Raw and that it’d be a lumberjack match. He said Cena would be in no shape to defend his title by Summerslam. He predicted that we would see the beginning of the end of the WWE Championship reign of John Cena.
The opening video aired and the pyro hit and we’re all set to go.
JR, King, and Coach welcomed us to the show. Coach put over the Diva search and King announced the Kane-Edge steel cage match later tonight.
WWE Intercontinental Championship
Carlito v. Shelton Benjamin
The stipulation for the match is that the title can change hands on a count out.
Carlito jumped Shelton at the bell. He whipped Shelton off the ropes and hit a high knee. Shelton rolled to the corner and Carlito followed him, stomping and punching. He whipped Benjamin to the opposite corner but got caught coming in with a clothesline. Shelton followed it up with a hip toss and a stinger splash, which knocked Carlito to the floor.
Shelton came flying to the outside with a clothesline and nailed Carlito. He tossed Carlito back in the ring and hit him with a sling shot clothesline. Carlito fled to the outside again and took his title and looked like he was going to go home. The ref corralled him back in the ring. Carlito ran from Benjamin but got caught with a splash while jaw jacking with a fan.
Shelton flew off the top rope with a flying lariat and got a two count. He whipped Carlito into the corner and ran in, but Carlito dodged him and tied him up on the buckles. Carlito stomped away and then snap marred Shelton and slapped Benjamin into a reverse bear hug.
Shelton fought out and exchanged blows with the champion. He whipped Carlito in to the ropes and hit two clotheslines in succession. He pancaked Carlito before getting a two count. Benjamin tried a monkey flip but Carlito reversed it and almost got a dirty cover. Carlito hit his DDT but only got a two count on the follow up cover.
He whipped Shelton in but got hit with an elbow to the face. Carlito slammed Benjamin’s face off the mat again and got yet another near fall. He went to pick up Shelton but got caught in a small package. Shelton rose to his feet but got caught in another dirty near fall.
Shelton regained his bearings and tagged Carlito with another lariat. He went to get the cover but Carlito nailed him with a blatant low blow to DQ himself and retain the title.
Winner: Shelton Benjamin via DQ
A video package aired of the Piper’s Pit segment from last week where HBK super-kicked Rowdy Roddy Piper.
Hulk Hogan will be appearing on Raw later tonight to answer the challenge of HBK.
****Commercial****
A video showed of Kurt Angle BARELY hanging on to his gold medal last week against Matt Striker.
Kurt Angle Invitational
Angle got on the mic and said that last week he had each and every one of us fooled. He said he made us believe that some hometown hero was going to take his gold medal away from him. He said in reality he could have ended it like that. He said he liked drama and liked us people to believe. He said taking the gold medal away was like the Philadelphia Eagles winning the Super Bowl.
He said he’d make this one short and sweet and out comes our hero. Down came MATT STRIKER yet again.
Striker got in the ring and snagged the mic away from him. He said he was not Matt Martel and that he was from Philadelphia. He said he was the guy who took Angle to his limit last week. He said he wanted another shot at his meal. Angle took the mic back.
Angle told him to never take his mic away from him ever. He said that he was the biggest liar he had ever met, that he knew his name was Matt Striker. He said he knew he was a schoolteacher and got fired and why? Because he lied! Angle said he’d never let a liar challenge him. Angle then jumped him and here we go.
Angle stomped on him and hit a big European uppercut on Striker and followed it up with another one. Striker came out of nowhere and began to choke Angle. Angle struggled and tried to roll him over but couldn’t. Angle’s face turned bright red as he fought his way to his feet. Striker clamped a body scissors on Angle and brought Angle back on his back.
Angle fought back to his feet again and wandered around the ring and eventually hanged Striker up on the rope. Angle hit a huge kick to the head. He went for the Angle slam and hit it. He clamped on the ankle lock and Striker tapped out with 24 seconds left.
Winner: Kurt Angle via submission
The Diva search contestants were on their way to the ring. The Diva search is next!
****Commercial****
Diva Search 2005
Christy and Coach welcomed us back and introduced the Diva Search Contestants.
Coach lined the ladies up and here we go. He said that it was ultimately the fans who voted on who would leave. He wanted to know what the Divas thought about who THEY would eliminate.
Ashley said she’d vote off Cameron. She said she didn’t think she had what it took. She said she was beautiful but she didn’t think she was Diva material.
Leila was up next. She would vote off Simona because she thinks she’s not Diva material. She doesn’t think she has the real personality or look to be the next Diva.
Summer stepped up. She said she’s vote off Simona. She said she saw her more on Vogue. She thought she was a little too pretty for WWE.
Crystal said she’d vote Elizabeth off. She said she thought she was great but since she was so talented in other areas she should be /*where.
Elizabeth said she wanted Crystal off. She thinks Crystal should go and sarcastically said she was a phenomenal painter. She told Crystal to ‘go get em’ and go /*where.
Simona said she’d vote off Summer because she thought she’d be a better Victoria’s Secret model instead.
Cameron was up last. She said Ashley because she didn’t think the WWE could handle her.
Coach and Christy got on the mic and said it was time for them to go home. Boring chants rang out in the arena. SIMONA was voted off the show. She waved and walked out of the ring and up the ramp. King tried to save the segment and question the fans thinking.
JR and King put over the return of Hulk Hogan later tonight and that we’d get a word from Shawn Michaels next!
****Commercial****
Kerwinn Whyte was in the back practicing his golf swing. Bischoff complimented him on his swing and said he’d like to join Kerwinn in a round or two. Kerwinn said he was going to join a country club. Bischoff suggested Scottsdale, AZ but Kerwinn said it was too close to the boarder. Chris Jericho walked in and thanked Bischoff for making the match tonight with Cena and Snitsky. Kerwinn then left saying if it wasn’t White, it wasn’t right. Bischoff said Jericho was being far too humble and would let him pick the lumberjacks.
Jericho then proposed a battle of the bands next week. He said they would be in Cleavland home of the Rock N Roll hall of fame. Bischoff set it for next week: Fozzy v. John Cena. Jericho said it would happen, IF Cena made it out of the building tonight.
Todd Grisham was in the back with Shawn Michaels. HBK said he was here to make a decision. HBK said he was going to give everyone an answer. He said he wanted one more match from Hogan and it’d be with him. He said it would happen if he was man enough to take the challenge.
****Commercial****
Chris Master’s music hit and he came down to the ring.
Masterlock Challenge
Masters said it was over three months and no one had broken his master lock submission. He asked for the guy who’d break the hold. He said that maybe he wasn’t offering enough money. He said he’d up the ante to $20,000.
Team Hero’s music hit and here comes ROSEY.
Chris Masters held him up and put him over as a big guy and some real competition. Masters plopped the chair down and here we go.
Rosey sat down, and Masters clamped on the lock. Rosey carried Masters all over the ring and tried to flip Masters over his head. Masters eventually gained his footing and Rosey passed out.
Winner: Chris Masters
Masters said if he said it once, he’d say it a thousand times, that no one could break his master lock. He said it didn’t matter how big it was and then the BIG SHOW’S music hit.
Big Show came down to the ring laughing and Masters hightailed it out of the ring. Show grabbed the mic and said he heard him say it didn’t matter how big they were. He said the only thing that was big on Masters was his mouth. He goaded him to come put the lock on Show.
Masters asked the crowd if they wanted to see the master lock. They said yes, and Masters of course said now. Show told him he was like a squirrel in the wintertime, that he had no nuts. Masters and Show jaw jacked as Masters walked up the ramp.
Todd Grisham was backstage with Edge. Edge put over Lita and said he wasn’t wild about being in a cage with Kane. He said the cage would also keep the other psychotic losers out of the cage. He blasted Matt Hardy (but didn’t mention him) and said he didn’t care what anyone thought. Edge shot hardcore on internet fans saying that it sucked to have his life picked apart by a bunch of nerds sitting behind a keyboard.
****Commercial****
Hulk Hogan’s music hit and he came out to the ring.
Hogan grabbed the mic. He paused to the plethora of booming “Hogan” chants.
He said he was going to tell us one thing. The first thing he’d like to do was thank all of his Hulkamaniacs for making his reality show the highest rated reality show ever on VH1. He said he would never miss being in Philly despite all his traveling lately.
He said a few weeks ago HBK super-kicked him to get his attention. He said he had his attention now. He said if he wanted his challenge answered, he’d have to come out and face Hogan like a man. HBK’s music hit and he came out to the ring to a chorus of boos.
HBK pranced on the top of the ramp. He said he’d have to pardon him from stealing some of his thunder. He said Hogan should recognize that he was all about stealing the thunder. He aid that he WOULD come down into the ring, but he was afraid if he did, they’d have to wait another two weeks to get an answer to his challenge. He said last time they were in the ring together, Hogan was on his back looking at the lights.
He said he didn’t want any excuses or press junkets getting in the way of his answer. He said he was thinking about it and for years, time after time, men have come to the ring and that they were going to be the ones to bring down Hulk Hogan. They would be the ones to end Hulkamania. He said it’s never happened. He asked Hogan what makes HBK different from all the rest? What would he show Hogan what he hasn’t already seen?
And then it hit HBK. He said Hogan has never, ever faced someone in his career with the kind of passion that he has. He never had someone to a level he had never been. He said everyone had fallen victim to Hulkamania. But HBK said he didn’t SEE the aura of Hulkamania. He said he’d push him like he’d never been pushed before, that HE would be the one who’d have to step up for the first time. He said that Hogan’s immortality has a price. He asked him if he had what it takes to pay that price. Not in the past, but today and forever.
He said if he accepted the challenge, he’d be in there with the showstopper.
Hogan cut him off and said he was paying the price in the business long before HBK even had his first match. He said when HBK was in High School, he was selling out the Spectrum. He said HBK wasn’t the first person to cheap shot Hulkamania. Hogan asked the crowd if all Shawn Michaels wanted was one more match. He said all HBK had to do was ask, because his ‘ass was on’. He said at Summerslam, it’d be Shawn Michaels v. Hulk Hogan and all his hulkamaniacs.
He told him that as he got ready, he needed to ask himself one simple question: “Whatcha gonna do at Summerslam when Hulkamania destroys you!”
Hogan posed for the fans and HBK walked to the back.
Bischoff was in the back with the lumberjacks for tonight’s match later tonight. Jericho said there were three types of people in the world; those who try, do their best, and do whatever it takes to get the job done. He said that’s why he picked them tonight. He said it was their job to make sure Cena got back in the ring if he fell out of it. He said Cena didn’t like any of them and that tonight they needed to do whatever it took to get the job done to earn respect from Cena.
The Steel Cage is being lowered and Edge v. Kane is next!
****Commercial****
Steel Cage Match
Kane v. Edge w/ Lita
As Edge circled the ring, Matt Hardy jumped the security railing and was mobbed by security before he could do anything. Edge told him to go back to the indys and booted him. Hardy actually broke free and fled from the cops and we went to commercial.
****Commercial****
We came back to Edge thumbing Kane’s eyes. Edge tried to escape the cage but he was yanked back down by the Big Red Machine. Kane sent him off the ropes but Edge countered with a DDT. Edge followed a near fall up with repeated punches in the corner. He had an Irish whip reversed and Kane hit a back body drop. He followed that up with a sidewalk slam and went to the corner and scaled the ropes. Edge caught him on his way up, but Kane countered with two big punches. Edge came running back and speared Edge between the cage and the ropes.
He then rammed Kane’s head into the steel mesh and followed up with a big forearm to the back of the head, which knocked the big man down. He picked Kane up and he was bleeding. He raked Kane’s face on the steel mesh and began clubbing away at his head. He beat him to the other side of the cage and began grinding him on the cage again. He went to whip Kane but Kane reversed it and tossed Kane into the mesh. He hit two clotheslines and another back body drop. He followed the drop up with a whip to the corner, clothesline, and a sidewalk slam. Kane scaled the ropes and hit his flying lariat.
Kane smashed Edge’s head off the buckle and mounted him in the corner and hit his ten punches in the corner, pummeling Edge to a pulp in the corner. Kane whipped Edge in and followed it up with a clothesline but got caught. Edge hit the reeling Kane with a missile drop kick and attempted to escape the cage again. Kane crotched him on the ropes and smashed his head into the steel. He followed that up with a big boot to the head, which knocked Edge off the ropes. Kane signaled for the choke slam but Edge kicked out of it with a low blow.
Edge attempted to scale the cage but Kane caught him again. Kane nailed him with a huge power bomb and went for the cover but Edge kicked out at two. Edge countered a whip attempt and nailed his spear. He went for the cover, but only got a two count. He went to escape the cage but Kane caught him. Halfway out the door, Lita handed the briefcase to Edge. Edge reeled around and attempted to hit Kane with it, but missed and Kane hit his choke slam. Kane tried to climb out of the cage but Edge hit him with the briefcase to keep him from escaping.
Edge scaled the cage and kicked Kane free and was looking good to escape, but Kane caught him again in a set up for a choke slam. Edge nailed him again with the brief case and climbed out of the cage to pick up the win.
Winner: Edge
Edge walked back up the ramp looking over his shoulder as we went to commercial.
****Commercial****
Maria was backstage with WWE Champion John Cena. She asked him if he was nervous about getting hit with an axe later tonight in his lumberjack match. Cena played off the safari trouser snake thing. Cena asked her to go get his flannel shirt for him and she obliged.
Cena said last week he’s getting punished for last week. He said he expected it because he said he looked Bischoff in the eye and told him this was a new Raw. He said Jericho and Bischoff can be lovers if they want. He said he’d be in the ring, taking names and kicking ass. He said the champ was here and the lumberjack match is next.
****Commercial****
A video showed of the Cena FU on Eric Bischoff.
Lumberjack Match—Non Title
WWE Champion John Cena v. Snitsky
Snitsky landed a big kick to the gut, which sent Cena to the outside. Cena fought off Rob Conway and then yanked the rope down on Snitsky sending him to the outside, but he wasn’t harmed. The two locked up in the middle of the ring and Snitsky backed the champion into the corner. Snitsky and Cena traded shots before Cena got the brief advantage before getting kicked in the gut. Snitsky got hit with a shoulder block and a back body drop before sending Cena to the mat. The lumberjacks went after him and went to work.
Jericho beat on him a bit before throwing him back to Snitsky as we go to commercial.
****Commercial****
Snitsky had Cena in a choke inside the ring when we returned. It was a modified million dollar dream. Cena fought out of it with some punches but Snitsky nailed him with a spine-buster. He went for the cover but only got a two count. Snitsky hit a good-looking neck-breaker and this time only got a one count on the cover attempt. Snitsky pressed his advantage, going for a suplex, but Cena reversed it. He followed it up with some shots to the gut and to the head, but he was tripped up by Jericho and thrown into the ring steps.
Jericho went on the attack stomping away at Cena on the outside before tossing him back inside again. Snitsky Stomped away at Cena and went for another cover and got another near fall. Snitsky choked away at the Champion on the mat and went for yet another cover. Snitsky clamped on a cobra clutch looking hold again as Jericho chirped from the outside.
Cena fought his way to his feet and hit some punches before knocking a nagging Jericho off the ring apron. Snitsky nailed Cena with a huge lariat and got the near fall. Jericho threw a fit outside. Snitsky clamped on a reverse chin lock as the crowd tried to bring Cena back into the match. Cena fought his way up and hit some knees to the gut before getting raked in the eyes.
Snitsky hit one Irish whip and followed with a clothesline but missed him on the second attempt. Cena went for the FU immediately but Angle hit a chop block and Cena kicked out at 2. Snitsky tossed Cena to the outside and the lumberjacks beat the heck out of Cena.
They picked him up for Jericho who cleaned up on the champion. He was thrown into the ring as Snitsky sized him up. Snitsky hit him with a huge boot to the head but Cena kicked out yet again. Snitsky went for his pump handle slam, but Cena countered out of it and hit a big DDT. All of a sudden Shelton Benjamin and Big Show came down to the ring to even up the odds along with Rosey and Hurricane. Val Venis showed as well as Tajiri and Viscera.
Bischoff then shoed up on the ramp looking very pissed off. Jericho grabbed a chair and went into the ring with it but got caught by Cena. Snitsky came at him with the chair but Cena quickly snagged the big man, avoided the chair shot, hit the FU, and got the 1, 2, and 3.
Winner: WWE Champion John Cena
Cena left up the ramp while Jericho threw a fit in the ringRAW THOUGHTSThe GOOD-- There wasn’t a whole heck of a lot to get excited about tonight. Angles progressed well enough I suppose but nothing popped out as being overly great.
The Kane-Edge cage match was very strong, I felt. The HBK-Hogan segment was VERY good.
God forbid, I’m even giving props to the Cena-Snitsky match, which came off well I thought.
Thank god the Masterlock challenge now has a point to it!
Tha BAD-- I have to say I was most definitely disappointed in a few things tonight.
WWE pulled the cork on the Matt Hardy run in way too early. It didn’t come off nearly as well as it did last week.
Striker-Angle was a little pointless and VERY anti-climatic.
The UGLY-- The Diva search thing is getting bad to the point where now it seems as if mainstream fans are even pooping on it. It’s unnecessary and takes up too much time. But then again, I don’t know if it would have mattered tonight.
Overall- C--- I don’t think I could have dreamed up a more boring show then tonight. Everything seemed extremely anti-climatic and just plain dull. Edge-Kane was a lot better than I thought it’d be as was Cena-Snitsky, but I really, maybe for the first time in a long time, don’t feel like I’ve got much at all to say.
Quick Results
Shelton Benjamin def. Carlito
Kurt Angle def. Matt Striker
Edge def. Kane in a Steel Cage
John Cena def. Snitsky
Who’s Hot, Who’s Not?
Biggest Pops
1. Hulk Hogan
2. John Cena
3. Big Show
4. Kane
Most Heat
1. Shawn Michaels
2. Eric Bischoff
3. Edge
4. Chris Masters
Match of the Night: Edge v. Kane—Steel Cage Match **1/2
Power Rankings
WWE Champion: John Cena (LAST WEEK: WWE Champion)-- Another good outing for Cena, and the Jericho thing is progressing slowly but surely. A budding feud with Bischoff on the side looks interesting as well. Nothing really up or down really.
Intercontinental Champion: Carlito (LAST WEEK: IC Champion)-- Not a good week for Carlito again. He’s not making any progress with his title. Floundering.
1. Chris Jericho (LAST WEEK: 2)—Progressed his feud with Cena well. Lots of interaction with Bischoff and Cena adds good heat to the feud.
2. Shawn Michaels (LAST WEEK: 1)—A good segment with Hogan, but not anything that hasn’t been done already. Hogan’s doing a better job of getting HBK over as a heel than HBK is at the moment.
3. Edge (LAST WEEK: 6)—Edge makes the biggest leap. The Hardy thing unfolds a bit more, although it was bland. Another win over Kane seemingly puts him back on the right track.
4. Kurt Angle (LAST WEEK: 4)—Angle seriously has nothing going on right now. There was really no point in bringing back Matt Striker again the way they did. Angle is the best all around worker on the roster, there’s no excuse to leave him with nothing to do.
5. Kane (LAST WEEK: 3)—Kane slips a bit this week, losing a match he really didn’t HAVE to lose to Edge this week. They can’t seem to do much with him outside of Edge for some reason. Seems like the WWE is buying time. At least Edge didn’t look TOO bad tonight.
6. Big Show (LAST WEEK: 9)—Big Show finally has something to do and some genuine heat for this program. Probably as ideal a thing as he could be doing right now.
7. Shelton Benjamin ( LAST WEEK: 5)—Slides back down again. The Carlito thing has really lost its heat. Shelton desperately needs some direction, as I don’t see him going over in this feud.
8. Chris Masters (LAST WEEK: NR)—Believe it or not, this is probably the last time you’ll ever see Masters ahead of Triple H in any rankings anywhere. He’s got his first feud going and I actually give a crap.
9. Triple H (LAST WEEK: 7)—Not on TV again this week. In a downward spiral.
10. Snitsky (LAST WEEK: 10)—Snitsky get a little more TV time, and delivers with a great neck-breaker. Worthy of the top 10 by WWE standards.
Any Questions, comments, or feedback send email me at Raw@wrestleview.com.