On Tuesday, October 18, 2005 at 12:37 AM EST WWE RAW
October 17, 2005
Sacramento, CA
Commentator: Jerry Lawler & The Coach
Reported By: Hunter Golden of WrestleView.com
***Apologies for not having this up earlier guys. My server went down last night and didn’t get up and running again until this morning. Thank you all for your patience!***
A video aired recapping the dismissal of Jim Ross.
Mr. McMahon’s music hit the arena and he came out to the stage with a microphone in hand. He welcomed everyone to Raw. He said in a little over two weeks Raw would present Taboo Tuesday and put over it being interactive. He said the fans would have the power.
Last week, however, he said the fans didn’t have any power as his wife fired Jim Ross. He said she did it with class. He said she would address the situation tonight live from the world headquarters in Connecticut. He said there was a rumor that a ‘certain individual’ was on his way to Raw tonight. He said that person claimed to be JR’s best friend and that it was Stone Cold Steve Austin. He said not to be surprised if he kicked Stone Cold’s ‘beer-swilling’ ass.
He said he wasn’t here to appease Steve Austin, JR, or the fans. He admitted though, that JR had made some great contributions to WWE in the past and that he asked the producer to put together a video package commemorating JR’s accomplishments in the WWE.
The clip aired and it was mostly of JR getting beat up and included shots of his being set on fire, getting a bottle stomped on his head, and kissing Mr. McMahon’s ass a few years back. The final clip was him being fired last week.
McMahon was on the ramp reveling in the heat from the crowd. He said he’d never forget JR. He said the show has to go on and introduced us to the new lead announcer on Raw, Jonathon Coachman.
Coach’s music hit and he came out to the stage wearing a cowboy hat and McMahon called him “good ole Coach”. Coach sauntered over to the broadcast booth and thanked Mr. McMahon. He said business was about to pick up but then he said he looked at JR as a father figure, and a fat, past his prime figure. He put himself over as the new voice of the ‘beef’.
Mr. McMahon was in the back and was approached by Kurt Angle. He said he was going to announce a number 1 contender last week and he didn’t. He put over his pin over Cena and McMahon said he was going to talk to Eric Bischoff.
Hurricane came in and said JR was the voice of Raw and said Coach connived his way into the position. He asked what’s up with that. McMahon looked at him and then asked Angle to ‘sick him’. Angle pummeled Hurricane out to the arena.
Angle tossed Hurricane into the ring and stomped him before backing him into the corner and landing some big punched and stomps. Angle hit some European uppercuts, which knocked the super hero to the mat. Hurricane came to life when Angle picked him up though, punching away and catching Angle as he came at him with a back elbow. Hurricane hit a drop kick but missed a roundhouse kick, which was turned into the ankle lock. Hurricane tapped repeatedly but since the match wasn’t official, no referee rang the bell. A group of referees came out to the ring and broke up the hold. Angle’s music hit and he went back through the crowd and to the back.
The camera’s panned to the back of the arena, waiting for the arrival of Steve Austin.
Coach put over Carlito’s Cabana later tonight which will feature Mick Foley.
A video putting over tonight’s return of Kane aired.
****Commercial****
King came out to join Jonathon Coachman. Coach apologized for not bringing him out earlier and he wanted to give him his own entrance. The two sat down to begin the show.
McMahon asked Bischoff if he liked having him sick Kurt Angle on the Hurricane earlier. Bischoff said it was good. McMahon said he wanted Bischoff to empower the crowd at Taboo Tuesday. He asked who would be in the main event.
Bischoff said it would be a triple threat match He said Kurt Angle would get his shot against Cena and the third participant would be one of three participants that would be decided in matches later tonight. He said Big Show would face Edge, Shawn Michaels would face an opponent, and the third man would be chosen from the winner of an 18 man over the top rope battle royal.
Taboo Tuesday Qualifying Match
Edge v. The Big Show
The two locked up and Big Show tossed Edge to the floor immediately. Edge climbed back into the ring and attempted another lock up and went to a go behind and couldn’t move the Giant. Show butt-bumped him back to the corner and Edge tried to figure out another way to avoid Show, but was tossed back in the corner. Edge reversed and tried to whip show, but again, was tossed over the top rope to the floor.
****Commercial****
We came back with Big Show shushing the crowd, but he got caught with a thumb to the eye. Edge tried to fight his way out of the corner, but he got knocked back to the corner and hit with two big frying-pan chops. Edge retreated to the outside and Show crashed into the ring steps as Edge dodged his rush.
Back in the ring, Edge stomped away on Show, before putting him in a top hammerlock. Show rolled out of it, sending Edge reeling. Lita jumped on Show long enough to allow Edge to regain the advantage. Show tossed Edge into the corner again but caught a big boot and a top rope tornado DDT and was nearly pinned.
Edge went right back to work on the arm as Show attempted to fight his way to his feet. Straddling Show’s arm, Edge tugged away but Show eventually picked him up and hit something resembling a back suplex. The referee started his count and the two fought their way to their feet. Show went for the choke slam, but Edge countered out of it and went for a DDT. Show shoved him off though but missed the follow up charge in the corner. Edge went for a missile drop kick but got caught in the choke slam. Edge fought off Show though and countered with a spear.
He went out to the ringside area and tried to grab his briefcase, but all of a sudden, JBL’s music hit. Edge was distracted long enough for Show to snare Edge in the choke slam and hit it. Show made the cover for the three count.
Winner: Big Show via pin fall
The Cabana is next!
A video showed hyping the two minute sell out of Wrestlemania XXII.
****Commercial****
Edge and Lita were in the back pissed off about the JBL ‘interference’ in his match. He asked Bischoff what they were going to do. Bischoff said Edge kept the Raw v. Smackdown thing going and asked him what HE was going to do. Edge told Bischoff to tune into Smackdown on Friday to see what he was going to do.
Carlito’s Cabana w/ Mick Foley
Carlito said tonight he was going to beat Shawn Michaels and qualify for the main event at Taboo Tuesday. He said that would be cool. He aid what wasn’t cool was that a picture was worth a thousand words and showed a picture of JR on the titan tron. Mick Foley’s music hit and he came down to the ring.
Foley said it was cool to be in the ring with him. He said he didn’t like the cabana but it was cool to be with someone with worse looking hair than him. He said he was just kidding. He said that last week was a travesty. He said JR was the best announcer in WWE history. He aid he considered Linda McMahon to be a friend and that made it tough for him to watch it.
Linda beamed in on the Titan Tron and interrupted Foley. She said in business you need to make the tough decisions. She said JR said her kick enflamed the need for his colon surgery. Linda McMahon wished JR nothing but the best in his future endeavors. She said she hoped everyone would pray for his good health. She told Foley to have a nice day.
Carlito put his arm around Foley and said JR was gone. He said he was now outs of shape, unemployed loser, just like Foley. Carlito said that’s why he brought him to the Cabana. He said he must be the least coolest person Carlito has ever seen. He asked him what it was like to be so uncool. Foley said that he had him. Foley said he wasn’t cool. He also said he didn’t know if he wanted to be cool.
He said he had an ironic twist. He said even though he didn’t want to be cool, fans thought he was cool. He said Carlito was cool. He had a cool accent, cabana, shirt, and hair. He said sure enough, after they talk to him, they think he’s a horse’s ass. He asked Carlito what he’d do about it.
Carlito grabbed and apple but Foley cut him off and dared him to spit it on him. He said Carlito shouldn’t be worried about eating produce, but whether or not he really could produce in the ring against HBK later tonight. He said HBK would beat him like a government mule and that that would be cool. He said have a nice day and left.
Shawn Michaels v. Carlito is next!
A clip of the parking lot showed again as we await the arrival of Steve Austin.
****Commercial****
Taboo Tuesday Qualifying Match
Carlito v. Shawn Michaels
The action quickly spilled out onto the floor. Carlito flung HBK into the barricade before smashing his back into the ring apron. Carlito went for the cover in the ring before backing Michaels into the ropes and landing some punches and chops. Carlito persisted in punching away at Michaels. He knocked HBK down again and picked him up and hit a body slam. He only got a one count on the cover attempt.
Carlito slammed HBK into the corner again and then whipped him off the ropes and flat backed him with a big shoulder block. Michaels got knocked to the ring apron and Carlito hit a clubbing blow before dragging him back between the ropes. Carlito hit some shoulder thrusts in the corner but HBK fought out with some chops. HBK hit a boot to the gut, a chop and then had an Irish whip attempt reversed. HBK came clattering off the buckles and Carlito got a near fall. Carlito clamped on a rear chin lock. Michaels fought his way to his feet and landed some punches to the gut with a big chop.
HBK whipped Carlito but got nailed with a kick. Carlito choked Michaels with his knee before hitting another big chop that floored HBK. Another near fall happened before Carlito knocked HBK over the top rope and to the floor.
Carlito gathered HBK and tossed him back in and got yet another near fall. HBK caught Carlito with a punch to the gut but got nailed with a big leg drop. Carlito went to the top rope and caught a high cross body but it was countered and Michaels nearly got the pin fall. HBK nipped back up and hit a chop followed by a suplex that resulted in both men laying outside the ring as we went to commercial.
****Commercial****
Michaels mounted the comeback, scaling the ropes and hitting his patented flying elbow. He went to go for sweet chin music but Carlito ducked under and got a roll up with his feet on the ropes that got a two count. Carlito attempted to whip Michaels into the referee but was unsuccessful. Michaels stopped just short of clattering into the official but Carlito gave him an extra bump to insure that contact was made. Carlito went to the outside and collected a chair from ringside. He went to plaster HBK with it, but the first shot was ducked under as was the second and Michaels connected with Sweet Chin Music for the pin fall victory.
Winner: Shawn Michaels via pin fall
Michaels made his way back up the ramp only to be greeted by a very stern looking Ric Flair.
****Commercial****
Flair was in the ring. He said that Triple H told fans last week that he was the greatest wrestler in history and worshiped the ground he walked on. He said that sign of respect shows that he has a soft spot, but because of his attack two weeks ago, that he now had a fire lit up under his ass. He said that he had a desire to achieve a level that he hadn’t achieved in 15 years. Flair told a story about a brass ring that he carried around in his pocket that he owned. He said it reminded him that he was the best wrestler alive. He said he gave the ring to Triple H and now regrets it. He said that he knew he was 20 years older before elbow-dropping his blazer. He ran down the plane crash and that six months later, he was wearing gold. He put over his almost being hit by Lightning as well and said he had no reason to fear Triple H. He said that every day he has to look at his cut in the mirror and began whaling away at it, until it opened and began to bleed. He called Triple H out to the ring and Triple H soon came out with a mic. As he went to speak, Flair came charging at him with a baseball bat, and Triple H took off.
****Commercial****
The cameras flashed to the back on the prowl for Stone Cold again.
Maria was with Carlito. He said Foley screwed him out of his match. He challenged Foley to a match at Taboo Tuesday.
Torrie Wilson, Candice, & Victoria v. Trish Stratus, Ashley, & Mickie James
Trish started the match with Victoria. Victoria slapped Trish before being whipped off the ropes and hit with a Lou Thesz press. Trish hit a spinning hurricanranna and tagged in Mickie James. James came right off the top rope with a flying body press before planing both Candice and Torrie. Victoria hit her with a big back breaker before gathering her up and slapping her. She went for the whip and follow up but James caught her with a hurricanranna out of the corner. Victoria rolled her up though on the follow up and scored the pin fall.
Winners: Victoria, Torrie Wilson, & Candice
James was confused after losing the match and to make up for the loss, hit the Stratusfaction on Victoria.
We came to the back quick to see Stone Cold pulling into the arena. Austin drove his truck into the arena taking out a bunch of set lighting before driving the truck right into the arena. He got out of the truck and came into the ring.
****Commercial****
Austin was standing in the ring with a mic. Austin said he was going to try to maintain his composure so he could get his message across. He said he was with the company ten years and gave it everything he had. He said through all the times, good and bad, he only had one friend and that was Jim Ross. He said he was always there for him and was ticked off that JR was treated like crap last week. He said it was complete B--- Sh--.
He said he only had one man to address and that was Vince McMahon. He said he had forty-eight beers and he’d wait as long as he needed to.
Stephanie McMahon’s music hit the arena and Steph came down to the ring.
Steph said Austin looked disappointed to see her. Austin told her to shut up and listen up. He said he didn’t understand the McMahon’s. He said he thought Vince was weird talking about his balls all the time and thought Steph was really weird. He said her breath smelt like crap and he’d stun his first transvestite. Stephanie blamed Austin for JR’s being fired. He said he didn’t understand. He said he thought it was weird that JR was fired for his stunning the entire McMahon family. Steph said that’s why JR wasn’t here.
Austin said he didn’t have anything to do with what he did. He said he was going to take his frustrations out on Vince McMahon but because she was here, he’d put her on his knee, pull her skirt up and be careful to not let her balls fall out, and give her a spanking.
Coach stood up and said hell no. He told him not to even think about attacking Stephanie McMahon. He said JR was gone and wasn’t coming back. He said no one wanted JR back and no one wanted Austin here. He told him to get in his pretty little truck, put his tail between his legs, and rides out of Arco Arena like the scalded dog he was. Austin called him a kiss-ass, ass sucking son of a bitch. He said he was going to make his way up to Coach and kick his ass anyway.
Stephanie stopped him. Austin impersonated her and said he’d do whatever he felt like. Steph said she had a proposition for him and Austin said he didn’t have any money. She said he could get JR’s job back and she’d give him the opportunity to do just that.
Stephanie said if he faced Jonathon Coachman at Taboo Tuesday, he’d win JR’s job back. Stephanie promised him. Austin agreed to the match. Stephanie left the ring and stopped at the top of the ramp and said that if he lost, he’d be fired. Austin said he understood and flipped her off.
Austin left the ring and came towards the announce booth. Austin asked Coach what he was doing and Coach said he didn’t want any of him. Austin dared him to hit him. Austin crushed Coach’s sunglasses and asked him if that made him mad. He ripped off Coach’s shirt and took the cowboy hat as well. He asked Coach if he was supposed to be scared of him. Austin poured some beer into his cowboy hat and put it back on Coach’s head. He said he’d see him in two weeks.
The battle royal is next!
****Commercial****
Bischoff said that one of the matches at Taboo Tuesday we could vote on would be Triple H v. Ric Flair. We’ll also be able to vote on Mick Foley v. Carlito. He said we’d have a fulfill your fantasy battle royal as well.
He said the winner of this battle royal would be eligible to compete in the triple threat match against John Cena and Kurt Angle at Taboo Tuesday. John Cena’s music hit the arena and he walked towards Bischoff waved his hands in his face and walked off to the announce booth.
Bischoff introduced Kane to the mix and we’re ready to go.
The order of elimination is as follows.
Taboo Tuesday Qualifying Match
Battle Royal
1. Carlito by Kane
2. Viscera by Kane
3. Snitsky by Kane
4. Rosey by Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch
5. Eugene by Rob Conway
6. Rob Conway by Eugene
7. Cade by Kane
8. Murdoch by Kane
9. Kerwinn White by Shelton Benjamin
10. Shelton Banjamin by Kane
11. Val Venis by Kane
12. Heart Throbs by Kane
13. Chris Masters by Kane
Winner: Kane
Cena and Kane stared each other down as the show went off the air.RAW THOUGHTSThe Good--WWE really went out of their way to try and spike ratings tonight. The JR story line looks to be a little interesting, Flair-HHH picked up some nice steam, and we’re seeing the seeds of a Smackdown v. Raw feud.
The line up for Taboo Tuesday looks very entertaining especially considering this pay per view has clearly been tossed together at the last minute and loaded with stars in an attempt to spike buys.
The Bad-- For the same reasons this show was fun, it was also very lack luster. If the WWE is declaring a new era, then they need to show us new stars. Don’t pull Foley, Austin, and their likeness out of the closet for round 15. Give the fans something new. Don’t say anything you’re not intent on following up on.
The Ugly-- The Battle Royal was just plain disappointing. It could have easily been tossed to the middle of the show if it was going to be used the way it was. The entire show was taken up by stars from the past in a vain attempt to resurrect the dead. Again, fun, but entirely counter productive to what they should be trying to accomplish.
Overall C-- I’ve gotten quite used to the WWE disappointing me by now but after tonight I feel a little more unsettled than usual. Vince clearly is trying to resurrect the past in hopes that it might have one more round. Foley, Austin, Flair, Michaels, Triple H, and Angle are all on Taboo Tuesday’s card. Kane and Big Show will likely be there as well. The only real ‘new’ stars we’re going to see will be Cena and Carlito. That’s a HUGE issue. Again, if the WWE wants to usher in a new era, then do so by putting over new stars. Again, I’m not saying tonight wasn’t fun. I wouldn’t call it a blast by any means either, but it’s always cool to see the old guard. Unfortunately though, the luster is wearing off. Maybe I’m the only one, but for some reason I came out feeling very defeated. When Mick Foley gets a lack luster pop, you know you’re in trouble.
Quick Results
Big Show def. Edge
Shawn Michaels def. Carlito
Torrie Wilson, Victoria, & Candice def. Trish Stratus, Ashley, and Mickie James
Kane won the Taboo Tuesday Qualifying Battle Royal
Who’s Hot, Who’s Not?
Biggest Pops
1. Stone Cold Steve Austin
2. Shawn Michaels
3. Ric Flair
4. John Cena
Most Heat
1. Triple H
2. Stephanie McMahon
3. Vince McMahon
4. Carlito
Match of the Night: Edge v. The Big Show **
Power RankingsWWE Champion: John Cena (LAST WEEK: WWE Champion)-- He’s the WWE Champion and he got 10 minutes of airtime, maybe. Less than that other than some lame comments in the announce booth. Cena was sitting in the back seat to everyone /* all night. Not the way to use your top guy
Intercontinental Champion: Ric Flair (LAST WEEK: IC Champion)-- Great flip out promo from Flair and I loved the story about the brass ring. Flair really came over as a guy you felt for but at the same time thought was very unstable. It makes a cool mix and this feud is really off to the right start.
1.) Kurt Angle (LAST WEEK: 1)--Kurt Angle has rabies. He was ‘sicked’ on Hurricane. Ankle lock, whoopee. Angle for whatever reason, is really boring me. The intense Angle just lacks the depth his previous characters have had.
2.) Shawn Michaels (LAST WEEK: 2)--Michaels wins, will likely win the voting at Taboo Tuesday. Shocker. Is anyone /* seeing a fatal four way at Taboo Tuesday? Am I the only one who could care less?
3.) Edge (LAST WEEK: 3)-- Edge I thought, looked great tonight. His frequent encounters with Big Show almost makes me think the WWE may be using my idea (well, theirs really, but I’ve been pushing this for months) and putting the belt on him at Taboo Tuesday only to face Big Show at Survivor Series. WWE does this now and then a few weeks before a feud to test the waters.
4.) Big Show (LAST WEEK:4)-- Show wins, but in my eyes, he isn’t moving past Edge. He’s not going to win the balloting and won sorta dirty. Taboo Tuesday puts a wrench in these things.
5.) Triple H (LAST WEEK: 5)-- A very quiet night for the Game, basically just making an appearance and leaving just as quick as he came.
6.) Carlito(LAST WEEK: 7)-- I was very disappointed in his performance on the cabana tonight, but equally impressed with his work against Michaels, which I thought has been the best performance of his career thus far. I’ll give the Foley thing a go, but I’m not excited for it, not like I was for the Orton feud.
7.) Chris Masters (LAST WEEK: 6) -- Last man eliminated in the battle royal. Other than that, don’t expect to see him on TV anytime soon. With Foley, Austin, etc monopolizing airtime, he might as well go on vacation.
8.) Rob Conway (LAST WEEK: 8)-- Little activity
9.) Kerwin White (LAST WEEK: 9)-- Little activity.
10.) Shelton Benjamin (LAST WEEK: 10)-- Little activity.
Dropping Out: N/A
Any Questions, comments, or feedback send email me at Raw@wrestleview.com.