On Monday, June 5, 2006 at 11:52 PM EST WWE Raw
June 5, 2006
Pittsburgh, PA
Commentators: Jim Ross & Jerry "The King" Lawler
Reported By: Hunter Golden of WrestleView.com
Shane McMahon approached Triple H in the back. He said he knew the whole sledge hammer thing was an accident. He said they’d be always cool but his dad... Triple H said he wouldn’t kiss his father’s ass. Shane said it was embarrassing for him to see that. He said he didn’t see it happen to Triple H. He said Triple H needed to do something about it. He said he needed to reason with him, because if he didn’t, it’d only get worse.
The opening pyro hit and the announcers welcomed us.
Rob Van Dam-John Cena title match Contract Signing
Van Dam came out to a huge reaction and was introduced to us by Paul Heyman. Coach introduced WWE Champion John Cena. King put over how disgraceful it would be to lose the title to an ECW wrestler. Coach started the proceedings. Van Dam went to sign the contract. He said it’d be six days before he became the WWE champion. The crowd was split 50-50. He said he would rename it the ECW World title. He said he hoped he’d be prepared for the fight, the hardcore action that brings out the best in him. He said for this extremely judgmental crowd would be happy to boo him right out the door. He said the chain gang wouldn’t be present at One Night Stand.
Heyman said he was walking into the most unique environment atmosphere in sports entertainment history. He said whether ‘you can’t hear them tonight or not’ they’d be there in mass to cheer against him.
Cena laughed and sat back in his chair. He said he was damn right that they were passionate fans and he was an ECW fan. He said he respected everything ECW did for this business. He said just because he had to go to RVD’s house and play by his rules and get boo’d by his fans, don’t think that he’d just lie down and hand him the title. He said everyone in this building knew RVD would fight for ECW. But he said he needed to understand that he had fought and bled to keep the WWE title. He said to hold on to that title, he stepped into cages with pit bulls, that he feared nothing and regretted less. He said he’d been boo’d out of more than a few buildings but still had the nuts to smile in the devil’s face. He said before he got excited, , he needed to get his mind straight. He said this could be the only crack he’d get at Cena. He said he’d be ready. He said at One Night Stand, his target would be him. He shook his hand and went to walk off.
Heyman said his first taste of ECW would be this Wednesday night at WWE v. ECW show on USA. 10 superstars from the WWE brands against the ECW folks. He said they’d go head to head in a battle royal. He said he brought a few of the participants in the battle royal here tonight.
Balls Mahoney, The Sandman, Tommy Dreamer, and Terry Funk came out to the ring. Cena was laughing in the ring. Cena said he must guess, these guys were here for John Cena autographs. He said if he was going down, he was going down swinging. The ECW guys decimated the champion. Sabu came running down with a chair. He got on the top rope and dove off, driving the steel chair across Cena’s head and through a table.
The Raw superstars shot out of the back in a hurry to save their champion. The ECW superstars fled to the stands and stared down at the frustrated Cena and his peers.
****Commercial****
Carlito v. Shelton Benjamin
Shelton came at Carlito with some punches before gathering him into the corner. Carlito countered and hit a drop kick to shift the momentum and followed up with a reverse elbow. Shelton eventually turned the tables and gave Carlito snake eyes on the top turnbuckle. He snap marred his opponent over and clamped on a reverse chin lock. Carlito fought back but eventually found himself dumped to the floor. Shelton brought Carlito back in and began to berate and taunt him. He shot him off the ropes but Carlito ducked under the clothesline and the two ended up hitting clotheslines on each other.
The two fought to their feet and Carlito hit a punch to the gut after a stiff kick to the gut. Carlito hit a springboard back elbow and got a near fall for his efforts. Shelton popped right back up and nailed a Samoan drop but couldn’t capitalize, missing the stinger splash. Carlito nailed his back cracker and got the pin fall on the IC champion.
Winner: Carlito via pin fall
Another promo aired for Kane’s movie “See No Evil”.
Triple H was in the back outside Mr. Mcmahon’s office. He walked in and the Coach was in there. He said Vince would be expecting him and he’d make sure McMahon knew he was in his office. Triple H stared at a photo of Shawn Michael’s face buried in the boss’s backside.
****Commercial****
Triple H was still in Vince’s office, still bothered by the photo on the wall. Vince walked in saying tonight was the night. He asked the Game what was wrong. He said he gets taken care of in NY all the time and he had his private parts shaved and waxed. He said he did it for Triple H. The Game almost lost it.
He said for one second, if he thought he’d embarrass himself he was nuts. Vince called him a poor leader. He said if he didn’t kiss his butt, he’d get everyone /* in the locker room to do it. Triple H said Vince needed another plan. So Vince said he had another plan. Vince said he’d have to face the Big Show right now to try and get out of it.
****Commercial****
Big Show v. Triple H
Show tried to corner the Game but Triple H ducked out and hit some punches but was easily put down by a head but. Show followed up with some chops in the corner. Show continued to work over the Game but eventually was sling shotted through the ropes to the outside. The Spirit Squad came down to the ringside area and attacked Show, causing Triple H to get disqualified.
Winner: Big Show via DQ
After the match Triple H stormed to the back.
****Commercial****
Triple H was furious at Vince McMahon. Vince said he didn’t want to hear about it. Triple H would become a member of the kiss my ass club.
Eugene v. Matt Striker
Eugene and Striker prom’d before the match and Eugene said he had found a tutor. Hacksaw Jim Duggan came out to a huge pop.
Striker jumped Eugene before the bell and hit a brutal implant DDT on Eugene right after the bell. He immediately clamped on a modified rear chin lock on the special wrestler. He broke the hold on his own and tried to ram Eugene’s head off the buckles but Eugene ‘hulked up’. He hit an airplane spin on Striker before going for a Rock bottom.
Striker countered out and hit a reverse neck breaker off his knees. Hacksaw started a USA chant which distracted Striker and allowed Eugene to hit a rock bottom and get the pin fall win.
Winner; Eugene via pin fall
Striker went nuts after the match assaulting Eugene after the match. Hacksaw broke it up but found himself jumped by Umaga. Umaga came diving off the apron with a head butt and drove it deep into the heart of Duggan. He hit his Samoan Spike.
Estrada cut a promo afterwards putting down Jim Duggan. He said he may be a hero and a legend, but that couldn’t keep him from becoming another victim of Umaga.
****Commercial****
*Note: Due to Satelite issues, I was unable to recap this segment. Credit for the recap of this segment goes to Pro Wrestling Torch.com*
Kurt Angle came out to his full ring intro. His hometown crowd chanted, "Angle, Angle." Lawler said it was a dark day when he was drafted to ECW. Angle said nothing was going to stop their Olympic hero from coming back to Pittsburgh, Pa. Mick Foley interrupted. He accused Angle of getting a blatant cheap pop. "Come on, that's my deal, Kurt," he said. He said ECW is nothing but a bunch of cheap, second-rate Mick Foley ripoffs. Angle stopped him there. "You want me to give you a nice cheap Mick Foley ripoff, like selling out to anyone who is willing to give the biggest amount of cash right in front of your face? How about losing every bit of my wrestilng ability and becoming a bona fide stuntman? Everything Ric Flair said about you, it's true." Angle asked if he had a point coming out there. Foley said he did. He said he heard Heyman announce on Smackdown that he had an open challenge. "Since it was coming out of Heyman's mouth, I naturally assumed it was a lie," he said. Angle said, "It's true, it's damn true." He said he knows he has a tag match with Dreamer & Funk, but "now that Mrs. Foley's baby boy is now Mrs. Foley's giant hairy prostitute, after you lose that tag match this Sunday, won't you accept my open challenge and get yourself an extra paycheck so I can whip your ass and break your ankle in two."
Lita walked out and whispered to Foley. "Speaking of hairy prostitutes," said Angle. Foley said they have a special visitor for Angle, and it's almost like "This Is Your Life, Kurt Angle." He told Angle to say hello to the man who has more wins over him than anyone /* in WWE - Edge." Edge came out with the Hardcore Title belt. Edge bragged about shaving Angle's "noggin'" bald. He compared Angle not to the almighty Pittsburgh Steelers, but to the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates. He said he's like Willy Stargell. He said not the baseball star, but the rotting corpse that's been dead several years. That's a bit tasteless, huh? Edge said Angle's hometown fans will never see him again because as soon as he was drafted by ECW, his career ended. He said he won't fit in. He said the first time he experienced ECW, he walked away in disgust. He asked him what makes him think it'll be different this time. The crowd interrupted Edge with an "asshole" chant. Angle said he agrees with the fans. Edge said he has a shot at the WWE Title at Vengeance, but what does he have? He said Angle went from the penthouse to the outhouse. He said he won't last two weeks in ECW.
Angle told Edge that growing up in Pittsburgh, he was told he couldn't do anything, but he always proves them wrong. Angle said the ECW of ten years ago won't be like the new ECW because he'll single-handedly change it. He asked Edge if there was anyone in ECW capable of this. He then took Edge down for an anklelock, but Foley attacked him from behind. Edge joined in. Angle fended off Foley and then put on an anklelock briefly before Edge slithered out of the ring. Randy Orton ran into the ring and gave Angle an RKO from behind. "What in the hell is Randy Orton doing here?" said Ross. Boy, WWE doesn't like below-average ratings too many weeks in a row. They're trying to pop a rating with a variety of non-Raw wrestlers tonight.
****Commercial****
Randy Orton was in the back and said he didn’t forget about the broken ankle he received from Kurt Angle. He said at One Night Stand, he’d challenge Angle.
Kane v. Lance Cade
Cade came right at Kane but got nailed with an upper cut and a big boot to the face. Kane whipped him to the corner and hit two huge running clotheslines which laid Cade out on the mat. Kane followed up with a side slam before knocking Trevor Murdoch stupid and out to the floor. Kane mounted the top rope and flew off with his flying lariat. He clamped on the choke slam and nailed it. The lights went out and then the voices came to. Kane took off to the back to take care of business and as a result got counted out.
Winner: Lance Cade
Kane was in the back looking for his man. The lights went out. He yelled at his opposition who stared him down and took him out pretty aggressively. He tossed a garbage can off Kane’s head and left him.
****Commercial****
Rory and Rob McAllister, aired a promo video for themselves. They put over their leaving their homeland in the Scottish highlands to compete in the WWE. He said the Highlanders have come to America. They put on some beard covers (statue of liberty hats) and went on tourism. Great, funny promo video.
Johnny Nitro w/Melina v. Charlie Haas
The two circled up and locked up in the middle of the ring. Haas hit a quick sequence of body slams before Nitro retreated to the corner. The two locked up again and into the ropes they went. Nitro hit a thumb to the eyes on the break and dropkicked Haas to the outside. Nitro gathered Haas and hit a neck breaker and followed up by whipping him into the buckles. Haas fought out of a rest hold and hit a back suplex to buy himself some time. Haas followed up with a pair of clotheslines. Haas whipped him to the buckles and face planted Nitro with a monkey flip. Haas continued the assault to the degree that Melina felt the need to interject herself.
She climbed into the ring and tripped, holding her ankle and screaming. The referee was distracted and it allowed Nitro to cinch a roll up on Haas and grab the tights for the win. Melina faked the injury.
Winner: Johnny Nitro via pin fall
****Commercial****
Victoria w/ Mickie James v. Beth Phoenix
The two exchanges blows in the ring to start off the match. Victoria capitalized and hit a face buster before spiking Beth’s head off the mat and getting a near fall. Victoria choked Beth out on the ropes before hitting a big knee to her back. Victoria whipped Beth’s head off the ropes and again went for a cover but only got a two count. Victoria hit some stomps but had a vertical suplex counted. Beth and Victoria traded blows in the middle of the ring before Beth hit a chop and some clotheslines. Beth hit some kicks before hitting a monster side slam. Mickie James jumped up on the apron though and Trish yanked her down. Victoria however rolled up Beth but the ref was distracted again by Trish. Beth hit her falcon arrow finisher to pick up the win.
Winner: Beth Phoenix
Another promo video aired for “See No Evil”.
Vince was with Shane in the back. He asked Shane if was ready. Shane said he was and he’d hold up the end of his deal. Vince asked him if he wanted a preview, but Shane left.
****Commercial****
JR and King ran down the ECW stuff earlier in the night. Lawler cut a promo on Tazz. He said Tazz had spent 10 years talking about how bad he was but the only thing bad about him was his skills announcing. Lawler said you needed to have rules in life. He said last Friday on Smackdown, he had one last match left in him. Lawler said he accepted. He said at One Night Stand, he’d make it Tazz’s last stand. They ran down the ECW pay per view card.
World Heavyweight Championship
Rey Mysterio v. Sabu
WWE Championship
John Cena v. Rob Van Dam
Randy Orton v. Kurt Angle
Terry Funk & Tommy Dreamer v. Edge & Mick Foley
Triple H was in the back. Shane cut him off. Triple H flipped out on him and cornered him. He said he wouldn’t kiss his ass. Shane told him to calm down. While the Game’s back was turned, Shane poured something into Triple H’s water. He told HHH to relax. He asked Triple H if he was cool. Triple H said he was after Shane assured him Vince was fooling around with him. He called Dad on the phone and said they were good.
****Commercial****
Vince McMahon “Kiss My Ass Club” featuring Triple H
McMahon said he wanted to remind us of all the special clubs out there and ran down a list of them. He said the most elite club was the “Mr. McMahon Kiss my Ass Club”. He said there were many luminaries including HBK and he berated Michaels. He said there were other charter members of the club which included Jim Ross. He said that night was much better for JR then it was for him. He said his son Shane was in the club too. He invited Triple H out to the ring.
Vince said he wanted to let Triple H know there was no malice in all of this. He said it was leadership by example to Triple H. He asked Triple H what was wrong with his eyes and why he lost his coloring. He asked him if he had some drinks before he came out here. Triple H stumbled over his words and he collapsed to the mat.
Vince berated him and told him that he made him and that he’d break him. Vince said we’d witness the first ‘aschle’ in public. Vince flexed his cheeks and asked Shane to place Triple H’s face right where it belonged. Shane pranced around a bit and then flopped to the mat and Triple H rose to his feet. He waved his finger at Vince. He booted Vince in the butt and pedigreed McMahon in the middle of the ring.
Triple H posed over the McMahon’s as the show went off the air.RAW THOUGHTSThe Good—A lot to swallow tonight and a good Raw for ECW build up. The Cena-RVD promo came off well and the two factions were established nicely. RVD cut his best promo in years to be sure, and he and Cena got a decent send off for their match Sunday.
The Kurt Angle-Edge/Foley promo came off very well and although the Orton thing may be misplaced on this card, it will be good.
The Bad—The HHH-McMahon segment came off as very underwhelming tonight. The heel needs to dominate in these feuds.
Again, a lot happened tonight, but nothing worth really noting.
The Ugly—“Samoan Bulldozer”? Ick. The in ring action was pretty bad with the exception of the Carlito-Benjamin match.
Overall C – Tonight’s Raw served it’s purpose, but it seemed after the opening segment, the rest of the show was pretty unnecessary. Bleh show that accomplished the goal it set, but could have been far, far better.
Quick Results
Carlito def. Shelton Benjamin
Big Show def. Triple H
Eugene def. Matt Striker
Lance Cade def. Kane
Beth Phoenix def. Victoria
Who’s Hot, Who’s Not?
Biggest pops
1. Kurt Angle
2. Triple H
3. Paul Heyman
4. Rob Van Dam
Most Heat
1. Edge
2. Vince McMahon
3. Mick Foley
4. Johnny Nitro
Match of the night: Carlito v. Shelton Benjamin *1/2
Power Rankings:
WWE Champion: John Cena (Last Week: WWE Champion) —Underwhelming work on the mic but overall, a passable segment from the champ. Let’s see if he can win anyone over this Sunday.
Intercontinental Champion: Shelton Benjamin (Last Week: IC Champion)—Shelton was far from bad tonight, putting on an adequate match with Carlito tonight, but a loss never helps.
1.Edge (Last Week: 2)—Edge cut some good stuff on Angle tonight for the most part and is really beginning to totally cement himself nicely as a top heel. I’m anxious to see where he goes after this Sunday. I think now is the right time to put the belt on him.
2. Triple H (Last Week: 1)—Flat and underwhelming night for the Game so he slips a spot. Good stick work, but the babyface constantly coming out on top doesn’t help the feud much.
3. Rob Van Dam (Last Week: 3) —Van Dam cut a seriously good promo on Cena without having to do too much. Best mic work in a long while from Van Dam. Let’s see how things pan out on Sunday.
4. Carlito (Last Week: 7) —Beating a champion earns him a jump in the rankings, but more so he looked good in the ring after a few weeks hiatus. With HBK taking a quick break and no one /* winning, Carlito gains big this week.
5. Umaga (Last Week: 5) —Nothing spectacular from Umaga, but he continues to look like a monster. With half the roster seemingly floating nowhere or jobbing, Umaga benefits just like Carlito.
6. Kane (Last Week: 4) —Not the best week for the big man, getting a loss and getting punked by... himself. I think. Whatever, no direction
7. Shawn Michaels(Last Week: 6) —Out of action.
8. Mick Foley (Last Week: 9) —Moving up slowly but I’m having a hard time doing it, considering that he’s possibly part time.
9. Big Show (Last Week: 8) —A win is a win, but he still lacks anything resembling direction.
10. Johnny Nitro (Last Week: NR)—Picks up a win. Decent action as well, but like the majority of the roster, no direction right now.
Dropping Out: Chris Masters (Last Week: 10)