On Tuesday, April 24, 2007 at 12:28 AM EST WWE RAW
April 23, 2007
London, England
Commentators: Jim Ross & Jerry “The King” Lawler
Reported By: Hunter Golden of WrestleView.com
Shane McMahon’s music hit and he came down to the ring. Shane said Bobby Lashley certainly wouldn’t be here tonight. He said Lashley was responsible for shaving his father’s head bald and costing Umaga the Intercontinental Championship. A video recap aired putting over Santino Marella’s improbable win over the Samoan Bulldozer last week.
Shane said in honor of St. George’s Day in England, one of these people would have the opportunity to slay a dragon. They said that dragon would be Shane. Shane said one of these people tonight would be facing him tonight. He pointed to a bunch of people and even pointed out the head coach of Ch/*a FC who got a rather boisterous ‘boo’. Shane said he wasn’t going to bother with these people. He had already scoured the English country side and found the greatest wrestler in the country, Robbie Brookside. Brookside came out and wow, is he looking pathetic.
No DQ
Shane McMahon v. Robbie Brookside
The two locked horns and Shane grabbed a side headlock and then took him down with a take over. Brookeside counteed only to get hip tossed aside by Shane-O-Mac. Shane locked horns with Brookside and rode all over Brookside before driving some mean forearm shots into the back of the head and the kidneys.
Shane pressed his advantage, booting Brookside in the ribs repeatedly before decking him with a right hand, leaving him slumped in the corner. Shane went shopping under the ropes and placed it in Brookside’s lap, setting up coast 2 coast. Shane connected with it, leaving Brookside completely unconscious in the corner.
Shane grabbed a mic and said he forgot to tell Robbie, but this was also a 2 on 1 handicapped match. Shane introduced us to his ‘tag team’ partner, Umaga. Brookside was completely unconscious. Umaga hammered away on Brookside in the corner and after Shane added some boots for good measure, Umaga came sailing across the ring and hit the running ass to the face.
Umaga dragged Brookside’s completely unconscious body to the center of the ring and lay him prone in the center. Umaga came flying off with a big splash. Shane grabbed the mic again and forgot to mention the fact that this was a 3 on 1 handicapped match and introduced Vince. McMahon sneaked into the ring and grabbed the cover on Brookside for the ‘win’.
Winners: Umaga, Shane & Vince McMahon via pin fall
Tomorrow night on ECW on Sci Fi, it’ll be Umaga v. Lashley. The three celebrated at the top of the ramp while JR and King wondered if the same fate awaited Bobby Lashley at Backlash.
An awesome music video aired of the John Cena-Shawn Michaels match at Wrestlemania 23 in putting over their second encounter later tonight.
****Commercial****
Matt Hardy (w/ Jeff Hardy) v. Trevor Murdoch (w/ Lance Cade)
The two circled it up and locked horns. Murdoch bullied Hardy to the corner before the official broke them up. Murdoch ran his mouth a little bit and nailed Hardy in the back with some clubbing forearms. Murdoch grabbed a headlock but was thrown off and arm dragged to the mat. Hardy followed the drag up with a body slam and went for a quick cover but didn’t have anything going.
Hardy scaled the second rope, but Murdoch was able to cut him off and slam him to the mat, before laying some vicious boots to Hardy’s midsection. Murdoch eventually grabbed a sleeper hold but couldn’t work Hardy down to the mat to gain leverage. Matt Hardy began building some momentum before Murdoch cut him off. Murdoch missed a top rope elbow drop before Hardy hit a forearm to his face. Matt followed the forearms up with the whip and bulldog combo out of the corner for a near fall.
Hardy connected with a side effect before going for another cover but again, got nothing. Hardy jumped to the second rope and hit a leg drop, but Lance Cade showed up out of nowhere and interfered, distracting Hardy long enough for Murdoch to hit his finisher for the win.
Winner: Trevor Murdoch via pin fall
Maria is backstage walking around.
A video putting over Steve Austin’s new movie “The Condemned” aired.
****Commercial****
Wow, we’re also going to get Randy Orton v. Edge later tonight.
Melina v. Maria
The two circled it up and locked horns before Melina tossed her to the mat. Maria returned the favor before Melina snapped and went a little loopy, bum rushing Maria to the corner and choking her out with a furry boot. Melina kept up the pressure, choking Maria out on the top rope before landing a chop and whipping Maria in to the ropes. Maria countered with a hurricanranna and came flying back at Melina, but got caught with a face buster that put her down for the count.
Winner: Melina via pin fall
Carlito was in the back with Ric Flair. Flair said ‘Let’s Go’ and Carlito said ‘there is no ‘let’s’. He’s taking on the Great Khali next!
A video aired putting over the Backlash pay per view this coming Sunday.
****Commercial****
The Great Khali v. Carlito
Main event time. Raw could end now, and I’d be happy. More Khali fun. Carlito is coming down by himself. BTW, if they had a chop contest at Backlash between Flair and Khali… it would be glorious.
Khali hit a shoulder block and then just screamed. Carlito ducked under Khali and tried to kick out the big man’s legs, but Khali just killed him with a head butt. Khali hoisted up Carlito by the hair and went for a power slam, but Carlito raked the eyes and escaped. Carlito mounted the top rope and went for the missile drop kick but Khali swatted him out of the air.
Khali hit a CHOP!!!!!!! YES! Double choke slam and a foot on Carlito’s chest later, this one’s over.
Winner: The Great Khali via pin fall
After the match Flair went to tend to Khali. Carlito asked him where he was and then went nuts in Spanish. I think Carlito said he had no heart. Flair looked confused as he walked up the ramp.
****Commercial****
Mick Foley is in the back. He said he didn’t get to be on Raw much anymore and was looking quite dapper. He said it was a privilege to help Michael Pena. He said Pena had made a match before Edge showed up. They made an Al Snow joke Edge said it meant that he’d get to go through three people on his way to the WWE Championship. He said he would get a cup of coffee after he ran over Randy Orton and watch HBK and Cena tear each other apart. Edge told him he wrote a good book and left.
Another video aired putting over “The Condemned”.
****Commercial****
Cena ran into HBK in the back. Cena said HBK had a lot of respect from a lot of people, but he still wasn’t WWE Champ. He said everyone said they were something around here; Legend Killers, Rated R Super stars and Show stoppers. But no one was ‘The Champ’. Michaels smiled at him and headed to the ring.
John Cena v. Shawn Michaels
The bell rang and the two circled it up. HBK grabbed a knuckle lock and used his shoulder to hammer away at Cena’s left arm. Michaels grabbed a fireman’s carry take down and Cena escaped and we’ve got a stalemate.
The two locked up again and HBK grabbed a head lock. Michaels skated around Cena’s body and grabbed a hammer lock before Cena threw him off. Michaels was frustrated and Cena was smiling. The two locked up again and HBK grabbed another arm wringer. HBK flipped Cena over and went for a quick cover and used the kick out to grab another arm bar. Cena countered out and went for a quick STFU and HBK frantically escaped.
HBK grabbed another side headlock Cena tossed HBK off the ropes and hit a drop toe hold and looked for another STFU and again, Michaels, frustrated, escaped. Michaels is really starting to get frustrated. Cena kept smiling and pointing to his head.
HBK grabbed a go behind and Cena struggled a bit to undo the hold. Cena grabbed the go behind and went for another STFU and again, Michaels escaped and Michaels was looking almost helplessly over matched. Michaels got in Cena’s face and shoved him while Cena smiled. HBK smacked Cena but then got decked. Michaels flopped back into the corner and was fuming while trying to collect his senses.
****Commercial****
The two locked up again and Cena took HBK over with a side headlock. Cena was able to hang onto the hold while HBK couldn’t counter out. HBK tried to send Cena off the ropes but Cena held onto the hold. Wow, this is awesome. Cena took HBK over again and got a near fall out of it and was clearly and completely out wrestling Shawn Michaels. HBK fought to his feet and desperately attempted to break the hold. HBK finally broke the hold with some punches but completely ate a Cena shoulder block and then found himself right back in the head lock.
Cena rolled Michaels over again, maintaining control with the head lock and almost grabbing another near fall. This is almost like WM 23 in reverse. HBK began punching out again and sent Cena off the ropes and went for an arm drag and the got F-ING DECAPITATED by a Cena lariat. Cena got a near fall and then went right back to the head lock. HBK again used punches to the gut to toss Cena off and finally hit a reverse elbow and floored the champion.
Michaels slammed Cena’s head into the buckles and chopped him before slamming Cena off the other buckle and landing another chop. Michaels hit some clubbing blows to Cena’s back and then landed a third chop. HBK whipped Cena to the corner but ate a big boot and then got hammered with a second Cena lariat for a near fall. Cena’s right back to that head lock.
HBK, a little quicker than last time, was able to fight out of the hold, but Cena flattened him with another shoulder block. HBK stumbled to his feet and looked for sweet chin music out of nowhere, but Cena held up and back dropped the veteran to the floor. Michaels is beside himself, completely unable to get anything going and for the first time in maybe a decade, overmatched completely.
****Commercial****
We came back to some more Cena head lock action. Michaels broke the hold all dirty and chopped Cena in the corner. HBK began showing a little attitude and hit a back elbow to Cena’s face. HBK hit a snap mare take over and booted Cena right in the face. Wow, the crowd’s beginning to heel on him. Michaels hammered Cena’s head into the corner and let loose two chops. Cena began fighting back and grabbed the headlock but it’s not working now. HBK came bounding off the ropes looking for a cross body block but got caught in mid air by Cena and front slammed hard to the mat for a near fall.
Cena hit the whip to the buckles and fisherman buster combo for yet another near fall. Cena waited for HBK to rise to his feet, coiled and ready to strike. Cena hit a boot to the gut and his flipping face buster for a two count. Cena’s beginning to get a little frustrated.
Michaels and Cena stood toe to toe, exchanging strikes before Cena dumped Michaels to the mat with a back body drop. Cena made an exhausted cover attempt but Michaels kicked out. Cena went for a vertical suplex but HBK fought out and hit a beautiful swinging neck breaker. However, HBK was too exhausted from the punishment to really follow it up.
The two exchanged some strikes before Michaels came flying off the ropes with his flying forearm. Both men are laid out on the mat. Michaels nipped up at six and went into his victory sequence. HBK connected with a body slam before landing the top rope elbow.
HBK began to tune up the band in the corner. Cena saw it coming and came with a clothesline but was almost caught in a back slide. Cena kicked out and both came bounding off the ropes at each other before Michaels ducked under a completely wild Cena shoulder block attempt. The Champion missed by a mile and went clattering to the outside. Michaels went for a plancha but CENA CAUGHT HIM in mid air. HBK fought out and tossed Cena into the ring steps. Both are laid out on the outside of the ring.
****Commercial****
Michaels was working Cena’s left side and arm, capitalizing on the whip to the ring steps. Michaels grabbed a hammer lock and sent the champion careening into the ring post shoulder first. Cena tumbled out of the ring and was writhing in pain on the outside of the ring. Um, this match is officially 30 minutes old. That’s an eternity for TV.
HBK jerked Cena’s arm across the top rope while the Champion paced around on the ring apron. Michaels brought him back into the ring and began yanking, twisting and landing on Cena’s injured arm in any way he possibly could. HBK tried to leverage the hold for a cover attempt on two occasions, but Cena was able to kick out. Michaels drove some knees into Cena’s left arm. Now it’s looking like Cena can’t use the STFU or the FU. Cena fought back but missed with an elbow.
HBK tried to capitalize again before Cena went into victory sense. His selling of the shoulder is awesome here, writhing in pain but going through with the move anyways. Cena hit the five knuckle shuffle and looked for the FU. Cena looked for the FU but Michaels ducked out and went for sweet chin music. Michaels went for sweet chin music but Cena ducked under it and hit the FU. Cena went for the cover but HBK KICKS OUT!!
****Commercial****
By the way, we’ve just passed 35 minutes in this match. Cena’s apparently been killing HBK’s back over the break. Cena tossed Michaels to the floor like last week’s garbage before ramming his back into the ring apron and tossing him right back into the ring. It took everything Michaels had to kick out of the cover attempt. Cena began HAMMERING away at the back of Shawn Michaels before looking for another vertical suplex. Cena powered Michaels over despite Michaels trying to dead weight himself. HBK kicked out of yet another cover attempt before Cena bore in with a bear hug. Now Cena’s dipping deep into that move set people say he apparently doesn’t have.
Michaels began hammering desperately on Cena’s back and barely managed to escape the hold. Michaels went for a whip but the move was reversed and HBK crashed into the buckles, getting dumped upside down, over the top rope and to the floor. Kids, we’re past 40 minutes.
Cena went to the top rope and hit his wild looking leg drop but Michaels still, still, still found a way to kick out. Cena turned to the announce table and with a smirk on his face, shook his head and asked them what it was going to take. Cena perched HBK on the top rope. Cena lofted HBK up on his shoulders looking for a top rope FU but HBK wiggled out and hit a freaking CRAZY power bomb. Jesus, this is incredible.
Both men are laid out in the middle of the ring. HBK staggered towards Cena but the champ popped to life out of nowhere and clipped the leg, looking for the STFU. HBK kicked Cena off to the ring apron and shoulder blocked Cena off the ring apron and on to the announce table.
HBK broke the referees count intentionally before bumbling out to the ringside area. Michaels gathered Cena and went for a freaking pile driver on the ring steps. Cena blocked the move and back dropped Michaels to the floor. Cena rolled into the ring as we headed to commercial. Kids, welcome to 45 minutes.
****Commercial****
Literally we went from black screen to Cena and HBK rolling over the announce table beating the F__K out of each other! Cena tossed HBK back into the ring and finally slapped on the STFU. Cena’s got Michaels cinched in HARD. The move actually looks incredible and Michaels’ selling is phenomenal. We’re at 50 freaking’ minutes. Michaels, with no wrist tape on and covered in sweat, with a desperate reach, grabbed the bottom rope.
Cena was just slumped over and was in complete kill mode. Michaels stumbled to his feet and almost hit sweet chin music but Cena barely caught it and went for an FU. Michaels wiggled out and this time, planted Cena right in the face with sweet chin music. Cena KICKS OUT!! The London crowd are eating their poopie.
Both oozed up the corner buckles as HBK managed to lay in some extremely weak and sloppy chops. HBK went for a whip but Cena reversed him and sent him reeling into the turnbuckles. HBK flipped upside down and rebounded out. Cena scooped up HBK for the FU but HBK FLIPPED OUT AND HIT SWEET CHIN MUSIC! A cover attempt later, Michaels is your winner.
Winner: Shawn Michaels via pin fall
HBK knelt down to Cena and took the WWE Championship and posed with it before draping it across Cena’s waste and giving him a ‘suck it’ as we went off the air. RAW THOUGHTSShow Thoughts-- Well, there’s really nothing to talk about tonight except the best TV match the WWE’s probably ever put on. Cena and HBK went for 57 minutes and worked about three or four different matches within that time span, and none of it was advertised. It was all a complete surprise.
WWE has put something memorable and or at base entertaining on almost every Raw since last January. In all honesty, anyone that says John Cena can’t wrestle and or doesn’t have a deep move set is flat out, a helmet wearing, drooling, mentally retarded idiot. That was a completely fantastic match and was better than their WM match. In fact, it was about four different matches within the hour time span. It reminded me A LOT of the Samoa Joe-CM Punk matches the way it played out, with HBK completely frustrated and subdued with headlocks. The whole match was awesome. I’ll have to watch it again to take it in a little bit.
The rest of the show doesn’t even matter. We saw a coast 2 coast, Khali chopped skull, Trevor Murdoch won a match and HBK and John Cena just wrestled an hour. Do you really want more?
Oh and by the way, we’re getting swerved on Sunday. I’m smelling it. After letting Cena and HBK go for an hour, and not seeing Orton at all, plus being sent home. I’m picking Orton to win in a shocker. It makes no sense, I know. That’s why it, well, makes sense.
Overall Grade: A
Quick Results
Umaga, Shane McMahon & Vince McMahon def. Robbie Brookside
Melina def. Maria
Trevor Murdoch def. Matt Hardy
Melina def. Maria
The Great Khali def. Carlito
Shawn Michaels def. John Cena
Who’s Hot, Who’s Not?
Biggest Pops
1. Shawn Michaels
2. John Cena
3. The Hardy Boyz
4. Ric Flair
Most Heat
1. Mr. McMahon
2. John Cena
3. Umaga
4. The Great Khali
Match of the night: John Cena v. Shawn Michaels ****1/2
Power Rankings5 Points= Title Win
4 Points= World Title defense/win
3 Points= Singles PPV Win
2 Points= Tag PPV Win
2 Points= TV Singles Win
1 Point= TV Tag Win
0 Points= Loss
WWE Champion: John Cena (13-5, 31 points) (Last Week: WWE Champion)— You know, I know people are sick of John Cena’s act. But honestly, if you’re denying this guy is at LEAST one of the top three wrestlers in the world right now, you’re out of your mind. Tonight he executed. It doesn’t matter how many moves you do, it matters how you do them. Tonight gave fans their cake and let them eat it too. He went super deep into his move set. Every move was well done. It’s Cena’s best in ring performance ever. I’m sorry, but I’ve loved every second of John Cena post-December. The Edge match on Raw during that month, the NY Revolution set up with Umaga to the Last Man Standing match which is a legit MOTD candidate for me, to the great performance at No Way Out, to the Wrestlemania 23 main event with Shawn Michaels…. And now this. Fans should respect John Cena. They don’t have to like him, but they damn well should respect him.
Intercontinental Champion: Santino Morello 1-0, 5pts. (Last Week: IC Champion) — I’m REALLY surprised we didn’t see him tonight.
1. The Great Khali, 9-0-1, 18pts. (Last Week: 1 )— I’ve said it in the past. The cardinal rule of wrestling is that if you’re going to suck, suck to a point where you rule. Khali sucks so bad, he rules. Chop to your f_cking head.
2. HBK 9-4-1, 17 points (Last Week: 2) — You know, Michaels is the guy with the supposedly endless move sets, but he used about 10 moves to Cena’s nine million. And he still looked incredible. Again, more proof of the old moniker “It don’t matter how much you do, it matters what you do with what you’ve got”. Michaels was awesome. Easily, far and away, blah blah his best performance post 2002 or maybe even 98.
3. Edge 4-7, 10pts. (Last Week: 3) — Edge cut a pointless promo, and was even friendly with Foley for no reason. What?
4. Randy Orton 3-10-1 , 7 pts. (Last Week: 5) — Again, a lot stronger than his terrible record really indicates but clearly the #4 guy on the Raw brand (if not #5 behind Umaga). Hardy’s getting pummeled by Cade and Umaga losing to a guy on his first night bump Orton up by default.
5. Umaga 7-5, 17 Points (Last Week: 5)-- Well, it was a pretty pointless win over a jobber with the help of the McMahons doesn’t bode too well, but here’s to hoping he wins on Sunday.
6. Jeff Hardy (12-6-1, 25 points.) (Last Week: 3) — He did his little point and hump the air thingy. Other than that, a quiet night.
7. Chris Masters, 4-5, 8 pts. (Last Week: 8) —Puts on a great short match and then gets completely snubbed from Television. Will someone push this guy already?
8. Johnny Nitro, (2-6-1, 4pts ) (last week: 10) — Overshadowed in every right by his girlfriend manager.
9. Carlito 5-8-1, 8pts. (Last Week: 7) — You know, I used to really like Carlito, but after the performance of the entire rest of the roster this year, I’m not liking him as much. Watching him get chopped made me <3.
10. Ric Flair, 4-7-1, 6pts. (Last Week: 6) — Poor Ric Flair. Stuck with Carlito. Sigh.
OTHERS : Super Crazy 3-5-1, 5 points (Last Week: 9)
Kenny Dykstra 3-7, 6pts. (Last Week: NR)
Eugene 0-6, 0 pts. (Last Week: NR)
Lance Cade 2-7, 3pts. (Last Week: NR)
Trevor Murdoch 2-7, 3 pts. (Last Week: NR)
Shelton Benjamin 1-5, 1pt. (Last Week: NR)
Charlie Haas 1-4, 1pt. (Last Week: NR)
Viscera 0-2, 0 pts. (Last Week: NR)
Rory 0-3, 0pts. (Last Week: NR)
Robbie 0-4 0pts. (Last Week: NR)
JTG 3-5, 4pts. (Last Week: NR)
Big Shad 2-5, 2pts. (Last Week: NR)