On Monday, September 24, 2007 at 11:35 PM EST WWE RAW
September 24, 2007
Milwaukee, WI
Commentators: Jim Ross & Jerry “The King” Lawler
Reported By: Hunter Golden of WrestleView.com
Acting Raw GM Coach was in the middle of the ring surrounded by security. He said what he decided this week will adversely effect the career of Randy Orton. A video recap aired putting over the events of the last few weeks.
Coach said for the record, he had no idea Orton was going to brandish handcuffs and use them. He said behavior like this was unconscionable so he was suspended indefinitely. He said he understood where Cena was coming from but came out with security anyways to make sure Cena wouldn’t attack him as an authority figure. Coach introduced Vince McMahon and Vince came down to the ring.
Vince said that Coach was right. People such as themselves should be respected for their power and their positions as well as their wisdom. He said one individual defies him and spits in the face of respect and dammit, he was tired of it. He said each and every week, Triple H came out here and embarrassed him. Vince said he was tired of Triple H and tonight he’d get revenge. He said he’d see to it Triple H got his in a steel cage tonight against Carlito. He said Carlito wouldn’t be by himself though, he’d be joined by a tag team partner. He said Carlito’s partner would be HIM. He said he’d win the match and he guarantied it.
Vince said he had some other stuff to take care of and that was to apologize to someone. He asked that Hornswoggle come out to the ring. Hornswoggle came down to the ring and Vince got down on one knee and said he didn’t mean to tell him he was embarrassed by him, he was just hoping he’d pass a certain test. He didn’t want him to be like his other kids, just people who’re after money. Vince asked him if he loved him and Vince said that he loved him.
Vince said since Hornswoggle had become a man he knew the women were after him. Vince said there was a lady looking to meet him and it’s Melina. Melina came down and said she thought Hornswoggle was really really cute and called him ‘horny’. Hornswoggle looked for the approval of Vince and the crowd before jumping her. After tussling around, they were separated and Vince said they just needed to leave and do their thing.
Once it was just Vince and Coach, Coach asked for permission to make one more big decision before John Cena’s music hit. Cena came down to the ring and tossed some furniture around before going after Coach in the ring. Vince and Coach were furious. Vince stood on the ring while security restrained Cena and told him that later tonight he’d attend a WWE Championship surrender ceremony. Coach would be the one who decided whether or not he keep the WWE Championship or not.
****Commercial****
Cody Rhodes v. Hardcore Holly
Oh wow, Holly. Holly got on the stick and said with a night like that, he should be in a boy band and not in a wrestling ring. He said it was real simple. If he wanted his respect, he needed to earn it.
The two locked up and Holly flat backed Rhodes with a punch. Cody nipped up and slapped on an arm bar before Holly backed him to the corner before shoving him all bully like. Holly missed with a right hand before Cody grabbed an arm drag and locked in an arm bar. Cody went for a sunset flip and survived a Holly punch to the face to roll him up for a near fall.
Holly quickly stopped screwing around and rushed Cody to the corner and began clubbering away at him with chops and other mean stuff. Holly slapped on a rear chin lock before Cody began fighting back. Holly cut him off with a nasty shot to the back but was unable to connect with a back suplex.
Cody his a side Russian leg sweep for a near fall and a cross body for another. Cody began hitting some standing drop kicks before whipping Holly to the corner. Holly back dropped him to the apron but Cody landed on his feet and went for a spring board lariat, only fro Holly to side step him and slam him to the mat.
Holly picked up Cody and planted him with a brutal Alabama Slam for the pin fall victory.
Winner: Hardcore Holly via pin fall
A video putting over the 2007 Diva Search aired.
****Commercial****
Randy Orton’s with us via satellite. He said he wanted to congratulate Cena on being the biggest phony in WWE history. He said he prided himself on being the guy who never backed down, but he lied. At Unforgiven, he got himself intentionally disqualified because he knew he didn’t have a shot. I’m sorry, I got lost in this. This was beyond sensational stuff. Go to You Tube. Now.
****Commercial****
Santino Marella (w/ Maria) v. Ron Simmons
Simmons and Marella locked up before Ron backed him to the corner. Ron laid in with some clubberin’ blows. The two ran around the ring until Santino eventually gained control and tried to whip Simmons. That’s dumb.
Simmons hammered Marella all over the ring before whipping him hard off the buckles and went for the good old power slam. Santino wiggled out and went to the outside, took Maria and left.
I loved that for what it was.
Winner: Ron Simmons via count out
Simmons got on the stick after watching his match more or less end like that. He expressed his feelings.
****Commercial****
Steel Cage Match
Mr. McMahon & Carlito v. Triple H
Vince tried to fly the coup right off the bat but Triple H caught him. Carlito jumped the Game and they began pummeling away at Triple H. Triple H fought back and crotched McMahon on the tope rope before Carlito caught him with a sneaky low blow before gathering the former 10 time champ and tossing him into the steel.
****Commercial****
Carlito and Triple H are exchanging strikes in the middle of the ring while Vince was pretty dead looking on the apron. The Game eventually sent Carlito clattering into Vince. Triple H went to put the finishing touches on Vince before Carlito hit a back snapper from behind.
Vince ascended the cage and Carlito followed. Triple H caught them both and they battled it out on top of the cage until Vince sneaked a leg or two over the top. Hunter knocked Carlito to the mat only to lose Vince off the side of the cage. McMahon hit the floor for the win.
Winners: Carlito & Mr. McMahon via escape
Triple H was none to happy after the match, delivering not one, but two pedigrees to the timid Carlito. Triple H left the ring briefly before finding a steel chair at ringside. He came back in and planted Carlito with a pedigree to the chair.
****Commercial****
Cade & Murdoch v. London & Kendrick
We joined this match in progress. Murdoch came off the top rope with a double ace handle on London. The heels laid the boots to the baby face before Murdoch slapped on a nasty looking abdominal stretch. London escaped the hold and hit a hurricanranna before getting the hot tag to Kendrick..
Kendrick hit some drop kicks then flipped out of the corner and hit a wheel kick for a two count. London hit some sort of cork screw thingy before Kendrick nailed Sliced Bread #2 on Murdoch. Kendrick went for the pin fall before the Highlanders jumped in and attacked London and Kendrick causing the DQ.
Winners: London & Kendrick via DQ
Melina is in the shower (!). There’s Hornswoggle waiting for her with the towel. He chased her down through the back and stole her towel! Whup!
****Commercial****
Vince is in the back and he said he was going to bask in his glory tonight after he took a shower. Coach ran in and told him that Triple H was looking for him. Oh joy.
A video putting over, err whatever, the Condemned DVD. Santino Marella thinks it sucks and he’d have been a better Jack Conrad. Santino says he’d have found a non-violent solution if he was on the island and then shared a canollee. Santino is the man.
JR and King replayed the key parts of the cage match.
Triple H stormed into Vince’s office and intimidated him into a one on one match next week on Raw.
****Commercial****
Jeff Hardy & Candice Michelle v. Shelton Benjamin & Beth Phoenix
Shelton rushed Hardy to the corner and hit some shoulder thrusts and some punches before sending Jeff off the ropes. Jeff hit a kick to the gut and some punches of his own before hitting a flying forearm.
Hardy grabbed a go behind before Shelton shook him off only to get mule kicked to the outside. Beth went to knock Jeff off the top rope, but Candice made the save. She and Jeff mounted the top rope and BOTH flew off, clattering into the heel team on the floor to a big pop.
****Commercial****
We came back to the tables being turned and Beth Phoenix putting on a nasty stretch to the Women’s champ. Candice rallied with the crowd and began fighting back. Candice fought out and Beth tagged in Shelton.
Jeff roared across the ring and hit a nasty whisper in the wind before having a whip reversed. Hardy nailed a boot in the corner and came flying out before Shelton caught him in mid air and power bombed his neon green behind. Shelton slapped on a rear chin lock and Jeff, like Candice, used the crowd to rally him.
Hardy hit some punches only to get nailed with a Benjamin back breaker for a two count. The two bounded off the ropes and hit dueling cross body blocks before the girls got the tags. The two squared off before Candice hit a hurricanranna. Beth missed a charge in the corner before Candice nailed a face buster. WOW Candice is sharp tonight.
Candice hit a jaw breaker while Jeff and Shelton battled. Candice used Jeff as a Springboard and hit a back elbow but Shelton piled Jeff out of the ring. Beth Phoenix pounced on Candice and hit the fisherman’s buster and that’s it.
Winners: Shelton Benjamin Beth Phoenix
Coach was in the back with the media. Coach said it’d be up to him whether Cena would be stripped of the title. Coach said there was a good chance we’d see the end of Cena’s reign as champion. Coach said he only suspended Orton for a day and he enjoyed every moment of Orton’s beat down on Cena’s Dad. Coach said it’d be a momentous night.
****Commercial****
Coach was in the ring and he said like it or not, Cena brought this on himself. He said Cena refused to acknowledge those warnings. He said it was up to him as to whether Cena would keep his title or not and demanded Cena show up to the ring.
Cena came out to the ring defiantly. Coach told Cena to relax. He said it would be a shame for his spectacular reign to end this way. He thought back to last week and thought all his family had sacrificed to keep that title, and it might all be for nothing. Coach asked him if he was proud of himself. Coach said he’d give him one chance to keep the belt and he’d have to show him the respect he deserved. He said he wanted him to beg him to keep the belt. He said if he was contrite, he MIGHT let him keep the belt.
Cena took off his dog tags and looked around at the crowd. Coach removed his jacket and Cena removed his shirt. Coach said he had left him no choice and he was about to become the ex champion. Coach said he could leave him the belt or they could have the security guards to haul him out of the building. He asked him one last time what it was going to be.
The bell rang a couple of times and Lillian notified us that she received an important announcement from Mr. McMahon. Per his orders, Cena would NOT be stripped of the title. Furthermore, he said a main event will commence right her, right now and it’d be a tables match between Coach and John Cena.
The security guards left the ring and the bell rang and Cena told Coach he knew nothing about respect. Cena lifted up Coach for the FU until he decided to slap on the STFU. Cena pointed to the table and loaded up Coach for the FU and slammed him through the table. That’s that. Cena pointed to the ramp and there’s Hornswoggle. He thanked “Mr. McMahon”. Cena posed with the belt and that was that. RAW THOUGHTS
Show Thoughts-- I liked this Raw for the most part tonight. The two main storylines provided the structure while the mid card put in a pretty good night of work to keep the in ring stuff entertaining.
Two matches stuck out to me tonight and oddly enough, the opener between Holly and Rhodes was really good. In fact, I REALLY like the premise of the whole thing with Holly being a measuring stick of sorts for Rhodes. They worked a VERY simple, tight match tonight that I like a good deal. It established Holly on the Raw brand more or less and Cody has something to strive for.
That mixed tag match might be the best one I’ve ever seen and tonight Candice looked incredibly sharp. While Hardy and Benjamin anchored the match, Candice and Beth REALLY added a lot with some great high spots from Candice and great power ground n pound from Beth that kept popping the crowd. Jeff crawling to Candice to make the tag was great too as it made her look like a genuine part of the team and not just a side show. Just a really fun mixed tag match and as far as those go, it doesn’t get much better than this.
Simmons-Marella wasn’t super or anything, but Santino’s antics are a lot of fun and Simmons is an ok feud for him for right now. I also liked the Highlanders turn, as it shows signs that the WWE might be into the idea of developing the division a bit outside of just the tag belts.
The whole Cena getting stripped stuff was pretty dramatic and while the finish was a little lame, Hornswoggle being the McMahon to make the decision is a good way to really turn the tables upside down in terms of whose running the show. You’ve got Vince, ‘Horny’, Coach and Regal all jockeying for control of the show. I like the angle even though I was mixed in how it came off at the end of the show.
Speaking of Cena, Randy Orton cut the best promo I’ve heard in years on WWE television. If you can, find it on You Tube soon. It was really spectacular stick work.
The one thing I’m NOT digging is the Triple H-Vince feud. Vince can get heat for anyone, but working a feud against a guy like Triple H and having it stick with people just doesn’t work much anymore. There’s no real reason for me to think Triple H is being screwed out of anything or being treated unfairly as he doesn’t seem to care and that’s kinda the problem. Triple H is a mediocre baby face (as a heel there might not be anyone better) and his problem is when he gets too crowd-pleasy and blows off the angle that’s trying to be worked by being too much of a badass. Being a good badass is tough in this day and age, but Triple H has played it a little TOO good for the sake of this feud.
Overall, it was a pretty solid offering though. Probably not as good as other weeks, but it was pretty effective none the less.
Overall Grade: B+
Quick Results
Hardcore Holly def. Cody Rhodes
Ron Simmons def. Santino Marella
Vince McMahon & Carlito def. Triple H
Cade & Murdoch def. London & Kendrick
Shelton Benjamin & Beth Phoenix def. Jeff Hardy & Candice Michelle
Who’s Hot, Who’s Not?
Biggest Pops
1. Triple H
2. Hornswoggle
3. John Cena
4. Jeff Hardy
Most Heat
1. Vince McMahon
2. Coach
3. Randy Orton
4. Carlito
Match of the Night: Jeff Hardy & Candice Michelle v. Shelton Benjamin & Beth Phoenix **1/4
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 (27-9-1, 70 points) (Last Week: WWE Champion)— Cena’s had such a much better aura around him since he’s scrapped the goof ball stuff and the tension leading up to his possibly dropping the belt soon has been great. It’s finally nice to have a title that REALLY means something the broad scheme of things again and Cena’s been a huge reason for that.
Intercontinental Champion: Jeff Hardy 27-13, 54 points (Last Week: IC Champion)— Hardy comes with the working boots on tonight and actually CARRIED a really fun mid card match. Hardy’s improving and he’s getting over enough to the point where they might have to consider pushing him further up the card then where he’s at.
1. Randy Orton 14-18-2 33pts. (Last Week: 1) -- Orton’s been so good on the mic the last few months that my opinion of him has changed a great deal. RIGHT NOW he’s probably in the top five stick workers in the WWE and it’s made everything his douche bag character has done more effective. Hooray for Randy.
2. Carlito 13-16-4, 23 pts. (Last Week: 3) -- Despite getting his backside handed to him this week and REALLY being significantly lower down the card than this ranking, a win’s still a win, especially if it’s against the guy directly ahead of you.
3. Triple H 7-1, 15pts (Last Week: 2) — The Game falls a spot this week because he DID lose, although again, any effectiveness it would have had was lost when he squashed Carlito and made McMahon sign a match with him next week. Bleh.
4. King Booker 3-6, 6 pts. (Last Week: 4) -- Keeping him here for right now.
5. Trevor Murdoch 8-13, 15pts. (Last Week: 5)-- While it’s nice that the tag division is getting an added rub as a whole, the champs seem to just sorta be floating around aimlessly after a really bang up start to their run.
6. Lance Cade 8-13, 12pts. (Last Week: 6)-- See Murdoch.
7. Ken Kennedy 3-5-1, 6 pts (Last Week: 7) — Mr. Suspension………………Suspension.
8. Umaga 20-13-1, 43 Points (Last Week: 8) — Ate my dog I think.
9. Paul London 6-3, 8pts. (Last Week: 9) -- London’s been the meat of most of the matches he’s been in so I’m going to keep him here over his partner. Like Cody Rhodes, despite the unspectacular finish to his match tonight, he lucks out thanks to everyone /* not really being top 10 material yet.
10. Cody Rhodes 5-3, 8pts. (Last Week: 8)-- Rhodes lost tonight, but so did Santino. Shelton’s record isn’t top 10 material until he gets some more wins while Holly got only his first win. No one /* was really doing anything so Cody lucks out and stays in the top ten for another week.
OTHERS :
William Regal 3-1, 5pts (Last Week: NR)
Ron Simmons 1-0, 2pts. (Last Week: NR)
Hardcore Holly 1-0, 2 pts. (Last Week: NR)
Snitsky 4-1, 8pts. (Last Week: NR)
Shawn Michaels 10-7-1, 19 points (Last Week: INJURED)
Bobby Lashley 3-4 5pts. (Last Week: INJURED)
Super Crazy 4-7-1, 7 points (Last Week: NR)
JTG 5-6, 6pts. (Last Week: NR)
Big Shad 4-6, 4pts. (Last Week: NR)
The Sandman 2-5, 4pts. (Last Week: NR)
Shelton Benjamin 3-15-1, 3pts. (Last Week: NR)
Charlie Haas 2-11-1, 1pts. (Last Week: NR)
Rory 0-5, 0pts. (Last Week: NR)
Robbie 0-7 0pts. (Last Week: NR)
Jim Duggan 1-4, 2pts. (Last Week: NR)
Val Venis 0-3 0pts. (Last Week: NR)
Daivari 0-5, 0pts. (Last Week: NR)
Mick Foley 0-1-1, 0 pts. (Last Week: NR)
Sgt. Slaughter 0-2. 0 pts. (Last Week: NR)