On Monday, September 8, 2008 at 11:48 PM EST WWE RAW
September 8, 2008
Fort Wayne, IN
Commentators: Michael Cole & Jerry “The King” Lawler
Reported By: Hunter Golden of WrestleView.com
Lilian Garcia is in the ring and introduces us to the NEW World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho. Jericho’s music hits and he saunters down to the ring, belt wrapped around his shoulder.
Jericho introduced himself as the new World champion. He said for those of us who missed it, he faced the wrath of a self-righteous hypocrite in Shawn Michaels. He wanted to show us what Michaels did to him last night. He removed his shirt and showed us the bruising and scaring he suffered from the belt shots of last night. He said Michaels whipped him like a dog and mauled him with the tip of his belt and everyone loved it. He said when all the bravado calmed down, HBK didn’t really win anything.
He said he might have looked triumphant, but because the match was non-sanctioned, it never happened. Jericho said HBK accomplished nothing. Jericho said he on the other hand, had quite an accomplishment, winning the world title. Jericho said good things happen to good people and he was a good person. He was righteous and honest and just like he said he would do, he became champion. After he received the beating he didn’t deserve, he was in the dressing room before the match and Adamle let him know about CM Punk’s leaving the match with a concussion and he took his place.
Not only is he the man who beat the Rock and Steve Austin in one night, he was the man who defeated Kane, Batista, JBL and Rey Mysterio in one night to win the title.
Raw GM Mike Adamle showed up and congratulated the new champion. Adamle said Punk suffered a concussion last night and wasn’t medically cleared to compete. He said he had to find a championship caliber replacement, and Chris answered the call. The fact remains though, that CM Punk lost his title without the chance to defend it. He said Punk wasn’t here tonight, but next week, he would be and would be given a title shot against Jericho. To insure there’d be no interference, the match would be a cage match.
Jericho said it wasn’t a big deal. He said he beat Punk in his home town and he was going to beat him next week. If Mike was done, he was going to go home. Mike told him to hold up because that was next week’s main event. He still needed one for tonight. He decided Chris Jericho would face Batista in the main event one on one.
****Commercial****
WWE Women’s Championship
Beth Phoenix v. Mickie James
Candice Michelle is sitting ringside as she’s facing the winner at No Mercy.
Mickie went for a go-behind but was quickly dispatched to the outside of the ring and smashed off the ring post. Beth went for a pin fall, but only got a one count. She grabbed an arm wringer and totally powered Mickie all over the ring with the hold. She raised Mickie in the air but Mickie wrapped her leg around Phoenix’s head only to find herself perched and subsequently chucked off of, the top rope.
Beth went for a slingshot suplex, but Mickie countered out and hit a neck breaker to buy some breathing room. Mickie hit some strikes before Beth bullied her to the corner and went for some strikes but Mickie blocked them and hit a hurricanranna. Mickie built some momentum before hitting a thesz press and landing some rights to the face.
Beth quickly came rumbling back before Mickie ate an upper cut to the gut. The two grappled on the apron before Beth caught Mickie trying another head scissors variation and power bombed the crap out of her for the pin fall.
Winner and STILL Women’s Champion: Beth Phoenix via pin fall
Candice and Beth stared each other down after the match.
Jamie Noble’s with Layla. He asked her to accompany her out to his next match. He even got a gift for her, a live performance from Jillian. He said if he won tonight, he’d take her out tonight. First Class. To Olive Garden.
****Commercial****
William Regal v. Jamie Noble
The opening part of the match involved Regal taking it vengefully to Noble while Noble attempted to use his speed. After a big overhead throw, Regal slapped on a big key lock, grounding the smaller Noble.
Noble fought back with some rights before attempting a roll up only for Regal to totally kill him with a knee to the face. Regal slapped on a NASTY headlock that Noble tried to fight out of but ate a knee to the stomach for his efforts. Regal whipped him to the corner but Noble fought back with some big strikes and a missile drop kick for a two count.
Noble hit an enzeguiri and a senton, but Regal got his knees up. Noble reeled back and Regal came bounding out towards Noble and decked him in the head with a huge knee. That’s it.
Winner: William Regal via pin fall
Regal got on the mic after the match and advised Jamie that happy endings only happen in fairy tails After the match, Regal went over to Leyla and offered her his arm. She accepts although seemingly unsure of herself.
****Commercial****
JBL v. Charlie Haas
Charlie Haas crawls out of the trunk of JBL’s limo dressed up as…. JBL. It’s a new gimmick every week. JBL doesn’t like it. The best part of this whole thing is JBL trying to hold his crap together trying to run down Haas who looks hilarious. JBL demands respect.
Haas is wearing JBL’s trunks and obviously they’re like 10 sizes to big. JBL’s being disrespected so much that he just walks off.
Winner via count out: Charlie Haas
Haas is ecstatic. What the hell just happened?
****Commercial****
JBL and Batista are back stage. JBL is totally ticked off, feeling utterly disrespected. He put over the fact that he and Batista didn’t like each other, but he sure as heck respected Batista. They headlined Summerslam together. He said Haas and him had nothing in common. Batista said he was right. Unlike JBL, Haas won his match tonight.
Rey Mysterio cut a promo on Kane letting him know his spirit was far from broken.
****Commercial****
John Morrison & The Miz v. Rey Mysterio & Evan Bourne
Bourne grabbed an initial arm bar and kept Morrison grounded before tagging in Rey Mysterio. Mysterio ate a kick to the gut before getting tossed off the top rope and to the mat.
Miz tags in and we get a double gut buster before Miz started to hammer away with forearms. Mysterio kicked out of the hold and hit a nifty looking senton variation before tagging in Bourne who hit knees to the shoulders and then back dropped Mysterio onto Miz for a two count that got broken up.
Bourne hit an insane hurricanranna on the outside and now I’m discombobulated yelling at my wife to check this out. Bourne eventually gets knocked off the top rope and Morrison puts the boots to him. Bourne teases some cool near falls before Miz tags in and grounds him on the mat with a reverse chin lock.
Bourne eventually gets the nifty hot tag to Mysterio and there’s flips and this is crazy. Mysterio hit’s a kick to the back of Morrison’s head for a two count. He manages a nifty set up for the 619 but gets tripped up. Morrison hits neck breaker for a two count until inadvertently hitting his partner with a kick. Mysterio connected with the 619 and Sydal just hit about the most beautiful looking shooting star press I’ve ever seen. That’s all she wrote.
Winners: Rey Mysterio & Evan Bourne via pin fall
Kane’s music hit and he cut one of those awesomely cheesy but dark promos. Oh yay, there’s the mask. Rey looks disturbed.
Randy Orton’s on his way to the ring.
****Commercial****
Randy Orton comes out to the ring to speak to us all. He said there’s not worse feeling on earth then being champion and for circumstance to prevent you from performing on the biggest stage. He said a few months ago he broke his collar bone against Triple H, unable to retain his title. The difference between him and CM Punk, was that he earned his title. He won the main event at Wrestlemania. He said karma caught up with Punk who was taken out by a one armed man.
He did what he did because he felt threatened and he was concerned for his safety. He said Punk should thank him for Orton saving him from being exposed in the title scramble, where he’d get beaten over and over again. He said Jericho should kiss his butt too because he wouldn’t be champion if it weren’t for him. Make no mistake about it, when he’s 100%, he’d have no problem in beating Jericho and taking back his title.
All of a sudden Cody Rhodes, Ted Dibiase and Manu interrupted him and came out to the ring. Rhodes asked him who took out CM Punk? A one armed man? He needed to check his fact. If the three of them hadn’t done what they did, he’d have never been able to punt Punk unconscious. They were the ones who crushed Kofi Kingston when he interfered too. Orton shouldn’t dare take credit for something he didn’t do.
Manu said he wasn’t the only one blessed with god given talent. Manu said his father, Afa the Wild Samoan, was a hall of famer, too and he was no better than them. With that said, interrupted Dibiase, he slapped them in the face. But even he had to admit what they did to CM Punk was impressive. Orton Smacked the taste out of his month and walked off. Randy Orton is SUPER HEEL~
****Commercial****
Kofi Kingston & Cryme Tyme v. Cody Rhodes, Ted Dibiase & Manu
JTG and Rhodes started things off. The two locked horns before JTG bullied Rhodes back to the corner whose none too eager to fight. JTG hit a right hand and countered a Irish whip only to eat a kick to the gut. JTG rolled out and tagged Kofi who was whipped by the fresh Dibiase. Kofi hit some punches in the corner before he dispatched of Manu on the outside before Manu uncorked a huge right hand flooring the former IC champion.
Dibiase went for a quick cover for a one count before tagging in Manu. Manu hit a scoop slam and tagged in Dibiase who hit a double stomp for another one count. Rhodes is tagged back in and they hit a double arm wringer and kick combo. Kofi fought back but whiffed on a cross body block only for Kingston to snare a roll up attempt. Rhodes countered with a clothesline before Shaad got the hot tag and floored Dibiase and Manu.
He military pressed Rhodes before throwing his partner into Rhodes sending them to the outside. He hit a running power slam on Dibiase before Manu sneaked in and hit a big back suplex variation for the win.
Winners: Manu, Ted Dibiase & Cody Rhodes via pin fall
****Commercial****
Santino and Beth Phoenix are running down the Honk-a-meter again. Oh it’s Snitsky.
Santino Marella v. Snitsky
Snitsky hammered Santino with a huge clothesline before dropping an elbow. He roughed Santino up on the mat before chucking Santino into the corner and whiffed on the big boot. Santino used the momentum to roll up Snitsky for the pin fall.
Winner: Santino Marella via pin fall
Mike Adamle is in the back with Kelly Kelly asking her what he was supposed to do last night. Kelly said she felt bad for Punk. Mike said Punk would get his shot. Jericho showed up and said this was so unfair that he had to face Batista tonight as he was totally banged up. He asked for the week off. Mike said he did him a favor, and now Jericho owed him the favor now. He said the match would happen next. Jericho looks helpless.
****Commercial****
Chris Jericho v. Batista
Jericho doesn’t look too excited. Batista powered the champion to the corner and began unloading with shoulder thrusts before tossing Jericho across the ring like a rag doll. He whipped Jericho into the buckles hard before flooring him with a straight right hand, punctuating things with a boot to the head for a one count.
Jericho was whipped to the buckles before Batista power slammed him to the mat before Jericho bailed looking for a time out. Mike Adamle popped up and said to stop the match. Adamle apologized to Batista and said he was learning as he went along. He misdiagnosed the condition of Chris Jericho. He said he would make the match more competitive and it’d be a handicapped match.
Chris Jericho & JBL v. Batista
Jericho’s beaming on the outside of the ring as help comes down to the ring.
****Commercial****
Jericho and JBL were doing quite a number on Batista when we got back. JBL went for a cover for a one count. Jericho tagged in and choked Batista out on the ropes before booting him in the head. Jericho smashed Batista’s head off the top buckle before Batista came back a bit only for Jericho to herd him to the corner and tag JBL who unloaded with rights before distracting the ref and allowing Jericho to hit some right hands.
JBL landed a series of elbow drops before going for a cover that got a two count. He connected with a swinging neck breaker before going for another cover and getting another two count. Jericho tagged in and booted Batista in the shoulder before slapping Batista across the head. It didn’t sit well with the Animal who powered Jericho down to the mat with a big right hand. After dispatching Jericho he went for a Batista bomb but Lance Cade popped up on the ring apron. It allowed JBL to connect with a huge clothesline from hell. Jericho slithered over and made the cover to steal another win for the second night in a row.
Winners: Chris Jericho & JBL via pin fall
Lance Cade and JBL put a beat down on Batista after the match asking him who he was laughing at now. They whipped Batista to the buckles but he hit a double shoulder tackle before spearing JBL and hitting a spine buster on Cade. He hit a big Batista bomb on Cade and is the last guy standing. RAW THOUGHTSShow Thoughts-- All in all, this was a pretty solid offering tonight.
Last night was a weird pay per view. Just a lot of weird swerves that in in terms of their outcome, are good moves, but the way they got there seemed ‘off’. Of course, the biggest move of all was putting the world title back on Chris Jericho, which I’ll be elaborating on in my next column, but all in all, even though it saddens me to see Punk lose the belt, is absolutely the right move going forward. He’s just on such a role you really can’t pass it up. Wrestlemania is coming up quicker than many of us may realize and no matter how much you like the guy, you’re insane and flat wrong to say CM Punk would or even should headline the show. The longer the belt is on him, the longer we’re distracted from building the biggest show in the company’s history. Punk’s reign did what it had to do, so it’s time to move forward.
Looking in that direction, Jericho’s got some really interesting stuff on the docket, whereas in ‘02, he was sort of limited because of when he won the title. It was clear he wouldn’t hold the belt past Mania and with little time to do the trick, they just rushed everything. Now he’s got plenty of time to hold the belt and a boat load of interesting challengers. Batista and he seem to have good chemistry together. Mysterio-Jericho is something we haven’t seen in about 10 years and I think would be a great headliner for later this winter. John Cena could be coming back in time to feud with Jericho and also, there’s the return program with CM Punk. It should be a really, really fun reign.
It looks obvious we’re headed for a Punk-Orton contest and if the pieces line up, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them feud through Survivor Series. I love this booking. The timing is good and it’s just one of those feuds that seems like it’ll work. Stark contrast is often the driving force behind solid rivalries. Rock-Austin, Steamboat-Flair… those guys had definitive differences in their characters and overall make-up. Punk and Orton aren’t nearly on those lines, but still, it looks good. Orton looks like a Greek god. Punk looks like he stumbled out of your front lawn garbage hopper. Orton’s clean cut. Punk’s scrappy. Orton was given the benefit of a great background to help him get a head start in the business. Punk’s gone from wrestling in basketball shorts with duct tape on them in high school gyms and clawed his way to the top. It’s just got the makeup of a super feud that’ll do WORLDS more for Punk’s career than his holding the title belt right now will.
The rest of the card is up in the air, but still looking fairly interesting. I love the super cheese lucha angles, and that looks like what we’re headed for with Kane and Mysterio where it looks like masks will be involved. Kane’s rejuvenated and Mysterio is still one of the best in the industry. It should be good stuff. JBL-Batista I’m tepid on, as these two just don’t, or at least the first time around, didn’t have good chemistry, but Batista’s a superior worker compared to what he was in ‘05, so I’ll look at the glass as half full.
Santino is floating, but staying ever so entertaining. Dibiase, Rhodes and Manu seem to be WWE’s version of what Generation Next was in ROH. I’m all for stables. Cryme Tyme just seems to be very over and could be a good long term rival for them. Jamie Noble’s misadventures every week is fun filler stuff, while Regal just continues to show us idiots how you REALLY work a five minute match.
The interesting piece in all this though is Mike Adamle and the direction they take with him. He’s a total tweener, sort of goofy, sort of timid, but then again, is kind of tough. He’s ‘trying’ which is sort of a different approach. I’m not sure how I feel about it yet, but it’s something new and a different spin on things. I’ll give it a chance and come November, we’ll probably get an idea of how well it’s working.
The matches tonight were fairly solid. The tag match was just a gas. Not a ‘good’ match, in fact just a crazy spot fest, but who says those can’t be a boat load of fun? Regal-Noble was my motn, as I could watch those two kill each other for days and not get bored. The women’s title match was a little bland, but I’m looking forward to see the Beth-Candice revenge tour pans out. The six man was fun stuff even though the handicapped match was pretty ‘bleh’.
Overall though, another one of those ‘set the table’ sort of shows. Unforgiven was absolutely a transitional show, so now it’s time to set the pieces in place to start moving towards Wrestlemania.
Overall Grade: B
Quick Results
Beth Phoenix def. Mickie James to RETAIN the Women’s Championship
William Regal def. Jamie Noble
Charlie Haas def. JBL
Rey Mysterio & Evan Bourne def. John Morrison & The Miz
Cody Rhodes, Ted Dibiase & Manu def. Kofi Kingston & Cryme Tyme
Chris Jericho & JBL def. Batista
Who’s Hot, Who’s Not?
Biggest Pops
1. Batista
2. Rey Mysterio
3. Cryme Tyme
4. Kofi Kingston
Most Heat
1. Randy Orton
2. Chris Jericho
3. Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase
4. JBL
Match of the Night: Jamie Noble v. William Regal **1/4
Power Rankings
5 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
World Heavyweight Champion: Chris Jericho 16-15-1, 36 pts. (Last Week: 1)-- Well some might not be wild about the way that it happened, but really, it’s the right move heading forward. Jericho’s on one of those once in a lifetime sort of rolls wrestlers get on and to pass it up would have been ridiculous. I’m very intrigued to see which way they go with it.
Intercontinental Champion: Santino Marella 10-10, 16 points (Last Week: Intercontinental Champion)-- Santino’s been booked fairly strong of late, and that’s not a bad thing. He could really use some sort of program though.
1. Shawn Michaels 16-4-1, 23pts. (Last Week: 4) -- Obviously makes a big leap forward, especially with Batista dropping two matches in two nights. A win over the guy who would be champion later in the night gives you the #1 spot.
2. CM Punk 7-4-2, 21 Points (Last Week: World Heavyweight Champion) -- I for one was actually glad to see Punk lose the belt the way he did. He looks stronger heading forward believe it or not and flat out, a program with Randy Orton or John Cena means you made it. Might not appear as such, but it’s a positive step back if there’s such a thing.
3. Batista 6-5-2, 14 Points (Last Week: 2)-- Looks like he’s headed for a program with JBL, but I’m tepid on this move for both guys. JBL can’t really afford to get smooshed, and these two are like oil and water in terms of chemistry. I’ll reserve judgment, but I’m not wild about it.
4. Ted Dibiase, Jr. 6-4, 15 Points (Last Week: 8)-- Well he and Cody leapfrog everyone thanks to the train wreck that’s sort of going on ahead of them. Thanks to the rub from Orton and the addition of some muscle in Manu, they’re one of the more interesting acts on Raw right now.
5. Cody Rhodes 11-9, 19 points (Last Week: 9)-- See Dibiase.
6. Rey Mysterio 2-1, 4 Points (Last Week: 10)-- Rey was his usual solid self last night and really did a job getting Evan Bourne over tonight. Totally the kind of guy you want on your roster. I’ll go ahead and say that a Jericho-Mysterio match for the gold is in the cards later this winter and it should be a doozie.
7. JBL 14-22, 25 points (Last Week: 5)-- Mixed last two days.. Heck mixed last couple of weeks. Seems headed to a match with Batista and pins him tonight, but a loss to Charlie Haas hurts a lot no matter how it’s booked.
8. Kane 2-7, 4 Points (Last Week: 7)-- Kane’s not going to be a guy who moves up the list with a ton of wins. I love the prospect of a mask v. mask feud. Sooo lucha libre or such an un-lucha libre guy. I’ve actually got high hopes for the program.
9. Kofi Kingston 7-4, 17 points (Last Week: 6) -- It’s been a rough go of it for Kingston since Summerslam. I’m really hoping they just don’t flat drop the program with Santino. I feel like it’s really got some legs if they fully commit to it.
10. William Regal, 5-6, 13 points (Last Week: NR)-- Regal always finds a way to just barely be able to hang around in terms of relevancy and put on another fantastic short match with Jamie Noble this week. I could watch those two all day long.
OTHERS :
John Cena 19-13, 34 points. (Last Week: 3)
Randy Orton 10-9-2, 20pts. (Last Week: NR)
Paul Burchill 5-4, 7 points (Last Week: NR)
JTG 5-4, 7 points (Last Week: NR)
Big Shaad 5-4, 5 points (Last Week: NR)
Paul London 3-6, 3 points(Last Week: NR)
Lance Cade 2-5, 4 points (Last Week: NR)
Jamie Noble 1-4, 2 Points (Last Week: NR)
Primo Colon 1-0, 2 Points (Last Week: NR)
D-Lo Brown 2-2, 4 points (Last Week: NR)
Snitsky 2-6, 3 points (Last Week: NR)
Manu 1-0, 1 Point (Last Week: NR)
Charlie Haas 1-2, 2 points (Last Week: NR)
Deuce 0-0, 0 Points (Last Week: NR)
Chuck Palumbo 0-0, 0 Points (Last Week: NR)
Matt Striker 0-1, 0 Points (Last Week: NR)
Jerry Lawler 0-1, 0 points (Last Week: NR)
Jim Duggan 0-2, 0 points (Last Week: NR)
Rory 0-2, 0 points (Last Week: NR)
Robbie 0-3, 0 points (Last Week: NR)
Mick Foley 1-0, 1 point (Last Week: NR)
Sgt. Slaughter 0-0. 0 pts. (Last Week: NR)
Val Venis 0-1 0pts. (Last Week: NR)