On Tuesday, November 4, 2008 at 12:34 AM EST WWE RAW
November 3, 2008
Tampa, FL
Commentators: Michael Cole & Jerry “The King” Lawler
Report by: Hunter Golden of WrestleView.com
Randy Orton's music hits and he came out to the ring. He said last week he gave Stephanie and Shane an ultimatum. Either Mike Adamle gets fired or he walks. He said they, in typical McMahon fashion, wouldn't make a decision until they decided to grace us with their presence. He said he didn't care though and tonight, he'd sit out at ringside until he got his answer. He pulled up a chair at ring side to wait for the McMahons.
Matt & Jeff Hardy v. MVP and “The” Brian Kendrick
MVP and Jeff started things out. Hardy grabbed a go behind and eventually flat backed MVP and hit his double leg drop. Hardy gathered MVP and tagged in his brother and together they hit a tandem elbow drop.
Matt whipped MVP and Jeff hurled himself into him off a leapfrog for a two count. Hardy went for a high risk move and crashed and burned only for Kendrick to tag in and hit some stomps for a two count. After some boots to the back, Kendrick mounted Hardy and pounded away on his face. He lined up a drop kick to his face and connected for a two count. Kendrick tossed Hardy to the mat before going for the Sliced Bread #2. Hardy flipped out and hit an inverted suplex on Kendrick, allowing himself the time to tag in Matt.
Matt came in and hit his bulldog-clothesline combo before a side suplex for a two count. Hardy went for a twist of fate but MVP pushed him off and both nailed each other with clotheslines. Kendrick got the tag but he official didn't see it. While Kendrick was going crazy on the referee, Matt hit a suplex followed by a swanton bomb from Matt & Jeff that allowed them to get the win.
Winners: The Hardy Boyz via pin fall
****Commercial****
8-Man Battle Royal-- Winner is #1 contender for the IC title
Shaad v. JTG v. Manu v. Ted Dibiase v. Jamie Noble v. Snitsky v. William Regal v. Cody Rhodes
Santino's on commentary:
“You are a-smart.. but from Memphis. How surprising.”
“They're not man enough to have the glamazon”
Here's the order of elimination:
1.Snitsky (by Manu & Cody Rhodes)
2.Manu & Cody Rhodes (by Ted Dibiase)
3.Jamie Noble (by William Regal)
4.JTG (by Ted Dibiase)
5.Shaad (by Ted Dibiase)
6.Ted Dibiase (by William Regal)
Winner and #1 Contender for the Intercontinental Championship: William Regal
Santino doesn't seem too thrilled... especially when he learns that Raw will be in Manchester, England next week.
Stephanie and Shane McMahon have arrived. Looks like Shane's going to 'handle this'.
****Commercial****
Orton's up in the ring and said since Shane and Steph are here, we can finally address all this. He said Mike Adamle put his health in jeopardy last week. He goes, or Orton goes. What would it be?
Shane came down to the ring. He and Orton bantered back and forth a bit before Mike Adamle's music hit and he came down to the ring with a big smile on his face.
Mike said before Shane continued, there was something he needed to say. He said since the beginning of Raw, whoever was in charge of the show, they had an agenda. Mike stammered through his words to say that he never wanted to take sides. He promptly resigned as Raw GM.
Orton went to get all over Adamle as he walked off. Shane told him to back down before Orton copped an attitude. Shane shot him down super quickly and said all Orton was was full of excuses. He said he'd been cleared to wrestle for weeks and tonight, he'd have no alternative but to wrestle. Orton tried to explain that he didn't have his gear, but Shane cut him off, telling him he took care of it already.
Tonight, Orton would be competing. Against CM Punk.
****Commercial****
Vladmir Kozlov v. Bret “Hitman” Haas
Haas is talking about screw jobs. Vald screwed Vlad.
Kozlov hit a huge boot and then the colossal battering ram and that's that I guess.
Winner: Valimir Kozlov via pin fall
****Commercial****
Todd Grisham's with World Heavyweight Champion Batista. Batista said it took him long enough to win this belt back. He said Jericho was full of excuses, but this week, he wouldn't have any.
****Commercial****
DX came and did their bit for 14 minutes.... too long to bother.
****Commercial****
D-Generation X v. Miz & Morrison
We came back to Triple H kicking out of a pin fall attempt. Morrison went for an Irish whip and connected, but Triple H hit a clothesline on the rebound. HBK tagged in and hit some shoulder tackles and an inverted atomic drop on the Miz.
He scaled the ropes and went for the elbow drop and connected. He went to tune up the band only for Morrison to hold him up just long enough for Miz to nail him with a clothesline. The heels worked over HBK with some stomps and slams before going for a cover attempt. Miz tagged back into the match and hit an Irish whip before nailing his running clothesline in the corner.
Miz went for the knee lift, but HBK avoided him and hit a backslide, but only got a two count. Miz decked HBK with a right hand and tagged in Morrison. Morrison caught a kick and slapped HBK in the face, but then got hit with an enziguiri.
HBK hot tagged Triple H who came in and of course cleaned house with some right hands and a face buster. He hit a spine buster on Miz before eating a wheel kick from Morrison that almost cost him the match. Morrison hit a flying forearm and then nipped up before tuning up the band. Morrison hit sweet chin music and then he and Miz gave us all a 'suck it'. Miz went for a pedigree only for Triple H to back drop him over his head.
Triple H chucked Morrison to the outside while HBK hit real sweet chin music on Miz before Triple H capped it off with a pedigree. That's all she wrote.
Winners: D-Generation X via pin fall
JBL is in the back with Shane McMahon. He's lobbying to become Raw GM. Shane doesn't seem too keen on the idea and instead puts JBL in a match with Undertaker later tonight.
****Commercial****
16 Diva Tag Team Match
Kelly and Beth started things out and Mae Young is tagging in ready for Beth Phoenix and HEART PUNCHES HER. All the heel divas fall off of Mae Young before they try to gang up on her, but all the baby face Divas come to her aid. While the chaos is going on, Beth sneaks into the ring and rolls up Mae Young for the win.
Winners: Heel Divas (like a lot of them)
After the match Beth celebrated with Santino while Mae Mugs for the crowd.
****Commercial****
CM Punk v. Randy Orton
The two circled it up as Punk pawed at Orton. Punk hit a big enzeguiri before pounding away on Orton in the corner. He whipped him to both buckles before Orton exploded out of the second with a huge lariat. Orton raked Punke's face with his boot before mugging for the crowd and stomping away on him on the mat. He dropped a knee across the former champion's face before going for a one count.
Orton slapped on a rear chin lock while the crowd attempted to rally Punk. Punk fought to his feet only for Orton to whiff on the charge in the corner. Punk hit the springboard lariat and a series of kicks to the head before flooring Orton with a wheel kick. Punk came bounding at him with the knee to the face but Orton threw him off on the bulldog attempt.
Orton coiled up on the mat looking for an RKO only for Ted Dibiase to pop up out of nowhere and tackle Punk causing the DQ.
Winner: CM Punk via DQ
Orton looked livid that Dibiase showed up and cut off Rhodes and Manu from coming in the ring. He turned around and punted Dibiase square in the head, knocking him unconscious. He stared at Rhodes and Manu, who looked shell shocked, and traipsed off to the back.
****Commercial****
Rhodes and Manu confronted Randy Orton in the back. Orton said he was seconds from winning and what they did was unwarranted. He said he might have kicked some sense into him and he dared them to do something about it. They backed down and Orton said it was wise of them. He said there might be some hope for them yet.
Mike Adamle is with Stephanie in the back. He said he quit because she and Shane wanted to change whatever decisions he made. He said motherhood hadn't done anything for her because she was still a megalomaniac. She said running this show was her birthright. Adamle walked off while Shane walked in. he said he had a major announcement to take care of.
Taker v. JBL is next.
****Commercial****
Undertaker v. JBL
Taker floored JBL with a right hand before taking it to him in the corner with a bunch of strikes. He wrapped up the arm and scaled the ropes and connected with old school before JBL found it in him to connect with a right hand.
JBL went to work in the corner with some right hands before stomping the Undertaker to a pulp in the corner. Taker fought back and hit snake eyes before connecting with a big leg drop for a two count. He loaded up the choke slam and connected before signaling for the end. JBL wiggled out of the tombstone attempt and the two connected with dueling right hands, leaving JBL out on the outside of the ring and Taker out in the middle of the ring.
Taker sat up and JBL has had enough and backed off as the official counted him out.
Winner: Undertaker via count out
Shawn Michaels ran in after the match and tossed JBL back into the ring where he got tombstoned.
Chris Jericho wants to know what Shane's big announcement. He said at Survivor Series, the title would be defended..... against John Cena.
****Commercial****
Funaki's in the ring. Now Hornswoggle. Now Boogeyman. Now everyone's dancing. Goldust cut in on Cole and Lilian and danced with Cole. Ron Simmons gave us a damn and that's that.
****Commercial****
Mark Henry & Kane v. Rey Mysterio & Kofi Kingston
Kane and Rey started things off with Kane grabbing the advantage after a few exchanged. After flooring Mysterio with a right, Henry tagged in and went for a military press slam, but Mysterio countered out. Henry turned around and socked him with a right hand. After missing a splash, Kingston tagged in and began the arduous task of chopping Henry down with forearms.
Henry shoved Kingston to the side and dragged Kingston to the corner on a whip attempt. He went for a follow up and Kingston went for a cross body block on y for Henry to catch him in mid air. Mysterio tried drop kicking Kingston onto Henry but Kane cut him off with a huge right hand. Henry delivered the world's strongest slam and nailed it.
Winners: Mark Henry & Kane via pin fall
After the match Henry and Kane tossed Rey to the outside before The Great Khali's music hit. Kane was at work only until Khali chopped him in the head. He chopped Henry back and began clubbing him to the ring ropes. Mysterio didn't know what to think but once Khali gave him permission he delivered a big 619. Khali chopped him down on the rebound and Khali nodded at Mysterio with a smile.
****Commercial****
Shane and Steph are talking in the back. She said she wished she was in the loop about his announcement with Cena. Shane said that was how things went sometimes and asked her if she objected. She said she didn't.. she just wanted to be in the loop. She just wished her Dad was here to see it.
****Commercial****
World Heavyweight Championship – Steel Cage Match
Batista v. Chris Jericho
Batista easily shoved Jericho who responded with a slap. After a whip to the corner, Jericho tried to escape but got caught by the champion and pulled back into the ring. Batista loaded him up and brought him back down to the ring for a power slam. The Animal followed up with a clothesline for a two count before going right back to work slamming and pummeling Jericho into the corner.
Batista choked Jericho out in the corner before whipping him into the ropes. He ate a boot to the grill, but once Jericho came rushing at him, he side stepped him and flung Jericho into the steel. Batista chucked Jericho back first into the cage before doing it one more time, showing that he's in full control.
****Commercial****
Jericho went for the walls of Jericho, but Batista kicked him off. Jericho went flailing for the door, but Batista saved him just in the nick of time. Batista hammered away on Jericho in the corner before Jericho knocked Batista's leg to the outside and closed the door on it from his back.
Jericho went right to work on the leg but Batista fought back whipping Jericho to the corner and clotheslining him and then went for a spine buster, but Jericho countered into a DDT. Jericho went for a code breaker, but Batista caught him and tossed him into the cage. Batista went for a spear, only for Jericho to side step as the champion clattered head first into the mesh.
Jericho began climbing the cage and got over, only for Batista to wait in the door way. Batista carried Jericho into the ring and hit a spine buster, but struggled with the Batista bomb. Once he got Jericho up, Jericho latched onto the cage and began scaling it again. Batista climbed up and knocked him off only for Batista to loose his balance as well and slam to the mat.
Jericho's climbing again and Batista barely gets to him while he's on top. Batista loaded Jericho up for a Batista bomb off the top of the cage! Jericho pulled a steel bolt off the cage and pummeled Batista with it, knocking the champion totally lifeless. Jericho climbed up over the top of the cage, but Batista caught him through the cage by the throat. Jericho kicked the cage, sending Batista back. He dropped down to the floor and Jericho has regained the World title!
Winner and NEW World Heavyweight Champion: Chris Jericho
Jericho celebrated with the belt after the match while Batista looked on bloodied and totally in a state of shock.RAW THOUGHTS
Show Thoughts-- So to say the least, it was an interesting show where a lot happened.
Chris Jericho has regained the belt in what I think is one of the most refreshing moves the WWE's done in a while and furthermore, puts him over better than any dirty win at Cyber Sunday ever would have. Even though the match itself was a little all over the place, the finish was just great stuff.
I guess my biggest criticism of the WWE since the dawn of the millennium I guess, is the fact that they're always so afraid to stick with the chances they take long enough to really see how they play out. I mean I could run down a list of 20. But this one, they held off on retreating to their 'happy place' and I like it. It's refreshing.
The rest of the show was respectable, if unspectacular stuff. Now it appears Mike Adamle is out as Raw GM and after weeks of not being able to effectively deliver his lines, it's not a big surprise. It'll be interesting to see whom they choose.
The thing I'm really digging right now is the Orton-Priceless saga where it looks like the WWE's going to roll Priceless in with Orton. Rhodes and Dibiase especially, are freakish in their talent, and with a guy like Orton to play off of, it's going to be pretty awesome stuff. Add in the CM Punk issue and this has the potential to be some really great Survivor Series action.
How bout Baby face Khali? I love it. Chops all around off of hot tags and Mysterio leaping off his shoulders like a kawala bear to a eucalyptus leaf. Count me on board.
The rest of the show was fairly pedestrian. We got the token DX appearance and subsequent squash, Mae Young poked her head up from the floor boards, we got a ton of replays of 'big moments'. Taker popped up and we got all sorts of crazy gimmicks from a battle royal to a 16 Diva tag. For what was largely a three hour advertisement, they did ok.
So overall, a good show tonight, but not a ton to talk about because so much was left open ended. It's nice to be left with some cliff hangers though, especially after a big show.
Overall Grade: B-
Quick Results
The Hardy Boyz def. MVP & Brian Kendrick
William Regal won a Battle Royal to become #1 contender for the IC Championship
Vladimir Kozlov def. Charlie "Hitman" Haas
D-Generation X def. The Miz & John Morrison
Beth's Team def. Mae Young's Team
CM Punk def. Randy Orton
Undertaker def. JBL
Mark Henry & Kane def. Rey Mysterio & Kofi Kingston
Chris Jericho def. Batista to WIN The World Heavyweight Championship
Who’s Hot, Who’s Not?
Biggest Pops
1. D-Generation X
2. Shane McMahon
3. Rey Mysterio
4. Batista
Most Heat
1. Randy Orton
2. Chris Jericho
3. Miz & Morrison
4. JBL
Match of the Night: Batista v. Chris Jericho **3/4
Power RankingsPoints
5= 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 20-19-1, 50 pts. (Last Week: 1)-- I love the fact they took the belt off him briefly. Makes him a little more vulnerable, but at the same time, did a better job of putting him over as a reputable champion tonight than any win at Cyber Sunday would've done. Back off to the races.
Intercontinental Champion: Santino Marella 12-12-1, 19 points (Last Week: Intercontinental Champion) -- Consistently the most entertaining segment on the show every week, there's no reason to unseat him from his spot for right now.
1. Batista 12-7-3, 29 Points (Last Week: World Heavyweight Champion) -- I'm definitely surprised that Batista lost the belt, but I would be lying if it didn't make me crack a smile a bit. It's nothing against Batista. It's just that right now, there isn't a lot he could do for the belt that'd make a lot of sense or be interesting in any capacity. I'm relieved the WWE didn't do it's usual 'retreat to a happy place' by going back to Jericho.
2. Shawn Michaels 21-6-2, 28pts. (Last Week: 2) -- Even though I'm not wild about DX by any means, bringing them back for big shows like this one once and a while isn't a bad move. Michaels doesn't really go anywhere, although he DID get a lick in on JBL tonight. We'll see where it heads.
3. CM Punk 11-7-2, 32 Points (Last Week: 4) -- I'm glad they haven't totally dropped the prospect of a CM Punk-Randy Orton feud, even if they only give it a month. Looks like it's the only planned traditional Survivor Series match on the card..
4. Kane 8-9, 12 Points (Last Week: 3) -- I love the tandem of him and Mark Henry, especially when there's some little turd-let to kick the stuffing out of. Meandering a bit though, but he'd be a fantastic first challenger to a face world champion at the rate they've got him going.
5. Rey Mysterio 6-6, 14 Points (Last Week: 8) -- Kind of got a little squished tonight, but no harm, no foul. Another guy who they don't seem to have a lot of stuff for right now. That's not horribly offensive though. We DO get a great tag match from him weekly it seems.
6. JBL 18-26, 32 points (Last Week: 5)- - I feel like JBL's a bit stale these days. I'm really hoping this HBK feud does something for him. He could use a shot of momentum.
7. William Regal, 6-6, 15 points (Last Week: 9)-- It's going to be interesting to see how they go with the Santino match next week, but being in front of an English crowd, he'll no doubt be the good guy. Should be fun watching him rough Santino up a bit.
8. Kofi Kingston 8-9, 22 points (Last Week: 10) -- Seems to be trading a win for a loss weekly, which is ok. At least he's showing strong I suppose.
9. Ted Dibiase, Jr. 9-5, 19 Points (Last Week: 6) -- Totally seems to be the focal point of this Priceless alliance with Randy Orton. Definitely the most interesting thing going on the show right now.
10. Cody Rhodes 13-11, 21 points (Last Week: 7) -- See Dibiase.
OTHERS:
John Cena 19-13, 34 points. (Last Week: NR)
Randy Orton 10-10-2, 20pts. (Last Week: NR)
Paul Burchill 5-5, 7 points (Last Week: NR)
JTG 6-7, 8 points (Last Week: NR)
Big Shaad 6-6, 7 points (Last Week: NR)
Paul London 3-6, 3 points(Last Week: NR)
Lance Cade 3-7, 5 points (Last Week: NR)
Jamie Noble 2-5, 4 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 2-0, 2 Points (Last Week: NR)
Charlie Haas 2-5-1, 4 points (Last Week: NR)
Deuce 0-2, 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 0-2, 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