WWE RAW report for 1/26/04
Report by: Jason, rajah.com reporter
WWE RAW report for 1/26/04
Just 24 hours removed from the 2004 Royal Rumble, this is YOUR rajah.com RAW report. My name is Jason (Jason_of_RajahWWF on Yahoo Messenger) and I will be your host for the next two hours of Royal Rumble fallout. Here we go!
Footage from last night shows Mick Foley returning to reap his revenge on Randy Orton. Coward indeed.
The music plays, the pyro blazes and we are LIVE from the Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania! Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler will have the call as the Y2J countdown begins...
Chris Jericho Interview
-Jericho enters to his cut from WWE Originals. Normally, Jericho would be angry that Chris Benoit won the Royal Rumble and not him, but Benoit is on Smackdown and this is RAW...is...Jericho, so the World Heavyweight Championship title shot at WrestleMania XX is still wide open. Jericho wants to use his Survivor Series favor from Eric Bischoff to challenge Triple H for the title tonight on RAW. Jericho then riffs on Howard Dean's Iowa speech and declares he's going to take the title around the country before defending it in New York City at WrestleMania. YEEEE-AAAAAHHH!! I'M BACK...here comes RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff. Jericho wants to use his favor to get a title shot with Triple H, is that what Bischoff is hearing? Well, you got it! But, Jericho might not want to do that because tonight Bischoff has booked Trish Stratus to face Kane one-on-one. Does Jericho think Bischoff is proud of the fact that Jericho was the last RAW superstar in the Rumble? He's not. Smackdown has won the Rumble the last two years and Bischoff has had it. So, Jericho can use his Survivor Series favor to get his title shot, or he can use it to cancel the Trish/Kane match, not both. The look in Jericho's eye tells Bischoff what Chris's choice is, so he cancels the Trish/Kane match. Instead, Jericho will team with Rob Van Dam to take on the World Tag Team Champions, Ric Flair & Batista, and the Intercontinental Champion, Randy Orton. Oh, by the way Chris, that match is next.
Commercial
Chris Jericho & Rob Van Dam Vs. Randy Orton, Ric Flair & Batista in a Handicap Tag Team Match
-Flair and Jericho start with The Nature Boy in control with a side headlock. Jericho takes over with speed and keeps both Flair and the interfering Orton at bay. Jericho mounts Flair on the mat for punches as senior referee Earl Hebner admonishes. Flair goes to the eyes and tags Orton. Orton drops his head off a whip and Jericho punts him to the mat for a near fall. Tag to Van Dam. RVD drops the leg and gets a near fall. RVD with a springboard cross body off the whip and gets two. Van Dam corrals Orton in the face corner and Jericho kicks at Randy from the apron. Van Dam with a double leg pin. 1-2-kickout by Orton. Tag to Jericho, who chops Orton in the corner. Orton eats boot on a corner charge and gets blasted with a Jericho missile dropkick. 1-2-Orton kicks out. Suplex by Jericho. Tag to Van Dam. RVD comes in with a kick and stomps Orton's head on the mat. Orton finally gets back into it with a knee lift and he rains fists down on Van Dam's face near the ropes. 1-2-RVD kicks out. Tag to Flair. Van Dam floors Flair with a kick and scores a thrust kick off the top. Van Dam nails Orton and Batista on the apron before they can interfere and drops down on Flair for the cover. 1-2-broken up by Orton. It breaks down from there with everyone in there. Batista powerbombs Jericho on the floor and Evolution looks to make it a three-on-one on Van Dam...
Commercial
..We come back as Van Dam rolls Flair up for a near fall. The trainer is seeing to Jericho on the outside. Meanwhile in the ring, Batista hotshots Van Dam over the top and Flair takes advantage with kicks. Flair drops the trademark knee and tags Orton. Randy drops the leg across Van Dam's arm as the trainer and EMTs talk it over with Jericho on the floor. Orton works the arm on the mat as Van Dam tries to work his way free. Van Dam fights up, but Orton works a drop toehold and tags Batista. Batista traps Van Dam on the mat with a tight hammerlock as Flair casually enters the ring for a cheap shot. Tag to Flair, who continues the work on Van Dam's arm with an armbar. Hebner asks in, but RVD won't quit. Jericho is trying to pull his way to his corner as Van Dam fights out of Flair's armbar. Flair uses the drop toehold and traps RVD on the mat for the tag to Batista. Jericho crawls onto the apron as Orton tags in and continues the arm work on Van Dam. Van Dam bites Orton's hand to try to escape, but Orton keeps the hold. Van Dam struggles up and punches his way out, but catches a nice dropkick from Orton for his trouble. Flair tags back in and puts Van Dam in the corner for more arm work. Chops by Flair, punches by Van Dam. Step over heel kick by Van Dam and down goes Flair. Van Dam makes the hot tag as Flair tags Batista. Jericho works Batista's knees with a dropkick and backdrops Flair. Jericho looks for The Walls on Batista, but Batista powers out. Jericho with a bulldog and he makes the cover. 1-2-broken up by Orton. Jericho shows Orton the door and then locks Batista in The Walls. Flair comes in, but Van Dam dispatches him with the Five Star. Batista is about to tap, but Orton returns to the ring and RKO's Jericho as Hebner is ushering Van Dam out. Batista makes the cover on Jericho and gets the 1-2-3 for his team at 17:14.
-HERE are YOUR Winners: Batista, Randy Orton & Ric Flair
Commercial
In the back, Randy Orton is raving to Eric Bischoff about what happened with Mick Foley last night. Orton wants permission from Bischoff to beat Mick Foley up as soon as he sees Mick tonight. Bischoff grants Randy's request as Sheriff Austin appears on the scene. Austin says that Foley is indeed here and Orton can have a piece of Mick if he wants it, but first Mick gets the chance to refute all the Orton propaganda from the last several weeks.
Elsewhere, Trish Stratus finds the recovering Chris Jericho and thanks him for saving her from the match with Kane. Trish says they should talk about their relationship and how they're such close...friends. Yeah, says Jericho, they're friends. They look to hug, but settle for a handshake instead. Trish won't be the kind of friend that Christian is though; she won't take him out looking for girls. How'd Trish hear about that? Before she can answer, Christian arrives and ushers her away. Trish leaves and Christian lays into Jericho about wasting time with Trish when he should be worrying about their future as a tag team. They bicker a bit about the Royal Rumble before Christian says they have a number one contenders match for the World Tag Team Championship...if Jericho can get his head of his ass long enough to wrestle it.
Commercial
WWE Digital Play of the Night: Last night on Heat, Victoria defeated Women's Champion Molly Holly in a non-title match.
Victoria & Lita w/Steven Richards Vs. Molly Holly & Jazz w/Theodore Long
-Molly and Lita start with some amateur wrestling that Lita amazingly gets the better of. Lita suplexes Molly and then tags Victoria, who was begging for it. Molly quickly tags Jazz, who takes Victoria down and nails her with some crossface blows for a near fall from referee Chad Patton. Victoria with a sunset flip for a near fall. Standing moonsault by Victoria for another near fall before Molly distracts her from the apron and Jazz dropkicks her out. Steven Richards and Teddy Long jaw at each other as Victoria climbs back into the ring and Jazz suplexes her over for a near fall. Molly tags in and locks Victoria up with a chin hold. Jazz returns and boots Victoria in the belly as Molly holds her. Another chinlock, this time by Jazz, but Victoria won't quit. Standing sit-out powerslam by Jazz, but Victoria dodges the splash. Victoria crawls to the corner, Molly tries to stop her, but she makes the tag anyway and Lita goes to work. Molly flees and tags Jazz, who promptly headscissored over by Lita. Tag to Victoria and she goes at Molly (who I'm pretty sure isn't legal). Victoria with a powerslam. 1-2-broken up by Jazz. Lita and Jazz spill to the outside as Molly looks for a suplex on Victoria, but Vicky rolls her up and gets the 1-2-3 at 5:55, pinning Molly for the second straight night.
-HERE are YOUR Winners: Victoria & Lita
Richards raises Victoria and Lita's hands on the ramp as Molly pitches a fit in the ring.
In the back, Triple H makes his way toward the ring.
Commercial
Triple H Interview
-Bandaged and bruised, the World Heavyweight Champion makes his way to the ring. Last night two men scratched, clawed and bled buckets for what they believe in, the World Heavyweight Championship. Shawn said it would come down to one second, and when it did, Michaels couldn't get it done. That's why Hunter stands before tonight still the World Heavyweight Champion. OH OHH OHHH, SHAWN! Here comes Shawn Michaels. What does Hunter have to do to Shawn to finally end this? Hasn't Shawn had enough? Hunter, we haven't even gotten started yet. The GLASS BREAKS and now here comes Sheriff Austin to the ring on his ATV. Austin hits the corners and the crowd laps it up, which Jim Ross is sure to point out. It's a shame the Last Man Standing Match ended in a tie, because it meant Hunter keeps his title. Austin said it once and he'll see it again, Michaels deserves a rematch. But, the problem is, Austin is here to enforce the law, not make matches. The rules of the Royal Rumble state that the winner goes on to WrestleMania to face the champion...but it doesn't say which champion. Austin wants the winner of the 2004 Royal Rumble to come on down to the ring! The music hits and, sure enough, here comes Chris Benoit. The crowd chants loudly for Benoit, who can tell he's the last person Hunter and Shawn expected to see. The two of them fought like hell to be the World Heavyweight Champion last night, but so did he. It took him 18 years and 62 minutes to get the opportunity to face the best, whether it's Shawn Michaels or Triple H. At WrestleMania XX, Benoit will fulfill his destiny to become the World Heavyweight Champion. Benoit exits, leaving Hunter and Michaels to stare at each other in disbelief.
Commercial
Ross and Lawler are still reeling from Chris Benoit's appearance as the fires of hell erupt behind them.
Kane Vs. Bubba Ray Dudley
-We see footage from last night of Kane's fake out at the hands of The Undertaker's gong, which he took out on Spike Dudley on the steel ramp. Bubba attacks with punches at the bell and Kane bails out backward over the top. Bubba goes out after him and walks right into an uppercut. Back in the ring, Kane floors Bubba with punches, but dips his head and Bubba clotheslines him to the mat for a near fall. They slug it out on the mat and into the corner, but Bubba hammering away on Kane's back. Kane comes back with a big straight right hand and rakes at Dudley's injured eye on the mat. Kane goes out and retrieves the steel steps from ringside. Referee Mike Chioda tries to warn him off, but Kane blasts Bubba directly in the face with the steps and that's that at 2:22.
-HERE is YOUR Winner as the result of a Disqualification: Bubba Ray Dudley
D-Von Dudley dashes to the ring after the bell, but he's promptly tombstoned by Kane. Then the gong strikes and the lights go out. The crowd erupts as the TitanTron bursts into static and a fragmented video plays that would certainly seem to indicate the imminent return of The Dead Man. The video ends with another burst of static and Kane is left alone in the ring at the center of a blue spotlight.
In the general manager's office, Paul Heyman in on the speaker phone threatening to sue Eric Bischoff over the Chris Benoit situation. Bischoff says he didn't know what Benoit was going to do, but Heyman insists Bischoff and Steve Austin are plotting together. Heyman hangs up as Jonathan Coachman enters. The Coach giggles at Bischoff over Eric's fight with Paul Heyman last night. You think Bischoff is funny, Coach? Well, we'll see how funny it is when you're in a No Disqualification Match later tonight...with Goldberg.
Commercial
Ross hypes Mick Foley's return for later tonight as some distinctly French music hits the speakers.
Rob Conway w/Rene Dupree Vs. Rico w/Miss Jackie
-Conway grabs a headlock at the start, but Rico gains control and slaps Conway's ass for fun. Conway goes for a knee breaker, but Rico kisses him to escape. Conway throws Rico out and distracts the referee as Dupree nails Rico on the outside. Dupree feeds Rico back in to Conway, who stomps away. Conway drives Rico to the mat out of the corner and scores a near fall from referee Jack Doan. Miss Jackie tries to get the crowd into the match by slamming her hand on the mat, but her top slips down for a second and we're once again treated to her bare breast. Poor kid. Meanwhile, Rico surges with an elevated flapjack. Side slam by Rico for a near fall. Rico looks for his step-over mule kick, but Dupree is up on the apron. The referee heads him off as Jackie gets up on the apron. Jackie gets Conway's attention and then pulls her top down to flash him (intentionally this time). Conway as the referee are shocked as Rico moves in with his standing spin kick for the 1-2-3 at 3:23.
-HERE is YOUR Winner: Rico
Stacy Keibler comes down to the ring after the bell to congratulate Jackie, presumably for showing her breasts to thousands of strangers. Or maybe just for HAVing breasts, who knows?
Commercial
A video clip shows studio footage of Lillian Garcia singing her track for WWE Originals.
In the back, Mick Foley arrives in the arena.
Ross and Lawler show stills from last night of WWE Champion Brock Lesnar costing Goldberg his spot in Royal Rumble.
Jonathan Coachman Vs. Goldberg in a No Disqualification Match
-Coach looks understandably distressed as he makes his way to the ring. He takes the mic and begs Eric Bischoff to call the match off. He says that no one wants to see him in a match with Goldberg as the crowd cheers their desire to see exactly that. Has it occurred to anyone that Coach is the most over heel on RAW at this point? Here come THEODORE LONG and MARK HENRY. Teddy feels Coach, playuh. That cracker Eric Bischoff thinks he can treat the black man how he likes and the black man will dance for him. Well, Teddy knows that's nothing but unfair haterizing. So tonight, Long will give Coach the World's Strongest Man Mark Henry to be in his corner tonight. You feel that, playuh? Coach feels that, though not overly enthusiastically...
Commercial
WWE Rewind: Last week on RAW, the Dudley Boyz 3-D The Coach through a table.
..So, just to amend things, this is...
Jonathan Coachman w/Mark Henry and Theodore Long Vs. Goldberg in a No Disqualification Match
-Goldberg makes a great deal of hocking and spitting noises on his way to the ring. It's kind of nasty sounding. Referee Mike Chioda calls for the bell and we're off. Coach slaps Henry on the back and stands in the corner as Henry locks up with Goldberg. No DQ, remember? Henry shoulders Goldberg to the mat and jaws at him. Goldberg responds with a clothesline and Henry and Coach bail. Henry returns to the ring and batters Goldberg with forearms as Coach slides slowly under the bottom rope. Clothesline by Henry, followed by a splash in the corner. Henry picks Goldberg up in a big bear hug, but Goldberg won't give. Coach cheers Henry on as Goldberg starts to fade. Goldberg fights out and snatches Henry up for a powerslam like he was nothing. Wow. Goldberg clotheslines Henry out over the top and slams Coach off from his perch on the top turnbuckle. Coach staggers up and takes a huge Spear. Goldberg sets up for the Jackhammers and hits it. Goldberg looks to make sure Henry is still down on the floor before planting his boot on Coach's chest for the 1-2-3 at 4:24.
-HERE is YOUR Winner: Goldberg
Long restrains Henry and ushers him up the ramp as Goldberg looks into the camera and says that Brock Lesnar, no matter what show he's on, is next.
Commercial
Mick Foley Interview
-The CAR CRASHES and the formerly cowardly Mick Foley makes his way to the ring and takes the stick. The crowd's cheers are nice, but Mick feels there's an explanation in order for what happened on December 15, 2003. When Mick thinks about his career, he thinks about people describing him as having a lot of heart, guts and love of the business. That's all true to some extent, but what really drove him was hatred. He was able to channel the hatred that came from someplace dark inside him and do things that no one thought possible in the ring. That was fine while he was still an active wrestler, but now that he's not, he never should have made the mistake of accepting the match with Randy Orton because it meant he had to return to that dark place to find that hatred and he couldn't, or wouldn't, do it. Now Orton has taken a bit of advantage of that in the last few weeks and even though Mick cost Randy his Royal Rumble spot, Foley still thinks Orton owes him a favor. So, with that in mind, Mick wants Orton in the ring alone, no Evolution. Orton comes down and, enraged, wants to know what favor he owes Mick. This may sound kooky, but Mick wants Randy to spit in his face again. What? Mick knows it sounds odd, but he wants to see if Randy has it "here" to spit in his face again. Orton starts to speak, but Foley knocks the mic out of his hand and gets in his face. Foley was spilling blood on six continents while Randy was still attached to his mother's breast! Now spit in Foley's face! Orton cowers a bit before Mick a bit then manages to spit in Foley's face. Mick screams incomprehensively for a few seconds, and then says he's going to turns the other cheek so Orton can spit on his other cheek. Orton does and Foley has the camera take a close-up of it. Mick has four kids and over the years he's had everything disgusting done to him, but one thing he's never had happen is he's never had anyone say he's Randy Orton's bitch. The idea of Randy Orton as a hardcore legend is a pile of crap. When Orton spits in Foley's face, he spits on Mick's name and his legacy and that Foley can't take. Foley punches himself in the face several times, busting his own eye open. He backs a now petrified Orton into the corner and says he knows now that he can indeed find that hatred within himself, in fact he welcomes it home. And the time to use it is in Hershey, Pennsylvania...right now! Foley goes ballistic on Orton, pounding him into the corner. Here comes Ric Flair, but Foley lays him out. Foley goes back to Orton, but Batista arrives on the scene and nails Foley from behind. Foley is knocked the to floor, where he grabs a steel chair and nails Flair in the leg. Batista tries to pull Orton from the ring, but Foley waffles him in the back with the chair. Evolution flees as Foley rants and raves in the ring, blood running down his face.
END OF SHOW