WWE RAW Report
Aired LIVE! From Penn State University
February 21, 2005
Reported by: The Worm, rajah.com RAW reporter
RAW opens by showing Batista's Royal Rumble win and the events that ensued afterwards. Tonight, we will get to learn where Batista's loyalities lie and we will also get to witness the unveiling of "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters. Will he truly be the Masterpiece or will it just be another failed gimmick? Only time will tell.
Tonight, we will see E&C reunite once again as they take on the Heartbreak Kid and Randy Orton.
Trish Stratus's music hits and what do we have here? Trish is sporting one hell of a black eye, and we learn that she received it during a match at a house show in my home state of Michigan.
Match #1:
Type: Triple Threat for the WWE Women's Championship
Trish Stratus (C) vs. Molly Holly vs. Victoria
Oh boy, I sure hope my main (and wholesome) diva will regain the title once more, and this match starts with Molly taking on Victoria. Trish is knocked off the apron by Molly, who was whipped into her by Victoria. Victoria hits her shaky moonsault splash, but as she pins Molly, Trish breaks up the pin. Victoria takes down Trish and goes for another moonsault, but Trish rolls her up and Victoria is able to kick out.
Trish is taking it to Victoria as she gets her in a hangman's choke hold. Victoria hits some shots to the head and she nails Trish with a spinning sidewalk slam. As she pins Trish, my favorite diva is there to break it up. Molly tries to pins Victoria with a Northern Lights, but Trish breaks it up. Trish tries for the Stratusfaction on Molly, but instead flips out. Victoria almost has the title won, but Molly breaks up the pin.
Trish and Molly are now going at it, and this allows Victoria to sneak up from behind and attempt a rolling clutch on Trish. Victoria breaks it up to deliver a hard clothesline to Molly. Trish tries for the Chick Kick, but Victoria grabs her leg and headbutts her. Molly was poised for a Molly Go Round, but she misses and Victoria connects with a Widow's Peak. Trish breaks up the pin and pins Molly herself to retain the title.
Winner: Trish Stratus (retains Women's Championship)
Backstage Action:
Ric Flair and Triple H are talking about Batista's impact on Smackdown, and they feel that he's going to do the right thing and sign on to Smackdown. We also learn that Batista is not in the arena yet and Flair hasn't been able to contact him. Flair decides to head out to the parking lot to wait for him and it's time for commercial.
- Commercial Break -
Backstage Action:
We see Christy & Candace talking to a stage hand backstage when Trish walks up and brags about how she is the greatest diva ever. Some trash talk ensues between Christy and Trish, and Candace and Christy have a laugh. Trish smacks Candace, and at first Christy doesn't do anything, but then she slams Trish into a wall. The fight is broken up and..
We go to Randy Orton and HBK, who are talking about their upcoming match. HBK offers some advice to Orton, and as he does so, he reminisces about his ladder match and he feels he helped revolutionize the industry and shaped it into what it is now.
- Commercial Break -
We join a Simon Dean promo in progress as he disses the fans attending the Penn State University arena. I don't really care about his promos right now, as they're always the same basic thing. I wanna see him wrestle more, or at least talk about something different. He is interrupted by Chris Jericho (Thank God!)
Match #2:
Type: Singles
Simon Dean vs. Chris Jericho:
They lock up and Jericho puts Dean in a headlock, and turns it into a hammerlock. Dean gets his arm wrenched, and Jericho follows it up with a shoulder block after he is whipped. Dean is whipped, and he kicks Jericho in the chest. Jericho tries to toss Dean out of the ring, but he lands on the apron. Jericho hits him with a springboard dropkick. Jericho tosses Dean back in and he goes up top, but he jumps down after Dean charges after him. Dean takes it to him with a clothesline and gets him in a front face lock.
Dean now has him in a modified ab stretch and Jericho is able to back Dean up and put him on the turnbuckle. Dean goes to jump off the top, but he is caught in midair with a dropkick. Jericho is back in control, but he misses a clothesline and is able to make up for it with a 180 neckbreaker.
Jericho is able to hit the climbing enziguiri, causing Dean to stumble and drop into the ropes. Jericho hits his running knee and then goes for the Lionsault, but Dean gets his legs up. Dean is able to hit a Russian leg sweep, but Jericho manages to get him into the Walls of Jericho. Dean tries to get his gym bag, but the ref knocks it away and Simon Dean is forced to tap out.
Winner: Chris Jericho
Backstage Action:
We see Bischoff and Teddy Long backstage, and Teddy Long is talking about Batista's SD impact and all that hubbub. Bischoff thinks Batista is done with SD and he is confident that Batista will be facing Triple H at WM21.
HBK comes into the room and he wants Long to deliver a message to Smackdown and the Showstoppa is ready to take his opportunity at Wrestlemania. He wants Long to tell Angle that he wants to challenge him to a match at Wrestlemania.
- Commercial Break -
The Wrestlemania Recall features some guy blowing smoke into Roddy Piper's face back into 1989. Piper doesn't like it and the guy continues to do it. As the guy turns around, Piper blasts an extinguisher into his face.
Match #3:
Type: Singles
Kane vs. Tyson Tomko:
Tomko makes his way out to the ring with a mic. He basically just hates the hype surrounding Batista's contract signing and he wants to show who the most dominant superstar is. How old is Tyson Tomko anyway, he appears to have some gray in his goatee.
Tomko shoves Kane, who fires back with punches. He tosses Tomko in the corner, but he elbows his way out. He punches Kane, and Tomko is whipped. Tomko kicks Kane to no effect. Kane delivers a big boot in response and he sends Tomko into the corner. He clotheslines him and then turns around. Tomko powers out with a big boot and knocks Kane down with a clothesline and then he mounts him to deliver some punches.
Tomko continues to work on Kane's neck as he twists it around. Kane tries to fight out, but Tomko instead locks in a front face lock. Kane lifts Tomko up and drops him on the ropes. He hits a boot to the head and then goes up top. He hits a flying clothesline and then he signals for a chokeslam. Tomko dodges the attempt and Kane hits a botched gutbuster (and by that I mean I don't think Kane was too sure what he was going for, by the way he delivered the move).
Kane ends up going shoulder first into the ringpost as he charges after Tomko, and he ends up winning this match with a chokeslam.
Winner: Kane
A limo arrives and Flair thinks it's Batista, but it's really Chris Masters. He tells Flair that he may learn a thing or two if he watches his match tonight.
- Commercial Break -
Muhammad Hassan makes his way out with Daivari in tow and I wonder what he has to say this time.
Daivari introduces Hassan in his language (someone tell me what language it is) and since Hassan has debuted on RAW, he has been confronted with prejudice. He's just like everyone else. He was born in the US, yet everyone shows him disrespect. Today is President's Day, a day that reminds us that all men were created equally. If that's the case, why is Hassan the only one who's being discriminated against on RAW? There is something that can not be denied, and that is his undefeated streak. No one can defeat Hassan, and he does something that no one else in the locker room does, and that is take pride in what he does. If Batista goes to SD, Hassan should be the one facing Triple H for the World title. Before he can continue, Chris Benoit makes his way out in his Christian tights (and I say that because those tights make me think that Christian is in the ring).
Hassan guesses that Benoit is going to say that he deserves the main event. That's not the case. Benoit wants to face Hassan in a match to shut him up once and for all. Hassan accepts the challenge, but it won't happen tonight. Hassan's not ready for a match, but Benoit attacks him and Daivari. The two Arabs stomp mudholes into the Rabid Wolverine and to add insult to injury, Hassan hits the Complete Shot and puts Benoit in a Camel Clutch while Daivari rambles on about whatever.
- Commercial Break -
The WWE Slam of the Week recaps Orton defeating Christian last week.
Match #4:
Type: Tag
Randy Orton & Shawn Michaels vs. Edge & Christian: (The Best Tag Team Ever! :-) )
It's Christian and Orton starting this match. They lock up and they rumble around the ring a bit before Orton is backed into a corner. Orton ducks a punch and Christian is met with a punch to knock him down. The two continue to grapple with Orton backed into another corner. Christian hits a cheap shot after the ref calls for a break and he follows it up with more punches and kicks.
Orton is whipped, and he jumps over Christian. He hits an arm drag and follows it up with a side headlock takeover. Christian backs Orton to his corner, and Edge grabs Orton by the tights to pull him in. Christian tags in Edge. Edge whips Orton into a corner, but Orton jumps over and turns it into a schoolboy. Edge kicks out, and Orton tags in HBK.
Edge whips HBK, only to be hit with a million dollar knee (according to JR). Edge takes down HBK and tags Christian back in. HBK chops away at Christian and puts him into the corner. HBK slams Christian's head 10 times into the turnbuckle and then whips him across the ring. He hits a back drop and goes for a pin, but Christian is able to get out.
Edge is tagged in and he goes to work on the future Hall of Famer. The two begin to exchange blows now and when HBK is whipped, he lands on Edge with a Lou Thesz Press. Edge is whipped and he kicks HBK in the chest. Christian is tagged in and out of nowhere, HBK rolls Christian up in an inside cradle, but Christian is able to kick out.
HBK has Christian in a headlock. Christian tries to back suplex out of it, but HBK continues to hold on. HBK is whipped, Christian tries for a hip toss, but HBK counters it into one of his own. HBK is slammed by his hair and Christian whips HBK. Somehow Edge dumps HBK out of the ring and with the ref distracted, Edge hits a flying clothesline on HBK, who is standing on the outside as we go to commercial.
- Commercial Break -
Edge is in control of HBK with a headlock, but HBK fights out of it. HBK goes to bounce off the ropes, but he is met with a dropkick. Edge goes to pin HBK, but HBK kicks out.
Edge whips HBK hard into the corner and he tags in Christian. Christian goes to work on the back of HBK and he puts him in a corner. They smack each other around and HBK whips Christian across the ring. Christian elbows out and he goes up top. HBK nails Christian in the gut as he comes off the top and HBK hits a swinging neckbreaker on Christian. Both men are now down and they're crawling to tag their buddies.
Orton cleans house with E&C as he hits a powerslam on Edge and he knocks Christian off the apron. Orton causes Edge's knee to buckle and then he clubs Edge's chest who knows how many times. He knocks Christian off the apron again and then goes up top to hit a frog splash-esque cross body (the way Orton moves his arms would make you think he's going for a frog splash).
Edge hits something on Orton (I missed what) and he goes to pin Orton, but to no avail. Christian is eventually tagged in and this lame crowd chants for the RKO. Christian hits a back elbow and he goes to pin Orton, but Orton kicks out. Christian rips at the face of Orton, but the ref breaks it off and Christian puts Orton in a rear chinlock. Orton fights out of it, but Christian hits a couple of forearms to the face of Orton. E&C double team Orton, but Orton counters a double flapjack into a double DDT.
HBK is the only man standing right now and Edge may have been knocked out. HBK is tagged in and he is able to take on Edge and Christian as he hits a couple of Manhattan drops on the two man. HBK hits an Angle slam on Christian. Christian tries for the Unprettier on Orton, but he bounces Christian off the ropes and hits a dropkick. Orton tries to RKO Edge, but Edge shoves him into the ref and spears Orton. Edge and HBK are going after each other, but after HBK kips up, he slams Christian and hits the elbow drop.
It's time for the SCM, folks! But Edge pulls him out and crotches him with the ring post. Edge and Christian grab a couple of chairs and here comes the Conchairto! They miss a Conchairto on HBK and Orton clotheslines Edge over the top. Christian misses a chair shot and is met with the Sweet Chin Music to end this beautiful match. I only wished we could have seen the Conchairto connect...that would have been sweetness.
Winner: Shawn Michaels & Randy Orton
Edge is pissed and we see Bischoff & Long watching the match backstage. The Coach interrupts and says that Batista should be here any moment now.
The unveiling of the Masterpiece is next and it's time for another break.
- Commercial Break -
Backstage Action:
Maria tries to interview HBK backstage when he is ambushed by Edge. A few minutes pass when Edge comes out of nowhere and spears HBK into some equipment.
Match #5:
Type: Singles
Steven Richards vs. "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters:
Nice entrance for the Masterpiece, although he got no reaction from the crowd. Let's see how he does in his debut match.
They lock up and Stevie puts Masters in a headlock. Richards is whipped and Masters takes him down with a shoulder block. Stevie puts him in another headlock, only to be slammed down. The Masterpiece continues to overpower Steven Richards as he hits a running shoulder block while Stevie's in a corner. Richards chops away at the Masterpiece, up until the Masterpiece hits a Polish hand chop (I think that's what JR said). The Masterpiece puts him in a full nelson and it looks like Steven Richards was forced to tap out.
Winner: "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters
It'll be interesting to see how long Chris Masters lasts. I'm not going to form an opinion of him just yet, but I will say something after a couple weeks (that is, if I remember). Cool entrance though.
- Commercial Break -
Match #6:
Type: WWE Intercontinental Championship
Shelton Benjamin (C) vs. Gene Snitsky
Right off the bat Snitsky goes for a big boot, but Benjamin ducks it. Intense opening action as Benjamin clips Snitsky in the knee and follows it up with a running knee lift.
On the outside, Benjamin tackles Snitsky and then kicks him in the head. Snitsky is tossed back in and he is hit in the gut with a couple of knees before Snitsky comes back with an armbar takedown and he then stomps away at him while screaming like the little bitch that he his. (I crack up thinking about Snitsky stomping away at him while letting out a high pitched squeal). Snitsky tries to pin him but Benjamin kicks out.
Benjamin fights out of a submission hold with a jawbreaker and then takes him down with a flying shoulder block. He follows it up with a Stinger Splash and then goes for a T-Bone, but Snitsky powers out of it and grabs a steel chair. Benjamin baseball slides the chair into Snitsky's face and then slams his head on the barrier. Snitsky gets back into the ring and Benjamin grabs the chair and nails him in the head to get himself DQed.
Winner by DQ: Gene Snitsky
Benjamin stands over Snitsky and holds the chair high over his head.
- Commercial Break -
Flair is leaving a message for Batista on the phone and he says that the contract signing is next. Triple H enters the room and he's getting annoyed that Batista is over two hours late. We then learn from The Game himself that he's been the one behind the JBL videos airing on RAW and the limo nearly running over Batista. Flair praises him for his plan and then he struts around the room, but it's all for nothing if he stays on RAW. What is right for Evolution is right for Batista, and what is right for Batista is for him to go to Smackdown and we see that Batista has been standing outside listening to the conversation the entire time.
- Commercial Break -
41 Days until Wrestlemania XXI
Next week we will see Chris Benoit take on Muhammad Hassan as well as HBK taking on Edge in a street fight.
Main Event:
Batista's Contract Signing: (Will he go to RAW or Smackdown?)
Bischoff makes his way out first with a RAW contract in hand and then Teddy Long comes out with a Smackdown contract in his hands.
Bischoff says that history will be made tonight as Dave Batista will be signing either a RAW contract or a Smackdown contract. The RAW contract (crowd cheers) states that he will face Triple H for the World title. Or, a Smackdown contract (crowd boos) which means Batista will be inserted into the WWE Title match between JBL & John Cena.
Bischoff then brings out the most hyped man on RAW right now, Batista, and we see that Flair and Triple H are with him.
Bischoff has a couple things to say before Batista makes any decisions. Two things are going to happen: he will stay on RAW, the #1 brand in all of sports entertainment and the brand that made him a superstar. Unlike some GMs, Bischoff's job is not in jeopardy and by signing the RAW contract, he will be facing Triple H for the World Heavyweight title at WM. It's no so much a question as it is a simple thing.
Teddy Long interrupts and says there is a choice. He can sign the Smackdown contract and jump ship. He can't deny feeling the electricity from last Thursday and they all saw what he could do to the WWE Champion and they could see the magic as he stared into the eyes of John Cena. The two hottest commodities will be on the same show and they could start a rivalry. A rivalry so huge, it'd be as huge as the rivalry between Stone Cold and The Rock. Long continues to persuade Batista into jumping to SD by telling him about the possible matches he could have with Rey Mysterio, Undertaker, and Eddie Guerrero.
It's now time for Batista's decision. He takes both contracts and looks at them both. He picks up the pen for the SD contract and Triple H says that it shouldn't be a difficult decision since there is only one person he needs to listen to. It's not what is best for SD or RAW, it's about one thing. It's about what is best for Batista. He shouldn't have to worry about Triple H or Flair because what is best for Batista will be what is best for Evolution. He wants him to picture Triple H retaining his title at WM21 and standing next to him will be the new WWE Champion Batista. They would rule the world! More persuasion from Triple H...but I wanna hear the decision already!
Batista finally takes the stick, and Hunter, he's known what he was going to do for a long time. He looks at the contracts again and drops the RAW contract. He holds his thumb up and Batista is....
going...........
to..........
RAW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Batista changes his thumbs up into a thumbs down and he then attacks Flair and Triple H! He tosses Flair out of the ring and the crowd has gone ballistic!
He rips off his shirt and he picks up Triple H into a power bomb and powerbombs him through the table!!!!!
Batista makes his intentions very clear and that is the conclusion of this show.
END OF SHOW