Monday Night Raw

October 29, 2007

Recap by Sassy

Comments by Sassy in italics.

Results from Cyber Sunday

Matt Hardy did not wrestle due to the head injury he received in last week’s Smackdown match.

Mickie James won the Halloween costume contest.

Dark match before the Pay Per View:

Jesse &  Festus defeated Deuce and Domino

Stretcher Match: Rey Mysterio vs. Finlay

Winner: Mysterio

ECW Championship Match

CM Punk vs. The Miz

Winner: CM Punk with a GTS

Mr. Kennedy vs. Jeff Hardy

Winner: Mr. Kennedy wins via pinfall

United States Championship Match

MVP vs. Kane

Winner: Kane after MVP is counted out of the ring – MVP retains the title

WWE Championship Match

 Randy Orton vs. Shawn Michaels

Winner: Shawn Michaels via DQ.  Orton retains the title

Street Fight:

Triple H vs. Umaga

Winner: Triple H with a pedigree

WWE Championship Match

Batista vs. The Undertaker

Winner: Batista by pinfall

I have been reading some of the fan feedback for Cyber Sunday.  The most disappointing match by far is the CM Punk vs. The Miz.  No one believes that Miz was really voted in as Punk’s opponent.  I am sorry that Matt Hardy did not get to work the ring but believe with a cut the size he received just two days prior to Cyber Sunday legitimately kept him out of the ring. Word at Cyber Sunday is that the fans were not happy with the street fight decision for the Triple H vs. Umaga match. I was afraid Kane was going to do in MVP.  I see MVP found his way out of the ring and stayed there. Can you blame him?  When there’s Kane there may be fire. You can be sure MVP hasn’t forgotten the last time Kane got him.

And now it’s time for Monday Night Raw.

Monday Night Raw is being broadcast from Philadelphia, PA on the USA Network.

Ringside announcers: Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler

Ring announcer:  Lillian Garcia

Backstage interviews: Todd Grisham

WWE Diva Halloween Battle Royal

To be eliminated, you must go over the top rope and both feet must touch the floor.

Maria from Chicago, IL – I’m not sure what Maria’s costume is supposed to be

Vs.

Mickie James from Richmond, VA – as a Native American

Vs.

Torrie Wilson from Boise, ID – as a football player – Philadelphia Eagles, of course

Vs.

Victoria from Los Angeles, CA – as a Sumo wrestler

Vs.

Extreme Expose:  Kelly Kelly, Layla and Brooke – I’m not sure what Brooke is supposed to be, Kelly Kelly is dressed as a Gangsta and Layla is dressed as a cop

Vs.

Melina from Los Angeles, CA – as a Las Vegas showgirl

Vs.

Jillian Hall – I think she’s supposed to be Brittany Spears

Vs.

Michelle McCool from Florida – I’m not sure what her costume is supposed to be either

Layla eliminated by Jillian Hall

Brooke eliminated by Victoria

Jillian Hall eliminated by Michelle

Michelle McCool eliminated by Melina

Melina and Mickie James eliminated when Melina pulled Mickie off to the floor and went with her.

Victoria eliminated by Torrie and Kelly

Torrie Wilson eliminated by Kelly Kelly

Winner: Kelly Kelly

Beth Phoenix makes her way to the ring with her championship belt. Jillian Hall and Melina roll Kelly back into the ring with Beth. Beth takes the opportunity to take out Kelly.

We see a video of the match between Orton and Michaels at Cyber Sunday.  If you read the above match results, you will note that Michaels won after Orton was disqualified, however, Orton retained the title after he delivered a low blow to Michaels. Michaels did manage to nail Orton with sweet chin music after Orton tried to follow up with a kick to the head attack. Is Orton going to come to Smackdown dressed like a chicken? For Halloween, I mean...

We see Shawn Michaels in the back hallways walking toward the ring.

Commercial break.

Back from commercial break, HBK Shawn Michaels enters the arena to a standing ovation from the Philadelphia audience. Michaels may have not been ready to come back to work, but he is looking good. He should have the gold – lousy ending to the Cyber Sunday match. Michaels has the mic and thanks the people who voted him into the championship match last night. Michaels says he has good news and bad news. The good news is that he knocked Orton out cold with sweet chin music. The bad news is that Michaels does not have the WWE championship. Michaels notes that Orton intentionally got himself disqualified.  Michaels says since he won the match, he gets a rematch which he wants that rematch now. Of course, Mr. McMahon has to make his way to the ring – in a really ugly jacket by the way. We’ll see if McMahon has more guts than Orton. Anyone taking bets? McMahon asks how many people want to see Michaels get a rematch and how many want to see Michaels once again be WWE Champion. The applause is remarkably loud. McMahon wants to know what Michaels thinks he is doing. McMahon says there is something else that Michaels wants even more than that championship and that is revenge against the man (?) who also put him out of action permanently. McMahon then proceeds to make fun of Michaels’ religion and Michaels admits that he wants revenge.  I was hoping Michaels would take a swing at McMahon. Michaels says the next time he leaves this industry it will be in his own time and on his own terms. Michaels asks if he has his rematch. McMahon tells Michaels to be careful what he wishes for and then says that Survivor Series is an aptly named pay per view. I assume that is when Michael will be getting his championship match. And Michaels DOES take a kick at McMahon but deliberately misses. Darn it.

We get a replay of the kick.

Commercial break.

Back from commercial break, we see the last two Divas on the Diva Search. One will be voted off.

Tag Team Match

Hardcore Holly, weighing 243 lbs., from Mobile, AL

&

Cody Rhodes, weighing 232 lbs., from Charlotte, NC

Vs.

The Self Proclaimed World’s Greatest Tag Team

Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin, at a combined weight of 497 lbs.

Audience favorites: I’m not sure

My favorites: Hardcore Holly and Cody Rhodes

Winners: Cody Rhodes and Hardcore Holly after Cody pins Charlie Haas

We start off with Holly facing Benjamin. Benjamin, blonde hair and all, is a good wrestler. Benjamin and Haas have been working together for some time now. Holly immediately gets himself caught in the wrong corner giving Haas and Benjamin plenty of time to tag themselves in and out of action. Holly does get the tag and Cody enters the match via the top rope to take down Haas. Cody may be a new wrestler in WWE but he has a lot of potential. Holly takes Benjamin outside of the ring in order to keep him from interfering in the match. Cody Rhodes delivers a DDT to Haas and gets the win.

We are backstage with Umaga and Randy Orton who will be in a handicap match tonight against Triple H. They should do a great job as long as Umaga doesn’t mind staying the ring.  Something tells me Orton will do his best to avoid contact with Triple H.

Commercial break.

Back from commercial break, we see a video of Candice Michelle’s accident last week where Candice broke her clavicle. After JR and Lawler tell us how disturbing this video is, they show it to us anyway.  SEVERAL times from different angles, in fact. Then JR has the nerve to tell us how “callously” Beth Phoenix acted in pinning Candice not knowing how badly Candice was injured.  Could you repeat that JR?

Beth Phoenix is backstage with Todd Grisham and talks to her about Candice Michelle’s injury.  Beth says she has no problems with what she did to Candice.  Beth says that the divas all dress up and try to be something that they are not.

We see Trevor Murdoch backstage with Mickie James. Mickie has come to tell Trevor thank you for saving her from a clothesline by Lance Cade last week.  Trevor tells her that what he did was just out of instinct. He didn’t want to see an innocent girl get her. Mickie tells Trevor that she really isn’t that innocent but Lance Cade interrupts them. Cade wants to know what is going on and Trevor says that nothing was going on. Lance tells Trevor that Mickie is way out of his league. Lance tells Trevor that he cost them the match last week because he wasn’t focused.

We are now backstage with McMahon and William Regal.  Regal is admonishing McMahon for putting himself in harm’s way by being in the ring with Shawn Michaels. Regal says they don’t need any more injuries. Regal wants to talk about the handicap match McMahon has scheduled for Triple H tonight after the beating Triple H took last night and last month. McMahon says he doesn’t really want to see any superstar injured, but with Triple H it is personal. McMahon wants to know where the little toad, the little frog, Hornswoggle, is.  Hornswoggle is, believe it or not, in the closet. McMahon asks Regal to give him a minute with Hornswoggle. McMahon says that he hasn’t been around much for Hornswoggle and he wants Hornswoggle to know that Hornswoggle must learn to stand on his own two feet. He says the match between Hornswoggle and Jonathan Coachman is because he will learn once he is knocked down, he will learn to get back up. McMahon says Hornswoggle needs to learn how to deal with victory and success. McMahon also tells Hornswoggle that he has to learn, more than anything else in the world, that if he is a McMahon he has to learn to hate. Hornswoggle isn’t happy about that.  McMahon tells Hornswoggle that if he can’t hate, he can’t be successful. Hornswoggle appears to get the idea.

Commercial break.

Back from commercial break.

Jonathan Coachman, weighing 235 lbs., from Wichita, KS

Vs.

Hornswoggle

Special Guest Referee: Mick Foley

Audience favorite: Hornswoggle, although it could be Mick Foley

My favorite: Hornswoggle

Winner: Hornswoggle with a little help from Mick Foley

I was wondering if there was going to be a ref in this match. Hornswoggle runs over and hugs Foley’s leg. Foley gets down on one knee to get a high five from Hornswoggle. Coach is not happy to see Foley. Foley stops Coach from charging Hornswoggle. Coach throws Hornswoggle back into the corner turnbuckle, Hornswoggle gets away and returns to stomp on Coach’s foot before going after Coach’s leg and then giving him a dropkick.  Nice dropkick Hornswoggle! Coach is down and Hornswoggle dives on him. Coach grabs Hornswoggle’s beard. Coach gets Hornswoggle up on his shoulder and stops to point at Foley but Hornswoggle bites Coach on the face making Coach release his hold. Hornswoggle goes under Coach, behind Foley, Foley swings Hornswoggle around and into Coach, sending Coach to his knees. Again Hornswoggle delivers a dropkick and goes for a cover. When Hornswoggle misses an elbow off the second rope, Foley steps in and Coach tells Foley to get out of his way. Foley moves to one side, but when Coach goes after Hornswoggle and Foley tries to intervene, Coach swings back and hits Foley. That could be a mistake. Coach then turns around and nails Foley in the back, sending Foley to the mat. Coach goes out of the ring after a steel chair to use on Hornswoggle, but Foley takes the chair away and nails Coach with a right and goes for Mr. Socko.  He throws that one away and pulls out another sock and tosses it to Hornswoggle. While Coach is worried about Foley, Hornswoggle uses Socko to deliver a sort of low blow, Hornswoggle goes up on the top rope, delivers a frog splash, gets the pin and the three count. We even get a replay of Hornswoggle’s use of Mr. Socko.

Todd Grisham is backstage with Triple H. Todd is reminding Triple H how badly he has been beaten up lately and wants to know how Triple H feels about his handicap match tonight. Triple H thanks Todd for the “pep talk” and wants to know what he would do without Todd to remind him about the tragedies he has been through every week. Triple H tells everyone he has an ace up his sleeve and that if he goes down tonight he is taking Orton and Umaga down with him. 

We see a promo for Wrestlemania 24.

Commercial break.

Back from commercial break, the WWE Slam of the Week: the match last week where Trevor Murdoch saves Mickie James from a clothesline from Lance Cade.

Paul London, weighing190 lbs., from Austin, Tx

accompanied to the ring by Brian Kendrick

Lance Cade, weighing 282 lbs., from Nashville, TN

One half of the WWE Tag Team Champions

accompanied to the ring by Trevor Murdoch

One half o the WWE Tag Team Champions

Audience favorite: I’m not sure

My favorite: I like them both.

Winner: Lance Cade with a pinfall

Lance Cade is a good wrestler but Paul London is much faster and does a lot more flying in the ring. London is considerably outweighed in this match, but that doesn’t seem to slow him down. I’m not sure why these four men are constantly in the ring together.  Isn’t there any other competition for the tag team titles? London stays ahead in the match until Cade uses power moves to slow London down and keep him on the mat. Cade sends London out to the floor and Kendrick comes through the ring, flies over the top rope and takes out Trevor in order to keep him from harming Kendrick. Lance Cade gets the pin and the win.

After the match is over, Cade goes over and picks Trevor up off the floor just as The Highlanders enter the arena.  Speaking of other competition for the tag tea titles, The Highlanders seem to have set their sights on those title belts. The Highlanders enter the ring and go after Kendrick and London while Cade and Trevor stay on the floor and watch. In fact, they head up the entrance ramp just in case.

We see a recap of the Cyber Sunday votes.

Commercial break.

Back from commercial break, we see the Monster’s Mash Match scheduled for ECW with Mark Henry, Kane, The Great Khali and Big Daddy V tomorrow night.

Tag Team Match

Jeff Hardy, weighing 225 lbs., from Cameron, NC

The Intercontinental Champion

&

D.H. Smith, weighing 250 lbs., from Canada

Vs.

Carlito, weighing 220 lbs., from the Carribean

&

Mr. Kennedy, weighing 243 lbs., from Green Bay, WI

Audience favorites: Jeff Hardy and D.H. Smith

My favorites: Jeff Hardy, D.H. Smith and Carlito

Winners: Jeff Hardy and D.H. Smith after Jeff pins Carlito for the three count.

Jeff Hardy is always great in the ring.  D.H. Smith seems to have the makings of a great wrestler. Carlito is no slouch in the ring and even though I can’t say I like Kennedy, I do think he is good in the ring. Jeff and Kennedy start the face off in the ring.  If Jeff stays on his feet, Kennedy is in trouble. Jeff is at a slight disadvantage because Smith has not been working the ring as long as the other wrestlers even though he comes from a wrestling background. Smith beat Carlito last week in his debut match on Monday Night Raw. Carlito also comes from a wrestling family and has the ability to do great things in the ring. Smith sends Carlito out onto the floor and Jeff comes in to send Kennedy out onto the floor when Kennedy attempts to attack Smith from behind.

Commercial break in the middle of the match!

Back from commercial break, it is Smith and Carlito in the middle of the ring. During the commercial break, we seen Kennedy deliver a hard blow to Smith’s knee cap. Smith has been isolated from his tag team partner and Carlito and Kennedy continue to work on Smith’s leg. JR tells us that D.H.’s initials are “D” for his father, Davy Boy Smith, and the “H” is for the Hart family. Carlito enters the ring behind the ref’s back without tagging and the ref does make Carlito get out of the ring until Kennedy tags him in. We are reminded that Carlito is still angry that Smith beat him last week in his debut match. Smith has been in the ring since the commercial break and has been unable to make a tag to Jeff. Finally Smith manages to get a high kick to Kennedy’s head and Smith manages to get the tag as Kennedy tags in Carlito. Jeff manages a magnificent whisper in the wind and pins Carlito but Kennedy is out to break it up.  As Smith tries to come in to help his partner, Kennedy goes after Smith’s knee again.  As Kennedy backs up to deliver a big foot, Smith manages to get out of the way and Kennedy hits the ropes instead. Kennedy goes out onto the floor and Jeff manages a twist of fate on Carlito, hits with the swanton bomb and pins Carlito. I have to say that Smith works the ring like he has been pro for a long time.  Good job Jeff and D.H.

Commercial break.

Back from commercial break, Santino Marella is entering the arena and then the ring.  Doesn’t he do this same thing every week? He is in street clothes, not wrestling attire. Marella says he is making a formal complaint to the WWE travel department. He says they screwed up so bad that he didn’t make it to Cyber Sunday and that he didn’t get a chance to give Stone Cold Steve Austin a piece of his mind.  He says it was also a good thing that the in flight movie was not The Condemned. We then hear Austin’s entrance music and Marella looks shocked. There is some guy on the monitor in an Austin shirt but it is definitely not Austin. The guy has an Italian accent. The phony Austin says that Marella should have been the star of The Condemned and that Marella is right about everything. Marella is smiling in the ring and he thanks “Stone Cold Steve Austin” for his honesty. Maria makes her way to the ring. Maria says that “he’s gonna be here next week” – Stone Cold Steve Austin. Marella says that Maria has been in one of those chat rooms again and she believes everything she reads.

Commercial break.

Back from commercial break, we see the last two Diva Search contestants. The winner is Eve.  And I am SO glad that is over.  Now can we get back to wrestling?

We see the Save Us 222 promo, 2^nd Coming and all that stuff.

Handicap Match

Randy Orton, weighing 225 lbs., from St. Louis, MO

&

Commercial break.

Back from commercial break.

Umaga, weighing 350 lbs., from the Isle of Samoa

Vs.

The Game Triple H, weighing 255 lbs., from Greenwich, CT

Audience favorite: Triple H

My favorite: Triple H

Winner: I'm not sure who got disqualified here. I assume it was Triple H since Michaels came in to assist him but I never heard a winner called.

We know that Triple H can take out Orton with no problem but Umaga could pose a considerable problem. Umaga faces off against Triple H at the beginning of the match. Orton makes his way into the ring but Triple H manages to pull Orton out to work him over. As Umaga comes out after Triple H, Triple H rolls back in the ring, takes out Umaga and goes after Orton. As Umaga comes back in after Triple H, Triple H sidesteps and Umaga hits Orton instead – not once, but twice. Triple H gets himself backed into the corner by his two opponents but Triple H doesn’t give up. Triple H is down on the mat and Umaga and Orton take turns working him over. The ref tries to break it up, but it doesn’t do any good.  Shawn Michaels comes into the ring, takes out Orton and goes after Umaga. Triple H is back up and he and Michaels send Umaga out onto the floor next to Orton.  The ref has rung the bell – Triple H will be disqualified due to interference by Michaels.

McMahon and Regal are backstage and McMahon says that the match turned out just the way he wanted it to.  Next week on Raw, it will be, for one night only, the return of DX.

WWE SMACKDOWN / OCTOBER 26
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