Monday
Night Raw
December 31, 2007
Recap by Sassy
Monday Night Raw is being broadcast from Greensboro, SC
on
the USA network
Ringside announcers: JR and Jerry Lawler
Ring announcer: Lillian Garcia
Backstage interviews: Todd Grisham
The show begins with Randy Orton (yawn) as the WWE Champion.
If I have to go through another year of Randy Orton as Champion, I may become
physically ill. According to WWE, he was the greatest superstar of 2007 – I
think there are several WWE fans that may disagree with WWE on that point. This
fan disagrees and then some.
Of course, Orton is in the ring with his WWE title belt. Why?
Good question, but I’m sure Orton will tell us. Or, maybe not. He may not be
able to be heard over the boos of the fans. The fans continue to stay awake
through Orton’s speech with chants of “You Suck” and a lot of loud boos.
Jeff Hardy enters the arena much to the joy of the fans in
attendance – and those of us watching at home. He makes his way to the ring
and JR reminds us that Jeff will meet Orton at the Royal Rumble in a WWE
Championship match. We may not be able to hear Jeff for the cheers of the fans.
Jeff tells Orton he has no momentum and tells Orton that he left out the win
Jeff had over Orton two weeks ago on Raw. Jeff says it proves he can beat Orton
and the whole world is hoping that Jeff will take that championship belt (the
truth is I hear Triple H will again hold that title, not Jeff Hardy). Orton and
Jeff face off in the ring. Orton goes for the RKO but Jeff takes Orton out with
the twist of fate. C’mon WWE, let Jeff have that title belt!
JR reminds the audience that McMahon has scheduled a
career-threatening match with Ric Flair tonight against Triple H.
HBK Shawn Michaels is backstage heading toward the arena. The
one on match between HBK and Mr. Kennedy is next.
Jeff and Matt Hardy are backstage and Matt says he is there
to watch Jeff tonight. Matt wants to know that when Jeff wins the title if he
can have a shot at the championship. Jeff tells Matt that he would give him a
shot. Jeff tells Matt not to plan
on winning the title from him and they walk off to talk about it. We have not
seen Matt since his emergency appendectomy. It is good to see him looking well.
Mr.
Kennedy from Green Bay, WI, weighing 243 lbs.
Vs.
HBK
Shawn Michaels from San Antonio, TX
Audience favorite: HBK
My favorite: I like them both
Winner:
Mr. Kennedy
Has anyone else noticed that HBK’s weight is never given
during his introductions? I was not a fan of Mr. Kennedy until I saw last
week’s Raw Tribute to the Troops. Mr. Kennedy appeared to be very involved
with interacting with our troops and earned my respect. After the commercial
break in the middle of the match, JR reminds the audience that Kennedy has sworn
to beat HBK before the end of this year – this IS the end of this year.
Will Kennedy be able to do it? These two men did pull out all the stops
for this match and made it worth watching. HBK appears to bring out the best in
Kennedy. A face plant to the mat and Kennedy goes for the cover and gets the
three count. I see another contender for that WWE Championship belt. Kennedy is
working his way to the top, mouth and all. In all honesty, Kennedy has much
greater mic skills than Orton will ever have.
Triple H is backstage with Todd and Todd wants to know about
Triple H’s match against Ric Flair tonight. Triple H says that it’s a
dilemma for him since he always goes out there to win. McMahon and William Regal
break into Triple H’s interview. McMahon wants to remind Triple H about his
match against Flair and the fact that Flair can lose his career if he loses the
match. McMahon then asks Regal what will happen to Triple H if he loses his
match tonight against Flair and Regal tells Triple H that if he loses tonight,
he won’t be in the upcoming Royal Rumble match. Does that sound like blackmail
to anyone else?
Commercial break.
Back from commercial break, we have Jillian Hall singing with
WWE’s New Year Baby backstage with Ron Simmons. Simmons puts a stop to
Jillian’s singing and the Baby’s dancing with DAMN! And the fans both in the
live audience and at home are grateful.
Regal is backstage with McMahon and Regal wants to wish
McMahon a Happy New Year but McMahon has to stop and answer his cell phone.
McMahon tells Regal he will be starting the New Year off the right way and that
he will be in a match against Hornswoggle. Regal is very happy with the choice
of matches and promises he will show Hornswoggle some love. Regal asks about
Finlay and McMahon says that Finlay isn’t in the building tonight, which makes
Regal even happier. McMahon tells Regal to give Hornswoggle plenty of tough
love.
Highlights from Tribute to the Troops.
Commercial break.
Back from commercial break, Clips from the first Royal Rumble
in January 24, 1988, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The first Royal Rumble was won
by Hacksaw Jim Duggan who entered the match at number thirteen. Duggan sends One
Man Gang over the top rope and makes the win.
Royal
Rumble Qualifying Match
Hacksaw
Jim Duggan from Glen Falls, NY, weighing 270 lbs.
Vs.
Umaga
from the Isle of Samoa, weighing 350 lbs.
Audience favorite: Hacksaw Jim Duggan
My favorite: I like them both
Winner:
Umaga
I think Duggan may be a little outsized here. Umaga yells all
the way to the ring. I am betting this match will be a beat down of Duggan. I
also predict this will be one short match and I’m not wrong. Umaga goes for
the Samoan spike, makes the cover and gets the three count. Umaga will be in the
21st Royal Rumble at Madison Square Gardens, NY.
Ric Flair is backstage with Hardcore Holly and Cody Rhodes.
They are wishing him good luck in his match against Triple H. McMahon shows up
to remind Flair that he has a match against Triple H and wants to know if Flair
is ready for one last match in his career. McMahon tells Flair that it’s over
and walks off leaving Flair to think about it.
JR reminds the fans about Y2J Chris Jericho’s match against
Randy Orton at Armageddon – you remember, the match that JBL had to interfere
in so that Orton could keep the title? JBL
is coming to Raw tonight and he will be up next.
Commercial break.
Back from commercial break, JBL enters the arena in his limo
– you would have thought they could have come up with a better gimmick for JBL.
This one is a little stale. JBL enters the ring to the boos of the audience.
Since he’s dressed in his suit, I’m sure he’s just here to talk about JBL.
Oh, good, they’ve added massive pyros. That makes it all better. I
don’t know how many times we are going to have pyros, but is that all there
is? The pyros do beat JBL talking about JBL. Well, JBL does have the mic.
Jericho enters the arena to save us from JBL’s blah, blah, blah. JBL’s suit
is going to get messed up, but I know the fans don’t care about JBL’s suit.
We have three referees on the floor trying to break it up and now we have
security involved, but Jericho isn’t letting go. The punches are flying, even
with the men surrounding the two of them. Ouch! JBL’s nose is bleeding and we
go to
Commercial break.
Back from commercial break, we see the altercation between
Jericho and JBL before the commercial break.
JBL is now backstage screaming at anyone that will listen
about how his shirt has been destroyed and that no one is going to treat him
like this. Whatever, JBL. If you
want back in the ring, we suggest you get used to a little rough housing.
Triple
Threat WWE Women’s Championship Match
Melina
from Los Angeles, CA
Vs.
Mickie
James from Richmond, VA
Vs.
The
Glamazon Beth Phoenix from Buffalo, NY
WWE
Women’s Champion
Audience favorite: Mickie James
My favorite: Mickie James and Beth Phoenix although Melina
has been doing a better job in the ring
Winner: The Glamazon Beth Phoenix
who retains the WWE Women’s Title
Beth pins Melina while Mickie is out on the floor.
Commercial break.
Back from commercial break, McMahon and General Manager
William Regal enter the arena.
General
Manager William Regal from Blackpool, England
Vs.
Hornswoggle
McMahon
Audience
favorite: Hornswoggle
My favorite: I like them both
Winner: I don’t think anyone won this match
Regal does not have on ring attire but his street clothes. Of
course, so does Hornswoggle, but that’s how Hornswoggle always dresses.
McMahon gets down on one knee to talk to Hornswoggle abut his match and then
gives Hornswoggle a hug and tells him to shake hands with Regal which he does
before backing away quickly. I predict a win for Hornswoggle who probably has a
three-leaf clover up his sleeve. Fortunately for Hornswoggle, the ref appears to
be on his side. McMahon is giving Hornswoggle tips from outside the ring telling
him to take Regal down. McMahon walks up to the ring apron while Regal is
threatening Hornswoggle with a fist. Regal looks at McMahon and McMahon calls
Regal over to talk to him. Regal just can’t bring himself to punch Hornswoggle
in the face even though McMahon is urging him to. McMahon has Regal’s brass
knuckles and he tosses them to Regal and tells him to use them. Regal still
can’t make himself punch Hornswoggle. Hornswoggle breaks free and runs out of
the ring and the arena while McMahon comes in to slap Regal in the face. McMahon
says that Regal failed the test McMahon set up for him. McMahon orders Regal out
of the ring. I was hoping Regal would deck McMahon with those brass knuckles.
Commercial break.
Back from commercial break.
Jeff
Hardy from Cameron, NC, weighing 225 lbs.
WWE
Intercontinental Champion
Vs.
Santino
Marella residing in Patterson, NJ, weighing 227 lbs.
accompanied to the ring by Carlito
and Maria
Audience favorite: Jeff Hardy
My favorite: Jeff Hardy
Winner:
Santino Marella
Jeff gets busy getting the fans behind him. Orton shows up on
the monitor in the arena during the match and it appears he has beat up Matt
Hardy and they are in the backstage area. Jeff leaves the match and runs to help
Matt. Marella wins by disqualification. We see Jeff backstage with Matt and
other WWE personnel trying to help Matt and we go to
Commercial break.
Back from commercial break, we see what just happened after
Orton attacks Matt Hardy backstage.
Triple H is backstage with Ric Flair and shakes hands with
him in the locker room and Triple H wants to be sure Flair will be his friend
when Triple H beats him. Flair says it is not a foregone conclusion that Triple
H will beat him. Flair says that Triple H will be his friend for the rest of his
life and that Triple H is his best friend. Flair expects Triple H to be The Game
and Flair has to be the best he can be because he isn’t going down easy.
Triple H tells Flair to be the man and Triple H will beat the man. But will he?
Commercial break.
Back from commercial break.
The
Game Triple H from Greenwich, CT, weighing 255 lbs.
Vs.
The
Nature Boy Ric Flair from Charlotte, NC
Audience favorite: I thought the audience would like them
both, but the roof of the building was in danger of coming off when Flair
entered the arena – and to to a standing ovation
My favorite: I like them both
Winner:
Ric Flair – WOOOOOOO!
If Flair loses, his career is over. If Triple H loses, he
will be unable to compete in the Royal Rumble. Triple H may be able to fight
dirty but let us not forget Flair is the dirtiest player in the game. You have
to give credit to Triple H here for putting over Flair big time in this match. I
believe these are the loudest boos I have ever heard Triple H get in a match. In
fact, if I was Triple H I would have worried about the audience breaking into
the ring to take me out. Flair took a lot of hard knocks in this match. It
wasn’t a hand out by Triple H by any means. The face buster and a cover but
Triple H doesn’t get the three count. Neck breaker and again Triple H goes for
the cover but only gets a two count. Spine buster and Triple H backs up and
waits for Flair to get to his feet. Triple H goes for the pedigree but Flair
manages a roll up and Triple H breaks free. Triple H has Flair in a sleeper hold
but the fans are chanting for Flair. Flair is down to both knees but he’s
fighting back and makes it back to his feet, sending Triple H to the mat with a
back suplex. Both men are now down on the mat. Flair drops Triple H to the mat
and then takes him down to a suplex when Triple H is back to his feet. Flair
goes up to the top turnbuckle and this time manages to back Triple H up and
lands with a cross body on Triple H but can’t get the three count. Flair drops
a knee on Triple H’s forehead and takes him down with a chop to the back of
Triple H’s leg not once but twice. Flair goes for the figure four but cant’
get it locked in. Flair locks in the figure four in the middle of the ring.
Triple H tries to get to the ropes but Flair pulls him back into the center of
the ring. Triple H has his shoulders down and the ref counts two before Triple H
gets his shoulders off the mat. Triple H finally makes it to the ropes to the
boos of the crowd as Flair has to break the hold. Triple H hits the pedigree but
can’t get the cover because of his knee, which Flair damaged earlier in the
match. Regal arrives at ringside to pull Flair toward the ring apron. Regal
nails Flair in the face with those brass knuckles we saw earlier. The ref rings
the bell and Flair wins by DQ. We can assume that Regal pulled this to get back
at McMahon for slapping him during his match with Hornswoggle. Flair is still
down on the mat but he is the winner. Triple H is not happy about the outcome.
William Regal will be in serious trouble with McMahon after
this…
Triple H picks Flair up off of the mat and holds him up with
the fans screaming for Flair and the two men hug in the ring.
And that’s all, folks.
WWE SMACKDOWN / DECEMBER 28
Wrestling Bodyslam . Com