Monday
Night Raw
January 21, 2008 – Recap by Sassy
Video
honoring Martin Luther King, Jr., 1929 – 1968
Long
Live The Dream
Recap of the match last Monday night on Raw: Jeff Hardy
defending his WWE Intercontinental Championship against Randy Orton. Orton got
himself disqualified if the first few seconds of the match. Jeff took out Orton
as promised with a Swanton bomb off of a metal tower. Word later in the week
indicated Orton spent the night at a medical facility. Jeff left the medical
facility after being treated.
Monday Night Raw is being broadcast from Hampton, VA on
the USA network.
Ringside announcers: JR and Jerry Lawler
Ring announcer: Lillian Garcia
Backstage interviews: Todd Grisham
JR reminds everyone this is the first night WWE is in HD.
Lawler says that Vince McMahon has determined Jeff and Orton will meet tonight
in the ring, put aside their differences and shake hands. The Royal Rumble is
six days away.
HBK Shawn Michaels from San Antonio, TX
Vs.
Mr. Kennedy from Green Bay, WI, weighing 223 lbs.
Audience favorite: HBK Shawn Michaels
My favorite: I like them both
JR reminds the audience Mr. Kennedy did beat HBK in a match
before the end of 2007.
Commercial break in the middle of the match.
Back from commercial break.
Winner
HBK Shawn Michaels
Not a bad opening match although Kennedy did seem to have the
upper hand through quite a bit of the action. Kennedy ended up with a cut near
his eyebrow and HBK took some hard direct hits to his lower back.
Video replay of the finish of the match.
Randy Orton is backstage complaining because, after Jeff
Hardy tried to end Orton’s career last Monday night, McMahon still wants him
to shake hands with Jeff. McMahon says that is what he wants done. Orton says he
won’t do it but McMahon says that he will. Orton complains his way through the
time allotted before we go to
Promo for Royal Rumble on pay per view.
Commercial break.
Back from commercial break.
The Glamazon Beth Phoenix from Buffalo, NY
WWE Women’s Champion
Vs.
Mickie James from Richmond, VA
Audience favorite: Mickie James
My favorite: I like them both
Of the women in WWE, these two and Victoria are the only
women I consider to be wrestlers. All three are strong and knowledgeable and
don’t hesitate to take risks.
Winner
The
Glamazon Beth Phoenix
Not a bad match but it would have been nice to see Mickie win
against Beth.
Todd is backstage with The Game Triple H. Todd asks Triple H
about his qualifying match tonight on Raw and that if he wins, he will qualify
for the Royal Rumble. Todd wants to know if Triple H knows who is opponent will
be tonight. Triple H says that he does not know. He says it doesn’t matter who
is opponent is or what the match is because he will be in the Royal Rumble
match.
Commercial break.
Back from commercial break, replay of five weeks ago when JBL
attacked Y2J Chris Jericho. Chris Jericho will be back tonight on Raw.
Brian Kendrick is backstage with Cody Rhodes and they are
discussing the Royal Rumble Match. Kendrick says that he is in a qualifying
match for the Royal Rumble tonight. Hardcore Bob Holly shows up and asks if Cody
has his back tonight during his match with Carlito. Cody and Holly are both in
the Royal Rumble.
Promo for Randy Orton. What,
nothing else in the old video room but replays of Orton?
Finlay and Hornswoggle are backstage and heading to the ring
as Lawler tells the audience they will be in tag team action next.
Commercial break.
Back from commercial break, replay of last Monday night’s
mini Royal Rumble match where he was attacked by The Great Khali and Finlay came
in for the save.
Finlay
&
Hornswoggle
Vs.
Robbie
&
Rory
The Highlanders
Audience favorites: Hornswoggle & Finlay
My favorites: I like all of them
I was in hopes the wrestlers involved in the mini Royal
Rumble would show up again so Hornswoggle would get a chance to wrestle, but I
like seeing Finlay in the ring.
Winners
Finlay
&
Hornswoggle
Any time Finlay and Hornswoggle are in the ring, it is
entertaining even though you couldn’t call that much of a match.
Chris Jericho is heading toward the ring.
Commercial break.
Back from commercial break, promo for ECW, Chavo Guerrero
facing CM Punk for the ECW Championship.
Video recap of JBL’s return to the ring and his dislike of
Y2J Chris Jericho. Jericho came
back to Raw in a feud with Orton and suddenly it’s a feud with JB.
Jericho enters the ring and grabs a mic. Jericho says that
when JBL found out Jericho was here, JBL refused to enter the building. He
refers to JBL as a coward and tells JBL there will be a fight at Royal Rumble
when JBL faces Jericho in the ring.
Also at Royal Rumble
Career Threatening Match:
The Nature Boy Ric Flair versus M.V.P.
Thirty wrestlers enter the Royal Rumble Match
Rey Mysterio versus The Rated R Superstar Edge for the WWE
World Heavyweight Championship
Jeff Hardy versus Randy Orton for the WWE Championship
Jeff Hardy is backstage with McMahon and McMahon is telling
Jeff to never risk his life or any else’s life like he did last week. He wants
to make sure Jeff knows he needs to go out tonight and shake Orton’s hand
tonight in the middle of the ring. Basically the same talk he gave Orton a few
minutes ago. McMahon asks Jeff if he will do it. Jeff says that he will go out
to the ring and make sure he gives everyone something to talk about.
Commercial break.
Back from commercial break, JR reminds the audience that
Triple H has a Royal Rumble qualifying match tonight but no one knows who that
match is against.
Royal Rumble Qualifying Match
Brian Kendrick from Olympia, WA, weighing 172 lbs.
Before Kendrick’s opponent are introduced, General Manager
William Regal appears to introduce that opponent, someone who has already
qualified for the Royal Rumble Match.
Vs.
Umaga from the Isle of Samoa, weighing 350 lbs.
Audience favorite: I’m not sure
My favorite: I like them both
I’d prefer to see these two in matches against their own
weight class – or at least a little closer.
Winner
Umaga
Obviously Brian Kendrick did not qualify for the Royal Rumble
Match. Ouch.
Mickie James is backstage with Maria. Mickie is upset because
she didn’t win the match against Beth Phoenix tonight. Ashley shows up and
Mickie leaves. Ashley wants to talk to Maria about the Playboy Mansion and a
party that she attended there. Santino Marella shows up and takes Maria away.
Commercial break.
Back from commercial break, promo for Jeff Hardy.
Commercial break – again.
Back from commercial break, promo for ECW and the match
between Chavo Guerrero and CM Punk for the ECW title.
Carlito from the Caribbean, weighing 220 lbs.
Accompanied to the ring by Santino Marella and Maria
Vs.
Hardcore Holly from Mobile, AL, weighing 243 lbs.
One half of the WWE World Tag Team Champions
Accompanied to the ring by Cody Rhodes
One half of the WWE World Tag Team Champions
Audience favorite: I’m not sure
My favorite: I like them both
Winner
Carlito
Triple H is heading toward the ring for his match coming up
next.
Commercial break.
Back from commercial break, Royal Rumble 2002. Triple H wins
the Royal Rumble Match by beating Kurt Angle. Triple H went on to Wrestlemania.
Royal Rumble Qualifying Match
Triple H from Greenwich, CT, weighing 255 lbs.
JR reminds the audience this is the last chance Triple H has
to qualify for the Royal Rumble Match, six nights from now.
GM William Regal appears at the top of the entrance ramp. His
says Triple H is facing three opponents in an over the top rope gauntlet match.
If Triple H can throw his three opponents over the top rope, he is in the Royal
Rumble Match. If any of Triple H’s opponents throw him out, the match is over
and Triple H is out of the Royal Rumble Match.
Vs.
First Opponent
Snitsky, 6’8”, 300 lbs.
Triple H sends Snitsky over the top rope with a clothesline
before the second opponent can arrive
Vs.
The World’s Strongest Man Mark Henry (from Smackdown)
Triple H sends Mark Henry over the top rope when Henry
charges Triple H and Triple H pulls down the top rope.
Vs.
Regal is shaking his head “no” at whoever was next
in the gauntlet and Regal charges into the ring after Triple H. Regal is in
street clothes, not wrestling attire.
Triple H tosses Regal over the top rope.
Guess who is in the Royal Rumble Match?
Audience favorite: Triple H
My favorite: I like Triple H, Mark Henry and William Regal
Winner
Triple
H
Replay of the eliminations in the previous match.
Jeff and Orton are heading toward the ring. Their hand
shaking in the middle of the ring will be next.
Commercial break.
Back from commercial break, replay of what happened between
Jeff and Orton last week on Raw.
Vince McMahon enters the ring. McMahon wants the audience to
appreciate him in HD. McMahon introduces Orton, current WWE Champion first.
McMahon then introduces the challenger at next Sunday’s WWE’s Royal Rumble
– Jeff Hardy. McMahon wants the two opponents to shake hands. McMahon asks for
comments from both wrestlers. Orton says he is relieved that Jeff will be his
opponent at Royal Rumble because he has never come close to becoming the WWE
champion. Orton admits that he has underestimated Jeff and the 30-foot Swanton
proves it. Orton tells Jeff he will not be winning the title this Sunday. Orton
tells Jeff that he does have respect for him. Jeff takes the mic and tells Orton
that Jeff doesn’t care about earning Orton’s respect and that he didn’t
hit a 30 foot Swanton to impress Orton but to hurt Orton, that he did it for his
brother Matt, and because Jeff has waited too long for this opportunity. Jeff
says he does not respect Orton but he respects JR, Lawler (as he shakes their
hands), Lillian, the fans and he enters the audience with the mic, shaking hands
and introducing fans as he goes. Jeff then gets back in the ring and faces Orton.
Orton puts out his hand and Jeff does not put out his hand. Orton throws down
his belt and Jeff nails Orton with a twist of fate, sending him down to the mat.
Way to go Jeff! Nice
job.
WWE SMACKDOWN / JANUARY 18
Wrestling Bodyslam . Com