Monday
Night Raw
April 21, 2008 – Recap by Sassy
Last week on Raw
Santino Marella & Carlito defeated Paul London &
Brian Kendrick in a #1 Contender for the WWE World Tag Team Championship Match
Mickie James defeated The Glamazon Beth Phoenix to become
the new WWE Women’s Champion
JTG with his Cryme Tyme partner defeated Trevor Murdoch
with Lance Cade in a one on one match
Randy Orton defeated Raw General Manager William Regal
Y2J Chris Jericho defeated Umaga to retain the WWE
Intercontinental Championship
Paul Burchill with Katie Lea defeated hacksaw Jim Duggan
In the main event, The Game Triple H faced John Bradshaw
Layfield but there was no winner due to interference by Randy Orton.
Monday Night Raw is broadcast from Greenville, SC
on
the USA Network.
Ringside announcers: Jim Ross & Jerry “The King”
Lawler
Ring announcer: Lillian Garcia
Interviews: Todd Grishman
This week’s Raw marks the return of the King of the Ring
and will be a three-hour show with a special Obama vs. Hillary match.
Jim Ross informs the audience there will be an eight-man tag
team match and that tonight all three candidates for the presidency will be
addressing the WWE fans. Jerry
Lawler informs the audience that tonight Hillary Clinton will face Barack Obama
in the Raw ring. Tonight a new King of the Ring will be crowned. Among the
contenders will be Raw, Smackdown and ECW wrestlers.
First
Round Tournament Match
Y2J Chris Jericho weighing 226 lbs.
WWE Intercontinental Champion
Vs.
M.V.P from Miami, FL, weighing 248 lbs. – representing
Smackdown
WWE United States Champion
Audience favorite: Y2J Chris Jericho
My favorite: M.V.P.
M.V.P. comes out swinging and takes Jericho down to the mat.
Jericho is back to his feet and he goes after MVP with the same vigor. The ref
backs MVP out of the corner and Jericho catches MVP with a boot when he comes
back in Jericho’s direction. Jericho sends MVP out of the ring and delivers a
slide that sends MVP down to the floor. Jericho goes out after MVP but rolls him
back in at the count of four. MVP is back to his feet and stops Jericho when he
tries to get back in the ring. MVP goes for two quick covers but can’t get the
three count. MVP goes for a submission move but Jericho works his way back to
his feet and gets out of the hold. Jericho off the ropes and takes MVP down to
the mat, but MVP catches him when he comes off the ropes a third time and goes
for a cover. He gets a two count. Jericho goes for a bridge cover and he gets a
two count. MVP gores for a roll up and gets the two count. MVP nails Jericho in
the face with a boot and again goes for a cover but he gets another two count.
MVP takes Jericho up on his shoulders and drops him face first on the mat but is
caught by Jericho’s clothesline when MVP comes off the ropes. Jericho goes for
the cover and gets a two count. JR points out that Jericho has a goose egg over
his right eye and he does. Jericho face plants MVP on the mat and goes for the
lionsault but MVP gets out of the way. Jericho counters an MVP maneuver and has
MVP in the walls of Jericho. MVP taps out.
Time:
6 minutes
Winner
Y2J
Chris Jericho by submission
I’m not sure I remember seeing these two wrestlers in the
ring before but they did a great job working against each other. The match could
have been longer but MVP did get a major bump on the forehead during the course
of the match. The camera shows MVP who is still in the ring and that lump has
got to hurt. Jericho goes up to the King’s throne and takes a seat.
CM Punk, MITB winner, is backstage warming up.
Commercial break.
First
Round Tournament Match
CM Punk from Chicago, IL, weighing 222 lbs. –
representing ECW
Mr. MITB
Vs.
Matt Hardy from Cameron, NC, weighing 236 lbs. –
representing Smackdown
Audience favorite: I think it’s a tie
My favorite: I KNOW it’s a tie
CM Punk got a Raw deal on Raw tonight.
I like Punk a lot but Hardy may just be a little bit better. Punk tests a
few kicks but Hardy steps out of the way. The two lock up and go around the
ropes and back into the center of the ring with Matt applying a wristlock. Punk
delivers an elbow that backs Hardy up. Punk delivers a neck breaker and goes for
a pin but only gets a one count. Punk goes for a cover and he gets a one count.
Punk has Hardy down in a headlock and the audience is chanting for Hardy. Hardy
is back to his feet but Punk takes him back down to the mat. Punk has Hardy in
the corner but the ref backs him up. Punk has Hardy up on the top turnbuckle but
Hardy fights him off and delivers head butts to get Punk to release. Hardy comes
off the second rope and nails Punk in the back. Punk delivers a knee to
Hardy’s face and takes Hardy down with a bull dog. Punk goes for the cover. He
gets a two count. Punk springboards off the ropes and gets caught in a side
effect. Hardy goes for the cover and gets a two count. Hardy waits for Punk to
get to his feet, tries for the twist of fate, countered by Hardy, countered by
Punk with a roll up and Punk gets the three count.
Time:
4 minutes
Winner
CM
Punk with a roll up
This was a shorter match but it was very intense with
constant contact between the wrestlers. A
good match for the time allotted between two very talented wrestlers.
Punk goes up to the throne with his MITB briefcase and takes
a seat.
JR reminds the audience that Jericho and Punk have advanced
and will meet in the semi finals.
Commercial break.
JR introduces a video of the match last week between Triple H
and JBL. The Fatal Four Way Match at Backlash is now an elimination match with
the WWE Championship title on the line.
John Bradshaw Layfield is on camera in his business suit.
Shall we assume that he is not going to a participant in the King of the
Ring action on Raw tonight?
First
Round Tournament Match
The Great Khali from Indian, 7’, weighing 420 lbs. –
representing Smackdown
Khali steps up to the throne and has a seat and we go to
commercial break before his opponent is introduced.
Vs.
Finlay from Belfast, Northern Ireland, weighing 233 lbs.
– representing Smackdown
With Hornswoggle
I thought the feud between Finlay and Khali was over with.
It may be renewed during this match. Finlay obviously can’t wrestle him
and unless he finds a way to cheat behind the referee’s back, I don’t see
how Finlay can win. He is down as soon as the match starts but Khali misses a
drop and Finlay delivers a short dropkick but it doesn’t last. Finlay tries to
come off the second rope but he is greeted by Khali’s boot. Hornswoggle runs
into the ring with the shillelagh and is spotted by the ref and Khali at the
same time. Finlay is getting back to his feet and tries to get Hornswoggle out
of the line of fire. Hornswoggle gets out of the ring but Finlay gets a chop to
the head. Khali climbs out of the ring and slams Finlay’s leg against the ring
post. The ref starts counting but Khali ignores the count and continues to slam
Finlay’s leg against the post. The ref rings the bell.
Time:
2 minutes
Winner
Finlay
via disqualification
Khali continues even after Finlay is named the winner and Big
Show’s theme music begins. Show heads down the entrance ramp toward Khali.
Khali doesn’t move until Show gets close and then he begins backing around the
ring with Show stalking him. Show climbs into the ring and stares down Khali but
Khali doesn’t attempt to get into the ring.
Commercial break.
Finlay is being helped out of the arena by refs with
Hornswoggle in tow.
Final
First Round Tournament Match
Raw General Manager William Regal from Blackpool, England,
weighing 244 lbs.
Vs.
Hornswoggle
Finlay is still limping up the ramp and he grabs Hornswoggle
around the neck and tells him he can’t wrestle. Regal rolls out of the ring
and heads up the ramp, grabs Hornswoggle and rolls him into the ring. The bell
rings and Regal immediately has Hornswoggle in the Regal stretch, Hornswoggle
taps out.
Time:
Less than 1 minute
Winner
William
Regal with the Regal stretch
Finlay has made it back down to the outside of the ring as
Regal still has Hornswoggle locked in the submission hold. The ref has pulled
Regal off Hornswoggle and Finlay crawls back into the ring to protect
Hornswoggle. Finlay will be forced to face Regal in the semi finals. Regal
delivers a kick to Finlay’s injured knee much to the dismay of the audience.
In the semi final matches Jericho will face Punk and Finlay
will face Regal.
Finlay and son are still down in the ring.
Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels is heading toward the arena.
Commercial break.
It appears that Michaels has again appeared to address
Batista yet again. He has addressed Batista, sometimes twice a week, since
Michaels retired Nature Boy Ric Flair at Wrestlemania XXIV. Michaels calls out
Batista, telling him that he has one more question he wants to ask him.
You couldn’t send him a text message Michaels?
Batista appears to enter the ring. Michaels wants to ask Batista why he
didn’t answer the question Chris Jericho asked him last Friday on Smackdown.
Michaels wants to know if Batista really wanted to be the man who faced Flair at
Wrestlemania. Batista says it isn’t about Ric and it isn’t about
Wrestlemania, it’s about the two of them. Batista says that this is the last
thing he is going to say to Michaels – at Backlash Batista is going to finish
this. Michaels tells Batista that he appreciates his honesty. Michaels says that
he is everything that Batista says he is and now he is The Man. Michaels tells
Batista good luck because he’s going to need it and holds out his hand to
shake with Batista. Batista shakes his hand and then won’t release it. We have
another stare down in preparation for Backlash. The audience is still sounding
pro Michaels.
Commercial break.
Hillary Clinton is on camera addressing the audience. I
skipped it. I am of the opinion that the WWE writers much have come up with
Clinton’s lines.
Hardcore Holly from Mobile, AL, weighing 243 lbs.
One half of the WWE World Tag Team Champions
Accompanied by Cody Rhodes, the other half of the WWE
World Tag Team Champions
Vs.
Carlito from the Caribbean, weighing 220 lbs.
Accompanied by Santino Marella, his tag team partner
Audience favorite: Hardcore Holly
My favorite: Hardcore Holly
Both of these man do know wrestling but they both know
cheating and hard hitting. Carlito sends Holly down but Holly returns the favor
and goes for the pin. He gets a two count. Holly delivers an inverted atomic
drop and a clothesline and again goes for the cover. He gets another two count.
Carlito delivers a knee to the abdomen and then beings punching Holly in the
head and face until the ref backs him off. Carlito slams Holly to the canvas and
goes for the cover but he only gets a one count. Rhodes is working the audience
and getting them involved as Holly gets back to his feet. Holly comes off the
ropes and is hit by a dropkick. Carlito goes for the cover and gets a two count.
Carlito works on Holly’s back and uses the ropes for some extra leverage.
Carlito body slams Holly to the canvas and goes for the cover. He gets another
two count. Carlito slams Holly’s head into the top turnbuckle and again goes
after the lower back area. Holly sidesteps Carlito and Carlito crashes into the
corner post. Holly follows up with a right fist and the two exchange punches in
the center of the ring. Holly drops Carlito with a clothesline then catches him
with a dropkick as Carlito comes off the ropes. Holly works the audience and
tries for the Alabama slam, Carlito counters and nails Holly with a backstabber,
goes for the cover and gets the three count.
Time:
5 minutes
Winner
Carlito
with a backstabber
The match actually seemed to go longer than the 5 minutes it
took. It may not have been the best match of the night but it was worth
watching. Marella gets in the ring with a mic in hand to trash talk Holly and
Rhodes since they are the #1 Contenders for the tag team titles. Rhodes takes
the mic and asks Santino if he ever shuts up. Rhodes nails Marella in the head
with the mic and sends him out of the ring while Holly sends Carlito out to the
floor.
Commercial break.
Jericho and Punk are headed toward the arena.
Semi
Final Tournament Match
Y2J Chris Jericho
WWE Intercontinental Champion
Vs.
CM Punk
Mr. MITB
Audience favorite: Y2J Chris Jericho
My favorite: CM Punk
The two men lock up and Jericho takes Punk down to the mat in
a side headlock. Punk is back to his feet, Jericho off the ropes and takes Punk
down with a shoulder block. Punk
drops Jericho to the mat and tries for the cover. Punk uses a little footwork to
go after Jericho’s legs before taking him down to the mat and trying again for
a cover. He can’t get the three count. Jericho slams Punk on the top rope and
he goes down to the canvas. Punk is up on the apron and tries to spring in after
Jericho but Jericho trips Punk up. Punk again hits the canvas. These aren’t
smooth fluid moves but they are effective. Jericho works on Punk’s back, both
men back to their feet. Punk comes off the ropes with a kick to Jericho’s
chest. Punk takes Jericho down with a clothesline and goes for the cover. Punk
gets a two count. Jericho takes Punk down with a hurricanrana and we have
several counter roll ups, Jericho goes for the walls of Jericho, Punk counters
with a roll up. Punk power slams Jericho to the canvas, goes for the pin and
gets a two count. Punk has Jericho up for the GTS, Jericho counters, comes off
the ropes and nails Punk and goes for the walls of Jericho. Punk is trying to
get to the ropes and he makes it. The ref makes Jericho break the hold. Jericho
goes back to work on Punk’s back until the ref backs him off. Punk tries to
send Jericho over the top rope but Jericho lands on the ring apron. Jericho goes
up to the top turnbuckle; Punk delivers a kick to throw Jericho off balance.
Punk has Jericho up on his shoulders and hits the GTS, goes for the cover and
gets the win.
Time:
7 minutes
Winner
CM
Punk with a GTS
Both of these wrestlers had decent first round matches. This
match was a good one for both of them although some of the moves looked a little
off. It sounded as though the audience was pro Jericho through most of the match
but Punk didn’t slack off. He took as many hits as Jericho took if not more.
CM Punk advances to the final round.
Commercial break.
Barack Obama addresses the WWE audience.
Again, I fast-forwarded through the speech.
Semi
Final Tournament Match
Raw General Manager William Regal
Vs.
Finlay
Audience favorite: I can’t tell
My favorite: Finlay
Finlay has his left knee taped as he limps to the ring. Regal
is trying to get to Finlay’s knee but Finlay takes Regal down. Regal comes up
with Finlay’s leg but Finlay kicks Regal back. Finlay sends Regal over his
head and down to the mat. Regal rolls out of the ring and Finlay goes out after
him. Regal slams Finlay, leg first, into the steel steps. Finlay manages to roll
back into the ring and Regal goes after him. Regal continues to work on the
knee. The audience is loudly chanting “Regal sucks” as Regal continues to
work on Finlay’s knee. The ref keeps pulling Regal out of the corner and
Finlay manages to comes out swinging then sends Regal shoulder first into the
ring post. Finlay sends Regal to the mat and goes for a cover but can’t get
the three count. Finlay goes for a backslide, grabs Regal by the hair, but Regal
kicks out. Regal has Finlay in another submission move and the ref rings the
bell.
Time:
4 minutes
Winner
William
Regal by submission
Finlay has taken a lot of hard shots tonight. It appears that
Regal will now face Punk for King of the Ring. Finlay’s matches tonight were
not his best but you can never say he isn’t tough. Regal could have his hands
full. Punk isn’t injured.
Commercial break.
John McCain addresses the WWE audience. Same as before,
fast-forwarded.
The audience sees a recap of the matches that are scheduled
for Backlash and the preparations to the ring for the Obama vs. Hillary match.
Commercial break.
Democratic Primary Presidential Smackdown
Hillary Clinton
Accompanied by Bill Clinton (I hope everyone in the audience
has a good grip on their daughters, wives, mothers, etc., etc., etc.)
Vs.
Barack Obama
I just don’t think I’ll call this one wrestling fans.
Both candidates are down on the mat and Umaga enters the
arena. I think Umaga may win the election.
Obama receives a Samoan Spike. Umaga scares Bill out of the arena and
then delivers a Samoan drop to Hillary.
Time:
5 minutes
Winner
Umaga
with a Samoan spike and a Samoan drop
Commercial break.
The divas enter the ring. JR says it’s always good to see
authentic divas. It would be even BETTER to see authentic women WRESTLERS! They
are here to introduce the new WWE Women’s Champion, Mickie James. Mickie James
is a wrestler. Mickie attempts to talk to the audience but is interrupted by The
Glamazon Beth Phoenix with the rest of the women’s locker room. The rest is a
bunch of women in heels making fools out of them selves on the television
screen.
Commercial break.
Final
Match
King
of the Ring
Raw General Manager William Regal from Blackpool, England,
weighing 240 lbs.
Vs.
CM Punk from Chicago, IL, weighing 222 lbs. –
representing ECW
Mr. MITB
Audience favorite: CM Punk
My favorite: CM Punk
The bell rings and the two men lock up, Regal shoves Punk
back into the corner post and goes after Punk with fists. Punk delivers a boot
to the abdomen, backs Regal into the corner and delivers a high knee, tries for
the bulldog but Regal delivers a back body drop and goes for the cover. Regal
gets a two count. Regal works on Punk’s already damaged back but Punk makes it
back to his feet. Punk delivers a boot but Regal kicks back. Regal takes Punk
down to the mat and continues to put pressure on Punk’s back. Punk makes it
back to his feet and breaks the hold, then delivers a high kick to the head and
then another. Punk delivers a few fists and then another hard kick to the skull.
Punk goes for the cover and gets a three count before Regal kicks out. Punk
tries to pick Regal up but Regal gets the ropes and comes back with a knee to
Punk’s head. Regal tries to set up the Regal stretch and he gets it locked in.
Punk taps out.
Time:
4 minutes
Winner
and
2008
King of the Ring
Raw
General Manager William Regal
Regal goes up the ramp and takes his place on the throne. How
long has it been since Regal spent any real time in the ring? His match last
week against Orton.
Commercial break.
Main
Event
Eight-man
Tag Team Match
Randy Orton from St. Louis, MO, weighing 245 lbs.
WWE Champion
&
John Bradshaw Layfield from New York City
&
Chavo Guerrero from El Paso, TX, weighing 215 lbs.
&
The Rated R Superstar Edge from Toronto, Canada, weighing
250 lbs.
Commercial break before their opponents are introduced.
Vs.
The Game Triple H from Greenwich, CT, weighing 255 lbs.
&
John Cena from MA, weighing 240 lbs.
&
The Big Red Machine Kane weighing 320 lbs.
WWE ECW Champion
&
The Undertaker from Death Valley weighing 299 lbs.
WWE World Heavyweight Champion
Audience favorites: Triple H, Cena, Kane & Undertaker
My favorites: Triple H, Cena, Kane & Undertaker
Undertaker and Orton begin the match but Edge doesn’t leave
the ring and now it’s Edge against the Undertaker. Undertaker takes Edge down
with a flying clothesline and then goes old school, driving Edge back down to
the canvas. Undertaker takes a second to clear Orton’s tag team partners off
the ring apron and before a full minute is up we go to
COMMERCIAL
BREAK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MAIN EVENT
Back in the ring, it’s Guerrero and Triple H in the ring.
Guerrero tags in Edge who tries for a spear but it caught by a spine buster.
Both men are down on the mat. JR tells the audience that during the commercial
break, Orton and Triple H went at each other. Triple H makes to Cena for a tag
and Cena has Edge down on the mat. Orton gets in the ring and as the ref’s
back is turned, Guerrero pulls down the top rope and sends Cena over the top and
down to the floor. Triple H goes around the ring and is stopped by the ref while
JBL goes after Cena on the floor and then rolls him back in the ring. Orton is
now the legal man and he keeps Cena away from his corner before tagging in JBL.
JBL goes for the cover and gets a two count. JBL drops Cena with a clothesline
and again goes for a cover. JBL gets a two count. JBL tags in Edge and they
double team Cena until the ref breaks it up and sends JBL out to the apron. Cena
is back to his feet and as he comes off the ropes, he is met by Edge’s boot.
Edge goes for a cover but can’t get the three count. Edge tags in Orton. Orton
has Cena I a headlock but Cena is trying to get to his corner. The headlock
becomes a sleeper hold but Cena slams Orton into the ring post. The two men meet
in the center of the ring with double clotheslines and now both men are down on
the mat. The ref gets to the count of 6 before the men are up. Cena tags in Kane
and Orton tags in Guerrero. Kane clears the ring apron and delivers a side slam
to Guerrero then comes off the top rope and connects. Kane goes for the cover
but Guerrero’s teammates break it up. Most of the men end up out on the floor.
Guerrero goes up to the top and Kane has him and drops him with a choke slam.
Edge is back in the ring and he catches Kane with a spear and goes for the cover
to get the win. Was Edge even the legal man?
Time:
1 minute before commercial, 6 minutes after commercial, 7 minutes total
I don’t know why exactly this match was scheduled but due
to time constraints and the commercial break, it wasn’t a full match.
Winners
The
Rated R Superstar Edge
&
Chavo
Guerrero
&
John
Bradshaw Layfield
&
Randy
Orton
After the bell rings, Cena enters the ring and delivers the
FU to Edge. Triple H is back in the ring and he and Cena go after each other.
Triple H tries to set Cena up for the pedigree but JBL nails Triple H with a
clothesline. Orton is now back in the ring and he takes Cena down with an RKO
and now its Orton and JBL face to face in the ring. Undertaker appears and he
delivers a double choke slam. Undertaker is the last man standing in the ring.
I realize that WWE is all about building up their Backlash
pay per view but between the political mumbo jumbo and the eight-man tag team
match and Shawn Michaels yet again having words with Batista, the King of the
Ring matches were shoved to the back burner. While I am not a programmer or
booker for any wrestling organization, it would seem that making this night all
about King of the Ring would have made for a more entertaining show.
WWE SMACKDOWN / APRIL 18
Wrestling Bodyslam . Com