Monday Night Raw

June 09, 2008 – Recap by Sassy

 

Last week on Raw

 

Mr. Kennedy defeated Umaga via count out in 2 minutes.

In non-tile tag team action, Santino Marella & Carlito defeated Cody Rhodes & Hardcore Holly when special timekeeper Rowdy Roddy Piper interfered in the match. Match time: 2 minutes.

Y2J Chris Jericho retained his WWE Intercontinental Championship by defeated JBL via DQ in 5 minutes.

In tag team action, Katie Lea & Beth Phoenix defeated Melina & Mickie James in 4 minutes.

Lance Cade defeated his former partner, Trevor Murdoch, in 3 minutes.

And in the main event, John Cena defeated Jeff Hardy in 13 minutes.

 

Monday Night Raw is broadcast on the USA network from Oakland, CA.

 

Ringside announcers: Jim Ross & Jerry “The King” Lawler

Ring announcer: Lillian Garcia

Backstage interviews: Todd Grisham

 

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

Vs.

Paul Burchill from Chelsea, England weighing 227 lbs.

With Katie Lea

 

The referee backs up Burchill and when Burchill goes at Kennedy, Kennedy sends him over the top rope and down to the floor. Some nice moves by Kennedy but Burchill counters and drops Kennedy on the back of his head. This is the most pro Kennedy crowd I think I’ve ever heard. Burchill drops Kennedy with a short clothesline then picks him up and misses the next clothesline. Kennedy sends Burchill down to the mat with a fist. Kennedy backs Burchill up into the corner and pounds on him before delivering a kick to the head and then going for a cover but he only gets a two count. Kennedy delivers the mind check, goes for the cover and gets the three count. Time: 4 minutes.

 

Winner: Mr. Kennedy with a face plant

 

Burchill does not impress me but I do think Kennedy has been showing some ring talent since he has been back in the WWE ring. After the match, Katie Lea challenges Kennedy and slaps him, distracting Kennedy and allowing Burchill to drop Kennedy to the mat. We go to commercial break.

 

Mickie James from Richmond, VA

WWE Women’s Champion

Vs.

The Glamazon Beth Phoenix from Buffalo, NY

 

Raw has two female wrestlers I respect in the ring. James is fast but Phoenix is strong. Phoenix slams James to the mat with a tilt a whirl and goes for the cover but only gets a two count. Phoenix suplexes James to the floor.  Again Phoenix gets a two count. James fights back but Phoenix catches her in a back breaker. James sends Phoenix to the mat with a head scissors. James delivers a short drop kick to the head and goes for the cover getting a two count. James goes up on the top turnbuckle, comes off to deliver a press and gets the win. Time: 3 minutes.

 

Winner: Mickie James with a press

 

This was a short match but not disappointing.  I am still waiting for the day that WWE treats women’s wrestling as wrestling and drops the diva fluff. After the match, Phoenix goes after James but Melina appears to take out Phoenix. Melina is still upset that she lost the I Quit match to Phoenix at the last pay per view.  We go to commercial break.

 

The Game Triple H and John Cena are backstage arguing about their championship match at Night of Champions. Cena faces JBL tonight and HHH faces Jeff Hardy. We go to commercial break.

 

HHH appears to sit at the announcer’s table to watch the following match.

 

JBL from New York City

Vs.

John Cena from MA, weighing 240 lbs.

 

Not a JBL fan but then again, not exactly a Cena fan either. This match could go either way but it won’t be an exhibition of wrestling skills. HHH is at the announcer’s table telling everyone that Cena won’t take the title away from him. HHH stands up and distracts Cena, giving JBL a chance to blindside Cena. The live audience is avid pro Cena. Cena delivers a bulldog and goes for the cover but he can’t get the three count. JBL comes back with kicks to the head, goes for the cover and gets a two count. JBL delivers a neck breaker and goes for the cover but only gets a one count. The Cena chants continue as Cena tries to set up for the FU but JBL counters and goes outside the ring in front of the announcer’s table. HHH is on his feet and he and JBL are staring each other down and we go to commercial break. Back to the action, Cena is on the floor outside the ring and JBL slams Cena’s head into the announcer’s table before delivering a boot to the face. JBL drops an elbow on Cena as the referee counts inside the ring. JBL rolls Cena back into the ring and goes for the cover but Cena gets a shoulder off the mat. HHH is building up Cena by telling Lawler & JR how great Cena is in the ring.  Cena breaks loose with some right hands and comes off the ropes but JBL catches Cena in a sleeper hold. Cena goes down to the mat and JBL hangs on. Cena is up to his feet and he breaks the hold. Cena comes off the ropes and catches a boot in the face courtesy of JBL. JBL waits for Cena to get back to his feet but JBL misses the clothesline, Cena drops JBL to the mat and delivers the five-knuckle shuffle. JBL is back to his feet and Cena goes for the FU but JBL rakes Cena’s eyes and delivers the clothesline from hell, goes for the cover but Cena gets a foot up on the bottom rope. JBL goes out of the ring and tears the top off of the announcer’s table, throws the monitors to the floors and HHH is on his feet watching the action. JBL goes back into the ring but Cena catches JBL with a cradle and gets the three count.  Total match time: 6 minutes.

 

Winner: John Cena with a cradle roll up

 

There was no show of wrestling talent in this match, but it was a decent build up of the feud between Cena and HHH and the battle for the gold. After the match, Cena stands in the ring and stares at HHH who gets up on the announcer’s table and holds his belt in the air. Cena comes down from the ring and gets up on the table to face HHH. HHH gets down to the floor and then trips Cena, dropping him down to the announcer’s table and we go to commercial break.

 

Y2J Chris Jericho, WWE Intercontinental Champion, enters the ring in order to host his Highlight Reel. In case readers had not noticed, I’ve been skipping a lot of the chitchat and going directly to what wrestling action Raw, Smackdown and ECW provides. The guest tonight for the Highlight Reel is Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels. Michaels gets a loud welcome from the live audience. Michaels lost the stretcher match to Batista at One Night Stand. Jericho is nice at first but then he cuts loose and he and Michaels go at it in the ring. Jericho delivers a low blow to stop Michaels. Instead of helping Michaels back to his feet, Jericho shoves Michaels down to the floor. I believe we now have a feud between Michaels & Jericho. Jericho picks Michaels up and slams him into the monitor hanging over the ring. Jericho seems to have just turned heel. We go to commercial break.

 

Tag Team Match

 

Umanga & Snitsky

At a combined weight of 697 lbs.

Vs.

Cody Rhodes & Hardcore Holly

WWE World Tag Team Champions

At a combined weight of 452 lbs.

 

Rhodes & Holly will be giving up weight and height in this match. I can predict there will be no wrestling moves unless Rhodes & Holly decide to try to work a wrestling match. Rhodes & Holly double-team Snitsky but Umaga takes the opportunity when the ref is trying to get Rhodes out of the ring, to sneak in and take down Holly. Umaga is now the legal man in the ring and he delivers a clothesline to Holly and goes for the cover but Umaga gets a two count. Umaga tags in Snitsky to body slams Holly to the mat and drops two elbows but when he goes for a leg drop, Holly rolls out of the way. Holly goes for a kick to the knee and makes it to his corner to tag in Rhodes. Snitsky tags in Umaga. Rhodes goes across the ring and sends Snitsky to the floor and then tries to drop Umaga. Umaga catches Rhodes and slams him face first into the mat. Holly is still in the ring as Umaga goes for the Samoan spike. Umaga nails it, goes for the cover and gets the win. Time: 3 minutes.

 

Winners: Umaga & Snitsky

 

As predicted, this was not a wrestling match but a complete beat down of Rhodes & Holly. As Rhodes & Holly prepare to leave the ring, Ted Dibiase Jr. appears at the top of the entrance ramp to tell Rhodes & Holly that they can’t seem to get their act together ever since he announced that he and a partner of his choice would face them at Night of Champions for the tag team titles and we go to commercial break.

 

Tag Team Match

 

Santino Marella & Carlito

At a combined weight of 447 lbs.

Vs.

Shad & JTG

Cryme Tyme from Brooklyn, NY

At a combined weight of (I couldn’t hear Garcia with the weight).

 

This match could be a little tougher for Marella & Carlito but Carlito is quick in the ring and out of the ring. Marella goes for a roll up immediately but he doesn’t even get a one count. JTG goes for a cover but he can’t get the three count. JTG tags in Shad and JTG assists Shad is squashing Marella. JTG gets tagged back in, Shad helps slam him down on Marella and he goes for the cover but only gets a two count. Marella tags in Carlito who comes in with boots to the abdomen. JTG is down in the wrong corner. Carlito tags Marella back in and they perform a little double-team before Carlito exits the ring. Both men take a swing, both of them connect and both of them hit the mat. JTG sends Marella toward Shad and makes his way to a tag. Shad delivers a power slam and goes for the cover but Carlito comes in to break it up. JTG sends Carlito over the top rope and to the floor; Shad slams Marella to the mat and goes for the cover, getting the win. Time: 3 minutes.

 

Winners: Cryme Tyme

 

It wasn’t a great match but it wasn’t necessarily a bad match. I am still waiting for Carlito to be able to show his stuff in the ring but WWE just hasn’t bothered to allow him to work the ring and showcase his talent.

 

John Cena appears to join Lawler & JR at the announcer’s table in order to watch the next match.

 

Jeff Hardy from Cameron, NC weighing 225 lbs.

Vs.

The Game Triple H from CT weighing 255 lbs.

 

Hardy has been very active on the roster since his return. I realize that HHH is more of a brute than a wrestler but Hardy is quick and has some great moves that make him a fan favorite. The live audience tonight is very much on Hardy’s side although HHH gets a few cheers from them, too. Expect a few mind games between Cena outside the ring and HHH inside the ring just as we saw during the Cena vs. JBL match earlier tonight. I would like to see Hardy take this match. HHH is busy watching Cena outside the ring which may be in Hardy’s favor. HHH comes off the ropes and delivers a shoulder block that slams Hardy down to the mat. HHH stops to stare at Cena and Hardy catches HHH off guard. Hardy goes for the cover and gets a short one count. Hardy kicks HHH back into the corner post and then delivers a double stomp before going for the cover. Hardy gets a two count but the camera keeps going back to Cena and I am not seeing all of the match. Hardy gets caught with a spine buster but HHH doesn’t go for the cover, he goes for delivering right fists to the head and face of Hardy. As Hardy comes off the ropes, HHH delivers a high knee and then goes for the cover getting a two count. HHH comes off the ropes and drops knees to Hardy’s forehead and again goes for a cover, again getting a two count. And I’m seeing Cena again instead of the match in the ring. HHH uses the ropes while he has Hardy in an abdominal stretch, but the ref catches him and makes him break the hold. HHH slams Hardy head first into the turnbuckle and then slams him chest first across the ring and into the corner post. HHH sends Hardy back across the ring with an Irish whip, goes for the cover. HHH gets a two count before Hardy kicks out. Hardy hits HHH with clotheslines and then goes after him with fists and knees but HHH catches Hardy with a face buster. HHH goes for a cover and gets a two count. HHH sends Hardy to the canvas with a right fist. HHH picks up Hardy and again goes after him with right fists. HHH picks up Cena again and then does Cena’s “can’t see me” but Hardy nails HHH. As Hardy comes off for the whisper in the wind, HHH gets out of the way and Hardy meets the mat face first. HHH delivers a clothesline that sends Hardy over the top rope and down to the floor outside the ring. HHH goes out of the ring after Hardy and slams Hardy into the guardrail but as he tries to sends Hardy into the guardrail body first; Hardy makes a switch and HHH hits the guardrail. As Hardy goes after HHH, HHH sends Hardy into Cena. As HHH sends Hardy back into the ring, Cena catches HHH’s leg behind the ref’s back and slams him to the floor. Hardy wins when HHH doesn’t make it back into the ring before the count of 10. Time: 9 minutes.

 

Winner: Jeff Hardy via count out

 

Hardy certainly took a lot of hard hits in this match. He is one tough wrestler in the ring even though he has a slight build. His high-risk maneuvers always amaze me. HHH gook a couple of hard hits and even though the match was good, it served as a great feud builder between HHH, Cena and Hardy who all want the belt. After the match, Cena and HHH face off but Hardy comes over the top rope and takes them both down to the floor before rolling back into the ring to have his hand raised in victory. We go to commercial break.

 

 

 

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