WWF(E) Review

[GhostofSalvtore]

RAW review even tho I wasnt able to watch RAW, but I wondered what happened with the JR burning.

Jericho and his Highlight Reel is always a perfect way to kick off Raw in my opinion. I thought it was great the way Eric Bischoff in particular, but then later on Jericho and the rest of the superstars pushed Kane as being this big menacing monster, yet they still aren?t nailing the storyline as far as I see it, but I?ll save that for further in the column.

Even just watching Christian?s match up screen cracks me up. It was a nice idea to not only set up a second match for Raw next week in Los Angeles, but to set out the entire show for the night at the beginning. It lets you know what you have to look forward to and I suppose in WWE?s mind, gives you a chance to call your friends and neighbours about it.

Test, Steven Richards & Victoria vs Scott Steiner, Kevin Nash & Trish Stratus
Test?s hot shot on Trish from the apron looked great, Trish sold it well. Trish continued to put in the hard work by crunching off that shoulder block. Again King has to insult Coach by whinging about Jim Ross not being at ringside. That really annoys the hell out of me, especially since I think Coach does a better job anyway. Who will get the match against Test at Summerslam? Nash wants something to do and Steiner has already had his match, will they give it to Big Sexy? I don?t think either match would be a tremendous draw, perhaps a triple threat would work.

Lance Storm vs Maven
Lance had some nice material with his threats of taking legal action against the crowd. For a ?boring? man, he sure had me laughing. They kicked it off with some nice mat wrestling, which is a more technical realistic style obviously. There were a few hiccups, but it?s good to see Maven being tested with different style. Storm hit a vicious Superkick that I was sure would end the match, but what better way to push a man than call him boring and have him lose? The finishing sequence was a nice one, but I really don?t see why they would job Storm to Maven. This question has been asked many times, but why should we be watching a match if the commentators are even ripping it apart?

The national anthem singing of France and then USA was five minutes of my life I want back.

Elimination 6-man tag: Evolution vs The Dudley Boyz
Evolution are looking like a great stable already, I think keeping them to three members could prove better than adding a fourth, but I would like to see Batista back in there when he recovers. Flair?s antagonising of Spike Dudley was hilarious. Hunter waited on the apron until making his big entrance into the match, hitting two punches and tagging back out. You think he might be a bit sore? Very good booking to have all of Evolution survive. First of all, it?s realistic. As the team who scores the first fall has an advantage anyway. Second, it pushes them as a cohesive unit. Orton getting all three falls was the right way to go, this kid needs some accomplishments under his belt. I missed how he got his mouth busted open, but damn it looked vicious.

We saw a bit of RVD?s mean side as he promised to stop Kane. Personally I?m hoping something happens next week to prolong the match until Summerslam.

Rosey vs Rodney Mack
There was nothing to this match, except the eventual appearance of the Hurricane. Would a Hurricane and Rosey combination work? Sounds like a new Natural Disasters team to me (with Rosey changing his name to Earthquake II or something.)

Intercontinental title: Booker T vs Christian
This match didn?t hold a candle to last week?s contest, which is a shame. The swerve with Christian ?winning? was pulled off well though, I actually thought Booker had lost it after one week and would have to wait until Summerslam to get it back. Austin attacking Christian was entertaining, I really liked Christian?s collapsing method of selling the stunner.

Women?s title: Gail Kim vs Molly
This was by far the match of the night, yet it was the match with the least crowd heat. These women are really suffering from the lack of attention placed on their characters and storylines. Molly really has no direction right now and Gail is just Gail. A great flow to this match and some well orchestrated spots.

Sit down interview with Kane
First of all I don?t like this idea, I don?t think we need to further understand Kane. But, the way this segment went just plain sucked. WWE are flip-floppin like an old fish out of water. For the last two weeks Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler have been crapping on about how disfigured Kane is, despite his make up being removed in the process. Now all of a sudden they have turned it around to him not having any scars and just being a psycho. Perhaps if they hadn?t pulled this one out of their rear-ends at the last minute it might have worked. But this is just pure crap. If they just found a damn way to make his face look somewhat scarred then the angle could have been fine. Jim Ross getting burnt was disturbing to watch and I am impressed that they pulled it off as well as they did. However, this disappointing angle was saved by Eric Bischoff who came out with intensity steaming off him to confront Austin.

The Heinous Rating:
Match quality - 2/4
Main event - 2/2
Storyline quality - 0/1
Something important or shocking - 1/1
Comedy - 1/1
Crowd participation - 1/1
Total: 7/10

The elimination tag and Lance Storm vs Maven scored match points, whilst the women?s main event gets the full two. I can not, can not, can not give them the storyline points when my opinion is so ridiculously soured by this Kane angle. It is far from being ruined, but they really need to plan ahead more than a few minutes. Next week we might have Joanie Laurer come out as Kane and claim he had a sex change because he?s sexually confused. Flair sticks out in my mind as the comedy man of the night and the crowd was decent. Raw scores a B+.

[The Vampire: Ed]

GhostofSalvtore, did you or didn't you watch Raw? If not then I really don't see how you could rate it if you did not see it. It would be fine if you just gave your opinions on what you heard happened, but how can you rate it?

Anyway, I myself think they are handling Kane's gimmick great. It's the best angle they've had in the WWE in a long, long time. I was one of the nonbelievers about Kane removing his mask, as a matter of fact just look a page back to see how angry I was. But now he's a monster again. Seriously, they couldn't give him make up to use for scares while he wrestled. It would come off, and they would look incredibly stupid. The only way they could have stuck with this disfigured angle was if Kane remasked the week after he unmasked to keep it as a one time only thing.

Sure, I was disgusted by hearing JR, and King talk about how disfigured he was when obviously he isn't. But this is the best way to go about this type of angle. Seriously, he was supposed to be burned as a child, and supposedly they were only superficial, but it makes sense that he's all screwed up because Paul Bearer is a lunatic and it would be perfectly believable to hear that he had been pumping a bunch of lies into his head. Making him believe he was scared more that he really was, thus driving him to become a heartless monster. He's unbalanced and was supposedly raised in Paul Bearer basement. It's easy to think it could all be in his head.

It was awesome hearing about him beating the hell out of Tommy Dreamer, and Rico then later smearing blood on Austin's wall as he left his office. Then this Raw Kane went nuts, and burned JR. It was great. Kane's a full fledged psycho now, he's becoming the monster he once was, and perhaps even more so. I always liked Kane, however I have always liked the Kane much better when he first came in as a bad *** heel who attacked people at random just to coax Undertaker into fighting him.

As a matter of fact since this angle with Kane started, Raw's rating have gone up. Tons of people are watching Raw for Kane, and this angle.

[Charles]

Yes, obviously the Kane angle has been relatively successful from a business standpoint. The segment drew an impressive 4.7 quarter, which means lots of fans expressed interest in the angle. Paul Bearer, who was originally opposed to the angle, has even put over the direction the WWE has taken with it.

I'd hardly say that they pulled the material for this storyline out of their rear-ends. They've teased the unmasking of Kane for quite a while. It's a step the creative has wanted to make for the character. In fact, Kane's scars were planned to be psychological from the outset. I read about it weeks ago. That was always a direction they were going to take. Prior to this Monday, they had simply relied on camera angles and facial expressions to put Kane over as "scary" and "ugly." And, they're still going that way. If you had seen Raw, you would have noticed that JR was hesitant to look Kane squarely in the face--and he was still stressing that the fans don't care how Kane looks.

In my opinion, this is probably one of the most impressive and interesting angles I've seen on WWE television in quite some time--since the Kurt Angle, Triple H, Stephanie McMahon love triangle, as a matter of fact. Kane was in desperate need of a fresh direction; his character had grown stale following his botched return. So, it's nice to see him developed in a way that's not melodramatic or revolting.

WWE has successfully managed to keep him a monster without the mask. So, their plans are a success from that standpoint. It's probably the greatest hurdle they had to leap.

[Shinmaru]

Well, I think that the WWE has taken some steps forward and some steps backward after this past Monday:

Forward:

Kane - Obviously, this Kane angle is getting more interesting. It makes a lot of sense that Kane's "scars" are psychological rather than physical. It's been a long time since Kane's potential has been unleashed upon the WWE and I'm happy (although, I could've done without JR getting burned).

Evolution and Randy Orton - I think Evolution could end up being the best group in the WWE since Degeneration X. Triple H, Ric Flair, and Randy Orton (with a couple of exceptions) are really tearing up the WWE right now and it made so much sense to give Randy Orton all three pinfalls, since they're trying to build him up. Really, isn't Randy Orton the perfect heel? He just makes you want to hate him so much. He's pretty much perfected the look of smugness upon his face.

Rob Van Dam - RVDs been involved in a lot of great matches lately and I couldn't be happier. First, he fights Triple H for the World Championship and now he's fighting Kane. If Kane doesn't totally destroy him, this could be a real boost for RVD, being involved in Kane's storyline.

Women's Division - The women's division has really taken off in recent weeks. A lot of their matches have been even more exciting than the men's matches! I mean, that Gail Kim/Molly Holly match was one of the best I've seen in a while. And the Gail Kim/Victoria match before that was great as well. I just hope that the women can get some more storylines written for them instead of them just wrestling every week.

Backwards:

Stale matches - Come on, how many times does the WWE think we can watch Steiner/Test and Christian/Booker T. before it gets boring? At least, they tried to liven things up a bit by throwing Kevin Nash into the mix, but he's too talented to have to deal with a crappy storyline like this.

Lance Storm - I really hate how the WWE is handling Lance Storm by calling him boring all the time. I'm not a huge Lance Storm fan, but it's obvious that he's a talented wrestler and this "boring" crap just isn't pulling any weight. The WWE is just telling people that this match is too boring to watch and crap like that could lose them ratings.

Well, that's about it for me. One thing I do find intriguing for next week's RAW is Linda McMahon; will she fire Stone Cold? If she does, will she hire someone different? There's just so many things that could happen, that I can't wait to see what the WWE actually does.

[Nomad]

[font=arial][color=darkblue][size=3]SMACKDOWN SPOILERS

Report by: piLOt, ********.com reader[/color]

[spoiler]Show starts with Vince coming out, by himself. Cocky walk with a purpose.
Vince welcomes the crowd to Smackdown. Mentions match he made Steph vs Zach.
Says it didn't turn out the way he planned, Zach won himself a contract. Won
himself a match with Vince against Vengeance. Says how did a amputee win a
match. He won because of two reasons (******* chant starts), Kurt Angle and
WWE Champion Brock Lesner. He says this is all about lessons, lessons in
life. Tells the crowd they need to be taught a lesson. He says he tried to
teach Steph a lesson, and she will be taught one at Vengeance, and so will
Zach. He says he taught Brock a lesson last week he will never forget. Vince
says where was Kurt Angle? They are suppose to back each other up. Says Kurt
was with him. He says he can be intimidating sometimes. Physically. He told
Kurt if he interfered with the Brock/Handicap match in anyway/shape/form,
that he would take him out of the championship match, and fire his ***. That
same Kurt Angle will be taught a lesson tonight, because he will face the
same three individuals, no holds barred, falls count anywhere handicapped
match. Kurt will be taught a lesson, Brock already taught one. And that
brings Vince to "little" Zach Gowan. Vince begins to talk about Vengeance,
and Brock's music hits. Brock comes out. Vince looks pissed Brock
interrupted him. Vince says he doesn't know why Brock is out there, but he's
sure he's mad about last week. Vince reminds him not to cross the boss.
Brock says he's not here to cross the boss, he's here to BEAT the boss.
Brock yells to look at him. Brock says in a match, Brock Lesner vs Vince
McMahon, tonight. Vince says you think I won't take you on, that he'll back
down from Brock. He asks if he wants the match, Brock nods his head and
Vince yells YOUR ON, just not tonight. Vince says if he's going to face
Brock, he wants to face him at 100%. Vince says he knows Brock is hurt when
he took the chokeslam from the Big Show. Vince pokes him in the ribs and
Brock jumps back, then ready to knock out Vince, walking towards him. Vince
says he's got the match, just not tonight. But he will give Brock something,
for his own protection, he says he'll give Brock the night off. He's not
giving him the night off, he's ordering him to take it off. He doesn't want
him interfering in the lesson Kurt will learn tonight. He'll make damn sure
he won't. He suggests Brock in no way, shape or form does he interfere
tonight. If he does, he'll strip him of the title, and fire him if he has
to. Lesner and Vince stand in the ring, talking, Brock picks up his belt.
Brock takes the mic, says he can't help Kurt, because if he does, he'll be
stripped of the title. He understands he can't F5 Vince, but for now, FU.

***US Title Semi-Finalist Match***

Chris Benoit vs Jeff Hardy V1 (with Shannon Moore)

WINNER: Chris Benoit via Submission (Crossface).

(Matt gets busted open *big* in this match. Looks to be his nose. Bleeding
an awful lot.)

Vince on the phone in a Office.

Vince talking on his cell phone. Talking about Brock and him in the ring
earlier. He says he just intimidates people. Steph barges in. Asks if Steph
minds him making use of her office. She says she's use to it. She says she's
looking for Vince's friend, her assistant, the one he put in a match
against, Sable. Vince says she's there, but in a safe place. He say's don't
despair, Sable asked Vince to give Steph a special present. He says he
doesn't know what it means, but he thinks it's a peace offering. He shows
her a box of Midol. Steph laughs. Vince says "for menstrual discomfort.."
and Steph knocks it out of his hands, gives Vince a dirty look, and walks
away.

Cut to Brock leaving. Kurt behind him. Kurt asks Brock where he's going.
Brock then asks him if he saw what went on out there. Kurt asks if he's
going to listen to that old bastard Vince. Brock says yeah he's going to
listen, and where was Kurt last week when he had no problem listening to
him. He asks Kurt if he knows how hard it was for him to hold back out
there, not to F5 that old prick. He says he respects that title, and he
respects his job, that's why he's leaving. Kurt says wait, why do you think
I didn't go out there in the first place? Kurt says he has a shot at the
title at Vengeance, and he's not going to lose it. It means everything to
Kurt. Brock says likewise. Kurt says he doesn't want to fight with Brock,
like his match tonight. Kurt asks if Brock remembers that. Brock says to
watch out for that announce table, that was a dozy. Brock tells Kurt good
luck, they shake hands. He tells Kurt he doesn't want any excuses. Don't get
hurt tonight. He says come Vengeance, he doesn't want to listen to Kurt's
whiney *** when he beats him.

Kurt say's he's never made an excuse a day in his life after Brock exits.

***Jamie Nobel in the ring***

He says he got all excited last week, offering Torri $10k to spend the night
with him. He says he doesn't blame her for being mad, he would be too. He
says she's a Playboy Playmate. She's a beautiful woman. And the more he
thought about last week, he says he's out there, to offer her an apology,
from the bottom of his heart. He says she worth way more than $10k, he'll
give her $25k. Nidia has a disgusted look on her face. He says what do you
say? Nidia gets down from the stairs, and starts to walk away. Jamie asks
Nidia where she's going. He tells Nidia he has a match. He starts yelling to
her not to walk away from him. ]

***Jamie Noble vs Ultimo Dragon***

WINNER: Ultimo Dragon

(Torrie and Billy Gunn come out, provide a distraction, Jamie loses)

***John Cena, in a Cemetery***

He says Undertaker needs to listen up, He says he's been watching him, ever
since he's debuted as Dead Man. He says at Vengeance. He says he's going to
win. He begins to urinate on a tombstone.

***Bradshaw and Faroooq***

They talk about Vengeance, asking if they've ever been drunk in Denver
before. Bradshaw says he's been part of the mile high club. They stumble
upon Spanky, and two guys with Balloons on their heads. They ask if Spanky
is old enough to go to a bar, he says absolutely. Bradshaw says they're
having the first annual "APA Inviitational Bar Room Brawl" in Denver
Colorado at Vengeance. Spanky says chicks dig scars, and Farooq says the
ladies will be there. They talk about Bradshaw's hair, then stumble upon
Kanyon. They give him a flyer, say he's invited. Kanyon says the cable guy
is coming that day, he don't think he can make it. They tell him this isn't
an option. They tell him this is what you call a "command performance" In
other words, his *** will be there. He says he'll reschedule the cable guy.
Bradshaw tells him to get a satellite.

***Billy Kidman & Rey Mysterio vs Los Quincistadores (sp?) ***

WINNER: Billy Kidman and Rey Mysterio. Kidman with a shooting star press.

Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas looking on in the back on TV.

***Vince McMahon back in the ring***

He says earlier tonight he was rudely interrupted by Brock Lesner. He came
out to talk about his match at Vengeance, him against Zach. Before that
thought, he wants to recognize one of the most magnificent females to ever
walk the face of the earth, he would like to recognize Stephanie McMahon's
assistant, sitting in the Presidential Skybox, Sable.

The reason Sable is in the Skybox, is for his daughter's own protection.

He believes in mother nature and the laws of mother nature. He says Zach is
a little different. Mother nature should have taken care of the defects in
Zach. Vince calls Zach a sickening amputee. He says they don't like seeing
him with one leg. He says anyone with a disease or deformity, you don't want
anything to do with. You want to keep them away from you and your family.
You don't want to have to deal with someone like that. He says he's going to
deal with it at Vengeance, he's going to do to Zach what mother nature
should have done. He's going to put Zach out of his misery.

John Cena's music hits. Vince makes a funny face towards Cena.

Cena says everyone is talking about Vengeance, but they're talking about him
vs Undertaker. He says he thinks it's because he has 'crazy veteran status'
He says he's out there to tell the people what Vince is going to do to Zach
at Vengeance.

Dead Man's music hits.

Undertaker on his bike.

Cena gets out of the ring, goes to the stairs, picks up the top part of the
stairs and chucks it at Undertaker as he comes around the corner. Cena gets
in the ring, Taker gets in the ring. Cena starts
to pound on Undertaker, Boot to the face of Cena. cena rolls out and runs
away up the ramp.

***Rhyno vs Sean O'Haire***

Brawl on the outside before the Match. O'Haire attacking Rhyno. Strangles
him with a wire. APA music hits. Gives Sean and Rhyno flyers to their Brawl.
O'Haire attacks Bradshaw. Ron and O'Haire get into it for a moment, until
Rhyno gores (accidental?) Ron. Bradshaw starts to attack Rhyno as O'Haire
walks away.

***Sable***

Sable is served a drink, takes a sip, calls back the lady who gave it to
her, asks for her name, and tells
her the drink is suppose to be chilled.

***US Title Semi-Finalist Match***

Eddie Guerrero vs Billy Gunn (with Torrie Wilson)

Jamie Nobel comes to the ring with a steel chair, throws it in the ring, Ref
stops him. Billy getting ready
for the famouser, stops, Eddie pushes him into the ref, takes the chair and
bashes Billy with it. Eddie
drops the chair next to Billy, and lays down next to it. The ref gets up,
throws the chair out of the ring,
looks around, Eddie "comes to", and pins Billy for the win:

WINNER: Eddie Guerrero

***Vengeance US Title - Eddie Guerrero vs Chris Benoit***

Josh talks to Sable about her match. Sable downs some wine. She says she
would do anything for Vince, even if it means taking out his precious little
girl. Sable goes to take another glass of wine, and
Stephanie is the one who is bringing it to her. She says here's your wine
and then dumps it over Sable's
head. Sable calls her a ***** and they go at it. Sable is beating the crap
out of her. She throws her onto a counter and rubs her face all in food and
such. She bashes her head into the counter. Josh comes back to talk and she
smacks him across the face. Steph gets up and proceeds to get some payback,
screaming and bashing her head against the cabinets. Two security guys come
in and grab Steph and drag her out, one holding Steph, the other Sable.

***Handicap Match***

Kurt Angle vs Worlds Greatest Tag Team and Big Show

WINNER: Kurt Angle via Submission against Shelton Benjamin

(Zach comes in to help Angle end of match)

Kurt goes back to hug Zach. They walk past the crowd shaking hands.
[/spoiler]

[color=darkblue]Now that those are done, let's have a look at some information/rumors/etc. that I've read.

The Montreal Gazette is featuring a piece on Zach Gowen. The article discusses his recent in ring debut and how he broke in to the wrestling industry. You can read the article by [url=http://www.canada.com/montreal/story.asp?id=E78E28F1-DDFC-4F97-9EE7-520BF8E9DECA]clicking here[/url].

Ted Dibiase will be appearing at the Grace Fellowship Church for Power Wrestling Alliance on July 26. For more information, please visit [url=http://www.milliondollarman.com]www.milliondollarman.com[/url].

Here are last weekend?s WWE ratings:
Velocity on 7/12 did a 0.7 cable rating, with a 1.4 share.

Confidential on 7/12 did a 0.7 cable rating, with a 1.4 share.

Heat on 7/13 did a 1.1 cable rating, with a 2.1 share.

[Source: 1Wrestling.com]
-----------
KANE STUFF:

Percy Pringle, better known as Paul Bearer, has updated his on-line commentary. He discusses the Kane angle and actually praises last night?s segment. "In my humble opinion,? Pringle says, ?they are on the right road with this one." You can read this now by [url=http://www.percypringle.com/Percy-Says/PercySays19.html]clicking here[/url].
[/size][/color][/font]

[Ogki]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by mirai_torankusu [/i]
[B]
Lance Storm - I really hate how the WWE is handling Lance Storm by calling him boring all the time. I'm not a huge Lance Storm fan, but it's obvious that he's a talented wrestler and this "boring" crap just isn't pulling any weight. The WWE is just telling people that this match is too boring to watch and crap like that could lose them ratings.[/B][/QUOTE]

You are right when you say that Lance Storm is a talented wrestler. If you have seen any of the RVD Vs. Lance Storm matches held in ECW you know what I am talking about. But they are calling him boring, because he is. I'm a huge LS fan, but I'll tell you right now, the few promos he has done [i]were[/i] boring. Though I do agree that the angle itself, got rather boring. When Stone Cold came out and said "BORING, BORING" I was happy. He should have ended it there, but no, he decided to go to sleep. [i]That[/i] was pretty damn boring....

[Shinmaru]

See, I think Stone Cold handled it okay, because he at least made it seem funny, but the announcers (The King and Coach most notably) are handling it horribly. LS is putting out some okay matches and it seems like they're not even paying attention (though they probably are). But those prepared statements he reads before his matches (especially this past week when he threatened to sue everyone in the audience) make me laugh for some reason.

[Tien]

Who else thinks John cena is entertaining and funny as hell? He's the only reason why I watch SD! Oh, and the Undertaker as well but John Cena is funny, I think he's the next Rock.

[Shinmaru]

I like John Cena. I hope he'll go far in the WWE. I don't know about him being the next Rock, but if ends up being that good, then I'd certainly encourage it. Unfortunately, I won't be able to see his graveyard promo until Saturday. UPN (the station that broadcasts Smackdown! down here in California) showed a Dodger game instead of Smackdown! Actually, that's kinda good for me, since I was at driving school 'till 8:30 anyway.

EDIT: WWE Superstar sighting: I went to the Dodger game today and Goldberg threw out the first pitch - and it was a pretty good pitch. A fastball, I believe. It looked to me to be about in the mid-80s range. Anyway, it was definetely the best first pitch I've ever seen a celebrity throw.

EDIT #2: Saw Smackdown! last night and it was a pretty good show. The Matt Hardy/Chris Benoit match was the highlight of the night even though poor Matt got busted open (but he went on which proves his badass Mattitude). The Kurt Angle/Big Show and World's Greatest Tag Team match was okay, simply because of Kurt Angle. In my opinion, Kurt works the matches like nobody else on Smackdown! When it was just dragging on to an all-out brawl, Kurt kept it exciting. Oh yeah, John Cena's rap about Vince McMahon was pretty cool too, even though he was sucking up to Vince. Cena's stock is rising, that's for sure. And another Cena note - I saw Cena's impression of the Atlanta Braves announcer (can't remember his name right now) and former Cubs announcer Harry Carry. Cena's a pretty good impressionist, if I do say so myself - his impressions were spot on.

EDIT #3: I wish someone else would post here already, so I wouldn't have to edit so much. I have to say that RAW was very good last night.

It started out okay with the whole thing with Stone Cold, Bischoff and Linda McMahon. Unfortunately, she told him that he couldn't beat up superstars anymore. I was finally getting used to Stone Cold just handing out random Stunners lol.

The women's tag match was okay, but it wasn't up to the caliber of the women's matches that have been taking place lately on RAW. Of course, that still means that it was a million times better than the women's matches on Smackdown! Gail Kim messed up once but she recovered pretty well. Overall, a decent effort.

Randy Orton came out with Evolution and called himself the "legend killer." Randy is really starting to come out, but he's still not there yet. But I'm really starting to hate him right now (a good thing). The match was okay, with Orton beating Val Venis, but the real fireworks were after the match. Triple H carried on the customary Evolution speech on how they're the evolution of the business and that nobody could stop them. Cue Goldberg's music. This was a really good moment; finally, the WWE is starting to hype Goldberg/Triple H.

Next, was the highlight of the night, and I'm not just talking about Y2J. Why wasn't this match hyped more? It was easily [i]the[/i] best match on RAW in a long time. They were both flying everywhere and they used every move in their repritoire (sp?) on each other. It was an exciting match from start to finish and the right man won in Jericho. Randy Orton also interfered in the match, so hopefully both Orton and Jericho will be put over, because they need it.

I'm gonna skip a little because I don't have time. The next match was Booker T. and Test. Not the most exciting match, but it was okay. I think this match mostly served to show of Stacy, heh.

Lastly, was the match between Kane and Rob Van Dam. It looked so cool when the police officers were leading Kane to the ring. It really looked like he was a dangerous criminal. Hopefully, the WWE continues this entrance because it really does make Kane look like a dangerous individual. Then, the fight began. It was basically an all out war between RVD and Kane in which neither got the advantage. Kane went crazy and a bunch of WWE officials came out to the ring (including Arn Anderson!). Kane went crazy and beat the crap out of them and then he tombstoned Linda McMahon. I kept waiting for Stone Cold to come out but he never showed up, which disappointed me.

Overall, it was a good show. The only thing wrong with it was the commentary. The King seemed like he was trying to take over JRs position as the "good announcer," but he can't really pull it off. And Coach didn't really do a good job announcing either. Just stick him back on Heat and the occasional interview segment on Confidential.

[GhostofSalvtore]

news bout Kane

- The Torch is reporting that the backstage frustration continues as WWE once again defied logic with the Kane storyline. Last night, WWE gave three different stories regarding JR pressing charges. Firstly, if Kane is in house arrest, that means charges have already been pressed, whether by Jim Ross or if the authorities just stepped in. Then, Austin said that JR was not going to press charges. And, no more than 30 minutes later, Coach & Lawler questioned whether he would press charges. Add to the fact that the guards brought Kane to the ring in shackles, then let him destroy RVD, and eventually Linda, makes no logical sense.

- Additionally, Kane was getting quite a few babyface cheers in the arena. WWE wants Kane to be a heel, but the fact that he cannot completely make the turn (and I would assume it has something to do with the fact that he's attacked management like Linda & Bischoff) further frustrates WWE officials.

well old news
one thing bout the Tombstone, I know she is the wife of the owner, but the tombstone was way protective, at least the view that we got. But I would like to see the tombstone in more matches, even tho I thought it was outlawed for being to risky of a move.

[Shinmaru]

I'd like to see the Tombstone a little more often as well. I mean, if it's that easy to protect someone with a Tombstone, then it should be used more often because it's a cool looking move.

I'm gonna get into some Vengance predictions because I feel like writing a nice, long post.

Sable vs. Stephanie McMahon - Argh, this is the last thing I need. Neither of these women are particulary impressive wrestlers and this just serves as eye candy for horny guys. With that said, even though Sable is a better wrestler, I see Vince getting screwed over pretty badly tonight, so I'll give Stephanie the win here.

Winner: Stephanie McMahon

Zach Gowen vs. Vince McMahon - Why does Vince keep putting himself in matches?! Nobody wants to see this! Even on one leg, Zach is faster and more mobile than Vince and he's a better athlete. Zach is just a better wrestler than McMahon.

Winner: Zach Gowen

APA Bar room brawl (too many wrestlers for me to name) - This is probably just something to tide over the fans who're just looking for an all-out brawl. I have to admit, though, that I enjoy these every once in a while. The APA comes out because I just don't see them losing something that they put together.

Winner: APA

Billy Gunn vs. Jamie Noble - This is just an embarrasing attempt to get two mid-carders onto the PPV. The "Indecent Proposal" angle has been done before. With that said, though, it should be a decent match because Noble and Gunn are no slouches. I think it'll go back and forth, but Billy will come out on top.

Winner: Billy Gunn

Rey Mysterio and Billy Kidman vs. The World's Greatest Tag Team - This should be an interesting match. Both teams have conflicting wrestling styles and I have high hopes for how this one will turn out. The WWE really needs to work on bolstering the Cruiserweight division and Kidman and Mysterio won't have as much time to do that if they're the tag champions. I see Benjamin and Haas coming out on top. I bet there'll be a communication breakdown between Kidman and Mysterio, leading to a match at Summerslam. Maybe the WWE could even sneak Ultimo Dragon in there. Now [b]that[/b] would be a triple threat match!

Winner: The World's Greatest Tag Team

U.S. Title Tournament Finals - Chris Benoit vs. Eddie Guerrero - This should be an incredible match. And the WWE is finally putting Chris Benoit in a high level match in a PPV! In my opinion, this could end up being the highlight of the night. Both are fantastic wrestlers and deserve to win the title. Eddie has been on a roll lately, and will undoubtedly try to cheat, but I have a gut feeling that Benoit will emerge with the title.

Winner: Chris Benoit

The Undertaker vs. John Cena - The Undertaker has been really lagging it lately. I think that this match is just going to serve to bolster Cena's credentials. The WWE has really been working to build up Cena and this match is just another step into making Cena a star. With that said, this should still be an exciting match. The Undertaker can still turn it up when he wants to, but I still see Cena getting the win.

Winner: John Cena

Triple Threat Match - Big Show vs. Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar - First off, I hope the WWE doesn't do what I think they're going to do and give Big Show the title. That would just ruin everything. Brock and Kurt will make this a good match and Big Show will just screw everything up. In the end, I see Lesnar holding onto the title until Summerslam at the earliest, with him in a possible rematch with Kurt Angle.

Winner: Brock Lesnar

I'm just adding this because I want to talk about Confidential. I've really been loving the flashback matches that they've been showing (especially the last few weeks - it's not everyday, you get to see Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart; it's still one of the greatest matches ever). Last night, was the famous upset of Scott Hall (then known as Razor Ramon) by Sean Waltman (then known as The Lightning Kid). For those who can still remember Sean in his prime as the 1-2-3 Kid, you know that he was the truth. All the stuff that Cruiserweights do today, he did it before it was even popular in the WWE and he did it better. When guys go over the top rope today, many (with the notable exception of Rey Mysterio) get hurt along with the guy they were trying to beat up on. However, Sean did it with brains. He would go over the top rope and emerge without a scratch and be ready to pounce on his opponent again. Seeing that match brought me fond memories of him and makes me wish that he were back in the WWE as X-Pac. I'm sure he'd bring some fire to the Cruiserweight division.

Jeez, a ton of my predictions were off. Why did John Cena lose?! He needs a good push! The Billy Gunn/Jamie Noble match was horrible and the APA bar room brawl was worse. I can't believe Matt Hardy was involved with that. I should've expected Eddy to win, though. And Rhyno is finally a heel! I was getting tired of him as a face. Both McMahon matches were nothing special, but I was impressed with Zach Gowen. He sells really well and he's pretty athletic. The tag team match was incredible and the title match was just as good (Kurt Angle is the champ! Woo-hoo!).

[GhostofSalvtore]

Yah I also thought he would get that big push, but Im sure he still will, maybe an even bigger push. WWE title is what I see sometime this year for him.\

here are some news and rumors

* There has been talk of the Undertaker defecting to RAW in an effort to try and 'help out' his brother, but that is just a rumor at this point. From the above, Undertaker vs. Kane seems the most likely scenario as it is unlikely WWE will move Kane over to SmackDown! or vice versa with Brock Lesnar.

* Kane vs. Rob Van Dam seemed to be a lock for SummerSlam given the recent angle. However, over the last few weeks the company have booked RVD to be literally squashed by Kane every time the two have crossed paths. At last weekends house show, Kane beat RVD within a minute of the match starting and on last week's RAW, he also made quick work of his former friend and tag-team partner by knocking him out.

Also there were no serious injuries at Vengeance, other than the bleeding of McMahon.

Question for the day: Now that the 2 shows(RAW and SD) have each had a PPV, which do you think came off better?

[wild thang]

definately sd. not that they had better matches, but they let HHH beat kevin nash with the pedigree on the raw ppv. i cant wait for summer slam because my favorite wrestler (goldberg) is going to wrestle my least favorite wrestler (HHH). i hopes goldberg beats the living hell outta him. for some bad news, (to me) undertaker is supposed to retire within the next year, or so i heard. i always liked the undertaker, so its gonna be sad to see him go. for more info go to [url]www....[/url] oh, wait, we cant advertise other sites. pm me for more info.

[Shinmaru]

SD definetely came off with the better PPV and I think that they usually will. SD simply has better overall wrestlers; remember, RAW is known as the show for storylines and Smackdown! is the show known for wrestling. There was some questionable stuff at Vengance (John Cena losing, Zach Gowen losing), but overall I think it was high quality stuff (except for the APA Bar Room Brawl - just embarassing).

Now, for my thoughts on RAW:

RAW started off with Vince McMahon coming out, so I knew that something was up. He said that he was gonna make Kane pay for Tombstoning his wife, not because he's a good husband, but because he's a man and Kane isn't. Yeah, you really made him pay, Vince (you'll see what I'm talking about later if you didn't see RAW).

Next, was Booker T. and Scott Steiner against Christian and Test. It was a decent match, but I'm tired of seeing these guys thrown at each other. Scott Steiner is totally burnt out as a face and Test isn't faring much better as a heel (though, it's certainly better than when he was a face). The WWE could be doing so much better with Test's charcter and his psychology, but instead, they focus on putting him into matches with Scott Steiner every week. And Booker T. and Christian are being held back by getting involved with these two and their stupid feud. They can all do much better.

Next, the announcement came that Triple H was to face Goldberg at SummerSlam. Raise your hand if you were surprised by this...okay, nobody was surprised.

Next, the WWE finally started doing the smart thing and actually had Goldberg wrestle on RAW. Gasp! Goldberg destroyed Steven Richards in about a minute. He looked very impressive, but then again, he was wrestling Steven Richards. Nothing against Steven Richards, but he's not Goldberg. Then, Evolution came out and clapped for Goldberg. Then, Trips said that he wouldn't face Goldberg right then because he wanted to make money off of Goldberg's rep and if he beat Goldberg up, that wouldn't happen. After that, Goldberg decided to challenge Ric Flair who couldn't wait to get into the ring (Flair's performance is priceless). Of course, Bischoff came out and made that a match for the next night on RAW.

After this, was a decent match between Val Venis and Rico. Looks like the WWE is recycling the old Goldust psychology and applying it to Rico. Rico does a pretty good job with it, but I think the dancing around is taking it a little too far.

Next, was my favorite segment on RAW, The Highlight Reel! Jericho is so cool. First, he brags about his victory over Shawn Michaels in only the way that he can do it, then he brings out Randy Orton. The exchange between Orton and Jericho is very good and really makes them both look like smug little bastards, heh. Randy Orton is really flourishing in the heel role and Jericho is getting the new push that he so rightly deserves. HBK comes out and totally ignores Jericho. My favorite HBK line of the night is after this: "If I had a nickel for every stiff that said he was gonna end my career, I'd be a millionnaire...oh wait, I am a millionnaire." Heh, that had me laughing. Then, he demands a rematch with Jericho. Of course, Jericho calls Shawn pathetic for wanting a rematch with him and that he'd wrestle anyone in the WWE before he wrestled HBK again. At this time, Orton attacks Shawn and he fends them both off before they both attack him. Then, Kevin Nash comes out (wasn't he injured?) and fights them both off. He then proceeds to challenge Jericho to a match because "last time I checked, my name was Nash." Or something like that.

Jericho does his best to make this match look good, but Kevin really is a step slow (and gray in the beard, if you didn't notice). Jericho goes for the legs the entire match, but Nash no sells it later (he walked perfectly later o_O). Jericho gives Nash a low blow, then Nash proceeds to beat the hell out of Jericho. Why did this have to happen? Jericho needs to be pushed, not get the hell beaten out of him. Poor planning, in my opinion.

I'm not sure if it came at this time, but The Hurricane was talking to Rosey about being his partner. Now, I'm not big on Rosey, but I'm willing to sit through matches with Rosey if it'll give The Hurricane a good push. He really does deserve it; he's over with the fans, he's a good wrestler, and he has great mic skills (as is evident with his exchanges with The Rock). If this is the case, then I look forward to it.

Next, was a tag team title match between La Resistance and the team of Mark Jindrak and Garrison Cade, with the Dudley Boys doing commentary. Jindrak and Cade looked very impressive in the ring, as did La Resistance. Hopefully, Jindrak and Cade will be big stars in the future, whether they're a tag team or not (they did look very good as a tag team, though). La Resistance won, if you care. Later, the Dudley's beat them down, but then got beaten up with the French flags.

After this, is a good match between Molly Holly and Gail Kim in which Molly becomes the new Women's Champion. I guess Gail isn't working out like the WWE thought she would. Frankly, I think she should've fought a couple of matches at least before winning the Women's Title.

Last, was the moment everyone was waiting for. Kane was released from the paddy wagon and taken to Vince McMahon in shackles. Vince ordered them to be taken off and he talked to Kane in the ring. It seemed like Vince had actual human emotion, but then he takes a Vince turn. He called Kane a monster, then wondered aloud what it would be like with Kane in his corner. McMahon and Kane, as he said. Vince really is evil. Then, Stone Cold comes out and confronts Kane. He says he's staying on as GM and he practically begged Kane to hit him. Kane refused and laughed in Stone Cold's face. Then, it happened. The only McMahon I've ever been a fan of, the only McMahon I've ever liked, Shane McMahon comes out to the ring. Shane runs to the ring and takes Kane over the top rope and beats on his head. Vince takes Shane off and gets a punch to the head for his troubles. Then, Shane takes a chair and beats on Kane with it, causing him to fall where he chokeslammed Eric Bischoff. And, in a great moment, Kane sits up and starts laughing. Sent chills down my spine for a moment.

Overall, it was a great RAW. The Highlight Reel segment was fantastic, the Tag Team Title match was good, as was the Women's Title match. Goldberg vs. Triple H is getting some more hype and Ric Flair vs. Goldberg should be good. Shane McMahon's return, though expected, was great as well. But the best part was Kane. Kane refusing to fight Stone Cold was a great advancement. It paints a picture of Kane being much smarter and more sadistic then he looks. He refused to do the one thing that Stone Cold wanted, instead of beating the hell out of him. Kane can hurt in more ways than one, it seems. And him sitting up and laughing at Shane trying to hurt him was good as well. Overall, a fantastic RAW and I hope next week's is even better.

[GhostofSalvtore]

News for the day

* The SummerSlam main-event was of course change last night and RAW. Already, many people are calling this a 'conspiracy' and blaming one man, that being Triple H.

* According to sources, the change is more because of Goldberg than anyone else. There has been a great expectation on Goldberg since he joined the company, expectations that he has not lived up to. The general consensus was that if he faced Triple H, the company would have to give him the title, an idea that they have been more and more against doing.

* Triple H injured his groin last week and will definitely not be 100% going into SummerSlam. By adding a pretty big gimmick to the match, it will take the burden away from Triple H to work his usual style.

* There is another reason why the match may have changed. When Triple H injured himself last week, Vince McMahon personally asked Goldberg to replace the Champion for the tour of Australia. There is a clause in Goldberg's contract that prevents him from going overseas. Nonetheless, McMahon still asked and was met with an answer of no from Goldberg. McMahon said that this wasn't a problem but many in the company see things very differently.

* A number of the people felt that Goldberg's handling of the situation was unprofessional, as he did not help the company when they clearly needed it. While Goldberg was within his rights not to go, many felt that this confirmed that he is not a "team player" in the company. In conjunction to all of this, Goldberg is very inflexible when it comes to working house shows, and for these reasons, many don't expect Goldberg to remain with the company much longer. If he does leave, many will see his rejection to McMahon as the prominent catalyst.

he ?black power? angle involving Theodore Long, Rodney Mack, Jazz, and Christopher Nowinski has been put on hold for the time being. Many have wondered why Jazz, Nowinski, and Long have all been off of WWE television as of late. Apparently, the angle has run its course and the RAW writing team is scrambling to come up with future angles for the characters. This is also the reason why Rodney Mack was seen alone on RAW Monday and has been wrestling by himself at recent house shows.

Confusion has hit the wrestling world by storm as to why the company announced Kane vs. Rob Van Dam for SummerSlam this past Monday on RAW instead of the rumored Kane vs. Shane McMahon match. Apparently, there was a great deal of speculation from several internet sources, as the plan was for Kane to face Rob Van Dam at SummerSlam all along. However, many expected something bigger due to Shane being part of the McMahon family.

The Kevin Nash vs. Chris Jericho hair vs. hair match that was challenged by Chris Jericho this past Monday is expected to take place on RAW in two weeks. The match is considered to be a big deal and will require a significant amount of build up, possibly being held off until after SummerSlam. Nevertheless, the tentative plan is to go ahead with the match in two weeks.

* Kevin Nash apparently has some sort of nerve injury, which was the cause of his fainting in Australia. The severity of the injury isn't known as of yet but he was kept off the last two tour shows for precautionary measures.

* Remaining on Kevin Nash, he has been telling co-workers that he will be cutting his hair pretty short or bald for an upcoming movie. This is why the company has set up a hair vs. hair match involving himself and Jericho next-week.

* Booker T was not on RAW last night because of a neck injury he sustained in Australia. Again, we are not sure how severe the injury is, but he was sent home because of it.

[Shinmaru]

Bleh, I think the new RAW main event is gonna blow now. There are just too many people involved. If the WWE wanted to cut Triple H a break, they should've let Goldberg win quickly. Everyone knows that Triple H is gonna lose the title (or, at least, he should). Doing this is just covering his *** and trying not to make him look so bad.

With that said, I really don't think that Goldberg should be the one to take the title away from Triple H. Why? Because Goldberg is just as bad, if not worse, than Triple H. First of all, Goldberg has boring matches and he's carried by the opponents that he faces that are better than he is. Next, he's not a company kinda guy. Even Triple H flew overseas for house shows! Goldberg just stays in the U.S. all the time. Finally, how do you know that Goldberg won't do the same thing that Triple H is doing and just hold onto the title forever? Just about everyone knows about Goldberg's demands upon entering the WWE - he just cares about himself.

If you ask me, I'd like to see Kane as the World Champion. First of all, he's the most talented big man in the WWE. He reminds me of a younger Undertaker, with more agility and a better moveset. Second of all, he's the focus of the biggest storyline in the WWE right now. Kane is taking on both heels and faces alike and could bring a lot of credibility to the title. Lastly, whomever ends up beating Kane could recieve a big boost to their career, since he's being panned as an unstoppable maniac right now. I can hear the shouts of R-V-D as he pins Kane cleanly right now...

[Galvatron]

Brock is a heel now, the fans look like they bought it, I sure liked the turn. Cena had a good rematch with Taker, soon Cena will be Heavy Weight Champion. Now for Matt Hardy why must he feud with Zach ? I think Matt could be a main eventer or go for the US Title , his skills are going to waste fueding with Zach. Vince will battle Undertaker so Undertaker can retire in the not to far away future.

[The Vampire: Ed]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Galvatron [/i]
[B]Now for Matt Hardy why must he feud with Zach ? I think Matt could be a main eventer or go for the US Title , his skills are going to waste fueding with Zach.[/B][/QUOTE]

What are you talking about? Yeah, Matt Hardy is an awesome talent, which the WWE does not use right, but to say he's wasting his time with Zach Gowen is a crime. Hell, I was a bit doubtful about Zach Gowen as a wrestler, and a WWE superstar. I was one of those nonbeliever whom thought Zach wouldn't be very good since he only has one leg, but each week he's been impressing me more, and more. Last Thursday, this past Smackdown!, he impressed me a hell of a lot. I never thought I would see it, but Zach Gowen actually mat wrestled with Nunzio, not to mention he did some awesome moves such as the Moonsault onto Nunzio while he was tangled in the ropes. I honestly think this is a great feud for Matt Hardy, it'll give Matt more heat for his Heel position attacking a guy with only one leg, plus it'll help both of them out when it comes to actual wrestling. Their styles go together nicely, and I think when their match finally takes place it'll be a great match allowing both to show off their technical skills as well as their high flying moves.

[Shinmaru]

Yeah, I have to agree. Feuding with Zach Gowen will only increase Matt's heel heat (come on, nobody's gonna cheer for a guy who attacks the handicapped lol). As for Zach, though, I read an interesting article about what the WWE should do with him. After his feud with Matt, he should be transitioned to tag team wrestling. As good as Zach is (and he does have some great talent), there's only so much that he'll be able to do and putting him in singles matches all the time will only expose his flaws even more. With a tag team partner, Zach can come in for bursts and make the match much more exciting. If he does go with a tag team, he should either get someone similar in style to him or a big man. Personally, I'd go with someone like Spanky. There is a serious lack of babyface tag teams on Smackdown right now and pushing them to the forefront can do nothing but good for both of them if done right. Plus, I'd really like to see Spanky get some more air time on Smackdown.

[GhostofSalvtore]

News on tonight's RAW and some other news.

* It has now become clear that WWE are not going to go ahead with the rumored Kane - Shane McMahon match at SummerSlam. I reported a few weeks back that this match would not take place as it would not be logical for someone like Shane McMahon to challenge a 'monster' like Kane who has been destroying top WWE superstars with ease.a Shane McMahon is now likely to take on Eric Bischoff at SummerSlam, with a possible stipulation being the winner will take control of RAW. Kane is confirmed to face his former tag-team partner, Rob Van Dam, as we found out on RAW last week.

* Staying on the SummerSlam note, Zach Gowen is expected to strip Matt Hardy of his strap. Since his defeat at the hands of Vince McMahon, Gowen has been on somewhat of a losing streak, which makes it all the more likely WWE will put him over at SummerSlam for all his hard work and effort.

* The RAW preview from WWE.com has not announced any matches for tonight. The theme for tonight's show centers around questions that will be answered.

* They have questioned whether Nash will accept Chris Jericho's challenge. As we reported last week, Nash is required to lose his hair for an upcoming movie role, so you can guess the way that one is going to pan out.

* Jim Ross's return is also being teased as we have reported. The decision to bring back Ross was something that WWE were adamant on doing last week. The Coach has been criticized for his performances since he took over, which shows just how important Ross is to the company in terms of his announcing abilities.

* To add even further to the story of Booker T losing his title at a WWE house show, it seems that his back injury was the catalyst of his loss.

* Early reports suggest that Booker T will be out for six-eight weeks, meaning he will miss WWE SummerSlam.

* It is expected that WWE will hype Christian's Intercontinental Title win on RAW tonight. Also, expect a new contender to be built tonight to challenge Christian at SummerSlam.

* For those who do not know about the situation, Booker injured his back prior to the Australian Tour and was promptly sent home. The injury wasn't suspected to be too serious at first, but this was obviously not the case.

- Below are confirmed matches & events for tonight's RAW show:

[spoiler]* Goldberg vs. Ric Flair - Must be a winner (No count-out, no DQ!)
* Women's Title Triple Threat Match: Molly Holly (c) vs. Gail Kim vs. Trish Stratus
* Scott Steiner & Stacy Keibler vs. Rico & Miss Jackie
* La Resistance (c) vs. Dudley Boyz (non-title)
* The Hurricane vs. Rodney Mack
* Plus, Kevin Nash will be the special guest on Chris Jericho's Highlight Reel.[/spoiler]

[The Vampire: Ed]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by GhostofSalvtore [/i]
[B]* Staying on the SummerSlam note, Zach Gowen is expected to strip Matt Hardy of his strap. Since his defeat at the hands of Vince McMahon, Gowen has been on somewhat of a losing streak, which makes it all the more likely WWE will put him over at SummerSlam for all his hard work and effort.[/B][/QUOTE]

I don't quite understand this comment. Rey Mysterio is the Crusierweight Champion, Eddie is the US Champion, and Kurt Angle is the WWE Smackdown! World Champion. So-what strap is Zach Gowen expected to strip Matt Hardy of?

[Shinmaru]

Well, here I am with my review of RAW. If somebody could do this with Smackdown (not spoilers, but a review), then I'd be grateful. I've been missing the first 45-60 min. of Smackdown lately because of driving school, and I'd like to know how it goes down.

Okay, first we jump off right into the starting of RAW. The King and (ugh) Coach welcome us to RAW and plug Spike TV. I guess Spike Lee finally learned that he isn't the only guy named Spike in the world. There will also be a rematch between Ric Flair and Goldberg. Also, has anyone noticed that Stone Cold's picture before the show starts up (when the crowd cheers) looks like an employee of the month picture? It's just hard to imagine Stone Cold smiling like that.

Eric Bischoff comes down to the ring and brags about his victory over Shane McMahon. They show the clips of Shane being Tombstoned by Kane and Coach and King show their disgust. Shane did a really good job of selling the Tombstone. He then claims to have respect for Vince, Linda, and Stephanie but not Shane. I think you have it backwards, Eric. He is interrupted by Jim Ross who says that he's not going to press charges against Kane, but he's going to sue Bischoff for putting him in dangerous working conditions. Bischoff begs and pleads with JR and then Stone Cold comes down with a contract in his hand. He tells Eric to sign it and he won't have to be sued by JR. Stone Cold says that it's a contract for Bischoff to fight a WWE Superstar on RAW. Bischoff assumes it is Shane, but he really has to fight Kane. If you didn't see this coming a mile away, you're an idiot. Bischoff looks genuinely sad as he walks down the ramp and I actually felt sorry for the poor guy. Seriously.

As soon as I heard that Scott Steiner and Stacy were gonna fight Rico and Jackie Gayda, I prepared for the worst. Rico and Steiner did okay, but then Stacy and Jackie got into the ring. They did a lot better than I expected, but they still did pretty bad. Test fights Steiner when the ref's back is turned and Rico gets a cheap shot on Stacy, allowing Jackie to get the pin. Steiner challenges Test to a match next week and Test gets Steiner to put Stacy on the line. Something tells me that something that will bend logic is going to happen next week.

Next, is an Evolution promo. Flair complains about his match with Goldberg and about the fact that Evolution is not allowed to interfere. Trips walks in and complains that he has to face 5 guys in the Elimination Chamber with a torn groin. Orton corrects him by saying that he and Triple H will be facing four guys and that Triple H will have the belt on him at the end of SummerSlam. I really hope that Randy Orton is a dirty liar.

The Dudley's fight La Resistance in a short "match." La Resistance gets a beating in the beginning until Rene Dupree runs in with the American flag and beats down the Dudleys with it. Grenier breaks the flag over his knee and they drink wine and pour it on the Dudleys.

Next, is a short promo with Molly Holly, who is preparing for her match backstage. Goldust comes backstage and says that she has an affinity for "Go...go...go...go...Go Go Power Rangers...Gold!" Then, he introduces someone who is definetely not boring, Lance Storm. Storm comes in wearing full Goldust-style makeup. Storm congratulates Molly on her huge ascension in the women's division but she slaps him before he can finish. Pretty funny stuff but I hope this isn't all that they'll use Lance Storm for. I smell a tag team in the future. RAW could use an actual good tag team.

HBK and Kevin Nash argue over who will be the champion at SummerSlam. Goldberg walks up to them and thanks them for their help, but says that he's going to be champion. Shawn gets in his face and says he has a problem with that. The tension should be thick but you know that Michaels and Nash won't be winning the championship.

Booker T.'s music hits but Christian comes out instead. Turns out that Christian won the Intercontinental Title at a house show. Christian has really turned me into a fan the last few weeks because he's entertaining. He's got Chris Jericho written all over him. He comes out and acts like Booker T. and fights Spike Dudley in a decent match for the Title. Christian hits the Unprettier for the first time in a long time and gets the victory. Pretty good match.

Eric Bischoff greets Kane in the back and asks him to just pin him in their match. Kane refuses and says that they'll do things his way. Bischoff looks like he's gonna pee his pants.

Jim Ross replaces Coach at the announcing booth. Coach look really unhappy about being replaced and I swear I thought he was gonna deck JR. For some reason, I think that Coach is gonna join Theodore Long when he comes back. Maybe Teddy Long can actually teach Coach how to be a good commentator. Let's just hope.

Next, is the Kane/Bischoff match. Bischoff lays down but Kane grabs him by the throat and lifts him into the air. JR practically goes insane yelling for Kane to chokeslam Bischoff. Kane throws him into the ground and goes to the outside for the countout. Kane walks back in and says that he's tired of doing what other people want and says he's going to do things his way. Rob Van Dam runs out and attacks Kane. He does a Five Star but Kane moves out of the way and hits the chair face first, in a bump that really, really looked like it hurt. Then, Kane bashes RVD over the head with the chair. The chairshot was really loud.

Triple threat between Molly, Trish and Gail Kim for the Women's Championship. Pretty good action. Kim barely misses a plancha and hits her head on the floor, which shook her up a bit. Molly and Kim beat up on Trish the whole match and hang her up on the turnbuckle. Kim charges for the baseball slide but Molly clotheslines her to get the win. Great ending; shows that it's not always brawn that wins a match.

Apparently, Evolution just stands around in the same spot all night. Flair and Orton talk about stuff and Triple H says he got Bischoff to make Orton the guest referee. They hug and find out stuff about each other. Okay, not the last part, but you get the feeling that's what happens.

We see a vignette with Rosey helping an old woman cross the street. I cracked up when Rosey stopped the cars by holding out his hand. Rosey tells the old woman his initials and she slaps him. Hurricane comes and chastises Rosey a bit.

Bischoff is celebrating in his office and tells Stone Cold that he outsmarted him again. Bischoff says that he strives for perfection and Stone Cold says that he can prove it in his next match. Bischoff is confused and Stone Cold tells him that in the contract in states that the winner of the Kane/Bischoff match would fight Shane McMahon at SummerSlam. Again, Bischoff looks sad.

Rodney Mack against Hurricane in a decent match. Hurricane gets the win with a cross body and Mack attacks him after the match. Rosey makes the save with his swinging sidewalk slam. I really love Rosey's superhero pose. It's freaking hilarious.

Jericho comes out and clears up rumors about the hair vs. hair match. He says that he was putting his facial hair on the line and that he would never risk his "luscious locks." Jericho is really hilarious talking about his hair. Kevin Nash comes out and puts some images on the obscenely and obesely expensive Jeritron 5000. Is it just me or does Jericho look kinda like Kurt Angle bald? Nash is pretty good when he's actually being funny instead of making me laugh when he wrestles. Jericho calls Nash funny but says that what's really funny is that he'll eliminate everyone from the Elimination Chamber and become champion. I don't know about everyone else, but I'd love to see Jericho instead of Goldberg as champion. Then, Chris calls Nash a "Nash-hole" which made me laugh. Nash goes to pack up his stuff and Jericho attacks him. He beats on him until Nash nails a sidewalk slam and clotheslines him to the outside. Then, Jericho runs away and tries to hide under the ring. Nash grabs his legs and gets a fire extinguisher in the face while Jericho runs off.

Ric Flair fights Goldberg in a match that was totally carried by Flair. Goldberg gets some offense in but it's Flair's cheating that makes the match. He nails Goldberg with everything they have but Goldberg still won't go down, even with Randy Orton's fast counts. Goldberg eventually spears both Flair and Orton. Then, Shawn Michaels comes and nails Orton with the Superkick. Must've really hurt because that crack echoed all throughout the building. Goldberg hits the Jackhammer and HBK uses Orton's limp hand to make the three count.

Overall, a decent RAW. There was some good humor and some decent matches on the show. The Highlight Reel (as usual) was my favorite part of the show. Almost as good was the decent match that Flair carried Goldberg to. This week's RAW did it's job; it built up next week's show and also built up SummerSlam.

[GhostofSalvtore]

Well I didn't catch much of Smackdown tonight, it being the first day of school and me discussing things with people about what went on and such. So I can't be the one to post a SD Review.

Also Vic, you have asked this question twice. Also this is known as recruiting and is not allowed. So things like this would belong in your sig I would think. Sorry to act all Mod-like, but I really don't want this topic to be overcrowded with spam and the like.

[Shinmaru]

Heh, hopefully that'll be the last time he tries to recruit people in this topic. Now, onto my RAW review!

Chris Jericho opened the show with the Highlight Reel, which I thought was cool. He promised to beat Kevin Nash later in the show and then seriously talked about winning the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam. I think he even outdoes Triple H's speeches about keeping his World Title. God, I hope Jericho wins. He then brought out Shawn Michaels. He let HBK say one word and then took back the mic in a way that only Y2J can. I thought the perplexed look on HBKs face was pretty funny, too. Then, Jericho brought out his "good friends" in Evolution and hightailed it out of there to prepare for his Hair vs. Hair match. Triple H put over the danger of the Elimination Chamber, but continually called it the "Evolution Chamber." I don't know whether this was by accident but whatever. Soon after, Shawn brawled with Evolution and was taken down. Kevin Nash makes the save but he is soon beaten down as well. Goldberg tries to make the save but accidently spears Kevin Nash. Hey, whatever works.

Shane McMahon comes out and says that he's going to beat up Bischoff and burn Kane with the same gasoline he used to burn Jim Ross. We'll see how that goes, Shane-O.

Test confronts Stacy in the back and says that he's going to treat her like the slut she really is. Yeah, I'm sure.

Molly Holly and Trish Stratus fight in a good match, that was way too short (which seemed to be the theme of the night). Gail Kim ran in and got a Chick Kick from Trish. When Molly went for the pin on Trish, Gail pulled her out and they brawled for a bit.

Backstage, Goldust tells Lance Storm that he has to be unpredictable. Then, he asks him what the most unpredictable thing he's ever done was. Storm says that once he returned a tape that he didn't rewind. It was okay, but not as funny as last week.

Test beat Steiner in what was a lackluster match, dominated by Steiner throughout. Test faked a knee injury at the end. Even though I knew it was a hoax, I thought he did a good job with it. He made it look pretty real; it's just that this angle has been done so many times, the audience saw right through it.

La Resistance did a promo and made fun of an unidentified GI at ringside (who turned out to be Rob Conway making his WWE debut). The Dudley's chase La Resistance away, only to be cracked over the skull with the American flag from Conway. La Resistance come in and celebrate with the French flag.

Chris Jericho beat Kevin Nash, in what was a lackluster effort, even with Jericho in the match. Jericho didn't really seem to be on his game in the match, and Nash was just as lazy as usual. At least the match had a great heel finish with Jericho poking the eye of the ref, giving Nash a low blow, and punching him between the eyes with the brass knuckles. Jericho cuts Nash's hair and steals it as a prize and rubs it on himself, which proved to be quite disturbing to say the least.

Next, was a promo in which Rosey saved a cat from a tree, which promptly attacked him. I thought it was funny.

Rosey beat Rodney Mack in a decent match. This Rosey push is working out pretty well, in my opinion. Rosey works well in this role and he has a decent enough moveset to have some good matches. I also like his superhero pose, heh. Theodore Long came back this week, which is good, because he's the only thing I like about Rodney Mack.

Eric Bischoff invades Linda McMahon's home in what I thought was an absolutely horrible segment. I can't believe Bischoff actually agreed to do this because it sucked. Hard. Afterwards, Shane steals a car and presumably drives either to the airport or he's driving all the way to Grenwich.

Christian beat Rob Van Dam (via countout, I guess) in what was the match of the night. However, I was expecting a bit more from these two. The pace of the match was a bit too slow, considering their reputations. After the ref bump, Christian missed a solo con-chair-to and RVD hit the Van Daminator and the Five Star Frog Splash, which brought out Kane. Two really great spots with the chair come up right here. RVD hits the Van Daminator on Kane by throwing the chair in the air and kicking it to Kane's face. RVD runs through the ropes to jump at Kane and is slammed in the face with the chair. Kane carries an unconscious RVD to the back.

Test orders Stacy to perform a lap dance for him, Rico, and Steven Richards. Isn't Rico supposed to be gay or did I miss something? And where in Stacy's contract does it say that she has to give free lap dances?

Kane handcuffs RVD to a post and pours gasoline all over him. He's going to burn him but decides not to, because "they" want him to. Who are "they" exactly?

Goldberg beat Randy Orton to conclude the show. Stone Cold was the special enforcer and apparently became the referee after a ref bump. Stone Cold got provoked and gave a Stunner to Flair and punched out Orton. Goldberg Jackhammered Orton and got the victory. Triple H stands up and stares at Goldberg. Kevin Nash, and his stupid haircut, come in and he Jacknifes Goldberg. Triple H is amused and is also Superkicked by Shawn Michaels. HBK and Nash celebrate and Shawn is hit in the back with a chair by Jericho. Nash is pissed and the show ends how it should end: Orton and Goldberg unconscious with Nash and his stupid haircut in the ring, and Triple H and HBK unconscious on the ramp, with Jericho holding the title securely on his shoulder. Please let Jericho win!

Overall, it was a below average RAW that was saved by some good finishes. However, it didn't really do that good of a job setting up for SummerSlam, which should have been the top priority.

I'll have my SummerSlam predictions up in a couple days, though.

[GhostofSalvtore]

News for the weekend

There have been several reports of Triple H defending the title after SummerSlam. This has become known as the ?SummerSlam Spoiler?, if you will. After speaking with a WWE employee who wishes to remain anonymous, of course, WWE will be strongly pushing the disclaimer that is posted on every event card. ?Card Subject to Change.? WWE has apparently blatantly booked these matches as a way to swerve, and throw fans off, as well as industry reporters and inside sources, as to the final outcome of the pay-per-view. Everyone involved with the SmackDown and RAW main event, our source tells us, are said to be tight lipped about everything. Not even answering questions about "what they?ll eat on Sunday morning for breakfast." Take this for what its worth.

-With WrestleMania XX on the horizon, one of the many names being talked about backstage for a big return is that of The Ultimate Warrior.

Right now, it seems WWE generally might be interested in bringing him back, although there are those who say it's not worth it since he would not be made a top priority on the WWE roster, which minimizes the need for bringing back someone like the Warrior.

Warrior fans should know that his name does come up backstage, but no serious talks have occurred recently.

-Speculation suggests that Chavo Guerrero is now fit and ready to make a comeback on the SmackDown roster. Chavo was sidelined in May, days before he was set to compete in a ladder match alongside Eddy Guerrero at a pay-per-view against Benjamin and Haas. It is likely that Chavo will feature on SmackDown to air in North America on Thursday, from El Paso, Texas.

-It appears that Tajiri WILL be a part of the US title match at Summerslam. WWE sent out an email to all subscribers to hype the event, but missed Tajiri out of the fatal four-way match in which he's scheduled to compete against Benoit, Eddy Guerrero and Rhyno.

-After the WWE pushing for the final hour of Raw to be reviewed by the Neilson group, the amended rating showed that nothing had actually changed. The original figures released by Neilson did not include the overrun (between 11:00pm and 11:08pm), but the quarter came out with a 4.5 with a 4.0 cable rating - the same as figures released earlier. These ratings are up from last week's 3.9 number.

-The SmackDown quarter featuring Zach Gowan and Brock Lesnar was the most successful of the show. The fact that the show peaked at the outset of the first hour isnt a positive sign, meaning that fans tuned out before the main event.

-Brian Lawler has been telling people he will be getting a one-shot with WWE, reforming his Grand Master Sexay personality to team with Scotty 2 Hotty as Too Cool on the Raw house show this coming Friday night in Memphis. (thanks to Tony Clark)

-Ads for Rock's new movie, "The Run Down," are scheduled to start running nationwide today.

-Hulk Hogan got slammed by IGN FilmForce, when he talked about Kevin Nash playing Tombstone in the movie "The Punisher" which is currently filming. Nash is in the movie, but not playing that role. "No one is playing Tombstone. There is no Tombstone in (Punisher)," said one insider. "Hulk Hogan has been hit on the head one too many times."

-Many lower card wrestlers are in fear that they will be released, much like Justin Credible, Raven, D-Lo Brown, and Crash Holly were in the last year. Jim Ross has made it clear that all lower card wrestlers will have matches at house shows so that will help secure their jobs as well as give them some money for working house show dates.

-At RAW three weeks ago, Vince McMahon was telling many heel wrestlers to watch him while he cuts a promo because he gets a great crowd reaction. He also went as far as to tell the wrestlers that they could never get as much heat as he does on camera.