Post by VinMan on Jan 18, 2009 1:07:52 GMT -5
WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT
MONDAY NIGHT RAW
(AIRDATE: DECEMBER 15 2003)
WWE logo appears on screen.
Footage from the Clash of Champions is shown from the previous Wednesday highlighting Kurt Angle winning the World Heavyweight Championship. Lilian Garcia is in the ring.
Lilian: Please welcome the new World Heavyweight Champion… Kurt Angle!!
Kurt Angle makes his way out to a huge pyro display and balloons and confetti everywhere. Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas follow behind.
Coach: Monday Night Raw is live in Tampa, Florida as the new World Heavyweight Champion makes his way to the ring. Hello everyone I’m Jonathan Coachman along with the Hot Rod Rowdy Roddy Piper at ringside. This past Wednesday in Atlanta, Angle defeated Chris Jericho in an unbelievable contest to become Champion.
Piper: You’ve got that right Coach. Angle and Jericho put on a clinic and Angle came out on top with the gold.
Coach: But Angle’s boys Haas and Benjamin did not have such a great not as you notice their waists with no gold around them.
Angle instructs Haas and Benjamin to open the ropes for him as he enters the ring and parades around before getting a microphone.
Angle: For those who had their doubts and those whose jealousy just wished that it wouldn’t happen, take a good luck. I am your new World Heavyweight Champion, oh it‘s true. I told you time and time again that I would be the Champion and that is exactly what happened. Five days ago I gave Chris Jericho the fight of his life and now he’s off somewhere sulking in a corner, while I celebrate what is just the start of a title reign that will prove to go longer than any that has come before. The only dent in the armor came when Charlie and Shelton dropped the ball and let the Horsemen steal our Tag Team Titles. You guys are bringing me down on a glorious occasion, so I am going to have to ask you to take the night off.
Benjamin and Haas say something to each other and look at Angle and then leave the ring and walk away.
Angle: Now then, I know that the Royal Rumble is coming up and I know I am going to have some poor challenger looking across the ring from me, but who in their right mind is left to take me on?
Piper: Kurt Angle may be over confident for his own good at this point. There is a locker room full of WWE Superstars who could give him a go.
Angle: Oh boy what do we have here? (Angle looks out into the crowd and sees Ken Shamrock sitting their at ringside just as he was at the Clash). Ken, I knew you were a fan, but following me from town to town is getting a little weird for me.
“Wooooooooooooo……” The music of Ric Flair plays and out comes the Nature Boy.
Coach: Well Hot Rod here comes the former sixteen time World Heavyweight Champion, Nature Boy Ric Flair. Flair certainly hasn’t forgotten about what Kurt Angle did to him several weeks back.
Flair: Kurt Angle! It’s real simple. You’ve had your fun. Now it’s time to put up or shut up. I’m out here man to man to challenge you for the World Title at the Royal Rumble.
Angle: Ric Flair, maybe it’s time for you to be honest with yourself. Look in the mirror and tell yourself that it’s time to hang up the robe. You don’t want any of this.
Flair: Kurt Angle you may have won an Olympic gold medal, but no one knows more about championships then this limousine riding, jet flying, kiss stealin’, wheelin’, dealin’, son of a gun.
“Break the walls down….” Chris Jericho heads to the ring.
Coach: Well looks like this party is just getting started. Here comes the man who was an eyelash away from winning the World Title last Wednesday in Atlanta, Y2J Chris Jericho.
Y2J: With all due respect Ric Flair, I have come to repay Kurt Angle for all that he has delivered to me. Angle, you beat me at the Clash. I’m not here to dispute that. But I have every reason to be here to kick you’re a$$ and as long as I am going to do that, I might as well take your World Title too.
Angle: This is completely absurd. Neither one of you deserve to even share the ring with me. I am the highest caliber of athlete to ever set foot in a WWE ring and I will determine who has a right to face me. As far as I’m concerned, both of you can go back to the end of the line.
“I’m back and I’m better than ever…” Eric Bischoff’s music plays.
Piper: It looks like Eric Bischoff has something to say on this subject matter.
Bischoff: Kurt Angle, you may be in fact the greatest athlete in the history of pro wrestling, that is debatable, but as far as determining who has the right to face you, that is my job. Kurt tonight in this very ring, it will be Nature Boy Ric Flair vs. Chris Jericho one-on-one and the winner will face you Kurt Angle for the World Heavyweight Title at the Royal Rumble! Good luck gentlemen.
Coach: Well that certainly settles that issue. Jericho and Flair will go head-to-head tonight and one of those men will challenge Kurt Angle for the gold at the Rumble. What a night this is going to be.
-Commercial Break-
Coach: Welcome back to Monday Night Raw as we get set for our opening contest.
GREG “THE HAMMER” VALENTINE VS. CARLITO
Carlito strikes the Hammer and nails him with left handed shots. Valentine fires back with chops. Valentine sends him in, but Carlito reverses. Carlito lowers his head and Valentine lowers the boom on him with an elbow.
Coach: The veteran former Intercontinental Champion Greg Valentine catches Carlito on that exchange. Carlito has been impressive as of late and both of these men are headed to compete in the 60 Man Royal Rumble.
Valentine snap mares Carlito over and drops a couple of elbows. The Hammer makes the cover, but Carlito kicks out. Valentine backs Carlito into the corner and chops him. He sends him in. Carlito ducks under and kicks him and then sends him in and hit’s a dropkick. Carlito plants a knee and makes a cover, but Valentine quickly kicks out.
Piper: You have to wear down the Hammer to put him away. It’s not an easy task let me tell you.
Carlito rams Valentine into the turnbuckle and then sends him across the ring. Valentine catches Carlito with an elbow and then delivers a vertical suplex. Valentine nails Carlito with a forearm drop and gets a near fall. Valentine goes for a back suplex, but Carlito goes up and over and then sends him in. Carlito connects with a reverse elbow and then springs off the ropes into a forward dive onto Valentine for a near fall.
Coach: Wow that was certainly impressive.
Piper: You have to hand it to Carlito Coach. Regardless of what you think of the guy he certainly has the skills.
Carlito connects with a knee lift and a neck breaker for another near fall. Carlito kicks Carlito and goes for a suplex, but Valentine blocks and then slams Carlito. Valentine drops a knee and connects with a suplex. Valentine elbows Carlito and then plants his head low in the mid section. Valentine prepares for the Figure Four, but Carlito kicks him off. Carlito tries for the Backstabber, but Valentine holds the ropes to block it. Valentine pounds on Carlito and then climbs to the top rope. Carlito gets up and kicks the rope and Valentine drops back into the ring. Carlito makes the cover, but the Hammer kicks out.
Coach: Valentine went up top which doesn’t seem to be a regular occurrence for him and he paid for it.
Carlito works over Valentine. Valentine fires back. The Hammer delivers a gut wrench suplex. Valentine goes for a clothesline, but Carlito ducks under and delivers the Backstabber and quickly covers the Hammer for a three count.
Piper: That was well played by Carlito. He let Valentine make one small error and he capitalized on it and Carlito picks up another huge victory. This guy is going places.
Coach: He sure is Hot Rod. Carlito along with the Hammer are headed to compete in the Royal Rumble.
Carlito picks up an apple from ringside that he brought and he takes a bite out of it and spits it on Valentine.
Piper: That was disrespectful to say the least.
Brutus Beefcake runs out with his shears in hand and Carlito takes off. Beefcake makes a gesture at Carlito’s hair.
Coach: While Carlito runs from a trim, we have Gene Okerlund standing by.
Gene: At this time I would like to welcome one of the all time WWE greats, come on in Tito Santana. Tito coming up on January 25 in Philadelphia you will be one of sixty participants in the Royal Rumble. Your thoughts.
Santana: Mean Gene, it goes something like this. I’ve had one hell of a career in the WWE. I’ve worn Intercontinental gold. I’ve worn Tag Team gold. I’ve competed around the world and in front of huge crowds, but the one thing I haven’t done is main event WrestleMania and that Mean Gene will keep an athlete thriving as long as he possibly can.
Gene: Well Tito unlike in Royal Rumble matches that you have previously competed in, you will be dealing with fifty-nine other hungry competitors looking for that same golden opportunity to go on to WrestleMania and compete for the WWE Championship or the World Heavyweight Championship.
Santana: That’s a lot of competition to say the least, but I’m prepared for the fight of my life. Get ready cause I’m coming to the Rumble and I’m coming to win. Arriba!!!
-Commercial Break-
WWE Rewind: Footage shows Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard winning the Tag Team Titles at Clash of the Champions.
NON-TITLE MATCH
TULLY BLANCHARD & ARN ANDERSON © VS. LANCE CADE & TREVOR MURDOCH
Trevor Murdoch and Arn Anderson lock horns. Murdoch applies the headlock, but Arn sends him in. Murdoch knocks Arn down and goes to the ropes. Arn catches Murdoch with a scoop slam and then drops an elbow, but Murdoch moves. Murdoch slams Anderson, but misses an elbow as well. Anderson knees Murdoch and tags in Tully Blanchard. Anderson sends Murdoch for the ride and drops down and Blanchard nails Murdoch with an elbow. Blanchard takes Murdoch down with a side headlock.
Coach: The precision timing of the current Tag Team Champions is being shown right here in the early going of this contest. Murdoch and Cade are trying to prove they belong in the tag team title picture.
Murdoch pushes Blanchard back to his feet and lifts him up, but Blanchard uses his momentum and takes him back over and holds him down for a near fall. Murdoch pushes up again and sends him into the corner. Blanchard gets a foot up and then hit’s a cross body for a two count. Blanchard goes for a suplex, but Murdoch blocks and drops Blanchard with a front face slam. Murdoch tags out to Lance Cade who comes in with a leg drop and makes a cover for a near fall. Cade pounds on Blanchard and then goes for a DDT, but Blanchard slips out and connects with a side Russian leg sweep for a near fall. Cade comes right back with a clothesline.
Piper: Cade and Murdoch are absolutely hanging with the Champions and if they keep up their aggressive behavior they could secure themselves a title opportunity.
Coach: That might be to the chagrin of former Champions Haas and Benjamin who were dejected earlier from Kurt Angle’s comments and were sent home for the night. Murdoch and Cade you could say possibly helped their demise as Champions at the Clash due to their involvement at ringside.
Cade hammers away at Blanchard and lifts him up and drills him into the corner. Cade delivers a bulldog and then tags Murdoch back in. Cade lifts Murdoch who drops a leg onto Blanchard. He makes the cover, but Anderson comes in for the save. Trevor Murdoch kicks Blanchard and sends him in. Blanchard comes back with a sunset flip for a near fall. Murdoch kicks Blanchard again, but this time he catches his foot and spins him around into an atomic drop. Murdoch flops into the wrong corner and gets nailed by Arn Anderson. Blanchard then uses a jackknife cover for a near fall. Tully tags Arn in. Arn nails Murdoch with a boot and then two deliver a double gut buster. Arn makes the cover for a near fall. Anderson sends him in, but Murdoch reverses and catches him with a big boot. Cade is tagged back in. Anderson nails Cade with a dropkick and then follows with a power slam. Murdoch comes back and misses an elbow nailing his partner by accident. Anderson then delivers a spine buster to Murdoch and sends him sailing out of the ring. Lance Cade catches Anderson with a sit out power bomb. Tully then dives on onto Cade and the two roll around on the canvas. The referee tries to get the two out of the ring. While the referee tries to get control, Murdoch grabs one of the Tag Title belts and brings it into the ring. He tries to nail Anderson, but he blocks it and uses it on Murdoch instead. Anderson tosses the belt out and covers Murdoch. The referee sees the pin and makes the three count.
Piper: The Champions come out on top and you have to hand it to them for beating Cade and Murdoch with their own tactics. Anderson and Blanchard can get low down and dirty with the best of them, just like their Horsemen compadre Ric Flair.
Coach: What a great tag team contest. Still to come tonight we are going to see Jeff Hardy one-on-one with Mr. Kennedy plus our huge main event with Chris Jericho facing the Nature Boy Ric Flair with the winner to challenge Kurt Angle for the World Heavyweight Championship at the Royal Rumble. We’re live in Tampa and we’ll be back with more Monday Night Raw.
-Commercial Break-
A video plays showing an empty wrestling ring with noises in the background of a full arena packed with people and excitement among the crowd. You can hear the noises of a match in progress with the bumps on the mat. The noises stop and a Union Jack flag appears on screen briefly and then the words “Pure Dynamite!” blast the screen and quickly explode. Then it just says “Royal Rumble.”
Intercontinental Champion Christian makes his way out into the arena and heads to ringside to sit down with Coach and Roddy Piper.
Coach: Welcome back to Monday Night Raw. We are being joined by the reigning Intercontinental Champion Christian. Christian won the title back at Summer Slam.
MUHAMMAD HASSAN VS. DEAN MALENKO
There is no referee in the ring as the two prepare to face off.
Coach: Christian thanks for joining us and I guess we can officially announce that at the Royal Rumble you will be defending your Intercontinental Title against Muhammad Hassan.
Christian: I’ll be defending it and I’ll be retaining it as well.
Daivari makes his way to the ring wearing a referee’s shirt.
Coach: Are you kidding me?
Christian: You know honestly I had a feeling that Daivari wasn’t wearing a striped shirt a couple weeks back because he escaped from a zebra exhibit at the zoo. This totally reeks of collusion and it makes Eric Bischoff look like a sackless piece of garbage for his poor decision making.
Piper: Don’t hold back your feelings. Let it all out.
Coach: Well certainly this does not bode well for Dean Malenko right here.
Malenko and Hassan hook up. Malenko takes Hassan over with an arm drag. He takes him over the other way and then applies a front face lock. Malenko goes behind and quickly rolls up Hassan, but Daivari just stands back and does not attempt to make a count. Malenko applies a hammerlock to Hassan. Daivari gets Malenko to break the hold. Hassan kicks Malenko and then pounds on hi. He sends him in. Malenko kicks Hassan and then nails him with a spin wheel kick. Malenko makes the cover, but again Daivari does not count.
Piper: This is completely ridiculous and someone should make a stand against this.
Malenko argues with Daivari and gets clotheslined by Hassan. Hassan drops Malenko on the rope and delivers a back breaker. Hassan sends Malenko into the corner and nails him in the back. He plants Malenko with a DDT and makes the cover. Daiviari counts, but Malenko kicks out. Hassan whips Dean into the corner. Malenko uses a drop toe hold on Hassan and then rams him into the turnbuckle. Malenko lifts Hassan up top. Malenko climbs and connects with a big gut buster. Malenko covers Hassan, but Daivari counts slowly. Malenko shoves Daivari. Daivari shoves him back and Malenko ends up in a Hassan power bomb. Hassan makes the cover and gets a three count.
Coach: Muhammad Hassan makes quick work of the veteran Malenko due to the biased officiating by Daivari.
Christian hit’s the ring and Hassan and Daivari both take off.
Coach: You certainly have to wonder if this is what we can expect when Christian defends the Intercontinental Title against Hassan at the Royal Rumble?
Paul Heyman is shown walking down the hallway towards the arena.
Coach: Paul Heyman appears to be headed this direction. I guess we’ll hear from him next!
MONDAY NIGHT RAW
(AIRDATE: DECEMBER 15 2003)
WWE logo appears on screen.
Footage from the Clash of Champions is shown from the previous Wednesday highlighting Kurt Angle winning the World Heavyweight Championship. Lilian Garcia is in the ring.
Lilian: Please welcome the new World Heavyweight Champion… Kurt Angle!!
Kurt Angle makes his way out to a huge pyro display and balloons and confetti everywhere. Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas follow behind.
Coach: Monday Night Raw is live in Tampa, Florida as the new World Heavyweight Champion makes his way to the ring. Hello everyone I’m Jonathan Coachman along with the Hot Rod Rowdy Roddy Piper at ringside. This past Wednesday in Atlanta, Angle defeated Chris Jericho in an unbelievable contest to become Champion.
Piper: You’ve got that right Coach. Angle and Jericho put on a clinic and Angle came out on top with the gold.
Coach: But Angle’s boys Haas and Benjamin did not have such a great not as you notice their waists with no gold around them.
Angle instructs Haas and Benjamin to open the ropes for him as he enters the ring and parades around before getting a microphone.
Angle: For those who had their doubts and those whose jealousy just wished that it wouldn’t happen, take a good luck. I am your new World Heavyweight Champion, oh it‘s true. I told you time and time again that I would be the Champion and that is exactly what happened. Five days ago I gave Chris Jericho the fight of his life and now he’s off somewhere sulking in a corner, while I celebrate what is just the start of a title reign that will prove to go longer than any that has come before. The only dent in the armor came when Charlie and Shelton dropped the ball and let the Horsemen steal our Tag Team Titles. You guys are bringing me down on a glorious occasion, so I am going to have to ask you to take the night off.
Benjamin and Haas say something to each other and look at Angle and then leave the ring and walk away.
Angle: Now then, I know that the Royal Rumble is coming up and I know I am going to have some poor challenger looking across the ring from me, but who in their right mind is left to take me on?
Piper: Kurt Angle may be over confident for his own good at this point. There is a locker room full of WWE Superstars who could give him a go.
Angle: Oh boy what do we have here? (Angle looks out into the crowd and sees Ken Shamrock sitting their at ringside just as he was at the Clash). Ken, I knew you were a fan, but following me from town to town is getting a little weird for me.
“Wooooooooooooo……” The music of Ric Flair plays and out comes the Nature Boy.
Coach: Well Hot Rod here comes the former sixteen time World Heavyweight Champion, Nature Boy Ric Flair. Flair certainly hasn’t forgotten about what Kurt Angle did to him several weeks back.
Flair: Kurt Angle! It’s real simple. You’ve had your fun. Now it’s time to put up or shut up. I’m out here man to man to challenge you for the World Title at the Royal Rumble.
Angle: Ric Flair, maybe it’s time for you to be honest with yourself. Look in the mirror and tell yourself that it’s time to hang up the robe. You don’t want any of this.
Flair: Kurt Angle you may have won an Olympic gold medal, but no one knows more about championships then this limousine riding, jet flying, kiss stealin’, wheelin’, dealin’, son of a gun.
“Break the walls down….” Chris Jericho heads to the ring.
Coach: Well looks like this party is just getting started. Here comes the man who was an eyelash away from winning the World Title last Wednesday in Atlanta, Y2J Chris Jericho.
Y2J: With all due respect Ric Flair, I have come to repay Kurt Angle for all that he has delivered to me. Angle, you beat me at the Clash. I’m not here to dispute that. But I have every reason to be here to kick you’re a$$ and as long as I am going to do that, I might as well take your World Title too.
Angle: This is completely absurd. Neither one of you deserve to even share the ring with me. I am the highest caliber of athlete to ever set foot in a WWE ring and I will determine who has a right to face me. As far as I’m concerned, both of you can go back to the end of the line.
“I’m back and I’m better than ever…” Eric Bischoff’s music plays.
Piper: It looks like Eric Bischoff has something to say on this subject matter.
Bischoff: Kurt Angle, you may be in fact the greatest athlete in the history of pro wrestling, that is debatable, but as far as determining who has the right to face you, that is my job. Kurt tonight in this very ring, it will be Nature Boy Ric Flair vs. Chris Jericho one-on-one and the winner will face you Kurt Angle for the World Heavyweight Title at the Royal Rumble! Good luck gentlemen.
Coach: Well that certainly settles that issue. Jericho and Flair will go head-to-head tonight and one of those men will challenge Kurt Angle for the gold at the Rumble. What a night this is going to be.
-Commercial Break-
Coach: Welcome back to Monday Night Raw as we get set for our opening contest.
GREG “THE HAMMER” VALENTINE VS. CARLITO
Carlito strikes the Hammer and nails him with left handed shots. Valentine fires back with chops. Valentine sends him in, but Carlito reverses. Carlito lowers his head and Valentine lowers the boom on him with an elbow.
Coach: The veteran former Intercontinental Champion Greg Valentine catches Carlito on that exchange. Carlito has been impressive as of late and both of these men are headed to compete in the 60 Man Royal Rumble.
Valentine snap mares Carlito over and drops a couple of elbows. The Hammer makes the cover, but Carlito kicks out. Valentine backs Carlito into the corner and chops him. He sends him in. Carlito ducks under and kicks him and then sends him in and hit’s a dropkick. Carlito plants a knee and makes a cover, but Valentine quickly kicks out.
Piper: You have to wear down the Hammer to put him away. It’s not an easy task let me tell you.
Carlito rams Valentine into the turnbuckle and then sends him across the ring. Valentine catches Carlito with an elbow and then delivers a vertical suplex. Valentine nails Carlito with a forearm drop and gets a near fall. Valentine goes for a back suplex, but Carlito goes up and over and then sends him in. Carlito connects with a reverse elbow and then springs off the ropes into a forward dive onto Valentine for a near fall.
Coach: Wow that was certainly impressive.
Piper: You have to hand it to Carlito Coach. Regardless of what you think of the guy he certainly has the skills.
Carlito connects with a knee lift and a neck breaker for another near fall. Carlito kicks Carlito and goes for a suplex, but Valentine blocks and then slams Carlito. Valentine drops a knee and connects with a suplex. Valentine elbows Carlito and then plants his head low in the mid section. Valentine prepares for the Figure Four, but Carlito kicks him off. Carlito tries for the Backstabber, but Valentine holds the ropes to block it. Valentine pounds on Carlito and then climbs to the top rope. Carlito gets up and kicks the rope and Valentine drops back into the ring. Carlito makes the cover, but the Hammer kicks out.
Coach: Valentine went up top which doesn’t seem to be a regular occurrence for him and he paid for it.
Carlito works over Valentine. Valentine fires back. The Hammer delivers a gut wrench suplex. Valentine goes for a clothesline, but Carlito ducks under and delivers the Backstabber and quickly covers the Hammer for a three count.
Piper: That was well played by Carlito. He let Valentine make one small error and he capitalized on it and Carlito picks up another huge victory. This guy is going places.
Coach: He sure is Hot Rod. Carlito along with the Hammer are headed to compete in the Royal Rumble.
Carlito picks up an apple from ringside that he brought and he takes a bite out of it and spits it on Valentine.
Piper: That was disrespectful to say the least.
Brutus Beefcake runs out with his shears in hand and Carlito takes off. Beefcake makes a gesture at Carlito’s hair.
Coach: While Carlito runs from a trim, we have Gene Okerlund standing by.
Gene: At this time I would like to welcome one of the all time WWE greats, come on in Tito Santana. Tito coming up on January 25 in Philadelphia you will be one of sixty participants in the Royal Rumble. Your thoughts.
Santana: Mean Gene, it goes something like this. I’ve had one hell of a career in the WWE. I’ve worn Intercontinental gold. I’ve worn Tag Team gold. I’ve competed around the world and in front of huge crowds, but the one thing I haven’t done is main event WrestleMania and that Mean Gene will keep an athlete thriving as long as he possibly can.
Gene: Well Tito unlike in Royal Rumble matches that you have previously competed in, you will be dealing with fifty-nine other hungry competitors looking for that same golden opportunity to go on to WrestleMania and compete for the WWE Championship or the World Heavyweight Championship.
Santana: That’s a lot of competition to say the least, but I’m prepared for the fight of my life. Get ready cause I’m coming to the Rumble and I’m coming to win. Arriba!!!
-Commercial Break-
WWE Rewind: Footage shows Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard winning the Tag Team Titles at Clash of the Champions.
NON-TITLE MATCH
TULLY BLANCHARD & ARN ANDERSON © VS. LANCE CADE & TREVOR MURDOCH
Trevor Murdoch and Arn Anderson lock horns. Murdoch applies the headlock, but Arn sends him in. Murdoch knocks Arn down and goes to the ropes. Arn catches Murdoch with a scoop slam and then drops an elbow, but Murdoch moves. Murdoch slams Anderson, but misses an elbow as well. Anderson knees Murdoch and tags in Tully Blanchard. Anderson sends Murdoch for the ride and drops down and Blanchard nails Murdoch with an elbow. Blanchard takes Murdoch down with a side headlock.
Coach: The precision timing of the current Tag Team Champions is being shown right here in the early going of this contest. Murdoch and Cade are trying to prove they belong in the tag team title picture.
Murdoch pushes Blanchard back to his feet and lifts him up, but Blanchard uses his momentum and takes him back over and holds him down for a near fall. Murdoch pushes up again and sends him into the corner. Blanchard gets a foot up and then hit’s a cross body for a two count. Blanchard goes for a suplex, but Murdoch blocks and drops Blanchard with a front face slam. Murdoch tags out to Lance Cade who comes in with a leg drop and makes a cover for a near fall. Cade pounds on Blanchard and then goes for a DDT, but Blanchard slips out and connects with a side Russian leg sweep for a near fall. Cade comes right back with a clothesline.
Piper: Cade and Murdoch are absolutely hanging with the Champions and if they keep up their aggressive behavior they could secure themselves a title opportunity.
Coach: That might be to the chagrin of former Champions Haas and Benjamin who were dejected earlier from Kurt Angle’s comments and were sent home for the night. Murdoch and Cade you could say possibly helped their demise as Champions at the Clash due to their involvement at ringside.
Cade hammers away at Blanchard and lifts him up and drills him into the corner. Cade delivers a bulldog and then tags Murdoch back in. Cade lifts Murdoch who drops a leg onto Blanchard. He makes the cover, but Anderson comes in for the save. Trevor Murdoch kicks Blanchard and sends him in. Blanchard comes back with a sunset flip for a near fall. Murdoch kicks Blanchard again, but this time he catches his foot and spins him around into an atomic drop. Murdoch flops into the wrong corner and gets nailed by Arn Anderson. Blanchard then uses a jackknife cover for a near fall. Tully tags Arn in. Arn nails Murdoch with a boot and then two deliver a double gut buster. Arn makes the cover for a near fall. Anderson sends him in, but Murdoch reverses and catches him with a big boot. Cade is tagged back in. Anderson nails Cade with a dropkick and then follows with a power slam. Murdoch comes back and misses an elbow nailing his partner by accident. Anderson then delivers a spine buster to Murdoch and sends him sailing out of the ring. Lance Cade catches Anderson with a sit out power bomb. Tully then dives on onto Cade and the two roll around on the canvas. The referee tries to get the two out of the ring. While the referee tries to get control, Murdoch grabs one of the Tag Title belts and brings it into the ring. He tries to nail Anderson, but he blocks it and uses it on Murdoch instead. Anderson tosses the belt out and covers Murdoch. The referee sees the pin and makes the three count.
Piper: The Champions come out on top and you have to hand it to them for beating Cade and Murdoch with their own tactics. Anderson and Blanchard can get low down and dirty with the best of them, just like their Horsemen compadre Ric Flair.
Coach: What a great tag team contest. Still to come tonight we are going to see Jeff Hardy one-on-one with Mr. Kennedy plus our huge main event with Chris Jericho facing the Nature Boy Ric Flair with the winner to challenge Kurt Angle for the World Heavyweight Championship at the Royal Rumble. We’re live in Tampa and we’ll be back with more Monday Night Raw.
-Commercial Break-
A video plays showing an empty wrestling ring with noises in the background of a full arena packed with people and excitement among the crowd. You can hear the noises of a match in progress with the bumps on the mat. The noises stop and a Union Jack flag appears on screen briefly and then the words “Pure Dynamite!” blast the screen and quickly explode. Then it just says “Royal Rumble.”
Intercontinental Champion Christian makes his way out into the arena and heads to ringside to sit down with Coach and Roddy Piper.
Coach: Welcome back to Monday Night Raw. We are being joined by the reigning Intercontinental Champion Christian. Christian won the title back at Summer Slam.
MUHAMMAD HASSAN VS. DEAN MALENKO
There is no referee in the ring as the two prepare to face off.
Coach: Christian thanks for joining us and I guess we can officially announce that at the Royal Rumble you will be defending your Intercontinental Title against Muhammad Hassan.
Christian: I’ll be defending it and I’ll be retaining it as well.
Daivari makes his way to the ring wearing a referee’s shirt.
Coach: Are you kidding me?
Christian: You know honestly I had a feeling that Daivari wasn’t wearing a striped shirt a couple weeks back because he escaped from a zebra exhibit at the zoo. This totally reeks of collusion and it makes Eric Bischoff look like a sackless piece of garbage for his poor decision making.
Piper: Don’t hold back your feelings. Let it all out.
Coach: Well certainly this does not bode well for Dean Malenko right here.
Malenko and Hassan hook up. Malenko takes Hassan over with an arm drag. He takes him over the other way and then applies a front face lock. Malenko goes behind and quickly rolls up Hassan, but Daivari just stands back and does not attempt to make a count. Malenko applies a hammerlock to Hassan. Daivari gets Malenko to break the hold. Hassan kicks Malenko and then pounds on hi. He sends him in. Malenko kicks Hassan and then nails him with a spin wheel kick. Malenko makes the cover, but again Daivari does not count.
Piper: This is completely ridiculous and someone should make a stand against this.
Malenko argues with Daivari and gets clotheslined by Hassan. Hassan drops Malenko on the rope and delivers a back breaker. Hassan sends Malenko into the corner and nails him in the back. He plants Malenko with a DDT and makes the cover. Daiviari counts, but Malenko kicks out. Hassan whips Dean into the corner. Malenko uses a drop toe hold on Hassan and then rams him into the turnbuckle. Malenko lifts Hassan up top. Malenko climbs and connects with a big gut buster. Malenko covers Hassan, but Daivari counts slowly. Malenko shoves Daivari. Daivari shoves him back and Malenko ends up in a Hassan power bomb. Hassan makes the cover and gets a three count.
Coach: Muhammad Hassan makes quick work of the veteran Malenko due to the biased officiating by Daivari.
Christian hit’s the ring and Hassan and Daivari both take off.
Coach: You certainly have to wonder if this is what we can expect when Christian defends the Intercontinental Title against Hassan at the Royal Rumble?
Paul Heyman is shown walking down the hallway towards the arena.
Coach: Paul Heyman appears to be headed this direction. I guess we’ll hear from him next!
