SmackDown officials have reportedly been very happy with the Vengeance pay-per-view less than 24-hours ago. One of the big talking points coming out of the event is the scheduled rematch between The Rock and Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. This would complete a trilogy between the two of them with matches at SummerSlam 2002 and WrestleMania 19. The original plan has been The Rock vs. Brock Lesnar since the decision was made for the latter to lose at WrestleMania 19. Reports at the time have been confirmed by multiple sources that Brock was set to become WWE Champion on the grandest stage of them all until the decision to pull Kurt Angle from the event. Thus far, The Rock’s reign has garnered almost universal recognition as his best reign to date, which now stands as his longest. As to whether or not The Rock is likely to drop the belt to Brock, that is still up in the air with four weeks until SummerSlam. We do know that The Rock has not been advertised for the December television tapings. Make of that what you will.

Mr. McMahon is expected back on television as early as this week. He is not expected to play a role in the Shane and Stephanie story that is set to begin on SmackDown. Shane McMahon is currently being written as a heel and is likely to be set for a power struggle angle coming out of the summer period. There have been discussions that the return of Shane McMahon is going to be one of the ways they shake up SmackDown before the draft, which got an official date on Sunday. One of the key takeaways from SmackDown creative is that there is a push behind the scenes to remove the WWE Cruiserweight Title in its current format. One of the key producers has been pushing for the belt to be restructured or replaced with the previous European Title or the Hardcore Title. The mix of smaller talent competing with larger talent has already bled across the roster. The expectation would be that it’s moved off Nunzio first and then rebranded. Speaking to insiders, the original plan was for Spanky to win the belt at Vengeance and then for Shane to run an angle where he had to make weight for the division. He would defeat Spanky for the title, and then weigh in over the limit, which would cause him to rebrand the title as the European/Hardcore Title in his first defence.

With the conclusion of the feud between the World’s Greatest Tag Team and Los Guerreros, we are expecting either Eddie or Chavo to be moved to Raw in the draft. Both are not scheduled for SummerSlam as it stands. The big names missing from SummerSlam’s whiteboard as of this morning include Mark Henry, Rey Mysterio and Big Show from SmackDown. Raw also has a few key names off the board, including Trish Stratus, Kane and Rob Van Dam. This is still up in the air, but as of right now, none of those mentioned are scheduled for the next pay-per-view.

Talks have continued, and a deal is all but signed with Paul London to join the WWE on the SmackDown brand. With a strong behind-the-scenes push from Paul Heyman, it is believed that London will debut with the company before No Mercy. He is suggested to be coming in as a babyface character, thanks in large part to his fast-paced style. Talks with London stalled earlier in the year at the same time the WWE was speaking with Steve Corino. After seeing the debut and character work that Corino has been allowed to do on Raw, this has supposedly sat well with London and reignited the discussions.

There is a real possibility that Evolution will drop the belts this week on Raw. The introduction of Dusty Rhodes over the last few weeks was always building to a Rhodes family against Evolution title match, but after medical tests by WWE doctors, it appears that Dusty may be able to do more than was expected. If they do get the belts, it is our opinion that they’ll drop them before Unforgiven. Word has gone around that Randy Orton may have a pec injury that he has been working through, and dropping the titles would give him time to recover without the need to remove him from television. If we see a title change on Raw, the rematch would take place at SummerSlam, but with Ric Flair likely in Orton’s place instead.

Discussions for a Stone Cold Steve Austin and Brock Lesnar match heated up once again in the creative room this week. Lesnar and Austin were two of the names sighted as potential movers in the upcoming WWE draft. Either one of them could switch shows to set up a future bout - most likely at Survivor Series. Austin had previously walked out of the company in 2002 when he was set to do the job for the Next Big Thing. An element that would not play a role on television if they did collide. Furthermore, discussions between Austin and McMahon occurred two weeks ago about extending his current deal with the company. Stone Cold is contracted until April 2005 and has told people close to him that WrestleMania 21 will be his final match. The WWE view is that they want to extend him for a further twelve months if possible.

Currently, the plan is for Chris Jericho and Hulk Hogan to feud at SummerSlam in a one-off program. Given the attack by Jericho at Vengeance on Hogan, we expect that Jericho will challenge the Hulkster tonight on Raw. Hogan is not expected on television between the week after SummerSlam and No Mercy. He has been advertised for the Survivor Series event, which would align with him working big four pay-per-views and some smaller one-shots like Vengeance. The call for Hogan to go over was from the top. Henry was informed from the opening week of the storyline that he was doing the job, and was never positioned as the winner in meetings. His attitude throughout the story and work has been appreciated and should provide him with some support down the road.

Raw agents have been visiting OVW to find a woman to play the role of the ‘Dark Siren’ for the Forsaken. In a somewhat cruel twist of fate, the role was set to be played by Dawn Marie, who was the original female in some of the vignettes. That has been nixed and will be reassigned to an unknown talent from developmental. The current plan is to settle the Forsaken as four with Corino, O’Haire, Moore and the female character completing their cast.


Author's Note: Some rumours and unconfirmed news for the moment. Some of this is nonsense, but there are some nuggets of truth sprinkled in. Update on the show is that Raw is finished. Got it written tonight and will do a preview for that by Thursday, with the show going up on Saturday. I'm very much counting down the shows to SummerSlam as that was a big goal for the thread and looks like we're going to get there.

*OPENING VIDEO*

*PYRO*

We are live from the World Arena! On the titantron, a countdown begins, and the crowd begins to boo as “Break Down The Walls” hits the speakers inside the arena. At the best of times, he is cocky, but today, he is the most arrogant man in the entire company. With a smirk on his face, Chris Jericho struts onto the stage in a pair of jeans and his merch for a shirt. On the way down to the ring, Ross (who is back on commentary this week) and Lawler replay the attack on Hulk Hogan by Chris Jericho last night at Vengeance. They advise that Eric Bischoff has already confirmed there will be no disciplinary action against Jericho for what he did at the SmackDown pay-per-view, regardless of how disgusting his assault on the Hulkster was. Once inside the ring, Chris Jericho welcomes everyone to another edition of the Highlight Reel - a special solo edition. Unlike last week, he doesn’t have a guest refusing an invite; instead, he’s inviting the biggest star in all of wrestling… himself! There’s another wave of boos, Jericho laughing his head off and posing in the middle of the ring with his arms spread.

The point Jericho wants to make before anything else is that last night, his actions against Hulk Hogan were completely justified because of the disrespect that Hogan showed him last week. “I invited that relic onto the biggest platform in the world, and he refused me? ME?!” He goes on to explain how, without guys like him carrying the business for years, there wouldn’t be spots for Hogan to hog at the top of the card. Jericho firmly says that he could wrestle rings around Hogan back in the 90’s, and he could damn sure do it now, because he is a greater star than Hogan has ever been. Listing out his accomplishments, which include being the first ever Undisputed Champion, Chris Jericho claims that when he stood in the ring with Hogan on SmackDown, he saw jealousy in his eyes. “I know you’re jealous of what I am, Hogan. You may have been Undisputed Champion afterwards… but I was FIRST!”

Jericho then discusses last night’s attack on Hogan when he jumped the barricade and left him in a bloodied heap. There’s a sense of joy in his words now as he recalls the feeling of bashing Hogan’s face in with the television monitor. He describes how good it felt to see Hogan’s face covered in his own egotistical blood, crying for help, reaching out as if the little Hulksters were going to save him. “In the end… none of you could save Hulkamania when Y2J stepped up to the plate!” On the titantron, Jericho displays pictures of Hogan’s face after the attack, blood dried on it, as medics help him from the ringside area. Jericho pauses for a moment and explains that he didn’t even attack first. It was Hogan who got in his face to say something… all Jericho did was respond in self-defence, he says through a sinister sneer. What’s next? Jericho twirls the microphone in his hand, looking out at the crowd, and tells the world that if Hogan thought he was going to be allowed to crawl back into the retirement home with the rest of his stupid friends… then he’s sorely mistaken!

Chris Jericho glares into the arena and points toward the stage, where there’s a big sign on the screen that says ‘SUMMERSLAM.’ He claims that, unlike Hogan, he does not need the support of the common fan to reach great heights. Declaring here on Raw, Chris Jericho officially challenges Hulk Hogan to a match at SummerSlam. There’s a big uproar from the crowd - many in the audience want to see this clash of these two huge names in the business. Jericho speaks calmly, telling Hogan that he wants an answer this Thursday on SmackDown! “You either accept the challenge, or you admit that I am better than you!”

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Commercial Break

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Match 1 | SINGLES MATCH:
Triple H (with Ric Flair) vs. Scott Steiner (with The Hurricane)
It’s a bout that comes off the back of the tag team match two weeks ago when Freaks & Geeks defeated the makeshift tag team of Shawn Michaels and Triple H. On that night, Steiner was able to apply the Steiner Recliner and get the win for the regular tag team. Since becoming the number one contender last week, that loss has been stuck in the head of Triple H, and he gets the chance to earn payback in the opening contest of Raw. During the entrance for Triple H, we hear Jim Ross commentate over a lower-third clip showing Booker T striking the number one contender last week to close the show. When it comes to the wrestling, the match isn’t great for the in-ring work as you’d have to expect from these two. Triple H bends the rules throughout the match, and the Nature Boy on the outside of the ring gets involved with a forearm to the back of Steiner behind the referee’s back. The Hurricane and Ric Flair have a slight clash on the outside, while Triple H and Steiner move to the finish. It’s a Pedigree by the leader of Evolution, and he gets his win back from two weeks ago, and continues to build momentum heading into SummerSlam.
Winner: Triple H @ 09:52


Cutting away from the ringside area, Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler hype up the main event - EVOLUTION VS. THE RHODES FAMILY! We see a shot from earlier in the day when Dusty Rhodes and Goldust arrived at the arena. For the first time in his legendary career, Dusty Rhodes will compete on Monday Night Raw. There’s a large collection of fans waiting in the parking area as the family and son duo exit their car, ready for what could be a history-making night if they can become the World Tag Team Champions. Lawler and Ross discuss the implications for the tag match. Lawler has no faith the Rhodes family can win this match, hyping Evolution as the young team trained by Ric Flair and Triple H. “It’s a long shot, JR! A fantasy world where Dusty Rhodes can waltz back into the WWE and become a tag team champion with his son. Give me a break!”


Backstage, Stone Cold Steve Austin is standing with Jonathan Coachman in the interview area. Coach attempts to start the interview, but Austin tells him to keep his mouth shut. “I didn’t come here to listen to you, jackass.” Stone Cold warns him to keep still and listen up. He knows that Coach is best buddies with Eric Bischoff, and that he’s got no problem selling out for a pay cheque. That’s not the game that Stone Cold plays. He’s here for one reason only - to remind Eric Bischoff that he has a deadline of less than two hours. “The clock is ticking, Bischoff! Time is running out, and I still don’t have a contract in my hand with Goldberg’s name on it. You can bet your ass that Stone Cold Steve Austin will tear this building apart to find your little scrawny ass unless you hand that contract to me tonight!” Coach manages to ask why Austin would want to get a match with Goldberg, considering what the Titan of War did to him during his debut on Raw. Stone Cold looks at Coach without an ounce of respect. “You would think like that, Coach. I don’t run from a fight. Never have, never will, and Goldberg doesn’t scare me. Bring that big son of a bitch to the ring, and I’ll stomp him every week. Tonight, I want a time, place and date - or I’ll raise hell on everybody!”

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Commercial Break

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Upon returning from the break, Eric Bischoff is in his office with Chief Morley, discussing the previous interview with Stone Cold. You can see the fury on the face of Bischoff. He slams his fist down on the table, throwing some papers to the side and shouts that he is sick of Steve Austin thinking that he runs Monday Night Raw. Firmly stating that he does not answer to deadlines, Bischoff needs to know where Goldberg is, to which Morley advises that the Titan of War has not arrived at the building yet. Bischoff runs his hand through his hair, contemplating what he’s going to do, before ordering Morley to notify him as soon as Goldberg arrives at the arena. “You send him to me, Morley! Got it - I need to speak with him before he tries to find Austin by himself.” Morley nods in agreement and exits the room - leaving Bischoff alone. A sense of dread fills the room as Bischoff reaches into his pocket, pulls out a document with a SummerSlam logo on it… and tucks it back in whilst shaking his head.


Match 2 | TAG TEAM MATCH:
Intercontinental Champ, Jeff Hardy & Maven vs. Christopher Nowinski & Test
A tag match was born from the interaction last week when Nowinski slapped Jeff Hardy during an interview segment. During their entrance, Nowinski acts as the leader and informs Test that he needs to follow his lead. In the commentary, Ross recaps that Test has fallen short twice over the last month in his attempts to capture the title held by Jeff Hardy, and it appears the Administration have moved to a new vessel for their aim of claiming the belt. This is a standard weekly tag match for Raw. Everyone gets some of their moves in, but the focus is on Nowinski and Hardy for their story. Nowinski gives the orders for his team, acting as the captain, which we can see pisses Test off, but he complies. Maven nearly puts the match away with a big flying cross body, which he nails on Test, but Nowinski breaks it up. After seven minutes, Nowinski can sneak the title belt away from the time keeper, and he hits Hardy in the face! The referee doesn’t see it, distracted by a ripped-off turnbuckle by Nowinski. Amidst the chaos, Nowinski hooks the leg and pins the WWE Intercontinental Champion.
Winners: Christopher Nowinski & Test @ 07:31

In the aftermath, Christopher Nowinski demands that the referee raise his hand and also raises the WWE Intercontinental Championship to a shower of boos from the audience. Christopher Nowinski parades around the ring and shows off the title belt. He may have cheated to get the win, but the record books will show that the man from Harvard has pinned Jeff Hardy, a rare feat these days. Replays are shown of the belt shot to end the match. We then cut back to the ring with Jeff Hardy and Maven checking in on each other. Hardy picks up his title, which was left in the ring by Nowinski upon his exit, and shares a final glance up the ramp at the Harvard graduate, who looks back with a cocky smile.


Over the main feed, a recap of the attack by Gail Kim on Trish Stratus is shown. For those who missed it, Gail Kim jumped Trish Stratus in the parking lot of the arena and slammed a car door on her ankle. After the recap, Gail Kim stands alongside Teri Runnels with a smug look on her face. Runnels asks why Gail would attack Trish in the parking lot last week, describing it as a sneak attack. In response, Gail gloats that she was sending another message not just to Trish but the entire women’s division on Monday Night Raw. For years, they have put Stratus on a pedestal as a great competitor, placing her alongside the likes of Bret Hart and Roddy Piper. Calling it distasteful, Gail Kim declares that she is the greatest export that Canada has ever seen. She does not want to be alongside the names she listed, but she would rather be ranked above them in the history of the WWE. “It starts with eradicating Trish Stratus as the gold standard, and then I will prove to everybody that Gail Kim is the best damn export this business has ever seen!” Wrapping up the interview, Gail says she has one final thing to say. She challenges Trish Stratus to a match next week on Raw, in their home country of Canada!

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Commercial Break

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Match 3 | TAG TEAM MATCH:
Dudley Boyz vs. La Resistance
We’ve been building to this match for the last two months, and we’re finally here. At the beginning of the match, Dupree can knock D-Von to the mat and poses to a rush of boos. Ross and Lawler discuss how the brash and arrogant Frenchmen had their sights set on the Dudley Boyz the minute they arrived on Raw. They knew that by taking them down, it would set their team up for a hot start on the flagship show. It’s an entertaining match between the two teams, with the Dudley Boyz leading the action as the veterans. There’s a noticeable difference in quality between Dupree and Grenier when they are in the ring, but Grenier’s lack of wrestling skill is masked by the heat his team can generate as the evil foreigners with the American audience. Both teams score several nearfalls along the way toward the finish. At the finish, Bubba Ray and D-Von isolate one member of the heel team and connect with the 3D! D-Von plays defence, tackling an incoming Dupree, who tries to break the count, while Bubba Ray makes the pinfall on Grenier.
Winners: Dudley Boyz @ 08:01

This tag team division still goes through Dudleyville, and there’s a big pop when their music cranks over the speakers. Bubba Ray and D-Von embrace in the ring, slapping their forearms together and stomping their feet in celebration. It has been a tough time for the Dudley’s since they lost the tag titles after WrestleMania 19, and since the arrival of La Resistance, they’ve faced continued strain on where they fit within the tag division. Now, they stand triumphant, celebrating a victory… until Grenier and Dupree jump them from behind! Dupree uses the French flag on its pole to strike Bubba Ray in the back, knocking him down by surprise, while Grenier rips D-Von off the turnbuckle and plants him with a powerbomb! To a further rush of boos, La Resistance grabs two tables from under the ring. Dupree and Greiner stalk the Dudley Boyz, waiting for them to rise before smashing each of them through a table. It’s a mix of bodies and broken tables on the canvas… and is capped off by Dupree burying the fallen veterans under the French flag. A message sent, this is not over between the two teams.


Moving backstage once again, Rob Van Dam and Kane are in the bottom of the arena, a spot that Kane has found comfort in for many years. The lightning of the shot covers Kane’s face somewhat, peaking out at times while Van Dam speaks. He says that the bond between himself and Kane is stronger than ever. The last few months, the trials and tribulations they have fought through, were designed to tear them apart. However, they have remained brothers in arms and even in Kane’s moment of darkness, he still came to aid Rob when he needed help most. The camera pans over to Kane, standing in the darkness, clenching his hand… and he slowly steps out to show his unmasked face clear as day. Kane is not interested in looking back at what has happened. He wants to look to the future, to what he and Van Dam are going to do on Raw for the rest of 2003. He slowly raises his hidden hand, holding the burnt remains of his old mask. Rob explains that they’ll be watching the main event very closely, because sooner or later, they are coming for the tag team titles.


A quick cut to the locker room of Stone Cold Steve Austin before the next commercial break. We are reminded by Ross and Lawler of the deadline that has been set by the Texas Rattlesnake. Bischoff must answer the threat before the end of this broadcast, or Austin has vowed to raise hell. In the locker room, Austin is putting on his wrestling boots, tapping up his wrist - doing as Ross calls it, preparing for a fight. Austin checks his watch, shakes his head and then continues to prepare for what could be a major fight before the end of this evening.

…

Commercial Break

…

“Rap Sheet” plays upon the return to Raw from the commercial break. Fans jump to their feet as Booker T emerges from behind the curtain, World Heavyweight Championship strapped around his waist, and a sense of weight lifted off his shoulders. It was last week that Booker T finally got his hands on Triple H after three weeks of torment since Bad Blood, their first encounter. They’ll meet in a rematch for the World Title at SummerSlam in just under four weeks. Once inside the ring, Booker T calls for a microphone, explaining that he is glad to be standing in the ring with all of the people in attendance tonight. He has been rough hell since becoming the World Champion, but that doesn’t mean he regrets taking this title from Triple H. “It’s the opposite, in trying to break me - he has made me stronger!” With true passion, Booker T cuts a promo, citing all the dastardly deeds done by Triple H and Evolution against him. From the attack on Goldust to the assault on his brother, Booker T understands he is a champion swimming in shark-infested waters, and he may be bleeding.

“But if I’ve shed blood… you can be sure that I will draw blood from Triple H as well!” He unclips the title belt from his waist, looks down at it and says that he fought his whole life to get to this point. To hold the World Title is all he has dreamed about, and Triple H wants to take it away from him. Not by means in the ring but by messing with his head outside of it, forcing Booker to lose focus, to surrender control. “You couldn’t break me in the ring, so now you’re trying to break me outside of it? Is that it, Hunter?” Booker T assures everyone he sees right through the games played by Triple H and Evolution. You don’t get to the top of the business without being able to see when someone is trying to overthrow you. As Booker T continues to outline why he will not allow Triple H to win with these mind games, he’s interrupted by music hitting the speakers. “Just Close Your Eyes” plays in the arena, signalling the arrival of Christian! He’s supported by Mark Jindrak and Rodney Mack - all three are active members of the Administration. They head down to the ring, Christian yapping on the microphone while walking. He advises that he will not allow Booker T to get away with cheating in their match last week.

Christian accuses Booker T of standing in the ring as some great virtue when, in reality, he’s as cheap as everyone else. “You won our match last week in five minutes. Nobody can beat me that quickly. World Champ or not… you must have cheated!” That draws boos from the crowd as Booker T laughs, shaking his head and pushing the title belt toward Christian. He reminds Christian that the World Title means he’s the best wrestler on the roster, the toughest challenge for anyone, the top of the mountain, and Christian is just… Christian. “If anything, I could’ve whooped your ass faster.” That gets under the skin of Christian, who shouts that he will not be insulted. He is the ‘Right Hand Man’ of the General Manager, and he is an associate of the Titan of War. Spitting as he speaks, Christian shoves a finger in Booker T’s face, warning him that disrespecting someone in his position is highly dangerous. What he wants is an apology and for Booker to admit that he cheated last week. “Admit it! Tell the world how you cheated and that it wasn’t a fair fight. That’s why I lost so quickly.” Booker T tells Christian to get his finger out of his face, slapping it away before declining the option to apologise.

Suddenly, Christian and his goons jump the World Champion in a three-on-one attack. Luckily, Booker T can back into a corner and fight back against the assault. Mack and Jindrak are both knocked down, Booker T then throws them over the top rope and to the outside of the ring. Christian then stumbles back into the ropes and eats a Book End from the World Champion! With the title in his hand, Booker T stands tall in the ring to a thunderous cheer from the audience. He has seen off the interruption and set the stage for what will come in four weeks. A World Champion not afraid of defending his title - something we haven’t had in a long time on the flagship.


In the hallway of the arena, Triple H is shown walking away from a monitor with a gym bag of clothes and heads toward a sign that says ‘parking lot’ when Ric Flair calls out to him. The number one contender for the World Title comes to a halt, turning and embracing his mentor. Flair asks where Triple H is going, since Batista and Randy Orton have their tag title defence coming up. With that classic self-obsessed attitude, Triple H tells Flair that he is confident that Evolution will be able to deal with a freak in face paint and a stupid old man. “If they can’t beat them - what has this all been for, Ric?” In response, Flair agrees that they should dispose of the Rhodes family, but he doesn’t understand why Triple H is leaving early. The Game smirks, explaining to Ric Flair that he has no reason to stay in the same building as Booker T, now that his job is done for the night. He doesn’t want to risk the World Champion getting any ideas, jumping him in the locker room or trying to start a fight before SummerSlam. “You’ve got your job tonight, Ric. Make sure they keep those titles with Evolution. I have one job, and that’s to make sure I get to SummerSlam so I can reclaim MY World Heavyweight Championship!” Afterwards, Triple H makes his exit, leaving the arena for the night - meaning that Evolution is down to three men.

…

Commercial Break

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Match 4 | 2-ON-1 HANDICAP MATCH:
Women’s Champ, Jazz (with Theodore Long) vs. Two Local Talents
It’s a handicap match for the WWE Women’s Champion to put over her dominance and power ahead of the title match coming up at SummerSlam. During the entrance of the Black Diamond, we cut to a shot of a corporate suite where Sable is sitting. Sable is in a designer dress, looking like a movie star, as she watches from the box. The local jobbers never stood a chance when they clashed with the Women’s Champion. She easily throws them around the ring, clubbing both with a single swipe of her arm. On the outside, Teddy Long parades around shouting that he has never seen a champion like Jazz. The finish to the match sees Jazz apply the Bitch Clamp to one of the local workers until they are forced to tap out. The match goes exactly 90 seconds, and acts as a stark reminder of how powerful she really is. When the match is over, Jazz rips the title belt from the referee and climbs onto the turnbuckle. She has eyes for one thing - the corporate box and her opponent at SummerSlam. From the top of the arena, Sable stands up and motions around her waist that she wants the title. Jazz shouts that she is going to rip Sable in half while holding the title in the air proudly.
Winner: Jazz @ 01:30


Back in the interview area, Teri Runnels is standing with Shawn Michaels. She begins the interview by discussing the outcome of the number-one contender's match last week. As she describes it, the Heartbreak Kid was on the verge of booking a match for the World Title when the lights went out, and the Forsaken appeared in the ring to cost him the match. The question that has been circling the WWE all week is why? Shawn looks puzzled, telling Teri that he has never seen or spoken to a single member of the Forsaken. In fact, the last time he danced with a devil was long ago, before he accepted Jesus Christ as his lord and saviour. “I don’t know why they did what they did last week, but you can be certain that HBK is not going to take it lying down.” Shawn says that they robbed him of a title shot, a chance to main event SummerSlam, and that’s an opportunity that comes once a year. He looks at the camera - calling out the Forsaken to give him a sign, mocking Corino’s status as the Devil - daring them to show themselves. That’s when the feed begins to flicker and becomes static for a moment.

In place of Shawn Michaels and Teri Runnels are the steps of the black church that has been shown previously. Standing under the arch of the doorway are Shannon Moore and Sean O’Haire. Moving up the steps of the church, we go inside and down the black carpet to the altar, where the Devil stands - mask on. Steve Corino runs his hand along his book of shadows, a candle flickering to his right. He plays with the flame on his fingertips. Corino delivers another dark sermon - he calls Shawn Michaels a false prophet who gave all glory to God when Steve Corino walks among the living. He claims that the gates of heaven could not stop the Forsaken from breaching the kingdom of heaven if they truly desired. With a snicker, Corino declares that one day he shall claim the kingdom of heaven as it is represented on earth, but for now, he will settle for destroying those who fail to see that the day of reckoning has come. “You’re a loyal soldier of God, are you not, Shawn? Where was your almighty lord when the Devil stood face to face with you?” With O’Haire and Moore standing with him… and the female, who remains unnamed, and face hidden, Corino whispers - “You overcame the devil in your mind once,,, now let's see if you can defeat the real thing.”


With a tap on a door, Ric Flair leads the World Tag Team Champions, Randy Orton and Batista, out from their locker room and begins the walk toward the gorilla position. While making their walk, Randy Orton begins to cut a promo to the camera about how Evolution are the peak of the business. They have dominated the tag team scene on Raw since the night after WrestleMania. Chosen by Ric Flair and Triple H, they are the future of professional wrestling. Batista looks angrily at the camera, showing off his powerhouse build, while Orton continues to smack-talk to the camera. He runs down Dusty Rhodes as a foolish old man for thinking that this would be a good idea. “You’re a legend in this business, but we are the new breed. We are stronger, faster and smarter than any athlete you have seen. This is our animal and me… well, I’ve always been fond of putting old dogs out to pasture like you. You’re a living legend, Dusty. Let’s see if you remain that way by the end of the night.”

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Commercial Break

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Match 5 | TAG TEAM MATCH | WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS:
Evolution (Batista & Randy Orton) vs. Goldust & Dusty Rhodes
For the first time in the history of Monday Night Raw, Dusty Rhodes will compete in the ring. Not only that, but he’s challenging for a title belt as well with his son. It’s an emotional entrance for the Rhodes family, father and son standing together to great cheers from the audience. The opening portion of the match sees Goldust square off with Randy Orton. The crowd chants for Dusty from the opening bell. You can expect that they do a good job in keeping his in-ring time limited, keeping the legend on the apron as much as they can, letting him play to the crowd as he does best as the non-legal man. The big spot in the match comes when the referee is hit with a spear, when Goldust ducks out of the way, and Batista keeps running forward. Goldust acts quickly, snatching Batista from behind by the head.

With the referee knocked down, Ric Flair jumps into the ring and hits a low blow on Goldust to cut him off from hitting the Final Cut. To the roar of the crowd, Dusty Rhodes enters the ring and squares off with his greatest rival. The building is shaking, people are on their feet as Rhodes versus Flair begins anew here on Raw in 2003! A big punch by Dusty lands. He drives Flair back, but the Nature Boy chops him back. With a rush of adrenaline, Dusty hits the Bionic Elbow to knock Flair down and send him spinning out of the ring. Slithering into the ring, Randy Orton sneaks up behind the American Dream and strikes with the RKO! Things look to be over at this point until “Rap Sheet” blasts over the arena! From behind the curtain, Booker T sprints down to the ring with a steel chair in hand. He swings - nailing Randy Orton in the head! Batista charges at the World Champion… but eats a shot with the chair across the back as well. On the outside, Flair staggers to his feet, his eyes wide at the sight of Booker T, and he climbs onto the apron… eating a shot with the chair himself! Booker T has taken out every member of Evolution in the building, and he grabs Goldust by the arm, drags him over and on top of Batista! After exiting the ring, Booker shoves the referee back in and watches as the zebra makes the three count.
Winners: And NEW World Tag Team Champions - Goldust & Dusty Rhodes @ 10:01

Jim Ross can barely contain the excitement in his voice as he describes this moment as one of the biggest upsets in Raw history. The reigning World Tag Team Champions have been unseated by a father-son duo. There’s a bunch of confetti falling from the ceiling as Dusty Rhodes and Goldust are handed the title belts. For the first time in company history, we have a father-son duo as champions of the world. Dusty is helped to his feet by the referee, still feeling the shock of wrestling for the first time in a few years. He embraces Goldust with a big hug, the two men with stunned looks on their faces as they both hold a title belt. In unison, they look up the ramp and give a big salute to Booker T, watching on with a big smile on his face and a steel chair in his hand. Booker T just cost Evolution their titles; he has struck back against them for all the torment they have caused. Triple H is not going to be pleased when he hears about this, declares Jerry Lawler.

…

Commercial Break

…

“Glass Shatters” hits over the arena, and fans jump to their feet as Stone Cold Steve Austin marches down to the ring. Dressed in his black boots, black trunks and an ‘Austin 3:16’ shirt, the Texas Rattlesnake takes control of the squared circle with a microphone in his hand. He waits a moment to allow the fans to settle. Looking at his wrist as if it had a watch on it, Austin tells Eric Bischoff his time is up, and the deadline is now. “You sorry son of a bitch, you’ve had a week to get me a contract like I asked for, and you’ve done nothing but hide in your office with your tail between your legs.” Stone Cold reminds Bischoff that he warned him that hell would break loose if he wasn’t given the one thing he wanted - a match with Goldberg. “Hell, you could’ve picked the time, date and place for all I give a damn. I just want that big bastard in the ring, between these ropes and a referee to count the pin when I stomp his ass.” The crowd roars as Austin leans over the ropes, shouting that Bischoff and his little Administration have proven they are a bunch of crybabies, and they don’t have an ounce of courage between the 7 or 8 of them - Austin mockingly saying he can’t keep count with how many there are anymore.

Rubbing his head, Stone Cold looks up the ramp and says that maybe he has gone about this the wrong way. He pauses, thinking for a moment, before calling out Goldberg directly. He insults Goldberg, being a dog on a leash rather than a titan to be feared. Suddenly, Eric Bischoff appears on the titantron from his office, a smirk on his face, no longer showing the concern he had earlier. Bischoff quips that he is still in charge of this show, and he will not kneel to the demands of the likes of Stone Cold Steve Austin. “You don’t set deadlines for me to follow, Austin. I’m the boss here - whether you like it or not. This is my show, and there’s nobody more powerful than I on Monday Night Raw.” Austin can’t help but notice that Bischoff is doing all this talking from the safety of his office. He invites him to come down to the ring - like a man - and say this to his face, or he can continue to be a little weasel hiding backstage. Bischoff sneers, shoving his finger toward the camera and telling Austin off for his insolence. After a set of insults, “Invasion” kicks in over the speakers - heralding the arrival of the ‘Titan of War.’ Bischoff’s jaw drops on the titantron, and he runs off-screen, shouting for people to “get out of his way” as the camera switches to a shot of Goldberg approaching the curtain.

From the smoke in the arena, Goldberg emerges to a chorus of boos as he locks eyes with Stone Cold. Goldberg gets to the ring as Eric Bischoff sprints down after him, getting between his titan and Stone Cold. He tells Goldberg to back away - “Don’t play his games. He doesn’t run this show, I do.” However, Goldberg brushes through Bischoff and goes face-to-face with the Texas Rattlesnake, drawing a huge pop from the crowd. Both men want to fight - Bischoff is shouting at them both, he has not approved this match, he will not sign this - he won’t give Austin what he wants. Austin and Goldberg ignore him; they jawjack each other, sizing their opponent up for the fight that is so likely to come. Out of nowhere… “No Chance In Hell” plays and shocks the wrestling world! For the first time since WrestleMania, Mr McMahon is back on Raw! The Chairman of the Board struts to the ring, dressed in his suit, and joins the three men standing in the squared circle. There’s no time to be wasted here, as McMahon says that he has been sitting at home watching Raw, waiting for these two to collide.

“So, you could imagine my surprise when I found out that Eric had no intention of signing such a match.” The camera cuts to Bischoff, who tries to sink back into a corner of the ring, avoiding the gaze of his boss. Vince pulls out a set of papers from his pocket and holds them up in the air. He asks the fans if they want to see Stone Cold Steve Austin versus Goldberg. They pop like mad… he nods, expressing that people have always had a lot to say about him, but the one thing that has always been true, never debated, is that he gives the people what they want. “If you want Stone Cold and Goldberg, by god, I’m going to give it to you!” The chairman walks over to Austin, pulls out the paperwork and a pen. Without looking at anything, Austin signs! He does the same for Goldberg… who pauses for a moment, looking back at Eric Bischoff. Bischoff shakes his head, but Goldberg ignores him - signing the contract! With both men signed, Vince turns to Bischoff and shoves the paperwork into his chest.

“At SummerSlam, it’ll be Stone Cold Steve Austin going one-on-one with Goldberg for the first time ever!”

Once more, “No Chance In Hell” hits the speakers as Raw comes to a close. The biggest match in the history of SummerSlam has been signed. It’s the biggest star of the WWE in the 90s against the biggest star from WCW in the 90s. The Texas Rattlesnake up against the Titan of War. Eric Bischoff thought he could inject Goldberg into the WWE and use him to drive out Stone Cold without pitting them in a match. Now, he will be forced to see his ultimate weapon compete in a WWE ring against perhaps the greatest WWE superstar of all time. The show officially closes, a shot of Austin and Goldberg, locked in a staredown, with Vince McMahon standing off to the side, our final shot before we… fade to black.

1. The Bischoff/Hogan relationship hasn’t really been a factor in this timeline. I decided not to have Jericho face any disciplinary action because it happened on a SmackDown show, and Bischoff has so much going on that he wouldn’t care. The way Bischoff is currently, there’s no need for him to show a caring side. He’s absolutely a power-hungry GM with the sole focus of destroying Stone Cold Steve Austin. He’s so consumed with keeping 100% control over Monday Night Raw, afraid of seeing that iron grip slip, that he has no concern for previous relationships if they can’t aid his quest for total power.

2. The reason Triple H had to leave the arena is that Booker T was always going to come down during the match and cause the title change as payback for the weeks of abuse. If Triple H is in the building, then I would have needed to include him in the finish. I did not want him involved at all in this title change or getting physical with Booker T this week. Last week, Booker T hit the Book End to end the show against Triple H. In his journey to reclaim the World Title, Triple H does not actually care about Evolution retaining their titles. He’s focused on getting his title back, and after last week, where Booker showed he could lay hands on Triple H, he was better off leaving the area earlier. If Triple H sticks around, as a heel, he’s thinking, what if Booker T barges into my locker room and attacks me? What if I get hurt before SummerSlam because Booker does what I’d be willing to do? That’s why he leaves, which sets up Booker T being able to do what he does in the title match.

3. The Bischoff choice is something that I thought about for a long time. The way I see Bischoff is that he wants to destroy Stone Cold and remove him from Raw. It’s not about making it last a long time either. Bischoff would take a one-stop fix on his Austin problem rather than something that takes months. Bischoff has been actively feuding with Austin since the night after Mania 19, and you can argue he was involved back in February. When he brings in Goldberg, he believes the original attack is going to be enough to send the message - don’t come back. When Austin returns and can match Goldberg in a fight, it rattles Bischoff, which is why he doesn’t answer the deadline. You see him with a contract of his own earlier in the show, but he can’t bring himself to do it because it’s what Austin wants. That’s what is stinging him the most - Austin has called his bluff. Austin is willing to face Goldberg, and that grinds Bischoff’s gears beyond anything else. He hates that Austin wants to face Goldberg; that was never his plan. He thought Goldberg would come in, destroy Austin and then that would be it - a classic heel thinking the babyface wouldn’t have the courage to muster a fight because they wouldn’t personally. He’s holding back on doing it because a) Austin wants it and that’s enough for Bischoff to do the opposite, b) Bischoff can’t comprehend Austin being willing to fight Goldberg, since he himself is a coward, and c) He is a power-hungry control freak and doing this violates who he is to the core, as it was not his idea.

Having Mr McMahon make the match allows Bischoff to realise he has lost some of his power. Which means I can have him go a bit crazy and manic now as to how he can consolidate the remaining power he has to make sure he doesn’t lose that. Also, Vince isn’t a babyface exactly. He’s just kind of the Mr McMahon character that would sometimes do stuff which benefitted the fans.

Thanks for the comments as always, and thank you to everyone for the likes, reads and the DMs. Glad to see we're still kicking goals over here and people are enjoying the thread now that we're approaching 7 months completed.

This show is in the books. I've started work on Raw for the following week. The train keeps moving as we approach the biggest party of the Summer. You can expect this show either Saturday or Sunday.


The WWE Championship contest for SummerSlam was decided last Sunday. In a fiery clash, Brock Lesnar defeated Edge after weeks of intense back-and-forth. To close out the show, The Rock once again stood tall, retaining the WWE Title, regardless of the means by which he did so. The story of The Rock and Brock Lesnar dates back a year. They first clashed at SummerSlam last year. It was a night where Brock Lesnar ascended to the very top of the industry after just six months on Raw, claiming the WWE Title and sending The Rock out of the WWE until February 2003. Their rematch came at WrestleMania 19, dubbed the ‘Battle in Seattle’, and the result favoured the ‘Great One’ on that night. Now, four weeks away from their third epic encounter, The Rock and Brock Lesnar will sign the contract to solidify their trilogy. It cannot be understated how important this match is for both men. Brock Lesnar has been chasing the WWE Title since he was robbed of it back in November. It should’ve been his at WrestleMania 19, if not for the interference of the Samoan Death Squad. A moment of glory was stolen from him. Both men will face each other with their impending clash just four weeks away.

It was a series that captured the hearts and minds of WWE fans all across the globe over the last two months. Los Guerreros and the World’s Greatest Tag Team wrestled 6 times on SmackDown and then had an epic conclusion at Vengeance on pay-per-view. In the hope of claiming the WWE Tag Team Titles for their own. However, chasing glory can at times create more heartbreak than triumph. That has never been truer than for Eddie and Chavo Guerrero. While they wrestled incredibly across the Best of Seven Series, they ultimately came up short, losing 4-3 to the champions. As a result, Los Guerreros will never be allowed to team together, no matter how long their careers last; the ruling is forever. Eddie and Chavo will appear on SmackDown this week to provide a final farewell to all those fans who have supported them throughout the years. It’s one last chance to cheer them on, not as a team, but as Eddie and Chavo Guerrero, because as we know, Los Guerreros are no more.

A match that was bumped from the pay-per-view is now being provided to the fans of SmackDown for free on UPN! In a big-time eight-man tag team match, the Samoan Death Squad will team with Big Show & A-Train to take on the APA & Hard-Ass. There have been words exchanged among all men within this match, the most heated coming between the SDS and APA. Fans would do well to remember how Big Show and A-Train bullied Jamie Noble during his attempt to collect money for his debt to the APA, which, without a doubt, pissed Bradshaw and Simmons off. Billy Gunn and Hardcore Holly had a few choice words for Big Show and A-Train as well ahead of their clash with one half of the team a few weeks ago.

Finally, John Cena will be appearing on SmackDown this week and competing in singles competition against Rhyno. It’s a non-title bout after successfully defending the WWE United States Championship against Billy Kidman at Vengeance. It was a busy night for the ‘Man of the Hour’ on Sunday as he also played a part in the main event. Cena struck Kurt Angle with a steel chain to the head, knocking the challenger for the WWE Title out, and assisting The Rock in retaining his title. While we have not heard directly from Cena currently, he is expected to address the crowd and provide a background for his actions. It’s not doubt tied to the way Kurt Angle had been speaking with Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas since his return, which always didn’t sit well with Cena and his ‘OG’ Paul Heyman. Kurt Angle is also confirmed for SmackDown.

Confirmed For SmackDown:
Samoan Death Squad & Big Show/A-Train vs. APA & Hard-Ass
WWE US Champ, John Cena vs. Rhyno
Eddie and Chavo Guerrero provide a final farewell for Los Guerreros
Plus; WWE Champion, The Rock and Brock Lesnar sign the contract for their match at SummerSlam!

*OPENING VIDEO*

*PYRO*

There can only be one way to open SmackDown after a pay-per-view, and it’s with the WWE Champion. “It’s Conquered” hits inside the arena, signalling the arrival of the most electrifying man in all of entertainment - The Rock! He’s the man who defeated Kurt Angle on Sunday to retain the WWE Championship, which is held in his right hand. Alone in the ring, The Rock declares that he wanted the opportunity to come down to the ring and open SmackDown after once again defeating the “greatest Olympic athlete the WWE has ever seen”, said in a mocking tone. The Rock has that million-dollar smile on full display as he recaps the main event of Vengeance, citing his grit and determination, leaving out any mention of John Cena’s involvement, as to why he is still the WWE Champion. Chants of “LES-NAR” echo throughout the building during the promo. In response, The Rock shouts at the audience to watch their tone; otherwise, he’ll cancel SmackDown and close the whole building down. As it relates to Brock Lesnar, The Rock explains that he’ll be here a little later in the show. “The Rock knows you people here in Colorado want more of the ‘Great One’, and you’re going to get it. Later tonight, The Rock will walk back down that ramp to sign the contract for WWE Championship match at SummerSlam against that big meathead you lot call the ‘Next Big Thing.’”

The Rock talks about how this will be the third time that he and Brock have stepped into the ring against each other with the WWE Title on the line. Looking back to SummerSlam 2002, The Rock mockingly recounts how the audience turned on him as he was leaving to film a movie in Hollywood. He smiles, laughing at the crowd, telling them that he can’t believe that it took so long for The Rock to realise that he never needed any of their support. He speaks about how, when he left, it hurt to be booed, to see the crowd turn on him, but now, as he stands alone at the top of the mountain, having seen off challenger after challenger, The Rock can say he is better off without their support. “Brock Lesnar hasn’t won a damn thing since he started listening to you, morons!” The crowd boos loudly as The Rock recaps that Brock Lesnar was on a high, he was running through the business like a man possessed, and then he started listening to the fans. “That’s where the wheels came off the unstoppable train that was Brock Lesnar. When you beat The Rock, you didn’t listen to them.”

That’s why The Rock believes he’s going to defeat Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam and complete their trilogy of main event matches. Lesnar has forgotten what got him to the top of the company and is far too concerned with what the idiots in the crowd think. The Rock cites the day he figured out that the fans are nothing more than leeches as the best day of his life. He knew from that day on that he would be fine without them. He knew that he could succeed without them, and the title on his shoulder is living proof of that! To finish off the opening promo, The Rock holds up the WWE Championship and says - “You care too much about what these people think, Brock. The man who stood across the ring from The Rock at WrestleMania is not the same as the one who was there at SummerSlam the year before. The Rock can see it - you want their admiration, their support, their love, and in your chase of that, you’ll ultimately end up with nothing because when you fail, they’ll move on. These people don’t hold us up - they drag us down. You’ll realise that… sooner or later.”

…

*Commercial Break*

…

Match 1 | TAG TEAM MATCH:
WWE Tag Team Champs, World’s Greatest Tag Team vs. Rikishi & Scotty 2 Hotty
After a brutal steel cage match on Sunday, Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas are right back into the action. Making their way to the ring with Paul Heyman by their side, the World’s Greatest Tag Team are covered in cuts and bruises, still showing what they went through at Vengeance. Heyman looks like a proud father, his faith fully restored in his handpicked tag team for the Dangerous Alliance. The match tonight kicks off with Charlie using his amateur wrestling style to hook Rikishi around the waist and lift him off the canvas for a release German suplex, which gets a big reaction from the crowd. Haas takes the ready position across the ring, waving Rikishi over to him, and he ducks a rampaging big man, countering with an arm drag. Rikishi slips to the outside of the ring while Haas makes a tag, and Shelton Benjamin leaps over the top rope with a senton!

At just past six minutes, the World’s Greatest can put this match away. Haas applies the ‘Haas of Pain’ and forces Scotty 2 Hotty to submit. In typical heel fashion, Haas keeps the submission on for a few seconds after the bell rings, only releasing the hold once Rikishi finds his way back into the ring and chases the champions off. While making their way up the ramp, Haas and Benjamin embrace Paul Heyman. The trio stand triumphant with the WWE Tag Team Titles and the ‘OG’ rubbing his hands together in excitement. In commentary, Cole and Tazz question if there is any tag team on SmackDown that can out-wrestle the champions.
Winners: World’s Greatest Tag Team @ 06:12


In the locker room, Spanky is sitting with his head in his hands, still upset about the loss at Vengeance. He was so close to becoming the WWE Cruiserweight Champion, but his knee gave out while attempting to hit his finishing move. A few moments pass without Spanky lifting his head until Rhyno takes a seat next to him. This has been going on since Sunday, as Rhyno tells Spanky he needs to lift his spirits. “You can’t let that one loss keep you down. Throughout my career, I’ve been at the top, the middle and the bottom. You need to lock in right now and focus on what is next.” Rhyno challenges Spanky to not let the loss undo the rise of his career. Vengeance should not be the last time that the fans see Spanky competing for the WWE Cruiserweight Title. He slaps Spanky on the back, which finally gets him to raise his head. Spanky stands up, and so does Rhyno. Spanky voices his frustration that he was “this close” to beating Nunzio, if only he had protected his leg during the match more, then it wouldn’t have given out. You can’t live on ‘if’s and buts’ according to Rhyno, who places an arm on the shoulder of his friend. “Come on, I’ve heard that there’s a meeting with all the cruiserweights about something planned for next week.”


The camera then cuts to the outside office of the SmackDown General Manager, Stephanie McMahon. The woman herself is on her cellphone with a coffee in the other hand, walking down the hall as he approaches the office door. Pushing the door open with her hip, Stephanie enters the office and comes to a sudden halt. The camera is on a close-up of Stephanie’s face, eyes wide, and it slowly turns around to show that a fancy leather couch has been added to the office, and Shane McMahon is sleeping on it! Stephanie ends her phone call early, walks over to the couch, and gives it a stiff kick, startling her brother awake. “Hey sis, what’s up?” Stephanie asks what Shane is doing in her office, and what the hell is he doing sleeping on a couch? Where did the couch even come from? Shane tells his sister that he was just getting a quick power nap in before he conducted some business as the General Manager of SmackDown. This irks Stephanie, who reminds Shane that she is the General Manager of SmackDown. Shane accepts this, nodding his head, and changes his wording to ‘Co-General Manager’ with a wink. He begins to express ideas for the show, running through matches and stipulations, plans for The Rock… to which Stephanie says that she has things under control. “If you want to be around and play pretend boss, go for it, just stay out of my way while I’m working, Shane.” Stephanie goes and takes a seat at her desk, while Shane McMahon no-sells the tongue-lashing he just took.

…

*Commercial Break*

…

Following the commercial break, Brock Lesnar is shown on the titantron as he arrives at the World Arena! In casual street clothes, Lesnar jumps out of his truck and heads for the entrance to the building. He’ll be appearing later for a contract signing with The Rock ahead of their WWE Championship match in four weeks at SummerSlam. In the commentary, Cole and Tazz have a brief discussion about the number one contender's match at Vengeance. Tazz mentions the visual pinfall that Edge scored on Lesnar, but Cole reminds viewers that the referee was knocked down during that period, and therefore it did not count.


Match 2 | 8-MAN TAG TEAM MATCH:
Samoan Death Squad & Big Show/A-Train vs. APA & Hard-Ass
A big-time eight-man tag match with four teams that are part of the SmackDown tag team division crossing paths. This match was originally planned for Vengeance and was bumped during the last week when the card was finalised. At ringside for this match is Jim Cornette, acting as manager for the Samoans. It’s a good showing for all teams, with nobody being made to look weak. There’s a nearfall during the match where Umaga Fatu flies through the air with his big splash onto Bradshaw. It’s broken up at the last possible second by Billy Gunn throwing himself toward the pin attempt, breaking it up. The finish of this match comes amidst utter chaos. All eight of the individuals involved in this match enter the ring, brawling in the squared circle and then spilling to the outside of it. Left inside the ring, the Samoan Death Squad and Bradshaw are in a two-on-one situation. They go for a finisher… when suddenly Jamie Noble sprints down to the ring and sacrifices himself in place of Bradshaw! Noble cops the big splash, which allows Bradshaw to get back to his feet and boot Fatu out of the ring with a big boot! With only two men in the ring, Bradshaw rebounds off the ropes and cracks Samu with his vicious Clothesline From Hell for the pinfall.
Winners: APA & Hard-Ass @ 11:54

In the immediate aftermath, the APA assist Jamie Noble to his feet, the latter selling the big splash from Fatu as if his guts have been turned inside out. He struggles for breath, coughing and needing assistance from Bradshaw and Simmons as they exit the ring. The rest of the individuals in this match fade from ringside. The camera focuses on the SDS still inside the ring. Umaga Fatu slaps the mat, shouting for the APA to come back down and fight. He’s held back by Cornette, who acts as the voice of reason, telling the superstar that their day will come for payback, but not tonight.


In the interview area, Kevin Kelly is alongside the WWE Cruiserweight Champion, Nunzio. The man they call the ‘Don of WWE’ is backed by his other two members of the FBI. They stand behind him in black leather jackets, shades on, arms crossed, never saying a word and only there to look intimidating. The interview begins with Kevin Kelly offering congratulations on the successful title defence at Vengeance. Nunzio cuts in, telling Kevin that he doesn’t need the appreciation from the likes of SmackDown’s interviewer. The praise is then followed up by Kevin Kelly asking who is next on the radar for the FBI. Nunzio unzips his own leather jacket, revealing the title belt around his waist and posturing that all roads lead back to the champion. “I don’t need to drive down roads blind, Kevin. I am the destination that everyone else is trying to reach, never forget that!” As Nunzio talks about being levels about the rest of SmackDown, he’s interrupted by the arrival of Matt Hardy. He gets a big pop from the crowd in the arena, appearing on the titantron with a smile as he eyes the title belt on the shoulder of the Don. Hardy provides a round of applause, telling Nunzio that he was impressed by what he saw. “You see, I’ve been sidelined for the title hunt for too long. I think it’s time that I get back to chasing what I haven’t had in a long time.” Hardy points to the title and warns Nunzio that he’s coming for the WWE Cruiserweight Title. Before exiting, Hardy once again offers Nunzio congratulations for his victory on Sunday, almost coming off as mocking the champ.

…

*Commercial Break*

…

“Medal” blasts over the speakers, drawing a huge pop from the crowd, excitement shooting through the roof, as Kurt Angle marches out onto the stage. On the titantron during his entrance, a replay is shown of the finish to the WWE Title match at Vengeance, done via photos, where Angle was screwed out of the victory by John Cena. Once inside the ring, Angle demands that his music be stopped. “I’ve got something to say, and you are all going to want to hear it.” Angle isn’t going to waste his time or yours with a recap of the last few months. There’s been enough of that since he came back, and he laid that timeline out very clearly last week ahead of the WWE Title bout. What Angle talks about is how one of his biggest regrets with getting hurt was leaving Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas alone to be picked off by that vulture, Paul Heyman. The draws a lot of heat from the crowd, and Angle continues to describe Heyman as untrustworthy and gutless. “That slimeball swooped in on those boys the minute I wasn’t there to protect them, to guide them, and he has morphed their minds that they need him.” He reveals that for the last month or so, Angle has done his best to get through to the warriors he knows are inside their minds, to convince them to throw Heyman into the trash where he belongs.

“Basic Thuganomics” cuts Angle off on the mic, and the Dangerous Alliance appear at the top of the stage, all four members. There’s a lot of gold on display - Cena with the US Title and World’s Greatest with the WWE Tag Titles. Angle looks like a lion in a cage, ready to run up the ramp at any moment… but he maintains his composure. John Cena has a microphone, opening his appearance by telling Angle that everything he has said tonight is why he’s standing in the ring without a title. “People have been asking me all week why I did it. I screwed you at Vengeance because you insulted us!” With a wave of his hand, Cena motions to the Dangerous Alliance. He asks Angle if he thinks Paul Heyman is stupid. Cena explains that Heyman knew all along what Angle was trying to do. How he was trying to turn Shelton and Charlie against the group, against the unit that has seen them dominate SmackDown. Angle disagrees; this was not about twisting the minds of his former allies, but he was guiding them to see that they are being taken advantage of by both Heyman and Cena!

Cena shouts back that Kurt Angle has tried for too long to destroy the Dangerous Alliance, and he will not stand for it. With a laugh, Cena replays the moment he bashed Angle over the head with the steel chain at Vengeance. Kurt Angle dares Cena to come down to the ring. “See how much you laugh when you’re standing in the ring against a man who can rip you limb from limb, Cena.” Cena declines as expected… at least alone. Angle now turns his attention to the World’s Greatest. He asks them to consider what he has told them for weeks, how close the three of them were and that they do not need to stand up there with the likes of Heyman and Cena. Before they can answer, Cena cuts them off and says that he will not hear disrespect against the ‘OG’ before tossing the mic to the ground, leading the walk to the ring. World’s Greatest follow behind as Cena slides into the ring and brawls with Kurt Angle!

Cena and Angle lock up, not in the traditional wrestling sense, but with punches and forearms. The opening of the brawl sees Cena in control, but that shifts when Angle forces him into a corner. World’s Greatest just watch… thinking about what they are going to do. Heyman shouts for them to help - now! Suddenly, Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas jump into action - attacking Kurt Angle from behind!! There’s a wave of boos from the audience as they rip Angle away from the corner, leaving Cena leaning back against the turnbuckle. World’s Greatest put the boots to Angle, officially cutting any ties with their former mentor. They’ve driven the death nail into that relationship tonight, and any potential issues with the Dangerous Alliance are forgiven. They grab Angle from behind, kicking and struggling, as Cena shakes off the cobwebs. With a closed fist, Cena strikes Angle in the head, slapping him across the face… and spits in his face! To more boos, Cena extends his hand to the ‘OG’, who pulls out a steel chain! Cena wraps it around his hand… he’s going to blast Angle with it! Suddenly, Billy Kidman and Rey Mysterio sprint down to the ring to aid Angle! The Dangerous Alliance slither from the ring like cowards, refusing to fight. Angle collapses to the canvas, his head ringing violently as Kidman and Mysterio stand in front of him, acting as a shield.


Elsewhere, Edge is shown walking through the hallway of the backstage area. After losing the match with Brock Lesnar on Sunday, the pain of defeat still rings in the mind of Edge. He reaches his destination, the office of the General Manager and he walks in without knocking. The office is without Stephanie McMahon but is occupied by her brother, Shane. In response to the surprise visit, Shane McMahon sits up on the couch, welcomes Edge and asks how he can help him. Edge looks around the office, his face not showing any openness for banter. He asks where Stephanie is, needing to talk with her about what happened at Vengeance. Shane explains that she is currently going over the contract for the WWE Title match with Brock Lesnar. That stings. Edge winces, shaking his head, and tells Shane that he needs to speak with her. He rambles about pinning Brock while the referee was down - he beat him, the referee just didn’t make the count. Shane agrees, which shocks Edge, but there’s nothing to be done as it stands. “Let me give you some advice. If you want to create change, you need chaos. It’s only in chaos that change happens, my father taught me that.” He goes on to explain how, if not for chaos, the WWE would never have expanded during the territory wars. Chaos is required… the phrase rattling around in Edge’s head as he leaves the office.

…

*Commercial Break*

…

Match 3 | SINGLES MATCH:
Rey Mysterio vs. Johnny Stamboli (with Chuck Palumbo)
It’s a quick singles match when we are back from the break, mostly to highlight Rey Mysterio and showcase his exciting wrestling style on the show. Stamboli is without the FBI's leader and is now only with Chuck Palumbo. In commentary, Cole recaps the earlier events with Mysterio coming to the aid of Kurt Angle alongside Billy Kidman. This is attributed to Mysterio being no fan of the Dangerous Alliance, having fought John Cena three times this year with the WWE United States Title up for grabs. In this bout, Rey uses his speed advantage to stay away from Stamboli and keep him guessing about what is coming next. At the finish, Rey Mysterio hits a dropkick to the knee, forcing Stamboli into the middle rope and executes the 619 and the splash for the pinfall win. After the victory, Rey climbs onto the turnbuckle and celebrates to the applause of the fans.
Winners: Rey Mysterio @ 05:05


We are going old school with this pre-tape now. In the backstage area, a large SmackDown panel in the background, Mean Gene standing alongside his close personal friend, Hulk Hogan. There’s a big gash across Hogan’s forehead from where the television monitor was rammed into it. After introducing his friend, Mean Gene begins the interview by asking how the Hulkster is feeling after the brutal attack on Sunday by “that coward” Chris Jericho. Classically, Hulk Hogan rips right in, telling Mean Gene that he has gotten thousands of get-well letters, flowers, phone calls, and well-wishes from millions of Hulkamaniacs across the country. “I haven’t had the chance to read them all, but rest assured, I’ll cherish every one that came from my loyal fans, Mean Gene!” He describes feeling the power of the fans on Sunday night when he lifted the World’s Strongest Man over his head, slamming him down to the mat and pinning him, as he did with Andre way back at WrestleMania 3. “As far as Chris Jericho is concerned… I’ve got a lot to say to that little weasel!”

Hogan says that he never thought much of Jericho to begin with, and his actions at Vengeance proved to the world what a coward he truly is. When it comes to a match between the two… Hulk Hogan declares that he would love nothing more than to take his 16-inch pythons and wrap them around the head of Y2J, and squeeze his face right off! It’s official - Hulk Hogan has accepted the challenge by Chris Jericho, and will face him at SummerSlam… but that’s not all. “Next Monday on Raw, dude! Hulk Hogan is going to come to your front door, kick it down and look at you, face to face, because I’ve got good news and bad news for you, brother.” The pre-tape ends with Hulk Hogan flexing his muscles, as Mean Gene confirms the match for SummerSlam is booked, and that Hogan will appear on Raw this Monday.

…

*Commercial Break*

…

In a crowded locker room, Jim Cornette and the Samoan Death Squad are found in discussion following the commercial break. Josh Mathews makes his way into the room, trying his best to get a word in with either member of the SDS, but Jim Cornette cuts him off. Cornette sticks a finger right in Matthews' face and recalls days of old when people like him would’ve never been allowed near a wrestling locker room. “The good old days when this place was filled with men who had guts and looked the part,” Cornette tells Mathews to keep his mouth shut when he attempts to ask a question. Pointing back toward Samu and Fatu, Cornette rants about how these are the only two real men in the business today. “They aren’t savages - they are world-class athletes with a mean streak unmatched by any on this roster.” He explains that tonight, the APA got lucky; they had to send that annoying wimp Jamie Noble into the ring to get the better of the Death Squad. “Jamie Noble barely belongs at the concessions stand in a wrestling arena, never mind the actual ring itself. Makes me sick!” He continues his rant about how the APA would never be able to beat the SDS in a standard tag team match. He ends by seizing Mathews by the collar and forcing him out of the locker room, telling him to stay out!


In a rare occurrence, we see the arrival of two superstars without the aid of entrance music. From behind the curtain, Eddie and Chavo Guerrero appear, wearing their own merch, without their iconic tag team theme, due to the stipulation at Vengeance. In commentary, Cole reminds fans that Los Guerreros are no more, which means they cannot use the “Viva La Raza” theme song on SmackDown. Described as a final goodbye for the team by Tazz, we see clips of some of their greatest moments played on screen as the two men make the long walk down the ramp. Once inside the ring, Eddie and Chavo both grab microphones and take a moment to accept the love being shown to them from the audience. Eddie is already getting emotional before he says a word. He blames himself for what happened, telling the audience that it was his idea to put their career as a tag team on the line, and it was he who failed to kick out at Vengeance. His pleas of having nothing left in the tank draw chants of ‘ED-DIE’ from the crowd - not a soul in the building blaming him for what happened, including his nephew next to him. Chavo wraps an arm around Eddie, thanking him for the years as a team and for what he has meant to him personally as both an uncle, tag partner and a friend. “I love you, Eddie. I always will.”

They embrace in the ring to a big cheer from the audience. Chavo then says that he wanted to take a moment to thank the fans around the world for all the love and support they showed Los Guerreros. “We both left everything in this ring for all of you - we made you part of the Guerrero family. That’s what made Los Guerreros so special.” Eddie chimes in, acknowledging the role the fans played throughout the years, calling them the third member of Los Guerreros. They may never hear the Los Guerreros theme again, see the two of them team together, but the fans will always be part of their family. Through tears in his eyes, Eddie slaps his chest and gives one final - “VIVA LA RAZA” before sharing another farewell hug with Chavo. The end of a beloved team, no breakup, no betrayal, a hug between family and two new journeys on different paths.


Back in the General Manager’s office, Stephanie McMahon is back from her meeting and finds Shane McMahon sitting at her desk, reading paperwork with a pair of glasses on. Upon entering, Stephanie asks why Shane is wearing glasses, to which he replies that he thought they made him look smarter. “No, they don’t. Now, get out of my seat.” Shane stands up, waving his sister over and leans against the desk. He mentions that Edge came by earlier, looking for her, and that he sorted it. She asks for further information as to what Edge wanted, showing concern after his previous actions when things don’t go his way. Once again, Shane tells her that he has it sorted. “I know you said that. What did you tell him?” Shane smiles and tells the truth - “I told him that chaos creates opportunity.” You can see Stephanie’s eyes roll and her heart sink with those words. “Great, I can’t wait to see how this turns out now. It’s not like Edge to do something rash.” The camera cuts to Shane, who has a look on his face that appears he’s hoping for Edge to do exactly that.

…

*Commercial Break*

…

Match 4 | SINGLES MATCH:
US Champ, John Cena (with Paul Heyman) vs. Rhyno (with Spanky)
We return from the break with Rhyno already standing in the ring, awaiting the arrival of his opponent. There’s a slight delay in the music kicking in, no doubt a tactic, as John Cena makes Rhyno wait in the ring by himself. During his entrance, Cena walks to the ring with a black hoodie over his head and the WWE United States Title in the hands of Paul Heyman. Both of them keep looking over their shoulders - keeping an eye out for Kurt Angle after the attack they organised earlier. This match is a fairly basic encounter between the two. Cena repeatedly avoids the Gore, slipping to the outside and pointing to his head - “I’m way too smart for that, meathead.” During the match, Cena draws a great deal of heat when he executes three German suplexes without breaking his grip, mimicking Kurt Angle. They look awful, and Tazz rips into him for the poor technique. Cena also applies an ankle lock to Rhyno, taunting the gold medalist by shouting into the camera that he can do everything that Angle can do, but better. The finish of the match occurs when Cena scoops Rhyno onto his shoulders and nails the Attitude Adjustment for the three count.
Winners: John Cena @ 07:56


In a video package, Mark Henry stands in a black room, a lone strongman surrounded by darkness. Henry tells a story from when he was a child, and he was pushed by his father to be as strong as he could be. “We would spend hours in the garage lifting weights, building muscle, and it was never enough.” He explains how his father pushed him, believing that Mark could be the strongest man in the world if he wanted to be. Glaring into the camera, Henry declares that his father was right. He is stronger than any man in the world, and last Sunday, it was a mistake. Henry claims that he hesitated for just one moment instead of crushing Hulk Hogan beneath his powerful grip, and that came back to haunt him. He looks off camera, contemplating things, and tells us that the loss at Vengeance has haunted him for days. “I go to sleep, and I replay that match over and over.” There’s a rage in his eyes, Henry slapping his chest - “None of you can understand what I’m willing to do now! I’ll break every one of you! I need to prove that I am the strongest man in the world, just like my father said! It starts with the SmackDown roster… one by one until I stand as the only man left!”

…

*Commercial Break*

…

Inside the ring, after the final commercial of the night, is a table, two chairs and both Stephanie and Shane McMahon. Cole and Tazz announce that we are set for the contract signing between The Rock and Brock Lesnar ahead of their title match in just under four weeks. “Next Big Thing” cranks over the arena, announcing the arrival of the number one contender - Brock Lesnar! It’s a big pop for the challenger, who makes his way down to the ring looking pumped up, ready for the rematch he has been fighting to achieve since WrestleMania 19. Once inside the ring, Lesnar takes a seat in the chair facing the entrance ramp, so he can keep an eye on his opponent when he makes that same walk. “It’s Conquered” hits, the lights go out, and a spotlight appears at the top of the ramp, where The Rock is standing with the WWE Championship in his right hand. A few moments pause, the arrogant champion posing, drawing mega heat from the crowd, before he begins the walk to the ring.

Once both men are inside the ring, Stephanie McMahon welcomes everyone to the official contract signing for SmackDown’s SummerSlam main event. The Rock jumps right in, cutting off the General Manager, and points to the WWE Title, which he has positioned on the table. “Take a good look at this, boy. It’s as close as you’re going to get to it.” Lesnar chuckles, shaking his head, slowly picking up the mic. Once again, The Rock acts first, holding up a hand in front of Lesnar to silence him. “Laugh all you want now because it’s going to be the same result at SummerSlam as it was when The Rock whooped your monkey ass all over Seattle at WrestleMania!” That draws an ‘Ooohhh’ from the audience, while Brock shrugs, still showing a smirk. Lesnar tells The Rock that they can play the game of ‘who beat who’ back and forth, but that doesn’t change what is going to happen at SummerSlam. What happened at WrestleMania 19 is in the history books; it’s yesterday’s news. “Just like your title reign is going to be yesterday’s news when I rip that title away from you.” The Rock sneers, asking Lesnar if he’s read the history books because his name [The Rock] is on every damn page since 1996! Slapping the table, The Rock challenges Brock to look around SmackDown, see how it prospers when The Rock is at the head of the table, leading this show, being the face of the WWE.

The Rock explains that this is the longest World Championship reign of his career. The guys he was battling during the Attitude Era have come and gone. Some have turned to legends, others faded into the shadows, and a few are still hanging onto whatever fame they can, selling bootleg t-shirts out of the back of their cars at conventions. “The fact remains, while the rest of that era has long since faded… The Rock is still at the top of this business!” They proclaimed Brock Lesnar the next big thing a year ago, and the world thought he had driven The Rock out of his spot. “Until I ripped this title out of Kurt Angle’s hands, and The Rock is never letting it go again!” In response, Lesnar mentions their epic WrestleMania clash, how he had never felt the excitement of that stage, the feeling of a stadium watching on in anticipation. Maybe he did get lost in the moment; it might have been too soon, but not now. “I am not next, Rock. I am NOW!” Lesnar grabs the contract on the table, signing his name on it and then pushes it toward The Rock.

There’s a moment of pause. The WWE Champion eyes his title belt on the table and then slowly signs his name on the contract. The deed is done - The Rock and Brock Lesnar have both signed to confirm their bout at the biggest party of the summer. As Stephanie McMahon begins to wrap up the contract signing… the lights go out! There are a few shouts, screams and hisses from the audience amongst the darkness. When they come back on, Stephanie and Shane McMahon have exited the ring, leaving The Rock and Brock Lesnar inside the squared circle. Both men are standing, having tossed the chairs they were sitting on aside, looking ready for a fight. In this moment, they have eyes only for each other… which means they do not have time to react! The Rock doesn’t see it coming as the steel chair slams into his back, sending a chill down his spine, burning down his back. Across the ring, Lesnar now reacts, rushing forward to strike, but he is hit with the same steel chair! The camera zooms in… showing Edge as the attacker!!

Edge has invaded the contract signing and unloads with the steel chair on both champion and challenger. They never saw it coming! The crowd chant his name - “EDGE” as the violence within him takes over. When Brock begins to fight back to his feet, using the ropes to rise, he is caught by Edge and nailed with a flapjack through the table! It’s utter chaos inside the ring. Edge backs up into a corner, watching as The Rock rises, pulling his hair like a madman… before splitting The Rock in half with a devastating spear. As the audience watches in awe, Edge grabs the WWE Championship from the smashed table and holds it up to a huge cheer from the crowd. He then rolls to the outside of the ring, facing Shane McMahon, who has the contract in his left hand. “How was that for chaos?” Shane smirks, gives him a nod… and HANDS EDGE THE CONTRACT WITH A PEN! Edge flicks through the contract and signs it on top of the WWE Championship on the outside of the ring. What does this mean? SmackDown goes off the air with Edge walking up the entrance ramp, WWE Championship in his hand, having signed his name on the contract for SummerSlam!

*OPENING VIDEO*

*PYRO*

It’s a jam-packed building tonight here in Vancouver, and they provide a huge round of applause when “Glass Shatters” hits the PA system for the first time. He’s the man who got what he wanted last week. Stone Cold Steve Austin marches his way to the squared circle, a date with Goldberg locked in for SummerSlam, and ready to take on the world. To big cheers from each side of the arena, Stone Cold poses on the second rope of each corner, raising his fists in the air. Once the crowd has settled, Austin grabs the microphone, telling the crowd that he doesn’t plan on standing out here by himself for very long. In less than three weeks, he’s going to be standing across the ring from the man they call a titan. “They tell me he can’t be beat. That’s he’s tougher than any man that God ever made.” He pauses for a moment before calling it “utter crap” and declares that there isn’t a man dead, alive or yet to be born that is invincible. Listing the various monikers of individuals he has overthrown, including: “Great Ones, Hitmen, Princes of Darkness…” the list goes on and on. According to Austin, the same nonsense was spouted about them as has been done with Goldberg. “If the son of a bitch bleeds, then I can and will beat him!”

“Invasion” kicks in over the speakers, cutting the Rattlesnake off on the mic, and announces the entrance of the ‘Titan of War’ to Monday Night Raw. Through the smoke and flames at the top of the stage, wearing a thick leather jacket, Goldberg emerges like a fire-breathing dragon. It’s an iconic picture to behold. Standing across from each other - Goldberg and Steve Austin are face to face, yet again. In commentary, Jim Ross cannot contain his excitement for this clash in 20 days in Phoenix, Arizona. It’s the dream match that so many thought would never happen, especially after the flood of WCW talent in 2001. After a long, silent staredown, Austin points out to Goldberg that the two of them haven’t shared the ring alone since they brawled on Raw. “If I remember correctly, you ended up flat on your back on that announce desk, right over there,” Goldberg smirks out of the side of his mouth. “You'd best enjoy that little memory you’ve got there, Steve. That’s the only time you’re ever going to put me on my back.”

They both take a step closer and jaw-jack off the mic, which only fires up the crowd further. Goldberg rubs his chin, raising his microphone to his mouth and paces back and forth in front of Stone Cold. He tells the Rattlesnake that Austin is blinded by his own arrogance as to what is going on here. “For you to come out and give deadlines to someone more powerful than you’d ever hope to be. You run around and answer to all of them…” Goldberg points to the crowd, who cheer, while he sneers. “I answer to but one person, my financial backer, the man who has made me a millionaire ten times over, my friend and advisor, Eric Bischoff.” Huge boos rain down from the audience as Goldberg continues, announcing that he had no personal issue with Austin when he came in. He was just doing what he could for a friend, who paid him a lot of money to fix a problem. He reveals that this has and always will be about money for him. Inside the ring, he isn’t interested in wrestling for an hour, putting on a classic technical masterpiece, or even entertaining the fans. “I’m here for the money, Steve. That’s where you and I are different. You’d do this for free, you love it. I wouldn’t be caught dead in this building if I wasn’t being paid to be here.”

Austin cuts in now, shouting down Goldberg for bitching and moaning about how much money he makes. “I’ll give you a damn t-shirt if that’ll shut you up.” Stone Cold brushes off the idea that this wasn’t personal. It felt personal when Goldberg walked down to the ring and nearly broke him in half, the first time they ever met. In response, Goldberg reiterates that it was just business at that point. Now, it’s deadly personal because of what Austin did to him. “You embarrassed me in front of millions of people. I don’t get knocked down! I don’t fail like everyone else. I am better than everyone else, Austin!” Countering that point, Austin asks what makes Goldberg better than the people in the building tonight or those attending SummerSlam. Without missing a beat, his face showing such sinister glee, Goldberg shouts - “Because they love pro wrestling and it makes me sick! I hate them for what they love, and the only thing I hate more than pro wrestling is the fans who live and breathe it.” Continuing to pace amid the mega heat, Goldberg reminds fans of his dislike of Bret Hart. “Do you know why we never got on? It’s because that moron wouldn’t shut up about how much he loved being between these ropes. Ironic, really, I kicked his damn head off so hard he can’t do that anymore, and I can’t wait for the day when I can decide never to step back here!”

Goldberg spits more venom, telling Austin and the fans that he will drain every single dollar out of this company, destroying their top stars in the process and walk away without a second thought when his pockets are lined with so much money he won’t know how to spend it all. Austin shakes his head, calling Goldberg delusional if he thinks that he is going to walk into the WWE and run through everyone as he did in WCW. Austin stands up proudly, calling himself the toughest SOB on the planet, not afraid to look Goldberg in the eye and challenge him to throw his best shot. “Three weeks, Bill. You don’t mind if I call you, Bill, right? Give me your best shot, son. You better hope it keeps me down… but you’ll find that it’s damn hard to get blood from a stone around these parts!” Austin quips that this is the main event - a spot that Goldberg has never been in. A place he has called home more times than he can count.

That doesn’t sit well with Goldberg, who challenges Austin’s assertion. He points out that Austin hasn’t been in the main event since No Way Out 2002. “Look around, Steve. That’s the other part of this that you’re misunderstanding.” With arrogance in his voice, Goldberg informs Stone Cold that he is the main attraction between the two. “I’m not in the main event because I’m wrestling Stone Cold Steve Austin. If that were the case, you would’ve headlined every pay-per-view you’ve been on this year. You haven’t. You didn’t. You’re only in the main event because you are wrestling… me.” With a silent laugh, Goldberg drops his mic and shoulder bumps through Austin on his way out of the ring. Austin grabs his arm, turning him around and cops a right hand by the titan! A fight breaks out between the two men, each throwing wild haymakers at the other, looking to knock the other down. Neither gives an inch; their feet are still as if stuck in cement blocks. A rush of security floods the ring, probably 20 of them and 10 cops from the local police department. They surround the ring, some jumping into the squared circle, and they pull the two men away from each other. The cops handcuff Stone Cold, dragging him out of the ring, whilst leaving Goldberg uncuffed. As Raw cuts to a commercial, Stone Cold is taken up the ramp in handcuffs, his bottom lip busted from a right hand by Goldberg.

…

Commercial Break

…

Returning from the commercial break, Stone Cold Steve Austin is being escorted through the parking lot to the outside of the arena. He is placed into a cop car by two officers, while Eric Bischoff rushes over with a manic look on his face. “You tell that piece of crap that he’s going to be arrested for assault. Take him to jail! Throw away the damn keys and leave him there to rot.” The window of the station cruiser is lowered, and Austin sticks his head out with a smirk. “I can still hear you, jackass!” With that unshakeable attitude, Austin tells Bischoff that he has a few friends still in Canada, and he’ll be out of jail before Monday Night Raw comes to a close. “You best believe I’m coming back here, Eric.” The cops enter the car, driving away as Stone Cold’s warning hangs in the air. Bischoff is left standing alone, continuing to see his iron grip on his show slowly slip away. The chaos of the opening, the clear defiance from Stone Cold, even as he was taken away in handcuffs, all burrow into the mind of the Raw General Manager as examples of how his power is fading.


Match 1 | TAG TEAM MATCH:
Rob Van Dam & Kane vs. Un-Americans
It’s the opening contest of Monday Night Raw, and we’re greeted to tag team action between two of the longstanding teams for the flagship in 2003. Rob Van Dam and Kane are now completely reformed as a team after their feud with the Forsaken, which almost tore them to pieces, with seeds of doubt sown by Steve Corino. Those seeds are now long since gone. RVD and Kane act as a perfect unit inside the squared circle—the perfect combination of power and speed between the two men. At one point, Kane scoops Lance Storm up and hits a side slam, tags in Van Dam, who executes a senton from the apron for a two count. The contest lasts for nearly eight minutes, with both teams getting in a few close calls, and Lance Storm coming closest for the heels with a sharp Canadian Maple Leaf on RVD after working the knee. That was close, but the contest would finish when Kane hit a chokeslam on Regal and tagged in Van Dam to finish it off with a Five-Star Frog Splash. In the post-match segment, RVD and Kane pose for the crowd, receiving a good wave of cheers, as Ross and Lawler put them over as contenders for the tag titles on Raw.
Winners: Rob Van Dam & Kane @ 07:54


Elsewhere, in a private section of the backstage area, Christian is seen chatting with fellow members of the Administration faction. There’s a large selection of foods and drinks, and they have the most gorgeous waitresses you have ever seen catering to their requests. Rodney Mack is stuffing his face like an absolute pig, while Christian sips on a drink. Chief Morley is leaning against the wall, chatting up a waitress, who does not seem interested in the slightest. He is, as you would expect from one as cocky as Morley, completely unaware of how disinterested the lady is in his advances. Christian chats up Mark Jindrak about how lucky Booker T is that he’s not challenging him for the World Title at SummerSlam. “I know you saw how I had him on the ropes last week. If it weren’t for Triple H being the number one contender, I’d be right there, taking the title from him.” Jindrak concurs, hyping Christian as a real threat and someone who has always had the potential to be great. While this discussion continues, Christopher Nowinski enters the room. He’s dressed to compete, telling his cohort that he’s got a match with Steven Richards later. There’s a brief discussion about his last few weeks, which includes the confrontation with Jeff Hardy two weeks ago, followed by his pinfall win over the WWE Intercontinental Champion. Nowinski smirks, basking in the memory, before proclaiming that next week on Raw, he’s going to become the WWE Intercontinental Champion - confirming that Eric Bischoff has already booked it, at his request.

…

Commercial Break

…

In a pre-tape, Chris Jericho is shown on-screen in front of a CGI image of the WrestleMania 3 in-ring setup. He’s dressed not as himself but as a fake white moustache, a bald cap, and a red-and-yellow shirt, and speaks in a croaky voice. “Well, let me tell you something, dude!” It’s as over-the-top a comedy as you would expect from Chris Jericho, as he tries to get under the skin of the Immortal Hulk Hogan ahead of their match at SummerSlam. In a parody vignette, Jericho mocks Hogan as he appeared in the 1980’s, complete with blood red-faced promo, shouting at the top of his lungs, with his arms covered in tremendous amounts of baby oil. “At SummerSlam, you will face the full wrath of tens of Jerichoholics!” The tape is only roughly two minutes, Jericho getting as much 80’s Hogan parody out as he can. Ranting about eating vitamins and saying prayers, Jericho does a fake prayer which revolves around him just asking for material items - “Don’t forget the new car, the Hulkster needs that.” He ends it by ripping his shirt and pouring a bottle full of “vitamins” labelled as “Super Juice” into his mouth, allowing them to spill out the side and fall to the floor, before mockingly choking on them to end the segment.


Back to the live show, La Resistance is standing by with Jonathan Coachman in the interview area in front of a large Monday Night Raw background. Sylvain Grenier and Dupree stand dressed in attire that matches the colours of the French flag. They are asked about the match last week with the Dudley Boyz, and how close they were to defeating the veterans. Dupree replies that nothing the brutes known as the Dudley Boyz did surprised them. “We knew what they were going to try to do, and we handled them to perfection.” There is no lack of arrogance, even after the loss. It’s as if the team is ignoring the result. Coach has to follow up, questioning what La Resistance means, considering they lost the match. Greiner jumps in, “From what I remember, it was us who walked away, while the Dudley Boyz were left in the ring, put through broken tables with our national flag across their bodies.”

With that said, the interview is interrupted by the arrival of Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley. The veterans throw their hands up, claiming to come in peace and that they aren’t here to fight. Bubba speaks first, “We’re not here to disrupt anything. We just wanted to return something that you left with us.” From behind his back, D-Von pulls out the French flag that was draped over their bodies last week. Dupree extends a hand to snatch it, but Bubba steps in front of him. He smirks, looks back to the flag and blows his nose in it… before throwing it back at La Resistance. The Dudley Boyz hold their ground as La Resistance square up to them, inches away from each other… until the heels back away.


Match 2 | SINGLES MATCH:
Gail Kim vs. Trish Stratus
While we might be in Canada, the crowd still boo Gail Kim out of the building, even with her gear being the red and white colours of her home country. Her titantron now has the nickname ‘The Export’ plastered across it, fully embracing her self-proclaimed moniker that she is the best thing to come out of the great white north. Once inside the ring, Gail grabs a microphone and cuts a quick promo about her challenge to Trish Stratus. She hasn’t heard if Trish was going to accept - perhaps Trish thinks she is too important to answer a direct challenge from Gail? She ponders if maybe Trish Stratus thinks she’s too important to come back to Canada, now that she lives in the United States. “She doesn’t even live in Canada, and yet you lot are booing me? I’m representing all of you better than she ever could!” Gail demands that the referee begin a 10-count, claiming that if Trish fails to show before a count of ten, then she is the winner. At a count of 9, “Time to Rock & Roll” kicks in over the speakers, and the crowd jumps to their feet as Trish Stratus appears! Unfortunately, she’s using a crutch, her ankle taped from the brutal assault two weeks ago.

After making her way down to the ring, Trish tells Gail that she’s got a lot of nerve to come out here and lie to the fans. “A challenge? You know I’m not cleared to compete. If I were, I’d kick your ass all over this building because you are nothing more than a selfish bitch!” Trish is devastated that she can’t wrestle tonight. Give it a few weeks, and she’ll be back in the ring, and when she is back, she promises to face Gail Kim. In response, Gail says that she isn’t buying the excuses. “You could wrestle if you wanted. Tell the truth, Trish. You’re not hurt. You just don’t want to face me because you're afraid.” Gail proclaims that Trish knows she’ll be exposed the minute they meet in the ring - “I’m better than you, Trish. This country and everyone in it will realise that between the two of us… I am the only export that matters!”

As Trish goes to speak, Gail kicks the crutch out from under her, causing Trish to fall to the ground. In another vicious attack, Gail smashes the crutch into her back repeatedly. The cries of Trish are heard around the arena, as Gail rips her hair out, holding a clump up to the extreme heat from the crowd. It trumps the heat our Women’s Champion has gotten recently. As Gail winds up another strike with the crutch… Victoria sprints down to the ring - turning face - and makes the save! She blasts Gail with a right hand and hits a clothesline over the top rope, sending Gail scurrying up the ramp. The segment comes to a close with Victoria helping Trish Stratus to her feet while Gail Kim sneers at the top of the stage.
Winner: No Official Start @ 00:00

…

Commercial Break

…

When Monday Night Raw returns, Eric Bischoff is in his office chatting with all four members of Evolution. Bischoff outlines the unfortunate loss of the World Tag Team Titles from last week, offering his condolences to Randy Orton for his pec injury. Randy Orton has his arm in a sling and says that he’ll be back in the ring in just a few weeks. He downplays the injury and assures Bischoff that he could be ready by SummerSlam to regain the titles for Evolution. There’s a slight pause in the discussion, and it’s obvious that Bischoff does not buy into that timeline. Instead, he asks Triple H what he proposes they do for the title match. “Monday Night Raw must have a World Tag Team Title match at SummerSlam. I had planned to book the rematch between Dusty Rhodes and Goldust against Batista and Randy, but this pec injury has thrown a spanner in the works.” Confidently, Triple H offers a solution. He tells Bischoff that in Orton’s place, they will send Ric Flair into the ring. A chance to reignite the rivalry from the 80’s that captured the hearts and minds of so many in the South. Flair nods his head, jumping at the chance to get his hands on Dusty Rhodes again. Bischoff ponders it for a moment and accepts, booking the Rhodes Family against Evolution, represented by Batista and Ric Flair, at SummerSlam for the gold.


“Dirty Angel” hits within the arena, bringing forth the most talked about faction in the WWE - the Forsaken! Led from the front by the man in the mask, Steve Corino marches down to the ring with Sean O’Haire and Shannon Moore following. They are the three men who screwed Shawn Michaels out of a World Title opportunity, and now they stand in the ring, proud of their actions, soaking in the boos from the crowd. Corino begins by addressing the way the Forsaken targeted the Heartbreak Kid two weeks ago on Raw. He claims that it was a noble action, something that they were called to do beyond any selfish goal. “Shawn Michaels is a hypocrite. A liar! He comes out here and parades around for his God, praising him and giving false thanks.” Corino shouts that Shawn Michaels pretends to give all glory to his lord when, in reality, he has spent two decades claiming it all for himself. “The fame and fortune… it all belongs to Shawn Michaels. He has become what they are supposed to refuse - a false idol! He is no soldier of God…” The Devil laughs, pacing around the front of the ring and removing his mask. “Shawn Michaels is the worst kind of man because he will preach about faith, tell you he has a higher purpose, while actually being the lowest form of man possible. A liar!”

According to the Forsaken, those who would tell a lie and have their true intentions, even those that are bad, are worse than those who embrace their natural sin. O’Haire joins the promo, preaching to the audience that if they wish to walk alongside the Forsaken, they do not have to give up sin but instead embrace it. “Open yourself to the delights surrounding all of us, give into your sin, and you too can stand with us!” Corino looks around the arena, declaring that those who embrace the devil within themselves can stand with the three most righteous men in all of the WWE. “God has abandoned you! He has not come back to this place… but the Devil has! I am here. I am your guide, your future and only I can protect you from the fires that will engulf this world.” He continues to shout, demanding that the audience heed his word. There is nothing that anyone can do to stop them. The Forsaken have destroyed each man who stood against them, including the way they ripped opportunity right out of the hands of a supposed chosen son of the lord almighty. “I ask again, Shawn Michaels. Where was your God to stop the Devil from taking what you wanted most of all? Where is your God, now?”

“Sexy Boy” hits the speakers, and the roof comes off the building. There’s an immediate rise in the tension among the members of the Forsaken. Corino pivots in the ring, looking around in case Shawn comes through the crowd, and only settles when the Heartbreak Kid steps out onto the top of the stage. Ross and Lawler point out that Shawn Michaels is smart enough not to try to enter the ring, as he would be at a disadvantage in a three-on-one situation. From the stage, Shawn Michaels runs his fingers through his hair and touches upon the accusation that he is a liar. He has been very open about his whole life - the good and the bad. Declaring himself an open book. “First of all, gentlemen, I’ve never spoken to any of you. You seem to have gotten it into your heads that you have some sort of right to judge me, and from the sounds of it, the rest of us as well.” There’s a slight chuckle from HBK before he tells the Forsaken that if they wanted his attention, all they had to do was ask for it. Instead, they had to stick their noses in his business and cost him a shot at the World Title. Waving his finger at them, Shawn advises that it was the wrong thing to do. “They say be careful when you dance with the Devil. You three should know there’s another phrase around here, which says be careful when you piss off the Heartbreak Kid.”

There’s a big pop from the audience as Shawn Michaels fires up, pointing down to the ring, and declares that he has never claimed to be perfect. He has lived a life up and down the road of excess and done more harm to his body at bars and clubs than he ever did inside the ring. That was then, and now, he’s proud to stand not as a soldier of God but as a follower of his lord and Saviour. “I owe everything I’ve got to the man upstairs, and if the three of you want to test that faith, then you are placing an unwinnable bet.” Inside the ring, Corino counters, telling Shawn that his arrogance is exactly what a follower of a perfect lord would say. “See how you call it unwinnable - nothing is without fault. That’s the problem with you lot. You think you're perfect.” Corino justifies his attack on Shawn as the beginning of a demonstration of the Forsaken’s power in the WWE.

He describes Shawn as a legendary figure, someone who millions worship - like a God - and when the Forsaken dethrone him, removing the Heartbreak Kid from his pedestal, they’ll all kneel before the only deity they have left to believe in… the Devil himself. Michaels shakes his head, refusing to believe that anyone would willingly surrender themselves to the likes of Corino. With confidence in his voice, Shawn Michaels challenges any member of the Forsaken to a match at SummerSlam. He wants an answer immediately, but Corino leans over the ropes, laughing into the microphone, and answers the challenge with a promise, though vague in nature. “The Forsaken accepts your challenge, Shawn. As for who you get to face… I think I’ll keep that to myself for now. You can either have my Dark Disciple [Sean O’Haire], the Lost Soul [Shannon Moore] or perhaps, as you put it - you’d like to dance with the Devil at SummerSlam?” The segment comes to a close with the Forsaken peering up at Shawn Michaels, a huge challenge made and one that we’d love to have answered.


In another pre-tape, we see a logo that reads ‘Y2J’ in the style of the old nWo logo. On the screen, it says, ‘This message has been paid for by Chris Jericho’ and cuts to a black and white video. It’s a remake of the classic nWo promos from World Championship Wrestling, with Jericho playing the role of Hollywood Hogan. All the gear he is wearing is a parody of that worn by Hogan. His weight belt has the word ‘Millennium Man’ written across its face. Jericho wears a fake white moustache and black gloves, and has a miniature copy of the big gold belt with Y2J spray-painted across the face. In the same way, the first pre-tape mocked Hogan; this one does as well. Chris Jericho cuts a promo, citing how he changed the wrestling world when he became the first-ever Undisputed Champion. Calling it the biggest moment of the last decade, Jericho looks up to a big screen behind him that has various images of Jericho projected onto it. “We don’t need a new world order of wrestling, we need a new world order of Jericho!” Laughing in the same crazed way that Hogan would during his heel run, Jericho snaps out of it, holds up his mini title and plays it like a guitar as the faint sound of ‘Voodoo Child’ playing in the background fades the scene to black. “I’ll chop ‘em down with the edge of my hand.”

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Commercial Break

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Match 3 | SINGLES MATCH:
Christopher Nowinski (with Rodney Mack & Mark Jindrak) vs. Steven Richards
There’s no entrance for Steven Richards, who is inside the ring when Raw returns from the commercial break. When Christopher Nowinski makes his walk to the ring, doing so alongside Rodney Mack and Mark Jindrak, it’s announced on commentary by Jim Ross that the Harvard graduate will challenge for the WWE Intercontinental Championship next week! Both men are in the ring when Jeff Hardy appears at the top of the stage, title belt on his shoulder, to a big pop from the crowd, and he walks down to the announce desk, joining commentary for the match. It’s a quick five-minute contest - really a showcase for Nowinski ahead of the title bout next week. He scores a nice, clean win with the Honour Roll, glaring at Jeff Hardy as the three count is made. After the match, Nowinski comes face-to-face with the champion, talking trash to him as Jeff Hardy holds his title belt in the air - setting the stage for what promises to be a great clash next week.
Winner: Christopher Nowinski @ 05:08


In the backstage area, Dusty Rhodes and Goldust are with Kevin Kelly. The newly crowned World Tag Team Champions are showered with cheers from the audience when they appear on the big screen. There’s nothing like the sight of the ‘American Dream’ standing with championship gold and a smile on his face. For the second week in a row, Dusty will compete on Monday Night Raw. In his classic style, Dusty Rhodes preaches to Kevin Kelly that this title reign is the most important of his entire career. Not the NWA World Title or the championships in Florida, they all come a distant second to the way this title makes the ‘American Dream’ feel for one important reason. “I got to share this one with my son.” Goldust smiles ear to ear, rubbing his title belt proudly as Dusty talks about the rematch coming up at SummerSlam. “I know that Ric Flair and Batista are going to throw everything they can at us. They want these titles back as much as we want to keep ‘em. Evolution - send everyone, because it’s going to take every damn one of you to reclaim these titles from us, baby!” At the end of the promo, Booker T joins his tag team partners for tonight. He congratulates them and says he hopes by the end of the night, all three of them can stand tall to end Raw as champions together for the second week running.


It’s the final pre-tape of the night! Chris Jericho, this time, acts as the 2003 version of Hulk Hogan but does so dressed as an old man. He has a walker, a bald cap with no hair, half a moustache and wears a shirt that reads ‘old-man-mania’ in the classic Hulkster font. For this segment, Jericho puts on a voice that is supposed to mimic a crazed old man. He mutters about the old days when he was ‘running mild’ and ‘eating bittamins’ all over the country. As he shimmies around the area with his walker, Jericho clutches at his back, yelling in agony that his back has just given out. It’s a complete mockery of who the Hulkster is in 2003. Claims that he’s nothing but a rundown old man who has overstayed his welcome. Throughout the entire show, Chris Jericho has mocked the various versions of Hulk Hogan and caps it off with a final pose, where he falls to the ground as if he has dropped dead. The segment ends with Jericho standing up, ripping off his bald cap and shirt, laughing to himself - “Hogan’s going to be pissed when he sees this.”

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Commercial Break

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On our return from the commercial break, Teri Runnels is interviewing Sable ahead of her title match at SummerSlam. She is just one question into the interview when the WWE Women’s Champion, Jazz, breaks up the chat. “Ain’t nobody give a damn what this bimbo has to say. All that matters is what the champ has on her mind.” Jazz shows off the title belt as Theodore Long nods in approval behind her. The champion breaks it down for us - Sable got lucky in a division of women who were too afraid to step up to the plate against the ‘Black Diamond’ of the WWE. They were so afraid of wrestling Jazz that they allowed Sable to waltz her way into the spot of number one contender for the biggest show of the Summer. “This isn’t about how good you are, Sable. It’s about how useless the rest of these bitches are compared to me.” Sable doesn’t back down, pushing up toward Jazz and explaining to her that luck has nothing to do with it. “I’m here because I worked hard and did everything I could to get back to the WWE after five years away.” Sable isn’t afraid of Jazz. She proudly talks about being the WWE Women’s Champion previously, how she inspired a whole generation of girls and what it would mean to show that same group that you can step away, sort yourself out and come right back to the top. Jazz hates this, shaking her head before snatching Sable by the hair and throwing her into the side of the wall. Sable crumbles, her head smacking the hard wall. Jazz leans down next to her, shoving the title in her face and whispering that SummerSlam cannot come soon enough.


Match 4 | SINGLES MATCH:
The Hurricane vs. Sean O’Haire
For the second time tonight, we are greeted with Sean O’Haire on our television screens. This time, he enters the arena with just Shannon Moore. O’Haire has his black leather coat on, making his way down to the ring and preparing for battle. It’s a solid match against The Hurricane, which is fairly even until O’Haire catches him with an inverted DDT on the ring apron. From that point on, O’Haire takes his time picking The Hurricane to pieces. He rips at the mask, digging his fingers underneath and taunting the audience as he stalks his opponent. The finish sees O’Haire connect with the Widow Maker for the clean pin. Once the match is over, he refuses to have his hand raised by the referee. Instead, O’Haire and Moore toss The Hurricane out of the ring and drop to their knees, as if worshipping, giving thanks, to their deity - the Devil. There’s a sinister laugh from Sean O’Haire as he lowers his head, touching his forehead to the mat, before slowly raising it as we cut to the back.
Winner: Sean O’Haire @ 08:08


Outside of the arena, a cop car drives into shot at high speed. It comes to a stop just outside the bollard for the entrance to the parking lot. From inside the cop car, Stone Cold Steve Austin exits with a huge smirk on his face. He has returned just as he warned earlier. At the doorstep to the arena stands Eric Bischoff - a flustered look on his face. “How the hell are you out? I thought…” Austin walks right up to Bischoff and reminds him that he has far more friends out in the world than Bischoff does. With a slow, intimidating sense to it, Austin places a hand on Bischoff's shoulder. “Just know, once I’m done kicking Goldberg’s ass at SummerSlam, I’m going to drag your scrawny ass out to that ring, in front of millions of people, and I am going to beat the living crap out of you, once and for all.” Austin’s eyes are staring a hole through Bischoff. The Raw General Manager, who is ice cold, warns Austin that there is still a long time before SummerSlam, and this is still his show. “Next week, you can cut out all the theatrics and get back into that ring. Let's see how you handle being in the ring, knowing the ‘Titan of War’ is waiting, well rested, and prepared, while you have to go one-on-one with Test!” Stone Cold smirks, refusing to show any concern as he tells Bischoff that he looks forward to opening a can of whoop ass on Test.

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Commercial Break

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Match 5 | SIX-MAN TAG TEAM MATCH:
Evolution (Triple H, Ric Flair & Batista) vs. Booker T, Goldust & Dusty Rhodes
The crowd are fired up for the main event this week in a true blockbuster six-man tag team match. Randy Orton joins Evolution at ringside, his arm in a sling, from the pec injury that he aggravated last week. Triple H has his eyes set on Booker T from the opening bell. He wants to start the match, telling Booker to get in the ring. Once the World Champ tags in… Triple H immediately tags out of the match and flips Booker T off! These six men put on a hell of a match, which lasts roughly twelve minutes. Dusty Rhodes keeps to the apron of the ring for the most part. He’s not actively working much in the ring as the other men do their best to protect and cover for his limited physical ability at this point in his life. Batista gets a lot of shine in the match and is positioned really strongly throughout the bout. Ross and Lawler go to great lengths to give him the shine to highlight his power game.

As you would expect from a main event on Raw in 2003, this thing is breaking down. All the men begin rushing the ring, pairing off, and some spill out to the outside as the referee starts to lose control. There’s a critical moment when Randy Orton hands Triple H his famous sledgehammer, and he tees off to the face of the World Champion! It’s in plain sight of the referee, who has no choice but to throw this match out and award the win to the good guys by DQ.
Winner: Booker T, Goldust & Dusty Rhodes @ 12:22

There’s a huge rush of boos from the audience as Booker T is knocked out cold. With a smug look on his face, Triple H shouts down at the fallen World Champ. He parades around the ring with the sledgehammer in his hand, while Evolution slide back into the ring to pose with him. On the outside, Dusty Rhodes and Goldust pull Booker T to the outside, removing him from any further danger. Replays are shown on the titantron of the big shot by Triple H with the weapon. The way the head of the hammer struck Booker T directly in the head, putting him down like a gunshot. To close out Monday Night Raw, Evolution stand tall with their leader gloating. He looks into the camera, pointing to himself and directly telling the audience that the big gold belt is coming back to Evolution.

There are certain ways to make a statement in the world of professional wrestling. Last week on SmackDown, Edge found a way to seize an opportunity when all doors appeared to be locked to him. At the end of the night, Edge invaded the contract signing between Brock Lesnar, the number one contender, and the reigning WWE Champion, The Rock. They were set to confirm their bout at SummerSlam for the richest prize in professional wrestling, and all had gone to plan until Edge decided to shake things up. Both competitors had signed on the dotted line when the lights went out, and Edge appeared, attacking them both and leaving mayhem in his wake. The crowd lost their minds as Edge stood tall, seen as the uncrowned man on SmackDown, the rebel who just wants a chance to be the top star, with the WWE Championship. For many, they see Edge’s claim as legitimate after scoring a visual pinfall on Brock Lesnar at Vengeance, whilst the referee was down. While Lesnar won the match officially - there is a groundswell of supporters who view Edge as a rightful number one contender. In a world where Shane McMahon now rules alongside his sister at the head of SmackDown, there is no precedent for what the contract, now sharing Edge’s signature on it as well, could mean moving forward. We will hear from all three men this week, and Stephanie McMahon has promised clarity on the WWE Title situation.

If there was any doubt about the allegiance of Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas, it was all put to bed last week. The Dangerous Alliance are far more motivated than they have ever been in their run thus far on the blue brand. Paul Heyman’s faction came out of Vengeance with all the gold still intact. World’s Greatest are the WWE Tag Team Champions, while John Cena still holds the WWE United States Championship. A successful night on pay-per-view for sure, but the talking point for this faction was John Cena’s involvement in the main event. That led to Benjamin and Haas being forced to pick a side, and they decided to stick with Heyman and Cena. It was revealed in a brutal attack in the ring on the Olympic Gold Medalist, which was only stopped by the arrival of Billy Kidman and Rey Mysterio. This week, those same three men will team together and compete in a trios tag team match against the Dangerous Alliance. There’s a lot of history here. Kidman and Mysterio have both wrestled John Cena for the WWE United States Championship, and Angle is the former mentor of the World’s Greatest when they competed under the moniker - Team Angle. It is sure to be an amazing in-ring bout, and we do expect to hear from John Cena directly as to his thoughts on what Kurt Angle had to say last week and the confirmation that the World’s Greatest are loyal to the Dangerous Alliance.

After a meeting last week with Shane McMahon, the cruiserweight division will get the chance to shine in a gauntlet match! Whoever wins this match will earn the right to challenge Nunzio for the WWE Cruiserweight Title in three weeks at SummerSlam. There are a few big names who won’t be involved, like Rey Mysterio, who is already booked in the match above. This opens the door for some of the other names to jump the line and cement their spot at the head of the division. Another name who misses out is Spanky, the last man to challenge for the title, having come up short at Vengeance. Involved in the match will be Funaki, Scotty 2 Hotty, Tajiri, Jamie Noble and Matt Hardy. Two men will start, and they’ll wrestle until a fall is recognised, at which point a new man will enter, and this will continue until all entrants have competed. Whoever is the final man remaining wins the match and heads to SummerSlam for a shot at the gold.

Finally, the footage from the attack on Hulk Hogan outside the hotel room on the same day as Monday Night Raw has been provided to WWE by local officials. Rumours have been swirling all week after Hogan missed his appearance on Raw, failing to show up at the building earlier in the day. Word then came to WWE that he had been attacked - many assuming it was Chris Jericho, his opponent at SummerSlam. Reports from people at the hotel did say there was an altercation between Hogan and Jericho, yet nothing has been confirmed. Thus far, Jericho has not claimed credit for the attack but has agreed to appear on SmackDown via satellite from his home in New York.

Confirmed For SmackDown:
Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio & Billy Kidman vs. Dangerous Alliance
Cruiserweight Gauntlet - Winner Faces Nunzio at SummerSlam for the WWE Cruiserweight Title
Edge, Brock Lesnar & The Rock are all confirmed to appear
Mark Henry vs. Chavo Guerrero
Plus; Chris Jericho appears via satellite from his home in New York to address his altercation with Hulk Hogan outside a hotel on Monday