WWE: The Gorilla Position ~ Vol. II

[BattleTank]

World Heavyweight Championship Match:
World Heavyweight Champion, Triple H defends against;
Number One Contender, Booker T
I don't see you taking the title off of Trips quite yet. His reign of terror needs to continue, and I think his next big feud will be against the winner of the match right below this one...

!! PART THREE: THE FINAL CHAPTER !!
Last Man Standing Match:
Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho
HBK has one great run left in him, and I think it starts here. This feud has been incredibly well booked, and might be my favorite thing outside of The Rock in this thread. Expecting this one to be match of the night, and am really looking forward to this one!

Singles Match:
~No Disqualification for Christian ONLY~
Christian vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin
Christian is one of those guys that can literally lose every month and not lose any heat. A loss to Stone Cold doesn't hurt him at all, and since I have HHH retaining, it doesn't make sense to elevate Christian up a notch unless Booker T wins, and now I'm just rambling your booking decisions in my head lol

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match:
Jeff Hardy [c] vs. Test
Jeff keeps the title here, but your version of Test is so much better than the one we got irl in 2003. I'm a big fan of Jeff in this thread, too.

Devil's Tag Team Match:
Sean O’Haire & 'The Devil' vs. Kane & Rob Van Dam
I have 2 guesses who The Devil might be. The first one is Kane himself, while the second guess is more of a wish that you introduce MORDECAI to the world here lol Either way, you've done a tremendous job of making this undercard meaningful, which is very hard to do on these one-brand PPVs.

World Tag Team Championship Match:
Evolution [c] (Batista & Randy Orton) vs. Freaks & Geeks (Scott Steiner & The Hurricane)
As much as I would love for Steiner/Hurricane to steal a victory here, I think you keep Evolution strong into the summer. Steiner turning on Hurricane and absolutely obliterating him would be fun, too.

Singapore Cane Match:
Tommy Dreamer vs. Christopher Nowinski
Looking forward to Tommy caning the shit out of Nowinski, this is a perfect change of pace match for the show.

Overall man, I'm really looking forward to this show. Your Preview post was very well written, as is all of your stuff. Wishing you the best of luck writing with this one, I'll be waiting for it to drop!

 

[Roy Mustang]

World Heavyweight Championship Match:
World Heavyweight Champion, Triple H defends against Number One Contender, Booker T

!! PART THREE: THE FINAL CHAPTER !!
Last Man Standing Match:
Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho

Singles Match:
~No Disqualification for Christian ONLY~
Christian vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match:
Jeff Hardy [c] vs. Test

Devil's Tag Team Match:
Sean O’Haire & 'The Devil' vs. Kane & Rob Van Dam

World Tag Team Championship Match:
Evolution [c] (Batista & Randy Orton) vs. Freaks & Geeks (Scott Steiner & The Hurricane)

Singapore Cane Match:
Tommy Dreamer vs. Christopher Nowinski

 

[EZ3]

...

WWE BAD BLOOD
June 29, 2003 | Campaq Center, in Houston, Texas

***

The opening video package for the pay-per-view begins with a shot of the World Heavyweight Championship. The big gold belt is under a spotlight as Triple H’s voice can be heard describing what kind of man should be the one to hold it. It cuts to a clip of Booker T holding the same title in WCW, but then cuts out with the sound of Triple H laughing, reminding his opponent for tonight that none of that ‘down south’ stuff matters in the big leagues. We get a series of fast-paced clips, with the theme song for tonight’s evening playing over the top, as we revisit some of their most recent collisions on Monday Night Raw. For one of the rare times this year, the opening package for the pay-per-view focuses solely on one match. It’s the World Heavyweight Title bout between Triple H and Booker T. It’s the champion against the hometown boy, and that’s all the video package covers, highlighting the importance of that match to those in the arena and to those around the world. The biggest question of the night: can Booker T do it?
…

AND NOW; WWE PRESENTS A MONDAY NIGHT RAW PRODUCTION, WWE BAD BLOOD

PYRO

For the first time since April, the superstars of Monday Night Raw are live with a brand-exclusive pay-per-view! In a night that promises to bring the action as only they can, the voices of Jim Ross and Jerry ‘the King’ Lawler welcome us to Bad Blood, live in Houston, Texas! We get a quick beauty shot of the crowd as the announcers give their introductions. Ross thanks the fans around the globe for bringing the WWE into your homes this evening, and also extends a warm welcome to the thousands who have packed the building here in Houston, no doubt excited to see their hometown kid, Booker T, challenge for the World Title.

Jerry Lawler quips that he’s just seen that opening video package for the first time, and he thought it favoured Booker T all too much, when we should be praising Triple H for yet another amazing gate. Look at the fans who came to see him! In other news, the announcers run down the rest of the card briefly; at this point, you know it, otherwise you wouldn’t have purchased the pay-per-view. They take a moment to cover the Last Man Standing match between Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho, Ross giving a warning to all those watching that promises ot be a bloody affair when things are said and done.

_____________________________________

**THIS IS A TEST**

In the opening bout of the night, we’re set to see gold defended. Making his way out to a wave of boos from the crowd, TEST arrogantly steps out onto the stage. In the best shape of his career, Test does a little flex toward some of the women in the front row, as he makes his way down the entrance ramp and into the ring. In commentary, Jim Ross gives the fans at home a refresher of how Test got this opportunity when he made a deal with Chief Morley, which ultimately led to him attacking Jeff Hardy and Maven last week on Monday Night Raw.

**LOADED**

The lights go out in the arena as the music hits, and the crowd cheers wildly for one of the most unique stars on Monday Night Raw. Through the darkness at the top of the ramp, JEFF HARDY is seen covered in glow-in-the-dark face paint! Jeff Hardy has the WWE Intercontinental Championship strapped around his waist, dancing along to a huge pyro display during his entrance, before sprinting down to the ring. Once inside the ring, Hardy rips the title belt off his waist, climbs a turnbuckle and raises it high in the air above his head, drawing another pop from the crowd.

WWE Intercontinental Championship Match:
Jeff Hardy [c] vs. Test
​

Before the bell sounds, Test rushes over to the turnbuckle and clobbers Jeff Hardy from behind with a stiff forearm to the back. The challenger rips the champion down from the elevated height and forces him to crash back against the canvas. The referee jumps in, warning Test to give him some space as the bell has not rung to begin the match. Test shoves him, shouting that he'd better call for the bell right now or he’ll smash his face in just like he’s about to do to the Intercontinental Champion. The referee, feeling the pressure, calls for the bell, and Test makes a cover for a two count just mere seconds into the match. Over the next several minutes, Test used his power advantage to work over the champion, keeping him away from the high-risk district to maintain his advantage. It was clear from the outset that Test's strategy was to keep Hardy grounded on the mat, which drew consistent boos from the audience. They wanted to see the champion's high-flying skills, and at one point, Test applied a chinlock, lying flat on the mat, and told them he could sit there all day if he wanted.

The pace of the match picked up when Jeff Hardy ducked a big boot attempt from the challenger. Test’s leg ended up over the top rope, and Hardy dumped him all the way to the outside of the ring. The crowd rose with anticipation as Hardy stumbled to his feet, shook his head to clear the cobwebs after a tough start to the match, and then realised that he had a golden opportunity in front of him. Hardy hyped up the crowd before sprinting back off the ropes and diving over the top rope with a senton onto Test on the outside of the ring! Both men were down on the outside, but this was the chance that Jeff Hardy needed in this title defence, a match that was not going well for him thus far. On the outside of the ring, Hardy got the better of the challenger, leaping off the steel steps with a flying clothesline to take down the big man for a second time!

After twelve hard minutes of action, Jeff Hardy and Test moved to the finish of the match. Inside the ring, both men having had control over the match at one point or another, Test whips Hardy across the ring and goes for a back body drop. Hardy puts on the brakes, grabbing the ropes and forcing Test to rush toward him, right into a tough kick to the face! Test stumbles backward, dropping to one knee in the middle of the ring, when Hardy hooks his head for the Twist of Fate! Refusing to lose, Test counters, shoving Hardy toward the ring post, but Hardy steps up the turnbuckle with incredible speed and flies backward with the Whisper in the Wind! The crowd cheers as Test eats it clean, and Hardy rolls off him, throwing his shirt into the crowd, before ascending the top rope again! The title is in the balance as Hardy dives off the top rope and connects with the Swanton Bomb, hooking a single leg for a three count, retaining his title belt for the third time in two weeks!

Winner: And STILL WWE Intercontinental Champion - Jeff Hardy @ 12:57

Houston, Texas, is on their feet in celebration after a strong opening contest to kickstart what should be one of the strongest pay-per-views of the year thus far. With his music blaring throughout the arena, Jeff Hardy has his hand raised by the referee, thanking him for officiating the match. The crowd cheers loudly as Jeff Hardy kisses his WWE Intercontinental Championship, climbs onto the second rope and holds it high with both hands. Lawler comments that he cannot believe that Jeff has been able to defend that title three times in two weeks - against Morley on Heat, Maven on Raw and now Test at Bad Blood. Ross calls him the hardest-working champion in the company.

Meanwhile, Test sits on the outside of the ring and kicks the ring steps in frustration. The big man got the title shot that he wanted, the title shot that he jumped the line to get, but in the end, he was unable to finish the job. While nothing further happens at ringside, the camera lingers on an angry shot of Test’s face until we cut to black.

_____________________________________

In the parking lot, BOOKER T has arrived at the building, pulling up in a black car with his gym bag full of his gear. The number one contender to the World Title gets the biggest pop of the night as the hometown boy. He has a huge smile on his face as he exits the car, feeling confident that tonight is his night to capture a World Championship under the WWE banner for the first time in his career. When Booker T approaches the door to the parking lot, he’s approached by THE COACH! The Houston native is forced to stop in his place while Coach blocks the entranceway, wanting to get a word in with the hottest commodity in Texas.

Coach tells Booker that tonight has the opportunity to be the biggest night of his life, but it also has the chance to be the biggest failure, should he lose in front of all his friends and family, in his hometown, with such a big advantage. Booker rolls his eyes, telling Coach that he’s sounding like a real hater right now. He knows what tonight means, not just to himself but to a lot of people in the arena and even more watching at home. As he’s said for weeks, he’s not doing this just for himself; this is about everyone who has been through some tough times in their life and thought there was no hope, no way out.

Booker told Coach that there’s always a second chance, and tonight he was going to show the world - regardless of where you’re from, the colour of your skin, what you sound like - it didn’t matter so long as you worked hard, fought for everything you wanted and believed in yourself. Booker T shoved Coach out of the way and entered the building, leaving the interviewer alone.

_____________________________________

**INNOVATOR**

The innovator of violence, TOMMY DREAMER, enters the arena to a pretty dud response from the live crowd in Texas. He’s not an overly popular figure on Monday Night Raw due to minimal television time across the program. The camera focuses on a few signs in the crowd that relate to ECW, and Ross discusses that this match type has to favour the former ECW Heavyweight Champion. Dreamer is dressed in a throwback shirt that has the old purple ECW logo on it, and comes to the ring with his own Singapore Cane to go along with the dozens that are scattered in trash cans at ringside for the upcoming match!

**EL CAPITAN**

In contrast to that of his opponent, CHRISTOPHER NOWINSKI gets a decent response from the crowd, although it’s on the negative side. His reaction grows when the crowd realises that Nowinski is not coming to the ring alone. Walking with a smug look on his face, CHIEF MORLEY is backing up his fellow member of the Administration in his first solo pay-per-view bout! Nowinski hasn’t got his own Singapore cane, and he blows up with complaints when he spots that Dreamer is already armed with a weapon. Morley quickly grabs one from a trash can and hands it to the Harvard graduate, restoring the confidence in the young man’s attitude.

Upon entering the ring, Nowinski twirls the Singapore cane so much that he drops it cold; it rolls to the outside of the ring, landing on the opposite side of Morley. The chief of staff runs around the other side to grab it, but the bell sounds, and the fight is on - and only Dreamer is armed!

Singapore Cane Match:
Tommy Dreamer vs. Christopher Nowinski
​

Like a professional baseball player, Tommy Dreamer comes out of the gates swinging like a madman with the Singapore Cane. Nowinski is ducking and dodging all over the place, evading the strikes that smack the ring ropes and connect with nothing but air. He backs into the corner, pleading that he’s unarmed to the referee, but Dreamer wags a finger in his face and says that this has been a long time coming. To the roar of the crowd, Dreamer unloads with the Singapore Cane on Nowinski! The Harvard graduate is trapped in the corner, struggling to cover up as the former ECW competitor unloads like a crazed lunatic. Shot after shot connects to his body, and Nowinski lets out a scream of pain, diving through the ropes thereafter and crawling along the outside floor. It’s a funny sight as Nowinski reaches out for help from Morley, only to cop a strike across his hand by Dreamer! Nowinski says that he’s had enough, but to his dismay, there is no relief coming for what he requested just six nights ago on Raw. As Dreamer points the Singapore Cane toward Nowinski, who is crawling backward toward the steel steps on the outside, he begins to march toward his target.

Out of nowhere, Nowinski grabs Tommy Dreamer around the waistband of his pants and rips him forward into the steel steps! Dreamer hits shoulder first, and the cane flies out of his hand, spilling onto the floor. Rubbing one of the cuts on his arm, many bruising and bleeding through his skin, Nowinski snatches a trash can full of Singapore Canes and uses it as a weapon. With both hands on the trash can, Nowinski smashes it down across the head of Tommy Dreamer. The official looks confused for a moment, debating if that violates the rules of the match, and as he goes to call for the bell, Chief Morley jumps up and orders him to continue the bout, threatening his job if he does anything else. Nowinski begins to work over Dreamer with the Singapore Cane, slapping it against the back of Dreamer’s head and mocking him whilst doing so. He taunts the crowd while on the attack, tossing Dreamer into the ring and making the first cover of the match for a nearfall.

Toward the finish of the match, Nowinski and Dreamer had covered the ring in broken Singapore Canes, much to the amusement of the live crowd and those watching at home. Dreamer’s shirt had been ripped off by Nowinski so that his cane shots connected with bamboo on flesh for maximum damage. As Dreamer whips Nowinski into the corner, he lands chest-first and slumps against the turnbuckle. Dreamer tries to grab him from behind, but Nowinski kicks his leg back, flicking it up and connecting below the belt! It’s in full sight of the referee, a clear violation of the rules of the Singapore Cane match, but Morley’s threats ring in his head, so the referee does nothing. With a smug look on his face, Nowinski grabs Dreamer with two underhooks, lifts and twists! Honour Roll (Rolling double underhook suplex) connects, and Nowinski hooks the leg for the three count!

Winner: Christopher Nowinski @ 08:42

If he was obnoxious before, I can only imagine what he’s going to be like after this victory. After the bell sounds to signify the end of the match, Nowinski is joined in the ring by Chief Morley for a celebration. They toss Dreamer out of the ring before demanding that the referee raise Nowinski’s hand in victory. The boos roll in from the crowd; nobody is happy to see Nowinski’s cheating ways rewarded with a win. Ross points out that even in a match where a weapon was legal, Nowinski still had to resort to using an illegal trash can and a low blow to get the victory. He might be a graduate of Harvard, but he’s a man of low moral fibre.

The camera zooms in on some of the many cuts across the body of Christopher Nowinski. There’s a range of them up and down his body, showing the punishment he’s gone through in this bout, even if he did cheat to win it. As the heels walk up the ramp, Nowinski grabs a Singapore Cane and holds it above his head, drawing more heat before he exits behind the curtain at the top of the ramp.

_____________________________________

The camera stands just outside of a door that is marked with a sign that reads ‘General Manager’ on it. The door opens to reveal ERIC BISCHOFF (he’s back!) in a wheelchair on the other side, talking to someone. The camera moves into the ring, and we discover that CHRISTIAN is the man in discussion with the returning GM. Bischoff tells Christian that he can’t believe that he had to watch Monday Night Raw from a damn hospital last week. He’s been unable to wash himself without the aid of a nurse for two weeks, and just being here tonight is causing him a great deal of pain. ‘The Right Hand Man’ thanks Bischoff for being here, going so over the top with his appreciation that even Bischoff tells him to cool it for a moment.

They discuss how important tonight is going to be for the Administration when Christian dethrones Stone Cold Steve Austin. For far too long, Austin has had his run of the WWE, but it comes to a stop here in Texas. Bischoff praised Christian for being brave enough to stand up to that redneck alcoholic. It had been a long time coming, but Christian and Bischoff agreed that Monday Night Raw would be a much better place without Stone Cold involved.

This was Christian’s opportunity to prove to Eric Bischoff once and for all that he deserved to be his right-hand man. The General Manager repeated that there were thousands of people out there drinking Stone Cold’s coolaide. They thought he was the hero of this story… but Bischoff knew that Christian was the hero we all needed.

_____________________________________

Returning to the ringside for the next title match of the evening…

**HOLLA IF YA HEAR ME**

The sound of the siren bursts over the speakers inside the building to a cheer from the crowd. While it’s the solo music of half the tag team, both members enter at the same time - SCOTT STEINER & THE HURRICANE - Freaks & Geeks! What started off as a comedy tag team with an odd couple pairing on Raw has turned into one of the most popular teams in the WWE. The Hurricane plays to the crowd on his way down to the ring, drawing the support of the younger fans, whilst Steiner shows off his large arms to the ladies. Once inside the ring, Steiner and Hurricane pose, drawing further cheers from the crowd.

**LINE IN THE SAND**

As the challengers are set in the ring, Evolution’s theme takes over the sound system, sending the fans into some boos. Coming down the aisle, titles around their waists, are BATISTA and RANDY ORTON, with RIC FLAIR strutting close behind them. The duo walks down the entrance ramp, as the fans shout at them, but Flair makes sure they stay on task and do not engage with them. At the end of the entrance ramp, Batista and Orton both slip under the bottom rope while Flair climbs the steel steps. From there, Flair claps in support of Evolution as they unclip the title belts and hold them aloft for more heat.

World Tag Team Championships Match:
Evolution [c] vs. Freaks & Geeks
​

The bell rings, Randy Orton and The Hurricane stare each other down. The two men start things off with a tie-up in the centre of the ring, and they battle for position. As the two men push back and forth, Orton ends up gaining the advantage with a trip and shoves his opponent to the canvas. To growing boos from the crowd, Orton poses while looking down at The Hurricane, telling him that he’s not got a chance of winning tonight. After Hurricane jumps back to his feet, they lock up again; this time, he’s thinking ahead and slips under the tie-up. The Hurricane moves behind Orton, locks in a headlock and puts the squeeze on the third-generation star. A few moments later, Orton shoves The Hurricane off into the ropes to create space between the two men. Randy Orton swings an arm wildly for a clothesline off the rebound, but The Hurricane ducks, rebounding off the ropes a second time, and connects with a dropkick! Orton staggers back into his own turnbuckle, his eyes filled with anger as he glares across the ring at Hurricane posing, much to the amusement of the audience. Batista blind tags his way into the match, as he tells Orton to take a rest on the apron.

The next sequence of the match sees Batista easily throw Hurricane across the ring, which brings in Scott Steiner. The fans cheer as the two big men in the contest square off in the middle of the ring. There’s no fancy wrestling here - it’s a slug fest between Batista and Steiner, throwing absolute bombs at each other. They collide at speed with dual running shoulder blocks, both men smashing into each other, neither giving an inch. There isn’t a clear winner in the power game as the match continues, Batista clubbing Steiner with big shots to the back of his neck. Batista drives his boot into the knee of Steiner, forcing him up into the corner, tags in Orton before hitting him with a hard lariat against the turnbuckle, giving Big Poppa Pump no room to move. Orton rams his fist into the head of Steiner with Batista holding his arms from the outside ring apron, much to the disapproval of the referee. At ringside, Flair reminds Batista he’s got until a count of five for any illegal activity. This continued throughout the match. Evolution pushed the count up to 4.5 before retreating from their rule-breaking, and Flair continued to abuse the referee’s rulings.

After ten minutes of in-ring action, The Hurricane was back in the ring and hit a big cross body to put down Randy Orton for a nearfall. The crowd cheered on as Hurricane twisted Orton’s arm, pulling him back to a vertical base and hit a northern lights suplex. Flair began to go nuts at ringside, throwing his suit jacket off and screaming at Batista to get in there. As the match turned to a conclusion, The Hurricane tagged in Scott Steiner, the challengers feeling like they had the titles within their grasp. Orton was looking for a tag out of the match, but Steiner scooped him up off the canvas and threw him high over his head with an overhead suplex. Steiner flexed for the crowd before sitting back on Orton, as he applied the Steiner Recliner!

The crowd believed this was the end of it, as did Orton. His eyes showed the pain rushing through his third-generation body. He couldn’t move an inch as Steiner pulled back as fair as he possibly could… but Batista rushed into the ring and took Steiner’s head off with a lariat! The crowd booed louder than they had all night as Batista shouted down the referee, pulling Orton over to the corner and forcing his way into the ring. As Steiner tried to make a tag, Flair pulled Hurricane off the apron and punched him in the face. The referee never saw it as Batista was busy arguing with him. Immediately after that, Batista lifted Steiner and planted him with the Batista Bomb for the three count, retaining the titles for Evolution in a hard-fought contest.

Winner: And STILL World Tag Team Champions - Evolution @ 11:19

Much to the displeasure of the live crowd, Evolution stand victorious once again, and has won the first of two matches on their calendar for tonight here in Texas. The only man standing in the ring once the bell rings is Batista. ‘The Animal’ is shaking the ring ropes in excitement after the bell, sweat covering his face that he wipes off as Flair joins him in the squared circle.

Flair has to help Orton stand up while he sells the pain running through his body after the Steiner Recliner. He could not be putting the move over more if he tried. Orton cannot stand without the aid of Flair and immediately asks to be moved to the ropes so he can lean against them. When Flair hands Batista and Orton their titles and requests they hold them up, Orton is unable to do so due to the physical pain he’s in. Batista has no issue, shouting at the fans at ringside to show some respect, or he’ll take their heads off, too.

_____________________________________

VIDEO PACKAGE

From the view of a helicopter flying over Denver, Colorado, we get a nighttime view of the Pepsi Center. The theme song for the event “Price to Play” by Staind begins to play over the footage.

“CAN YOU SEE?”

Footage shows a black car zooming through the streets of Denver, we get a quick flash to see the person in the back of the car has the WWE Championship sitting next to them.

“THE MORE YOU TAKE, THE MORE YOU BLAME”

Focus then shifts to a clip Rey Mysterio hitting the 619, and then a clip of Billy Kidman soaring through the air in a Shooting Star Press.

“FOR EVERYTHING STILL FEELS THE SAME”

A splice of clips includes John Cena making his entrance, Rhyno hitting the gore and Mark Henry putting a competitor through the announce desk.

“THE MORE YOU HURT, THE MORE YOU SCREAM”

A shot of Paul Heyman watching from ringside as the World’s Greatest Tag Team pose in the ring with their WWE Tag Team Titles.

“THE PRICE YOU PAY TO PLAY THE GAME”

Within the streets of Denver, Eddie and Chavo Guerrero drive around in a lowrider, their music blasting as people look on.

“THEN ALL YOU SEE, AND ALL YOU GAIN”

Brock Lesnar is shown marching down to the ring - ready for a fight!

“AND ALL YOU STEP ON WITH NO SHAME”

Clips of Edge hitting spears on people and standing tall holding a steel chair in the air.

“THERE ARE NO RULES, NO ONE TO BLAME”

We cut back to the original car shown in the video package. It pulls up to the Pepsi Center and The Rock steps out holding the WWE Championship.

“THE PRICE TO PLAY THE GAME”

The Rock looks up at the Pepsi Center and turns slowly to face the camera, raising an eyebrow… as we cut to black.

WWE Presents: Vengeance
LIVE from the Pepsi Center; Denver, Colorado
July 27, 2003 - [A Thursday Night Smackdown EXCLUSIVE event]

_____________________________________

In the backstage interview area, TERI RUNNELS is standing alone in front of the Bad Blood set. She welcomes us and gives a quick recap of the results thus far, including Jeff Hardy retaining the WWE Intercontinental Title, Christopher Nowinski defeating Tommy Dreamer and Evolution retaining their World Tag Titles just moments ago. Runnels says that there is still a lot more action, including a highly anticipated Last Man Standing match. She then introduces her guest, one half of that match later this evening, CHRIS JERICHO. Upon his entrance, Jericho sneers when Runnels describes his opponent as the legendary Shawn Michaels. Jericho disputes that and says that Michaels has crafted myths and legends about himself that have infected the minds of millions, and apparently even minds as empty as Teri Runnels’.

Chris Jericho shoves a finger in Teri’s face, outlining that even someone as stupid as her wouldn’t be able to deny that Y2J is in every single way better than the ‘Heatbreak Kid’ after tonight. By the end of the night, Jericho claimed that Michaels would be covered in blood, unable to stand for a count of 10, and maybe this could be the end of his return run. That caused Jericho to laugh - he got a lot of amusement out of the thought of being the one to retire Shawn Michaels. It gave him a great deal of pleasure to picture a world where Shawn Michaels could no longer compete because of the beating he sustained at the hands of Jericho, and he told Teri as much.

_____________________________________

**JUST CLOSE YOUR EYES**

There’s a small level of confusion at first for the unexpected theme song - which has never been heard before on WWE television until this point. The titantron lights up with a banner that reads ‘Right Hand Man’ and the boos roll in as CHRISTIAN marches out onto the stage, slapping his chest, his new theme blasting over the speakers. Lawler is quick to praise Christian for how he’s been such a good employee for Eric Bischoff since WrestleMania 19, doing what the boss has asked for, and tonight he’s going to do what nobody has ever been able to do, and that’s getting rid of Stone Cold. Ross has a different point of view - believing that Christian has been sucking up to management the entire year in the hopes of using that influence to further his career, not out of any actual relationship he has with Bischoff.

Christian enters the ring and continues to get booed out of the building. He smiles at the crowd, looking out into the thousands in the stands for his ‘Peeps’ in attendance. As Christian is soaking in the heat, his head snaps to the entrance way when the song suddenly cuts off.

**GLASS SHATTERS**

If anyone was sitting down, they are now on their feet for the arrival of the biggest star of the last five years in the world of professional wrestling. In his trademark black trunks, vest and black boots, STEVE AUSTIN walks out into the arena. The eruption for the glass shattering was loud, but it only grows when the man himself is visible to the crowd. His eyes dart around the building, walking from one edge of the stage to the other, before coming to a stop in the middle of the stage. Stone Cold raises a hand toward the ring, mouthing that he’s about to kick some ass as he sprints down the entrance ramp - his focus on the Canadian in the ring!

After sliding underneath the bottom rope, Austin pops right back to his feet and starts swinging on Christian as the bell sounds to get the match started. Remembering that it’s anything goes for Christian, but if Austin uses any weapons, he will be disqualified.

Singles Match:
~No Disqualification for Christian ONLY~
Christian vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin
​

Fists fly wildly following the sound of the bell as Stone Cold marches forward. His punches are sharp and powerful, one after the other. He backs Christian into the corner, unloading with punch after punch as the crowd cheers loudly. This is a man on a mission! After grabbing the top rope for leverage, Austin drives his boot into the stomach of the ‘Right Hand Man’ until he drops to the bottom half of the corner. The referee orders Austin to back up, which he does for a moment, before charging straight back at his opponent and driving his black boot into Christian’s face! Austin takes a few steps back, returning to the middle of the ring and raises his hands in the air to further applause. He’s talking trash, firing up the crowd before whipping Christian into the ropes with an Irish whip. On the rebound, Christian hooks his arm on the top rope, drops down to the canvas and rolls to the outside of the ring. Stumbling to his left, Christian falls against the barricade, clutching his jaw, crying in pain that he thinks it might be broken from the punches.

The camera does well to hide what’s coming, but the roar of the crowd lets us know that Christian is about to feel the pain. From out of the shot, Stone Cold comes running toward the barricade looking for a lariat - which he nails! A huge clothesline sends Christian over the top of the barricade and into the front row of the crowd. Austin leans against the barricade, laughing at his handy work and tosses a glance over into the fans, watching as Christian slowly crawls away. In an amusing moment, Austin asks the referee if there’s any countout in this match, and the zebra thinks for a moment, shrugs his shoulders and says that as long as Christian is on the outside, he won’t begin a count. A huge grin comes across the face of Austin at this revelation, and he calls for a microphone. With a microphone in his hand, Stone Cold asks the audience if they think he should jump the barricade and continue delivering a can of whoop ass to this stupid son of a bitch. The response is what you’d expect - a resounding ‘hell yeah’ from the live crowd.

Austin follows his target, throwing his legs over the barricade and marching through the audience to big cheers. The camera has lost sight of Christian for the moment. Austin looks around at the open space in front of him, but cannot see the Canadian and fans begin to point toward where the ‘Right Hand Man’ has escaped to. When Austin turns a corner, near the end of the floor section just in front of a set of steps, he’s hit in the side with a steel chair! The crowd boos as Christian emerges from within a section of fans, having ripped one of their chairs from the seating plan and used it as a weapon. The commentators remind us that this is completely legal for Christian and only for him due to the mandate from the Administration. There’s nothing the referee can do as Christian strikes with the steel chair again, this time cracking Stone Cold in the back, sending him falling forward into a table that’s set up. You can see in the wild eyes of Christian that he wants to even the score after getting battered in the opening minutes of the contest.

Christian slams Austin’s head into the table that is set up in the crowd. He picks up the contents on top of it - including a set of drinks and throws them at Austin, most of it spilling across the floor. In a truly disrespectful move, Christian picks up one of the soda cups, takes a drink, and then spits it in the face of Stone Cold, mocking his traditional beer celebration afterwards. After striking with a few punches to the head and booting Austin in his bad knee, Christian pushes him onto the table completely. It’s close enough to the stairs that Christian can climb them and elevate himself into position for what could be a major turning point of the night. He yells at a set of fans to back up, climbing over the railing on the elevated section, just above the table where Austin is lying. Christian slaps his chest, points toward his target and leaps off the railing with a splash! It’s a perfect hit! Christian lands right on top of Austin, and both men are down amongst broken shards of the table.

In commentary, Jim Ross makes a great point that while Christian has put Austin down, he’s done so a long way away from the squared circle. He’s got to get the Texan back into the ring if he wants to win this match. The long journey back to the ring begins and takes place over the next few minutes, Christian dragging Austin toward the barricade, struggling to do with, and he ends up falling into a seat of a fan. That fan is drinking a beer, which Christian steals and pours it onto Austin, kicking him in the head and shouting for the Rattlesnake to get up! As if it were some sort of power booster, Stone Cold fires up on the way back to the barricade, firing off an elbow to the stomach before whipping Christian over the barricade and back into the ringside. Austin wipes his face clean, still selling the attacks with the weapons he copped earlier as he climbs over the barricade himself. About halfway over, Christian hits a dropkick to Austin’s bad knee! Attacking the knee covered with the brace, Christian rips open the steel steps and rams the top half into Austin’s knee while he sits on the barricade!

You can see the pain on the face of Austin as Christian rams the steps into the knee for a second and third time, until Stone Cold collapses off the barricade. Christian drops the steel with a loud thud, a sinister smile on his face as he grabs Austin by the upper body and throws him into the ring. The first cover of this match takes place, and it’s a two-count! Christian almost has to laugh at the resilient nature of Stone Cold. For the next few minutes, Christian gets several two-counts inside the ring and grows increasingly frustrated that Stone Cold will not surrender to him. He continues to use weapons to his advantage, including introducing a trash can and the ring bell itself. Christian places the trash can on the ground and hits a vertical suplex onto it. The metal twists around the back of Austin and marks his back, which the camera catches after a kick out of a pinfall attempt. If there was any doubt about the toughness of the Rattlesnake, it is now without doubt. Christian grabs a steel chair from the ringside and holds it up in the air.

The steel chair has long been a weapon that has made Christian famous. A long history of iconic moments that span his entire career. Now he looks to use it to give him the biggest win of his career. With Austin struggling to stand, forced to use the ropes to do so, Christian is on the hunt. He aims the chair at the head of his opponent and charges forward - but Stone Cold kicks out with his boot! The chair bounces back into Christian’s own face and spills to the side of the ring, still hanging on the canvas. Austin glances at the referee, almost as if he’s checking that that was okay, before leaping onto Christian with a press! He hammers away with punches, gritting his teeth as his bad knee is on fire, burning with pain. He gets up, lifts Christian, whips him into the ropes and nails him with a clothesline. Stone Cold bounces off the ropes himself, doing so nearly on one leg, and hits his trademark elbow drop. The tide has turned as Austin shoves Christian into the corner and tries to set him up for a superplex. In an effort to stop this, Christian goes as low as he can and kicks Austin in the nuts right in front of the referee!

There’s no need to hide it - he can’t be disqualified. Christian shoves Austin away, selling the pain he’s feeling as he slowly walks around the ring. He grabs the steel chair, setting it up to make it stand before moving back to his opponent. The crowd watches on as Christian hooks Austin in position for the Unprettier. Christian is going to do it on the chair - this should win him the match, according to Lawler. But Stone Cold fights out of it and shoves Christian away! Christian turns back, hurrying toward his opponent, gets kicked in the gut and hit with a Stunner! Austin fires his best shot, and Christian falls back onto the chair he set up. From the canvas, Austin looks up and sees Christian sitting on the chair, seeing stars. Slowly, the Texan pulls himself off the canvas, leaning against the ropes with an amused look. He steps toward the trash can that was used against him and holds it up for the crowd, getting a big cheer. The referee jumps into action, grabs the trash can and tells Austin no, disposing of it. While the referee does that, Austin grabs the ring bell in the ring and smacks Christian with it without the official seeing!

Christian falls backward off the chair in a seated position. Stone Cold follows up by picking Christian off the chair for one more shot. A double finger salute, followed by a kick to the stomach and a second Stunner hits! Austin clutches at his bad knee, scoots into a cover and counts along with the fans as the referee slaps the mat three times! It was a tough fight for both men, but Stone Cold has seen off the antics of the ‘Right Hand Man’ in his home state of Texas, bad knee and all.

Winner: Stone Cold Steve Austin @ 15:08

The people of Texas let the entire world know what they think about that result. It’s a huge set applause from the crowd as Stone Cold Steve Austin refuses help from the referee. He’s the toughest S.O.B on the planet, according to Jim Ross, and Austin is damn sure proving it right now. His knee was targeted throughout the bout, but Austin finds a way to stand up so that he can have his hand raised as the victor.

The beers begin to flow as the ringside attendant throws Austin a few cans. He pops them open but does not ascend the turnbuckle, still selling the damage to the knee. He has four drinks in total, drinking one for each side of the ring, so that he can toast all of the fans in the arena. On the outside of the ring, Christian is shown to be bleeding from the illegal shot with the ring bell, blood rushing down his face from the top of his forehead. There’s a discussion in the commentary about what the Administration is going to think about this result. Austin got the win, but he used the ring bell when the referee wasn’t looking - how will Eric Bischoff react tomorrow night on Raw?

_____________________________________

VIDEO PACKAGE

~THE BIGGEST PARTY OF THE SUMMER~

!! SUMMERSLAM HISTORICAL MOMENT !!
THE BRITISH BULLDOG DEFEATS BRET ‘THE HITMAN’ HART AT SUMMERSLAM ‘92 TO BECOME THE WWE INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION. THE BRITISH BULLDOG WOULD BECOME CHAMPION AT WEMBLEY STADIUM IN FRONT OF 78,927 FANS.

WWE SUMMERSLAM | AUGUST 24 2003 | PHOENIX, ARIZONA
!! A ONCE IN A LIFETIME EVENT THIS SUMMER !!

_____________________________________


Backstage, in the office of the General Manager, we find CHIEF MORLEY and ERIC BISCHOFF watching a monitor. Morley shakes his head in disappointment after seeing fellow Administration member, Christian, fall short against Stone Cold. He asks Bischoff what they’re going to do about this Stone Cold problem now. They had stacked the odds against him tonight, but Austin had still found a way to come out on top, sticking it to the Administration, and that couldn’t be allowed to stand. Bischoff surprisingly didn’t look upset. The camera zoomed in on him and revealed what looked like a sly grin. This even caught Morley by surprise, and he questioned what Bischoff was thinking. In response, Bischoff told Morley that he always had a plan B.

Tonight, Bischoff had put the ball in Christian’s court to solve the Steve Austin problem for Monday Night Raw. Bischoff wasn’t mad - Christian had gotten close, but someone like Stone Cold required a special type of solution. This wasn’t just a battle between two men. This was a war. A war that Bischoff explained he had been fighting since 1996. If not for Steve Austin, we’d be at a World Championship Wrestling pay-per-view right now. Bischoff blamed Austin for the downfall of WCW, citing his role as the leader of the WWE through the Monday Night Wars. He advised Morley that history had it wrong. The war did not end in March 2001. In fact, the war was alive and well. Tomorrow night, Bischoff promised to fire his best shot at Steve Austin. He had tried to rid Raw of Austin through safe means, but they’d all failed. It was time for a nuclear option. The landscape of the WWE would change forever in 24 hours. This has been building since February, and now, Bischoff was finally ready to declare war on Stone Cold… and unleash his Titan of War on Titan Towers!

_____________________________________

~ DEVIL’S TAG TEAM MATCH ~
ROB VAN DAM & KANE VS. SEAN O’HAIRE & THE DEVIL
The package begins by showcasing the early exploits of Kane and Rob Van Dam as a tag team this year. It then highlights the singles match they had at WrestleMania 19 - with RVD picking up the victory. We see the duo both clash in their hunt for the WWE Intercontinental Championship, and RVD accidentally strikes Kane with a steel chair at Backlash.

The package then cuts to a black-and-white shot of RVD being attacked in the parking lot leading up to King of the Ring. Kane’s run in the tournament as a replacement for RVD is shown, followed by the return of RVD on Raw. Throughout this section, clips of Sean O’Haire blaming Kane for the attack are woven throughout. Finally, the video package concludes with Kane and RVD uniting to fight Sean O’Haire, accusing him of attacking RVD, and the arrival of The Devil on Raw.

…

**COME ON**

There is a rush of boos as the arena darkens for the arrival of the ‘Devil’s Advocate’ into the building. In his trademark long jacket, SEAN O’HAIRE steps out onto the stage with a confident look on his face. His nickname no longer has a mythical tone to it; he has a legitimate devil alongside him now in his quest to lure the masses to give in to their sins. On his way down to the ring, O’Haire tells a few of the fans in the front row that tonight their eyes will be opened. They will give in and embrace their sinful ways because it’s only human to do so. O’Haire stands in the ring, leaning against the corner of the ring and squats down as the entire arena goes black.

!! DARKNESS FALLS !!

The arena is shrouded in darkness as silence falls across the sold-out building. At the top of the stage, smoke begins to brush across the steel as a spotlight shines down on a single spot. A guitar riff is heard through the darkness as from the depths of the stage - or hell, as Jim Ross describes it - THE DEVIL begins to rise!

To the left of the stage is a guitarist wearing a silver devil mask in the same style that our devil wore on Monday and is wearing tonight. He plays the entrance theme for the man behind the mask as a flock of women dressed as fallen angels. They all have dark hair, wings of a demon, black leather boots and long nails. These women surround the opening of the stage as the Devil rises through the smoke and darkness - the titantron still blank. As the Devil emerges completely, the demon women, from their knees, reach out to greet him and worship the figure.

At this point, the guitarist on the left of the stage begins to sing the theme for the Devil. The Devil slowly begins the long walk down to the ring, his demon women following as if they were in a trance, dancing around him, while he ignores them, unable to be tempted by their seductiveness. The titantron finally lights up with a series of shots of the devil’s mask, the phrase ‘I AM AN EVIL PERSON’, which is then engulfed in flame, revealing the new phrase…

'I AM

STEVE

FUCKING

CORINO'

“I should have known it was the wrong one
Shook my head and made my way home

But when I turned, I laid my eyes on a dirty Angel with a broken halo

Spirits lead me to the other side
Took my hand before I realised

Just one glance, and I was tied to the dirty Angel with a broken halo

It′s too late
It's too much

She′s infected me with her touch

I'm too high
She's too low

Dirty Angel, take me home”

**DIRTY ANGEL**

As the Devil enters the ring, his demons slide underneath the bottom rope and group at his feet as he stands facing the hard camera. Sean O’Haire watches from the side, giving this masked man the spotlight - the arena still dark, other than the few bits of light from the spotlight on the Devil and that on the guitarist. Inside the ring, the Devil removes his mask and confirms his identity as STEVE CORINO - the former ECW World Heavyweight Champion! O’Haire and Corino embrace as the women exit, leaving Corino, dressed in all white except for his black mask.

**ONE OF A KIND**

To a rockstar reception from the crowd here in Texas, ROB VAN DAM emerges onto the stage. The arena lights up as normal, and Van Dam looks stunned at what he has seen inside the squared circle. Nobody could have predicted that Steve Corino was the Devil, but he’s standing in the ring right now! Van Dam looks focused, and Ross hypes up the ability that Rob possesses. He walks about halfway down the ramp, comes to a stop and waits for his tag team partner to join him. You can see that RVD is having to use every ounce of restraint to stop himself from charging into the ring at the two men who are all but confirmed to have been behind his assault backstage.

**SLOW CHEMICAL**

The arena goes blood red for the arrival of the ‘Big Red Machine’ and fire erupts from the stage. The seven-foot monster, KANE, marches out onto the stage and heads straight down the ramp. At the halfway point, Kane slaps RVD on the back and says he’s ready to go! Together, they charge into the ring at a sprint! As they hit the ring, O’Haire and Corino scurry to the outside, mocking the incoming competitors. Kane and RVD tell their opponents to get back in the ring, but O’Haire and Corino say they’ll wait for the bell to ring before they engage further. They can’t hide for long because the referee calls for one of them to get into the ring so the bout can begin.

Tag Team Match:
Rob Van Dam & Kane vs. Sean O’Haire & ‘The Devil’ Steve Corino
​

The two men starting the match are Rob Van Dam and Sean O’Haire. There’s not much discussion on the babyface side. Kane offers to start, but RVD argues that he’s been on the shelf for far too long, and he needs to get his hands on the two men responsible for the attack against him. On the apron of the ring, Corino does a mock ‘RVD’ taunt before signalling that O’Haire will be the starting member of his team. Van Dam tries to get Corino to start, but O’Haire jumps on the attack to cut any possible discussion out. In the opening minutes of this match, O’Haire and Van Dam trade athletic moves and counters with each other. They both can use their educated feet, and each takes the opportunity to show off some of their skills to the crowd against a flexible opponent. Picking up where they left off on Monday Night Raw, RVD is very aggressive against O’Haire. The referee has to jump in at one point, warning RVD to keep it clean as his rage once again nears a boiling point, as O’Haire smiles with excitement at seeing this.

Kane forces his way into the match with a blind tag after seeing RVD showing signs of going over the edge. Looking out for his tag team partner and close friend. O’Haire continues to wrestle as the sole member of his team while Corino stands on the outside of the ring on the apron. Kane slams O’Haire and taunts Corino, telling him to come into the ring and fight. Corino looks down at O’Haire on the apron and orders him to continue fighting, much to the displeasure of the live audience. Almost as if he’s a willing martyr, O’Haire rushes right back into the fire against Kane and shows no argument with the Devil! He fights for the next several minutes against both Kane and Rob Van Dam while Corino refuses to enter the match, standing on the apron and observing. Even commentary has to comment on how Corino seemingly has no interest in actually getting into the bout, allowing O’Haire to wrestle what is, in essence, a handicap match. It’s pointed out by Ross that the original expectation was that O’Haire would be wrestling two against one, so perhaps this is some kind of test by Corino.

After O’Haire hits a big spin kick to the head of Van Dam, knocking both men down, we finally see Corino extend a hand for a tag. O’Haire crawls toward his corner and makes the tag, bringing Corino in for the first time in the WWE! Corino stalks Van Dam and attacks him, raking at the eyes and shouting that he’s waited a long time to do this! During his attack on Van Dam, we hear Corino scream that it was him - he attacked RVD, and he’d do it again if he could. This fires RVD up, and he begins to fight back against Corino, sending him into the ropes. He hits a wheel kick and then mounts him. RVD hammers away with punches on Corino, refusing to let up! The finish of the match would come a few minutes later, nearing the twelfth minute of the in-ring action overall. Corino had been working with Kane briefly. The legal men in the match were O’Haire and RVD. On the outside, Corino and Kane battled, both men trading shots, with Corino gaining the advantage as he rammed the big man into the barricade. Inside the ring, O’Haire got his knees up during the Five Star Frog Splash and struck with the Widow Maker! With the chaos on the outside, some fans didn’t even realise the three-count had been made until the music kicked in.

Winner: Sean O’Haire & ‘The Devil’ Steve Corino @ 11:56

In commentary, Jim Ross says that the only way to describe this result is to call it an upset. Kane and Rob Van Dam came into this bout as heavy favourites, and they were defeated in a chaotic match by Sean O’Haire and Steve Corino. O’Haire exits the ring fairly quickly, joining Corino at the bottom of the entrance ramp before making his way toward the top of the stage. They shout at the top of their lungs that victory goes to those who give in to their sins, and there were no two bigger sinners than the Devil and his advocate.

Inside the ring, Rob Van Dam begins to stir and starts to comprehend what just happened. He sees Kane fighting to his feet using the barricade on the outside of the ring, having been rammed into it at the end of the match, so he was unable to break up the pinfall attempt. They exchange a look of confusion with each other, and RVD slaps the canvas in frustration. His return to pay-per-view has fallen short, and he hasn’t been able to exact revenge on the men who took him out. In fact, he now knows for certain who did it. It was Steve Corino; he came to the WWE and attacked RVD. The question is now - why did he do it? What was behind it?

_____________________________________

The camera transitions to the private locker room of Evolution. There are bottles of champagne popped open already, and a fresh one in the hands of Randy Orton. We see Batista and Randy Orton sipping out of the champagne bottles, celebrating their victory from earlier in the night. Their World Tag Titles are placed on a small table beside them. Batista grabs one of the bottles and pours it over the head of Orton, who gives a little ‘Woo’ in response. They are joined shortly thereafter by Ric Flair and Triple H. They offer congratulations to the tag duo, and Triple H tells them to sit back and relax while he handles business in the ring against Booker T. He wants Batista and Randy Orton to enjoy this moment, soak it all in and then remember that it all resets tomorrow night when there will be another threat coming for their titles. Good wrestlers can win one match, but great wrestlers win repeatedly.

As Ric Flair goes to grab a glass of champagne, he’s caught by Triple H, who tells him that he’ll have to wait for that. While Batista and Orton are going to stay backstage, that won’t be the case for the ‘Nature Boy’ tonight. After a brief discussion, Triple H advises Flair that he wants him at ringside during the main event - warning him to stay sober.

_____________________________________

~ THE FINAL CHAPTER ~
SHAWN MICHAELS VS. CHRIS JERICHO
It all began in the Summer of 2002 when Shawn Michaels shocked the world and returned to in-ring action. Nobody thought it was possible. After a four-year absence, the ‘Heartbreak Kid’ proved he still had it when he won the World Title that same year, just a few months after returning. His next goal was WrestleMania, but all that came crashing down when Chris Jericho set his sights on a former idol. Believing that Michaels was only going to tarnish his legacy, Jericho set about doing everything he could to end HBK’s career and put him back into retirement. They clashed at WrestleMania 19, where Jericho spoiled Mr WrestleMania’s return to the grandest stage of them all.

A month later, Chris Jericho screwed Shawn Michaels out of the World Title. Their issues were clearly not resolved, their bitterness toward each other only growing. On Monday Night Raw, Michaels would defeat Jericho in a Street Fight, tying their series up 1-1. When Chris Jericho competed in the King of the Ring tournament, Shawn Michaels flew over to England purely out of spite to cost him his semi-final bout. Tonight, their feud comes to an end. One of them will win the tiebreaker, and they’ll do it by beating the other man so badly they cannot answer the count of 10!

…

Back at ringside now…

… 5 …
… 4 …
… 3 …
… 2 …
… 1 …

**BREAK DOWN THE WALLS**

A major pyrotechnics set explodes at the conclusion of the countdown to signal the arrival of CHRIS JERICHO! Stepping out onto the stage for what promises to be one of the biggest matches of his career, Jericho poses with his back to the audience before turning around, soaking in a rush of heat from the audience. There is nobody like him in the business, proclaims Jim Ross on commentary. He draws the ire of the audience but backs up everything he says when the bell rings.

After entering the square circle, Jericho saunters into the middle of the ring and poses just like the ‘Heartbreak Kid’ does! His wicked laugh escapes his mouth as the crowd boos, letting Jericho know they don’t appreciate his mockery. A moment later, Jericho brushes his hair from his face and spits his chewing gum toward the fans in the front row.

**SEXY BOY**

You have to understand that there are levels to this business, and very few are on the same level as the man entering the arena now. His opponent inside the ring his glaring towards the entrance ramp with hate oozing out of his eyes. Pure daggers are shooting toward the stage as SHAWN MICHAELS dances out through the curtain. He receives one of the biggest pops of the night, his gear custom-made to represent the state of Texas tonight. Shawn Michaels drops to his knees and looks up to the sky as pyro goes off behind him.

On his walk down to the ring, Michaels keeps his eyes on Jericho, whilst still engaging with the crowd. At the bottom of the steel steps, Michaels takes a moment, closing his eyes and whispering a silent prayer, before heading into the ring. Once both men are inside the same space, the referee tells them to stay in opposite corners while the in-ring introductions take place. Both men comply with what would be the last bit of law and order they’d follow this evening. The final chapter in the feud of the year - a story 6 months in the making - concludes right now!

!! PART THREE: THE FINAL CHAPTER !!
Last Man Standing Match:
Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho
​

For the final time of this epic feud, Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho were both ready to rip each other to pieces to come out on top. In an environment where anything goes, neither man had to restrain themselves or keep to any sort of moral limit. The opening minutes of action were contained in the squared circle. Jericho and Michaels rushing toward each other and slugging it out to a roar from the audience. You could feel the intensity as Michaels fought to the corner and delivered hard chops across the chest of his most bitter rival. They went back and forth trading chops, the man who took the last one switching over, snatching their opponent and pushing them into the turnbuckle. At one point, Jericho spits in the face of the ‘Heartbreak Kid’ whilst stuck in the corner and shouts that Michaels chops like a bitch. In response, Michaels fakes a chop but instead slaps Jericho across the face with a stiff shot!

The action would spill to the outside multiple times throughout the bout. They had twenty-two minutes to play with overall and made sure to use every bit of that. On the outside of the ring, Michaels slammed Jericho head first into the announce desk. The top of the table is then ripped off, monitors flung all over the area, and papers blown into the air. Michaels takes a swipe with the monitor and smacks Jericho hard with it. Steel chairs were soon introduced as Jericho and Michaels both used them against each other. A violent sight saw Jericho whack Michaels right in the head, face-first, with a chair in front of a row of children in the front row. To the roar of the audience, Jericho looked under the ring and pulled out a hoard of weapons, including a table, a ladder, a trash can, more chairs, a bag that was tied with a piece of string and a steel chain.

The first man to bleed was Shawn Michaels after he was hit with a ladder. Jericho tossed the ladder toward Michaels, and the edge of it split the top of his forehead, potentially a little bit too much, as the blood really poured and quickly covered his face. Jericho loved the sight of the crimson mask across the face of the ‘Heartbreak Kid’ as he jumped on the attack. In a sickening sight, Jericho holds Michaels by the hair, shouting down at him, telling him this will all be over when he stays down, and he slaps Michaels across the face. His hand is covered with blood afterwards. Jericho realises it moments later, holding his hand up to the crowd, and then smears it across his chest like a warrior of old. Another major moment of the match involved the ladder again. Jericho used the ladder to slam down across the back of the ‘Heartbreak Kid’ repeatedly. The referee got to a count of eight before Michaels reached his feet - only for Jericho to execute a back drop suplex onto the ladder! It wasn’t over then, however, Jericho shoved Michaels between the ladder and applied the Walls of Jericho! He pulled back as hard as he could until Michaels went lifeless. The count followed, and the referee reached nine until Michaels - to the disbelief of his opponent - got to his feet.

Jericho would bleed in the match when Shawn Michaels launched him into the ring post on the outside of the ring. Jericho’s bleeding was not as much as Shawn’s, but his face was still covered plenty. A few big moments in the bout for the ‘Heartbreak Kid’ included a huge superkick that connected while Jericho was on the ring apron, and he fell through a table he had set up on the floor. That scored a count of eight, much to the displeasure of the Texas crowd. Michaels found a good use of the trash can when he shoved Jericho inside of it before climbing to the top rope and dropping an elbow down across the trash can with Jericho trapped inside! That also got a count of eight from the zebra tonight. The steel chain was introduced by Shawn Michaels when he wrapped it around his foot and hit a modified Sweet Chin Music. The crowd thought that might be the end, but Jericho rolled to the outside of the ring, his feet hitting the floor first, which restarted the count!

The action exited the ring for the final time after Jericho had seemingly had enough. He began to crawl up the entrance ramp while Michaels followed him to the top of the stage. On the stage, our combatants collided. Both men were covered in blood, the ring was covered in various weapons, and the announce desk was torn to pieces. Punch after punch from both sides landed, and they struggled to stay standing. A punch would land, the man hit with it would falter, and the man who threw it would also stagger from the effort it took to throw the punch. This match was at a tipping point as Jericho caught a superkick attempt and turned it into the Walls of Jericho on top of the stage. Michaels had nowhere to go and looked to be completely finished. The referee’s count was a long one, the audience on the edge of their seat, but at a count of 9, Michaels fought to his feet, leaning against the stage setup.

The finish of the bout came at the top of the stage. Both men continued to fight as they moved toward the edge. Jim Ross expressed concern about how close this was getting to the electrical and side section, which was a few feet off the main stage. Jericho’s eye lit up as he picked Michaels up on one shoulder and appeared to have a devious thought! Jericho was going to throw Michaels off the stage like a lawn dart! Rushing toward the edge of the stage, Michaels slipped off the shoulders and shoved Jericho as hard as he could! The Canadian waved his arms around madly, trying to get his balance, and somehow managed to stay on the stage by millimetres. When Jericho turned around, he ate a gunshot like Sweet Chin Music and flew off the side of the stage into a stack of tables, electrical equipment and other industrial things. Michaels collapsed on the stage after hitting the move, but rose at a count of five. On the other side, Jericho did not move and failed to answer the count of ten.

Winner: Shawn Michaels @ 22:02

An absolute war has come to an end! For six months, these two men have gone at each other, and tonight, only one is left standing. Shawn Michaels collapses at the top of the stage as his music echoes throughout the arena. The camera focuses on his face, the dried blood covering it, and exhaustion also showing on his body. Jim Ross calls this one of the true blood feuds that he has seen throughout his decades in the business. Neither man will ever be the same after this match. The winner of the bout, Shawn Michaels, struggles to his feet and staggers backstage, unable to truly celebrate after the war he has been through.

The camera then pans down to the terrible scenes just to the left of the stage. Chris Jericho has still not moved, his face also covered in blood, and bits of table scattered across his body. Medics have to rush to his side, and they begin doing their best to pull him out of the wreckage without furthering injuring him. There’s great concern in the voice of Jerry Lawler as we see a stretcher being pulled into position to assist with the medical treatment of Y2J. Questions have to be asked about how far both of these men were willing to go to gain a victory. Chris Jericho said he wanted to send Shawn Michaels into retirement, but after tonight, he may have sent himself into an early retirement. While Chris Jericho may have lost the final chapter of this feud, he will always be the man who defeated Shawn Michaels in his return at WrestleMania.

_____________________________________

~COMING SOON~
THE WWE DRAFT 2003

WWE DRAFT | FOLLOWING SUMMERSLAM | DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED
!! THE LANDSCAPE OF THE WWE WILL BE CHANGED FOREVER !!
STAY TUNED FOR FURTHER UPDATES

_____________________________________

In the parking lot of the arena, Stone Cold Steve Austin is heading toward his car with his gym bag over his shoulder. Jonathan Coachman rushes over to him and asks if Austin has heard the comments made by Eric Bischoff earlier tonight. In response, Stone Cold says that he was in the back showering after his match, so he hasn’t heard anything from Eric, but please do let him know what words of wisdom come from the mouth of such a jackass. Coach informs Austin that Bischoff has vowed to unleash a “Titan of War” on Stone Cold. Austin scrunches up his face a little, tells Coach that he has no idea what that means, but here’s the deal. Austin doesn’t give a damn what Bischoff wants to send his way.

Looking into the camera, Austin threatens Bischoff with another beating of a lifetime if that’s what he wants. He can continue to send guy after guy at him, but they’ll all be sent back in a box just like Christian was tonight. If Bischoff wants to bring God himself, he can do it, but let this be a reminder that Austin 3:16 still says that I just kick your ass. Austin takes his leave, and Coach remains standing with his microphone.

_____________________________________

~ WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP ~
TRIPLE H VS. BOOKER T
The tale of two complete opposites fighting for the richest prize in World Wrestling Entertainment. On one side, the World Heavyweight Champion - Triple H. A model of a champion, born with all the finer things in life, bred for success in this business. He has reigned since December 2002 and has never looked better. The leader of Evolution, they hold ¾ of the titles on Monday Night Raw. The challenger, Booker T. A man from the streets of Houston, Texas. The hometown boy - a man who has been to the bottom and had to fight his whole life to stand up at the pinnacle of professional wrestling. He has not lost since WrestleMania. His goal has always been to be the World Champion, and tonight, he has the chance to do it in front of family and friends. Two men - one title. Two very different ways of life. Who will emerge as the victor tonight?

…

**RAP SHEET**

The noise inside the arena is astounding for the hometown hero and native Texan! With his music blasting over the airways, BOOKER T comes out onto the stage, dressed in all white gear, looking extremely emotional already. There is a packed house here tonight in anticipation of seeing one of their own climb to the top of the mountain. The pressure must be overwhelming, according to Jim Ross. There is no more buildup, no final hoops to jump there - this is the culmination of a journey that Booker T has been on since WrestleMania. He wanted to elevate himself back to the main event - he has done that. He has beaten everyone on Raw that he has faced, and now he challenges the top star on Raw for the biggest prize the company has to offer. Booker T marches down the ramp and stops at ringside to kiss his wife, Sharmell, sitting in the front row, and hug his brother, who is seated next to her.

**THE GAME**

It has been a ritual of sorts at this point as TRIPLE H makes his way to the ring in the main event of a pay-per-view for the World Heavyweight Championship. Jerry Lawler reminds everyone that ‘The Game’ is the longest reigning champion in the WWE today. There is no rush for the champion; he stands on the stage, sipping his water with a smug look across his face. He distests those in the stands, believing he is better than they are in every possible way. The World Title shines beautifully under the lights as Triple H walks down to the ring, and Ric Flair follows shortly thereafter. Inside the ring, Triple H unclips the belt and taunts Booker T with it before climbing the turnbuckle and posing to a wave of boos.

World Heavyweight Championship Match:
Triple H [c] vs. Booker T
​

It’s the big one. The one they all came to see. The main event of the evening. There could be no other option than this bout to close the show, and the fans are at a fever pitch from the opening sound of the bell. This was an even contest with both men getting a lot of time to shine. As you would expect, being a Triple H title match in 2003 - there’s a fair bit of interference as well.

The first instant of outside involvement was when Booker T countered an attack from Triple H. Striking with a boot to the stomach, Booker T ran toward the ropes, setting himself up for the Scissors Kick, but Ric Flair swiped at his foot while running the ropes. The referee just missed it, as Flair is the best in the world at bending the rules without getting caught. Booker T argued with Flair for just a few seconds and then tried to fire the move anyway. Unfortunately, Triple H only needed that brief moment of pause, gathering his thoughts and countering with the Double A version of the spinebuster! He hooked the legs immediately and got a close two-count. Further into the match, Booker T had connected with the Book End, right in the middle of the ring. The challenger hooks the leg, and the crowd counted a three-count loudly. The referee, however, was distracted by Ric Flair, who now stood on the ring apron, waiving his jacket around, threatening to jump into the action himself. By the time the referee got Flair to get off the apron, he was only able to slap the mat twice before Triple H forced his shoulder off the canvas.

In an incredible moment in the contest, Booker T and Triple H both stood on the turnbuckle in one of the corners of the ring. Booker T was on the outside edge, his feet on the second rope, while Triple H was on the inside edge with his feet also sharing the same rope. They traded punches until Triple H hooked Booker for a superplex! There was a struggle from both men, and Booker T ultimately forced his way through, shoving Hunter down to the canvas, causing him to take a flat back bump. The crowd rose as Booker T looked around at the packed house - drawing energy from them. He needed their support; he was thriving off the energy the crowd was feeding him. To the horror of the ‘Nature Boy’ at ringside, Booker T began to stand on the top of the turnbuckle. Jumping into action, Flair once again got up onto the turnbuckle and charged at the challenger! Booker T stuck a boot out and knocked Flair off the apron and to the floor below. This distraction allowed Triple H to get up off the canvas and shake the ropes, causing Booker T to slip and crotch himself! The Game followed this up by ripping Booker T off the turnbuckle, his hands clasped, and hit a hard Pedigree! It was over - Triple H didn’t bother hooking the leg, so confident in his finisher, as the cover was made… only for the challenger to get his shoulder off the mat!!

There was an eruption of cheers as replays showed that Booker T got his shoulder off the mat. Triple H hooks the leg this time, and the referee counts again, but still it’s a two count! The wide eyes of the Heavyweight Champion are shown on camera, and he’s furious. He mounted the challenger and drove his fist into his face with a wild rage. After instructions from the ‘Nature Boy’ on the outside of the ring, Triple H would apply the Figure Four Leg Lock. The pain etched on the face of the challenger was broadcast throughout the building on the titantron. The fans believed that this could be the end as Triple H pulled on the leg, arching back like his mentor had done thousands of times before. This was the hold that had won Ric Flair sixteen World Titles, and right now it looked like it was about to secure the victory for Triple H. Booker T had to dig deep, clawing at the canvas, his eyes meeting those in the front row. To a huge cheer from the audience - Sharmell jumps the barricade and reaches out her hand into the ring! Encouraging her husband, telling him to crawl to her, fight back and reach out to her hand. Booker T gains new life - pushing himself off the canvas and pulling both his weight and the weight of the champion toward the ring ropes. His hand reaches out, and he grabs the bottom rope!

Toward the end of the match, Booker T was able to connect with a second Book End. This time it was on the outside of the ring. The announcers were going wild as Booker T lifted the deadweight of the champion up, shoved him into the ring and tried to slide underneath the bottom rope. While the referee checked on Triple H, who was not moving in the middle of the ring, Ric Flair grabbed Booker T by the leg and refused to let go! Flair was causing a significant delay, and the crowd roared with boos as Flair did everything he could to keep the title with Evolution! Booker T turned back and smashed the ‘Nature Boy’ with a hard right hand, grabbed him by the arm and threw him into the front row! When Flair got up and tried to stagger back to ringside - a wall formed by the fans! They would not allow Flair to enter ringside again, and the fans were back up by Stevie Ray! Flair had been removed! Back with the action, Booker T had entered the ring, only to be hit with a Pedigree!! For the second time in the bout, Triple H connected with his finisher. This time, he hooked both legs; he thought it was over… but Booker T kicked out again!

There was a huge rush of cheers as Booker T refused to give up. Triple H scooted into a corner on his butt, grabbing the ropes and kicking his feet out in a fury. He rose, debating with the referee about what the hell just happened. As Triple H and Booker T engage again, Hunter whips the challenger into the ropes and catches him with a high knee. A third attempt at the Pedigree was countered by Booker T, executing a backdrop. The crowd rose as Booker T hit one, two and a third punch, whipped Triple H into the ropes and connected with a spinebuster of his own. He would kick Triple H in the stomach and go for the Scissors Kick again, but the champion pulled away from it. Triple H went for the Pedigree, Booker T spun out of it and hooked the arm for the Book End! A few elbows by Triple H broke that up, he hit Booker with a hard knee and went back to the Pedigree. The crowd shrieked in despair as Hunter shouted that this was over… but the grip began to break! Booker T dropped to the canvas, tripped the champion and catapulted him into the top turnbuckle! The Game went head first into the padded turnbuckle, he stumbled back into the arms of the challenger, who connected with the Book End!! For the third time, Booker T hit the Book End, and he hooked both legs as the referee counted one, two and three!

Winner: And NEW World Heavyweight Champion - Booker T @ 16:29

For the first time since December 2002, we have a NEW World Heavyweight Champion on Monday Night Raw. The reign of terror has ended in Houston, Texas, by the hometown boy. The kid who was never supposed to be in a situation like this. A kid who many had given up on throughout his life, but Booker T now stands alone at the top of the mountain as World Heavyweight Champion. For the sixth time in his career, but first time under the WWE banner, Booker T can proclaim himself as a World Champion. The atmosphere inside the arena is overwhelming as Booker T crumbles to his knees after the three-count. This is his moment - a moment he never thought would happen.

The referee hands the big gold belt to Booker T as he embraces it with a big hug. On the outside of the ring, Sharmell watches her husband, tears in her eyes. On commentary, Jim Ross calls this one of the most wonderful sights he has seen in his career… but Lawler argues that this is a travesty, with Ric Flair being held hostage by these thugs in the crowd. They continue to debate, as Booker T stands in the ring, alone with the referee, and has his hand raised to a massive pyro display on the stage. We see Ric Flair assisting Triple H up the entrance ramp, hurrying out of sight, while the fans heckle the fallen champion on his way out.

The final shot of the pay-per-view shows Booker T embracing his wife, the World Heavyweight Championship in his right hand… as the show goes off the air.

END OF SHOW
​

Spoiler: Quick Results

Bad Blood 2003
Jeff Hardy [c] bts Test - IC Title
Christopher Nowinski bts Tommy Dreamer - Singapore Cane Match
Evolution [c] bts Freaks & Geeks - World Tag Titles
Stone Cold Steve Austin bts Christian
Sean O'Haire & 'The Devil' Steve Corino bts Rob Van Dam & Kane
Shawn Michaels bts Chris Jericho - Last Man Standing Match
Booker T bts Triple H [c] - World Heavyweight Title (New Champion)

 

[Haskell]

I’m very surprised that you put the world title on Booker. During the build up to Bad Blood, all the signs led to HHH retaining the belt, and I was fully expecting a screw-job by Evolution. Nevertheless, I thought it was a very nice surprise.



As for Bischoff’s “Titan of war”, I’m fully expecting Goldberg to make his debut and feud with Austin, which will hopefully lead to Stone Cold vs Goldberg at SummerSlam.



HBK/Jericho was fantastic from start to finish. Despite losing, Jericho shone like a beacon, and hopefully a feud with Booker over the world title will be his next direction.



I was astonished with Steve Corino being revealed as the devil. I was fully expecting somebody unknown like Paul London, but in retrospect, Corino does make sense with his connection to RVD. Hopefully, this’ll lead to a RVD/Kane feud, with Kane unmasking and becoming a force of nature once again.



I can’t wait for the next Raw.

 

[EZ3]

Monday Night Raw - June 30, 2003 Preview
HSBC in Buffalo, New York
Broadcast live on TNN​

The dynamic of the entire WWE landscape has been threatened. After an electric Bad Blood event, Eric Bischoff - the General Manager of Monday Night Raw - has escalated his war with Stone Cold Steve Austin. After Christian failed to defeat Stone Cold just twenty-four hours ago, Bischoff has vowed to unleash his nuclear option in this war. A vow to unleash the ‘Titan of War’ on the WWE and specifically Stone Cold. A threat that Bischoff says will change everything, not just Raw, but will shake the foundations of professional wrestling worldwide. Tonight - the Titan of War is unleashed, and the Austin/Bischoff war explodes to new heights!

Congratulations are in order for the NEW World Heavyweight Champion, Booker T. In the main event of Bad Blood, Booker T upset the longtime World Champion, Triple H, in the challenger’s hometown, surrounded by friends and family. For the first time in nearly two years, Booker T holds a World Championship (the first of WWE lineage), and he will be live in Buffalo to address the fans after his victory. It has been confirmed as well that the former champion, Triple H, is not scheduled for Monday Night Raw, but the rest of Evolution has been advertised.

A new set of stars will make their debut on Monday Night Raw this week! La Resistance have found their voices over the last few weeks speaking on the microphone and having some harsh comments toward the legendary Dudley Boyz. This week, they’ll need to prove they can back it up in the ring when they step into the ring with one of the top teams in WWE. After challenging for the World Tag Team Titles last night - Freaks & Geeks will have to compete in back-to-back nights when they face La Resistance on their in-ring debut. There’s a lot of pressure for both teams and neither wants to suffer a loss, especially with the tag division on Raw being so competitive.

Speaking of debuts, last night saw the arrival of ‘The Devil’ to the WWE. After speculation leading into Bad Blood, it was revealed to be Steve Corino under the mask, aligning with Sean O’Haire. The duo started off hot with a massive tag team victory over Kane and Rob Van Dam at the pay-per-view. Tonight, we’ve been unable to confirm if the unholy duo will appear on Raw, but Kane is set for in-ring action when he goes one-on-one against former foe William Regal.

Finally, a women’s tag match will also take place on Raw. Ahead of their championship match next week, WWE Women’s Champion Jazz will collide with Trish Stratus, but both women are not coming alone. Jazz will team with Molly Holly, whilst Stratus has found backup in the newly returned Sable! Trish Stratus will be looking to build momentum heading into her big title opportunity in her home country next week against the woman who ripped the title from her hands at King of the Ring across the pond in England.

Confirmed For Raw:
La Resistance vs. Freaks & Geeks
Kane vs. William Regal
Jazz & Molly Holly vs. Trish Stratus & Sable
Plus; Eric Bischoff unleashes the Titan of War on Stone Cold Steve Austin!

 

[EZ3]

Monday Night Raw - June 30, 2003
HSBC Arena in Buffalo, New York
Broadcast live on TNN​

The show opened with a recap video of the Bad Blood pay-per-view from just 24-hours earlier. It focused on the brutal Last Man Standing Match between Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho in the opening third, highlighting the violence and bloodshed for those who did not purchase the event. It then transitioned into a recap of Stone Cold’s battle with Christian, and his improbable victory with his back against the wall due to favouritism from the Administration. Finally, we saw incredible scenes with images of Booker T defeating Triple H to become the new World Heavyweight Champion, achieving the feat in his hometown with his friends and family in the front row. Images of Booker T holding the World Heavyweight Championship high above his head as confetti fell to the floor, his wife next to him in an emotional embrace, while Jim Ross delivered commentary emphasising how heartwarming this moment was for him.

_____________________________________​

There’s no standard opening video that is usually played at the opening of Monday Night Raw. After the initial video, the camera zooms in on the squared circle, revealing it has been taken over by the Administration! Standing in the middle of the ring, Eric Bischoff wastes no time, refusing to allow our commentary team a moment to introduce the show, as the General Manager demands all of our attention. He’s not alone in the ring - Bischoff is flanked by the ‘Right Hand Man’ Christian, Christopher Nowinski, Test, Chief Morley, Rodney Mack and Mark Jindrak. Every member of the faction stands in a line behind the Raw GM, wearing smug looks across their faces as the audience in Buffalo rains down with boos in displeasure.

Eric Bischoff waits out the reaction from the fans before beginning what can only be described as a diatribe from an egomaniac. After reminding the fans that they can boo all they want, the fact remains that Raw is Bischoff’s show, and he will wait all night if he has to. That draws more heat from the crowd, much to the pleasure of Bischoff. He tells the audience that he bets most of them think he’s upset about the results last night. On paper, it looked like nothing went right for the Administration, but that’s not true. That just proves that the average fan, especially those in Buffalo, fails to see the bigger picture. Bischoff turns to Christian, places a hand on his shoulder and thanks him for everything he has done in recent months to thwart Stone Cold Steve Austin’s antics. Last night, he may not have won, but Christian proved his worth to the Administration and Eric Bischoff. They shared a father-son style embrace as boos rushed the ring.

“Tonight, I deliver on a promise five years in the making when I destroy Stone Cold Steve Austin!” The mention of the Rattlesnake causes the crowd to explode with cheers, and sets Bischoff off even further. He promises that when Austin arrives at the building, he’ll be given one final chance to walk away from all of this. Get back in his truck and leave the WWE, and this war need not escalate. However, if Stone Cold walks out to this ring, he will face a force unlike anything he has ever seen. Almost spitting venom while he talks, Bischoff says his life has been made miserable ever since Austin came back to Raw in February and tonight, he fights back! Tonight, Bischoff unleashes the Titan of War on Austin, and that’s something Austin will never recover from - if he has the nerve to disobey Bischoff once again.

Bischoff slams down the microphone and exits the ring - he’s laid out the final warning for Stone Cold. If Austin walks out to the ring tonight, he will guarantee that Bischoff unleashes the Titan of War, or he can walk away from the WWE forever. Jim Ross can’t believe that Bischoff would think that Austin would just walk away without a fight, doubting that this night is going to end without things exploding further. Jerry Lawler is aghast and argues that Bischoff was a man of peace and kind-hearted for giving the troublemaker Steve Austin one more chance to do the right thing.

_____________________________________​

Now backstage, Shawn Michaels is shown arriving at the arena earlier in the day, limping slightly as he walks toward a gated area with fans on the other side of the fence. Michaels has a hat on that covers much of a head wound that he sustained last night in the match against Chris Jericho. Michaels signs a few autographs on his way into the building, receiving a massive positive response from those outside the building. On commentary, Ross pointed out how sore Michaels looked just walking into the building after his bloodbath with Jericho at Bad Blood. We will hear more from the ‘Heatbreak Kid’ later on in the evening!

…

Commercial Break

…

Match 1 | SINGLES MATCH:
Test vs. Local Jobber
The opening contest was a showcase for the man who came up just short in the Intercontinental Championship match last night. Representing the Administration, Test had remained in the ring from the opening segment and was joined by a local wrestler from the New York area. It was a complete squash for the big man. Test took no damage and no sold several punches from the younger talent. A huge lariat nearly took the head off the jobber, and a powerslam was good for a two count, with Test pulling his opponent’s shoulder off the mat and laughing about it. After three minutes of aggressive beatdown, Test hit the Big Boot and scored the easy victory.
Winners: Test @ 03:03

In the aftermath of the bout, Test screamed at the referee to raise his hand in victory. The local wrestler could not move an inch; he was knocked out cold by the big boot, and this pleased Test greatly. He climbed the nearest turnbuckle and posed, gaining a lot of boos from the audience, and motioned around his waist - Test, making it clear he has not given up his goal of becoming the WWE Intercontinental Champion. Ross and Lawler debated whether this was enough to give Test another shot at the good after the great match with Hardy. They were both unsure, but Lawler hinted that Test’s spot in the Administration might be enough to push him to the front of the line for a rematch with the ‘loopy’ Jeff Hardy.

_____________________________________​

In the interview area, Teri Runnels is halfway through an introduction when a snarky laugh cuts her off. Into the shot appeared La Resistance - Sylvain Grenier and Rene Dupree. The newest tag team on the Monday Night Raw scene stuck their chest out with an air of arrogance, unearned for two who haven’t even had a match as of yet. Dupree was the first to speak, wishing Runnels a good evening and thanking her for the time tonight. She expressed that the way this works is that they need to wait to be invited into the shot, but this earned the ire of Grenier, who shouted at her in French. Responding in English, Dupree spat at the ground, calling Teri Runnels a stupid American girl with no class. Where he comes from, the woman does not make the man wait, and this is just the first example of the failures of the United States of America. A nation of weak men like the Dudley Boyz, who have gotten too big for their little booties. La Resistance has arrived in the WWE to show that European excellence greatly outweighs the superpower of the mighty US of A. Tonight, Dupree declared that their debut would be an all-timer, and unlike the Dudley Boyz, they would not embarrass themselves.

_____________________________________​

In a private locker room, Ric Flair spoke with Randy Orton and Batista. He praised their title defence last night against Freaks & Geeks, both men holding their World Tag Team Title proudly over their shoulders. Flair explained that he’s spoken to Bischoff about what’s next for the two of them, and Evolution would deal with that in the coming weeks. Tonight, the three of them had a job to do in the absence of Triple H. It was confirmed by Ross on commentary that the former World Champion was not scheduled for Monday Night Raw and had been given the night off by Eric Bischoff. It was a passionate set of instructions delivered by Flair to the young boys. This night would not end without Booker T getting a receipt for what he took… or stole from Evolution. He had embarrassed them on the biggest stage, he made them all look like fools, and if Triple H couldn’t be here to defend his honour, then Ric Flair was going to make sure that the rest of Evolution had their leader’s back! Orton and Batista both nodded in affirmation - Batista squeezed his hands together and threatened to squash Booker T with his unrelenting power.

…

Commercial Break

…

When Monday Night Raw returned from the commercial break, we found Christian and Chief Morley waiting outside the arena in the parking lot. Both men looked around and were in a brief discussion when a black limousine began to drive into view. The licence plate came into focus, 173098, as the two men walked toward the car to greet whoever was inside. The cameraman tried to rush around as the door opened, a black boot stepping out onto the cold ground, but Christian blocked the shot. With eyes on the cameraman, Christian threatened to smash the camera over his head if he didn’t get to stepping - declaring it a direct order from Eric Bischoff’s personal ‘Right Hand Man.’ The feed cut as the cameraman hurried away, not wanting to get physical.

_____________________________________​

Match 2 | TAG TEAM MATCH:
Jazz & Molly Holly vs. Sable & Trish Stratus
The ladies aren’t given a huge amount of time here. A quick five-minute tag team match that sees them rushing to get a few spots in. The purpose of this bout is for Jazz, the reigning WWE Women’s Champion, to get some reps in with both Trish Stratus - who is challenging for the title next week in Canada - and Sable. Jazz had a big power spot where she used Sable as a battering ram directly into Trish, knocking her off the apron. The finish came when Trish got a tag on Sable, which Jazz failed to see. After planting Sable with a powerslam, Jazz hooked the legs and was confused when the referee refused to make the count. She stood up and was caught with a Chick Kick, and Stratus scored the three-count ahead of their title bout in just seven days! It was a decent pop from the audience for the blondes, Trish and Sable, embrace post match in a huge embrace and raised each other’s hands. Meanwhile, Jazz sulks away with the WWE Women’s Championship, shoving Theodore Long away as she stomps up the ramp - pissed off!
Winners: Sable & Trish Stratus @ 05:11

_____________________________________​

The camera quickly switches backstage to catch Stone Cold Steve Austin arriving at the building for the first time tonight. There’s a huge pop from the audience in the arena when he appears on screen, walking in with a gym bag while wearing his classic ‘Austin 3:16’ t-shirt, which is selling like hotcakes at the moment. He’s approached by a local worker from the arena who tries to hand him a piece of paper to read. Austin scrunches up his face, coming to a stop, and asks what the hell he’s being handed notes for, like he’s a kid in school. The worker stutters out a sentence that informs Austin about the warning from Bischoff. Austin can’t help but laugh, no selling the threats, and he asks the worker to confirm that this bit of paper is a warning from Bischoff? The same Bischoff that Stone Cold left covered in beer and his own piss at King of the Ring?

With a devilish grin on his face, Austin grabs the worker and says that he has a message that’s just for Eric Bischoff. After asking for a pen, the worker doesn’t have one, Austin walks him over to a trash can and says that if he can’t write this down, he best remember it word for word. A moment later, Austin boots the worker in the stomach and hits a Stunner, sending the worker into the trash can, where he becomes stuck. Austin takes the piece of paper and shoves it into the worker's mouth before walking away and marching toward his locker room.

…

Commercial Break

…

When the show returns from the commercial break, Booker T makes his way down to the ring to a huge explosion of cheers from the live crowd. He interacts with the fans in the front row before rolling underneath the bottom rope to enter the squared circle. After removing the World Championship from around his waist, Booker T raises it into the air to another loud pop from the crowd. It takes a few moments for the crowd to settle, the excitement in the building coming through to those at home as the camera pans around the arena, showing many still on their feet. Booker T started his promo by thanking the fans, not just those in the arena, but all of them around the world. He spoke about how the title in his hands wasn’t just something for him - it was a representation of a dream for anyone who has ever been told that they could not achieve their dreams. He raised it for a second time, shouting into the microphone that dreams do come true and hard work pays off. In a world full of critics and doubters, Booker T said you just need to find those who believe in you, and most of all, believe in yourself. If he could get to the top of the mountain, so could you. Life isn't supposed to be easy, it’s a rollercoaster with ups and downs - Booker T joked that he’d had enough downs for a lifetime - but if you stick with it, you’ll get to the end of the ride and realise those bad times were always just temporary. He continued, speaking about the journey from a tag team wrestler in World Championship Wrestling, to the early days in WWE and now to standing in Buffalo as the World Heavyweight Champion. He had made it!

Just moments after Booker T stated that he planned on being a fighting champion, someone who was not afraid to defend the title belt, he was interrupted! Down the aisle strutted all three members of Evolution who are in Buffalo this evening. Leading the charge was ‘Nature Boy’ Ric Flair, a microphone in hand as Batista and Randy Orton walked closely behind him. The two younger members of the trio had their World Tag Team Titles clipped around their waists, having successfully defended them last night at Bad Blood. When Evolution made it to the ring, Flair had to contain his laughter as he mocked Booker T for having the nerve to stand in the same ring as Evolution. Ric Flair called it a disgrace that a man such as Booker T was walking around with the big gold belt that he (Ric Flair) made famous. If it wasn’t for the ‘Nature Boy’ that title around Booker T’s waist would’ve been in the garbage with the rest of the crap from WCW back in 2001. In Flair's view, Booker T should be thanking him for carrying a company like WCW on his back for as long as he did, so that Booker T had a place to work because he never would’ve cut it in the WWE from the beginning. Booker T asked what it was that Flair wanted since he didn’t see Triple H, who he thought would’ve been lining up for his rematch. Flair shouted that Triple H didn’t need to line up for his rematch - he’d get his contractually obligated title shot when he wanted and not a moment sooner. Tonight, Triple H was taking a night off, and that meant Booker T had to deal with the sixteen-time World Champion!

The crowd popped as Booker T and Ric Flair stepped closer to each other and went eye to eye. It was a tense moment when Batista and Randy Orton inched closer to back up Ric Flair. They were attempting to intimidate the new World Champion, but Booker T refused to whimper. He stood firm, raised the microphone to his lips and challenged Ric Flair to a title match tonight in Buffalo. He wasn’t afraid to test his skills against a legend, and he agreed that Flair did carry this title better than anyone, and if Booker T wanted to cement his place as one of the great champions, it was a perfect way to start by defeating the Nature Boy in his first title defence! Flair eyed the champion, considering what was being offered and his allegiance to Triple H, before accepting the match and shouting that he’d be winning number seventeen by the end of the night - woo!

_____________________________________​

Match 3 | TAG TEAM MATCH:
La Resistance vs. Spike Dudley & The Hurricane
During the entrance of La Resistance, it was announced by Jim Ross that Scott Steiner would be unable to compete due to a bicep injury he sustained last night at Bad Blood during the tag title contest. When The Hurricane made his entrance, he was joined by a temporary tag partner in Spike Dudley, while Scott Steiner followed behind with his arm in a sling. The Genetic Freak would be at ringside during the contest, but was strictly off limits when it came to physical interaction. It was the first time that La Resistance competed in-ring on Raw, and they were showcased really well against two smaller athletes. Grenier was clearly the greener of the two and was introduced only when his team had control over the match to put a beating on his opponent. When it came time for La Resistance to sell for the comeback, Dupree was tagged in, and he worked with both Spike and Hurricane. During the bout, Dupree would use the ropes as leverage to drive his boot into the face of Hurricane, and could be seen trash-talking Steiner, drawing boos from the audience. He would mock Steiner on the outside of the ring, shoving his finger in his face (making sure not to physically touch him). The finish came when Grenier lifted The Hurricane in front on a bearhug-like position, Dupree hit the ropes and jumped with a clothesline - hitting what is most famously called the Hart Attack! Dupree would then make the cover for the three-count.
Winners: La Resistance @ 06:35

In the aftermath, La Resistance refused to allow the referee to touch their hands. They posed on opposite turnbuckles to loud boos from the audience as Grenier waved a French flag around in celebration. On the outside of the ring, Scott Steiner looked furious that his tag partner had been left without his assistance, slapping the canvas with his good arm before checking on Hurricane.

_____________________________________​

In the backstage area, Sable is shown chatting with Alundra Blayze! Two stars of the WWE in the 90’s live on Monday Night Raw here in 2003. Blayze said she was very impressed with Sable’s performance in the tag match earlier in the night and was proud to see a friend doing so well in the WWE after her long layoff. Blayze revealed she was a guest of Eric Bischoff, as he wanted to discuss something with her. She told Sable that she had a meeting with Bischoff after the show. As they were chatting, the duo was interrupted by the reigning WWE Women’s Champion, Jazz! The Black Diamond mean-mugged both women and said that it must’ve been a buy-one-get-one-free sale at the dumb blonde bimbo store. Jazz was backed by Theodore Long, who suddenly pulled a stack of cash out of his suit and began looking around as if searching for the aforementioned store. With the title on her shoulder, Jazz told both Sable and Blayze that Monday Night Raw was her show. She had taken this title from Trish Stratus when nobody else would in the most violent women’s match in the history of WWE. She left blood on the mat in England, and there was no chance in hell that she was going to let the bimbo brigade invade her domain and steal her spotlight. She turned to Sable, threatening to send her back into retirement if she kept getting in Jazz’s business. Slowly and with menace, Jazz turned to Blayze and advised that she better just be her as a visitor and not think of doing something stupid like stepping up to the only diamond of the WWE. There was a long silence between all three women before Jazz walked away. The camera lingered on the faces of Sable and Blayze for a moment longer.

…

Commercial Break

…

When Monday Night Raw returned from the commercial break, Shawn Michaels made his way down to the ring. He was dressed in a pair of jeans, his own merchandise t-shirt and wore a black cowboy hat. The Heartbreak Kid received a loud reaction filled with cheers and chants of ‘HBK’ throughout the arena. It only intensified once Michaels stood in the ring, soaking in the response, with a microphone in his hand. With the fans excited to hear from him, Michaels thanked them for the warm response and said that last night, he was part of one of the toughest matches in his entire career. He put over Chris Jericho as an opponent, making sure to note that they didn’t get along and would never see eye to eye, so long as both of them were competitors in the WWE. While he didn’t like Chris Jericho as a person, Michaels was able to admit that the last six months battling him across the country forced him to elevate to another level. For the first time since he’d been back full-time, the Heartbreak Kid felt like he had found that same gear that saw him rule the WWE in the mid to late 1990’s.

That chapter of his year had come and gone, according to Michaels. What did the future hold for the Heartbreak Kid now that he had closed the book on his feud with Chris Jericho? The fans waited with anticipation as Michaels walked around the ring, scratching his chin, playing to the audience and building the suspense. He told the fans that he didn’t know. He had been so consumed by one single focus for the last six-months that now, as he stood in the ring, he wasn’t sure what his future held. Michaels wondered if some young hotshot was wanting to make a name for themselves waiting in the back, ready to interrupt him right now? He paused for a moment and waited - nothing. Michaels chuckled softly and quipped that he might look beat up right now, but he’s as dangerous as ever, so it’s probably smart for the hotshots to stick back there. How about the new World Heavyweight Champion? That got a big pop from the audience as Michaels outlined that he respected Booker T and was very glad to see the title on someone other than his former friend, Triple H. He did remind everyone that the last time he wrestled for the World Championship, he was screwed out of the match by outside interference, so if there was a line for who gets the next shot - Shawn Michaels should be at the front of it!

He spoke further about setting his sights on the road ahead. That road included the next time Monday Night Raw was on pay-per-view; SummerSlam! Michaels focused directly on the hard camera - telling the world that he was free to do what he wanted now. He had no clear path for what was next, but the Heartbreak Kid had a goal. He wanted to become the World Heavyweight Champion again, and the road to the title begins right now! That drew a huge cheer from the audience as Michaels dropped the microphone and made his exit from the ring, his music playing in the background. Our commentary team discussed the intentions of Shawn Michaels and what was conveyed during tonight's event. Ross said that there was no greater competitor than Shawn Michaels when he set his sights on a goal, and he praised the potential match between Booker T and Shawn Michaels as being a barnburner. In contrast, Jerry Lawler mocked Shawn for being hit on the head one too many times last night because Booker T wasn’t going to make it past tonight as World Champion when he defended it against Ric Flair in the main event!

_____________________________________​

Elsewhere backstage, the camera finds the reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion, Jeff Hardy, walking through a hallway. He has the title belt around his waist and is dressed in casual street clothes. There is no match scheduled for Jeff Hardy this week on Raw after his successful title defence last night at Bad Blood, where he defeated Test. Hardy arrives at his desired destination - the office of General Manager Eric Bischoff. He doesn’t knock; Jeff Hardy walks right into the office and seemingly startles Bischoff, who is on the phone with someone. Bischoff tells the person on the other end of the line that he’ll call him back shortly before admonishing Hardy for bursting into his office without knocking. Hardy ignores the scolding and tells Bischoff to get to the point - why did he need to speak with him? Bischoff smirked. He told Hardy that there was no need for hostility between the two of them. Bischoff was the General Manager after all, and Hardy was an employee, someone who needed to know his place around Raw and realise where he stood in the food chain. According to Bischoff, this type of attitude was a cancer on the Raw roster, something that had started with the likes of Stone Cold Steve Austin. He stood up, slamming his fist down on the table and declaring that it would not stand any longer. Tonight, Stone Cold would pay for his crimes against the Administration, and now, he said with a mocking tone, so would Jeff Hardy. It was revealed that Jeff Hardy would be forced to defend the WWE Intercontinental Championship next week against both Test and Chief Morley in a Triple Threat match! Jeff Hardy asked if he was supposed to be afraid - Bischoff shook his head and told him that fear wasn’t necessary, but obedience was in this Administration.

…

Commercial Break

…

Match 4 | SINGLES MATCH:
William Regal vs. Kane
A tough match here with both Regal and Kane laying in some stiff shots against each other. They were both running solo here on Monday Night Raw tonight. Neither Lance Storm nor Rob Van Dam were at ringside during the bout for their respective tag team partners. Before the bell sounded, William Regal jumped Kane from behind with a set of heavy forearms to the back of the head. This opening assault gave Regal the chance to control the beginning of the bout. Eventually, Kane would gain control, and he chopped Regal with a massive thrust to the throat with his right hand that left Regal gasping for breath. There was a clear level of frustration that had been built up after his loss last night because Kane became especially vicious toward Regal near the end of the match. He slammed Regal’s head into the barricade on the outside of the ring and threw him like a lawn dart into the steel post. Back in the ring, Kane trapped Regal up against a corner and choked him with both hands, drawing a four count from the referee. The finish came when Kane scooped Regal up and drove him headfirst with the Tombstone, securing the three-count.
Winners: Kane @ 07:06

Once the bell rang, Kane stood up and had his hand raised by the referee. At this moment, the entire arena went dark! The lights all shut off, and a piercing scream echoed throughout the arena. When the arena returned to normal, it was clear that Kane was no longer alone in the ring. In front of Kane was ‘The Devil’ Steve Corino dressed in an all-white suit with his devil mask in his hands. A sadistic grin covered Corino’s face as he spread his arms as if welcoming Kane in for a hug. He could be heard shouting - “Come to me, my child! Join us!” Kane stepped forward as is to deliver a big right hand but was struck from behind by a spin kick! Sean O’Haire had struck! He jumped on Kane and started hammering away with punches as Corino paced around the ring, smiling at the work of his associate. This continued until Rob Van Dam rushed down the ring, holding a steel chair in his hand and drove this unholy duo away! Inside the ring, RVD stood as a protector for his tag partner, while O’Haire and Corino escaped to the top of the ring.

_____________________________________​

We joined Trish Stratus in the parking lot of the arena, as the announcers quickly jumped into promoting her title match next week. While Stratus began putting his bag filled with her gear into the back seat of her rental car, she was approached by Gail Kim. It was a warm greeting from Gail to the former WWE Women’s Champion, but Trish was not buying it. Ever since Gail had joined the WWE, she had been following Trish’s every move. Trish wanted answers as to what Gail was doing following her around and why she was keeping tabs on her. There was an immediate denial from Gail Kim. All she confessed to doing was watching all of the women on the Raw roster because she wanted to scout where she would fall in the division. This was always her dream to make it to Monday Night Raw, and she was going to do everything she could to make sure her career was a long one. It didn’t look like Trish was buying what was being sold to her. Her face unsure, but eventually, Trish relaxed. She told Gail that if she wanted to see how the very best of Raw do it, then she needs to watch how Trish wins back her WWE Women’s Championship next week in Canada. Gail nodded, excited to see how a star like Trish performs with the lights on bright. She extended a hand, and the ladies shook before Trish got in her car and left.

_____________________________________​

With the voice of Jim Ross behind it, Booker T and Ric Flair are shown on a split screen walking through the hallway of the arena. Both are dressed for the main event match that is coming up shortly after the next commercial break! Ross hypes up the main event. It’s the chance for Ric Flair to become a seventeen-time World Champion and increase his existing record. A record that all wrestlers dream of chasing down one day. For Booker T, this is his first title defence less than twenty-four hours after winning the World Heavyweight Championship at Bad Blood. The main event is for the World Title, and it is coming up next on Monday Night Raw!

…

Commercial Break

…

Once Monday Night Raw returns, we get a pre-taped video package involving Maven and Stacy Kiebler doing charity work over the last week. They are shown visiting children’s hospitals and signing autographs at a local mall for several hundred fans. The waiting lines for the autographs are shown to wrap around the block - highlighting the popularity of the WWE and its superstars. We also see Maven and Stacy Keibler appearing on both a local television network, reading the weather report for the day, and Keibler appearing on a radio station, reading quiz questions to incoming callers. The vignette comes to an end with Maven and Kiebler sharing a quick kiss as they cut the ribbon on a new library that opened in the local area over the weekend.

_____________________________________​

Match 5 | SINGLES MATCH | WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP:
Booker T [c] vs. Ric Flair
It’s the main event of the evening, and these two get ten minutes of action to put on a fun match for the fans. During the entrances, Ric Flair comes to the ring alone and can be heard telling Booker T that he doesn’t need backup to take the World Championship from the likes of him. They collide in a tough match for the first five minutes, getting in as much as they can with the first half of the bout. After Booker T sends Ric Flair over the top rope with a big clothesline, causing him to fall flat on his ass on the outside, backup does indeed arrive for the Nature Boy. Randy Orton rushes down the ramp and checks on Ric Flair, helping him to his feet. The referee warns Orton to stay out of this…, but as his attention is turned to Orton, he fails to see Batista jump the barricade and storm the ring! Batista cuts Booker T in half with a spear. He rolls out of the ring and runs back the way he came through the fans. Flair hurries back into the ring, makes the cover and gets a count of two from the referee!

In the second half of the bout, Flair worked the leg to set it up for the Figure Four Leg Lock. He was able to apply it and had the World Champion looking for a way out. There was pain etched on the face of Booker T as he pulled himself toward the ropes. The famous submission tearing at his knee - the Nature Boy taunting him as a seventeenth World Championship looked to be on the horizon. Eventually, Booker T turned over and reversed the pressure of the hold - forcing Flair to break it on his own accord. The finish of the bout saw Randy Orton jump onto the apron to distract Booker T. The World Champion was able to see it coming and move out of the way, causing Flair to crack heads with Orton on the outside ring apron! Down went the 3rd generation athlete, and Flair stumbled back into the arms of Booker T, who planted him with a Book End! He hooked both legs and scored the three-count - the first successful title defence of his reign.
Winners: And STILL World Heavyweight Champion - Booker T @ 10:42

While the celebrations take place in the ring - the titantron changes to a shot of a cameraman being told to hurry up. Suddenly, a door swings open, and Goldust is dragged through the door unconscious. His face paint is mixed with red, which we quickly realise is blood! The camera is aimed at the body of Goldust and slowly begins to move up the body of the man, who can be heard shouting at the cameraman to focus on the victim. It’s revealed to be Triple H! The Game is here tonight! He was given the night off, but the leader of Evolution has invaded the building to exact revenge on the man who won the World Championship last night. The live broadcast cuts back and forth between the ring, where Booker T is watching in a stunned silence - his best friend has been beaten senseless by Triple H. The former World Champion has blood on his taped fists from the beating. He stands over the body of Goldust, his eyes burning into the camera with his silent rage.

He slowly steps to the stand, not saying a word for the moment as we begin to hear a strange sound. It’s like metal on concrete, as if metal is being dragged. Then we see it - Triple H is dragging the head of his sledgehammer on the ground. “You think you can take what’s mine and act like everything is going to be okay, Booker? You have no idea the type of man you are dealing with. Now, you’ve taken the one thing I cared about losing - so I will do anything to get it back!” He raised the sledgehammer in the air as the camera feed cut out! Booker T dashed out of the ring and sprinted to the back - hurrying to aid his best friend!

…

Commercial Break

…

Before Raw moves to the final segment of the night, we return to the backstage area where Goldust is surrounded by medics and Booker T. There is no sign of Triple H, and Jim Ross revealed that brave members of the security team jumped in to stop Triple H from driving the sledgehammer into Goldust just seconds before something catastrophic occurred. The camera has a great shot of Booker T kneeling down next to his friend, almost shaking with rage at what has occurred here tonight.

_____________________________________​

Into the arena…

**I’M BACK**

The music of the Raw General Manager gets the arena on their feet and booing loudly for the man with the slicked back black hair. Walking with a supreme level of confidence, Bischoff is flanked once again by all the members of the Administration: Christian, Christopher Nowinski, Test, Chief Morley, Rodney Mack & Mark Jindrak.

Jim Ross: Eric Bischoff is a man oozing confidence right now because he says he has the ultimate trump card for Stone Cold Steve Austin. He believes that this ‘Titan of War’ is going to create a shift in the entire landscape of professional wrestling. He’s also flanked by six men who are all loyal to him as part of the Administration faction.

Jerry Lawler: I think that might be a bit harsh, JR! Bischoff has always been a man of confidence. It doesn’t matter how many guys he has surrounding him as backup in case Stone Cold tries something with him. We all saw Bischoff stand up to Austin at King of the Ring! He did that alone and still shows no fear when confronted by the Rattlesnake.

Inside the ring, Bischoff struts around with that shit-eating grin on his face until his music dies down, allowing him the chance to talk.

Eric Bischoff: I know you people are just dying to hear from me again!

Cheap boos from the fans, Christian claps in support of his boss.

Eric Bischoff: There isn’t a greater man in this business than Eric Bischoff. Every week I do what’s best for all of you idiots - and yet you boo me? If it wasn’t for me approving it, you wouldn’t have had a World Title bout tonight. I make the right calls every single time!

Another round of boos.

Eric Bischoff: The right calls. That’s what I have done time and time again with Steve Austin. When I FIRED him from World Championship Wrestling, it was the right call.

Bischoff stops, the Administration nodding along in agreement with him.

Eric Bischoff: History is written by the victors, and in a war that I was outmanned in - my decision to fire Stone Cold has been questioned. I’ve been mocked, I’ve been laughed at and ridiculed for years because I let the biggest star in professional wrestling walk out the door.

Light cheers continue, with Bischoff looking around the arena.

Eric Bischoff: That’s where you are all wrong. Steve Austin isn’t the biggest star in professional wrestling. No, history has been tainted by the brush of the WWE. You are all sheep who buy into it. You believe that I not only competed with but DOMINATED this company because of Ted Turner’s money. But it was my genius - my calls that saw this place on the brink of collapse.

Bischoff looks around at the fans, raising his voice.

Eric Bischoff: So I ask again, was it wrong to fire Stone Cold when I led a revolution in WCW that beat the WWE for 83 weeks in a row? Was I the idiot who let Steve Austin walk when he was running around this company as Ted DiBiase’s little bald bitch?

Huge ‘Oooohhhh’ from the crowd in Buffalo.

Eric Bischoff: I wasn’t! I saw a genius, and I would’ve killed this company if things hadn’t been taken out of my control.

The members of the Administration all clap in support.

Eric Bischoff: Stone Cold is lucky to be here. If things hadn’t been ripped away from me, Stone Cold would be out of a job - AGAIN! He’d be on the street with the trash like he should be. We’d be at a WCW event right now. I didn’t kill WCW! I was and always have been - WCW! I’m the reason why it thrived. I’m the reason why Vince McMahon was looking over his shoulder and having nightmares about me kicking his ass.

More heat from the audience.

Eric Bischoff: You people think that ruthlessness just goes away? I walked into this company and accepted a position from a man who should be working for me! I have bottled my ambition for two long years because I needed to feed my family. I told you before - I make the right calls.

Bischoff pauses momentarily.

Eric Bischoff: When I came to the WWE and accepted the job as Raw General Manager, I set my sights on making this the best brand in professional wrestling. I have done that. I did it without Stone Cold Steve Austin for the second time! He left - I didn’t need or want him! Then in February, he walks back in like he owns the joint, and for the last six-months I have to deal with a rogue Texan playing by his own rules!

Bischoff paces around the ring, and his face sours at the mention of Austin.

Eric Bischoff: I have tried to work with Stone Cold. I have attempted to be the bigger man, but he won’t play by the rules I set. So, I sent my most loyal men after him! Time after time - Stone Cold saw them off, and he thought he was winning this war.

There’s a laugh from Bischoff now.

Eric Bischoff: He was dead wrong! Stone Cold wasn’t winning this war… he was forcing me to find that part of me that has been dormant since 2001. That ruthlessness that led WCW for so long. That guy who stole Hulk Hogan from the WWE in the dead of the night. That guy never quit. That guy was always under the surface. So… here I am! I promised you a war, Austin! I promised that you would pay for everything that you have put me through. So get your ass out here because this is your end!

More boos from the fans, as Bischoff turns toward the stage with that smug look on his face.

**GLASS SHATTERS**

Well, that’s the biggest response of the night! The glass shatters to announce the arrival of the Texas Rattlesnake here in Buffalo. In the ring, you can see the members of the Administration tense up at the sight of Stone Cold Steve Austin!

Jim Ross: He’s not one to back down from a fight, King! The Texas Rattlesnake is here in Buffalo, New York, ready to collide with seven men in the ring. He’s walking, he’s talking, and Austin is marching straight toward the squared circle.

Jerry Lawler: I don’t know if that’s confidence or stupidity, JR! Stone Cold is going to be outnumbered seven to one when he enters the ring, but he doesn’t seem to notice.

Jim Ross: Oh, he notices! He just doesn’t give a damn, King. That’s the toughest man on the entire planet and Eric Bischoff better have something in his back pocket to back up all those words.

Austin makes his way down to the ring, never pausing for a moment before sliding underneath the bottom rope and storming straight through the entire faction to pose on one of the turnbuckles. The music dies down as Stone Cold stands in front of Bischoff, a microphone in his hand, dressed in jeans and one of his Austin 3:16 shirts.

Steve Austin: You best understand, Eric, that I didn’t come down here to listen to you talk for ten boring minutes. You want me here - you got me. What is it you want?

That draws further ire from Bischoff as Austin motions for him to hurry up.

Steve Austin: Cat got your tongue? Maybe if I say it slower for you. What. Is. It. That. You. Want?

Eric Bischoff: You listen to me…

Austin interrupts and cuts Bischoff off.

Steve Austin: Well, damn, Eric. If you’re not going to spit it out - I guess the good folks and Buffalo and I can try to guess. Am I out here to open a can of whoop ass on your little right-hand man again?

“WHAT?”

Big cheer from the live crowd. Austin flips off Christian and then turns to Morley and Nowinski.

Steve Austin: Maybe you want to see Stone Cold beat these two morons again, as I did at Backlash. Little front row seat to an ass kicking? If that’s your thing, Eric - no reason I can’t deliver it right now.

“WHAT?”

Bischoff looks like he’s about to explode as Austin rubs the top of his own head.

Steve Austin: No, doesn’t seem to be either of those. I haven’t whooped those three guys before… unless you want me to give you another Stunner? You remember that, Eric. King of the Ring - you lying on your back covered in beer and your piss as a bunch of English fans called you a… what was it… a wanker!

“WHAT?”

Eric Bischoff: Shut your mouth, right now! You don’t get to mock me. I’m the one calling the shots. I want you to know that I hate you, Austin. I’ve had enough of trying to placate you. So I am going to do the only thing I can now - the last option I have.

Bischoff steps closer to Austin; they are face-to-face, nearly nose to nose.

Eric Bischoff: I am going to destroy you! You want to know why you’re out here. That’s not the question you should be asking. You’ve always been one step behind, Steve.

Austin looks puzzled, the crowd unsure what to make of it.

Eric Bischoff: It’s not about why. It’s not about what. It’s not about when.

Steve Austin: Spit it out, Eric! You had a lot to say when I wasn’t in the building and then when I was backstage. I’m standing right in front of you now. You want to talk in riddles. You’ve got a group of guys behind you. I’ve knocked half of them down in matches and all of them down in fist fights. Who have you got next?

A huge grin appears on the face of Eric Bischoff as he takes a step back. The Administration slowly funnels out of the ring, leaving Bischoff alone with Austin.

Eric Bischoff: Who’s next… I think you’re next, Steve.

The mood in the arena suddenly changes as the words ring out throughout the building. Bischoff begins to laugh like a maniac as Stone Cold takes a moment to process what that could mean.

For two years they’ve been waiting…

Ready the drums…

THE TITAN OF WAR is here.

**INVASION**

Jim Ross: THERE IS NO WAY!!

Jerry Lawler: JR… that can’t be who we think it is can it?

Jim Ross: The roof is exploding off the arena. Bischoff had a weapon, he had a nuclear option, and as God as my witness, he meant it! He was 74-0 when he won the World Title from Hollywood Hulk Hogan, the only undefeated World Champion in professional wrestling history. My god, is it truly him?

Through the smoke at the top of the stage emerges a man. Smoke was blowing from his nostrils like that of a dragon of old. Dressed in black jeans, a motorcycle jacket and black boots, he stands just outside of the smoke as his music echoes through the arena. The man who was 173-0, the only undefeated World Champion in the history of professional wrestling, has main evented Starrcade multiple times, one of the biggest stars in the history of World Championship Wrestling.

GOLDBERG IS HERE!!! HE’S THE TITAN OF WAR!

‘Da Man’ as he was once nicknamed - now the ‘Titan of War’ marches down to the ring with a purpose. The crowd is going wild, fans are unable to sit down, they are filled with so much excitement for one of the biggest debuts in the history of this company. Inside the ring, Bischoff has slid to the outside and joined the other members of the Administration, leaving Stone Cold to watch on as the lone gunslinger about to duel the fast draw in the wild west. As Goldberg reaches the bottom of the ramp, he slowly removes his motorcycle jacket and reveals a plain black t-shirt.

In a flash, Goldberg slips inside the ring and is face-to-face with Stone Cold Steve Austin. There’s another pop from the audience as the two titans of the Monday Night War are facing off for the first time. Austin looks Goldberg up and down - and throws the first punch! The fight is on!

AUSTIN AND GOLDBERG! AUSTIN AND GOLDBERG! AUSTIN AND GOLDBERG!

The fight you never thought was possible. Austin is hammering away with his trademark punches to the face of the Titan of War. He backs him up for a moment, but Goldberg strikes with a huge knee to the stomach! Goldberg grabs Austin by the shirt and throws him into a corner - bashing him repeatedly with strikes of his own. AUSTIN DUCKS A SHOT AND ESCAPES! He punches Goldberg again with punches, whips him into the ropes… SPEAR BY GOLDBERG!

Goldberg has cut Stone Cold Steve Austin in half with a devastating spear here on Monday Night Raw. Austin clutches at his stomach as Goldberg picks him up by the head, looking into his eyes and shouts - “YOU’RE NEXT!” - before delivering the JACKHAMMER! Austin is down and out, and Bischoff has unleashed hell on the Rattlesnake, and it appears he may not have an answer for it. Monday Night Raw goes off the air with a final shot of Goldberg standing over the body of Stone Cold, with Eric Bischoff smirking in the background.

END OF SHOW

***

Current Card for SummerSlam:
Date: August 24, 2003
Location: America West Arena in Phoenix, Arizona

*No Confirmed Matches​

 

[Haskell]

I had a theory that you would bring in Goldberg at some point down the line, and the idea of Bischoff hiring him to eliminate Stone Cold is a terrific piece of booking. Honestly, i think heel Goldberg vs Austin could be something incredible if you handle it correctly.



Although Booker vs Flair should’ve been a non title match, HHH’s surprise appearance and assault on Goldust was ideal. It’s elevated the feud between Evolution and Booker, plus it’ll give Goldust something to do instead of wasting away backstage.



HBK’s promo was decent, and it wouldn’t surprise me if we get a triple threat between Booker, HBK and HHH at SummerSlam.



Finally, it seems the countdown for Kane’s heel turn has begun. The seeds are definitely starting to be sown, and if it does happen, the icing on the cake will be O Haire persuading Kane to remove the mask. And if you plan on going down that route, then I have every confidence your booking of Kane’s unmasking will be superior to what happened in real life.



I cannot wait for SmackDown.

 

[Stojy]

I have multiple thoughts on the show ending angle which I know you were excited for. I will say it was written very well, the final segment and Goldberg being the 'Titan Of War' is awesome. The Berg, who helped Bischoff majorly in the Monday Night Wars, is back to help him with a very different variation of that. The symmetry is awesome. It does seem kind of crazy that this match is getting shoehorned into Summerslam and not saved for Mania, but I'm assuming Austin might not be around by Mania XX. There is no way Goldberg loses this match. Oh and smart to have The Berg come out strong here.

This was THE standout moment on the show by a long way. Everything else was solid, nothing offensive but it was all about the ending. I will say whilst as stand alone segments and matches, the show was good, potentially it was a little to promo heavy. Bischoff twice, HBK and Booker T... Four longish in ring promo segments just seems like a lot.

You know I love The Devil angle so whilst it was small steps this week, I enjoyed Corino "trying" to recruit Kane. Still have no idea where this angle will go, but can't wait to find it.

Angry, deadly Triple H coming out now he lost the title makes sense, and the Evolution set up to distract Booker to allow Trips access to Goldust worked well.

La Resistance debut was fine, as is HBK seemingly wanting the title. Looking forward to Booker hopefully getting a long and prosperous run as champ too.

Again, everything else was solid, but the show becomes a big thumbs up thanks to the epic ending. Regardless of some of the things I mentioned above (promo heavy show, SS not Mania), none of it REALLY matters. This is going to be fucking huge, and has the chance to be feud of the year in BTB land.

 

[EZ3]

Thanks for the comments, lads.

I have multiple thoughts on the show ending angle which I know you were excited for. I will say it was written very well, the final segment and Goldberg being the 'Titan Of War' is awesome. The Berg, who helped Bischoff majorly in the Monday Night Wars, is back to help him with a very different variation of that. The symmetry is awesome. It does seem kind of crazy that this match is getting shoehorned into Summerslam and not saved for Mania, but I'm assuming Austin might not be around by Mania XX. There is no way Goldberg loses this match. Oh and smart to have The Berg come out strong here.

This was THE standout moment on the show by a long way. Everything else was solid, nothing offensive but it was all about the ending. I will say whilst as stand alone segments and matches, the show was good, potentially it was a little to promo heavy. Bischoff twice, HBK and Booker T... Four longish in ring promo segments just seems like a lot.

Stojy, I just wanted to reply to these two bits here a bit further.

The reason it's at SummerSlam for Austin/Goldberg is that it's the climax of the Stone Cold return since February. Dating back to Wolfy asking why Austin is wrestling Bischoff's henchmen at Backlash. It was all to build a reason why Bischoff needs to call in Goldberg as his hitman. I also didn't want to hold off on it because I think it's a fun angle and creatively something I want to write in this time period. If I hold it off until Mania 20, I don't know if I'm going to be around for that (in terms of interest or just basic time during work/life). I think a lot of the time, people will plan stuff so far out from the point they are actually writing, that they no longer want to write what they are up to, and that's how we get threads falling over early on. For me, it was all about having built the reason for his debut and wanting to write it now, while I'm invested, and have some spare time on my plate week to week. I also compared it to the IRL version with Rock/Goldberg and how they just put it on Backlash with 3/4 weeks build. Here we've got 8 weeks until SummerSlam, and I've got a fair idea of what that path looks like. I just didn't have any desire to hold Austin/Goldberg off when I thought that SummerSlam was a big enough event to hold it. It's a brief note as well during one of the 'Road To...' mentions, but Austin is on a two-year deal from the time of his return in February 2003. The plan right now is to see him finish out that contract as an active competitor.

I think you're pretty spot on with the promo-heavy bit. Raw has been a bit more on that side lately when writing versus Smackdown. Just the way the stories have ended up being constructed. I've been doing a re-watch of 1998 from the time Austin won the belt. I've just seen Triple H win the title on Raw in 1999, and there's a bunch of in-ring stuff every week where guys just walk to the ring, cut a promo, and that's it. I've probably fallen into that a bit and not made it clear that maybe these segments aren't as traditionally long as we would see them in a modern-day context. I'm also just trying to keep the show length down, as well as I can go overboard sometimes, so I'll keep this feedback in mind. Thanks as always.

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No preview for Smackdown yet. Got an outline done for the show, but no real progress thus far outside of that.

 

[EZ3]

SmackDown! - July 3, 2003 Preview
Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York
Broadcast on UPN​

There are just four weeks until SmackDown delivers the next action-packed pay-per-view on the WWE calendar for 2003. After last week’s triple threat match between Brock Lesnar, Edge and Kurt Angle, we know what the main event will be. For the first time since he lost the title back in March, Kurt Angle will challenge for the title that many people believe he was screwed out of by Vince McMahon and The Rock. Angle has come back from a career-threatening neck injury to ascend to the top spot as the number one contender for the WWE Championship. Since his return, Kurt Angle has made The Rock, Brock Lesnar and Edge all tap out to the Ankle Lock. He has never been more motivated to reclaim the title from the man who stole it from him. Tonight, Angle and The Rock make it official when they sign the contract for the main event match at Vengeance.

In what promises to be the most exciting in-ring action of the week. Rey Mysterio and Billy Kidman will do battle inside the squared circle. This is not a fight filled with hatred or dislike. This is mutual respect colliding, and the drive to become the very best in the business. Both men want to face John Cena for the WWE United States Championship, but only one can do so. After showing some unity last week, Kidman and Mysterio will have to put friendship aside and bring their very best to determine who gets to face the King of the Ring and reigning US Champion next. We know that Cena will be watching under the tutelage of his ‘OG’ Paul Heyman. The Dangerous Alliance is never too far away from the ‘Man of the Hour’.

We are in the third week of the ‘Best of Seven Series’ between the World’s Greatest Tag Team and Los Guerreros. The situation does not look good for the challengers as they enter week three without a victory on the board. This week on SmackDown is a must-win. While the series will continue with a loss, it would put Eddie and Chavo Guerrero down 3-0 against the reigning WWE Tag Team Champions. A hill that nobody believes they would be able to overcome. They must gain victory this week and send the series into match 4 with a 2-1 record. A loss would mean that it’s five straight victories for Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas - having won at WrestleMania, Judgment Day and the last two weeks on SmackDown in this series. Can Los Guerreros finally get a win over the champions, or is this series heading towards a sweep?

Finally, SmackDown will see the return of an old faithful stipulation when Kevin Nash and Mark Henry collide in a Boiler Room Brawl! After their fight inside Madison Square Garden, Stephanie McMahon has ruled that the only place safe for these two larger-than-life superstars is to contain them inside the bottom of the arena in the boiler room. The only way to win is to escape the locked door after having beaten your opponent so badly that they are unable to stop you from exiting. This feud dates back to the episode of SmackDown where Mark Henry broke the ribs of the Immortal Hulk Hogan. Nash is a well-known friend of the Hulkster and has stood up to Henry for the disgusting attack. The World’s Strongest Man has shown no remorse for the attack on Hogan, and if he has his way, the beating delivered to Nash will be worse.

Confirmed For SmackDown:
World’s Greatest Tag Team vs. Los Guerreros - Match 3: Best of Seven Series (2-0)
Kevin Nash vs. Mark Henry - Boiler Room Brawl
Billy Kidman vs. Rey Mysterio - Number One Contendership (WWE US Title)
Plus; WWE Champion, The Rock & Kurt Angle sign the contract for their title match at Vengeance!

 

[EZ3]

SmackDown! - July 3, 2003
Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York
Broadcast on UPN​

*OPENING VIDEO*

*PYRO*

Seven days after the blockbuster show in Madison Square Garden, Thursday Night SmackDown opened with the arrival of Edge. It was a loud ovation from the live audience in the Blue Cross Arena as Edge made his way down to the ring, engaging with the fans in the front row and drawing further support from those in attendance. In the commentary, Michael Cole welcomed us to the broadcast and introduced Tazz as his broadcast partner for the evening. He recapped the triple threat match for the number one contendership, which saw Kurt Angle come away with the victory over Brock Lesnar and Edge. That has set the stage for a massive main event in four weeks at Vengeance, where The Rock will defend the WWE Championship against the Olympic Gold Medalist. They confirm that we will see the contract for that bout signed later this evening. Tazz mentions that this could be the night when the World’s Greatest Tag Team go up 3-0 in their Best of Seven Series against Eddie and Chavo Guerrero, as these two teams will clash for the third time in the series tonight!

_____________________________________​

Inside the ring, Edge demands a microphone and cuts right to the chase. He didn’t get the job done last week in the triple threat match, but he’s not the reason that the main event of Vengeance is going to be The Rock against Kurt Angle. You can see the frustration in his face, rubbing his face as he spits out that it was Brock Lesnar who tapped out in the middle of the ring. He points to the titantron and plays a video of the finish to the three-way last week. Michael Cole narrates how Edge was on the outside of the ring while Angle caught Lesnar in the ankle lock and was able to force the ‘Next Big Thing’ to submit. There’s a brief chant of ‘LESN-NAR’ which Edge acknowledges. He knows that Lesnar has a lot of fans, and his problem isn’t with those in the stands supporting the ‘Next Big Thing.’ He outlined that the issue he has is with the man himself! If Lesnar was half as tough as he thought he was, then he wouldn’t have tapped out last week. The match wouldn’t have come to an end, and Edge would be standing in the ring as the number one contender for the WWE Championship!

Before we can continue, Brock Lesnar emerges from the back with his music blasting over the speakers. His reaction is even louder than the one that Edge got when he made his entrance. There’s a lot of tension building between these two as Lesnar enters the ring and shoulder bumps Edge on his way to being handed a microphone. They exchanged words back and forth about what happened last week in the triple threat. Lesnar points out that Edge tapped out to the same ankle lock just the week previous - so he had a big set of balls to act like he was better than Lesnar. According to Edge, tapping in a singles match with nothing on the line was far different to throwing away a shot to be the WWE Champion. That fired Lesnar up. He stepped closer to Edge and shouted - “Threw it away! Is that what you think I did last week? Kurt would’ve broken my ankle, and then I would’ve been sitting on the shelf for months. Is that what you think would’ve been smarter?” They continued to disagree as Edge countered with his view that Brock should’ve just held on for a few more seconds, and Edge would’ve broken it up.

It was clear that neither man was going to concede their position, and the tension kept building until it reached a boiling point. Edge once again blamed Lesnar for his failure to win the WWE Title at No Way Out. Lesnar spat that Edge would need to get over that if he ever wanted to hold anything other than a grudge in his career. If not for Lesnar, Edge proclaimed he would be the WWE Champion right now, the one thing he wanted more than anything else in his entire life was to hold that belt, and now Lesnar had cost him the chance to do it - TWICE! Brock didn’t respond with words… instead he shoved Edge. It was a hard shove that sent Edge off his feet and into the ring ropes. Lesnar tossed the microphone to the floor, waved Edge up and challenged him to bring it. In response, Edge bounced off the mat and tackled Lesnar; this segment had broken down to a brawl. All around the ring, these two men punched at each other, much to the pleasure of the fans in the audience. It would take a group of eight referees to pull them apart, and the arrival of SmackDown General Manager - Stephanie McMahon. She warned both of them that this sort of thing wouldn’t be tolerated on her show, but if they both wanted to fight each other, then they could sort it out inside the ring in four weeks at Vengeance!

Not only would it be Edge versus Brock Lesnar at Vegeance on July 27… and it would be for the number one contendership for the WWE Championship! The winner of this bout would go on to SummerSlam and face either The Rock or Kurt Angle for the WWE Title.

…

*Commercial Break*

…

Match 1 | SINGLES MATCH | NUMBER ONE CONTENDERSHIP FOR THE WWE US TITLE:
Rey Mysterio vs. Billy Kidman
During the entrances for both men, the camera cuts to the back, where the WWE United States Champion, John Cena, is sitting alongside Paul Heyman, watching this bout closely. After the opening bell, Mysterio and Kidman shake hands in a show of sportsmanship before engaging in battle inside the squared circle. It’s a very competitive and fast-paced match with both men cycling through their movesets to provide the most athletic and action-packed ten minutes of wrestling that you can see. Throughout the match, John Cena would be shown in the lower third of the screen to those watching at home. He could be seen making comments to Paul Heyman, scouting his future challenger. The finish of the bout occurred after Mysterio went for the 619, only for Kidman to duck below, hook his hand behind and roll the luchador up in a schoolboy for the flash pinfall!
Winner: Billy Kidman @ 10:37

A HUGE - huge win for the former WWE Cruiserweight Champion, and he now stands alone as the number one contender for the WWE United States Title. Footage cuts back to where Cena is sitting with Heyman, and the King of the Ring can be seen grabbing his title belt a little bit tighter now that he knows what stands in front of him. Kidman rolls out of the ring, his hands raised in the air while replays show the flash pinfall that caught Rey Mysterio unaware. Kidman can be heard shouting in excitement. He has made the next step up in competition and could very well be the next US Champion.

Inside the ring, Mysterio gets to his knees and shakes his head in disappointment. Cole and Tazz discussed how Rey got caught by his own momentum and didn’t have a chance to counter it. By the time he realised what had happened - it was game over for the masked man. Mysterio can only look up at the titantron, replay after replay of the finish, knowing he must now retool and find another way forward.

_____________________________________​

Backstage, Matt Hardy is in discussion with Shannon Moore about what happened last week. The loss to Hard-Ass combined with some of their recent performances, has not left Matt Hardy feeling good about the future of the Mattitude program as it stands. Moore nods in agreement, listening to the words of his life coach. Hardy rambles on about how he knows that Shannon relies on him for guidance, and that’s why tonight he’s going to lead by example. As the father of Mattitude, he is going to go out into the ring against Rikishi and prove that his program works. That it improves the lives of all its users, and that Shannon Moore can believe in his coach. There’s something slightly strange about the body language of Moore as he listens to Matt. The usual pep in his step doesn’t appear to be there tonight, even with the pre-game speech delivered in the moment by Matt Hardy. It appears that Matt notices as well… asking Moore if he’s all good for tonight. The little MF’er nods, slapping Matt on the shoulder and confirms that he’s ready to set himself up for the future tonight.

_____________________________________​

The show cut away to the parking lot. A long black limousine pulled into the arena, and out of the car stepped all the members of the Samoan Dynasty. First out of the car was Jim Cornette, the loudmouth manager for the next two men that exited the vehicle - Umaga Fatu and Leati Samu. With Cornette and the Samoan Death Squad out of the vehicle, the camera lingered on the open door a moment longer… and we are rewarded with the sight of the WWE Champion! Stepping out of the car last, The Rock appeared dressed in all designer clothes. The WWE Title was held firmly in his left hand as he shut the car door before joining his family at the front of the vehicle. The Samoan Death Squad would be in action later tonight, advised Michael Cole from the commentary booth. The Rock was not set for in-ring action; he was here to sign the contract for the main event of Vengeance. It would be the first time that The Rock and Kurt Angle were face-to-face, one-on-one, since the fateful night where the WWE Championship was stolen from the Olympian.

…

*Commercial Break*

…

When SmackDown returned from the commercial break, Kevin Kelly was joined by the tag team of Big Show & A-Train. The two mountains of men stood over the top of the smaller interviewer and joked about how easily they would be able to snap him in half if they so pleased. Kelly asks the duo about what they have planned leading into Vengeance and ultimately SummerSlam. He put it to both of them that it had been a quiet year for the duo, considering their size advantage over many of WWE’s best. That did not go over well. Big Show grabbed Kevin Kelly by the collar, refusing to let go, telling him that this year wasn’t over yet. Whatever they wanted, Big Show and A-Train would take, and there was nothing any of the superstars of SmackDown could do to stop them. “Just look at us compared to them. We’re bigger, stronger and more dominant than anyone in the WWE.” A-Train told Big Show to let Kevin Kelly go, and assisted with straightening up his collar - “I know you didn’t mean to insult us, Kevin. You’re just dumb, like all the people in New York.” A-Train agreed with Big Show that nobody could stop the two of them, and that’s what was on the agenda. They made it clear that the WWE Tag Team Titles were what they wanted, and regardless of who came out of the Best of Seven Series, they would have to deal with them.

_____________________________________​

Match 2 | SINGLES MATCH:
Rikishi vs. Matt Hardy (with Shannon Moore)
We’re using this match for story progression, and it’s kept at a quick five-minute bout in the ring. In the crowd, Dawn Marie-Wilson is shown in her black veil watching, cursing toward Rikishi for the stinkface that has left her image disfigured - according to herself. At ringside, Shannon Moore backs up his life coach and is supportive throughout the contest as Matt Hardy aims to prove that his Mattitude program is still of value. Some stiff shots are shared between the two men, and we get a close call when Matt Hardy nails the Side Effect for a nearfall. Things turned chaotic after a referee bump. Rikishi went to squash Hardy in the corner, but the latter pulled the referee into the path, causing the big man to collide with the zebra.

Hardy then hit a kick to the stomach and nailed the Twist of Fate! It should’ve been three; however, there was no referee. Hardy looked devastated and shouted for Moore to wake him up. Instead, Moore grabbed and entered the ring. Matt waved him off - “I don’t need to win that way, Shannon! I’ve got this. I’ve got him beat, just wake the referee up and I’ll…” Crack. The steel chair collided with Matt Hardy’s back as Shannon Moore drove the steel forward. His eyes glaring into the heart of his former mentor. Moore tossed the chair down and made his exit, only after putting Rikishi’s arm over Matt’s body, and setting the referee into position to make the count.
Winner: Rikishi @ 05:29

The era of Mattitude had come and gone. The truest believer in the lifestyle now walked away from it, and he had done so by striking his longtime friend with a steel chair. It did not get any colder and more brutal than that. Tazz couldn’t believe that the little MF’er had the nerve to betray Matt Hardy. The replays echoed throughout the arena - steel chair on flesh. Shannon Moore had betrayed Matt Hardy, striking him with a steel chair. Matt Hardy was still down inside the ring, unaware of what had happened, but soon he would wake and realise that he was officially all alone. At the top of the ramp, Shannon Moore looked back and sneered at his handiwork.

_____________________________________​

A video package was played that focused on the warpath of the World’s Strongest Man - Mark Henry. It was a set of highlights, including his original run in the WWE in the late 90’s with a voiceover from the man himself. While clips of Mark Henry completing insane feats of strength are shown, his voice is heard delivering a warning to all who listen. He has for too long been seen as a joke. You all laughed at him behind his back to begin with, and then you became comfortable enough to do it to his face. Where did it all go wrong? Henry is shown destroying the legendary Hulk Hogan on SmackDown recently. “I killed Superman himself, and now you all fear what I can do. You wouldn’t have to fear me if you had shown me the respect I deserved.” The camera cuts from the highlights to showing Mark Henry standing alone in a dark room, a single spotlight shining down on him. He’s inside the Boiler Room - the location of tonight’s fight with Kevin Nash. “There’s no man who can be locked inside here with me and walk out on his own two feet. I will break Kevin Nash just like I broke Hulk Hogan - then you’ll all see! I am the World’s Strongest Man… and I will be FEARED!”

…

*Commercial Break*

…

Once SmackDown returned from the commercial break, Kurt Angle stood in his locker room watching the show on the monitor. There was a knock at his door, and in walked Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas, the World’s Greatest Tag Team and the reigning WWE Tag Team Champions. An uneasy tension lingered between the three men. Angle thanked both of his former associates for joining him and offered them a seat. Benjamin declined for himself and Haas. He asked what Angle wanted to see them about, pressing him to be quick about it due to them having another bout in their Best of Seven Series later in the evening. In response, Angle understood the pressure on both Haas and Benjamin, and he did not doubt that they would get it done tonight. That’s why he picked them all those months ago. The two men before him were a pair of the best athletes in the WWE. They had everything to be the very best tag team that this company had ever seen.

Angle was as confident of that fact today as he was the day he brought both of them to SmackDown as Team Angle. While they no longer shared his name, they still shared the same ability and drive that he saw. What Angle wanted to make clear is that they didn’t need someone like Paul Heyman leeching off them to keep those titles. He argued they would’ve won the gold regardless of whether Heyman was by their side, and he had convinced the two of them that he was some sort of guiding light. When in reality, Heyman was, and always had been, nothing more than a parasite. There was a brief back and forth, Haas and Benjamin defending the role Heyman had played in their career’s and citing Angle’s disappearance as if they had a weight tied to their legs in the ocean until Heyman saved them. In the end, Angle reminded both of them that they didn’t need Heyman to get to the WWE, and they surely didn’t need him to stay here. After Haas and Benjamin exited the room… the camera panned to another wall, where Paul Heyman stood, carefully listening to what had been said behind closed doors.

_____________________________________​

Match 3 | BOILER ROOM BRAWL:
Kevin Nash vs. Mark Henry
In the lower third of the arena, Kevin Nash and Mark Henry collided in the famous Boiler Room Brawl. It was a fight away from all others and kept the destruction limited to a single area, without the risk of injuring anyone else. Nash was the first man to arrive at the Boiler Room - the referee followed him into the industrial-style area. Nash would be jumped by Mark Henry from behind, revealing that he had entered earlier. The bout was not for the wrestling purist, as Henry and Nash did a lot of ‘walk and brawl’ for the eight minutes that this match got. In the opening melee, Nash kneed Henry in the stomach and slammed him headfirst off a table that was set up near the door. It was made clear on the commentary that there was a second door to the Boiler Room, which was on the other side, that Nash and Henry would need to exit through to decide a winner.

A big array of weapons was used during the contest. Kevin Nash wielded a steel pipe and slammed it into the large back of the World’s Strongest Man. At one point, Henry ripped a steel chain off a locked cabinet and smashed it into the face of Big Sexy. We saw a tough spot for Nash when he went to hit a big boot on Henry, only for his opponent to move out of the way, and Nash drove his own boot into a concrete pillar. This would play into the finish after Nash put Henry down with a big steel chair shot to the back, and he crashed into a steel fence that was set up to barricade some part of the boiler room. As Nash walked toward the exit, his foot dragged behind him, selling the impact of the earlier big boot attempt that went wrong. This would cost Nash the victory as he lumbered to the exit too slowly. Mark Henry came up from behind and squashed him against the metal door that was locked in place. He then tossed Nash over the top of a small railing down onto a table, causing Big Sexy to collapse through it. It was of no great height, but there was enough for a table to be standing and for Nash to go through it. Henry then demanded that the door be opened and walked out to victory.
Winner: Mark Henry @ 08:07

_____________________________________​

We now returned to the commentary desk with Michael Cole and Tazz. They recapped some events from last week, where the FBI lost a six-man tag team involving Rhyno, Spanky and Rey Mysterio. During the last week, the FBI, by orders of Nunzio, had committed a hit against Rhyno and Spanky at a local restaurant. The show then cut to what looked like security footage from a camera, and Cole advised that this had been supplied to the WWE by the local police. Inside the restaurant, it showed Rhyno and Spanky having a meal when a black car pulls up outside, and can be seen through the window. Two men jump out with their faces covered by black masks, and they storm the restaurant and assault Rhyno and Spanky. Both men are left lying and in a mess of their food and drink as the two masked men jump back in the car, driving away from the scene of the crime.

When the footage ends, Cole and Tazz then introduce a record message from ‘the Don’ Nunzio. In the video message, Nunzio denies all association with the two men who attacked Rhyno and Spanky. He said that he can provide concrete evidence that at the time of the attack, he was at a charity basketball game in New York City. He finds any claim that he or the FBI were involved in this random act of violence to be slander and could be subject to legal proceedings. The camera then cut back to Cole and Tazz, who announced that next week, Rhyno would face Chuck Palumbo and Johnny Stamboli in a handicap match, where if he wins, Spanky will challenge Nunzio for the WWE Cruiserweight Title at Vengeance!

…

*Commercial Break*

…

In the interview area, Josh Mathews welcomed us back to Thursday Night SmackDown before introducing his guests, Eddie and Chavo Guerrero. They were asked about the tag team match that will take place in the main event of the evening - the third match in their seven-match series. Eddie spoke first, telling Mathews that he knows that the pressure is on Los Guerreros. That’s how it has been their entire lives. From the time Chavo and Eddie were teenagers wrestling in the ring in their grandfather’s backyard. They had pressure on them! Pressure has never kept the Guerreros down, though. Chavo cut in, declaring that pressure is what makes coal into diamonds when the pressure is at the highest point, Los Guerreros are going to show everyone that they are as tough as diamonds when it comes to tag team wrestling. They will not go out in a sweep, they will not disappoint all their fans around the world, and Los Guerreros will not lose tonight! Mathews asked a follow-up question: What happens if they do? Eddie looked him dead in the eye, taking a moment to hold the silence, before exiting the interview area with Chavo.

_____________________________________​

In another part of the building, Jamie Noble carried a comically large box with “Donations” written on it in large block letters, as if written on it with a marker. The box also had pictures of children in need from all over the globe on it. Noble turned a corner and came across a building employee. He approached the employee, introduced himself, and asked if the employee would be kind enough to donate to his collection fund this evening. The employee looked puzzled. He asked what the donations were going towards, pointing toward the pictures of the children around the outside of the box. In his thick southern accent, Noble revealed that the pictures of the kids just came with the box and had nothing to do with his donations. The donations were for his debt with the APA that he had accrued two weeks ago during the poker game. The employee shook his head and walked away… leaving Noble shouting that he needed every cent and yelling that the employee was cheap! The camera then panned around to show a group of SmackDown superstars sitting in catering, which included Scotty 2 Hotty, Hardcore Holly and Billy Gunn. Noble thought about approaching Hardcore Holly, but when the veteran slowly began to rise as Noble walked closer, he quickly scurried in the opposite direction. He’ll need to find a new way to pay his debt to the APA!

_____________________________________​

Match 4 | TAG TEAM MATCH:
Samoan Death Squad (with Jim Cornette) vs. Tajiri & Funaki
It’s a complete squash match again for the Samoan Death Squad as they come out together with Jim Cornette. The man in the red jacket joins Michael Cole and Tazz on commentary. He spends the full three minutes hyping up Samu and Fatu as the two baddest men in the entire tag team division, citing the current Best of Seven Series as a way to protect the current champions from having to defend them against the Samoan Death Squad. Cornette wants an investigation as to how many teams the Death Squad has to run through before they get a chance at the gold? Inside the ring, Umaga Fatu is an absolute weapon of a man. He nearly takes Funaki’s head off with a thrust kick and flies across the ring from the inside second rope (Bret’s rope) and hits a hard headbutt. His cousin, Leati Samu stays with his feet on the ground and uses a set of power moves against Tajiri to keep control of the SDS. After Fatu hits his running hip attack, Cornette jumps out of his chair and declares that Funaki might actually be dead after that move. He’s not. The bout came to an end after the Samoan Drop by Samu into a top rope splash by Fatu - Kill Shot! Samu made the cover and scored the three-count over Funaki.
Winners: Samoan Death Squad @ 03:12

Chalk up another victory for the Samoan Death Squad! The voice of Jim Cornette echoes through the headset to the millions of fans watching at home. He shouts repeatedly that he is the manager for the most dangerous team in the division. Nobody has been able to take these two men off their feet, let alone beat them in a match. Cornette challenges Paul Heyman to get his boys to agree to meet the SDS in the ring with the titles on the line - if they have any guts! Cornette would toss the headset down and enter the ring to raise the hands of his tag team - proudly standing in the middle as the crowd booed.

…

*Commercial Break*

…

Upon the return to SmackDown, John Cena stood in the parking lot area of the arena. The WWE United States Champion, and 2003 King of the Ring, was leaning against his car when he began to speak to the camera. His time was precious, and tonight, he had wasted it watching Billy Kidman and Rey Mysterio dance around in his squard circle like a bunch of punks. Is that what SmackDown had become? When he was on the rise, hungry for a chance, he did whatever it took to get to the top spot. Cena claimed he wasn’t afraid to stab people in the back or go too far. He motioned to the parking lot, reminding the audience of his fight with Rikishi at Judgment Day, where he put the big man through the windscreen of a car with an Attitude Adjustment. Where Cena comes from, you take what you want. What he saw tonight from Kidman and Mysterio made him sick. They want to be friends while fighting to take the WWE United States Title. Cena held the belt up and looked disgusted, spitting on the ground and shouting that to take this from him, you’d need killer instinct. He then laughed as he relaxed against his car - he felt no threat from either of the men who competed tonight for a shot at his title. He was unimpressed. Due to this, Cena had no intention of waiting until Vengeance to wrestle Kidman. He didn’t deserve a pay-per-view match with the fastest rising star on SmackDown. He would get no payday. Instead, next week on SmackDown - Cena vs. Kidman for the WWE United States Title was a go!

_____________________________________​

Back to the ringside area now… the arena exploded with cheers for the arrival of the Olympic Gold Medalist - Kurt Angle. The number one contender for the WWE Title entered the ring, which had been modified for the contract signing this evening. The canvas was covered with a blue carpet, a table was set up in the middle, and there were two nice chairs on either side of the table, directly across from each other. Angle took a seat in the chair facing the entrance ramp so he could watch the arrival of the champ! After a few delayed moments, The Rock made his way to the ring to a wave of boos - the loudest of the night. He was dressed in white pants, a fancy white shirt and had the WWE Championship slung over his shoulder. Upon reaching the ring, The Rock posed on the top turnbuckle before he entered the ring and took his seat. Also in the ring was Stephanie McMahon, the active General Manager, who would be tasked with overseeing the contract signing for one of the biggest rematches in the history of SmackDown. The Rock sat down across from his challenger, placing the title belt on the table and mockingly pointing to it, asking Angle if he wanted to take a picture with it because this is as close as he’s going to get to it.

There was a lot of back and forth from both men as the contract signing began. Stephanie McMahon attempted to keep it short and sweet, asking both men to sign the contract so that we could proceed with the show without incident. Instead, The Rock interrupted and declared that he wanted to double-check the contract and make sure some dubious stipulations had not been added since his lawyers verified it earlier in the week. Angle told The Rock that he didn’t need any special stipulation for this rematch. He had trained harder than ever and was in the best shape of his life. In just four weeks, Kurt Angle was going to enter the ring and do everything he could to take the WWE Title and break The Rock’s ankle at the same time. If breaking his ankle gets him the title back, that’s a bonus! The Rock was aghast at that. He said that Angle dared to take food off the table of his family? That’s what would happen if The Rock were unable to compete in the ring or make movies, being a Hollywood action star that he was. The Rock challenged the fans who cheered the idea of Angle breaking Rock’s ankle, calling them pathetic for wanting his family to suffer.

Anger showed on Angle’s face as he pointed out that taking food off the table of someone’s family is exacting what The Rock did when he stole the WWE Title from Angle. Kurt pointed to his neck, citing the injury that nearly left him unable to work for months. He spoke passionately about lying in a hospital bed, unable to know if he’d be able to walk again, let alone wrestle in the WWE. But he never stopped dreaming of getting back here. Angle fired up - telling The Rock that while he lay in the hospital, the thing that kept him going, the thing that made him never give up was the thought of getting the opportunity to get his payback on The Rock. “You took months of my career from me. Not only that, but you took the WWE Title, and you took the main event of WrestleMania from me.” In response, The Rock called Angle out for thinking he was owed anything. He had been in the main event because he was the biggest star on the planet. Angle broke down long before The Rock entered the ring that fateful night in Connecticut. The Rock just drove the final nail into Angle’s coffin and sent him to the sideline where he belonged. At Vengeance, The Rock warned Angle that if anything was going to break, it might not be his ankle but rather Angle’s spaghetti string neck. The Rock then signed the contract, sliding it over to the number one contender.

Angle held the gaze of the champion as he signed without looking at it. Stephanie grabbed the contract, thanked both men for their time this evening, and made her exit. In the ring, Angle kept his eyes on The Rock, who began to laugh. He picked up the WWE Title and told Angle to know his role and keep looking, because this is what a champion looks like. Suddenly, Angle jumped across the table and smashed The Rock in the face with a forearm. The fight was on, with both men firing punches toward the other. Angle ducked a shot, hooked his arms into position… and put The Rock through the table with the Angle Slam! The Rock was down and out as Kurt Angle grabbed the WWE Title, posing with it as the camera caught the image of Angle standing tall while The Rock was battered amongst the rubble of the broken table.

_____________________________________​

Cutting backstage, Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas are shown walking through the hallway with Paul Heyman behind them. The WWE Tag Team Champions are set for the third match of their series with Los Guerreros - UP NEXT ON SMACKDOWN!!

…

*Commercial Break*

…

Match 5 | TAG TEAM MATCH | MATCH THREE (BEST OF SEVEN SERIES; 2-0):
World’s Greatest Tag Team (with Paul Heyman) vs. Los Guerreros
During the entrances of the champions, Michael Cole and Tazz discussed the backstage interaction with Kurt Angle and the World’s Greatest Tag Team. They covered how Angle expressed his view that the World’s Greatest Tag Team did not need Paul Heyman by their side to be successful. While we do not know if that speech made any difference for Haas & Benjamin, they have allowed Paul Heyman to be at ringside this evening. There’s a huge buzz for this match tonight. Los Guerreros come out of the blocks fast, and both Eddie and Chavo attempt several quick pin attempts when they are in the ring, trying to catch the champions slacking early in the bout. When things settle, Haas takes control over Chavo Guerrero with his technical skills. Haas is able to twist and turn the limbs of Chavo all over the place. The camera zooms in on Chavo’s face as Haas works his arm, showing a huge grimace of pain. There’s a nearfall after Benjamin hits a T-Bone suplex on Eddie Guerrero, but he somehow gets a shoulder off the mat at the very last second.

Benjamin cannot believe it. He slaps the mat and confronts the referee, which is discouraged by Heyman on the outside of the ring. Toward the end of the bout, Eddie Guerrero unties the top turnbuckle cover and reveals the steel connection. This goes unnoticed until the finish. The referee would eventually spot the uncovered turnbuckle and go to fix it. This allowed Haas to call for a title belt from Paul Heyman. The OG was not in position; however, rushing around to get the belt, and when he threw it to Haas, it was intercepted by Chavo! Chavo Guerrero nailed Haas in the head with the title belt - without the referee seeing! The crowd jumped to their feet as Chavo jumped from the top rope down onto Shelton Benjamin on the outside, leaving his uncle to finish the job on Haas. With the crowd behind him, Eddie hurried up the turnbuckle and jumped - Frog Splash! He hooked the leg and scored the three-count. Los Guerreros had finally beaten the World’s Greatest Tag Team!
Winners: Los Guerreros @ 11:13 - (Series Score: 2-1)

The series is now stuck at 2-1 with the advantage still favouring the World’s Greatest Tag Team. However, the tides may have changed as Los Guerreros have gotten their first victory over the champions in five matches. Inside the ring, Eddie and Chavo embrace in a huge hug to a rockstar reception from the live crowd. Eddie holds up three fingers - indicating that they only need three more wins and they’ll gain the titles that they lost all the way back at WrestleMania 19. Replays are shown on the titantron of the finish, including the mistake from Heyman where he threw the title, and Chavo snatched it out of midair.

On the outside of the ring, Benjamin and Haas made their way up the entrance ramp, and they looked furious. Benjamin assisted Haas with walking as he was dazed from the belt shot. Heyman could be heard pleading his case to his champions. It wasn’t his fault, he claimed. Chavo got in the way, and there was nothing he could do. Shelton Benjamin didn’t want to hear it - walking to the back without acknowledging the pleas of the OG tonight. Could this be the first crack in the Dangerous Alliance that has been so tight ever since February? Have Kurt Angle’s words rung true after the events of this evening? SmackDown came to an end with Los Guerreros celebrating in the ring, happy to be on the right track now that they had won a match in the series.

END OF SHOW

***

Current Card for Vengeance:
Date: July 27, 2003
Location: Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado

WWE Championship Match:
WWE Champion, The Rock defends against;
Olympic Gold Medalist, Kurt Angle

!! WINNER FACES THE WWE CHAMPION AT SUMMERSLAM !!
Number One Contendership Match:
Edge vs. Brock Lesnar

~BEST OF SEVEN SERIES: MATCH 7 (ONLY IF REQUIRED) (2-1)~
WWE Tag Team Championship Match:
World’s Greatest Tag Team [c] vs. Los Guerreos​

 

[EZ3]

Author's Note: The two B-shows for the week are here. I've made some decent progress on the next Raw and hope to have it be a weekend release. I've managed to type out the entire outline for every SmackDown left before Vengeance, which is handy. Solid progress is being made, and the shows have been fun to write lately, so hopefully that's reflecting in the content as well.

Saturday Night Velocity - July 5, 2003
Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York
Broadcast on TNN

Josh Mathews and Tazz are our broadcast team for another edition of SmackDown’s feeder program. This week, the announcers hype up a rare appearance of the WWE United States Champion! John Cena will appear on Velocity in the main event when he competes in a non-title bout.

APA defeated Doug & Danny Basham (from Ohio Valley Wrestling) in a tag team match @ 04:11. The veterans were not kind with the boys from OVW. A lot of stiff shots, and they weren’t required to sell a thing for their opponents. Ron Simmons scored the pin after a running powerslam on Danny Basham.

Hardcore Holly defeated Bill DeMott @ 04:53 after an Alabama Slam just before the five-minute mark. Billy Gunn was at the ringside for the singles bout.

Big Show & A-Train defeated The Bushwhackers @ 00:30 in a once-off special guest appearance from the former WWF legends. After their entrance, Big Show issued an open challenge to any current or former WWE Tag Team that had the balls to step into the ring against himself and A-Train. It would be the Bushwhacker who answered the call to a good pop. Bushwhacker Luke took the sole bump of the match, a chokeslam from Big Show.

John Cena defeated Jamie Noble in a non-title match @ 05:29. The self-proclaimed ‘Man of the Hour’ got the win after hitting the Attitude Adjustment. Noble had an interview earlier in the night where he said that he was going to earn a title shot tonight, in the hopes of using the title as a way to pay off his debt with the APA. Velocity ended with Cena holding the WWE United States Championship above his head - taunting the crowd with his ‘You Can’t See Me’ gesture as he walked up the entrance ramp.

_____________________________________

Sunday Night Heat - July 6, 2003
HSBC Arena in Buffalo, New York
Broadcast on TNN

Jonathan Coachman opens the show from the commentary desk and introduces Al Snow as the returning broadcast partner. Al Snow thanked all the viewers for the kind words he had received since his exit from Heat, and was very happy to be back on the desk permanently.

Un-Americans defeated a pair of local wrestlers @ 03:35 after Lance Storm applied the Canadian Maple Leaf for the submission. Storm and Regal were brutal with the no-name talent. Regal was especially vicious with how he stretched the competitors with various holds that targeted the limbs of the talent.

Stevie Richards defeated Tommy Dreamer @ 05:01 in a fairly competitive, but quick contest. Richards had Victoria at ringside with him during the bout, continuing their alliance that has remained throughout the year. Tommy still sold the punishment he had sustained at Bad Blood and made no excuses for the loss.

Dudley Boyz defeated Rodney Mack & Christopher Nowinski @ 06:07 after a 3D on Mack for the pinfall victory. During the match, Nowinski copped a Bubba Bomb and rolled to the outside and refused to tag back in. This left Mack unable to defend the onslaught of the former tag team champions, and eventually, they were able to hit him with their finisher for the three-count. Nowinski then shouted at Mack for the loss, deflecting any blame.

In the main event, Christian and Rob Van Dam wrestled to a no-contest. The match lasted just two minutes before the lights went out, and ‘The Devil’ appeared with Sean O’Haire alongside him. Together, they attacked RVD and caused the referee to throw the match out. Kane would hit the ring to defend his partner in the same way RVD had done so for Kane on Raw earlier in the week. The show ended with Kane and RVD demanding Corino & O’Haire to come back to the ring, but the heels refused.​

 

[Haskell]

If I’m honest, I wasn’t particularly keen on the Boiler Room Brawl. In my opinion, it should’ve been a straight up singles match. Still, it’s great to see you giving Mark Henry a big push, and it’ll be fun to see Hogan returning soon to seek revenge.



It’s nice to see Los Guerreros get a win at last, and Heyman accidentally costing the WGTT the match was a pretty interesting ending. I can’t see WGTT turning on Heyman, but it was a good twist in the best of 7 series.



Shannon Moore turning on Matt Hardy wasn’t something I was expecting, so it was a very nice surprise.



Lesnar vs Edge at Vengeance will be a slobber-knocker, and if I’m honest, i wouldn’t mind seeing the Rated R Superstar pick up the win.



Finally, the contract signing with Rock and Angle was absolute perfection. Your booking of Hollywood Rock in 2003 is 1000 times better than in real life, but I do wish you added a stipulation, like a Steel Cage match.



Still, it was a decent show.

 

[EZ3]

Author's Note: This show is finished and will go up Sunday AEST.

Monday Night Raw - July 7, 2003 Preview
Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Broadcast live on TNN​

With just one question, the entire landscape of the WWE and Monday Night Raw changed forever. Who’s Next? It has been two years since the collapse of World Championship Wrestling. Many faces have come and gone through the halls of the WWE in the two years since the closure of the second-largest wrestling company in the world. The names who have joined the WWE since include Ric Flair, Scott Steiner, Booker T and Kevin Nash, to name a handful. Last week, Eric Bischoff introduced perhaps the most shocking of them all. The man he calls his Titan of War. Goldberg made an immediate impact upon his arrival to the WWE when he battled Stone Cold Steve Austin in a fist fight, which ultimately led to him splitting the Texas Rattlesnake in half with a spear, and leaving him flat on his back after the Jackhammer. Tonight, Goldberg will speak for the first time as a WWE superstar and will be interviewed directly by Jim Ross inside the squared circle!

What was supposed to be a night of celebration turned into a nightmare for the newly crowned World Heavyweight Champion. After challenging Ric Flair to a World Title bout just 24-hours after winning the belt. Booker T was left stunned following the successful title defence when his best friend, Goldust, was brutally assaulted backstage by former champion, Triple H. ‘The Game’ had been given the night off and was not suspected to be in the building. Evolution spent the entire show acting as if Triple H was not at the arena. The lie was exposed when the former World Champion battered a defenceless Goldust with the sole purpose of getting under the skin of Booker T. This week, Triple H is guaranteed to be in the building and is rumoured to open Monday Night Raw with a few choice words for the new Heavyweight Champion of the World.

Monday Night Raw will host two different title matches this week. The first will see Trish Stratus challenge for the WWE Women’s Championship in her home country. This is the second time this year that Trish has challenged for the gold in Canada, having successfully won it back at No Way Out from Victoria. If Stratus wants to claim the WWE Women’s Championship for a fifth time, she’ll need to go through the Black Diamond, Jazz! These two women have met twice in the year 2003 and have a scorecard of 1-1. Trish defeated Jazz at WrestleMania 19, and in the rematch, Jazz took the title from Trish at King of the Ring after a hard-fought Falls Count Anywhere contest. Will the home crowd advantage be enough for Trish Stratus to claim a fifth WWE Women’s Championship, or will Jazz crush the dreams of the hometown faithful?

The other title match pits the WWE Intercontinental Champion, Jeff Hardy, against two members of the Administration faction! Chief Morley and Test will attempt to work together to eliminate Jeff Hardy before sorting it out between each other as to who is going to walk away as the WWE Intercontinental Champion. It’s a triple threat match, which means the champion does not have to be included in the decision to lose his title. Jeff Hardy has been on thin ice with the Administration ever since he beat Christian to win the gold, with a slight assist from Stone Cold. Hardy has never backed down from a challenge and will need that never-say-die attitude when he steps into the ring against a very obvious 2-on-1 situation. Can Hardy retain his title against such difficult odds?

Confirmed For Raw:
Jeff Hardy [c] vs.Chief Morley vs. Test - WWE Intercontinental Championship [Triple Threat]
Jazz [c] vs. Trish Stratus - WWE Women’s Championship
An appearance from Triple H has been scheduled for Raw.
Plus; Goldberg will be interviewed by Jim Ross live in the ring on Monday Night Raw!

 

[EZ3]

Author's Note: Another one in the books for Monday Night Raw. Thanks for the comments, the likes and for just keeping up with the thread. I know we've had a few stops and starts over the last year since the thread started, so I appreciate those who have kept up and rejoined upon my various returns.

Monday Night Raw - July 7, 2003
Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Broadcast live on TNN​

*OPENING VIDEO*

*PYRO*

After the opening video package came to a close, Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler welcomed fans all over the world to the first edition of Monday Night Raw for July. We saw a recap of the shocking debut of the ‘Titan of War’ - Goldberg - last week. His arrival has set the stage for the escalation in the war between Eric Bischoff and Stone Cold Steve Austin. Tonight. Goldberg will address the fans during an in-ring interview conducted with Jim Ross! After Ross and Lawler discussed what is sure to be an interesting confrontation, they then moved on to the actions of Triple H! The former World Heavyweight Champion had been given the night off, and his adversary, Booker T, was unaware that the Game was in attendance. We see a few pictures of the brutal assault on Goldust by Triple H, which took place backstage while Booker T was competing in the ring and was unable to come to the aid of his best friend. As Ross and Lawler continued to discuss last week’s events, they were cut off by music hitting the speakers over the Bell Centre.

_____________________________________​

There’s an uproar of boos for the arrival of the Cerebral Assassin - Triple H! The man who had previously held the World Title since December 2002 now walks to the ring with no gold around his waist. To his right, Triple H is joined by Ric Flair on his walk to the ring. Ross pointed out that Evolution was missing half of its members, noting the absence of Randy Orton and Batista. Once inside the ring, Ric Flair handed Triple H a microphone, stepped back and looked like a proud father standing behind his associate. The audience booed as loudly as they could when Triple H raised the microphone to his lips to begin talking. He spoke over them from the beginning. Triple H declared that he wasn’t sure why people were so mad at him. All he did last week was take out the trash when he beat the hell out of Goldust. “That facepainted freak doesn’t deserve to be in the same city as me, let alone the same freaking building.” He outlined that his actions were justified because Booker T had unfairly stolen the World Heavyweight Championship from him. He had taken the one that mattered to Triple H - the thing that he would risk life and limb to retain, and something he’d be willing to die trying to take back!

Triple H spoke about how Bad Blood was never a fair shake for him. Looking back on it, he should never have accepted that match, but he did so because he’s the greatest World Champion that the business has ever seen. The likes of Bruno, Hogan, Austin, Rock - none of them would have even stepped into the ring at Bad Blood with Booker T once they saw the odds. The fans were against him, and the security in the building gave him weird looks all day. The referee inside the ring was counting faster for Booker T than he was for Triple H. Oozing spitefulness, Triple H explained that the fix was in from the very beginning! No man would have stood a chance on that night. Everyone in Houston, Texas, was in on Booker T stealing the World Championship. “If it had been a fair fight, there’s no chance in hell that Booker T could compete in this ring with me.” There’s further booing from the crowd as Triple H promises that when he requests his rematch clause, the rematch won’t be in Booker T’s backyard. He won’t have the referee in his back pocket, he won’t have twenty thousand fans influencing decisions, and Triple H believes that the title belt will be right back where it belongs - with him!

Interrupting the promo, World Heavyweight Champion Booker T marched out onto the stage with an enraged look in his eyes. It appeared to take every ounce of self-control he had not to walk down to the ring and throw hands with Triple H. He doesn’t walk to the ring, instead sticking to the stage, arguing that he’s heard enough from the Game. Booker T accused Triple H of talking out of his ass. The deck was never stacked against Hunter at Bad Blood. The only reason he lost the World Title is that he got outwrestled, and Booker was the better man that night. Booker claims that he isn’t afraid to step back into the ring with Triple H and offers to do it tonight for the title. That’s quickly shot down by Triple H, citing that he isn’t going to surrender control of this dance to Booker T. “It’s my rematch clause, and I’ll let you know when I want to cash it in. You don’t make the rules here, Booker.” Booker T shouted back that he thought that would be the case. Regardless, he wants Triple H in the ring tonight, one way or another. He wanted to get his hands on the former champion after the attack on Goldust, which Booker called a cowardly, disgusting act.

There was no remorse shown by Triple H for the assault on Goldust. He joked that it would have been worse if not for the backstage idiots getting involved and stopping him. If Booker T wanted to get into the ring with Triple H tonight, then he’d need to find a partner. A tag team match was proposed for the main event - Triple H & Ric Flair versus Booker T and a partner of his choice. Flair and Hunter joked that there might not be anyone who wants to team with the World Champion… until Shawn Michaels strutted onto the stage - drawing the ire of Flair! Michaels was quick to volunteer, calling the chance to beat up Triple H and Ric Flair a Christmas in July gift that he wasn’t about to pass up. Inside the ring, Triple H and Ric Flair looked very angry; they had challenged Booker T and did not think he’d have someone who dared to challenge them back. Now the main event was set - Triple H and Ric Flair against Booker T and Shawn Michaels. That was our main event set for tonight, and the opening segment came to a close.

…

Commercial Break

…

Match 1 | SINGLES MATCH:
Maven (with Stacy Keibler) vs. Mark Jindrak
There was a decent pop for the Tough Enough winner as he made his entrance for the evening. The crowd got increasingly louder when Stacy stepped onto the stage alongside her boyfriend, and would once again be joining him as a manager. The opening contest was a fairly simple back-and-forth match. Jindrak came out alone, even as a member of the Administration faction. He had the opportunity to impress the bosses, but was unable to overcome the in-ring ability of Maven. The action spilled outside at one point and nearly caused chaos. While they were fighting on the outside, Jindrak accidentally pushed Stacy to the floor. This caused Maven to become distracted as he checked on her, and Jindrak used it to gain control, hitting Maven from behind. It appeared that she was alright a few moments later. Maven would score the win with the dropkick - knocking out Jindrak with his one-shot finisher as he had done to several superstars on Monday Night Raw.
Winner: Maven @ 06:03

In the post-match, Maven checked on Stacy again with great concern. He was furious that Jindrak had put his hands on his girlfriend and didn’t appear to calm down as she tried to tell him it was okay. Maven carried Stacy up the entrance ramp and to the back while expressing his concerns. He could be heard saying that he expected an apology from Jindrak for what had happened. In commentary, Lawler said that’s what happens when you let your girlfriend hang around ringside, and that Stacy would be much safer over next to him.

_____________________________________​

In a pre-tape vignette, a creepy church is our setting, with pillars dripping with blood. There’s an altar with a set of devil horns on display and a book of shadows spread open on a podium next to the altar. Smoke covers the ground and flows amongst the church pews, metallic in their construction, cold and hard. We hear footsteps at first, until the Devil appears in the frame in his full mask. Slowly, the mask is removed, and Steve Corino reveals his face with a smile on it. He’s dressed in pure white, a complete juxtaposition of the setting with the man. He welcomes us to his place of worship and says that all are welcome in the house that he built. A place for the lost children of the world to come together and seek guidance from a messenger. Corino explains that when he extends an offer of salvation, you do not get a second chance to accept it. Behind him, Sean O’Haire steps into the frame, his head down and his hands marked in prayer. Corino shuts his eyes and prays, “Kane, you shunned me last week, and for that, you will burn. The Devil is just an angel without wings, yet I can still lift those forsaken up to great heights. You will find out that I can also bring your end!” The vignette closes with Corino and O’Haire opening their eyes, and fire erupting in front of them to engulf the camera.

_____________________________________​

In the interview area, Jonathan Coachman is joined by the number one contender for the WWE Women’s Championship - Trish Stratus. It’s a hero's welcome for Trish as she returns to her home country looking to win her fifth World Championship and second in front of her home fans this year. Coach began by asking Trish how it felt to be back home in front of her people again. Trish said that she was as excited as ever. The joy of being in front of family and friends never lessens, and just like she had the opportunity to win the title at No Way Out in Canada, she is looking forward to becoming a five-time Women’s Champion on Raw tonight. Coach then outlined what she’d need to do to become the champion - she’d need to beat Jazz, one of the most dominant champions the women’s division has had in years, the same woman who beat Trish at King of the Ring. With a smirk on her face, Trish reminded Coach that at WrestleMania 19, she beat Jazz. She proved that she could pin the ‘Black Diamond’ once, and tonight, she’d prove it again.

…

Commercial Break

…

Back from the break, Sylvain Grenier and René Duprée are shown arriving at the building earlier in the day. They are taunted by a large gathering of fans who had waited outside the building to catch a glimpse of some of their favourite WWE stars. The duo - known as La Resistance - are not alone, however. Dupree guides a French Poodle, who Lawler claims is called ‘Fefe’ and is the official mascot of the two Frenchmen. While we see the duo arrive and jockey with the fans, both of them shouting that the Canadians don’t even deserve to speak with the beautiful language that is French. Ross and Lawler discussed the war of words between La Resistance and the Dudley Boyz over the last month. Both of them thought it was a crazy choice for the two new stars to pick a fight with one of the greatest teams that has ever graced the wrestling business.

_____________________________________​

Match 2 | TRIPLE THREAT MATCH | WWE INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP:
Jeff Hardy [c] vs. Test vs. Chief Morley
Jim Ross says that this triple threat match is one of the most lopsided bouts that he could remember. Not only is Jeff Hardy at a disadvantage under normal triple threat rules, not being required to be involved in the fall to lose his title, but he’s up against two members of the Administration faction! If there was any fear from Hardy, it was not shown at all. He rushed down to the ring, tossed the title to the referee and immediately jumped on the attack against Morley and Test. In a desperate attempt to retain his title, Hardy sent Test to the outside of the ring with a dropkick and then hit a Twist of Fate quickly against Morley. A hook of the leg followed, and a two-count until Test ripped the referee from the ring, breaking the count. As expected, Test and Morley joined forces to beat down the champion.

There were multiple instances in which Test held Jeff Hardy in a full nelson while Morley punched or kicked the champion. They posed in triumph together before Test made a pin attempt. At a count of two, Morley ripped Test off Hardy’s body and could be heard shouting - “What are you doing? I’m winning this match!” Test shoved Morley and said that he was going to win it, and for Morley to fall in line before he shoved his boot in his face. A fight then broke out, and chaos erupted! Morley and Test began brawling, which led to the finish. Test would nail Morley with the big boot and make a pin attempt, only for Hardy to hit the Swanton Bomb on the big man! Test rolled to the outside of the ring, and Hardy made the cover on Morley for the three count! He had retained the gold after Morley and Test’s alliance broke down based on who was going to win the gold.
Winner: And STILL WWE Intercontinental Champion - Jeff Hardy @ 12:53

In the aftermath of the triple threat match, Jeff Hardy exited the ring and made his way up the entrance ramp with the title. He proudly held it above his head to a cheer from the audience as he once again thwarted the attempts of the Administration to claim his title. Meanwhile, Test ripped the top off the announce desk and nearly chucked a fit at the loss. He was furious that the plan had failed and directly blamed Morley for screwing it up. As Morley began to shake off the cobwebs, Test entered the ring and got in his face. The two men argued, Test standing over him while Morley leaned against the ropes, still selling the impact of the big boot.

_____________________________________​

Elsewhere in the arena, Triple H and Ric Flair are in a deep discussion about the events from earlier in the night. Neither man was happy about the idea of having to face Booker T and Shawn Michaels in the main event, but they were confident it would be a walk in the park so long as the referees weren’t in their back pocket. Flair couldn’t believe the nerve of Shawn Michaels to think that he had the right to step into the ring with the two of them. He was a cockroach that wouldn’t die - Triple H described him as a constant pain in the ass. Triple H made a throwaway comment about Booker T getting a big head and being able to book his own matches, thinking he was going to make a World Title bout. He said that morons ran the show, but not even Morley or Bischoff would be dumb enough to side against Evolution. Midway through their conversation, Triple H got a phone call on his cellphone and answered it. It showed ‘Randy Orton’ on the screen before he picked up. After a brief chat, Triple H hung up the phone and advised Ric Flair that everything was in place for tonight. They did not go any further into the whereabouts of Randy Orton or Batista. Wherever they are, it appeared that Evolution had plans for them, and that could not be good for everyone else.

…

Commercial Break

…

Monday Night Raw returned with the arrival of Goldberg! Through smoke and pyro, Goldberg emerged like a dragon, spilling smoke from his nostrils. JR and Lawler covered the shocking debut of the ‘Titan of War’ last week, discussing the brutal assault on Stone Cold Steve Austin, which had left him unable to be at Raw this week. Goldberg comes to a stop at the announce desk and motions for Jim Ross to join him in the ring, which we knew was going to happen. Once inside the ring, Goldberg stands motionless for a moment, allowing the crowd to get their boos out while Jim Ross makes his way up the steel steps and into the ring. Ross attempted to start the interview… only for Goldberg to snatch the microphone from JR’s hand and claim it as his own. Goldberg told JR that he had to get something off his chest, with JR looking puzzled. “I don’t want you to go anywhere, Jim. You stay right here, and I’ll answer your questions, but first… I’ve waited two years to say a few things, and I’m going to take my time, right now.”

With JR standing in the ring and off to the side, Goldberg took control of the microphone and the ring itself. He thought it might be worth reminding the world just who the hell he was in case anyone had forgotten. Last week, he split Stone Cold Steve Austin in half and tonight, Stone Cold is still licking his wounds fresh off a visit to the hospital. For years, he heard all about the legendary Stone Cold and how he was this badass that killed WCW and ran Ted Turner out of business. Well, Goldberg declared that he walked right through your badass, and it was easy. “I didn’t even break a sweat against your so-called ‘toughest S.O.B on the planet.” It was all hype! Goldberg spoke about people saying he was all hype, but unlike every other chump in the locker room, he backed it up. He beat Hulk Hogan in the Georgia Dome to win the World Title. He beat Randy Savage, Diamond Dallas Page, Scott Hall, Big Show, Scott Steiner… and even Bret Hart.

There’s a knowing look that appears on the face of the Titan of War as he mentions Canada’s own. Goldberg reminds everyone that it’s not the first time he has crushed one of the WWE’s favourite sons. In case anyone has forgotten, he wanted everyone to take a look at the big screen - refusing to call it a titantron. On the screen, it replayed Starrcade 1999 when Goldberg kicked Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart right in the head, ultimately ending his career with a concussion. When the video stops playing, Goldberg smirks and draws major heat from the crowd for their favourite son. Goldberg said he knew Stone Cold and Bret Hart are close friends, so with that in mind, maybe Austin should check in with the ‘Hitman’ and ask what happens when you piss off the Titan of War! Goldberg shouted that if you wanted to get Bret Hart’s opinion on that match, you’d need to show him a video because he cannot remember. He got kicked so hard in the head that he can barely remember his own name, and that’s good because all anyone remembers is that Bret Hart is the guy who lost his career when he stepped into the ring with Goldberg.

“You should take notice of what I did to Bret. I’ll do it to you as well, Austin. I’ll do it to anyone who wants to pick a fight with my good pal, Eric Bischoff.” More heat from the audience. Eventually, Goldberg turns to JR and motions him over. Goldberg tells JR he’s had second thoughts and has no interest in answering any questions from Jim Ross. In fact, he knows that Jim was part of the team that mocked Goldberg for years. “You people thought that you were safe because you did all of that while I wasn’t here. Well, I’m here now, Jim. Remember Gillberg? You thought that was really funny. I haven’t forgotten.” Goldberg tells JR that he wants to send a very personal message to Stone Cold. A message, or a warning, depending on how you look at it. This doesn’t have to go further if Austin walks away. If he leaves and moves on, stays on a ranch, and doesn’t come back, then that’s a job done. Eric Bischoff won’t chase him; he can collect his cheque from the safety of his ranch, he can grow old and remember the names of his grandkids one day. But if he comes back, he won’t get that chance again. “He won’t be able to look at his wife and remember her name, the same way Bret Hart can’t.” A message was to be delivered directly to Austin, and Goldberg said he had one way to do it.

Suddenly, Goldberg grabbed Jim Ross by the collar and pushed him up against the corner of the turnbuckle. In a vicious turn of events, Goldberg started beating the hell out of Jim Ross! The Titan of War was assaulting the personal friend of Stone Cold and could be heard screaming in pain. From the announce desk, Jerry Lawler threw down his microphone and entered the ring to make the save. Goldberg grabbed Lawler and hit a stiff knee to the stomach, which sent the King to the outside in a coughing fit. Meanwhile, Jim Ross staggered to his feet… as Goldberg slowly turned to face him. The crowd shrieked in terror as the Titan of War split Jim Ross with a spear! By god, Goldberg had speared Jim Ross in half just like he did Stone Cold a week ago! Medics rushed down to the ring to assist Jim Ross, who was clutching at his stomach, unable to stand. Jerry Lawler staggered over to his friend and could be heard checking on him. Goldberg exited the ring and slowly walked up the entrance ramp, having done what he had hoped. He sent a message to Stone Cold - if you come back, it’s war.

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In the interview area backstage, the Dudley Boyz were being interviewed by the Coach when La Resistance jumped them! It’s a cheap attack from the Frenchmen as they strike while the brothers have their backs turned to them. Runnels has to flee as La Resistance throws the Dudley Boyz into a stack of technical equipment. Dupree slams Bubba Ray’s head into a crate, and Grenier hits D-Von with a trash can that is nearby. La Resistance stand tall over their targets. Dupree slaps them in the head - “You must watch your back much better, Americans. You never know when you are going to get what you deserve.” He then spat on them before walking away with his tag team partner.

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Commercial Break

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{/SECOND HOUR}

At the top of the second hour, Rob Van Dam and Kane entered the office of the General Manager of Monday Night Raw, Eric Bischoff. The duo received a cold response from Bischoff, who said his time was short tonight and he wanted to get the meeting over with as quickly as possible. Van Dam told Bischoff that 8 weeks ago, he was attacked in the parking lot of Monday Night Raw. He was put on the shelf for weeks, and Bischoff did nothing to find out who did it. “For two months, Kane was doubted and accused of taking out his best friend. Do you know how that feels?” To the side, Kane stood with his arms crossed, looking intimidating as ever. Bischoff disputed that series of events, arguing that he did everything he could with the limited resources available because so much of his time was spent dealing with Stone Cold Steve Austin. Rob said he didn’t care about Bischoff’s little war with Austin.

What he cared about was putting the last two months behind him. Both he and Kane were sick of the mind games from Corino and O’Haire. They were making their lives hell - no pun intended - and they wanted to put this to an end. Bischoff wanted to know what they had in mind, to which Kane responded, “Give us O’Haire and Corino, tonight!” With a scrunched-up face, Bischoff asked if he was living in fantasy land tonight. “Does every superstar on this show think they can just book themselves into matches? Does my format mean nothing?” That request was denied, and Bischoff told RVD and Kane that if they wanted to fight Corino and O’Haire, they could go find them instead. It seemed like an offhand comment, but Kane and Van Dam didn’t take it that way.

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Match 3 | SINGLES MATCH:
Renee Dupree (with Sylvain Grenier) vs. The Hurricane (Scott Steiner)
As this was the first live-in-the-arena segment since the attack on Jim Ross, we’re advised that the lead announcer for Raw will not be available for the rest of the evening. He had been taken to a local medical facility to have his ribs and midsection checked by doctors after the spear from the Titan of War. Replacing Jim Ross on commentary was Michael Cole, and he jumped right in as the lead commentator alongside Jerry Lawler. The in-ring action was relatively short for these two tag team wrestlers. Steiner was at ringside and was still in a sling from the bicep injury, which Cole said was healing well from the reports he had heard. Hurricane was able to use his speed advantage here to get in some shots against the Frenchman. It took a trip of the heel from the outside by the heels for Dupree to gain the advantage, and he nailed the superhero with a stiff DDT for a two count. After four-minutes of action, the match was disrupted when Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley rushed down to the ring with 2x4 pieces of timber! It was an old school Dudley payback attack with the classic 2x4’s! They targeted only La Resistance, but their arrival caused the referee to throw out the match, unable to declare a winner.
Winner: No Contest @ 04:03

In the chaos of the arrival of the Dudley Boyz, they nailed both members of La Resistance with hard shots with the 2x4’s. Dupree took one to the face by Bubba Ray, while D-Von slammed his 2x4 into the back of Grenier. La Resistance scattered from the ring, scrambling up the ramp like a pair of rats as the Dudley Boyz stood in the ring proudly showing off the 2x4’s for the audience. Bubba Ray would grab the microphone and deliver a message - “You two must have forgotten who the hell you’re dealing with. We are not just any old tag team. We are those damn dirty Dudley Boyz!” D-Von then snatched the mic from his brother - “And in case you didn’t know, there are 3 commandments in the WWE that you must follow to survive. 1. Thou shall not steal. 2. Thou shall not kill. 3. Thou shall not mess with The Dudleys. Pray to your God tonight, boys, because you two have messed with the wrong damn tag team!”

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Elsewhere in the arena, Teri Runnels was standing by with Chris Jericho for an interview. She welcomed Y2J in and asked how he was feeling after suffering a loss to Shawn Michaels eight-days ago at Bad Blood in the brutal Last Man Standing match. There’s a look of disgust that comes across the face of Jericho. He begins to talk very slowly, talking down to Runnels as he questions if the silicon in her chest has leaked into her brain. He reminds Teri that he defeated the Heartbreak Kid at WrestleMania 19, when the entire world thought the Heartbreak Kid would win. “In ten years, people are still going to be talking about my victory at WrestleMania. That’s all that matters.” Now, Jericho said that he was still hurt from that match at Bad Blood and, unlike Shawn Michaels, he wasn’t about to insert himself into matters that didn’t involve him. He had no interest in jumping in and aiding the likes of Booker T. He also didn’t see a place for him on Raw while Eric Bischoff and Stone Cold were running about in their hissy fit fight. No, Jericho was going to take a few weeks off from in-ring competition, but fear not, he believed a spot had just opened up on commentary. That’s right - next week on Raw, Chris Jericho will be at the announce desk as he takes some time to recover from some nagging injuries.

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Commercial Break

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Upon the return from the commercial break, Ric Flair was on his cellphone in the locker room that we saw him and Triple H in earlier. We do not hear the other half of the conversation, but Flair is pleased with what is being said, and he tells whoever he’s speaking with to keep him updated as we get closer to “go time” - whatever that means. When the conversation ended, Flair was about to begin putting on his wrestling gear when we heard a knock at the door. Flair must have thought it was Hunter because he told him to come in without looking back. There was a roar from the audience when the door opened, and in walked someone who knows Ric Flair extremely well. It wasn’t Triple H, however. The camera focused on Ric Flair’s face as his eyes bugged out - “What the hell are you doing here?”

Slowly, the camera panned around to reveal the ‘American Dream’ Dusty Rhodes! Flair looked like he had seen a ghost and challenged Dusty’s appearance in the locker room, telling him that the Dream couldn’t just walk in here. Dusty said he had an open pass anywhere he wanted, perks of being the American Dream, he said. The reason for Rhodes’ visit was to confront Flair about the attack on Goldust - or Dustin, his son, as Dusty put it. They weren’t friends by any means, but Dusty thought there was some level of professional respect. “Why would you do that to my boy, Ric. You sat there and let your boy beat him bloody; he wasn’t involved, he didn’t deserve that, and you let it happen. If that was your son, what would you have done?” Flair said nothing, his eyes lowered… and he walked out without saying a word, unable to mount a defence against his former rival. Rhodes shook his head, seemingly not surprised by the act of cowardice from the Nature Boy.

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The camera then cut to a live shot with a cameraman on the run! He was sprinting, giving us a shaky cam, while raised voices were heard echoing throughout the halls. When the camera reached the destination, we got a shot of a massive backstage brawl involving four men. Rob Van Dam and Kane had found Steve Corino and Sean O’Haire, and a fight had broken out. Bischoff told them to go find them if they wanted a fight, and the tag team had done just that. It was absolute mayhem as things flew all over the backstage area. Kane had squared off with O’Haire and had him pushed up against a wall, hammering away with punches to the head. Across the hall was RVD and Corino, the Devil biting at the face of Van Dam. Security attempted to stop the chaos, but both teams shoved them aside. O’Haire would grab a steel chair and crack Kane in the back with it… which he no sold, snatched the chair from O’Haire and whacked him in the face with it! That drew blood, a small trickle falling down the face of O’Haire in the mayhem. The chaos paused when Eric Bischoff arrived on the scene with the local police on his side. He shouted that this wasn’t what he meant, but seeing as though these two teams were so keen to fight each other, they could do it next week on Raw. However, it would be the end of it. The two-month feud journey would come to an end next week on Raw, Bischoff made it official. Rob Van Dam & Kane against ‘The Devil’ Steve Corino & Sean O’Haire in a Falls Count Anywhere Elimination Tag Team Match!

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Commercial Break

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Match 4 | SINGLES MATCH | WWE WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP:
Jazz [c] (with Teddy Long) vs. Trish Stratus
For the third time this year, Jazz and Trish Stratus collided for the WWE Women’s Championship. Their first encounter at WrestleMania went the way of Stratus, and the rematch, contested under Falls Count Anywhere rules at King of the Ring, went to Jazz. On her walk to the ring, Trish is given a hero’s welcome from the audience in her home country. She is decked out in gear that sports the Maple Leaf of Canada, and is wearing red and white. Cole calls her the biggest star in the WWE women’s division, the face of women’s wrestling in the United States, which Lawler says is the exact reason someone like Jazz hates Trish. Jazz is the Women’s Champion but comes in second to Trish, even without the belt. When Jazz makes her entrance, she is booed out of the building, dressed in champion’s gold for her trunks, and has Teddy Long by her side.

Once the match begins, Jazz overpowers Trish and throws her to the outside of the ring, forcing the challenger to watch as the champion poses inside the squared circle. A good back-and-forth bout, Trish being made to look strong, especially considering the finish. We got a nearfall off a Chick Kick… only for Teddy Long to place the champion’s foot on the rope. The referee never saw the illegal move and only saw the foot touching the bottom rope. A key moment of the match saw Jazz place Trish’s arm in between the ring steps after they were dislodged. She then ran at it, booted it hard, crushing Trish’s arm between the steps and the edge of the ring. After seven minutes of wrestling, Jazz applied the Bitch Clamp - which was aided by the assault on the arm earlier in the bout. Trish cried out in pain and was forced to submit.
Winner: And STILL WWE Women’s Champion - Jazz @ 07:21

The bell was ringing in the background, and still Jazz kept the lethal submission on. The bout was over, Jazz had retained the gold, yet she wanted to see the challenger suffer in front of her family and friends. The screams of Trish echoed throughout the arena as the Black Diamond paraded around the ring like a big game hunter with their prized kill. Suddenly, the crowd cheered as Gail Kim came rushing down to the ring, seemingly to save Trish! After their show of respect last week, Kim had come to save Trish. Jazz had no interest in another fight. She dropped Trish on the mat and rolled to the outside, showing off her title belt and heading up the ramp in victory.

Kim checked on Trish, helped her to her feet… and struck with Eat Defeat! The boos reigned down from the audience as Gail Kim mounted Trish Stratus and hammered away with punches to the head. She had not come to save Trish - her motives these last few weeks were not to learn from Trish but rather to take her out, find her weakness. Gail slapped Trish across the face, her body on the canvas, before making her exit to loud boos. If there was any way to gain some heat, it was attacking Trish in Canada.

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We moved backstage once again on this edition of Monday Night Raw. The WWE Intercontinental Champion, Jeff Hardy, was making his way to his car when Chief Morley approached him. You could see the anger in the face of Morley as he offered a salty congratulations to Jeff on retaining his title belt earlier in the evening. Hardy showed off the gold proudly, joking that it would take more than two members of Morley’s little social club to get this belt away from him. That stung for Morley. He rubbed his chin, reminding Hardy that he was the Chief of Staff on Monday Night Raw and not someone to be disrespected. He had come with an olive branch, but it was clear to him that Jeff was exactly what he thought he was - unfit to be the WWE Intercontinental Champion.

While the Administration may not have taken the title from him tonight, Morley claimed they had endless resources to get it and would succeed. Jeff asked if he was going to have to defend the belt again next week. The answer was no. Instead, Morley advised that the Administration was fair, even if some superstars on Raw didn’t recognise that fact. No, Jeff Hardy would not need to defend the title next week, but he would be in action. “You’ll need to find a partner because next week we’re going to see our great Intercontinental Champion in tag team action. It’ll be Test and I, teaming together as the Administration, against you and a partner of your choosing. If you can’t find one, then it’s a handicap match. Good luck, champ.”

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Commercial Break

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Match 5 | TAG TEAM MATCH:
Triple H & Ric Flair vs. Booker T & Shawn Michaels
During the entrance for Evolution, Michael Cole pointed out the sullen look on the face of Ric Flair after the confrontation with Dusty Rhodes earlier in the evening. This appeared to catch the attention of Triple H. He bumped Flair and told him to focus up. The audience exploded with cheers for the arrival of the World Heavyweight Champion. The fans in Canada embraced Booker T, as he has been all over the world since winning the World Title. The big gold belt was firmly around his waist and was the sole focus of Triple H as he watched the entrance of the champion. As the bout began, Shawn Michaels started yapping with Triple H, driving the former champion nuts on the apron. While a big name match for sure, the biggest aspect of this was the angle that occurred at the end of the bout. While Booker T was on the apron of the ring, the titantron lit up with a live shout of a wrestling school in Houston, Texas. Booker T immediately realised what location it was and could feel his stomach turn as Randy Orton appeared in the shot. He told Batista to hold the camera straight as they approached the door of the building in front of them. Michael Cole revealed to the audience at home that the building was the wrestling school of Stevie Ray - the brother of Booker T!

Things turned ugly as Batista and Randy Orton kicked in the front door of the wrestling school. It was shut in the after-hours period, and Stevie Ray was inside painting a wall. He had no time to react as Orton jumped him from behind, slamming him face-first into the wall covered in wet paint. Batista and Orton took turns holding the camera as the other man attacked Stevie Ray. In commentary, Cole shouted that this was yet another lowlife attack by Evolution, while Lawler argued that Stevie Ray got involved in the title match at Bad Blood, so this was karma! At ringside, Booker T didn’t know what to do, his attention glued to the screen, and he eventually jumped down and rushed up the ramp, presumably heading to a phone to call someone to help his brother. The titantron continued to show Orton and Batista bashing Stevie Ray. It concluded with Orton smashing him in the face with the half-filled paint can. The paint went everywhere, prompting Batista to say, “I got paint on my shoes.” Before kicking Stevie in retribution. Inside the ring, Shawn Michaels was left on his own and was unable to overcome the 2-1 disadvantage. Triple H would take control after Flair distracted the referee, hitting a low blow on HBK, and hitting the Pedigree for the three count.
Winners: Triple H & Ric Flair @ 08:38

Another shocking ending to Monday Night Raw. Evolution has coordinated an attack on the brother of the World Heavyweight Champion, causing him to flee the main event and leave Shawn Michaels without a partner. It didn’t take long for Triple H and Ric Flair to put the match away once they had that advantage, but the tension between Booker T and Triple H continues to build. In commentary, Michael Cole calls Triple H one of the most vile human beings that he has ever known for what he has done over the last two weeks alone. Lawler calls it justified based on what both Goldust and Stevie Ray did - they both stuck their noses in the business of Evolution when they should’ve known better. Nevertheless, Raw comes to an end with Triple H and Ric Flair standing tall in the ring, knowing their plan has succeeded and they’ve gotten another one over the World Heavyweight Champion.

END OF SHOW

***

Current Card for SummerSlam:
Date: August 24, 2003
Location: America West Arena in Phoenix, Arizona

*No Confirmed Matches​