Monday, January 31st, 2005
HP Pavilion
San Jose, California
It's the night after Royal Rumble and they are doing a double main event of Snitsky vs. Kane in a cage match and Randy Orton and Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair and Triple H.
Triple H's music hits and out comes Triple H and Ric Flair. Flair calls Triple H the greatest wrestler alive today to some boos. Triple H then introduces the winner of the Royal Rumble, Batista. Triple H talks up Batista and then says it will be an honor to defend his championship against him at WrestleMania. Batista is about to tell Triple H what he thinks about him, but JBL is on the screen and he talks about how he would take down Batista. Triple H says it won't be Batista vs. JBL, it will be Triple H vs. Batista at WrestleMania.
Intercontinental Championship Match
Shelton Benjamin vs. Simon Dean
Simon Dean starts of with some stiff shots to the back. Benjamin fights back with a jumping shoulder tackle. Dean reaches into his bag and tries to grab something, but the ref takes it away. While he isn't looking he holds up his bag and nails Benjamin with it as he goes for the splash in the corner. Then out of nowhere Benjamin hits a spinning heel kick and gets the victory. I'm not 100% sure what the point of that one was, but Shelton continues to look good.
Match Rating: 3/4*
After the match, Dean says the only reason Benjamin beat him is because he used his Simon System. Benjamin runs back in the ring and hits a T-Bone Suplex.
Triple H wants to know who put the video of JBL on the board and Eric Bischoff doesn't know. Triple H says he calls the shots around here, to which Bischoff responds after he leaves the room with a "We'll see about that".
Christy Hemme is in the ring and shooting out t-shirts and Edge's music hits. Edge is fired up and says he lasted longer than anyone in the Rumble and that he should be main eventing the show. Out comes Shawn Michaels and he challenges to him a re-match right now, but Edge says no since he beat him last night. HBK then nails him with Sweet Chin Music and Edge is laid out.
Maven vs. The Hurricane
Hurricane gets some of his fun offense in before Maven catches him and slams him face first. Back suplex by Maven and he then puts on one of the weaker chin holds I have seen. Big clothesline by Hurricane and then an uppercut. Hurricane goes for the blockbuster off the top rope, but Maven moves and hits a back stabber and gets the victory. Another way too short match.
Match Rating: 1/2*
Candice Michelle and Maria are talking about Batista and open the door and there stands Snitsky. Snitsky says he is looking for someone and then compliments them on their shoes. 2005 everybody.
Bischoff is talking to Coach and is wants him to find out why JBL was on Raw. Here is Teddy Long and he says he had nothing to do with it. Teddy says he made an offer for Batista to challenge JBL. There sure has been a lot of filler here in the first hour. Bischoff then tells Coach to have security throw Long out.
Stacy is talking to Randy Orton and she is wondering if he is ok to fight enough. He said he is going to prove why he is the Legend Killer.
World Tag Team Championship Match
Chris Jericho & Chris Benoit vs. La Resistance
The Chris's take it to Conway early on, but Grenier whips Benoit into the turnbuckle and does an anti-climatic overhead backbreaker. Benoit goes for the tag, but Jericho is fighting with Grenier on the outside and he gets dragged back into the opposition's corner. La Resistance is one of those teams that at the time seemed like they were around forever, but looking back you hardly even remember them. Jericho is in with the hot tag and cleans house. He goes for the Lionsault, but lands on his feet and is attacked from behind. Grenier goes for a dropkick, but Jericho catches him and attempts to go for the Walls of Jericho, but Conway interferes and he gets put in the Walls of Jericho. Grenier is able to break it up and things are getting a little sloppy now. Jericho is trying to put Grenier in the Walls now and finally gets him over and then sees Conway come in and for some reason does nothing and Conway hits him from behind. As a result, the ref calls for a double DQ. That was a fun match until that last minute and it killed the crowd.
Match Rating: **1/2
We get another Chris Masters vignette. They are all pretty much the same, but overall they have been well made.
Out comes Muhammad Hassan and Daivari to mild boos. Hassan says he was discriminated against in the Rumble, as eight superstars ganged up on him to eliminate him. He challenges any American to face him tonight and out comes Sgt. Slaughter.
Muhammad Hassan vs. Sgt. Slaughter
Daivari gets in his face and Sarge shoves him to the ground and we are underway. Slaughter is 56 years old here. Hassan has him in a bear hug and delivers some knees for good measure. Slaughter fights out hits him with some fists and clotheslines. Hassan hits him with a face first drop and a Camel Clutch for the victory.
Match Rating: 1/4*
Benoit and Jericho are back there arguing why they didn't win the tag titles in a competitive way.
We get our first of the movie parody WrestleMania commercials. These were really well done. This one is with Eugene playing Forrest Gump.
Flair is backstage with Triple H. Trips thinks he may be holding Batista back by having him wrestle him. If Batista went to Smackdown, he could actually win the championship and they could run both shows. Flair thinks the plan is genius.
Bischoff's music hits and he is out to make an announcement. For the first ever Raw in Japan next week, he has three big matches to give us. Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit in a submission match, William Regal and Tajiri vs. La Resistance for the World Tag Team Championships and Triple H vs. Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship.
Randy Orton & Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H & Ric Flair
Orton and Flair start things off. Orton gets in some offense against Flair before he tags in Triple H. Orton also takes care of Triple H and HBK comes in off the top rope for some double team action. Michaels hits some fists in the corner, but Triple H counters with an inverted atomic drop. Both men duel up on the top rope and Michaels knocks Triple H off and hits the top rope elbow drop. Batista, who is on the outside, grabs a chair and gets ejected from ringside and starts smashing the chair into the ring steps. Batista is then shown smiling as he walks to the back. We are back from a commercial break and Flair is chopping away at Michaels. Not that he was full time, but it's kind of amazing that Flair would still have about 38 months left in his WWE career. HBK whips Flair into the corner and he tries to do his flip over the rope, but he falls to the mat instead. Triple H hits Michaels with a cheap shop, which then allows him to hit the spinebuster. Evolution continues to dominate using illegal double teams. Michaels finally battles back and makes the tag to Orton and he is taking care of both men. Orton has Triple H in the corner, but Flair purposely shoves the ref into Orton. Orton hits an RKO and both men are down. Shawn then hits Triple H with Sweet Chin Music. Edge comes down and attempts to spear Michaels, but he moves and he hits Triple H by accident. The faces get the pinfall victory. That was good, but not quite as good as I hoped for.
Match Rating: ***
We now get a Kane/Snitsky video. Down comes the cage. WWE was all in on Snitsky's gimmick.
Steel Cage Match
Snitsky vs. Kane
I am still surprised by how much WWE wanted this feud to work. They really put a lot of time and effort in there.This is already off to a slow start to what is a short main event match. Snitsky is dominating and Trish Stratus is walking down the aisle now. Snitsky tries to escape, but Kane gets to him. Kane keeps trying to get out the door, but Snitsky keeps pulling Kane back in the ring. Kane hits the clothesline off the top rope and is again trying to walk out, but Trish slams the door on him. Kane isn't phased and pulls Trish into the ring. He has her up for the chokeslam, but Snitsky gives him the big boot. Snitsky tears the door off and instead of walking out, he brings the door in the ring. Kane kicks it back at Snitsky and not he sets up the door in the corner. Kane crotches Snitsky on the door and then gives him a chokeslam on top of the door and gets the victory. That wasn't very good, but is anyone surprised? Ross emphasizes that it was bowling shoe ugly.
Match Rating: 1/2*
While it wasn't a good show, it really wasn't bad either. It was just kind of there and nothing outside of Batista/Triple H has really begun for WrestleMania.
Overall Rating: 51%
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