Fort Worth Convention Center
Fort Worth, Texas
We're kicking off the show with a Highlight Reel and the Money In The Bank briefcase is hanging above the ring. Jericho goes over what happens when you win and then introduces Chris Benoit and Shelton Benjamin. They argue over who the hungriest to win this match is. Christian's music hits and he's out with Tyson Tomko. Christian says they don't look hungry, they look full of crap. Christian brags about his win over Jericho last year at WrestleMania and that he has two WrestleMania ladder match victories, which naturally brings out Edge. Edge fires them up and a brawl ensues.
Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit & Shelton Benjamin vs. Edge, Christian & Tyson Tomko
During the commercial break, Eric Bischoff ordered a 6 man tag match and we join it already in progress. The heels take turns working on Shelton as Lawler goes over some scenarios as to how you can cash in the briefcase. Shelton gets the tag to Benoit and he puts Edge in the Sharpshooter, but Christian saves him but eats 3 German suplexes. Benoit is completely busted open after headbutting Tomko. Benoit fights through it and hits a diving headbutt onto Christian and then makes the tag to a fresh Jericho. Shelton helps out, but eats a big boot to the face. Jericho comes back in and puts the Walls of Jericho on Tomko and he taps. It seemed a little too obvious as to who was going to eat the pinfall there, but this was a good match to kick off the show.
Match Rating: ***1/4 (out of 5)
Christian goes to use the ladder after the match and out comes Kane. He takes out Edge and Christian and then climbs the ladder and hit his pyro.
Eric Bischoff walks into Batista's locker room and wants assurance that there will be no physicality during his faceoff with Triple H. Batista says he won't start anything, but if Triple H does, he'll finish it. Bischoff then says that he thinks Batista could be a big movie star and he can help him get there. Batista then tells Bischoff that he reminds him of the gimp from Pulp Fiction.
Christy and Lita are on their way to the ring.
Trish and Christy are to square off in an arm wrestling contest. Trish is a heel, so of course she is going to stall as much as possible. They lock up and Christy beats her instantly. Trish then demands a rematch because she wasn't ready. Christy again beats her instantly and Trish pushes over the table and then knocks down Lillian Garcia and Lita. I feel like the arm wrestling segments never really work well and they always seem to go back to it.
Randy Orton is here and let's us know that he's either with him or against him. Stacy was becoming a distraction, so he eliminated her. Orton says people will be talking about his undefeated streak after he ends Undertaker's. The bell tolls and the lights go out and they show a countdown of all of Undertaker's WrestleMania victims. The ring posts are then all set on fire and Orton is clearly flustered.
After the commercial break, Kane approaches Orton backstage. Kane says that he has faced Undertaker twice and that he's lucky that he escaped with his soul. Kane says if he's not afraid of Undertaker, he has 6 days to prove it.
World Tag Team Championship Match
La Resistance vs. Simon Dean & Maven vs. William Regal & Tajiri
This pretty much sums up the tag team division in 2005 right here. We get a chaotic beginning with lots of tags and teams breaking up falls. Tajiri gets a hot tag and he takes out Maven, Conway and Simon Dean. Maven makes a blind tag and hits a flying cross body for a nearfall. Tajiri then hits a big kick and gets the pinfall. I'm not sure how they weren't able to have that fill a few more minutes, but for the time these teams were given, they gave a good enough effort.
Match Rating: *1/2
Bischoff is now with Triple H and tells him that he can't afford an injury before WrestleMania. Triple H is blaming Bischoff for anything that happens since he is the one who pushed for Batista to challenge him for the title.
Muhammad Hassan says that we are only 6 days away from WrestleMania and he is still excluded despite never losing on Raw.
Muhammad Hassan vs. Shawn Michaels
Michaels gets the best of Hassan in the early going and even dumps him over the top rope onto Daivari. When we get back from the commercial break, Hassan is in control and we see Hassan hit some moves on Michaels' back. Daivari is yelling orders throughout the match. After a pretty long heat segment, Hassan puts on the Camel Clutc, but Michaels grabs the ropes. Michaels fights back and heads to the top rope and hits the elbow drop. Michaels is tuning up the band and then out of nowhere comes Kurt Angle and he assaults Michaels. Hassan holds Michaels, but he ducks and Angle hits Hassan. Michaels gets out of the Angle Slam and Angle ducks out of Sweet Chin Music, so Michaels hits it on Hassan. Angle retreats in the crowd. Match was okayish. Hassan just wasn't very good in the ring and this was really all about building up for Angle/Michaels.
Match Rating: **
Bischoff is talking to security and is telling them that Angle should have never been allowed in the building. He then orders them to make sure nothing happens between Batista and Triple H.
Bischoff introduces Triple H and Batista. Triple H calls Batista an ungrateful piece of crap. Yes, really. He goes over the whole you were nobody before you met me that we have been going over for what seems like forever. Batista thanks Ric Flair and says that he is a legend. He then tells Triple H he is taking his title and Triple H slaps him. Batista jumps him and then all of the security guards are holding him back and Triple H punches him. Batista breaks free and attacks Triple H again. Triple H and Flair retreat as Batista's music plays.
Well, this episode was heavy on non-wrestling segments and that's not necessarily a bad thing. I thought the Undertaker one was well done for what it was. The Batista/Triple H segment was exactly what you thought it would be. I was hoping to see a little more out of Hassan up against arguably the greatest wrestler of all time, but he just isn't there. The tag match did a nice job building for the Money In The Bank match while the arm wrestling match fell completely flat. All in all, this was a pretty mixed bag, but it did a solid enough job building for WrestleMania.
Overall Rating: 58%
Bischoff is now with Triple H and tells him that he can't afford an injury before WrestleMania. Triple H is blaming Bischoff for anything that happens since he is the one who pushed for Batista to challenge him for the title.
Muhammad Hassan says that we are only 6 days away from WrestleMania and he is still excluded despite never losing on Raw.
Muhammad Hassan vs. Shawn Michaels
Michaels gets the best of Hassan in the early going and even dumps him over the top rope onto Daivari. When we get back from the commercial break, Hassan is in control and we see Hassan hit some moves on Michaels' back. Daivari is yelling orders throughout the match. After a pretty long heat segment, Hassan puts on the Camel Clutc, but Michaels grabs the ropes. Michaels fights back and heads to the top rope and hits the elbow drop. Michaels is tuning up the band and then out of nowhere comes Kurt Angle and he assaults Michaels. Hassan holds Michaels, but he ducks and Angle hits Hassan. Michaels gets out of the Angle Slam and Angle ducks out of Sweet Chin Music, so Michaels hits it on Hassan. Angle retreats in the crowd. Match was okayish. Hassan just wasn't very good in the ring and this was really all about building up for Angle/Michaels.
Match Rating: **
Bischoff is talking to security and is telling them that Angle should have never been allowed in the building. He then orders them to make sure nothing happens between Batista and Triple H.
Bischoff introduces Triple H and Batista. Triple H calls Batista an ungrateful piece of crap. Yes, really. He goes over the whole you were nobody before you met me that we have been going over for what seems like forever. Batista thanks Ric Flair and says that he is a legend. He then tells Triple H he is taking his title and Triple H slaps him. Batista jumps him and then all of the security guards are holding him back and Triple H punches him. Batista breaks free and attacks Triple H again. Triple H and Flair retreat as Batista's music plays.
Well, this episode was heavy on non-wrestling segments and that's not necessarily a bad thing. I thought the Undertaker one was well done for what it was. The Batista/Triple H segment was exactly what you thought it would be. I was hoping to see a little more out of Hassan up against arguably the greatest wrestler of all time, but he just isn't there. The tag match did a nice job building for the Money In The Bank match while the arm wrestling match fell completely flat. All in all, this was a pretty mixed bag, but it did a solid enough job building for WrestleMania.
Overall Rating: 58%
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