Monday, September 12th, 2005
Alltell Arena
Little Rock, Arkansas
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The show opens with kind of a weird opening, starting with a crowd shot then the fireworks. No TV intro. I wonder if something was edited for the network?
Big Show vs. Edge
We get the usual start to a Big Show match where his competitor seems to think that they can do their normal offense to him and that he isn't 7 feet tall. Edge is able to hang Big Show up on the top rope and then hits a low dropkick to his knee. Edge goes for a tornado DDT, but Big Show tosses him. Snitsky runs in and attacks Big Show and after about 15 seconds, the ref finally calls for the bell. Matt Hardy runs in and makes the save. Out comes Eric Bischoff and he channels his inner Teddy Long. We now have ourselves a tag team match.
Big Show & Matt Hardy vs. Edge & Snitsky
Matt Hardy begins hammering on Edge and then hits a running clothesline. Hardy catapults Edge into the top turnbuckle and gets a 2 count with a roll up. Edge is hung up on the top rope and Big Show hits a big kick, sending Edge to the floor into the commercial break. As we come back, Edge is working on Hardy. Edge got a cheap shot behind the referee's back during the break. Edge gets to Big Show before Hardy can make the tag to him, so Big Show comes over the top and goes after Edge and Snitsky. On the outside, Edge hits Big Show with the briefcase and takes him out. Hardy hits a second rope leg drop, but then Lita grabs his leg and he goes after her. They end up in the ring and he is about to put a Twist of Fate on her. Edge goes for a Spear, but Hardy sees it. Hardy goes for the Twist of Fate on Edge, but Lita kicks him in the crotch. Edge hits a Spear and gets the victory. This was a pretty good match that helped build to Unforgiven in six days. After the match, Lita hits a Twist of Fate on Hardy.
Match Rating: **1/2 (out of 5)
Shawn Michaels is out for an interview on the ramp with Todd Grisham. They show highlights of last week with the Master Lock Challenge. Michaels says that Masters decided to take things one step too far, but Michaels has made a living taking things a step too far. Michaels announces that Flair will be taking on Masters tonight. Flair comes out "Woo-ing" and tells Carlito that he hopes he's watching because at Unforgiven he will become the Intercontinental Champion for the first time.
Kerwin White vs. Shelton Benjamin
Kerwin wrestles in khaki shorts and a collared shirt. Benjamin starts off hot, but Kerwin hits a missile dropkick from the second rope. Kerwin grabs his hanger from his vest, but the ref catches him. He takes off his collared shirt and uses it to choke Shelton while the ref for reason puts the hanger back on the vest. Shelton hits a Samoan drop and a reverse elbow. Shelton hits a huge back body drop, but Kerwin hits a jawbreaker. Shelton hits the spinning heel kick and Kerwin rolls to the outside. On their way back in, Kerwin grabs his golf club and uses it to attack Shelton for the obvious disqualification. You don't have to like the gimmick, but you can't deny Chavo is doing the best that he can with it.
Match Rating: 3/4*
Kurt Angle says that he is the greatest professional wrestler on the planet and that everyone knows it.
Torrie Wilson, Candice Michelle and Victoria are here, which leads to Jerry Lawler promoting a body spray.They say that they have another special surprise for Ashley tonight. Torrie tells her to come in the ring because she finally passed her initiation. Ashley says she is coming down to the ring, but this time she has a surprise of her own and it's a returning Trish Stratus. She comes in and goes after Victoria. Torrie grabs Trish while Ashley takes out Candice. Trish ducks a clothesline from Victoria, which takes out Torrie and then gives Victoria the Chick Kick.
Ric Flair vs. Chris Masters
Masters shows off his strength with a military press not once, but twice. Flair fights back with some chops. They head outside and Masters hits a side slam on the outside into the commercial break. Masters how has Flair in a bear hug and backs him into the corner and then hits a back body drop. Back to the bear hug we go. Flair bites Masters' nose to break out of the hold. Don't you worry, Masters goes right back to the bear hug. Flair finally fights out of it and takes out Masters' knee with a chop block. Flair trips Masters and locks in the Figure Four. Carlito comes in and hits Flair in the head with the Intercontinental Championship for the DQ. Michaels comes in and makes the save. He hits Sweet Chin Music on Carlito, but Masters throws him shoulder first into the ring post and then slaps on the Master Lock. Flair and Masters had no chemistry and it was pretty clear that Masters clearly needs an opponent like Michaels to make him look like he belongs. This is not necessarily a knock on Masters, as he is only 22 years old here. There was no reason why this had to be as long as it was.
Match Rating: 1/2*
Eugene & Tajiri vs. Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch
Tajiri hits an arm drag and a monkey flip on Murdoch. Next thing you know, Eugene is playing horsey with Cade. Cade then hits a clothesline after a distraction from Murdoch. Murdoch hits an inverted atomic drop and Cade follows it up with a swinging neckbreaker. The announcers are trying their best to tell us how great of a team these guys are, but they just don't fit the hype here. Eugene pulls out a Stunner on Murdoch and makes the tag to Tajiri. Tajiri remains the most underutilized performer on Raw. Tajiri gets the Tarantula on Cade, but Murdoch comes down and hits him with a right hand. Murdoch hits a pop up sit down powerbomb and Cade hits an elbow off the top rope for the victory. They're 2-0 and apparently getting a title opportunity in 6 days. This was something that filled six minutes of television.
Match Rating: *
Lita and Edge are already talking on the ramp as we come back on, which is kind of a weird artistic choice. Edge says that their story ends at Unforgiven in a 15 foot steel cage.
We then get a rundown of the Unforgiven card, which they announce that Ashley and Trish will take on Torrie, Candice and Victoria.
Cena is shown in the back talking to Bischoff and telling him that he no longer wants to be the champion and tries to hand the belt to him. Of course this was all just a joke because Cena never quits.
Handicap Match
Kurt Angle & Tomko vs. John Cena
Cena starts brawling with Tomko, but when he's going off the ropes, Angle clubs him in the back of the head. Cena hits a side slam on Angle, but Angle rakes the eyes and tags in Tomko. Cena fights in with a series of clothelines and hits a baseball dropkick on Angle. Tomko hits a boot and when we come back from commercial, Angle is stomping on Cena in the corner. Cena fights back with a shoulder tackle from the second rope on Tomko. Angle comes in and hits a German suplex while the ref is distracted by Tomko. Cena hits the hot tag to himself and hits a flurry of offense. He gets Tomko up for a FU, but Angle comes from behind and hits a German suplex on Cena while he has Tomko up. That was pretty sweet and for some reason not being sold as a crazy display of power. Tomko accidentally kicks Angle and Cena hits the FU on Tomko and gets the victory. Angle attacks him as soon as it's over. He hits an Angle Slam and then drives a knee into Cena's crotch. Bischoff yells in Cena's face as Angle stands over him. I'm not really sure why Cena had to win by pinfall here? Why not just do a DQ ending and have them lay him out that way? It's too bad that Cena is stuck in another heel GM feud with Bischoff. The match was just okay.
Match Rating: *1/2
Last week had a lot of energy to it and while this one did as well, the booking was just weak overall. There was also no reason to have Masters and Flair go as long as they did and a lot of the show just felt like filler. On the positive, Unforgiven has a pretty strong top of the card for a brand exclusive show and I'm looking forward to revisiting it for the first time in probably about 10 years.
Overall Rating: 47%
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