Monday, October 17th, 2005
ARCO Arena
Sacramento, California
Follow me on Twitter: @WorkTheNetwork2
As if last week's awful main event segment wasn't enough, Vince McMahon is here to kick off the show again. He lets us know that Taboo Tuesday is the most interactive pay-per-view in the WWE. He makes references to the firing of JR and also Steve Austin. He shows a video package of JR, which of course is him either being humiliated or getting beat up. This leads to him announcing that Coach is now the lead announcer of Raw and he arrives wearing a cowboy hat.
They cut to backstage with Kurt Angle talking to Vince McMahon about being the #1 contender. In walks Hurricane and he lets Vince know that JR is the voice of Raw. He then tells Angle to "sic 'em" and Angle destroys him. He brings him out through the crowd and to ringside. Hurricane starts fighting back and hits a missile dropkick. Angle ducks the Shining Wizard and puts him in the Ankle Lock. Hurricane is tapping and a bunch of officials pull Angle off of him.
Vince tells Bischoff that he wants to empower the audience and he wants him to give them a main event at Taboo Tuesday that is absolutely compelling. Bischoff says he wants to have a Triple Threat Match featuring John Cena vs. Kurt Angle vs. an opponent of the fans choice. There will be three matches tonight and the winners of those matches being the options. The matches are Edge vs. Big Show, Shawn Michaels vs. Carlito and an 18 man battle royal.
Taboo Tuesday Main Event Qualifying Match
Edge vs. Big Show
Big Show dumps Edge out of the ring a couple of times and then we head to commercial. When we come back, Big Show is hitting Edge with the big chops to the chest. Edge pushes Big Show into the steps and then takes control back in the ring. Lita gets involved and it allows Edge to get in some more offense. Big Show counters out of an arm lock and hits a back suplex. Edge counters the Big Show, but Show counters his DDT attempt by tossing him into the turnbuckle. Edge hits a dropkick to Show's knees and then hits a Spear, which Coach yells out "Gore! Gore! Gore!". Uhhhh...Edge is about to use the briefcase, but then JBL's music hits which distracts Edge and Big Show hits the chokeslam for the victory. What? I'm not sure what I'm missing there with that ending. Why would JBL interfere? Why would it distract Edge and not Big Show? This match was not either guy's best work.
Match Rating: 3/4* (out of 5)
They show a clip of people waiting in line for WrestleMania tickets. I remember sitting online on Ticketmaster trying all morning to get tickets. I unfortunately was unsuccessful.
Edge and Lita are in the back complaining to Bischoff about JBL costing him his chance at the main event. Bischoff asks Edge what is he going to do to fix it? Edge says to watch SmackDown this Friday.
Carlito is in the ring for Carlito's Cabana and says that he is going to beat Shawn Michaels here tonight. He starts making fun of JR and Mick Foley's music hits. It feels like the crowd is not mic'd up the same as usual. It seems as if they are way more muted than usual. Foley says that it's a rarity that he gets to hang out with someone who has less cool looking hair than he does. He sticks up for JR and then Linda McMahon interrupts on the Titan Tron. She says that sometimes you have to make the tough choices in business and they reference JR's colon surgery. She then tells Mick to have a nice day. Carlito says that JR is now just an out of shape, unemployed loser just like Mick. Mick fires back, which leads to Carlito starts to bit his apple. Mick says he should be more worried about trying to get a victory over Michaels tonight.
Taboo Tuesday Main Event Qualifying Match
Carlito vs. Shawn Michaels
As Michaels' fireworks are going off, Carlito runs out to him and drives him into the barricade in the aisle. They get into the ring and Carlito continues the assault. Carlito slows it down until thankfully Michaels starts fighting back with some chops. Michaels puts a sleeper hold on in the middle of the ring. Carlito hits a dropkick to Michaels in the corner for a 2 count. Michaels hits a suplex over the top rope and both men fall to the floor in a dangerous looking spot. When we come back from commercial, Carlito has Michaels in a headlock. Michaels hits a flying forearm and an inverted atomic drop. He goes up top and hits the flying elbow. Carlito ducks Sweet Chin Music and counters a roll up from Michaels out of the electric chair for a nearfall. Michaels almost runs into the ref, but then Carlito shoves Michaels into him and then throws Michaels into the ring post. Carlito misses with a chair shot to the head and Michaels hits Sweet Chin Music into the chair into Carlito's face. The ref miraculously gets back in the ring and makes the 3 count. This was not a particularly good showing from Carlito. He got plenty of time and didn't deliver against the best performer in the company here.
Match Rating: **1/4
As Michaels is heading to the back, Ric Flair's music hits and he and Shawn shake hands. We come back from commercial break mid-sentence with Flair on the mic. He goes on a rant like only Ric can talking about his career. He then busts open his bandage and starts bleeding all over the place and rubbing it all over him. I do not recall this at all. He calls out Triple H and he comes out. Flair pulls out a baseball bat and he chases him with it backstage.
Maria is back with Carlito, who rips the microphone from her hands and challenges Mick Foley to a match at Taboo Tuesday.
Torrie Wilson, Victoria & Candice Michelle vs. Trish Stratus, Ashley & Mickie James
This is the in ring debut of Mickie James. Trish hits a Lou Thesz Press on Victoria and then an airplane flying scissors. She tags in Mickie, who hits a crossbody off the top rope. Mickie then hits a hurricanrana. Instead of making a tag, she looks for Trish's approval. Victoria hits a small package and gets the victory. Torrie and Ashley never made it in the match. After the match, Mickie attempts a Stratusfaction and again looks for Trish's approval. This was short, but not good.
Match Rating: 1/4*
Stone Cold Steve Austin is here and drives his truck into the arena. The women are still at ringside as he hits the ring. That was a cool transition, but it of course was ruined by a commercial break. Austin talks about how unacceptable the treatment of JR was. Out comes Stephanie McMahon. This segment has not aged well. Coach interrupts Austin from trying to spank Stephanie. Stephanie proposes a match between Austin and Coach at Taboo Tuesday. If Austin wins, then JR will get his job back. She then lets him know that if he loses, he's fired. Austin flips her off and then heads up to the announcer booth. Austin messes with Coach and dares him to hit him. He doesn't, so Austin pours a beer in his hat and puts it on Coach's head. This just felt like it didn't work.
Bischoff comes out and announces that Ric Flair will be taking on Triple H and then confirms Carlito vs. Mick Foley. He also announces the Fulfill Your Fantasy Battle Royal for the Divas. John Cena then interrupts Bischoff, tells him "You can't see me" and then comes to the announcer booth. Bischoff then introduces Kane as a participant.
Taboo Tuesday Main Event Qualifying Battle Royal
Kane immediately chokeslams Carlito and eliminates him. Other noteworthy competitors are Big Show, Edge, Chris Masters and Shelton Benjamin. Conway eliminated Eugene, but then Eugene pulled him over. Shelton eliminates Kerwin White, but then Kane knocks out Shelton. The Heart Throbs double team Kane, but he chokeslams them both. They of course get eliminated and we are down to Chris Masters and Kane. Masters tried to put on the Master Lock. It doesn't work and Kane eliminates him. What a shocker. This was extremely short, even by Battle Royal standards. It also wasn't very good.
Match Rating: 1/2*
Man, the Raw brand is really struggling here lately. The McMahons have added absolutely nothing to the show, John Cena is somehow getting lost in the shuffle and they bring back Austin to take on Coach? Thankfully Ric Flair is particularly motivated and I am looking forward to his feud with Triple H. The Kurt Angle segment was also well done and a true bright spot on a show where not much else seemed to work.
Overall Rating: 39%
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