Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
Fort Wayne, Indiana
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Eric Bischoff is out in the ring surrounded by a bunch of the Raw roster. He announces that Ric Flair will take on Triple H in a Last Man Standing Match at Survivor Series. Also, Kurt Angle will once again take on John Cena for the WWE Championship. Bischoff says that the big question though is who is going to be on Team Raw. The first two spots are going to the tag champs, Kane and Big Show. He then announces that the team captain is Shawn Michaels. It's amazing to see how small the roster is, as they only fill up three of the sides of the ring. Carlito says that he is the biggest star on Raw. Shelton Benjamin then asks him if he is high and reminds him that he lost at Taboo Tuesday. Shelton says they need the most amazing athlete in WWE history to be on the team. Bischoff says that Benjamin will take on Carlito to earn a spot on the team. Trevor Murdoch then talks about how he got screwed at Taboo Tuesday and that they are better than those two freaks. He challenges the champs to a Hardcore Match for the titles tonight. Gregory Helms says that he wants a match with the man who has been holding him back, Rosey. It's now Mickie James' turn and she wants everyone to give Trish a round of applause for winning the battle royal at Taboo Tuesday. Bischoff then announces Kurt Angle and Chris Masters against Shawn Michaels and John Cena for tonight. Bischoff then calls Edge and Lita into the ring. They show the clip of Edge disrespecting Raw and tells Edge that he's going to SmackDown to take on Batista in a Street Fight. We now get Vince's favorite song to wish them well on their way out. It should be noted that Joey Styles is once again on announcing duty along with Coach and King.
Team Raw Qualifying Match
Carlito vs. Shelton Benjamin
We join this match in progress with Shelton showing off his athleticism. He then hits a rolling neckbreaker off the apron and to the floor. Shelton would have done well for himself in the original ECW. Carlito hits a dropkick to the knee of Benjamin on his way back in the ring. Shelton avoids a splash on the ropes and just launches Carlito way up in the air and face-first to the mat. Remind me again why they have nothing for Shelton to do? Shelton counters a vertical suplex and hits a Northern Lights suplex into a bridge for a 2 count. Despite selling the knee, Shelton tries going to the top rope and Carlito meets him up there. Shelton knocks him off. He goes for a top rope clothesline, but Carlito ducks. Carlito hits a DDT and gets a very close call. Shelton hits a Samoan drop, but Shelton is still selling the knee. He misses his spinning kick and Carlito hits another dropkick to the knee. Carlito gets him in a half crab, but Shelton rolls through. Carlito reverses that and steals a victory. 15 years later and I still won't understand how Carlito got this spot over Shelton. The match was good and Shelton was feeling it here.
Match Rating: ** (out of 5)
Mickie is so excited about teaming up with Trish, who is starting to get a little irritated.
Trish Stratus & Mickie James vs. Victoria & Candice Michelle
Mickie hits a headscissors on Victoria, but Victoria is immediately back on offense. Candice pulls down the second rope, sending Mickie out of the ring. Victoria then hits a nice clothesline. Candice then does her version of the Tarantula and is pretty proud of herself. Victoria hits an elbow on Mickie, preventing her from getting the tag. Trish gets knocked off the apron and she snaps, going after both opponents. They use Candice as a battering ram into Victoria in the corner. Mickie tries to go on Victoria's shoulders, but she loses her balance and she falls into the rope. Candice uses her wand on Mickie and Victoria gets the pinfall victory. The ladies crammed a lot of action into a short amount of time. They finally have a story that people are starting to get interested in, which is extremely helpful.
Match Rating: *
Big Show asks Kane what his strategy is tonight. Kane gives a long winded answer and Big Show loves it.
Gregory Helms vs. Rosey
Helms slaps Rosey, but then gets tossed in the turnbuckle. Rosey gets some revenge by destroying Helms to start. Helms heads outside of the ring and Rosey is there again to hit some more right hands. Helms tries to trick him when he gets back in the ring, but it doesn't work. Helms does finally get some offense in by throwing Rosey into the second turnbuckle. Rosey fights him off and goes up for a moonsault. Helms runs up and kicks him below the belt, knocking him to the mat. He hits the Shining Wizard and gets the victory. The crowd wasn't really digging it and it was way too short.
Match Rating: 3/4*
Hardcore Match For The World Tag Team Championships
Kane & Big Show vs. Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch
Murdoch throws the garbage can at Kane, but that just makes the big man mad. Both Kane and Big Show start dishing out some punishment and bringing in lots of weapons. Big Show goes off the ropes, but Cade pulls down the top rope, sending him to the floor. Kane goes off the top rope, but Cade moves out of the way and Murdoch hits him in the head with a trash can lid. Murdoch hits Big Show off the apron and then they both avoid a double chokeslam. It doesn't last long and Kane and Big Show regain the advantage. Big Show hits a back suplex on Cade onto a garbage can. Kane then kicks Murdoch, who is sporting a trash can on his head, against the ring post. Kane starts clearing off the announcer table and they hit a double chokeslam through the table for the victory. This was entertaining for what it was and established the champs as an unstoppable force.
Match Rating: **
Kurt Angle comes out and cuts a promo on how much he hates the "You suck!" chant, so he tries to make them stop by doing it over. Of course they do it again, so he goes back again. He then talks about how he never sees his daughter and that he lost his wife all because of everything he does for this business. Angle says that he's not going to take it any more and he's going to leave the arena and he's not giving us the main event.
Back from commercial break, Bischoff is pleading with Angle for him not to leave. Angle wants the fans to stop chanting and he wants to select his own referee.
Triple H is here now and is sitting on the stage.
Intercontinental Championship Match
Rob Conway vs. Ric Flair
This may be the first time Conway is actually wrestling in front of a crowd that cares about his match. Conway gets some offense in, but then Flair grabs him by the balls and hits him with an elbow. It doesn't take long for Flair to lock in the Figure Four. Triple H starts walking towards the ring with a chain. Meanwhile, Conway taps out and then Triple H starts choking Flair with the chain. They start brawling out through the crowd and honestly it feels like it is in slow motion. This was all to further the Flair/Triple H story.
Match Rating: 1/2*
Lita comes to Bischoff to apologize and tries to talk him out of having Edge face Batista. Bischoff isn't buying it and then Lita asks if there is anything she can do about it and flashes him. Bischoff turns her down and sends her away.
Chris Masters & Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels & John Cena
They bleep out the crowd chanting this time around. The special guest referee is Daivari. This feels even stranger 15 years later. We join the match in progress with Masters and Michaels in the ring. Masters gets a quick roll up and Daivari already gives us our first fast count for a 2. We then get a slow count for Cena's pin attempt. Cena hits a fisherman suplex and is all over Daivari for his slow count. Masters and Angle are now working on Michaels' back. Masters puts on the dreaded bear hug, but Michaels fights out of it with some right hands. Masters tags in Angle, who goes for the Angle Slam, which Michaels counters into a DDT. Hot tag to Cena and he takes down both men. Cena hits the Five Knuckle Shuffle and knocks Masters off the apron. Cena has Angle up for the FU, but Masters comes in and breaks it up. Masters hits a nice vertical suplex for another fast 2. Cena hits a back suplex and makes the tag to Michaels. Michaels heads up top, but Angle hands Masters a chair. Michaels comes down and he and Masters fight over it. Daivari sees Michaels with it and he calls for the bell. Michaels hits Masters with Sweet Chin Music, but they hit Cena in the back with a chair. Well, that was a garbage finish. This was all storyline, which we knew it would be going in.
Match Rating: *3/4
While there were no standout matches, this was a huge step in the right direction for Raw after some really bad episodes. Everything felt a little fresher this week, including the tag team match and women's match. Those are two divisions that are so desperately in need of getting people to care. Let's see if they can keep their momentum.
Overall Rating: 60%
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