Monday Night Raw 1-16-06 Review

Monday, January 16th, 2006
RBC Center
Raleigh, North Carolina

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We get a Martin Luther King Jr. tribute package before the show starts. No arguments from me on that. Edge and Lita are now here to kick off the show. Edge is set to take on Ric Flair in a TLC match for the main event tonight. He says that now that he is the champion, he gets to do what he wants. He claims that his celebration last week was the highest rated segment in Raw in 2 years. He wants to continue his celebration this week since it was interrupted. Kurt Angle's music hits and Edge tells him that he sucks. Angle claims that his Raw contract was up on January 1st, but took advantage of Batista's injury and won the World Heavyweight Championship. Edge said he left because he couldn't put away John Cena and he took care of Cena in two minutes. Angle wants to unify the titles right here tonight, but Edge says not a chance. He reminds Angle that he was the first one eliminated from the Elimination Chamber, so Angle hits him with an Angle Slam. Out comes Vince McMahon. Vince says that if Shawn Michaels loses to Angle tonight, Michaels' contract will be terminated. 

Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle

This match is not for the World Heavyweight Championship. Shawn and Vince come face-to-face before Michaels gets to the ring. After some back-and-forth, Angle catches Michaels off the top rope and hits a overhead belly-to-belly suplex. Angle then hits a trio of German suplexes and then goes to the mat with a body scissors. Michaels is able to hit a DDT out of the Angle Slam and both men are down. Michaels goes off the ropes, but Daivari pulls down the top rope causing Michaels to spill to the floor. Michaels hits him with Sweet Chin Music, but then Angle comes out and hits the Angle Slam into the commercial break. They are battling up on the ropes, but Michaels is able to knock Angle off. Angle comes running back up and again Michaels swats him away. He comes up a third time and he hits a super Angle Slam. Angle is just a different animal. Angle slaps on the Ankle Lock, but Michaels rolls him up for a very close call. Michaels misses off the top rope with the elbow drop and Angle's straps are down. He goes for the Angle Slam, Michaels goes for a sunset flip and Angle counters that with the Ankle Lock. Daivari comes in with a chair and the ref tries to get it away. Angle then tries to confront him, but accidentally gets hit with the chair and Michaels rolls him up for the victory. After the match, Daivari attacks Michaels and Angle isn't happy. Daivari slaps him and Angle unleashes by throwing him with an Angle Slam over the top and to the floor. They were in panic mode with Batista's injury, so this split had to happen. Everything before the finish was the usual fantastic stuff that we were so lucky to have gotten before Angle left the company. 

Match Rating: ***3/4 (out of 5)

Maria reminds Chris Masters about Carlito turning on him in the Elimination Chamber. Masters says that Carlito will have to deal with him at the Royal Rumble, but tonight John Cena is going to pass out from the Master Lock. 

Ashley is concerned about Mickie James to Trish and of course Mickie walks in. Mickie admits she is obsessed, but she's talking about being obsessed with what she did to Ashley last week. 

Chris Masters is out and says that he challenged Cena here to prove that he could have beaten him at New Year's Revolution. He puts Cena in the Master Lock. Cena is struggling and out comes Edge to show off the WWE Championship in his face. He then decides to hit him over the head with it and Masters throws him to the ground. 

Michaels is being looked at by a trainer backstage and in walks Vince. Vince guarantees that eventually his luck will run out and tells him to grab his stuff because he needs to leave the building. Vince then talks with Ric Flair about his title match. In walks Candice Michelle and she asks if he will critique her match for her. 

Trish Stratus, Ashley & Mickie James vs. Victoria, Torrie Wilson & Candice Michelle

Oh great, we get to see some behind the scenes on Candice's GoDaddy.com commercial. We get some chaos and Mickie accidentally spears Ashley. She then starts wailing away on Ashley and Trish pulls her out of the ring. Victoria hits the Widow's Peak and gets the victory. Trish is mad and Mickie is peeved. This was just the next step in the story, not really a match. 

Match Rating: 1/4*

RVD is returning at the Royal Rumble

Carlito is in the ring and he doesn't get why people are so excited about RVD's return. The show a clip of Carlito attacking RVD in June. Carlito claims no one can throw him over the top rope, so Kane comes down and does it. 

Vince is told that there's a woman who was there to see him. Vince drops his pants in anticipation of Candice, but in walks Shelton's mom. Hilarity ensues and Shelton gets a match for tonight. 

Shelton Benjamin vs. Big Show

Shelton tries to back his way out of the match by hiding behind his mom. She lets him know that he's on his own tonight. Big Show is still selling his broken hand and Shelton slams it into the ring post. Big Show catches Shelton for a chokeslam, but Shelton gets out of it. Big Show still is able to hit a fall away slam. Out comes Triple H and they start brawling. This of course leads to Big Show being counted out and that is all. The match was nothing. 

Match Rating: 1/4*

TLC Match For The WWE Championship

Ric Flair vs. Edge

Charlotte is shown in the crowd during Flair's entrance. Thinking about the rest of the year for Flair, he really ends up being in some brutal matches in 2006. The action spills outside and Edge hits a vertical suplex. Edge sets up a table with a chair on it. He goes for another one man con-chair-to, but Flair grabs him by the balls. Lita distracts Flair though and Edge hits him with a chair. They set up Flair on a table and Edge climbs to the top of a ladder set up in the ring and hits a huge splash on Flair. Flair is gushing blood here. Nearly 15 years later, that spot is still pretty crazy to me. Somehow, when we come back from commercial break Flair is in control. Flair gets in a chair shot to the head because, yes, those are still a thing in 2006. Flair thinks about climbing a ladder, but moves it to the corner once he sees Edge moving around. Flair starts climbing, but Edge is there to stop him and then hits a superplex. Edge climbs up and sort of hits a missile dropkick, but sort of misses it. Edge hits him with a chair and starts climbing. Flair tips the ladder and it sends Edge crashing through a table on the outside. It's Flair's turn to climb, but Lita grabs his leg. Flair puts her in the Figure Four, but quickly releases. Edge is still out on the floor and Flair attempts to climb again. Edge meets him at the top and they start battling. Edge gets the best of him and grabs the title for the victory. After the match, Edge hits a Spear on Flair for good measure. He sets him up for another attempt at the one man con-chair-to, but Cena comes out and makes the save. Edge escapes and Cena stands tall. This was really a heck of a performance by Flair and Edge did everything to show he was worthy of being WWE Champion. 

Match Rating: ****

Talk about a great start and finish to a show. We got two pay-per-view quality matches that not only delivered in the ring, they also furthered multiple stories. What else could you want out of an episode of Monday Night Raw? 

Overall Rating: 80%