Monday Night Raw – August 29, 2005: Something About Shawn (2020 Redo)
IMG Credit: WWE
Monday Night Raw
Date: August 29, 2005
Location: St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa, Florida
Attendance: 8,500
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Jonathan Coachman
We’re coming up on Unforgiven and the best thing that could happen went down next week as Kurt Angle jumped John Cena, being named as the #1 contender to the World Title. The other interesting point here is that Chris Jericho is really gone, meaning we might be in for someone getting a promotion. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
We open with a recap of Jericho being fired and Angle jumping Cena in a good segment to end last week’s show.
Opening sequence.
Here’s an annoyed Carlito to open the show with Carlito’s Cabana. He’s happy that Chris Jericho is gone because it means there’s no more Highlight Reel. We’re done with that though because here’s Shawn Michaels as his guest. Carlito praises Shawn, who agrees that there is a lot to admire about him. It’s true that things Shawn has done have paved the way for guys like Carlito and now Shawn is a guest on Carlito’s show.
Now Shawn looks up to Carlito, though Shawn isn’t interested in more ego. He congratulates Carlito on the title but doesn’t remember how long it has been since Carlito won the title. The fans chant for Hogan but Shawn says he’s not coming back until he needs another payday. No one is talking about Carlito’s matches because they’re too busy talking about Shawn’s matches from ten years ago.
Carlito doesn’t like being asked about recent title defenses but it’s because no one is brave enough to face them, including Ric Flair. We hear about the ladder around here, with Shawn being a lot lower than Carlito. The apple is loaded up but Shawn tells him to not even try it. Carlito brings out his other guest in Chris Masters so Shawn’s jacket comes off. Shawn: “You know, after twenty one years of doing this, you would think I’d be smart enough not to get in these situations.” The fight is on with Shawn getting beaten down until Flair makes the save to a ROAR. I’m sure the tag match tonight will be fine.
Post break, Eric Bischoff makes the tag match. Shawn being in the Masterlock Challenge (previously announced) is postponed to next week. How are they unable to keep things scheduled just a week in advance?
Big Show vs. Steve Madison/Buck Quartermain
The beating is on with Show throwing them into the corner for the early chops. A forearm to the back puts Madison down and Show shrugs about how easy this is. Show pulls them up from the floor by their heads but they get in a neck snap across the top. That means the strap comes down so the comeback (?) is on. Double chokeslam is good for the double pin.
Post match Snitsky comes in and, after knocking a cameraman over for the wacky camera shot, hits Show in the head with the bell a few times.
Here are Torrie Wilson and Candice Michelle for a chat. They made their debut last week and weren’t that nice to Ashley Massaro. Therefore, they would like her to come out here for an apology. Ashley comes out and is stupid enough to accept. They have a match set up for her so she can get her career started in the right way.
Ashley Massaro vs. Victoria
Widow’s Peak in about thirty seconds.
Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch are coming and they want the Tag Team Titles. If they can find the champs, so be it.
Edge is being serenaded by Alter Bridge when Tod Grisham interrupts him. He’s ready to beat up Matt Hardy again tonight so Matt can go back to his website and independent wrestling shows.
Lita comes up to Matt Hardy to call him pathetic. She takes off her jacket to reveal….well very little really, but he’ll never experience anything like this again. Matt isn’t interested because he’s ready to beat up Edge.
Flair has been attacked and left very bloody.
Edge vs. Matt Hardy
Street fight and Edge is in street clothes. They go straight to slugging it out with Matt taking it into the crowd in a hurry. Matt hits him with a trashcan lid and pulls out a ladder as we take a break. Back with Matt hammering away and cutting off a charging Edge with a trashcan lid shot. Matt whips him into the ladder in the corner and drops the big leg off the ladder for two.
Edge is right back with a kendo stick shot to the head but the Conchairto is blocked with a legsweep. Some big trashcan lid shots to Matt’s head put him down again and Matt can barely stand. They go outside and Matt slugs back, this time hitting a DDT onto the steps. They brawl against the barricade with Matt getting the better of things and hitting Edge in the head with the ladder back inside. Edge is right back up and trashcans Matt down on the floor. They fight up the ramp with Edge being sent into the set, followed by the Side Effect into the tech area for the explosion and the no contest.
Rating: C-. I wasn’t feeling this one as Matt has already lost some interest and it was a lot of weapon shots and walking around. The feud has been done for a good while now and I’m not sure what the point is in continuing here other than going to one more match. It had some good shots but it’s hardly some great brawl.
Post match we get the big serious moment as the two of them are taken out on stretchers and we get a bunch of replays.
Here’s John Cena for a chat. He rants about how everything is going bad lately, including a bad haircut and high gas prices, but the good news is that he just saved a bunch of money on car insurance (timely commercial reference). What matters most though is the champ is still here! If Kurt Angle wants to fight, come get some. Cue Angle, who must have hurt Cena more than he thought he did. We see a clip of Angle beating him down last week so he’s not coming down there right now and risking getting hurt. Angle: “I’m not Chris Jericho.”
Angle is a great wrestler and he is on the top of his game. Cena is a punk, but he accuses Angle of drinking haterade. Hang on though: if Kurt is a gold medal winner, Cena is in over his head and Angle is the baddest man alive. Oh well because Cena is calling him out anyway. The fight is teased but Angle walks away, leaving Cena to make a gay joke and turn around so Angle can jump him. Now the fight is on and Cena kicks away from the ankle lock until referees break it up.
Rosey vs. Tyson Tomko
Tomko takes him down for some knees to the head and kicks a diving Rosey out of the air….for the knockout in about a minute. That’s a champion people.
Post match Tomko knocks out Hurricane for a bonus.
Shawn Michaels vs. Carlito/Chris Masters
Handicap match as Flair was taken out earlier tonight. Carlito starts for the team and Shawn is smart enough to bail out of the corner before Masters can interfere. They trade hammerlocks with Shawn having to avoid going into the wrong corner again. Shawn knocks Carlito into the corner so Masters comes in for the first time. Masters is strong enough to take him into the corner and it’s time to take over on Shawn.
Carlito’s elbow gets two and a Masters distraction lets Carlito get in some choking behind the referee’s back. The sleeper goes on but Shawn slips out and hits a neckbreaker. Masters gets knocked off the apron and Carlito is sent outside with Shawn hitting a dive as we take a break. Back with Shawn fighting out of the corner and hitting the flying forearm (Flying Burrito according to JR) to keep the comeback going.
Sweet Chin Music is broken up though as Masters pulls Shawn to the floor and blasts him with a clothesline. That’s only good for two back inside so Masters starts in on the back with some elbows. The backbreaker has Shawn bent over Masters’ knee but Shawn of course fights up and hits a DDT. Cue Flair, with the big, bloody bandage around his head so he can get the hot tag and clean house. Carlito gets in the blow blow to cut him off though and the Masterlock is good for the win.
Rating: C+. Nice enough match and I do like the lack of a swerve with Flair apparently not having attacked himself (so far). The match was longer than I was expecting too and that was a good thing in this case as it felt like a serious main event rather than just throwing Masters and Carlito out there for something quick. They’re trying something with the two of them so maybe we can get somewhere.
Overall Rating: C. This felt a little different, though I’m not sure how much better it was. The big story here was having two longer matches, both of which had some elements of violence involved, and quick things in between. The show felt big, but nothing on it was overly good and I had forgotten some of the stuff shortly after it happened. It’s a bit of a transitional phase at the moment but the stuff on top should be enough to carry them.
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