WWE RAW
Corpus Christi, Texas
October 20, 2008
Results thanks to pwtorch.com
[Q1]
-The Raw opening aired, then they went right to Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler
introducing the show as Kelly Kelly's ring intro began. No pyro.
1 -- KELLY KELLY & CANDICE MICHELLE vs. JILLIAN HALL & KATIE LEA
Cole said Lawler has been getting inside info all day on what they'll be wearing
at the Cyber Sunday costume contest. Everyone came out to their own music except
Katie, who came out with Jillian. Cole and Lawler plugged voting for the costume
contest among Divas. Lawler said Candice is dressing as Marylyn Monroe. Jillian
said she wanted to sing a song before the match dedicated to her friends in
Texas. "Don't let your friends grow up to be cowboys," she sang. After a few
lines, Kelly dropkicked her to turn the boos in the crowd to cheers. The ref
signaled for the bell to ring to start the match. Cole, ever the dork, said
Kelly "interrupted the karaoke action." First of all, nobody pairs the word
"karaoke" with "action." Second, Jillian was really singing, not lip synching,
so karaoke has nothing to do with anything. It's nice to see WWE shake things up
with a women's tag match at the start rather than the typical talking segment.
Lawler said: "My doctor says I can't listen to Jillian sing for medical reasons.
It makes me sick." When Candice went for a tarantula type move on Hall, Katie
broke it up with a roundkick to the chest. Lawler revealed that Katie was going
to be a vampire for Cyber Sunday. Hall came back with a handspring elbow on
Candice at 3:00. Lawler said Jillian is going to be "That Girl." Kelly
hot-tagged in at 4:00. Katie broke up a subsequent pin attempt. Kelly finished
Jillian with a power legdrop for the win.
WINNER: Kelly & Candice in 5:00.
-They went to Cole and Lawler at ringside hyping Cyber Sunday. They threw to
footage of Chris Jericho and Batista from last week "picking each other's
poison."
[Commercial Break]
[Q2]
-A spot aired promoting ticket sales for WrestleMania 25.
-Chris Jericho walked to the ring. Cole and Lawler hyped the text message
voting. Jericho insisted Lilian Garcia re-introduce him as the World Heavyweight
Champion. Lawler said he polled WWE "Superstars" and they predict his reign ends
on Sunday. Jericho, dressed in a nice brown suit, complained to Lilian about not
introducing him properly. He reiterated that he is the World Heavyweight
Champion. He said the disrespect doesn't end with Lilian. He said it's spread to
the locker room, the locker room he leads. He said it's also spread like a virus
to the fans, again calling them hypocrites, which is a funny ongoing thing.
"Pure disrespect," he said. He said somehow the fans have it in their "perverted
little brains" that he'll lose on Sunday no matter who they choose as referee.
He complained that G.M. Mike Adamle gave the fans that power anyway. He said
he's putting Adamle on his long list of people in the company who are
disrespecting him. He said the list of option is a joke.
He listed Randy Orton, Shawn Michaels, and Steve Austin. He said Austin was the
"worst of all" choices. He bragged again about beating The Rock and Steve Austin
in one night, then his route to becoming World Champion, and then humiliating
Shawn Michaels. He said after he wins on Sunday, everyone must admit he is the
most dominant champion anyone has seen "in the last few years." Why not "of
all-time"? Batista's music interrupted.
After his music played for a minute or so, he entered the ring, let out his
laugh, and asked if Jericho is seriously out there demanding respect. He said
it's as ridiculous as his hair. He said, "You don't demand respect, Chris; you
earn respect." He said he agreed with him on one thing - if he beats him on
Cyber Sunday, he really believes he will earn a lot of people's respect. "Until
then, and it's only six short days away, would you please - puh-lease! - stop
whining and crying and shut your mouth!" The crowd cheered. Batista offered to
shut it for him. Mike Adamle walked out to the Raw theme.
He said from the stage that they should save it until Sunday. He said he wants
to focus on the term "respect." He said their performances tonight will
determine who earns respect. He said they will compete against the same three
opponents in a gauntlet match. Batista and Jericho looked on, curious. Adamle
seemed to lose his train of thought. Then he looked down at his notes. He said
it will be different, unpredictable, and another Adamle Original. Cole and
Lawler wondered how it'd work. Batista and Jericho then went face-to-face.
Jericho slapped Batista and slipped out of the ring quickly.
-Cole plugged C.M. Punk & Kofi Kingston vs. Miz & Morrison.
[Commercial Break]
-A clip aired of Haas Hogan vs. JBL last week.
[Q3]
-As JBL walked out of his white limo, Lawler said, "I started out with nothin',
and I still got most of it left. Ha ha ha." Lawler for some reason said JBL's
driver looks like he just came across the border. Why? Because every Hispanic
person is an illegal immigrant fresh from Mexico? Not sure where that came from.
JBL said it's beneath him to compete against some "has-been impersonator." He
said he is a man of dignity and wealthy, "what you common folk call rich." As
they chanted, "What" between his phrases, he said, "This is not sing-along with
JBL. You will be quiet." He said one thing is certain. In times like this, the
rich become richer and the poor become poorer. "That would be you," he said with
a smile looking at the fans. Steve Austin's music played. Michael Cole reacted
as if it he was sure the real thing was coming out. Instead, it was (obviously,
predictably) "Stone Cold Hasstin." Shark Boy should sue.
2 -- JBL vs. "STONE COLD" STEVE HAASTIN
Cole broke into laughter and said, "This is ridiculous." Lilian said he is
paying homage to the man he personally text voted for. He was wearing a skull
cap. When JBL said this was ridiculous, Haastin said, "What?" He then went into
Stone Cold's "can of whoop ass" routine. JBL said, "Neither you nor Stone Cold
could lace my boots." Haastin opened with a Thesz Press and a forearm drop,
Austin-style. Cole forced his fake laughter seemingly forever throughout all of
this. Fans chanted "Haastin, Haastin." JBL came back with a big boot and a
Clothesline from Hell. Cole asked if Haas is ever going to learn.
WINNER: JBL in 1:00.
-Afterward, JBL yanked the mic away from Lilian: "And that is the bottom line
because JBL said so." Someone's going to get a Stunner!
-They showed Rey Mysterio heading toward the entrance tunnel.
-A commercial aired for Triple H vs. Undertaker on Smackdown this Friday. It's
crazy they're giving that match away on free TV.
[Commercial Break]
-A vignette aired on Mike Knox. No context was provided, just Tazz commentary
during replays of his power moves in rapid-fire fashion.
3 -- REY MYSTERIO vs. SNITSKY
Lawler and Cole plugged the Rey-Kane text voting during Rey's ring entrance.
Snitsky was shown reading a gloomy poem aloud in an inset in the corner just as
the bell rang. Snitsky opened with offense including stomps on the mat and an
elbowdrop. Cole said Rey better not look past Snitsky.
[Q4]
Lawler said the Falls Count Anywhere would give Kane the biggest advantage in
this match. Snitsky missed a running boot in the corner and got caught up in the
ropes. Rey followed with a Drop the Dime and a low dropkick. He climbed to the
top rope and came down with a double stomp to Snitsky's chest. Snitsky got up,
only to be head scissored into the middle rope for a 619 followed by a top rope
splash for the win.
WINNER: Rey Mysterio in 3:00. A little sloppy at the end when the head scissors
slipped off Snitsky's head. Snitsky looks pretty hapless losing this quickly to
Rey, but it's a good match for Rey to show he can beat a bigger opponent. They
really could have gone longer with this, though, and Rey's win would have
actually meant more because Snitsky would have seemed like a tougher foe. As
presented, it just made Snitsky out to be a total loser.
-Lawler plugged the Punk & Kofi vs. Miz & Morrison tag match.
[Commercial Break]
-They showed the exterior of the Corpus Christi arena. Then they went to a music
video of various celebrities and athletes praising John Cena. His co-star in
"The Marine" said, "He's a very good kisser." The celebrities were: Snoop Dogg,
Carl Edwards (NASCAR), John Sally (NBA), Maria Menounous (Entertainment
Correspondent), Kelly Carlson (The Marine), Rob Thomas (Matchbox Twenty), Sara
Jean Underwood (Playboy), Gabrielle Reece (Volleyball), Ben Stiller (actor -
joked that Cena beat him out for the lead in "The Marine"), Robert Patrick
(actor), Renny Harlin (Director - Die Hard 2), Marc Ecko, The Jonas Brothers
(Rockers!), Tony Hawk (skateboarder), Kasey Kahne (NASCAR), and Jerry Ferrara
(actor). The theme of the comments was that he's a great guy, fun-loving, no
ego, doesn't take life seriously, and softens the line between regular guy and
celebrity. They also mixed in clips of his mainstream appearances on various
shows such as "Regis" and "Conan."
4 -- THE MIZ & JOHN MORRISON vs. KOFI KINGSTON & C.M. PUNK
Miz and Morrison did some mic work before the match. Morrison said once he voted
for Pizza Fridays to be switched to Tofu Tuesdays at his high school. He said
they are more Fabulous than the Freebirds, more Legendary than the Legion of
Doom, beyond Degeneration X. Miz jumped in: "You mean, Geriatric X. Are you 50?"
Morrison climbed the ropes and said, "Are you 50?" Miz said, "We've got two
words for you... Be jealous!" Then Punk and Kofi came out, each with their own
ring intro. As the match began, Cole plugged "The Dirt Sheet" and referenced a
few things they did. Can you just picture Cole sitting at home watching these
and taking notes? I didn't think so. I can see Morrison or Miz handing him
talking points to plug their segment.
[Commercial Break]
At 2:00 Kofi dropkicked Miz out of the ring. When Cole said Miz said his haircut
costs him $250, Lawler said, "Tell me where he got it; I don't want to go there
by mistake." Cole called Punk "a maverick during that title reign." Kofi and
Punk lifted and threw Morrison onto Miz at ringside at 3:00. Punk and Kofi
continued to dominate on offense. Morrison interfered with a kick from the ring
apron to Kofi to turn the momentum at 5:00.
[Commercial Break]
They showed a replay from during the break of a surprising head scissors
takeover by Kofi on Miz from the ground. He went for the hot-tag, but Miz
knocked Punk off the ring apron with a forearm first. Clever spot. Kofi remained
isolated by the heels. At 11:00 Kofi finally hot-tagged Punk. He threw a barrage
of offense at Morrison including a spinning backfist. He hit a running knee in
the corner followed by a bulldog, then he went for a springboard, but Morrison
moved just as Punk slipped to the mat. Punk hit a powerslam for a quick two
count, with Miz breaking it up. Miz blind-tagged himself in and schoolboyed
Punk, right after Punk gave Morrison the Go To Sleep, leading to the three
count. Lawler said: "Miz and Morrison never saw a belt they wouldn't like to hit
below."
WINNERS: Miz & Morrison in 12:00.
STAR RATING: ** -- Mostly basic, but solid work with a good build to the hot
tag. Good finish.
-Jericho told Adamle that nobody respects him. He said he should be mentioned in
the same breath as Harley Race, Buddy Rogers, Hulk Hogan, and Bret Hart. Adamle
said he doesn't "get it." He said he wants him to be respected, and he's giving
him the opportunity to earn it, including self-respect.
[Commercial Break]
[Q6]
-WWE Fact: WrestleMania Sponsorship Champ - WrestleMania beats Kentucky Derby,
the NBA Playoffs, Indy 500, X-Games, and The Masters according to Optimedia
2008. Could you find a fact fans would care less about than that? Yea! Fans get
to stare at more ads and sponsor mentions than any other major sporting event.
Lucky us.
-As Santino and Beth Phoenix made their way to the ring, Lawler plugged the
options for the IC Title match at Cyber Sunday. Santino was dressed up with a
Goldust wig and facepaint, a hot-rod t-shirt, and a Jeff Jarrett guitar. He's an
option? Santino said Hot Rod no longer has a Hot Bod. He said Piper's Pit should
be renamed Piper's Ponch. "What's Roddy the Piper going to do to me at Cyber
Sunday? Oh, that's right, he does two things. He chews gum and grows his butt.
It looks like he's been out of gum for a while because his butt is very grow.
Two words for you, Roddy the Piper, sugar-free." He switched to "Golden Dust."
He talked about turning the American Dream into a nightmare. He said he's all
into touching his "dimples." He said Goldust has "flamed out." He laughed at his
own joke. He then brought up "Honky Donky Man." He said he has pork chop
sideburns, eats pork chops, and even combs his hair with porkchop grease. He
asked what his obsession with swine is. He said he's down with the "other white
meat," but he said he made a career out of impersonating The King. There was
almost no crowd heat throughout. He said he's not talking about Jerry Stupid
Lawler or Jason Priestly, but the man "who died on the toilet while pinching off
the career of the Honky Tonk-a-Man." He said if they can roll his big carcass to
the ring, he'll send him back to the Heartbreak Hotel. Hacksaw Duggan's music
interrupted and he walked out.
Santino called Duggan washed up and said he looks like he could use a hose-down,
a warm meal, and a bus ticket to somewhere. The crowd chanted "USA." Duggan said
Santino looks like he's on his last minute of his 15 minutes of fame. He said
his name is "Hack-n-Sack, it's Hacksaw Jim Duggan." Duggan said he looks
"confused." He added: "I've seen a lot of flashes in the pan, and you're the
flashiest." He said he doesn't appreciate Santino disrespecting his generation.
Viewers don't appreciate this much time being spent on wrestlers from 15 years
ago. Santino references the Honk-a-Meter and said he's up to 10 weeks, just 54
short of HTM. He bragged about being up to double digits. Santino mocked Duggan
for not being IC Champion. He said, "The only thing you've ever won is a Gold
Medal at the Goodwill Games." He said he's a "four-star colonial of the
Salvation Army." Duggan made fun of Santino's height, then called Phoenix "his
boyfriend." Phoenix moved in on him. Duggan told Phoenix: "Watch it, tough guy."
Lawler and Cole busted a gut. Santino yanked off his shirt and Piper skirt and
wig, then hit Duggan with the guitar. Jeff Jarrett should sue. Santino said
whoever faces him at Cyber Sunday will never forget the name "The Champion of
Earth, Santino Marella." He suffered a cut in his mouth or on his lips when he
bashed the guitar over Duggan's head. He looked like a strange vampire as the
blood flowed from his mouth. Santino had some good lines in there and his
delivery was engaging, but the whole thing went too long and the crowd heat was
sporadic.
-A vignette aired touting that Raw would celebrate its 800th episode with a
three hour special in two weeks.
[Commercial Break]
[Q7]
-A video package aired on WWE's tour of Puerto Rico this past week. Lilian,
Candice Michelle, Santino, Punk, and Rey talked about the experience. Fans also
talked about how far they drove or how excited they were to see WWE in person.
-Ted DiBiase, Cody Rhodes, and Manu came to the ring to face Cryme Tyme, who
were awaiting them inside the ring. The three heels attacked Cryme Tyme before
the bell. The ref tried to restore order. The heels stood over Cryme Tyme after
a minute or so and they cut to a break. No match. Either they're running short
on time (most likely) or they just wanted to give the heels some heat without
giving away yet another match between them.
[Commercial Break]
-Cole and Lawler talked about WrestleMania ticket sales, then moved to a full
preview of Cyber Sunday with more plugs for the text message voting.
-Chris Jericho walked out first with the World Title belt wrapped around his
waist. They replayed his slap of Batista earlier.
[Commercial Break]
-An ECW commercial hyped the text voting for the ECW Title match. What else,
right?
-Jericho stood in the ring, looking pretty thick. Almost Ivan Putsky-ish.
Batista's full ring intro then took place. Adamle then stepped out and began to
explain the concept. He said Batista will start the match, the 2008 King of the
Ring, William Regal.
1 -- GAUNTLET MATCH with Batista and Chris Jericho
Batista beat Regal first in less than a minute with a Batista Bomb. Jericho then
entered and was able to face Regal right afterward. Adamle seemed to be confused
by his own rules. Regal took a while to get to his feet. As soon as he did,
Jericho hit a Code Breaker for an immediate win. The crowd booed. Batista looked
upset by the process. Next up was Mark Henry, and Jericho had to face him first.
Henry powered out of an early Walls of Jericho attempt. Henry pounded Jericho to
the mat and then went for a splash. Jericho moved and then hit a Lionsault for a
two count. Jericho hit Henry in the head with his title belt. The ref saw it and
DQ'd Jericho. Batista then entered the ring. Batista hit a spinebuster for a win
seconds into the match. They "protected" Henry by having him get pinned only
after taking a spinebuster. Adamle then introduced Kane as the third challenger.
He said Jericho would start this match. This whole thing is just a confusing
mish-mash of arbitrariness. They cut to a break during Kane's ring intro.
[Commercial Break]
[Q5]
The Kane-Jericho match was in progress with Kane on offense. Jericho went after
Kane's legs and took him down at 9:00. He went for a Walls of Jericho. Kane
blocked it. When Jericho went for a Code Breaker, Kane "swatted him away like a
mosquito," said Lawler. When Kane climbed to the top rope, Jericho knocked him
off balance and then climbed up to punch him. Kane headbutted him to the ground
and then hit a flying clothesline for a two count. Kane's getting an Iron Sheik
belly. Kane dropped Jericho onto the top rope and then knocked him to the floor
at 12:00. Batista met Jericho at ringside. Jericho backed up right into Kane's
hands. Kane yanked him up and went for a suplex. Kane gave Jericho a boot to the
face for the win. They "protected" Jericho by having him slightly distracted by
Batista leading to the pin, but barely. Kane knocked Jericho out of the ring
afterward, then Batista surprised him as he turned around with a spear for the
win. Batista celebrated as the show ended.
WINNER: Batista in 13:00.
STAR RATING: 1/2* -- Lousy concept, but logically booked for something so
illogical in concept, if that makes sense.
FINAL THOUGHT: That was the final push to order Cyber Sunday? Right there,
that's supposed to leave us thinking, "I have to spend $40 plus tax on Sunday to
see that pay-per-view?" No Shawn Michaels or Randy Orton this week, which seemed
like a ploy to sway votes for sure toward Austin as the special ref.