FIT Challenge Slag People
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NOVEMBER 17, 2003 - Monday Night RAW
Last night's Survivor Series was an incredible show, headlined by two of RAW's biggest stars, Shawn Michaels and the World Champion The Rock, who survived both of their SS matches, coming out on top in the main event! But tonight, we begin a new chapter as RAW heads toward the last pay-per-view of 2003, Armageddon, just six weeks away! Tonight begins a six-week tournament to crown a new Intercontinental Champion! WWE.com reported before the show that current champions The Rock and the Dudley Boyz will not be entered in the tournament, and that Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho will receive first-round byes. Everyone else on the RAW roster will have to advance through a preliminary match tonight or next week!
The show opens with Rock and Michaels in the ring, celebrating their recent success. A brief ceremony takes place as the duo dubs themselves The New Mega-Powers!
The first match of the evening is a first-round match in the Intercontinental Title tournament pitting the man who was a surprise addition to the Game Changers last night, Mark Jindrak, against the flamboyant Rico. Jindrak hits a back elbow and a slam for two. Rico reverses a hammerlock and hits a big kick and back suplex for two. Another kick gets two. Another back suplex, but Jindrak fights out of a hammerlock to hit a piledriver for two. Spinebuster gets two. Back elbow and a slam. Rico hits a legsweep and a face crusher. He distracts the referee while Miss Jackie climbs into the ring. Jindrak staggers up, and right into a Tough Enough Slam! Impressive strength from Jackie. Rico gets the pin, then high-tails it out of the arena, happy to advance, but not in any mood to face off with a pissed-off Jindrak.
Up next was an absolute squash. Christian hit Boss Man with a spinning bulldog right off the bat, then followed up with an Unprettier to advance to the second round.
Trish Stratus comes to the ring next to address her loss at Survivor Series, but before she can get out a word, the woman who pinned her last night - Gail Kim - hits the ring and strips her down to her underwear, leaving her humiliated.
The tournament continues as Val Venis takes on La Resistance's Rob Conway. Val starts off with a slam, smacks Conway around, hits a clothesline, and a spinning neckbreaker. Conway finally fights back with an arm drag and a top-rope elbow for two. Val trips him, then hits a piledriver for two of his own. Lariat gets two. Now it's Conway with the trip, but Val mule kicks out of it. Flying shoulder tackle, then up to the top rope for a Money Shot! Val picks up the win and goes on to round two.
Tommy Dreamer and Rene Dupree are up next in our fourth tournament match. Dupree hits a neckbreaker and a bulldog for two. Tommy reverses a hip toss, then smacks Dupree around before hitting a spinning neckbreaker for two. Spinebuster gets two. Flying shoulder tackle, but he misses a clothesline and Dupree hits a powerslam for two. Dupree gets two on a spinebuster of his own. Slam by Dupree, then some amateur striking before Dreamer escapes a bodyslam to hit a neckbreaker. Tommy hits a lifting DDT to set up for his own Dreamer DDT to advance!
Two of RAW's biggest monsters do battle next for another slot in the second round as Evolution's Animal Batista takes on the SuperHero In Training, Rosey. Batista hits a bulldog, a spinebuster, and a clothesline for two. Neckbreaker for two more. Rosey gets his knees up on a Batista splash. Strikes, and a stump piledriver, but he swings and misses on a punch and Batista hits a piledriver of his own. Rosey staggers up and into a Batista Bomb. Batista advances! As Rosey is walking back up the aisle in defeat, Batista chases him down and beats him some more.
In the ring after the commercial, Triple H claims that he will win the Intercontinental Title at Armageddon to keep it in "the family." But he also has to address The Rock. It's pretty convenient that Rocky managed to keep himself out of this tournament, because he knows that at some point, our paths will cross, and he will not get lucky again.
Spike Dudley comes to the ring, and he's HHH's fodder. H hits a kick and a neckbreaker for two. Spike fights out of a headlock and hits a suplex. Strikes and a kick, but HHH kicks him in the face when he attempts a backdrop. Big time powerslam followed by the Pedigree, and HHH advances (surprise surprise!). H slides to the floor for a chair and returns. Spike manages to get up, but H lays him out. The Game means business!
Our final first-round match of the night pits Rob Van Dam, who last night succame to three-on-one odds in his Survivor Series match, against Test. Test starts off with an arm to the face in the corner and a DDT for two. Test goes for his elbow drop early, but misses. RVD hits a standing kick, then a legsweep for two. Springboard dropkick gets two more. Dropkick to the knee, but Test ducks a punch. Piledriver for two. Spinebuster for two. Test hits a clothesline and a right hand, but RVD ducks another punch and lands a flying axe handle. Big kick to the teeth, and Test staggers back. RVD hops to the top rope and nails his flying kick for the win!
The main event is a battle pitting The New Mega-Powers against two of the men they eliminated in last night's Survivor Series main event, Chris Jericho and Kane. HBK and Y2J start, and Jericho hits a flying axehandle and a super frankensteiner for two. Kane tags in, and they hit a follow-up clothesline int he corner. Neckbreaker for two, then a slam. HBK trips Kane, then lands a Death Valley Driver. Tag to The Rock, who piledrives Kane. RVD fights out of an arm wringer and tags in Jericho. Jericho hits a flying move, then a top-rope DDT for two. Massive spinning kick, but then Rock blocks another kick and clamps on a full nelson. He swings Jericho around and lands the Rock Bottom! But before he can go for the cover, HHH hits the ring and goes after The Rock! The ref calls for the bell as HHH goes to work on his rival. He sets up for the Pedigree, but Booker T and Goldberg hit the ring to make the save, and the faces stand tall as we fade to black.
Next week, the other seven first-round matches take place, as well as more exciting action featuring the winners of tonight's bouts in tag team previews of the second round. Shawn Michaels will team with Rob Van Dam to take on Batista and Triple H, while Tommy Dreamer will team with Val Venis to take on Christian and Rico. You can't miss RAW next week!
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