[loopydate]

JULY 19, 2004 - MONDAY NIGHT RAW

It's the last RAW before Vengeance, and tonight's show is headlined by a massive ten-man tag match. World Champion Kurt Angle teams with United States Champion Rob Van Dam, Rhyno, Edge, and Shelton Benjamin against #1 contender Sean O'Haire's team of Undertaker, Damien, and the WWE Tag Team Champions Chris Jericho and the 2004 King of the Ring Chris Benoit! Plus, a fatal fourway for the Women's Title and another appearance from the biggest free agent in WWE, Randy Orton! This would all be freaking awesome... except it's a dud show. Damn.

We open up with a triple threat match and the announcers put over that the three winners of our triple threat matches tonight will face off against Rob Van Dam next week for the United States Title in a fatal fourway. Our first match pits fan favorites A-Train and Luther Reigns against the newest Natural Born Thriller Shawn Stasiak. In the end, Train puts Stasiak away with the Derailer to earn the shot.

It's Lance Cade, Rob Conway, and William Regal next in another US Title triple threat. Short match that ends with Regal putting Cade away with the Power of the Punch to enter the title match next week.

Backstage, a camera is set up outside of the locker room of the leader of the Ministry, Undertaker. An interviewer is set up, apparently to get a few words with Taker about his Vengeance match with Edge, but Sean O'Haire enters the frame, then opens the door and enters. What could the Devil's Advocate want with the Deadman?

Rob Van Dam already knows that he will face A-Train and William Regal next week. The fourth and final spot in that fatal fourway will be filled by either Charlie Haas, Rikishi, or Mark Jindrak. The high spot of the match is Jindrak hitting Rikishi with a Death Valley driver to take him out. Haas puts up a good fight, but this is definitely Jindrak's match, as he puts him away with Splash Mountain to earn his spot.

Trish Stratus and Lita (and their partner Victoria) came up just short last week in their bid to earn a Women's Title shot tonight. They hope to bounce back in this tag team match against Jacqueline and Shaniqua. Not too surprising, they do just that, with Trish pinning Shaniqua with Stratusfaction.

Backstage, the WWE Tag Team Champions Canadian Violence cut a brief promo on their Vengeance title defense against Rhyno and Rob Van Dam. Jericho does most of the talking (as he should), playing up the fact that all four men came from the same place. ECW put them all on the map. But Benoit and Jericho have moved on. Chris Jericho did the unthinkable almost three years ago. He unified the World Wrestling Federation Title and the WCW Title belts. And Chris Benoit has become the greatest technical wrestler on the planet - something he proved by outlast 31 of the best in the world in the King of the Ring tournament - and he's carrying around a briefcase that makes him perpetual #1 contender to any title he damn well pleases. So, Rob, you keep on swinging chairs. And Rhyno, you keep tackling people while hearing Joey Styles in the back of your mind. But the two of us will keep doing what we've been doing all along. Winning.

Val Venis looks like a lamb being led to the slaughter as he heads to the ring to face Randy Orton, who has run roughshod over World Wrestling Entertainment since his return three weeks ago. It's Orton's last match on RAW before his big showdown with The Hurricane at Vengeance, and he means business. Val manages to slam Orton and hit him with a spear, and hits some impact moves late in the match, but Orton never really looked to be in danger, as he puts Val away with the RKO. As Val is helped up the ramp, Orton pounces again, leveling him with punches and walking away victorious once again.

If Canadian Violence retains the WWE Tag Team Titles at Vengeance, then the following night on RAW, they'll defend the gold against the winners of our next contest - an elimination match between four of the top teams on RAW. If Rhyno and RVD pick up the win, then they will defend the belt in two weeks, since RVD is already confirmed for that fourway for the IC belt next week. The first team to fall is La Resistance after Johnny Stamboli puts Grenier away with a piledriver. Shortly thereafter, Lance Storm pins Stamboli with a Tiger suplex. It's down to the ECW Originals Storm and Tommy Dreamer against the Ministry's Kane and Big Show. Show winds up getting the win with the Showstopper on Lance Storm. Big Show and Kane are now the #1 contenders to the WWE Tag Team Titles!

Backstage, another member of the Ministry, the demonic rookie monster Damien cuts a promo for his match with Shelton Benjamin at Vengeance. Shelton handed Damien his first loss in WWE during the King of the Ring tournament. And Damien has a long memory. To err is human. To forgive is divine. And no one will ever confuse Damien for divinity...

Last week, Gail Kim, Jazz, and Molly Holly won a six-Diva tag match to earn this fatal fourway match against Women's Champion Mickie James. And the title's on the line! The heels take turns working over the champ, but eventually things degenerate and Gail and Molly begin fighting each other. Molly and Jazz get taken out, which allows Mickie to nail Gail with a tornado DDT for the successful title defense.

And now for a main event that should have earned a 78% overall rating (which is pretty good for a clusterfuck tag match), but thanks to dud-y goodness only gets a 69 (although, "only" getting 69 doesn't sound so bad...). The match ends with Benoit getting RVD to tap out to the Crippler Crossface, to give the "perpetual #1 contender" huge momentum heading into Vengeance.

So at Vengeance it's Kurt Angle defending the World Title against Sean O'Haire! Canadian Violence defend the WWE Tag Team Titles against Rhyno and Rob Van Dam! Edge takes on Undertaker! And Damien looks for revenge against Shelton Benjamin! You do not want to miss Vengeance, only on Pay-Per-View!