The official wrestling sim topic

[loopydate]

JANUARY 31, 2005 - MONDAY NIGHT RAW

Brock Lesnar's quest to destroy Rob Van Dam's past on the way to destroying his future continues as RAW opens tonight. Tonight, Lesnar faces one of RVD's best friends, Tommy Dreamer. As soon as the bell rings, Lesnar goes on the attack. Big punches, a butterfly suplex, then a Russian legsweep. Dreamer comes back with a slam and an old-school ECW-style piledriver, but Lesnar fights right back with a spear and a big DDT for a nearfall. Big kick to the stomach to set up the F-5 and Lesnar picks up another win. After the match, RVD hits the ring and lays Lesnar out before hitting the Five-Star Frogsplash and standing over his rival.

Back from commercial, Tommy Dreamer and Rob Van Dam are two of twenty men in the ring. Tommy's definitely feeling the effects of his beating at Lesnar's hands, but now one of the mid/upper-midcarders in the ring will become the newest member of the Elite! As soon as the bell rings, Billy Gunn shockingly throws his partner Rico Constantino over the top rope! Sean O'Haire is the next casualty, courtesy of Matt Hardy Version 2.0. A-Train takes out Chris Kanyon, while The Hurricane takes out Paul London. Damien takes out Shelton Benjamin. We know A-Train won't be the first superstar with two eliminations, because Dave Batista throws him out of the match. Hardy, on the other hand, does get a second elim by taking out Haas. RVD takes out Damien, and a lot of the expected heavy hitters are now out of the match. Gunn gets his second elimination by taking out Nunzio, only to get dumped out by Chavo Guerrero, and we're down to ten. Randy Orton takes out Hardy. D-Von Dudley eliminates Carlito. Bubba Ray Dudley eliminates John Layfield, while his brother gets taken out by Chavo. The Hurricane eliminates RVD, and Batista eliminates Bubba Ray Dudley to bring us down to our final four. Either Chavo Guerrero, Batista, The Hurricane, or Randy Orton will be Elite when all is said and done! Chavo is taken out by Batista, and we have a tremendous triple threat on our hands. Eventually, Orton takes out his old Evolution stablemate Batista, then hits an RKO on his rival Hurricane, dumping him to the floor! Orton has found the loophole to get himself back on RAW!

After the match, Hurricane grabs a microphone and challenges Orton to a match at Superbrawl. Orton is flying high after the win and he accepts the challenge. The match is on!

The United States contender series continues next as Natural Born Ministry members Sean O'Haire and Haas go at it. Haas enters this match 1-0 and his leader O'Haire is 0-1, but when all is said and done, both men are 1-1 after Haas gets caught with the Prophecy. After the match, they shake hands, showing that the Ministry still stands together.

Our next contender series match pits two 1-0 superstars against each other. A-Train and Shelton Benjamin have been partners on more than one occasion, but tonight they go to war for position in the contender rankings. Solid match between the two fan favorites ends with Shelton hitting the Dragon Whip to climb to 2-0, while Train drops to 1-1. After the match, the friends shake hands.

Both Paul London and Rene Dupree lost their matches last week, so tonight they both need the win to stay in contention. Really good match that shows that Dupree is starting to get over. London picks up the win with London Calling to climb up to .500!

Through two weeks, the standings in the U.S. Contender Series are as follows:

2-0 Shelton Benjamin
1-1 A-Train
1-1 Haas
1-1 Paul London
1-1 Sean O'Haire
0-2 Rene Dupree

Rey Mysterio and Mickie James are backstage. Basically a reminder that there's a bit of history between them. They talk about Rey's feud with Matt Hardy Version 2.0, and they insinuate that there might be a mixed-tag match on SmackDown!

Time to kick off our massive quadruple main event as Eddie Guerrero and Chris Jericho battle it out in a match between two of the fastest members of the Elite! Great match that goes back-and-forth several times. Eddie hits the frogsplash, but before the ref's hand can hit a third time, Eddie gets blasted by a Kick of Death from Tajiri! The ref calls for the bell, but Jericho and Tajiri pummel Eddie. John Cena's music hits, and the IC Champ is here! He hits the ring and helps Eddie drive off the heels.

Officials clear the ring, and now it's time for Cena versus Tajiri! This match is even better than its predecessor, proving that these two could very well be the future of the industry. Tajiri hits a big top-rope DDT, then motions to the back. Jericho returns to the ring and clamps on the Walls of Jericho! The ref misses the whole thing because Tajiri has him distracted. Tajiri picks up the cheap pin, but Eddie Guerrero makes the save after the bell. He uses a chair to drive off the heels and repay Cena for the earlier save.

And the matches keep getting better as WWE Champion The Rock takes on Royal Rumble winner Christian in an absolute masterpiece. In a nearly identical finish to the previous match, Chris Benoit clamps the Crippler Crossface on Rock, allowing Xian to pick up the win. After the match, World Champion Rhyno makes his entrance with a chair to drive off the heels.

I guess I put these matches in the wrong order, because the Rhyno/Benoit main event winds up being the worst of the four main events. Still a really good match, but the other three were better. Again, the main event is marred by interference, but Christian blasting Rhyno with a chair results in a DQ this time. Benoit and Xian go to work until The Rock makes it to the ring to drive them off, leaving the world champions standing tall as RAW goes off the air.

[loopydate]

FEBRUARY 7, 2005 - MONDAY NIGHT RAW

With just three weeks to go until No Way Out and five to go until WrestleMania 21, Monday Night RAW kicks off with the third week of the United States Title Contender series. Shelton Benjamin enters tonight on a two-match winning streak, while Rene Dupree is 0-2 and hoping to turn his luck around. Unfortunately, Benjamin's roll continues, and one Dragon Whip later Benjamin climbs to 3-0 while Dupree remains winless.

In a battle of 1-1s and former arch-nemeses, former World Champions A-Train and Sean O'Haire go at it in our next contest. They pick up right where their feud left off with a very physical contest. Train prepares for a charging splash in the corner, but O'Haire drags the ref into harm's way resulting in a disqualification victory for A-Train, who is now 2-1 while O'Haire falls to 1-2. After the match, they brawl back up the ramp and backstage.

Our final week three contest pits two of the most exciting, technically-sound participants in the tournament against each other as Paul London takes on the Natural Born Ministry's Haas. Good match between the two that London wins clean with London Calling. After the match, Haas' stablemate Damien blasts London with a chokeslam, continuing his torment of the high-flier.

Through three weeks, the standings in the U.S. Contender Series are as follows:

3-0 Shelton Benjamin
2-1 A-Train
2-1 Paul London
1-2 Haas
1-2 Sean O'Haire
0-3 Rene Dupree

Back from commercial, Damien is still in the ring for his match with Tommy Dreamer. Very good brawl between two bruisers, but Damien picks up the win with a chokeslam. After the match, Damien rolls over onto his back to catch his breath after the battle, but that gave Paul London an opportunity to soar from the top rope and hit him with London Calling to even the night's score!

After winning a mixed tag match on SmackDown!, Jazz earned a shot tonight at Mickie James' Women's Title. Mickie dominates most of the match, but Jazz does get in some brawling offense midway. Mickie hits a tornado DDT to pick up the clean win.

Randy Orton is backstage. Tonight he has a huge match against John Cena, but he cuts a promo instead about his SmackDown! rival The Hurricane, a man who got a pinfall over him on Friday night. He talks about his hatred of Hurricane and how he's going to prove at No Way Out that it's Orton who is Elite and Hurricane is not even in his league!

Our next contest pits two ECW alumni against each other as Rob Van Dam takes on the sadistic Japanese buzzsaw Tajiri. RVD's rival Brock Lesnar has been tearing through RVD's former ECW friends, so tonight RVD faces off against an extreme alumnus of his own, not to mention a friend and frequent teammate of Lesnar's. They tear the place up, as you would expect. As RVD looks to have victory in hand, Lesnar sneaks into the ring and blasts him with an F-5 allowing Tajiri to pick up the cheap win. After the match, the heels put the boots to RVD until Eddie Guerrero hits the ring to make the save and pay Tajiri back for turning his own nephew Chavo against him Friday night!

Lesnar remains in the ring after the break for a match against former bitter rival Rey Mysterio. These two put on great matches last year, and this one is no exception. Lesnar eventually picks up a clean win with the F-5, but before he can celebrate, he eats a Van Daminator from Rob Van Dam!

Randy Orton continues his meteoric rise up the card. Earlier tonight, he cut a 98% quality promo, and now he puts on a 90% quality match with Intercontinental Champion John Cena! Great back-and-forth action between the young studs, but in the end it's Cena's FU that gets him the clean pinfall. After the match, Chris Jericho continues his streak of attacking Cena at every turn by laying him out with a steel chair.

Jericho is up next in a match with Eddie Guerrero, who is still fired up after assaulting Tajiri earlier tonight. As one would expect, the WCW alumni put together a great match. Eddie hits his frogsplash and looks to be about to pick up the victory, but as he looks up to see why the crowd has begun booing, he eats a Kick Of Death from Tajiri. The referee has no choice but to call for the bell, but Tajiri continues to pummel Guerrero. John Cena grabs the chair from ringside that Jericho used on him earlier to hit the ring and drive off the heels.

At No Way Out, World Champion Rhyno will team with WWE Champion The Rock to take on Royal Rumble winner Christian and Chris Jericho. Tonight, Christian brings a different partner - King of the Ring Chris Benoit - for a huge tag team preview! The match is on par with the Cena/Orton match from earlier for Match Of The Night. The heels get a cheap win after Christian puts Rhyno face-first into an exposed turnbuckle. After the match, a brawl erupts between the four men, a brawl that continues until we fade to black.

[loopydate]

FEBRUARY 14, 2005 - MONDAY NIGHT RAW

Love is most certainly not in the air as RAW kicks off on Valentine's night! Our United States Title Contenders Series kicks off RAW as the 2-1 A-Train takes on the 0-3 Rene Dupree. Dupree continues to have good showings, but he's outclassed by the former World Champion, who hits the Derailer to pick up his third win in the series.

Randy Orton is backstage, and he cuts a promo on his ongoing feud with The Hurricane, hyping their match at Superbrawl.

Paul London enters tonight at 2-1 in the USCS, while former World Champion Sean O'Haire is a disappointing 1-2. He can - of course - draw into a tie with London with a win here, but O'Haire's protege Damien can't keep his hands off his rival London, blasting him with a chair resulting in the DQ. After the match, O'Haire and Damien continue to work London over before leaving him laying.

Back from commercial, London has pulled himself back to his feet. He cuts a promo about Damien and how he hopes Damien wins the U.S. Title at Superbrawl so he can take it from him at WrestleMania when he wins the #1 contender spot!

Shelton Benjamin and Haas were once known as the World's Greatest Tag Team. Since Haas betrayed Shelton and joined the Natural Born Ministry, their rivalry has resulted in some great matches. Tonight, they meet in week four of the USCS. After a great match, Shelton hits the Dragon Whip to pick up the win.

Through four weeks, the standings in the U.S. Contender Series are as follows:

4-0 Shelton Benjamin (clinched spot in #1 contender match at Superbrawl)
3-1 A-Train (qualifies w/ win next week - holds tiebreaker against London)
3-1 Paul London (must win and have Train lose next week to qualify)
1-3 Haas (mathematically eliminated from contention)
1-3 Sean O'Haire (mathematically eliminated from contention)
0-4 Rene Dupree (mathematically eliminated from contention)

Mickie James is in the ring after the commercial, and she talks about how she's done everything there is to do in WWE. She says that she's going to defend her Women's Title on both shows for the rest of the month against every Diva on the roster. If she loses the belt... she quits!

Her first test is a triple threat match against Daffney and Shaniqua. Pretty weak match, honestly, but Mickie gets the win after hitting Shaniqua with the Mick Kick.

Backstage, Rey Mysterio cuts a promo on his feud with Matt Hardy Version 2.0. Pretty basic Rey stuff about overcoming the odds. Good promo, just basic.

Tonight, Brock Lesnar faces his first real test on his run through Rob Van Dam's past tonight as he faces fellow Elite member Eddie Guerrero. These two put on the great match you'd expect, but Eddie's rival Tajiri hits the ring and blasts Eddie with the Kick Of Death allowing Brock to pick up the cheap win. Van Dam hits the ring with a chair. He throws it at Brock, who dodges it and heads for the hills with Tajiri.

Rhyno heads to the ring for a promo, but before he can say anything, Christian blindsides him, grabs the World Championship, and lays him out with it, posing with it as we go to commercial.

Tonight's main event is a huge tag-team war pitting WWE Champion The Rock and Intercontinental Champion John Cena against their long-running rivals Chris Jericho and King of the Ring Chris Benoit. This is definitely one of the best matches of the year so far, and they pull out all the stops. In the end, Jericho rolls up Cena with a handful of tights for the cheap win. After the match, the four rivals brawl up the ramp and out of sight as RAW fades to black.

[loopydate]

FEBRUARY 21, 2005 - MONDAY NIGHT RAW

With only six days remaining until Superbrawl, the participants in the United States Title #1 contender's match will be determined tonight, Mickie James continues to defend the Women's Title against any and all comers, Brock Lesnar's ECW run continues against the World Champion and much much more!

We open the night with Mickie James defending her championship against Molly Holly. The Elite Diva continues her dominance of the division, hitting a tornado DDT for the clean win.

Up next is a United States Championship Series match between two superstars who are no longer in the running for a shot at the gold. Rene Dupree enters tonight with zero wins in the series, and Sean O'Haire has only one. The former World Champion rebounds from his recent bad luck, hitting a Seanton Bomb for the victory to finish 2-3 while Dupree finishes 0-5.

Canadian Violence - Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho - are backstage and they cut a promo about their respective feuds with The Rock and John Cena. Jericho mentions that Bischoff has forbidden him from making contact with Cena except in a sanctioned match. Which is just going to drive buyrates through the roof for when he finally makes the overhyped brawler tap out to the Walls of Jericho!

A-Train is in a great position in the USCS. If he defeats Haas, he will face Shelton Benjamin Sunday night for a shot at the United States Title. Even if he loses, if Benjamin defeats Paul London tonight, the match will still be on. Haas throws a wrench in the works as he clamps the former World Champion in the Haas Of Pain, and the giant has no chance to tap out! Haas finishes at 2-3 while Train stumbles to 3-2.

So it all comes down to Paul London and Shelton Benjamin. We know Shelton will be part of that contender's match, and if he defeats Paul London, he'll be facing A-Train on Sunday. If, however, London picks up the win tonight, it will be these two again at Superbrawl with a title opportunity on the line! Solid match between two hot young stars, but London picks up the win with London Calling. Both men finish at 4-1 and will face off at Superbrawl.

Eric Bischoff appears on the TitanTron and makes it official. This Sunday night at Superbrawl, it will be Paul London against Shelton Benjamin. The winner will earn a United States Title opportunity at WrestleMania 21!

Two of the most exciting superstars in World Wrestling Entertainment are Rob Van Dam and the Royal Rumble winner Christian. Tonight, these two go one-on-one. It's a very exciting match that sees World Champion Rhyno get a measure of revenge for weeks of cheap shots by blasting Christian with a Gore allowing RVD to pick up the win. After the match, RVD's Superbrawl opponent (and the man who'll face Rhyno in tonight's main event) Brock Lesnar enters the ring to even the odds.

Remember all those great Rock/Tajiri matches from last year? Well... here's another one! Once again, these two put together a hell of a contest that ends with the WWE Champion picking up the win with the Rock Bottom. After the match, Tajiri's longtime rival Eddie Guerrero lays him out with a chairshot to the back. Apparently it's Revenge Night for the babyfaces!

Eddie grabs a microphone and cuts another promo on Tajiri. Not as good as the one from SmackDown! but still pretty good. The inevitable match between these two promises to be amazing!

Randy Orton has proved time and again recently that he's earned his spot in the Elite, and tonight he faces off against fellow Elite superstar Rey Mysterio. Orton again shows that he can put on a good match with the right opponent, and he picks up a big win with the RKO!

Our main event tonight is the next step in Brock Lesnar's attempt to destroy Rob Van Dam's past. But he faces his toughest challenge yet in the World Heavyweight Champion Rhyno! After weeks of abuse, Rob Van Dam finally manages to cost Brock in his run by hitting him with a chair during a moment of confusion, allowing Rhyno to hit the Gore! RVD and Rhyno go to work on Brock, but Christian comes out with a chair of his own to even the score a bit. The four rivals stare each other down as RAW goes off the air.

[loopydate]

FEBRUARY 28, 2005 - MONDAY NIGHT RAW

As RAW comes on the air, "Just Close Your Eyes" hits the speakers, and the Nova Scotia Cosa Nostra makes their way to the ring. Chris Benoit leads the way, wearing the WWE Title he won last night while Christian and Chris Jericho are wearing matching grins. Christian grabs the microphone: "Surpriiiiiise! Last night, the Nova Scotia Cosa Nostra achieved Part One of our master plan. Chris Jericho and I set the perfect trap. Keep Rhyno and The Rock guessing as to which of their titles I'm coming for at WrestleMania, and let the Crippler, the King Of The Ring, and - oh, yeah! - the guy who has a guaranteed title shot anytime he wants it Chris Benoit pick up the pieces! And now Chris Benoit is your new WWE Champion and tonight, I sign my contract for a World Title match against Rhyno. In two weeks, RAW's going to kick off exactly the same way, except there will be two of us with championship gold, because that's how we roll!"

Our opening contest pits Rey Mysterio against Sean O'Haire. Rey is looking to bounce back after dropping the United States Title to O'Haire's protege Damien last night (thanks to help from Matt Hardy Version 2.0). Pretty good match that showcases the sadness that is O'Haire's fall down the card. Hopefully after the dust clears from WM21, he'll be able to bounce back either on a new brand or with new opponents. Rey picks up the clean win with the West Coast Pop.

Brock Lesnar is in the ring after commercial, and he doesn't want to talk much. He's finished talking. He wants to issue one last challenge. Brock Lesnar, Rob Van Dam, WrestleMania, steel cage! RVD appears on the TitanTron and doesn't want to say much either, except... "You're on!"

Shelton Benjamin and Randy Orton are out next, Shelton trying to bounce back after having lost out on a shot at the U.S. Title to Paul London, Orton trying to do the same after a disqualification loss to The Hurricane. Both of these guys are on the verge of greatness, and this match is the same. Orton wins clean with the RKO.

Orton grabs a microphone after the match and issues a challenge to The Hurricane. One last time at WrestleMania, you and me in a ladder match! Hurricane's music hits, but there's no sign of the masked hero. Instead, one word appears on the Tron: "Affirmative!"

Mickie James' run through the WWE Women's division comes to a close tonight as she faces off in a triple threat match against Jazz and her best friend, Trish Stratus! Really good match for a Divas' match, and Mickie picks up another clean win by hitting Jazz with a tornado DDT.

Eric Bischoff is in his office, and he announces that the moratorium he put on John Cena and Chris Jericho will come to an end at WrestleMania 21, because he's putting them against each other in an I Quit Match!

New United States Champion Damien will be defending his title at WrestleMania against Paul London, but tonight he's got a huge non-title contest against Eddie Guerrero! Decent match that ends with London getting involved by hanging Damien out to dry allowing Eddie to hit the frogsplash for the win. After the match, London works over Damien with a chair, venting weeks of frustration on the rookie monster!

"If ya smeeeeeeeeellllllll..." The crowd erupts as the former WWE Champion The Rock makes his way to the ring. He grabs a microphone and cuts a very un-Rock-like promo. He cuts to the chase by saying that - even though Benoit threw him for a loop last night - there's still an automatic rematch clause in any championship contract. And Rock is going to use his at WrestleMania 21 inside Hell In A Cell!

Our main event tonight pits the #1 contender for the U.S. Title Paul London against the sadistic Japanese buzzsaw Tajiri. Excellent high-flying match between two exciting stars. Damien gets a measure of revenge from earlier by blasting London with a chair allowing Tajiri to hit him with the Kick Of Death for the win. After the match, the heels work over London until Eddie Guerrero sprints to the ring to make the save!

Back from the last commercial break of the night, Rhyno and Christian are on opposite sides of a table that's been set up in the ring. Rhyno's World Championship is set on one end of the table, and a contract is in the middle. Both men talk a bit before signing their names. Christian gets the last word, then gets up and poses. Rhyno quietly props the table up in a corner, then when Christian turns around he GOOOOOOOORES him through it. Rhyno poses with the belt as RAW fades to black.

[loopydate]

MARCH 8, 2005 - MONDAY NIGHT RAW

The last episode of RAW before WrestleMania 21 is also the last with the current rosters, as we've learned the 2005 WWE Draft will take place on WWE.com next Monday before RAW goes on the air!

We kick off with a tag team match pitting four Divas who seem to be adrift at the moment going at it as Gail Kim and Lita team up to take on Daffney and Shaniqua. It's a decent match, and Lita gets the crowd excited early in the show with a moonsault to pick up the win.

Up next, Eddie Guerrero and Paul London team up to take on Damien and Tajiri in a battle of WrestleMania matches. Eventually, the heels get a cheap win as Damien rolls up London with a handful of tights. After the match, a brawl breaks out that eventually needs to be broken up by officials.

Eric Bischoff comes out on the ramp to interrupt the festivities. Since the theme of WrestleMania seems to be matches with stipulations that will blow off all of our feuds, let's end this London/Damien nonsense in a match where a handful of tights won't do you any good. No, you see, the only way to win this Sunday is going to be putting your opponent through a table!

Hey, remember when the Natural Born Thrillers were supposed to be the top stable in WWE? Then when they teamed up with the Ministry? Whoops. Anyway, NBM members Sean O'Haire, Chuck Palumbo, and Johnny Stamboli team up next to take on A-Train, Payne, and Tommy Dreamer. Yep. It's midcard mania! O'Haire and Payne carry most of the load of the match, but in the end it's A-Train that takes the Seanton Bomb to give the NBM the win.

In the best Divas match since I took over WWE, Mickie James and Trish Stratus team up to take on Jazz and Molly Holly. Excellent action between the four best workers in the division, but in a shocking turn of events, Trish brutally betrays her friend by slamming her with a chair while the heels have the referee distracted, allowing Molly to hit Mickie with a cross body for the win. After the match, Trish works over Mickie with punches while Jazz and Molly grab a table from ringside. They set it up, then lift Mickie up to Trish... who hits a superbomb from the middle rope!

Trish grabs a ringside microphone. "It wasn't that long ago that I was the dominant Diva in WWE. That I was the focus of the division. But from the moment you set foot in this company, you got all the attention. You took my title. You got to be the first Diva in the Elite. Well, Mickie, I'm tired of it! And I'm taking back what's mine! At WrestleMania 21, I'm taking back my Women's Title!"

Up next, it's a triple threat exhibition match that doesn't really have any bearing on WrestleMania. It's Rob Van Dam (who will face Brock Lesnar at WM21) vs. Randy Orton (who will face The Hurricane) vs. Shelton Benjamin (who isn't booked), and it's as good as you'd imagine. Orton picks up a clean win with the RKO, but all three guys look good here.

John Cena and Brock Lesnar met in last year's WrestleMania main event, a night where Cena won the WWE Title. Eventually, though, Lesnar's Mania opponent Rob Van Dam interjects himself, blasting Lesnar with a chair, allowing Cena to hit the F-U and pick up the win. After the match, RVD sets Lesnar up in the corner and places a chair against his face... and hits a Van Terminator!

The Nova Scotia Cosa Nostra is out next, and they cut a promo on their trio of Mania matches. Primary concern is The Rock, who is facing Christian next!

And - as you could imagine - these two kill it. Eventually, it comes down to Christian using his ring awareness... and an exposed steel turnbuckle... to pick up the cheap win. After the match, Christian takes off running.

The match of the year thus far is tonight's main event, pitting Rey Mysterio and Rhyno against Canadian Violence. These four guys have really turned a corner over the last year, becoming the faces of the industry (along with guys like Christian, Rock, Cena, Lesnar... well, all of the Elite, basically), and they put on a hell of a show. Such a good show, I'll let the game describe it for you. Enjoy!

Rey Mysterio strikes Benoit. Benoit takes a flying neckbreaker from Rey Mysterio. Hooks the leg for a two count. Rey tags out to Rhyno. Rey \ Rhyno whip Benoit into the ropes and hit a double back elbow. Hooks the leg for a two count. Fallaway slam by Rhyno. Benoit blocks the suplex attempt. Doctor Bomb, Rhyno is hurt. There's a two count on the pin. Tag between Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho. Vicious lightning kick by Jericho on Rhyno. Pin : 1 - 2 - 2.9999999. Flying elbow from Chris Jericho. Rhyno comes up with a right hand out of nowhere. Back elbow connects, Jericho staggers backward. Rhyno tags out to Rey Mysterio. Rey Mysterio scores with a back heel kick on Jericho. Jericho tags out to Chris Benoit. Second rope flying axe handle, Benoit goes down. It's BONZO GONZO! Chaos reigns as everyone winds up in the ring brawling! The referee tries to separate Rey and Benoit, buts gets shoved away. The referee turns and calls for the bell. He's had enough, and has called this a double DQ. Rey \ Rhyno and Canadian Violence don't look like they've finished! They continue to brawl in and around the ring, not stopping until a host of referees run down the aisle to break them up. Almost a ***** match...but it was missing something, so it only gets a ****1\2.

[loopydate]

MARCH 15, 2005 - MONDAY NIGHT RAW

It's the start of a new era as Monday Night RAW kicks off with an entirely new roster and--"I'm all grown up..." The crowd erupts as Stephanie McMahon makes her way to the ring for the first time in months. She grabs a microphone and talks about the web special from earlier today where Eric Bischoff divvied up the rosters. What Eric failed to mention was that this wasn't entirely his idea to add a third brand. The Board of Directors actually put that idea in his head, and who put that idea in the Board's head? Her and her brother, Shane. Now, why would the rightful heirs to the WWE throne want to further dilute their father's company's talent pool? Because - unbeknownst to Bischoff - she and Shane used their considerable wealth to go out and bring in some new blood. Over the next five days on all three brands, the WWE fans are going to meet some new faces and get re-introduced to some old favorites. And that's not all. Tonight, four members of the new RAW roster will go at it in a one-night tournament to crown the first-ever WWE Television Champion!

Speaking of old favorites, RAW gets introduced to us by Dave Prazak and new color commentator... "Macho Man" Randy Savage! They introduce our opening contest, a handicap match pitting the remaining members of La Resistance Sylvan Grenier and Rob Conway and a debuting Nick Dinsmore against ECW alumni Axl Rotten and New Jack! Pretty sloppy match (I know, shocking, right?), but in the end Dinsmore hits Rotten with a German suplex to pick up the win.

The ring fills with bodies after the break, as ten RAW superstars are entered into a battle royal, the winner will earn a shot at the Television Title next week on RAW. It's a mix of old and new faces, and it's every man for himself as soon as the bell sounds. Mark Henry is the first victim after he's taken out by a returning Rick Steiner. The debuting Sonny Siaki eliminates Tommy Dreamer next, then Steiner gets taken out by the returning Val Venis. Haas eliminates Fred Williams, then takes out his mentor the Undertaker, followed by a debuting Simon Diamond. Haas is on a roll, and we're down to our final four! Venis is out next, courtesy of Test, while Siaki eliminates Haas. It's down to Siaki and Test, and in the end, it's the exciting newcomer hitting his Siakolypse finisher, then dumping Test to the floor for the win.

A quartet of WWE debuts are next as WCW alumni Buff Bagwell and Disco Inferno team up to take on Erik Watts and Taiyo Kea. Another underwhelming match that ends with Kea hitting Bagwell with a Kobayashi DDT for the win.

Mickie James lost the Women's Title in shocking fashion last night to Trish Stratus with help from Chris Jericho. Tonight, it's ten-diva tag action as Mickie looks for revenge. Trish brings Daffney, Jazz, Molly Holly, and Shaniqua with her while Mickie counters with Gail Kim, Lita, Victoria, and the debuting Trinity. Frequent tags by both teams gets all ten Divas an opportunity to shine, but Trish does wind up getting her revenge with a tornado DDT on Trish.

The Television Title Tournament kicks off next in a WrestleMania rematch as Rob Van Dam takes on Brock Lesnar. Their feud may be over, but the opportunity for the Television Title means they're not going to take it easy on each other. Solid match, definitely the best of the night so far, and Brock picks up the win with the F-5 to advance to tonight's main event!

"Huka Blues" hits the speakers, and ECW legend Sabu makes his way to the ring, steel chair in hand. What damage is the sadistic Sabu going to inflict tonight? The lighting in the arena turns to gold as Sabu's opponent in our other tournament semifinal is introduced. The crowd erupts as the bizarre Goldust comes to the ring, his beautiful valet Marlena at his side. Sabu goes too far throughout the match, finally getting himself disqualified for using brass knuckles. Goldust advances, but Sabu has completely lost his mind, turning the knuckles against the referee. The homicidal, suicidal, genocidal, death-defying maniac looks like he's ready to do more damage, but the locker room empties to pry him out of the ring, kicking and yelling.

"If you smeeeeeeeell..." The crowd erupts as the new WWE Champion The Rock makes his way to the ring, championship in tow. "The Rock looks around the RAW locker room now, and there's a whole lot of new faces. And there's a whole lot of old ones. The Rock would like to thank the McMahons for bringing in all this new blood because, quite frankly, there's only so many times you can beat up on the same dozen guys. Eric Bischoff's Elite was a good idea... for a little bit. But like everything else Bischoff's ever done, it went on too long, and it got repetitive. So now it's time - once again - for Stephanie and Shane to pick up the pieces and change the game. Well, The Rock is, was, and always will be a fighting champion. So The Rock has three words for all these new challengers: 'Just bring it!'"

The Rock remains in the ring awaiting tonight's non-title opponent. A record scratch plays "Come on, you're lookin' at the real deal now!" A smile creeps across the champ's face as his former Nation of Domination partner D'Lo Brown makes his way to the ring with Theodore Long. The bell sounds and D'Lo slaps Rock across the face showing that there is no friendship here anymore. The two engage in a heck of a brawl, and Rock drops into a crouch to prepare for the Rock Bottom, but suddenly a hand drags him out of the ring. The ref has no choice but to call for the bell as Sabu has returned to wreak more havoc! Sabu uses his chair from earlier to blast Rock in the face, then two more shots across his back. He sets Rock up in the middle of the ring, then hits a drop toehold across the chair. The locker room empties again, but this time Sabu heads for the hills, leaving a bloodied Rock laid out!

The A.P.A. make their way out to the ring next with the World Tag Team Titles and their apparent new manager Theodore Long. Friday night on SmackDown!, Gunnstantino won a #1 contender's match to earn a shot at the gold. But Billy Gunn and Rico Constantino wound up on separate brands, so Gunn needs a new partner for tonight's shot. Layfield and Simmons warm up, and their smug expressions turn to anger when their opponents' music hits. "Oh, you didn't know?!?" The crowd goes absolutely apeshit for the introduction of the New Age Outlaws! Another disappointing match from the new roster as everyone is antsy to live up to the hype. Eventually, the champs walk away, resulting in a disqualification victory for NAO. After the match, both teams continue to brawl, all around ringside, then to the back.

And now for our main event. Goldust and Brock Lesnar each won a match earlier tonight to qualify for this match for the brand-new WWE Television Title. It's the match of the night, and brings some hope to the new RAW roster that there are some definitely talented workers here. Brock picks up the clean win with the F-5 to win the championship as RAW goes off the air.