By Wade Keller, Torch editor

RAW REPORT
AUGUST 22, 2005
HAMPTON, VA.

-The show opened with a highlight video of Shawn Michaels vs. Hulk Hogan at Summerslam last night. The music went from harsh to inspirational when they went to the handshake afterward.

-Shawn Michaels walked to the ring to his full entrance as Jim Ross introduced the show. Michaels got a huge ovation. Michaels said: "As much as it hurts me to have to admit this, last night Hulk Hogan was the better man... He was catlike, he was nimble, he had a catch-as-catch can style that even Shawn Michaels couldn't figure out. I mean, his ring prowess was in so many ways and on so many levels superior to mine that I simply could not compete. When it was over, even I, the evil Shawn Michaels found myself victim like so many before me to the vicious legdrop - 1, 2, 3." The crowd didn't know how to react and booed and cheered, but mostly sat in silence. The crowd then began a small chant of "Hogan, Hogan." Michaels continued: "Now back to our regularly scheduled programming and back to reality. "The reality is this. Hulk Hogan is now on a jet back to Florida until you, the WWE fan, can give him what he wants." He did a money signal with his fingers. "I, Shawn Michaels, am here tonight to give you exactly what you want - the Showstopper." Chris Masters's music interrupted that bizarre Michaels promo.

That confirmed that Michaels was not happy with what he had to do at Summerslam. That promo was his way of trying to show up Hogan and regain his edge after doing a reluctant clean job. We'll have a lot more on the Hogan-Michaels politics in this week's Torch Newsletter cover story available to Torch VIP members scheduled to be published tomorrow.).

Masters then walked to the ring. He said he has been a fan of his since he was a kid. He said that's the problem, he's no longer the "Sexy Boy." He said the problem with old guys like he and Hulk Hogan is that they don't know when to step aside for the new talents. Michaels said he was with him until he compared him to Hogan. "That's a low blow, brother!" he said, mocking Hogan's tone of voice when he says "brother." When Coach said Michaels wishes he had Masters's pecs, Ross shot back, "Yeah, it's all about pecs." Michaels told Masters he doesn't know enough to even know he doesn't know. He called him a greenhorn and said he'll understand what he's saying tomorrow. When Michaels said the air must be a little thin up where Masters's head resides a few inches taller than his. Masters took a dig at Michaels saying it's getting a little thin on his head in terms of hair. Michaels mockingly said that, yeah, it hurts because it's true. He then knocked Masters out of the ring, nipped up, and sent Masters to the floor throwing a tantrum. The crowd chanted "HBK, HBK." One save-face interview down, one to go (Matt Hardy).

---Q2---

-Ross plugged that Ric Flair would be a guest of Carlito's Cabana later.

-Backstage Chris Jericho told Eric Bischoff that John Cena got lucky last night. Bischoff agreed and he was granting him a rematch. He said it would be a "you're fired" match where the loser will end up fired. The Torch has been reporting for weeks (including in detail in the Torch Newsletter and on Torch VIP Audio Updates), that Jericho would betaking time off after Summerslam. We also noted last week that Jericho may be at Raw for a final appearance before taking his time off, which is expected to be several months minimum.

[Commercial Break]

1 -- KURT ANGLE vs. SHELTON BENJAMIN

Angle controlled the action early with methodical leverage arm hold. Benjamin landed on his feet by flipping out of an Angle back suplex attempt. Angle charged at him, so Benjamin ducked and backdropped him over the top rope. They cut to an early break.

[Commercial Break]

---Q3---

Angle regained control after the break. He settled into a body scissors at 8:30. Benjamin stepped out of the path of Angle as he charged shoulder first into the corner. Both were slow to getup. Benjamin hit a Samoan drop for a two count. Angle came back quickly with an Ankle lock attempt. Benjamin powered out with his leg. He went for a side kick. Angle blocked it. Benjamin turned it into a spinning wheel kick and scored a two count. Angle caught Benjamin on the top rope and gave him an Angle Slam to the mat for a near fall. Angle went for an Angle Slam again, but Benjamin blocked it and turned it into a powerful DDT for another near fall. The crowd was eating it up. Lawler called it the most convincing DDT he's ever seen. Angle applied the Anklelock a few seconds later forcing Benjamin to tapout. The announcers talked up the great effort Benjamin put forth and how hard Angle had to work for the win. After the match, Angle grabbed a chair and set it up center ring, then had the referee place his Gold Medal around his neck in a reenactment of the Gold Medal Ceremony at the Olympics. Ross said Angle is evil. Coach said more gold is in his future.

WINNER: Angle at 12:42.

STAR RATING: *** -- Very good TV match.

-They again plugged Ric Flair on Carlito's Cabana later and the "You're Fired" match.

[Commercial Break]

-Kerwin White cut a promo backstage. He said he is the official spokesman of middle class America. "I am here to say what you are thinking but are too scared to say yourself," he said. He said the fans were politely applauding Shelton, but only half-heartedly. They said racism runs rampant, especially in the backwoods of Virginia. He said the fans know Shelton isn't "one of us because Shelton Benjamin is not white." Hey, a heel being racist and a WWE crowd booing. That's a nice change. He concluded: "If it ain't White, it ain't right."

-Gene Snitsky admired Maria's pedicure. He did the little piggy thing on her feet, causing Maria to giggle. Snitsky sniffed her feet and reacted as if he were greatly aroused. Then Big Show interrupted. He warned Maria about talking to strangers.

---Q4---

[Commercial Break]

2 -- MATT HARDY vs. ROB CONWAY

Hardy was selling his beating last night, but he also had a look deep in his face that is a crushed man whose dreams have been shattered and ego has been humiliated. He had the "boo boo" face of someone doing a job he really doesn't believe he should be doing or someone in the midst of a bad dream. Ross and Coach said it was ill-advised to send Hardy to the ring after what happened the night before. Hardy continued to blink as if he was not quite all there and working hard to focus. As the match began, Edge's music played. That distracted Hardy so Conway attacked him from behind. Edge and Lita joined the announcers. Edge did commentary as Lita reenacted strip club ramp poses. Edge said he did exactly what he said he was going to do at Summerslam. "Matt's on life support, believe me," Edge said. The crowd chanted "Hardy, Hardy" for a few seconds. Edge bragged about beating him down. "I threw down his punk card and there was nothing he could do about it," Edge added. When Edge gave Hardy a hard time for not coming after him, Ross snapped back, "There's no anchor tied to your ass." Edge said he almost felt sorry for Hardy, but said he deserved it. Hardy looked like he was still feeling the effects of the beating he took the night before (revisiting the Randy Orton concussion angle that went nowhere). Conway ended up winning with a top rope elbow drop clean. Does anyone look less comfortable on the top rope than Conway? Why does his finisher involve going to the top rope when he can barely keep his balance up there even when he's using one hand on the top turnbuckle to help him balance?

WINNER: Conway at 3:45.

STAR RATING: 3/4* --

-After the match, Edge attacked Hardy, beating him badly and then placing his head between the ring and the steps and kicked the steps. Ouch! Hardy collapsed to the floor with an empty look in his eyes.

[Commercial Break]

---Q5---

-Carlito began by saying he was going to have the greatest guest he's ever had on the Cabana. Ric Flair then came out. Ross sung Flair's praises, saying he is "arguably the greatest in-ring performer in the history of this business." A lot of people are going to remember Michaels's performance last night when making a case for Michaels being considered for that same honor. Carlito welcomed him to his Cabana. Flair responded, "Carlito's Cabana, welcome to Flaaaaaiiiirrr Country! Whoo! Whoo!" Carlito sneered. "What's with all that whoo stuff? Carlito's can whoo better than you," he said. Then he let out a Chihuahua whoo. The crowd laughed. "Whooing's not cool anyway," Carlito said. The crowd broke into a "Flair, Flair, Flair" chant. Carlito said they weren't there to talk about whooing, they were there to talk about Flair. He said he remembers Flair's legendary battles against the great Carlos Colon, his father. He said now that he's standing in the ring with him, he can see that his dad was right about him. "All right, you won the World Title 16 times. Big deal. That also means you've lost the title 16 times. Anybody can win as many matches as he loses. Now Carlito, on the other hand, he's a one-time Intercontinental Champion." The crowd booed. Carlito responded with great facial expressions. "It happens to be a title you never won," he said. "And being a one-time Intercontinental Champion, that means nobody's beaten me for this title, and that's cool. Ric Flair, on the other hand, you're not cool." Flair said, "You're right, son, I'm not cool. I am very simply the Nature Boy Ric Flair, a limousine riding, jet flying, kiss stealing, whoooo, wheelin' dealin' son of a gun that your father referred to as the King of the Caribbean. Whether it was the Caribbean or Flair Country, every woman has three words to say to the old Naitch - All Night Long. Whoooo!" Flair smiled. Carlito spit an apple all over Flair's face. Flair looked down at the mess, then poked Carlito with a thumb to the eye and punched him in the face. Flair threw a barrage of punches at Carlito and some chops. Carlito bailed out and Flair strutted. They should save that match for the next PPV, not later on Raw or next week's Raw.

-A Summerslam music highlight video aired, promoting the replay which is a good move. Word of mouth on this is good enough that replay orders should be considerably higher than usual.

[Commercial Break]

---Q6---

3 -- GENE SNITSKY vs. BIG SHOW

Show beat up Snitsky so consistently that Snitsky just walked out of the match and got counted out.

WINNER: Show at 4:00.

STAR RATING: 1/2* -- Lumbering and sloppy.

-Backstage Eric Bischoff walked up to someone in a black hooded sweat shirt with the WWE Title over his shoulder. He told him he would relish firing him later. Cena turned around, took down the hood, and revealed he was listening to an iPod Torch VIP Audio Update reviewing his match the night before... or something else on his earplugs. He asked Bischoff if he said something, then said, "I didn't think so, partner" and walked off.

[Commercial Break]

-A vignette aired for Trevor Murdoch and Lance Cade in a bar. Cade said they'll be the top team in WWE soon. Murdoch said, "You say that real pretty. All I know is someone is gonna squeal like a pig." I guess most people have seen Deliverance, but it does feel a bit dated to assume that reference will resonate with the majority of their audience.

-Torrie Wilson and Candice Michelle introduced Ashley as the latest WWE Diva Contest winner. She came to the ring and said it was an honor to be in the ring with them. Candice said she won a hard contest. They hinted of jealousy because they never won an oversized check when they got their job. Ashley thanked the fans and said she'd work hard to return the favor. Candice said maybe she could return the favor to the fans right now. Torrie then kicked Ashley. Ross wondered if it was "some kind of prison movie imitation." They both beat her up briefly, then left. Ashley cried as Ross wondered what the motivation was.

---Q7---

-The announcers reported that Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Masters had been signed for next week. They aired clips of the angle earlier in the night between the two.

-Todd Grisham interviewed Jericho backstage - perhaps his final WWE promo in a long time. Jericho said some people deserve to be fired. He said Cena won't become the multimedia star he wants to become if he loses to him.

-Eric Bischoff walked to the ring with security, implying they'd escort Cena out of the building after he lost the match.

[Commercial Break]

4 -- JOHN CENA vs. CHRIS JERICHO -- WWE Title match

Ring introductions took place as the announcers talked about the ramifications of the stipulation. Jericho looked a bit emotional at the final playing of his intro video for a long time. Ross said if Cena lost the title and gets fired, "by god, he'll go down in a blaze of glory." They went nose-to-nose to start. Cena got in an early offensive flurry. Bischoff held his leg to break his momentum. Jericho went for a quick pin with his legs on the middle rope for leverage. Cena kicked out. Jericho took over control from there. When the match spilled to ringside, Bischoff gave Cena a low blow. "There is no way Cena is going to make it out of here with the WWE Title," said Ross, surely repeating what Vince McMahon told him to say in his headset since it's McMahon's goal in life to ruin all surprises by always having announcers say the opposite of what the planned finish is as an ostensibly tricky attempt at reverse psychology. They cut to a break at 3:00.

[Commercial Break]

They showed that during the break Bischoff continued to antagonize and interfere on Jericho's behalf. Ross talked about the odds being stacked heavily against Cena. Jericho dominated for several minutes. At 9:00 Cena blocked a superplex attempt and dropped Jericho to the mat. Cena then dove at Jericho off the top rope, but Jericho ducked the bodyblock. Bischoff cheered on Jericho at ringside. Cena began a comeback with a flying shoulder block and two clotheslines. Jericho caught Cena with a boot to the face. Cena came back with an FU attempt. Jericho low blowed out of it and then applied the Walls of Jericho. Like a breakaway in game seven of the NFL playoffs, Cena was potentially a few seconds away from being out of WWE. He reached for the bottom rope. Bischoff yanked the rope out of Cena's reach. Jericho dragged Cena back to center ring. Cena made his faces and crawled again toward the bottom rope. This time he reached it. Cena collapsed as he attempted an FU, but then regained his strength enough to execute the FU. Bischoff panicked at ringside. Both men were down, as Cena favored his back in a nice example of selling a submission hold longer than ten seconds. When Cena crawled onto Jericho for a cover, Bischoff draped Jericho's leg over the bottom rope. Bischoff then snuck Jericho brass knuckles. Ross wondered how that could be condoned. Jericho KO'd Cena with the brass knuckles and then made the cover for a convincing near fall. He went for another cover. Cena kicked out again. Bischoff yelled at the ref. Jericho punched away at Cena. Cena dropped Jericho to the mat and catapulted him into Bischoff, knocking him off the ring apron. Bischoff had the title belt in his hands. Jericho was stunned from hitting the belt. Cena then struggled to give Jericho the FU, but pulled it off, and scored the pin. Coach said he can't imagine Raw without Y2J.

WINNER: Cena at 15:30 to retain the WWE Title.

STAR RATING: ***1/4 -- Strong match.

---Q9---

-Bischoff told Jericho, "You son of a bitch, you're fired!" He told him he had a job to do and he didn't get it done. Jericho begged Bischoff not to fire him. He asked for another chance. "You're fired!" he shouted. "Get out of my ring!" Fans began signing "Na na na na, hey hey hey, good bye." Bischoff said he doesn't care about him, his wife, or his "damn kid." He ordered security to drag Jericho out of the ring. "You are done, finished!" said Bischoff. Jericho hugged Bischoff's leg. The security guards dragged Jericho out of the ring. Coach said Jericho didn't get the job done and should accept the consequences. Back inside the ring, Angle attacked Cena from behind, giving him a back suplex and then a series of punches and uppercuts and kicks. He hit several suplexes including an Angle Slam. Bischoff then got in Cena's face and said, "Hey Cena, say hello to the number one contender to your WWE Title, Kurt Angle!" Angle ripped at Cena's eyes.

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