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By Wade Keller, Torch editor

KELLER'S WWE RAW REPORT
JUNE 9, 2003
LIVE FROM MIAMI, FLA.

-Hunter approached Steve Austin backstage. He said he is the World Champion and he demands to know who the special referee is going to be. Austin told him he is trying hard to keep his composure, and he'd tell him when he was ready. He concluded, "Oh, Hunter, have a nice day." Hunter stopped in his tracks at that obvious clue that Mick Foley would be the special ref.

1 -- GOLDBERG vs. ROSIE

After Goldberg's and Rosie's ring entrances, Chris Jericho's music played. He sat on a folding chair on the stage and watched the match. Goldberg and Rosie engaged in a test of strength, then Goldberg kneed him in the corner a few times. Goldberg then no-sold a collision mid-ring and then took Rosie down with a hard clothesline. Rosie reversed Goldberg into a powerful Samoan drop followed by two consecutive corner splashes. Goldberg clotheslined Rosie out of the ring, then Jericho charged into the ring, but Goldberg knocked him flat with a kick to the chest. That distracted Goldberg enough to give Rosie a chance to attack Goldberg from behind. Goldberg fought back immediately with a Spear and the Jackhammer for the win.

WINNERS: Goldberg at 3:25.

STAR RATING: * -- A good old-style Goldberg squash. It didn't do anything to add heat to the feud, though.

-Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler announced an on-line poll for who will be announced as special referee. The options were: Austin, Foley, Shane McMahon, Terry Funk, and The Rock. Ross said he already had a strong feeling who it was going to be.

[commercial break]

-A recap aired of the Kane-Austin angle last week.

2 -- RENE DUPREE vs. ROB VAN DAM

Ross and Lawler wondered aloud what the Hell in a Cell cage was doing suspended above the ring. RVD hit Rolling Thunder at 2:40 followed by a Five Star Frog Splash attempt. Rene moved. RVD reversed Rene's attempt at a move and then rolled him up with a leg scissors into a pinning position for the pin. Sylvan Grenier joined Dupree in attacking RVD afterward. Ross pointed out that despite seeing Kane in the arena earlier, he didn't run out to save RVD. "Why didn't Kane save his partner?" asked Ross. Lawler said the tag belts are obviously in jeopardy.

WINNER: RVD at 3:06.

STAR RATING: *1/4 -- Some good spots by RVD. Non-stop action. Nice finish in that it got over that a three count can happen anytime, not just after the finishing move strikes.

[commercial break]

-Eric Bischoff and Austin stood in front of a roulette wheel that had a bunch of options on it for the three "Redneck Triathlon" gimmick contests they'll participate in at Badd Blood. The wheel landed on Pie Eating. Austin suggested it be poon-tang pie, not apple or cherry. Bischoff agreed. Bischoff then tried to get Austin to tell him if the special ref was the "bang bang" guy. Austin said he wasn't going to tell him.

-Lawler went nuts at the prospect of that type of pie eating contest. Ross talked about Freddie Blassie, who died last week. Footage aired of Blassie's appearance on Raw last week. A clip aired of Blassie's last appearance. The Confidential piece featuring comments by Vince McMahon, Hulk Hogan, Stephanie, Jim Ross, Shawn Michaels, Gerald Brisco, and The Rock on Blassie.

3 -- JAZZ (w/Teddy Long) & VICTORIA vs. TRISH STRATUS & IVORY

WINNER: Trish & Ivory when Ivory pinned Jazz at 5:25.

STAR RATING: *3/4 -- Good, high-energy action. They did a nice job playing up the storyline with Jazz freaking out afterward over Ivory pinned her again.

-Backstage Christian was practicing his Booker T mannerisms. Jericho entered the room and started talking about his match against Goldberg. Christian asked Jericho if he was scared that Goldberg was going to go crazy and want to kill him. "Because he's so out of whack, I've got him right where I want him," said Jericho. "He's going to make a big mistake, and when he does, I'll capitalize on it." Jericho said he's going crazy himself and if he sees Goldberg, he doesn't know what he'll do.

-Confidential this week will feature an in-depth look at Hell in a Cell.

[commercial break]

-They showed several Miami Dolphins sitting in the front row. Those football players sure know how to get the good seats. I wonder if they camped out overnight two months ago when those tickets went on sale or just got lucky with speed dial at home?

-Highlights aired of the trip to Europe for the Insurrection PPV.

4 -- SCOTT STEINER vs. LANCE STORM

Test joined Ross and Lawler at ringside. Test said he can replace Stacy. Lawler didn't believe that he could find someone better. Test, though, tried to drag Stacy to the back with him. Steiner saved the day, but then Storm hit Steiner from behind. He springboarded off the top rope with a flying clothesline. Steiner fought back immediately and hit his finisher for the win. Afterward, Test began bashing Steiner with a chair. Stacy intervened. Test grabbed the mic and asked Stacy if she thinks he's not good enough for her anymore. "You don't want to be my girlfriend? Huh?!" he said to her face. Then he apologized and thought better of his temper tantrum. Next week on Dr. Phil: Test talks about his inability to control his temper. Test then got back in Stacy's face and said next Sunday he's going to make her his "whore!" Stacy looked sad. Test then forced a kiss on Stacy. Test grabbed her by the wrist. She screamed, "My arm!" Ross said Test doesn't deserve to have Stacy. "The audacity of this human being!" exclaimed Ross.

WINNER: Steiner at 2:22.

STAR RATING: 1/2*

[commercial break]

-Ross and Lawler revealed the results of the poll about the special guest ref: Austin (10%), Foley (62%), Shane (11%), Terry Funk (9%), The Rock (8%). I think WWE just conducted their own IQ test that said more than Fox's two hour show competing with Raw did. These results show that 62 percent of WWE fans are reasonably perceptive and the rest, well, they're not.

-Steve Austin came out and introduced Mick Foley. Foley came out. They immediately cut to shots of fans holding up signs with Foley's name on it, pretty much eliminating any notion that the mystery ref was actually a mystery headed into the night. Foley began: "As it turns out, Mrs. Foley's little boy has come back home. There were times I could have sworn I was done with wrestling and I'd never step foot back in a WWE ring, but the truth is you can take Mick Foley out of the WWE, but you can't take the WWE out of Mick Foley. And so, when I sat at home last Monday night watching Raw as I always do and I heard Stone Cold Steve Austin talk about the one man who was sick enough, wild enough, to referee Hell in a Cell, I got goose bumps up and down my arm. I said let it be me, let it be me. Then my phone rang and I saw on caller ID it said 'Austin, Steve.' I said, 'Hell yeah, I'll referee Hell in a Cell." He then talked about how he speaks to little kids, but when he's done talking about reading, they all want to ask about what it was like to get thrown off the top of the Hell in a Cell. He said they don't remember the match because he won, because he didn't win, but he did get up and leave on his own power. He said there will be hell unleashed between Kevin Nash and Hunter (that's the first mention of Nash all show I think). Then Hunter's music started.

Hunter stepped out onto the stage and said he had a feeling he might see him there. "Let me make this clear to you, this does not concern you," he said. "This is none of your business because you are no longer a wrestler, you are just an ordinary guy living an ordinary life in an ordinary home with an ordinary wife. You are just like all of these idiots here, you are just a regular guy." The crowd chanted "asshole." Foley said he thinks the fans are calling him an asshole. "Maybe that's because they don't like the fact that the reason you're a regular guy is because I made you a regular guy. February 27, 2000, Hell in a Cell, I retired Mick Foley." Foley said he did do that, but what he could not do was keep him down. "So February 27, 2000, if you remember, Triple H, after I took the best you could dish out, it was me walking out under my own power, blood on my face, tear in my eye, proud of my time in the business." He then got on his knees and said he now has the power to count to three. "Mick, you've never been a real bright guy and I'm sure those 10,000 and some chairshots you took over your illustrious career didn't help much, so let me spell it out - you need to reconsider your decision to referee the Hell in the Cell match this Sunday." Hunter told Mick he should avoid letting people put him in a bad position. He warned him to back out of the referee duties by the end of the show or he'd drag him to the ring and beat the will out of him. Lawler said Foley better listen to Hunter "or else he'll be toast."

WWE's downplaying of Kevin Nash in this whole equation is just amazing. I've never seen a PPV main event wrestler completely downplayed headed into the PPV as Nash in recent weeks. I assume he'll be out later in the show, but nonetheless, Foley barely mentioned him in this segment.

[commercial break]

5 -- RANDY ORTON (w/Ric Flair) vs. HURRICANE (w/Shawn Michaels)

Flair introduced Orton before the match. Hurricane walked out onto the stage, then retreated. Lawler said Hurricane was scared. Instead, Hurricane walked out with Michaels. When Hurricane hit the Shining Wizard at 1:40 and went for the cover, Flair stopped the count. Michaels then got involved. Hurricane slidekicked Flair. Orton, though, then slammed Hurricane to the match for the pin. Flair came up bleeding from the forehead. Flair and Michaels got into a brawl in the ring. Michaels punched away at Flair's increasingly bloody forehead. Michaels ripped off Flair's shirt, then went for the Sweet Chin Music, but Orton dragged Flair out of the ring. Michaels chased down Flair on the ramp and punched away at him. Michaels knocked down Flair and Orton. Ross hyped the Flair-Michaels PPV match as Michaels was escorted to the back by a referee.

WINNER: Orton at 2:05.

STAR RATING: * -- Short match, but well done.

-Spike told Foley backstage that he was glad to see him back. Spike told Foley, though, that it might be smart for him to walk away. "You have a family, you need to think about them," Spike said. Foley said, somewhat patronizingly and dismissively, that he'd keep in mind what he said and thanked him, then walked away.

[commercial break]

-Jerry Lawler hosted a Spinaroonie Contest. Lawler did his quick version of it, and it wasn't good. Christian did his version of it, which concluded with him pretending to smoke a cigarette when he was done. What he did he did well, but it didn't resemble the Spinaroonie. Booker T was about to do his, but Christian attacked him. Booker fended him off easily and sent Christian scurrying. Booker then vowed to win the IC Title at Bad Blood and concluded with a Spinaroonie. A Booker returned to the back, Christian attacked him with the IC Title, getting his heat back headed into the PPV.

[commercial break]

6 -- RODNEY MACK (w/Teddy Long, Chris Nowinski) vs. D-VON DUDLEY (w/Bubba Dudley)

Teddy Long claimed that D-Von isn't black, "he's brown." When D-Von had Mack in trouble, Long ran to ringside to distract the ref. Nowinski then entered the ring, but Bubba and D-Von gave him the Dudley Death Drop. Mack, though, then surprised D-Von with his Blackout finisher.

WINNER: Rodney Mack at 4:14.

STAR RATING:

-Terri interviewed Goldberg. Goldberg was given one line: "All I have to say is this Sunday at Bad Blood, Chris Jericho is next." Just as he said that, Jericho hit him from behind with a chair, then fled. Goldberg made his "You didn't hurt me, you just made me angry" face accompanied by heavy breathing.

[commercial break]

-Ross and Lawler hyped the Bad Blood line-up.

-Backstage Foley approached Austin backstage. "You looking for me, Steve?" Foley said. Austin criticized him for showing fear. Foley said he is a little afraid. Austin gave him a pep talk. "The craziest son of a bitch I've ever been in the ring with and you're scared?" He said he might have made a mistake calling him. He told him that Hunter is going to call him out to the ring in two minutes and he needs to decide if he's up for it.

[commercial break]

-The Hell in a Cell cage lowered around the ring. Hunter said it was decision time. Foley walked out and said it is decision time. He said Austin and Hunter both make a lot of sense. "I've decided even though it was a thrill to hear people chant my name and treat me like the star I used to be [boos from crowd], no matter how nice that seems, Triple H talked about my normal little life, and I've made a decision that I'm going to return to that normal, ordinary life starting this Monday, June 16. Because, as it turns out I'm going to be a little busy this Sunday, June 15 because I'll be inside that cell watching you and Kevin Nash tear the living hell out of each other. I fully understand the consequence of my decision - that you will beat my ass. I have no doubt you will because you're that good. Even when I was at my very best, you were that much better. That terrifies me because I don't how it's coming or when it's coming." He said Hunter might beat him up in the parking lot or come to his house and beat him up in front of his kids. He said that would be a shame because it would be denying WWE fans a chance to see them in the Cell one more time. Foley said therefore he was going to pick the time and place and let WWE fans see it.

Foley entered the cage and began exchanging punches with Hunter. Hunter whipped Foley into the stairs. Foley took a scary looking bump on the stairs. In the ring, Hunter gave Foley a big chairshot and left him lying in the ring. Hunter returned to the back with a big smile on his face. Foley then tapped the mat three times. He grabbed a mic and said, "I've got a lot more ass to kick, to come down one more time!" Hunter returned to the ring and gave Foley a Pedigree on a chair in center ring. Hunter then returned to the stage again, but Foley recovered enough to once again pound the mat three times. Hunter returned to the ring, this time joined by Ric Flair and Randy Orton. That finally led to Nash and Michaels coming out. They had Michaels accompany Nash so that Nash got a pop and didn't have to do much in the ring as he Shawn Bradleyed around the ring. Michaels clotheslined Flair over the top rope (Flair pre-bumped, which looked bad). Hunte rand Nash exchanged punches. Nash gave Hunter a big boot and then showed his supoer-intense look as he set up a Jackknife. He gave Hunter a rather mild looking Jackknife, then covered Hunter and Foley counted to three. Ross screamed, "Could it be Sunday at Bad Blood... Mick Foley with a three count? Mick Foley may have retired three years ago from wrestling, but his heart didn't retire, his soul didn't retire, his passion didn't retire!... It won't be for the weak of heart, King. Bad Blood PPV Sundaaaaay!!!"

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