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MITCHELL'S TAKE
MOJO MITCHELL'S RAW 3/31: Stream of Now and Forever, The Heavyweight Champion of The World Mar 31, 2008 - 11:30:36 PM
This is typically a VIP-exclusive, but we present Mojo Mitchell's Raw Stream of Consciousness commentary at the free site this week as he writes about the Ric Flair tribute show...
We start with John Cena. Wait, no John Cena.
We start with Triple H. Wait, no Triple H.
We start with Randy Orton. The champ is here.
"Expecting someone else? You people never wanted to give me any credit. You have no choice but to show me respect. You people..." He again lists all the Superstars he's beaten in title matches. "John Cena and Triple H don't deserve a rematch. (Here, here, enough is enough.) Forget Hulkamania and the Attitudee Era, we're loving in the Era of Orton."
I have to say, that doesn't have much of a ring to it.
JBL comes out. "You're right, Cena and Triple H don't deserve a title match. I do. Your entire reign has been predicated on luck. (Orton smugly grins.) You can't beat me."
"I declare my candidacy for the Number One Contender's spot. I want my damn torch back." (That's what they all say.)
"They dislike you? They're going to hate me" JBL leaves a flustered Orton behind. That ought to kill a pay-per-view.
Matt Hardy jumps Orton from behind. It's New Contender's Night (or maybe just New Contender's Quarter Hour).
Raw G.M. William Regal is furious at Hardy. Hardy correctly points out Orton took three months off his career by kicking him in the appendix and he wants revenge tonight. Regal says he'll take a match between the two under advisement.
Trevor Murdoch & Lance Cade face the returning Cryme Tyme. Yeah, they're going kid-friendly. Where's Bill Cosby when you need him? Welcome back, the fans chant. Jerry Lawler says they were off on the island, Riker's Island. Hopefully they had wrestling classes there. He also says Trevor Murdoch has a great singing voice. Cryme Tyme wins with a roll up on him.
Trucking Tom Miller introduces Ric Flair at the first Starrcade.Miller used to eat at Shoney's on High Point Road after the matches. Highlights air of Flair's title win in the Greensboro Coliseum over Harley Race air. It's amazing to hear Bob Caudle and Gordon Solie on WWE Raw in 2008.
One of the things that's amazing about Ric Flair is he had years of great, big money main events even before the first Starrcade.
My hero Shawn Michaels comes out – no playing to the crowd, no schtick. He's feeling a lot of emotions, not all of them good. He had too much respect for Ric Flair not to bring his A game. He had a job to do.
"Now the career of the greatest wrestler who ever lived is over..."
That's a burden he has to bear the rest of his life. "Lucky me."
William Regal tells HBK backstage, "You did what you had to do. Personally I think it's something that should have been done a long time ago." I know he's a heel but ugh.
Batista gives HBK the fish-eye from the hall.
Brian Kendrick & Paul London face Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes. I don't know how to put this, but there's a certain vibe to this match that I'm not sure WWE intends.
"...the driving force of Bob Holly behind him..."
A creative, well-executed last couple of minutes ends when London rolls up Rhodes for the win.
Highlights from the five star WrestleWar 1989 match between Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat air. They stop before Terry,"Are you saying I'm not good enough?" Funk interrupts.
Whatever band it was that did the latest power ballad is here.
WrestleMania highlights air. You know, it's too bad they didn't take the opportunity to have Kim Kardashian interview Mike Adamle, or vice versa. Talk about your WrestleMania moment...
Chris Jericho faces Money in The Bank winner C.M. Punk. Jim Ross says if there was a second place trophy in the MIB match last night Jericho would have won it. This is a big match for Punk. Can he have a good to great match with Jericho? Can he carry the ten o'clock rating? Can he bring main event heat?
They start with the heavy kicks to the legs. Regal made the Orton-Hardy match for later. "Y2J!" "C.M. Punk!" "Let's go, Jericho!" Lawler watches the two kick each other some more, then confuses Rob Van Dam with Jean Claude Van Dam. Well, it's arguable who's the bigger movie star now.
Jericho jams his knee on a Lionsault, but recovers to win clean with a Code Breaker. I don't know, they could have waited a week to beat this guy.
Ric Flair's epic title win at the Royal Rumble is highlighted. "With a tear in my eye..."
Big Show comes out. Ross says he got a standing ovation. He might have, and he might have deserved one. Show has a bruise on his jaw. We may see here if they'll ever be a re-match. He would like to congratulate Floyd Mayweather, his manager, the six guys in his entourage, the three steel chairs and the brass knuckles...
"I'm not out here for Floyd Mayweather. (There's the answer, at least for the time being.) Ric Flair talked about breaking in the business with Andre the Giant and said I was the greatest big man he was ever in the ring with. (He tears up.) I'm going to go back to doing what I do best..."
The worst big man Ric Flair was ever in the ring with (Okay, maybe the second behind I Wan Da Belt) comes down and chests up to him.
"You need to get out of my face." Big Show gets ready to fight. Khali leaves.
Big Show is really self-assured in the ring and on the mic right now. If Vince McMahon is still interested in sticking it to Hulk Hogan, he could have his friend Show do the body slam challenge with Khali.
Santino Morella is faking deep knee bends as Maria approaches. He wants to know whether Maria had her shots after kissing the Snoopy Dog.
They're having a match tonight. Maria doesn't want to do it. Morella does the Divas should be cooking and making babies deal and says if she knows another way to release his frustration he'll listen. She slaps the hell out of him.
Randy Orton faces Matt Hardy. WWE is clearly not giving away much tonight (Flair's retirement is something altogether unique), and letting curiosity about Wrestlemania carry the rating. That might be a smart move, we'll see after next week's rating. Hardy comes out last. Huh?
This starts out strong with Matt going for revenge. Big Hardy chant. This is a good match that end suddenly with the RKO. I liked this. They didn't forget the injury angle that originally set up Jeff Hardy's title shot happened to another star. He can give Orton a challenge before putting him over strong, then resume his feud with MNVP on Smackdown.
The American Dream Dusty Rhodes talks about Ric Flair: I've wined and dined with Kings and Queens... and I've wrestled Ric Flair. It was always a happening.
Rhodes was gracious here. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt on the "national treasure" line and the sincere grin at the end.
Orton is panting for air in the back when JBL picks up his belt and gives it a good stare.
Maria wrestles Santino Marella in an Anything Goes match. Lawler says he's been handed a note signed by Regal that says he can't interfere in any way (good detail work). Every Diva in the WWE hits the ring and whips Marella's ass for his earlier comments, (Anything Goes) then Maria pins him. Cute. Maria kicks him in the butt and kisses him off.
Jim Ross says there's no doubt in his mind who the greatest wrestler who ever lived is - that's Ric Flair.
The main event is next.
Ric Flair walks out looking like he's ready to run for office.
"I will never, ever wrestle in this ring again. I'm not sad, don't you be sad too." (I'm not, not really.)
"I've had the greatest career in the history of professional wrestling."
It's the real Ric Flair - the cadence, the confidence, the charisma...
Triple H comes out. He says if you think only the people in Florida want to say thank you, you'd be sadly mistaken. Ever since he talked on the phone to some guys this afternoon, his hand has been cramping.
And on the ramp appears The Four Horseman.
Tully Blanchard. J.J. Dillon. Arn Anderson. Barry Windham.
They're raising four fingers in the air.
So am I - and I'm transported 20 years back in time to the front row of the Greensboro Coliseum - Horseman Ground Zero. Flair had his friends and I had mine - John Hitchcock, our leader, K.C. O'Conner, Obin Johnson, Big Eddie, The Grondys, Angie, Steve Stamper, Danny Donny, and the rest - We had so much fun back then, but not as much as those guys did. I didn't know it at the time, but Ric Flair was taking me to school, too.
Flair hugs his old friends and cries. (I'm not hugging Hitch.)
And there's the great NWA Champion Harley Race and Ric Flair's greatest tag team partner, Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, and his greatest opponent in the greatest wrestling series of them all – Ricky Steamboat and Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling lives for one last night, too.
The ring is filled with the great and the good. The memories flood on.
Shawn Michaels, who is a great wrestler and is becoming a good man, comes down. Triple H shows the matching Rolex watches Michaels and Flair are wearing, a gift from Michaels. Both have "24" engraved on them. Flair's has "Richard Fliehr – To Be The Man" on his. Michaels has "Shawn Michaels – You Gotta Beat The Man."
Flair's family comes into the ring to be with him. It's Reid's first time on TV in a Raw ring. He's got a tough road to travel.
The entire roster is at ringside chanting "Thank you, Ric!" Big Show jumps on the ring apron and shares a word.
The camera goes to a long shot.
Like the guy he swiped his theme from all those years ago, Ric Flair has left the building.
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