WWE RAW - full report - WWE Recap and Thoughts

WWE RAW
July 15, 2002

The following is a WWE RAW Report courtesy of Firetank/Smash. To view their headlines on our site, click here.

WWE RAW Report
July 15, 2002

Paul and the Phenom were in the back talking about the main event for the night as Brock Lesnar and the Dead Man will team to take on Ric Flair and RVD. Paul told Taker that he and Brock hoped that Taker would retain the title this Sunday at Vengeance because Brock wanted the honor of facing The Undertaker for the Undisputed Title. Taker said that Brock's best interests were all well and good, but Brock had better hope that Taker lost simply because come SummerSlam, the Badass told Paul that he was going to do what he did best.... make the next big thing disappear.

INTERVIEW - WWE Chairman VINCE MCMAHON:
Vince strolled to the ring to nWo music and the boss seemed in a surprisingly good mood! Mr. McMahon told the fans that he came out to the ring to the nWo music because he figured that the fans might want to hear it one more time as the nWo era came to a close. Vince ran down the eras in WWE history, dating back to Pedro Morales and Superstar Billy Graham to Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior and finally and most recently through the Stone Cold era.

The boss went on to explain that WWE changed with the times and tonight, another change was about to take place. Vince told the crowd that he had hired a pair of general managers; one for Raw and one for SmackDown! and that during the course of the show tonight, he would announce the new GM of Raw, saying that the mystery man would deliver everything that the fans wanted and deserved!

The entire Raw roster was in the back contemplating what Vince had just said.

Terri caught up with the Nature Boy backstage and asked the former 16-time World Champion who he thought might become the new GM of Raw. Ric said the job was thankless and he didn;t know anyone who could take over the position whose name was not McMahon!

SIX MAN TAG TEAM ELIMINATION MATCH
CHRIS BENOIT, EDDIE GUERRERO & WILLIAM REGAL def. WWE European Champion JEFF HARDY & THE DUDLEY BOYZ:
Prior to the match, footage of Jeff's big European Title victory over William Regal was shown from last week. Guerrero took Spike out of the picture in the early going with an inside cradle and although Buh Buh scored with a Buh Buh Bomb to gain the momentum for his team, Guerrero fired back on Jeff as Jeff and Buh Buh worked out of a three-on-two deficit.

Guerrero, Benoit and Regal worked over Jeff in their half of the ring, punishing him with brainbusters, suplexes and pummeling him mercilessly in the corner. Jeff stung Regal with a dropkick but Guerrero cut him off to prevent the tag. Jeff came back, though and the match broke down as Benoit went to the floor to get Jeff's European Title belt.

Regal scooped up the gold but Buh Buh swiped the belt away from the former champion. However, the referee turned around just in time to see Buh Buh blast Regal with the gold, causing the DQ and leaving Jeff all alone. The Hardy quickly cut the deficit, taking advantage of the situation to drill Regal with the Swanton and make it a two-on-one.

Benoit and Guerrero punished Jeff throughout the break, taking advantage of the power play situation. Jeff would not quit, though and he soon hit the Compactor to make it a one-on-one match! Guerrero was not ready to go as he and Benoit continued to punish the European Champion but Jeff took Eddie out with a spinning heel kick to the face.

Eddie still would not leave, though, detaining the official and allowing Regal to sneak in and blast Jeff with the infamous brass knuckles! Benoit regrouped and locked in the Crossface on a prone Jeff Hardy and the official leaned in to check on Jeff but the anguish was too much for Jeff to bear as Jeff passed out from the pain. Eddie and Benoit then grabbed a table and prepared to finish Jeff off but the Dudleyz charged the ring and made the save.

Coach was in the back outside of Mr. McMahon's dressing room awaiting word on the identity of the new GM. Speculation had been running rampant about the new general manager's identity, ranging from Mick Foley to Paul Heyman, who came into Vince's room to graciously accept the position. However, one of Vince's assistants ran into the room and informed Vince that "he" was here, news that brought a smile to Vince's lips and a sneer to Paul's!

Vince was still in the back awaiting the new GM but it was Shane McMahon that walked into his father's office! Shane O-Mac told his dad that he knew who his father had picked as GM and he knew that the mystery man would screw Vince the first chance that he got. Vince said that he appreciated Shane's concern, but all the same, the decision was his to make. Shane took his leave, but he reminded his father that he was playing with the lives of his whole family.

Tommy Dreamer was arriving at the arena and the Innovator of Violence bumped into Rob Van Dam in the back. Tommy congratulated the Intercontinental Champion for plastering a chair in Heyman's face last week with the Van Terminator, asking how it felt to get a shot like that in on Heyman and RVD told the Innovator of Violence that it felt great! As RVD headed off to get ready for his tag team match, Steven Richarde came up and told Tommy that he thought what Tommy had to say about ECW last week was very noble. However, Steven also thought that tTommy only did what he did to get noticed and he felt like getting noticed tonight, so he wanted their match tonight to be a Singapore Cane Match! Goldust approached the two and voiced his aproval and Tommy agreed after the two shared a chuckle, but as Steven gave Tommy his cane, the former RTC head man cracked Tommy in the ribs with his own cane to set the tone for the match!

SINGAPORE CANE MATCH
TOMMY DREAMER def. STEVEN RICHARDS:
Tommy and Steven engaged in a cane duel to get the match underway and Tommy took the fight to Steven before the action spilled out onto the floor. Tommy continued to punish Steven outside of the ring but as Tommy went for a shot with the steel steps, Steven blasted Tommy with a cane shot to the face, bloodying the former ECW tag champ!

Steven continued the ambush, working on the cut inside the ring and out and aplintering the stick over Tommy's legs and back. However, Tommy seemed like he enjoyed every second of the torture and he came back with cane shots of his own! Tommy drilled Steven with a DDT to get a nearfall. Tommy went to the top rope but the descent was not as nice as the trip up as Steven greeted him with a superkick!

Booker T was in the back with Coach talking about who the new GM could be when Booker decided to mess around with Coach a little, asking to see the Coacharoonie! Coach was a little hesitant but Booker told Coach that Rock wasn't the only man in the WWE who could kid arond with the announcers, so Coach should get to spinning! Coach obliged and performed a pretty sorry Spineroonie and as Booker questioned Coach's dancing ability, Eric Bischoff walked by! Please, PLEASE.... tell me.... I didn't JUST.... SEE... THAT!!!

INTERVIEW - Raw General Manager ERIC BISCHOFF:
There is an old expression; keep your friends close, your enemies closer. Vince came to the stage and put an end to the buzz, confirming the news; Eric Bischoff is back. The two hugged on the stage and shook hands then Eric made his way down the ramp and stepped into a WWE ring. The modesty and sincerity was absolutely dripping off of the new GM as he went on to chronicle the success of WCW against WWE and more importantly, his own success against Vince McMahon.

Bischoff recollected the year and a half that WCW beat WWE in the ratings every Monday night and he boasted of how he made the great Vince McMahon change the way he did business. Eric said that he was surprised to hear Vince McMahon aske him to be the new GM of Raw, but once he thought about it, it all made sense. Vince, much like the public in general, had been drawn to a winner.

Eric then wrapped things up by saying that there was one man who he believed could've keep Nitro on the air if he could've signed him and that man was The Game himself, Triple H. Eric told the crowd that he would sign the Cerebral Assassin and with all due respect, Vince would be working for him right now! To close things out, Eric vowed that starting tonight, he would put the 'E' back in WWE.

The Raw roster was in the back reacting to Eric Bischoff's induction as the new GM of Raw.

Bradshaw was in the back with the Phenom talking about the shocker which had just taken place.when Eric came up to talk to the Undisputed Champion. Eric took a couple of moments to brownnose to the champ, cutting off Bradshaw as he tried to introduce himself then offering to do whatever Taker's heart desired!

WWE WOMEN'S TITLE MATCH
WWE Women's Champion MOLLY HOLLY def. TRISH STRATUS to retain the WWE Women's Title:
Molly took the fight to the challenger in the early going, punishing Trish in the corner and then scoring with a swinging neckbreaker. Trish fired back, though, first connecting with a headscissor from the second rope and following it with the Chick Kick to get the nearfall!

Molly went back on the offensive after a backbreaker but as the champion went to scoop Trish up, Trish countered it into a Stratusfaction attempt. Molly fell back, turning the move into a short belly-to-back suplex then with the help of the bottom rope, Molly made the cover and retained her title!

Ric Flair and Eric had a brief reunion in the back. Eric told Ric that they should leave the past in the past and that he was looking forward to working with Natch again. Flair was not as thrilled about working with Eric again, brushing off the boss by saying that he had a big match to think about, a statement which did not sit well with Eric.

The Rey Mysterio, Jr. teaser was shown once again.

Fotage of Booker T's introduction to Sweet Chin Music from last night was shown.

BOOKER T def. THE BIG SHOW (via DQ):
The big man mauled Booker in the corner to get the match underway and then hit the Bookerman with the biggest vertical suplex in the business today. Booker came back with a series of chops against the rope and although Show fired back, Booker continued to rock the 500-pounder in the corner.

Booker caught Show with a side kick off of the ropes then both men went over the top rope to the floor with a clothesline before grabbing a steel chair. Show moved out of the way of the chair shot then tossed Booker into the steps before sendin the former 5-time WCW Champion back into the ring.

Booker grabbed the chair and wound up to blast Show, but Show punched the chair out of Booker's hand! The former WWE Champion then grabbed the chair and after disposing of the official, Show cracked the steel across Booker's back twice to cause the DQ! However, the 7-foot monster was not finished as he continued to punish Booker outside of the ring before annihilating the number one best-seller with a Showstopper thtough the announce table!

Paul was in the back with Brock, psyching up the Next Big Thing while he curled a piece of the Raw set! Brock asked Paul if he had talked to Taker and Heyman told his client that Taker had bought every word that Paul had to say! Paul assured Brock that as long as he worked with Taker tonight, a win over RVD and the Intercontinental Title were a lock at Vengeance!

J.R. and King, along with the remainder of the WWE, passed on their condolensces to the family of James Miranda. Miranda was a integral part of the arena merchandising setup and he was known to be one of the nicest individuals in the company.

WWE HARDCORE TITLE MATCH
WWE Hardcore Champion BRADSHAW vs. CHRISTOPHER NOWINSKI (JOHNNY STAMBOLI def. Bradshaw to become the new WWE Hardcore Champion):
Chris took to the mic and told Bradshaw that he had no interest in the Hardcore Title, so he proposed that he could lay down and give Bradshaw the win. Bradshaw took the rookie up on the offer

Show came into the back to talk to Eric and he told his new boss that he had a favor to ask. Show said he was tired of all of the countouts and DQs against Booker T so he suggested a no countout, no DQ match for Vengeance. Eric told Show that he just wanted to settle in and get comfortable on his first night in charge and he really didn't feel like upsetting Vince, but he and Show were so close, he just couldn't resist! An ecstatic Show took off as Eric turned on the Triple H DVD and gazed with great interest at The Game.

Johnny was in the back with Stamboli as the youngster thanked the boss for the opportunity to wrestle on Raw. Bischoff told Johnny that he had made the opportunity for himself, but no sooner had Eric told Johnny that he would give opportunity to anyone who wanted it then did Bradshaw bowl over the new Hardcore champ with the Clothesline from Hell to make him an EX-Hardcore Champion! Bradshaw then turned his attention to Bischoff and re-introduced himself to Eric once again as the Hardocre Champion!

Brock was in the back with Paul talking about the Summer of the Next Big Thing when Taker came along to speak with his partner. Paul once again tried to suck up to the champion but Brock shut him up and gave Taker the honor of heading to the ring first. Taker declined, though, allowing Lesnar to head out first!

Footage of RVD's Van Terminator on his former boss, Paul Heyman, from last week on Raw was shown.

Undisputed WWE Champion THE UNDERTAKER & BROCK LESNAR def. WWE Intercontinental Champion ROB VAN DAM & RIC FLAIR:
Taker sent Flair down to the mat with a shoulderblock before clamping on a Greco-Roman knucklelock. Flair broke the hold with a series of chops and made the tag to RVD who came in airborne via a crossbody from the top rope. RVD's feet got moving in the corner and the Whole F'N Show then worked over the legs of the Phenom, allowing Flair to lock in the figure-four!

Taker grabbed Flair by the throat to break the hold and although Flair snuck in a low blow, Taker pasted the former 16-time champ to the canvas with a chokeslam. Lesnar checked in and decimated the Nature Boy, punishing him in the corner and contorting his spine with a pair of backbreakers. Taker got his shots in, dropping a leg and decking Natch with a hard left on the apron.

Flair tried to fight back with a series of chops after Taker checked back in and although the Phenom was staggered, Taker caught Flair on the top rope and delivered a monstrous superplex and RVD was forced to break up the pin. Lesnar came back into the ring and doubled Flair over with a series of shoulderblocks. Flair's chops only seemed to wake the monster up and a powerslam had Lesnar back in firm control.

Flair would not go down, though, moving out of the way of a shoulderblock in the corner, sending Brock barreling into the ringpost shoulderfirst. Flair hit a suplex and both men made tags. Van Dam took over with a dropkick to Lesnar and a series of shoulderblocks to Taker before scoring with Rolling Thunder.

Lesnar nearly broke RVD in half in the corner with shoulderblocks but Van Dam came back, hitting the split-legged moonsault on Brock but Taker broke up the pin with a legdrop to the back of the head. The match deteriorated as Taker loaded up for the Last Ride on RVD but Flair made the save. Lesnar caught Flair with the F5 after Flair took the Taker out of the picture but RVD caught Brock with a side kick to set up the 5-Star! As Van Dam staggered to his feet, Taker caught him with the Last Rids to pick up the win for his team, but Brock showed his appreciation by catching Taker with the F5 and setting the Undisputed Title down on the champion's prone form, possibly sending a message for SummerSlam!

Eric was in the back when he picked up his cell phone and called..... The Rock! Bischoff left a message for the Great One, saying that he was a huge fan and that Raw was the place for the Brahma Bull to be! Eric closed out Raw by telling Rock that he was looking forward to meeting him on SmackDown! and that he was looking forward to doing business with the People's Champion!