Chicago, Illinois
Commentators: Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler
RAW Report
WWE RAW started off with footage from last Monday night when Shelton Benjamin defeated Triple H for the second consecutive time in a row. The first time, he defeated the Game by pinfall and last week, he beat Triple H by count out but after the matches, Triple H and Evolution laid into Shelton Benjamin with a brutal beat down. Last Monday, Mick Foley, Chris Benoit and Shawn Michaels were there to assist Shelton Benjamin and later that night, General Manager Eric Bischoff made a match for tonight's show and that's all four members of Evolution against Mick Foley, Shawn Michaels, Chris Benoit and Shelton Benjamin!
A shot of the backstage area was shown and Shelton Benjamin was shown with Eric Bischoff and Benjamin had bandages on his forehead. Eric was trying to get Shelton to calm down, but Shelton couldn't do it because of the brutal beat down he suffered at the hands of Evolution last week and what did Eric Bischoff do about it? Nothing. Shelton told Eric that he is the worst head of a company he's ever seen. Evolution beat him within an inch of his life and Eric Bischoff did nothing. Johnny Nitro was in the room with Mick Foley's barbed wire baseball bat and he told Shelton to get used to it and Shelton threatened to use the bat as an enema. Mick Foley, Chris Benoit and Shawn Michaels showed up and Benoit told Shelton that tonight, they have all four members of Evolution. Mick Foley went over to Johnny Nitro and got his barbed wire baseball bat and Shawn Michaels said that the bases are loaded tonight and the crowd was well behind Shawn Michaels as he got the "Chicago" cheap pop.
Mick Foley's music hit in the arena and he made his way out to the ring with his barbed wire baseball bat named Barbie and he took the microphone and said "be very very quiet. He's hunting Wandy's!" Thank goodness that Barbie is back where she belongs. Now, during tonight's eight man tag team match, he understands he will temporarily have to give Barbie up but not to Johnny Nitro. To someone he trusts and during tonight's eight man, he's going to be restricted to certain rules he wouldn't like to be applied to. He also understands that during tonight's match, he probably won't be able to do the things to Randy Orton that he would like to do. But that's OK because he would like to leave a little bit of Randy Orton for Backlash. Second of all, he hasn't had a match on RAW in four years; he's got three of the best partners a guy could ask for standing by his side and he fully intends to do a little Mick Foley romping and stomping Chicago style! Mick said that he has no problems with tonight's eight man. When it comes to Backlash, he does have a little tiny problem. It seems as if he has become somewhat obsessed with all of the things he is going to do to Randy Orton with this here bat. And it seems that he is loving it! And that becomes a little problem because he's not sure that that's the person he wants to be. Let's face it, Randy Orton is a world class horse's ass but he also happens to be one damn good wrestler and the Intercontinental Champion. Hey, he even happens to own a pinfall victory over yours truly at Wrestlemania. So Mick isn't sure that he would feel comfortable distinguishing one of wrestling's brightest lights in one gory match at Backlash. Randy Orton happens to be a fairly good looking guy and Mick Foley isn't sure that he would feel comfortable putting an end to that in one gory bloody night at Backlash. He's not sure Mick Foley would feel comfortable doing that. Fortunately, he knows somebody who would. His name is Cactus Jack! And for those of you who do not know the difference, let him spell it out; Mick Foley is a nice guy whereas Cactus Jack is the most ruthless, heartless bastard to ever step foot inside a wrestling ring! Mick Foley may have a little problem taking this barbed wire bat into Randy Orton's skull, producing the type of blood flow usually seen in Mel Gibson movies. Cactus Jack on the other hand would not only do it willingly, but do it with joy bordering on orgasmic. Mick Foley may care about Randy Orton's looks, but Cactus Jack sure as hell won't. Cactus Jack will make Randy Orton unrecognizable to all but his closest family. Bottom line, Mick Foley has a conscience and Cactus Jack just doesn't give a damn. So when you come down to it... Randy Orton stormed to the ring and he went to hit Mick Foley with a steel chair but Mick Foley swung the barbed wire baseball bat at the chair to knock it out of Orton's hands and Orton quickly got out of the ring and bailed out.
Kane vs. Grandmaster Sexay
Kane's music hit in the arena and he made his way out to the ring, scheduled for a one on one contest against the returning Grandmaster Sexay and this Sunday night on pay per view, Kane will meet the returning Edge in a one on one contest at Backlash!
As Grandmaster Sexay danced to the ring, Kane couldn't believe what he was seeing in the goofy Grandmaster Sexay. Kane went for a clothesline on Grandmaster Sexay but Grandmaster ducked it and gave Kane some right hands until Kane shoved Grandmaster Sexay down to the mat.
Kane gave Grandmaster Sexay a sidewalk slam and then he waited for Grandmaster to get to his feet and then he planted Grandmaster Sexay with a big time choke slam to finish him off.
Winner - Kane
Trish Stratus was shown in the backstage area with the WWE's make up lady and Trish didn't seem too happy about being included in the match at Backlash. As Trish was talking, Eugene showed up and said hi to the make up lady and Trish said Eugene knows the make up lady, so he obviously knows who Trish is. Eugene hesitated and then he referred to Trish as "slut." William Regal showed up and pulled Eugene away and Christian showed up, saying that this is Chris Jericho's fault. This is the reason he wanted her in the match at Backlash, so they can embarrass Chris the same way he's been embarrassing them. Christian is going to beat Jericho's ass and then when the time is right, he'll tag her in and all she has to do is cover him. Trish asked Christian if he promises? Christian asked when has he never kept a promise? Trish started to think about it and Christian pulled her in and hugged her as she whined about Eugene calling her a slut.
Tajiri vs. the Black Ninja
Coach brought him a dangerous five star ninja from the orient. If somehow Tajiri can beat this man, then and only then will Coach accept the challenge to go one on one with Tajiri at Backlash. However, just like the Cubs winning the World Series, that just ain't gonna happen!
Tajiri locked it up with the Black Ninja and Tajiri twisted his arm and the Black Ninja rolled out of it and then he knocked Tajiri down to the mat with a back heel trip as The Coach looked on from the outside of the ring.
Tajiri went to remove the mask of the Black Ninja but the Black Ninja tossed Tajiri down to the mat and gave him a straight kick to the back of the head.
Tajiri went for a back slide but the Black Ninja swung around and the referee got caught in the eye and then Tajiri put the Black Ninja in the tarantula but The Coach broke it up with a cheap shot to the head to break it up. Coach then rolled Tajiri back into the ring and the Black Ninja covered him but only got a two count.
The Black Ninja went for what looked to be the Snow Plow but Tajiri got out of it and kicked The Black Ninja in the back of the head and then he nailed him with the kick of death and pinned him for the three count to get the win.
Winner - Tajiri
After the match, Tajiri ripped off the mask of the Black Ninja, revealing him to be Al Snow and The Coach was none too pleased with Tajiri's victory.
Ric Flair was shown in Eric Bischoff's office and Flair said that this Shelton Benjamin thing is over the top. The punk is on the top and he belongs at the bottom. He's actually trying to convince the world that he beat Triple H but it didn't happen. Flair told Eric that he's asking for a match at Backlash against Shelton Benjamin. Eric told Flair that he's one step ahead of him. Contracts have been ready since 2:30 this afternoon, so he's got Shelton Benjamin at Backlash! Flair started to leave the room but Shelton Benjamin ambushed him and attacked him and Eric Bischoff tried to break it up but Shelton shoved him back and Bischoff left the room to look for help. WWE officials entered the room in an attempt to break it up and Flair was down on the ground holding his throat and choking in an attempt to catch his breath.
A shot of Triple H was shown and regarding Backlash, he said that it was Wrestlemania XX, the biggest stage of them all. Some have said that it was the greatest match of all time and now at Backlash, it'll become the greatest rematch of all time; the final encounter. Chris Benoit, Shawn Michaels and Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship. Three of the greatest of all time and they all have something to prove. Benoit will try to prove to the world that he is more than just a one hit wonder. Shawn Michaels will try to prove to the world that he is still the icon and Triple H will prove that the World Heavyweight Championship still belongs to him. There is a reason that they call him the Game and there is only one diamond in this business and you're looking at him.
The Highlight Reel:
Chris Jericho's music hit in the arena and he made his way out to the ring and he's set for another edition of the Highlight Reel! Chris Jericho took the mic and he said that on Sunday at Backlash, he finally gets the match he's been waiting for ever since Wrestlemania. Chris Jericho vs. the Creepy Little Bastard and the filthy, dirty, disgusting, brutal, bottom feeding trash bag ho! Chris said that after it's all said and done, their careers will be MIA, etc, etc. And all the while, Trish Stratus will be wishing she had a little bit of vitamin C, baby! And he knows that Trish is nervous about this match but she doesn't have to be nervous about this match. It's obvious to him that this isn't the first time that she's been in action with two men at the exact same time. And besides, Trish said it herself; she likes it rough. Chris started barking an d he asked why this rings a bell? Oh, it's because of this: Chris showed footage of Trish Stratus crawling on her hands and knees and barking like a dog for Vince McMahon. Artificial dog barking noises were added into the clip to add comedy into the footage. The crowd was well behind Chris Jericho and Chris said you know what they say, a female dog is a bitch and once a bitch, always a bitch. And besides all that, the reason she is in a match against Chris Jericho at Backlash is because she was thrown out of the Women's Battle Royal last week on RAW by his guest tonight. She's challenging for the Women's Title at Backlash against Victoria, she's the queen of extreme and his guest is Lita!
Trish Stratus vs. Lita
Lita's music hit in the arena and she made her way out but she didn't get very far as Trish Stratus came out and attacked Lita from behind and then slammed her into the RAW set. Trish mounted Lita and gave her a number of right hands and Chris Jericho attempted to help her and Eric Bischoff came out and said that if they want to fight so bad, clear the ring of the Highlight Reel because it's going to be Lita vs. Trish Stratus right now!
After a commercial break, we joined the match in progress and Trish Stratus was kicking away on Lita as Chris Jericho remained at ringside looking on.
As the match was going on, Christian made his way out to join Trish Stratus in her corner to 'even up the odds' just incase Chris Jericho were to pull anything.
Trish went for the Stratusfaction but Lita countered it with a back suplex and then Lita covered Trish but only got a two count.
Trish charged at Lita but Lita side stepped her and Trish went sailing to the outside of the ring. Lita then jumped on Trish Stratus through the ropes with a suicide dive and then Lita grabbed Trish and rolled her back into the ring.
Christian turned Lita around on the outside of the ring and Lita slapped Christian across the face and Christian aggressively shoved Lita into the security wall and the referee ended the match in a disqualification.
Winner as a result of a disqualification, Lita
Chris Jericho got in the ring and went at it with Christian and he got the better of Christian until the referee restrained Chris Jericho, allowing Christian to roll out of dodge. That left Chris Jericho alone in the ring with Trish Stratus and she turned around and bumped into Y2J and Chris grabbed her by the hair and then he went for the Walls of Jericho but Christian got in the ring to break it up. Christian then stomped away on Chris Jericho and jammed his feet into Jericho's throat. Christian launched Jericho into the steel ring post and then he continued to beat on him and then he grabbed Jericho and held him for Trish Stratus to slap and she did just that several times. Christian then planted Chris Jericho with the Unprettier as the fans chanted for Lita but Lita was nowhere to be found. The fans then started chanting "slut, slut, slut" and Christian picked Jericho up and gave him another Unprettier and then Trish talked the trash. Trish then hit Chris Jericho with the "chick kick" to knock him down to the mat and then she and Christian hugged and then Trish talked more trash before leaving the ring with Christian.
Backstage: Todd Grisham was shown with La Resistance and he asked them why on earth would they move to Quebec? Sylvan Grenier said that he wants to show the people of the United States the error of their ways, so they can be more like them. So moving to Quebec allowed them to be closer to the United States so they can go on their mission. Rob Conway said that Americans are uneducated, violent, etc. They just want to help them be more like them. As Rob Conway was talking, Eugene showed up behind them and was playing with their flag. William Regal showed up to pull him back and they finally noticed Eugene and Regal apologized. Rob Conway told Regal and Eugene to watch themselves from now on and Regal told Eugene not to worry about that. The French are just rude and obnoxious, that's the way they are. In reality, they like Eugene! Eugene waved to La Resistance as they walked off.
Johnny Nitro's music hit in the arena and he made his way out to the ring and he said as Mr. Bischoff's hand picked apprentice, he has a statement to make. Three weeks ago, his boss Mr. Bischoff was attacked without warning by a man who calls himself Edge. So Mr. Bischoff made a match at Backlash; Edge vs. the seven foot monster, Kane. Mr. Bischoff did that to send a message to Edge and Johnny has a message of his own. So if Edge is back there, why not come out here so that Johnny can tell him to his face exactly what he thinks?
Edge's music hit in the arena and he made his way right out to a decent reaction from the crowd in Chicago. Johnny told Edge that he thinks he has it all figured out, doesn't he? He gets a match with Kane and then the next week, he comes out with a mysterious hand injury that lets him carry around a cast. Johnny knows what it's like to have a real injury and you can't put one over on him because he's Johnny Nitro. So how about this? If the referee at Backlash catches him using that cast even once, not only will he automatically lose, but he will be suspended on the spot. How do you like that, Edge? Edge snatched the mic from Johnny and he told him that he understands this; that he's been out of action for over a year and he's been chomping at the bit to get back in this ring and nothing is going to stop him. Not a match against Kane, not a broken neck, not a broken neck and certainly not some threat from Johnny Jackass! Edge faces Kane this Sunday and listen up, he will beat Kane this Sunday! But Johnny might be right about something. He may have been out of line when he speared Eric Bischoff, so he was hoping the next time Johnny sees Eric after he gets up off of his knees, that he could relay a little message to him for him; SPEAR! Edge speared Johnny Nitro right down to the mat to leave him laying!
Sylvan Grenier vs. the Hurricane
The music of La Resistance hit in the arena and Sylvan Grenier made his way out to the ring accompanied by his partner, Rob Conway and this is a one on one contest with Sylvan Grenier facing the Hurricane, who was accompanied to the ring by Rosey.
Sylvan Grenier and the Hurricane tied it up in the center of the ring and the Hurricane twisted the arm of Sylvan Grenier and then he put Sylvan in a side headlock. Sylvan gave the Hurricane a shot to the mid section and then he whipped the Hurricane off the ropes and the Hurricane rolled under Sylvan and then he kicked him in the gut.
As the match was going on, Eugene made his way out to the ringside area with an Easter bunny in his hand and he tried to give it to Rob Conway but Rob told him to get out of here. Eugene climbed up on the ring apron and Rob told him to get out of here but Eugene ignored him and then he handed the bunny to Sylvan. Sylvan tore the bunny in half and tossed it to the arena floor and then Eugene went to collect the pieces.
The Hurricane knocked Rob Conway down from the ring apron and then he gave Sylvan Grenier the Eye of the Hurricane and then a pin for the three count to get the win!
Winner - the Hurricane
Rosey got in the ring to celebrate with the Hurricane and William Regal came out to the ringside area to take Eugene to the back with him.
Shawn Michaels was standing by and he said that after the Triple Threat Match at Wrestlemania XX, people said it was the greatest match in Wrestlemania history and as he walked the streets, people said "HBK, how are you going to top that?" How? Shawn's response is that he is the show stopper and it's what he does. Always have and always will top that. Come Backlash, three guys believe honestly in their hearts that they are the very best but that can only be true for one of them so now it's time to separate fact from fiction because only one of them will walk out the World Heavyweight Champion!
A video package for Mick Foley played, showing the damage he can do when motivated and Randy Orton was shown looking on and he looked extremely nervous as he heads to No Way Out against the sick and sadistic Cactus Jack.
Chris Benoit was shown standing by and he has some words regarding WWE Backlash; Benoit said that Wrestlemania XX was definitely the biggest night of his career. The night he faced the World Champion and two of the greatest wrestlers in the entire history of this business. The night he made Triple H tap out. He heard it all, too. "Chris, you'll never do it." "Chris, you got lucky." Chris said that he doesn't believe in luck, he believes in hard work. Once you step into that ring, the only person you can rely on is yourself and at Backlash, it's going to be about Chris Benoit, his hard work, his title and he will walk away, still World Heavyweight Champion. And luck will have nothing to do with it!
Eight Man Tag Team Match
Chris Benoit, Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley & Shelton Benjamin vs. Triple H, Batista, Randy Orton & Ric Flair
Chris Benoit's music hit in the arena and he made his way out to the ring as the World Heavyweight Champion and this is an eight man tag team match with Chris Benoit teaming up with Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley and Shelton Benjamin and they are up against all four members of Evolution; Triple H, Batista, Randy Orton and Ric Flair!
Shelton Benjamin wanted to start the match off in the ring with Ric Flair but Shawn Michaels convinced him otherwise. The team decided that Shawn would start it off in the ring against Flair and the two locked it up and Shawn put Flair in a side headlock and Flair whipped Michaels towards the ropes but Michaels quickly came back with a hard shoulder block to knock Flair down to the mat. Michaels then mocked Ric Flair by doing his patented strut and the "Woooo!!" in the center of the ring!
Triple H and Chris Benoit were both tagged into the match at one point and the two hammered away on each other and the crowd rumbled for the entire thing, showing that they are well behind Chris Benoit as the World Heavyweight Champion.
Chris Benoit took Triple H down to the mat and he put Triple H in the sharpshooter and Ric Flair got in the ring and Benoit gave him a right hand to knock him down to the mat and then all eight men got in the ring and all hell broke loose as the referee lost control of the entire match up. Foley, Benoit, Michaels and Benjamin successfully cleared the ring of Evolution and then Shawn Michaels launched himself onto Batista, Flair and Triple H on the outside of the ring with a plancha over the top rope.
Shelton Benjamin was in the ring working on Ric Flair and he went off the ropes and Triple H pulled the top rope down and Shelton fell down to the outside of the ring and then Triple H grabbed hold of Shelton and whipped him right into the steel steps on the outside of the ring. Triple H then hopped back to the ring apron as if nothing happened and then Randy Orton hopped down and rolled Shelton back into the ring.
Shawn Michaels hit Randy Orton with the elbow drop from the top rope and then he went for the super kick but Flair got in the ring, so he nailed Flair with the super kick and then Orton planted Michaels with the RKO. Randy Orton eventually rolled over to pin Michaels but Chris Benoit came off the top rope with the flying headbutt to break it up.
Triple H went for the Pedigree on Mick Foley but Mick Foley gave Triple H a back body drop to the outside of the ring. Mick then put Randy Orton in the Mandible Claw until Batista pulled Foley out of the ring.
Shawn Michaels eventually hit Randy Orton with the super kick and then he covered him for the three count to get the win for his team!
Winners - Shawn Micahels, Mick Foley, Shelton Benjamin and Chris Benoit
Shawn Michaels and Chris Benoit stood in the ring together, showing respect for one another while Triple H hopped to the ring apron and angrily looked at his opponents for Backlash as the show went off the air!
Results by Kevin Gregg of PowerWrestling.com
Credit: WrestlingAttitude.com