WWE: The '05 Draft And Beyond

[Guest ADDavis]

Opening Notes:

Welcome to my first ‘true’ diary (I say true because I wrote two a while back, neither of which I kept up with due to interest). I decided I’d take a stab at WWE, being that if I need to prove myself with an interesting diary, I might as well try making an interesting WWE one. This is going to pick up right on the first night of the draft – next week of course. I’ll be making a few minor changes before the diary begins.

I want to make this a somewhat ‘realistic’ WWE diary. Meaning that I won’t fire ALL of the people I don’t like, hire people that wouldn’t logically work for WWE, etc etc. Yes, I’m keeping Heidenreich and Viscera (for now). I’ll still fire some folks who don’t really fit into my plans whatsoever, of course. At the same time, I want to do creative things with the rosters and come up with ideas that won’t be thought up otherwise. So, expect some fun, but also expect some of the same WWE crap you’ve come to expect – albeit at a much more interesting level.

First, I’m keeping all storylines in tact as best I can, EXCEPT for the ECW show. Considering that I’m using EWR and it only allows one pay per view a month, plus I don’t want to mess with all the open contracts and the booking, I’m just going to say its happening but not actually book it. I want to focus on the draft and the shakeups that will occur due to that. Still, that’s not to say I won’t mention it, or have some signings come about due to it...

The pay per views that will be left out of the monthly schedule – Taboo Tuesday and New Year’s Revolution, right now – will still be done, but they’ll just be Raw ‘supershows’ (meaning that it’ll be a bigger edition of Raw).

I’ve made some changes with the actual shows, to reflect the moves that have been rumored to take place. Raw goes back to USA Network. SmackDown moves to Friday nights, and Heat/Velocity (which I am going to merge into a new show...you’ll see ) move to USA as well. I know it’s a bit unrealistic to do the moves all sooner than they’ll actually happen, but again...thats not really the focus of this diary. So please, yell at me after I actually do some BOOKING (Y)

With all that out of the way, lets begin the diary with some News...

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NEWSBITES

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WWE Creative Teams To Begin New Venture With Draft (Via WrestleCircle.Com)

With the month long draft beginning on Raw this week, many changes are going to be made to shake up both the RAW and SmackDown! brands. Vince McMahon has made it clear that interest in the two shows must be peaked to the utmost now that new television deals have been made.

With Raw moving to the USA Network, the creative team wants to make a strong showing on its old ‘home’ once more. At the same time, SmackDown’s move to Friday nights is going to prove to be a challenging venture for the company, as it’s a very difficult time to capture ratings. So, expect moves to be made to spark up interest for that show especially.

One of the major renovations taking place in order to cause excitement for the now-Friday night show will be the development of the Cruiserweight division. Plans have been underway prior to the draft with the signings of Psychosis and Super Crazy, but expect more talented cruiserweights to be showing up on the SmackDown brand in the coming weeks.

Also, plans are being made to spice up the tag divisions on both brands as well. The debut of MNM and their subsequent WWE Tag Team Title victory on SmackDown, coupled with the Hurricane/Rosey winning the titles and gaining Stacy Keibler as a manager, are the first steps that the WWE is taking in order to revitalize tag team wrestling in their company. Expect some big debuts, returns, and changes as the draft is taking place.

Finally, the creative team is planning to make bigger use of the ‘trading’ clause of the draft. As stated in the draft specifics on WWE.com, trades may be finalized up till midnight on June 30th. Creative may make final changes in order to spruce the rosters up to their liking, so expect some major trades to take place before the draft is up.

[FLiam]

This diary has real, real promise. I hope it can last and I for one can't wait for the first show.

[DigificWriter]

Nice start; I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this.

[Witlon]

I'm liking what I've seen so far, and I shall keep reading.

[gazizgr8]

awesome start! looking forward to the rest

[Guest ADDavis]

WWE RAW IS WAR! June 6th, 2005

Jim Ross: WELCOME EVERYONE TO RAW... IS... WAR!! I’m Jim Ross and I’m alongside my broadcast colleague, Jerry “The King” Lawler, and let me tell you folks...it’s an important night here in St. Louis, Missouri!!

Jerry “The King” Lawler: That’s right, JR...I can’t wait to see who is going to get drafted to RAW!

JR: Yes, that’s right, tonight is the first night of the month long Draft Lottery, and we’re going to be starting the show with that first draft choice here tonight! PLUS we have a huge contract signing for Vengeance!

Jerry “The King” Lawler: I think with the World Champ AND Triple H in the house, theres going to be a lot of fists flying!

JR: Well, we’ll see if they can hold off until their Hell in a Cell bout, but not only are we going to see that...we’re going to see some HUGE matches, including a HARDCORE RULES tag team bout!

Jerry “The King” Lawler: Eric Bischoff is trying to rid the WWE of those three ugly letters...E... C... W... and quite frankly, I applaud his work!

JR: Well, Bischoff is forcing Benoit and Tajiri, two of the participants in the ECW One Night Stand pay per view this Sunday, to face Edge and the returning Gene Snitsky. After Edge, Snitsky, Maven, and Tomko beat Benoit like a government mule last week, you know things are going to be heating up between Bischoff and Heyman!

Jerry “The King” Lawler: And the main event is going to feature Captain Charisma himself, CHRISTIAN!

JR: Yeah, Christian will be here all right, but he’ll be facing the Big Red Machine, Kane! And let me tell you...after Lita has filed for Divorce and EMBARRASSED Kane in public, he will not be in a good mood whatsoever.

Jerry “The King” Lawler: Hey, he should’ve seen the signs coming...Premature Pyro... HAH! But hey, look, JR...the Highlight Reel is set up! AND HERE COMES Y2J!

::The Highlight Reel: Special Draft Edition...::

#5... 4... 3... 2... 1...

#BREAK THE WALLS DOWN!!!!!!!

(BOOM! The fans are on their feet as their Ayatollah of Rock and ROLLAH, Chris Jericho, walks out to his signature theme. Its time for the Highlight Reel, folks!)

Chris Jericho: Welcome once again to RAW... IS... JERICHO! *huge pop* And more importantly, welcome to another huge edition of the Highlight Reel. Now, let me be honest with you, I was worried I wouldn’t make it here tonight, being that I had SO much on my schedule this weekend. I mean, with the touring I had to do with my premiere band, FOZZY... I didn’t know if I’d even have time to show up here in St. Louis. And, hey, to be real honest with you people, I wouldn’t have minded missing out...I mean, what IS there here, anyways?

(That actually draws a bit of heat for Jericho...hm.)

JR: Strange comment from Chris Jericho... We’ve seen a different shade of Jericho’s personality as of late...

Jerry “The King” Lawler: But JR, he’s got a point...what IS there here?

Chris Jericho: BUT, fortunately for you, the faithful viewer, I was reminded that tonight was the beginning of the Draft Lottery! And I wasn’t going to miss out...because the FIRST draft choice for Raw will be done right here, right now, on the HIGHLIGHT REEL! And the lucky person to come over from SmackDown is going to be interviewed, by my handsome self, in just a few short minutes! Without further ado, its time to bring out the man with the fate of one superstar in his hands... He is YOUR General Manager of Raw, ladies and gentlemen...ERIC... BISCHOFF!

#I’M BAAAACK!

(The GM of Raw, Eric Bischoff, walks down as the majority of fans give him a quite negative reaction. Some ECW signs immediately go up, as well.)

Eric Bischoff: Thank you very much, Chris, for hosting this Draft Lottery pick on the Highlight Reel...it will CERTAINLY be something to be remembered, that’s for sure. Now, I’m going to show the world here tonight why I am the WWE’s BEST general manager, as I KNOW I’m going to steal some of the best talent that SmackDown has to offer...So, lets get this started.

Chris Jericho: Alright, production monkeys, roll out the lottery cage!

(A couple of stagehands roll the lottery cage out and the fans are on their feet in anticipation! The cage is lifted into the ring and Eric clasps his hands together in excitement, looking to pick a great superstar from SmackDown!)

Eric Bischoff: Alright...the FIRST person drafted to Raw from SmackDown IS....

(He reaches into the cage, pulls out an egg, and opens it. He quickly opens the paper and his excitement soon turns... to utter disappointment.)

Chris Jericho: Well, come on with it, Bisch! Let the world know which superstar I will be interviewing here right now!! Who is it... is it JOHN CENA?!? *HUGE pop* Eddie Guerrero?!? *Mixed reaction* Is it J... B... L!?!?? *Boooooo* Or maybe the almighty Japanese legend FUNAAAAAAKI?!?

Eric Bischoff: No. You know what? This pick is utter garbage to me, because this person came from a federation which WAS utter garbage...and he’ll be on a pay per view that will BE utter garbage! The first pick is ...yeah, say it with me... *mockingly* R... V... D. Rob Van Dam, get the hell out here!

(The crowd goes nuts as the camera in the SmackDown backstage waiting area locates RVD, who stands up and removes his SmackDown shirt with little hesitance. He seems kind of amused to be going back to Raw...)

Jerry “The King” Lawler: Oh man, Rob Van Dam! He’s coming back to Raw!

JR: Alright! WHAT A CHOICE! God almighty, RVD is Mr. Monday Night once more!

---FIRST DRAFT CHOICE (RAW) : ROB VAN DAM ---

(“One Of A Kind” by Breaking Point plays as the fans are on their feet in anticipation! RVD then walks out in a new RAW shirt, hopping around and generally looking happy to be on Raw once more. Eric Bischoff looks much more disappointed, though. RVD then enters the ring and jumps up on one of the Highlight Reel set chairs, relaxing and nodding his head towards Bischoff)

Chris Jericho: Well, Rob, once more you get thrown back onto the Raw roster. How does it feel to be back, considering its been, what, a year?

Rob Van Dam: Well, Jericho, to be real honest...

Eric Bischoff: Whoa, whoa, hold on a second. Before you even begin, lets get something straight. Yeah, Rob, I know you’re coming back soon from an injury, and you’re gonna be ready to perform. I ALSO know that you’re planning on showing your face at the ECW One Night Stand pay per view this Sunday...and you know what? I know you’re one of Heyman’s boys. That’s fine by me. But I just want you to know one thing. You can let Heyman and the rest of those ECW cronies know that there is going to be hell to pay once Eric Bischoff’s Raw troops come storming in. There will be NO mercy, because just as Heyman said himself, this IS gang warfare.

Rob Van Dam: Whoa, whoa, Eric, chill. Chill. Look, I come back and want to talk Raw, and look...you’re already on my case with ECW. What gives, bro? I mean, does ECW ....bother you? Does it make you feel...uncomfortable?

(Bischoff mouths out “Hell yes!”)

Rob Van Dam: Well, you know what, Eric? You just don’t understand ECW. For someone that thought he ‘truly’ revolutionized wrestling...you have no idea, bro.

Eric Bischoff: Rob, you can be appealing to these trashy ECW fans all you want...the point will be made at One Night Stand. ECW is dead and will ALWAYS be dead. None of you idiots can resurrect it...and now that you’re on Raw, you’ll get to see first hand just a TASTE of the damage that awaits you. See, tonight, we’ll witness two of my Raw Invasion generals, Edge and Gene Snitsky, taking on two ECW loving fools...Chris Benoit and Tajiri...and it WON’T be pretty. And actually...now that I think about it...that match is NEXT. So, Rob, enjoy the ECW feeling now...because it won’t be long before you really regret backing up Heyman and his pitiful circus peddling ways!

Chris Jericho: There you go, folks, history has been made and Rob Van Dam is ONCE MORE a Raw superstar! And we’re going to get a Hardcore Rules tag match, coming up NEXT!

(We cut to commercials...)

RATING: 78%

::HARDCORE RULES - Edge and Gene Snitsky vs. Chris Benoit and Tajiri::

This one got started right away, as Benoit and Tajiri ambushed Edge and Snitsky on the way out with Kendo sticks! Being that this was practically an “ECW Rules” match (IE: A Hardcore Match Circa 1998, at least in WWE terms), all hell broke out quickly. After the initial attack, Tajiri tried keeping Edge at bay with his kick-based offense...of course, Edge used the no-dq rules to his advantage and turned the tide with a thumb to the eye. Getting the advantage once more, Edge took a stopsign and smacked Tajiri’s face with it. A pinfall by Edge only got a two count, as Benoit made the save. Snitsky got the tag and began his monstrous offense on the Buzzsaw, but as he was setting up for a powerbomb on two steel chairs, Tajiri MISTED him on the way up and escaped!

Snitsky was blinded, but made the tag to Edge. But he couldn’t stop Tajiri from making the hot tag to Benoit, who entered the ring and began unloading like a house of fire on the two anti-ECW ‘generals’! He nailed Edge with chop after chop, and kept Snitsky out of the ring by taking one of the steel chairs and slamming it into his stomach! Benoit then threw Edge down and signaled for the flying headbutt...he even set up a chair under Edge to seal the deal! But Edge moved at the last second and Benoit landed right on the chair, breaking Benoit’s forehead open and causing him to bleed profusely! Edge then got up and waited for Benoit to move, signaling the spear...but then, from the back...

JR: Look, King, ITS RVD! ROB VAN DAM IS HERE!

Lawler: Benoit is up! EDGE GOES FOR THE SPEAR...RVD PULLS BENOIT OUT OF THE RING! EDGE HITS THE RINGPOST!

Edge slammed into the ringpost shoulder first, taking him out of the match. Snitsky, who had been beating Tajiri senseless outside the ring, rolled the Buzzaw into the ring and looked to finish the match himself. What he DIDN’T notice, though, was Rob Van Dam perched on the top rope with a chair in hand! Snitsky turned to grab Tajiri and instead saw a chair flying at him...he caught it, but as he held it, RVD came flying off the top with a top-rope kick! It connected the chair with Snitsky’s face, and the big man went down! Benoit then reentered the ring and went up top, as RVD looked and cheered on! Benoit signaled for the flying headbutt...and it connected! Benoit then rolled Snitsky over and made the cover...and the ref counted! ONE...TWO...THREE!

JR: GOOD GAWD! BENOIT WINS IT FOR TEAM ECW!

Jerry “The King” Lawler: But it was due to RVD! That snake helped out!

The other two members of Bischoff’s ‘team’, Maven and Tyson Tomko, ran down but RVD, Benoit, and Tajiri had escaped in time. The three of them walked back up the ramp and celebrated with the fans, who chanted “ECW” as much as humanly possible.

WINNERS: Benoit and Tajiri

Match Quality: 81%

Crowd Reaction: 75%

OVERALL: 78% I expected just as much, with Snitsky and Tajiri being involved...the crowd was excited to see the ECW alumnus win, though.

::Christian Speaks!::

We cut to the back for an interview with Captain Charisma, Christian, who gives his usual cocky smile.

Christian: Well, looks like we have our first draft pick for Raw, and Rob Van Dam is back. Good to see that Raw can get the crippled guys...if I planned to stay on Raw, he’d be easy pickings for me! But, unfortunately for my Raw peeps, it wasn’t to be...see, this FRIDAY on SmackDown, Christian will be the FIRST draft pick chosen by SmackDown. I honestly look forward to coming out there and accepting that OJ kid’s challenge for the US Title...I’ll add that to my trophy case, ‘cause that’s how I roll. Then what? Then its on to beating that WWE CHUMP John Cena, and showing him that he really is a bad, bad man...or a BAD, BAD champion, at least! I mean, good god...the peeps have spoken, and they want CHRISTIAN...Captain Charisma HIMSELF...to be their SmackDown Savior.

...as for you, Kane, the Big Red LOSER, I’m teeeeeeerribly sorry about your situation...I mean, Lita calling for divorce? OUCH, man...I always told Edge back in the day to take it easy on the ladies, but I guess he couldn’t resist seeing you suffer. And that’s good...after you beat me in the Gold Rush tourmanent a few weeks ago, I think you DESERVE to suffer. That, my friends, is the truth. Tonight, you’re gonna be finding out just how Christian – and his PEEPS- roll.

And with that, we head back to ringside.

Rating: 87%

:: Rosey (w/ The Hurricane and Stacey Keibler) vs. Antonio (w/ Romeo)::

After last week’s Tag Title match, the Heart Throbs wanted revenge, but it seems they would only have to settle for a singles match against the bigger of the two Superheroes – Rosey! Antonio faced off with the masked Samoan, who manhandled the ‘suave’ Antonio for most of the match. As Rosey went to the top rope to hit his dreaded top rope splash, Antonio’s partner in crime caused a ruckus on the outside as he ran over to Stacy Keibler and... started dancing with her? Well, it was more him dancing ON her, as she wanted no part with the so-called ‘Romeo’! Hurricane pushed Romeo aside on the outside and Romeo DECKED the superhero, which drew Rosey’s attention...but as he threatened to come down off the top rope and attack Romeo, Antonio recovered and hit the ropes, causing Rosey to lose his balance and crotch himself on the turnbuckle! Antonio then went up to the turnbuckle and nailed a PICTURE PERFECT double arm DDT from the top rope, much to the surprise of the crowd, and covered the tag champ for the surprise victory! Hurricane rushed in after dealing with Romeo, but he was clearly too late to save his partner from losing...it seems as if the Heart Throb’s plan worked, but they made many gestures towards Stacy post match. Could they be trying to lure her away from the Tag Champs? Either way, she seems to want NO part of them whatsoever.

WINNER: Antonio

Match Quality: 65%

Crowd Reaction: 60%

OVERALL: 62% - The weaker wrestler of the two Superheroes facing a somewhat-green newcomer isn’t going to produce a noticeably impressive match, but it accomplished its purpose.

:: She Ain’t The Woman To Mess With...::

Backstage, the Coach is trying to get word with Victoria...

The Coach: This is the COACH, and I’m here with the lovely Victoria who, just last week, viciously attacked Christy Hemme after the Memorial Day Bikini—

Victoria: You know, its been a week now and I realized something. I thought at first that maybe I was jealous of Christy...I mean, with all the attention shes getting...the Playboy covers...the Wrestlemania spot I should have had... Coach, I’m not going crazy! I swear to God I’m not. I realized I’m not jealous...I’m just BETTER than she is, and people don’t appreciate what I bring to the table! I’m ten times more beautiful than that trashy she-devil, and ...and... COACH! ARE YOU STARING AT ME?!? DO YOU THINK IM CRAZY?!?!?

The Coach: Vicky! Vicky! Calm down, sweetheart, the Coach isn’t some weird pervert like the King, nor is the Coach doubting your amazing credentials...

Victoria: ...Good. Good. I’d be worried if you doubted me, Coach. I know a lot of people doubt me, Coach. A lot of people think I can’t become a big name on Raw anymore...they think my fifteen minutes are OVER, Coach. And you know what? I’ll show them... oh, they’ll see. Victoria isn’t the woman to mess with. And I’ll find someone who appreciates me...and then? Oh, we’ll see just how important Christy Hemme is. We’ll see, Coach....

(Victoria then begins to smile sadistically, and walks off in search of...something? Hmm...either way, Coach looks a little perturbed as we fade back to another backstage segment...)

Rating: 75%

:: The IC Champ gains an ally... ::

(The Intercontinental Champion, Shelton Benjamin, is discussing his upcoming match with Eric Bischoff.)

Eric Bischoff: I’m sorry, Shelton, but Jericho has left the building! He said he had some urgent business to attend to...

Shelton Benjamin: So you’re telling me that Jericho left me hanging against La Resistance AGAIN?

Eric Bischoff: I don’t know what to say, other than...well, I guess I can give you the benefit of the doubt. Look, your match will be in a few minutes. I’ll give you time to find a partner. If you can find one in time for the match, itll be a normal tag match. If you fail to get a partner, though, it’ll once again become a handicapped match!

(Bischoff walks off, leaving Benjamin angry once more at Chris Jericho.)

Shelton Benjamin: He is gonna get it one day...now I gotta—

(Suddenly, he sees someone approaching.)

Shelton Benjamin: Well, I’ll be damned. If it isn’t...

(The person then comes into view!)

Shawn Michaels: The Heart...Break...KID. Shawn Michaels, in the flesh! Mr. Benjamin, or should I say Mr. CHAMPION...its a pleasure to see ya again, kid.

Shelton Benjamin: Yeah man...what are you doing here?

Shawn Michaels: Its draft night, and ol’ HBK thought he’d stop by to see who was making the move. I was hoping Kurt Angle would get moved over, so we can finally have that rematch to see who truly is the best man in the WWE right now...but, hey, four more to go, we’ll see just how that goes down. As for the rest of the night, well...I’m not really up to much, that’s for sure.

Shelton Benjamin: Say, Shawn...you up for a little tag match tonight?

Shawn Michaels: Let me guess, Jericho bailed out again, huh.

Shelton Benjamin: What do YOU think?

Shawn Michaels: Heh, well, at least he’s consistent. But ya know something? I’ve always wanted to team with you, being as how you really proved to me a few weeks ago in the Gold Rush tournament that you are a HELL of a competitor. So, if you need help, ol’ HBK will be there in your corner.

Shelton Benjamin: Well, then, I guess I’ll see you out there shortly.

Shawn Michaels: Not if I don’t see ya first!

(The two shake hands and the crowd watching in the audience gives a roaring pop for the one time team of Benjamin and Michaels!)

Rating: 84%

::The Masterlock Challenge – Chris Masters vs. ???? ::

Chris Masters came out for ANOTHER edition of the Masterlock challenge, and after calling out Val Venis last week, he made it clear he wanted to call out another guy from the back here tonight...

#HELLO, LADIES!

Waitaminute...out from the back came Val Venis, who wasn’t dressed to wrestle. Masters quickly reminded him that he lost last week...

Chris Masters: Val, I know you’re a sore loser and all, but I don’t do rematches. You fail to break the Masterlock once, you’re DONE! See ya!

Val Venis: Wait a damned minute there, Masters...I’m not out here to answer your challenge MYSELF. See, I went around the back looking for an opponent FOR you. I’m a nice guy, I figured I’d help you out by finding you another challenger. But, I dunno if this guy is gonna be easy....

Chris Masters: What the hell does that mean?!?

Val Venis: Well, this guy is HUNGRY for the money...cause, from what I can tell, he wants to treat Lillian Garcia to an all-you-can-eat buffet after the show!

JR: Oh god, don’t tell me...

Val Venis: That’s right...your opponent in the Masterlock challenge is VISCERA!

The King: NO!!!!!!! SAY IT AINT SO!!!!!!!

(Out comes Viscera to a respectable pop, and Masters facial expression is priceless! For the first time in his young career, he actually seems...scared! Viscera enters the ring and the referee tells him the instructions of the Masterlock Challenge. The chair is set up...)

JR: I don’t know if this is going to be an easy task for Chris Masters...

The King: How the hell did Venis get Viscera to accept?!? I mean, doesn’t Viscera know the kind of damage that the Masterpiece can INFLICT?!? Look what he did to Steven Richards!

JR: Yeah, but Viscera is TWICE master’s size at least!

Viscera sat down on the chair and waited for Masters to begin his Masterlock attempt...Masters grabbed the big man and tried to lock him in but he couldn’t get his arms around in order to lock the move! Frustrated, Masters backed off...and struck Viscera in the back of the head!

JR: Uh oh, bad move by Masters!

Viscera hardly sold that, and turned around to a HUGE pop from the crowd – they really do seem to want to see Masters get destroyed! Masters went to punch Viscera, but the move was blocked – Viscera grabbed Masters, threw him to the corner, and WHAM! One avalanche later, Masters was down! Viscera then picked up Masters, but the Masterpiece knew better...he managed to save himself with a low blow which downed the giant! Masters then grabbed the chair that was set up nearby and folded it, using it to smash Viscera’s face in a few times! The gigantic Viscera took about three chairshots before going down, and by that time the ref had called for the DQ bell! Val Venis ran down with a chair of his own, but Masters escaped and ran away, not wanting to be apart of this Masterlock Challenge any more!

The King: It looks like Masters might have to rethink his strategy with THIS one...

JR: Well, still, no one has been able to really ‘break’ the move...I guess technically Masters never was really able to apply it to Viscera in the first place!

WINNER: Viscera by DQ

Match Quality: 51%

Crowd Reaction: 61%

OVERALL: 57% (At least I tried to keep all the crap together!)

:: La Resistance (Conway/Grenier) vs. Shelton Benjamin and HBK ::

After last week, it seemed there was no way La Resistance could get along...but they came out to prove everyone wrong! Apparently, they had talked things over that weekend and were out to teach Benjamin a lesson, but seeing HBK as Benjamin’s partner proved to be a baaaaaaaaad thing for Conway and Grenier!

HBK and Conway started off the match and La Resistance actually managed to keep Michaels at bay by targeting his neck. Conway used his technical prowess to use moves that applied pressure to the spine/neck, and this took HBK down a notch. He became the PARTNER IN PERIL~! as Grenier and Conway switched of numerous times and double teamed him. But HBK powered up (it was the power of prayer!) and got the hot tag to Benjamin, who cleaned house on both La Resistance members. La Rez came back though and used teamwork to their advantage, keeping HBK out of the equation and keeping Benjamin from utilizing his unique moves. But it was miscommunication that cost them the match, as Conway began to get angry with Grenier after the Canadian got too cocky. After the two yelled at each other, Conway turned and got a SWEET CHIN MUSIC, followed by an exploder on Grenier! Benjamin pinned Grenier and once more, the IC champ outsmarted La Resistance!

WINNERS: Shelton Benjamin/Shawn Michaels

Match Quality: 76%

Crowd Reaction: 74%

OVERALL: 75%

:: Kane Muses... ::

(We cut to the back where Kane is sitting alone in his locker room, rocking back and forth...contemplating the events of the last few weeks.)

Kane: Liiiiiiiiita. Liiiiiiiita. Darling Liiiiiiiiiita. You will come back. You know you must. You will come back...to the arms...of the man...who held you...caressed you... loved...you.

(Kane begins to laugh menacingly. Suddenly, the door to his room opens and a stagehand peeks in.)

Production Guy: Kane, your match with Christian is nex—

Kane: LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Kane jumps up and the stagehand runs off, scared! Kane then stands there for a moment, and then begins to cower...he seems to be fearing something. But then he smiles again...and leaves his room.)

Rating: 70 (whats WITH this guy, huh?)

::Christian (w/ Tomko) vs. Kane::

The last match of the night proved to be a surprisingly heated affair, but with a strange beginning. After Christian and Kane made their respective entrances, Kane proceeded to slump down in the corner and laugh...why? Who knows. The mans in serious traumatic condition, after all! Christian, the sympathetic man he is, took advantage of the situation and started the match off by kicking and choking Kane in the corner using the bottom rope. Kane seemed to enjoy this though, and actually took a lot of hits in the first segment of the match on PURPOSE! Christian wanted to really piss Kane off, though...and after Kane sat up after a Christian Russian legsweep, Christian got in the face of the seated Kane and slapped him, calling him a wifeless piece of trash! This is what set off Kane, and Kane GRABBED Christian by the throat! The fans were going nuts, waiting to see the chokeslam, but Tomko got on the apron, distracting Kane! Kane took Tomko out but this gave Christian the time he needed to recover. Having already dished out damage to Kane in the early going of the match, he was able to target Kane’s leg, and he worked it over in order to keep the big man down. Christian actually was making progress against the Big Red Machine, but he got too cocky, which caused Kane to come back with a couple of uppercuts and a HUGE clothesline that rocked Captain Charisma! It was at this time that Edge and Lita showed up and made their appearance known... Kane looked to have the match won, but Edge got on the apron and started yelling at the ref! With the ref distracted, Tomko tried to enter once more but was chokeslammed! Then came Lita...oh boy. She tried to hit Kane from behind with the loaded briefcase but Kane caught her before she could do it! He grabbed her and was about to Chokeslam her, but Christian retrieved the briefcase and WHAM! Just like that, Kane went down, and Edge finally let go of the ref just in time! Christian then covered Kane and three counts later, Christian had defeated The Big Red Machine!!!!

WINNER: Christian

Match Quality: 79%

Crowd Reaction: 82%

OVERALL: 81%

:: The Hell In A Cell Contract Signing::

(As Batista and HHH met on opposite sides of the table, GM Eric Bischoff read them their ‘rites’...Thus, we’re in mid-progress...)

Eric Bischoff: On June 26th, you two will have your fates sealed inside the confines of HELL IN A CELL. Triple H, by signing this contract, you are aware that we are not to be liable to whatever damages might occur to you inside that demonic structure, and –

Triple H: Yeah, yeah, I got it pretty damn well. Just make sure that Batista knows what the hell he’s getting into...

Eric Bischoff: ...and you, Batista...in signing this, you willingly put up the World Heavweight Title against Triple H in this match...you also put yourself in grave danger, being that this match could easily make or break your career....

Batista: Of course I know.

Eric Bischoff: Well then, gentlemen, its settled...At Vengeance on June 26th, you will face off for the World Heavyweight Title within the HELL IN A CELL!

(The two give each other cold, calculating glares...neither man backs down, and the two keep getting closer. The tension is at a boiling point, when suddenly the chanting begins...)

#AYyyyyyyyyyyyyayayhyhhhhhhhhayhayhhahyhhhhhhhh....

*yeah, I know I can’t really transcribe that entrance theme...but it was worth a shot!*

JR: What in the world...Muhammed Hassan?!?!? And Daivari...give me a break.

The King: What are those two idiots doing down here?!? They have no right being here!

(Hassan and Daivari walk down to the ring, drawing a massive amount of heat, albeit cheap! They enter the ring, and HHH and Batista seem to be confused.)

Muhammed Hassan: Listen up, because I plan to speak the truth here. Eric Bischoff! The fact that this contract signing is happening is a disgrace to the company...after having DEFEATED Batista last week, I should be the one sitting opposite him, signing a World Title match contract!

JR: He’s out of his mind! He won on DISQUALIFICATION terms!

Khosrow Daivari: *Yells in foreign tongue*!!!!!!!!!

Muhammed Hassan: Triple H, your political games may be able to hold me down, but I’m not going to take it! Batista, your prejudice—

Eric Bischoff: Wait just a damn minute! Hassan, you have no right being out here! This is a World Title match contract signing between Batista and the no. 1 contender, Triple H! Until you earn the right to be out here, then—

Muhammed Hassan: Oh, I see. I haven’t EARNED the RIGHT to be out here. I thought I was granted the same natural rights that everyone else in this company – not to mention this COUNTRY- was given! But wait, is it because of my nationality? It MUST be, because I am the one who is MUCH more deserving of a World Title shot than Triple H is! In a business where competition and the right to WIN is thrown out of the window thanks to political scheming and undermining tactics, it sickens me that—

(Then, the ANIMAL stands up and once more gets in the face of Hassan. Hassan backs down a little bit, fearing the same result as last week.)

Batista: I thought that I shut you up last week, but clearly you’re the kind that just...doesn’t...get it.

(Suddenly, without warning, Hassan and Daivari attack the world champ, but HHH actually attacks Daivari! He goes to work on Hassan’s manager as Batista begins to take the upper hand on Hassan!)

JR: PEDIGREE ON DAIVARI! PEDIGREE!

The King: The Champion and Triple H are cleaning house with those two idiots!

JR: BATISTA GRABS HASSAN AND HOISTS HIM UP!...BATISTA BOMB! BATISTA BOMB ON HASSAN! BATISTA IS STANDING DOMINANT OVER HASSAN...but wait! HHH IS BEHIND BATISTA! WATCH OUT BATISTA!

(HHH sneak attacks the Champ from behind, as Batista has clearly been preoccupied with taking out Hassan. HHH nails him with some vicious kicks and punches, and then throws him onto the table that the contract was being signed on!)

JR: NO! DON’T DO IT TRIPLE H!

The King: He’s gonna pedigree Batista through that table! Good god almighty!

(The fans are booing relentlessly as HHH attempts the pedigree...but its blocked! Batista blocks the pedigree attempt and HHH goes up...up...and he falls to the mat! Batista is up and HE IS ANGRY!!!! HHH bails and leaves the ring, not wanting to attempt any more sneak attacks tonight...but the match has been made! Hell in a Cell on June 26th!)

Rating: 88%

SHOW RATING: 75%

A decent show, but it’s a beginning if anything. A lot of angles are going to be running throughout this draft lottery, and it should be interesting to see how things go once the draft actually settles. RVD going back to Raw may seem odd considering he left Raw due to staleness last year, but I feel it was somewhat necessary due to the ECW angle. Plus...well, you’ll see what I have planned for him for Vengeance.

I also felt like I wrote a ridiculous amount...if you think this was a HUGE show and would rather me doing shorter matches or interviews or anything...let me know. If you like it, that’s fine, I’ll hone the writing skills a bit but I’ll try to keep it to whatever level you guys enjoy reading it at. I considered writing it in the form of a review ala the Smarks Raw Review or something along those lines...just give me feedback, I’m willing to try out different methods of writing.

Here is the SmackDown preview, though!

WWE PRESENTS SMACKDOWN! - Kansas City, MO

The first SmackDown draft lottery pick will be made in Kansas City on the FIRST Friday edition of SmackDown! Raw got a huge first pick in Rob Van Dam, but Theodore Long is hoping to one-up Bischoff by picking a huge superstar from the Raw brand to switch over to the “leading brand in Sports Entertainment”!

The first pick of the lottery will get a chance to face Orlando Jordan for the WWE US Title, after JBL’s Chief of Staff put the open challenge out there last week! We’ll see if the draftee- whomever it may be- will use the new surroundings to their advantage this Friday!

Plus, in a triple threat tag team bout, MNM puts their titles on the line against The Basham Brothers and the team of Hardcore Holly and Charlie Haas! And we’ll get to see both Kurt Angle and Booker T, who will face off in two weeks with the Number One Contendership on the line! And JBL has planned to make an announcement regarding his humiliating defeat last week to Cruiserweight Champion Paul London...all that PLUS more on SmackDown this Friday Night!

[Guest Crossface]

You are doing great,i love the storylines and the batista/trips/arabs promo.

Keep it up!

[Guest ADDavis]

Looks like we'll start with a news item...

Nunzio Sidelined with Injury (Via WrestleCircle.com)

Nunzio, who is scheduled to show at this week’s ECW One Night Stand pay per view, received an ankle injury at a house show this week. No word on how this will effect his status on the show, but he is scheduled to be out for about 2 months.

[Guest ADDavis]

Just a few newsworthy notes, mainly regarding hiring/firing...

WWE Development Camps In Ohio, Georgia Grow (via WrestleCircle.com)

WWE has been weeding out unproductive members of its training facilities in Ohio Valley Wrestling and NWA Wildside in Atlanta, Georgia. Wrestlers such as the man formerly known as Mordecai, Seven, have been released due to the lack of improvement.

At the same time, the Developmental camps are gaining some promising young stars who WWE is depending on to lead the future batch of stars. With the WWE producing stars who came straight out of OVW (Cena, Batista, Benjamin, and others), it'll be interesting to see how this new 'class' develops over time.

[Guest Crossface]

Smackdown was godness!

I gotta say,i am marking out for flair in smackdown,maybe you posted only 2 shows,but this diary is great!

cant wait for the next show!

[IAceI]

I'm definately liking this diary, however the shows seemingly lack something and I can't tell you what exactly, sometimes segmants look a little too sparse or you decide to capitalise words to emphasise them and they sometimes look a little off.

Also try and always keep the exact same format all the time, or thereabouts, I know it's sometimes hard but if you leave a space between the title and the show write up then do it on all of them. It just makes it look more presentable. Also now that you're doing an "Analysis" after the matches, try and keep as much as the humerous comments for the Analysis. I'm not trying to tell you what to do exactly, just give you some pointers, the booking is a good point in my eyes and I enjoy the out-of-show reports about whats happening in OVW and who's being injured.

Good luck and keep this up.

[FLiam]

Great first two shows.

I am not really liking the visual style though, needs more colour, underlining etc. Apart from that, it is great.

[DigificWriter]

Great first two shows. I especially liked Smackdown! and Ric Flair's US title win. I've thought for a while now that the US title has been sorely under-used and mis-used, especially since it was put on Orlando Jordan, and it's good to see that I'm not the only one. I look forward to seeing what you do with the title now that Flair's the champ.

Keep up the good work.

[Guest ADDavis]

Thank you all for the comments, I'm appreciating the good responses and the criticism I'm getting for this diary.

I'm still trying to find the 'visual' style that works best, so it might take a few shows before I find something that 'clicks'. I'll try to tone down on the capitals...I tend to write furiously sometimes and I like to emphasize a lot!

As for the segment length, I'm trying to find a balance for the shows...I like to do a lot of character development, you'll see that as I go through this diary. And I'll work on making the format consistent, adding a little more 'style' to it for the next couple of shows.

Here's a lineup for the first edition of WWE Adrenaline!

WWE Adrenaline Preview (Via WWE.Com)

The first edition of Adrenaline is coming your way this Sunday Night on USA! This new show will be broadcast out of the WWE Studios in Connecticut, and will feature a broadcast panel led by legendary announcer "Mean" Gene Okerlund! They will talk about recent happenings in the world of WWE, and also premiere exclusive matches never before seen until now!

This week's special guest panel includes Raw's own Coach and SmackDown's lovely Dawn Marie!

Matches that will premiere on this week's Adrenaline include a SmackDown brand classic pitting Akio against Rey Mysterio! We'll see Chris Jericho face off against Maven in a Raw Brand exclusive! Simon Dean and William Regal will square off, one on one, and Chavo Guerrero will take on the crowd-favorite Scotty Too Hotty! Carlito's monstrous thug, Matt Morgan, will s-s-step into the ring against the highly talented Mark Jindrak! Plus, Heidenreich will be in action looking for a friend and we'll see the Big Valbowski as well! So tune in Sunday night to catch this new, action-packed show!

[VA Finest 1]

The first two shows were good, hiring Skipper is great news seeing how I'm a big Skipper fan

[IAceI]

On another note, I think that this WWE Adrenaline idea is actually quite interesting because I see you're having Jericho vs. Maven in what will obviously be a Jericho win but also push Maven and I can see stuff like this happening quite a lot, that is of course if you're actually booking this on your game.

[Guest ADDavis]

WWE Adrenaline

Live from the WWE Studios in Connecticut!

With your host, “Mean” Gene Okerlund!

“Mean” Gene Okerlund: Welcome fans to the first edition of WWE Adrenaline! I’m your host, “Mean” Gene Okerlund, and we’re going to see some exclusive, action packed matches with superstars from both Raw and SmackDown! Plus, in the studio, we’ll discuss some of the recent events from both brands with our two guests, The Coach from Raw and the lovely Dawn Marie from SmackDown! Without any further ado, lets hand it over to Tazz and Michael Cole who will announce the next match via SmackDown!

Matt Morgan vs. Mark Jindrak

Carlito’s bodyguard challenged anyone from the b-b-back to t-t-take him on, and this time he got someone who proved to be a little bigger than his normal opponents – Mark Jindrak! Jindrak was quite the challenge indeed. Morgan was not able to squash Jindrak, so he took a bit of a cheating approach. Looks like Carlito has been rubbing off on him! Jindrak made a big comeback mid match, but Morgan dodged an avalanche in the corner and caught Jindrak with the suplex-powerbomb variation that he has been using as of late. He pinned Jindrak for the three count, picking up an admirable win. Post match, Morgan sent a message to the big show by nailing Jindrak with the F5!

WINNER: Matt Morgan via pinfall

(64 Overall – 60 Crowd, 69 Match)

ANALYSIS: Jindrak was not a good face to put up against Morgan, but it helped Morgan’s reputation against fighting big guys, especially if he’s going to be facing the Big Show anytime soon. Crowd just couldn’t get behind Jindrak, which has been his problem ever since coming to the WWE.

Split Perspective

“Mean” Gene Okerlund: What a victory for Matt Morgan! We’ve got more exclusive matches on the way, but first we’re going to do a segment entitled ‘Split Perspective’! Every week, we will have a guest panelist from each brand come on and discuss the major matches, feuds, and surprises that came about this week on both shows! Our first panel will include RAW’s Jonathan Coachman...

The Coach: Please, Mean Gene, call me... The Coach!

“Mean” Gene Okerlund: And from Smackdown, the lovely Dawn Marie!

Dawn Marie: Thank you very much, it’s a pleasure to be here.

“Mean” Gene Okerlund: Alright, here’s to our first discussion topic...

Topic One

The First Raw Draft Pick, Rob Van Dam

The Coach: Aww man, this is gonna be crazy for Raw. This guy is one of the premiere high fliers, no doubt, but let me tell you... if he gets an attitude with Mr. Bischoff like he did last week, he’s going to find it very, very hard to move up the ranks!

Dawn Marie: Rob is going to be a huge loss to SmackDown, but just look who we got in return...this draft is causing all sorts of big surprises, especially on SmackDown!

Topic Two

The First SmackDown Draft Pick, Ric Flair

The Coach: Ric Flair on SmackDown? That’s just...that’s not natural! Flair is and always will be a RAW guy. And to split Triple H and the Nature Boy up, that’s crazy! I don’t see this lasting very long.

Dawn Marie: Seeing Ric Flair win the US Title on SmackDown this week was amazing! I mean...from what I’ve heard, the man is a legend not only in the ring, but also in the sa—

The Coach: Hold on, are you saying you’d ride Space Mountain with the Nature Boy?!?!?

Dawn Marie: Well, you know me, Coach...I’ve always had a thing for the older men. Right Gene?

“Mean” Gene Okerlund: Umm... *awkwardly* heh... lets move on.

Topic Three

The Hell In A Cell Match

The Coach: Hell in a Cell is going to be BRUTAL, and right now – I’m calling it- I guarantee we’re going to see Triple H walking out with the title.

Dawn Marie: Yeah, but what will he do without Ric Flair? And Batista already has two wins against Triple H.

The Coach: Honey, believe the Coach...this is Triple H’s match! There’s no way he’s gonna lose!

Topic Four

Booker T/Kurt Angle’s No. 1 Contendership Match This Week

Dawn Marie: These two have been at each other’s throats in the past couple of weeks, and as a female, I was very worried for Sharmell, but now that we’ve found out that Angle used her in order to get Booker T to put his Number One Contendership on the line. I could easily see this match being brutal, and if I had to pick a winner...Kurt Angle.

The Coach: You’re a smart woman for picking Angle. This is the man that won the gold medals, baby! This is the man who beat Shawn Michaels! There’s no way that a whipped chump like Booker T can pull this one off.

“Mean” Gene Okerlund: Alright! Thank you very much Coach and Dawn for your insight on this week’s big events. Its time for a commercial break, but up next, we’ll see William Regal, Simon Dean, Heidenreich, and Val Venis in action!

(We fade out to a hype video for the Batista/Triple H Hell in a Cell match at Vengeance!)

83% (For the video)

Simon Dean vs. William Regal

Dean came out with his bag of equipment, and proceeded to cut a promo proclaiming the joys of the Simon System. He then berated the crowd for their “beer-swilling nature” and told them they’d all end up on the side of the road, passed out with no pride whatsoever... unless they got some confidence and went with the Simon System! His opponent, William Regal, didn’t take this promo as a joke though, having been a former addict himself! So, Regal set out to teach Dean a lesson, and gave him a bonafide Liverpool-streetfight-beating! The end came when Dean tried to recover and use his weight belt to fend off Regal, but Regal caught the weight belt before it could hit him and threw Dean to the ground! He then locked on the Regal Stretch, and Dean tapped out!

WINNER: William Regal via submission

(74 Overall – 68 Crowd, 80 Match)

ANALYSIS: A good match to put over Regal, and I’d like to do more with these two in terms of a feud. With the tag division getting revitalized, I’d like to do more with Dean/Maven to make them a legit team, not to mention giving Regal/Tajiri some more tag matches as well.

“Mean” Gene Okerlund: William Regal is an inspiration for anyone out there who has gone down a bumpy road in life. Big victory for him over the cocky Simon Dean, nonetheless! Now, we have an exclusive match from SmackDown which features the somewhat ... eccentric ... John Heidenreich!

John Heidenreich vs. Jimmy Jacobs

In exclusive footage from the SmackDown brand, we got to see Heidenreich in the ring trying to find a new friend. Well, his opponent, Jimmy Jacobs didn’t seem to want to be in any way associated with Heidenreich, so he attacked him before the bell rung. Unfortunately, Jacobs was no match for the big man, as Heidenreich recovered and took little time in ending the match with a decisive whiplash powerbomb for the three count!

WINNER: HEI... DEN... REICH via Pinfall

(60 Overall – 55 Crowd, 66 Match)

ANALYSIS: Jacobs did the J.O.B. duty and managed to sell quite well for Heidenreich, but the fans need a reason to cheer this guy other than the whole ‘friendly giant’ gimmick he’s doing right now.

“Mean” Gene Okerlund: Well, he may not have found a friend, but he did pick up a great win. We’re going to take it over to JR and the King, who have got a special treat for us... its Val Venis!

Val Venis vs. John Walters

The Big Valbowski got coverage here tonight on Adrenaline with an exclusive match. JR and the King talked about his apparent teaming with Viscera this past week on Raw to try to end the Masterlock Challenge. In the actual match, Venis made little work of Walters and put him away with the Money Shot. A technically sound match.

WINNER: Val Venis via pinfall

(64 Overall – 52 Crowd, 77 Match)

ANALYSIS: Two squash matches in a row, whoo hoo! Walters put on a good match with the Big Valbowski, who I feel is a very underrated performer on Raw. By putting him in the Viscera angle, he gets exposure, despite having to carry one of the least wrestling-inclined performers on the show.

“Mean” Gene Okerlund: The cruiserweights are one of SmackDown’s premiere offerings, and this next match is sure to be a five star classic. The charismatic Scotty 2 Hotty will face off against the former Cruiserweight champion, Chavo Guerrero!

Scotty 2 Hotty vs. Chavo Guerrero

Chavo and Scotty faced off in an exciting cruiserweight match, and this one was much more even then the matches that came before it. Scotty got to do his signature WORM, but Chavo rolled out of the ring to save him from being pinned. The end occurred when Scotty went for a cross body off the top rope but was dropkicked in the abdomen by Chavo! Chavo then went up top, hit his frog splash, and got the victory!

WINNER: Chavo Guerrero via pinfall

(72 Overall – 67 Crowd, 78 Match)

ANALYSIS: Decent match but was rushed. Chavo is going to be an instrumental heel in the cruiser division, and I want to do something with Scotty...I just haven’t decided yet. He’s definetly gotta develop his character though. The fans still may like the worm, but they see Scotty as a SmackDown jobber practically!

“Mean” Gene Okerlund: Chris Jericho...what can be said that hasn’t been said already about the man? Brash, arrogant, cocky, talented, a former World Heavyweight Champion, a former 10 Time Intercontinental Champion...the list goes on and on. He’s going to face another cocky young superstar, the up-and-coming Maven! We’ll see how Simon Dean’s current partner fares off against the Ayatollah... of Rock and Roll-ah!

Chris Jericho vs. Maven

Jericho and Maven put on one of the better matches of the night, and this match actually showcased Maven’s heel skills a bit. Jericho was able to get the crowd behind him (despite his recent heelish comments) and make a big comeback, dodging a Maven dropkick and locking Maven in the Walls of Jericho for the submission victory!

WINNER: Chris Jericho via submission

(78 Overall – 80 Crowd, 75 Match)

ANALYSIS:

“Mean” Gene Okerlund: In our final exclusive bout, we’re going to see the man whom some call the greatest luchadore to ever step foot into the WWE, Rey Mysterio! He’s been going at it recently with Eddie Guerrero, but tonight we’ll see a great match between he and Japanese sensation Akio!

Rey Mysterio vs. Akio

And the main event on Adrenaline is a BIG exclusive bout between Rey Mysterio and Akio. Rey was extremely over with the crowd, but they are still getting into Akio as a heel. Still, anyone facing Rey will get some heat, and any time Akio was in control, the fans were waiting to see Rey make a big comeback. The action was fast and furious between these two, but Akio was no match for the veteran cruiserweight. In the end, Akio went for a top rope hurricaranna, but Rey pushed him off and Akio landed on the ropes! Akio tried to recover, but he was set up just like Rey wanted him – for the 619! Rey got the pin and won a decisive bout!

WINNER: Rey Mysterio via pinfall

(81 Overall – 67 Crowd, 95 Match)

ANALYSIS: A great match showing but Akio needs more exposure in order to get over as a strong heel cruiserweight. He had no chance against Rey, and the fans saw that. Still, they love Rey and his angle with Eddie Guerrero is going to be a big summer feud.

“Mean” Gene Okerlund: There you go, folks, that’s our first ever ADRENALINE! Tune in next week when our special guest panelists are RAW’s Stacy Keibler and SmackDown’s Cruiserweight champion, Paul London! Good night!

SHOW RATING: 73

High Point: Rey Mysterio vs. Akio

Low Points: Heidenreich vs. Jacobs

Not a bad start, if anything I think the concept for Adrenaline will be interesting. I'll get up a Raw preview in a bit, but FIRST...some news items!

Psychosis Injured At One Night Stand; Out Two Months (Via WrestleCircle.com)

Last night at ECW One Night Stand, Psychosis landed wrong in a moonsault spot during the match with Rey Mysterio and, in the process, injured his left arm. He’ll be out for only two months, thankfully, but this puts a hold on his big debut on SmackDown. WWE may continue running hype videos for the cruiserweight, though.

[Guest ADDavis]

Here's the Raw Preview for Monday, June 13th!

WWE Raw Preview (Via WWE.Com)

We're on Week Two of the WWE Draft Lottery, and things have already heated up! Raw's first draft is the soon-to-be-returning Rob Van Dam, who appeared at the ECW One Night Stand show and actually helped the ECW alumni fend off the Raw invaders led by Edge! We'll see if RVD is in the building, and we'll see if Eric Bischoff has anything to say about his failed invasion attempts!

Also last week, the contract for Hell In A Cell at Vengeance was signed, and Batista will be defending his World Heavyweight Championship on June 26th against the former champion, Triple H! Even though Ric Flair was drafted to SmackDown, Triple H is still determined as ever to win back his title. And what about Muhammed Hassan, who seems to have a vendetta against Batista ever since Batista faced him two weeks ago. Will Hassan try to interrupt Batista once more this week?

There are also two other matches scheduled. Edge will take on Tajiri in singles action, while La Resistance have challenged Shelton Benjamin to a tag team match so long as he find a partner that is NOT Shawn Michaels. La Resistance seems to be determined to prove that they are a cohesive unit, and they've unified their hatred towards the Intercontinental Champion...the question is, who will Shelton find this week?

So tune in this week to a big edition of RAW!

[Guest ADDavis]

Somebody must be leaking info to the internet sites, because I found this little nugget of joy while I was surfing the net...

WWE To Bring Back King Of The Ring-style Tournament (Via WrestlingInsider.com)

Sources has informed us here at Wrestling Insider that WWE has made plans to resurrect the King Of The Ring idea. It will be remodeled and used for the SmackDown brand. Apparently, the writers of SmackDown have planned to use this tournament concept for the Great American Bash, and the name being tossed around is the "Great American Tournament". As of now, the plan has it being an annual SmackDown tradition, but much will depend on how the first tournament would go.

[Guest ADDavis]

Sorry about the lack of material in the last couple of days, been busy with a few things. But here it is, the hot second edition of Raw...a pretty solid episode if I do say so myself. Also, I've kind of settled on the visual style that works for the moment, so we'll see how it works (Y) . Roll the footage!

WWE Raw Is WAR!

Live from Binghampton, New York!

June 13th, 2005

The Second Draft Pick!

We open with...

# AIN’T NO STOPPIN ME, NO!!!!!

Out walks the Intercontinental Champion to a stunning ovation, as he is ready to accept the challenge made by La Resistance over the weekend.

JR: Welcome to the second night of the Draft Lottery for Raw, and tonight we’re going to see another lucky superstar from SmackDown come over to Raw! Plus, by way of a special challenge by Muhammed Hassan, Eric Bischoff has booked a tag team main event pitting Hassan and Daivari against the two people he interrupted last week – arch enemies Batista and Triple H! How in the world are those two going to co-exist as a team?!?

The King: Yeah, JR, but look who is out here now! Shelton Benjamin! Does he even have a partner to face La Resistance?

La Resistance then make their way out, trying to prove that they are, in fact, a cohesive unit right now. They get in Benjamin’s face, and the crowd awaits the partner for Benjamin when suddenly...

# I’m BAAAAAACK!

JR: That’s Eric Bischoff’s music! What is he doing here?

Bischoff, with a mic in hand, seems elated as he stands on the entrance ramp. Benjamin, Conway, and Grenier look on.

Eric Bischoff: We’re not going to start this match just yet... because I’m out here to announce the SECOND pick for Raw in the Draft Lottery! Now, Shelton, you may be interested in this...because after choosing the pick backstage, he told me he was going to come out here to team with you tonight against La Resistance! And this isn’t just any random person... Shelton, you know this man well! So without further ado, the second draft pick for Raw is... Charlie Haas!!!

The old World’s Greatest Tag Team music hits up and the fans actually give Haas a huge ovation! Benjamin looks surprised, as do La Resistance...but La Rez waste no time in attacking Benjamin before Haas makes it down to the ring!

(74% Overall)

ANALYSIS: Haas coming to Raw is one of those moves that has to happen. It might be cliché to do it, but it does provide Raw with another solid midcarder and some new options.

The Worlds Greatest Tag Team vs. La Resistance

This match was a solid tag team affair, with La Resistance double teaming Benjamin throughout most of the match. Benjamin played the ‘face in peril’ in this bout and when he got the hot tag to Charlie Haas, the fans exploded! He took out Grenier and Haas and Benjamin got a few of their classic combo moves on Conway before Haas got the pinfall on him to score the victory! Post match, Grenier shoved Conway, who shoved him back and walked out.

WINNERS: The World’s Greatest Tag Team via pinfall

(76 Overall – 72 Crowd, 81 Match)

ANALYSIS: Two experienced tag teams can easily put on a quality match, and both of these teams proved that. Now, we’ll see what shall happen with both teams... will WGTT decide to run for the belts? Will La Resistance split? The questions are there.

William Regal vs. Maven

This match came about when Maven asked to face Regal after the Adrenaline match where Regal defeated Maven’s partner, Simon Dean. Dean comes out and hypes his newest product – The Maven System!

Simon Dean: The Maven System is a revolutionary product in my Simon System line of products. Believe me, folks, you too can go from being washed-up slobs like William Regal to being world-class, top-of-the-line stars of the future like Maven! Just ask the man himself!

Maven: Thank you, Simon! See, Regal, I know all about your past struggles with alcohol and your rough upbringing in the streets of Liverpool...thats all fine and great. But what have you done with your life? You certainly didn’t win Tough Enough like I did! I didn’t have to grow up fighting in the streets to pull off that great accomplishment, I’ll tell you that. With The Maven System, even somebody as worthless as you can find out what its like to be just as great as I am! And—

Regal came out and cut Maven off, running down to the ring to face off against the former Tough Enough winner! Regal was out to teach a lesson to the young ‘star’, but Maven ended up getting a lot of help via Simon Dean, who distracted Regal at every turn. The end came when Regal was about to lock up Maven in the Regal Stretch, but Dean threw brass knucks to Maven before distracting the ref! As Regal attacked Dean on the apron and the ref tried to restore order, Regal turned around to get punched with the knucks and pinned by Maven! The ref turned, saw the pin, and Maven picked up the three count and the win! Regal was not happy as he saw Maven and Dean escaping up the entry ramp, celebrating over the victory.

WINNER: Maven via pinfall

(70 Overall – 70 Crowd, 71 Match)

(Maven gained overness!)

ANALYSIS: Good match in order to get the feud between the newly-dubbed “Maven System” and Regal over, plus also help out Maven with his legitimacy as a heel.

Coming Soon!

A video of classic tag teams is shown...we see highlights of the Legion of Doom, the Rock ‘n Roll Express, The Rockers, the British Bulldogs, and a couple of others. Even the Bushwackers somehow make this video. The old footage then cuts to a close, as we see the silhouettes of two men – one with an average, slightly lightweight frame and the other with a bigger, stronger looking one – and writing above it.

Coming Soon...

Leading The Next Generation of Tag Teams...

Erick Justice...

Devon Storm...

THE YOUNG GUNS

(59% Overall)

ANALYSIS: For anyone interested, Erick Justice’s identity will be revealed in a newsbyte soon enough. Good package, but the crowd didn’t know what to think of this...it’ll take a few more videos and a strong debut to get this team over. Though I’m not totally sure I want them debuting on Raw...

The Fighting Temptations (Venis/Viscera) vs. Chris Masters and ...

Chris Masters came out and said he had found a tag team partner to face the new team of Viscera and Val Venis (now calling themselves The Fighting Temptations) ...actually he found more than a partner, he found a problem solver! On special loan, his partner was Tyson Tomko!

Venis and Viscera got a decent reaction from the crowd, and seemed to have some decent chemistry as a team as well. Venis, of course, played the role of the face in peril and got double teamed by Masters and Tomko throughout the match. Masters even got to lock on the Masterlock on Venis, but Venis was close enough to his partner and got the hot tag on Viscera! Viscera cleaned house and Masters quickly tagged out to Tomko before running off, and Tomko took a beating from both men before being pinned after a DOUBLE splash from Venis and Viscera!

WINNERS: The Fighting Temptations via pinfall

(65 Overall – 62 Crowd, 69 Match)

ANALYSIS: Well, I’m giving Viscera and Venis a shot at being a team, considering Viscera needs something more than just ‘World’s Largest Lover’ to get over. In WWE logic, he needs a coach, a man who knows the subject matter well...so team him with a former adult film star! Again, WWE logic for you.

The Heart Throbs Gain An Ally...

As we came back from the commercial break, we saw the Heart Throbs in the backstage area warming up, and the Coach came in to get an exclusive interview!

The Coach: Folks, we’re moments before the big World Tag Team Championship bout, and I’m here with the challengers, the Heart Throbs! Now, guys, I’ve been out on the town with you two and I’ve seen all the energy you bring to the clubs... but its about due time that you take that energy and bring it to the ring! How are you going to capture the Tag Team straps tonight?

Voice: Coach...Coach... let me speak on behalf of these two.

The camera panned over and we saw a recognizable face... The Quintessential Studmuffin Joel Gertner!!

The Coach: Get out of here... Joel Gernter? From ECW fame?!?

Joel Gertner: Now, Coach, calm down...I mean, I know I make the ladies shiver, but I don’t want you to get all excited too...

The Coach: Hah...yeah...but my main man, Joel, why are you here? Are you down with the Heart Throbs?

Joel Gertner: Coach, I’m ‘down’ with the Heart Throbs alright...see, I’ve been watching these guys for a couple of weeks now, and I’ve been somewhat impressed. They’ve got this raw energy, and like me, the ladies are screaming for more... more... MORE! Yet, they have yet to really break out and do something as a team. Sure, last week, we saw Antonio defeat Rosey, but tonight...they needed something that they’ve lacked for weeks – focus. Now, look at my credentials. I led countless teams to gold in the past. I took guys who were no-names, and made them into stars. And I’m going to do the same with the Heart Throbs. I’m going to give them that fire that they’ve needed to finally attain Tag Team glory. It all starts tonight...because now, the Heart Throbs are down with Joel... “I know Stacy Keibler wants me / because I’m just so much fun/ but if I get the girl pregnant / I’ll dump the chick and run!” ... Gertner!

(67% Overall)

ANALYSIS: The hardcore ECW fans knew who Gertner was, but the rest of the crowd was getting into the character. Still, I think Gertner will be a great match for the Heart Throbs, and will provide them with the voice they need to be breakout stars.

World Tag Team Championship: The Dynamic Duo (w/ Stacy Keibler) © vs. The Heart Throbs (w/ Joel Gertner)

After that interview, the fans gave a little more heat towards the Heart Throbs this time around as they came out with their new manager, Joel Gertner. The champions came out to a good ovation, with Stacy once more in ‘costume’. The match itself was decent, but the fans seemed to be paying more attention to Stacy. Apparently, so was Joel Gertner, who was watching the superheroine from a distance and was trying to send her many ‘messages’ throughout the match. Gertner’s presence did help the Heart Throbs in the end though, though not by just any simple means... Gertner ended up distracting the ref as Romeo hit Hurricane with one of the belts behind the ref’s back! Antonio kept Rosey at bay as Romeo pinned Hurricane and the Heart Throbs got the three count to win the Tag Titles!

WINNERS AND NEW CHAMPIONS: The Heart Throbs via pinfall

(70 Overall – 65 Crowd, 76 Match)

(The World Tag Team Titles Lost Overness!)

ANALYSIS: The Heart Throbs are still getting over with the fans, so its not surprising to me that the belt image dropped a tad bit. That’s okay, because the Heart Throbs need the belts to actually get over. Gertner will help them.

The Highlight Reel

Chris Jericho came out for another edition of the Highlight Reel!

Chris Jericho: My guest on the Highlight Reel this week is someone who has been sending me fan mail week after week...and he seems to be QUITE the Jerichoholic. I figure, hey... I’m not busy this week, so maybe I’ll let the guy come out and get the moment of a lifetime – a special interview with Chris Jericho! So, lets not waste any time here...my guest tonight is... Eugene!

The fans popped big for the return of Eugene, who hadn’t been seen since Wrestlemania. He came out wearing a ‘Fozzy’ t-shirt and seemed genuinely excited to be on the Highlight Reel!

Chris Jericho: Eugene, now... wait, calm down kid. I know you’re excited...but hey, you’ve gotta chill!

Eugene: It’s Time! For RAW... Is... Eugene!!!!

The fans laugh as Jericho seems somewhat amused himself.

Chris Jericho: Yes, that’s nice and all, but I doubt Raw will ever... eeeeeever... be your show. Aside from that... what’s new, kid? It seems like you’ve been writing me some letters, begging and pleading for just one Y2J signature.

Eugene: Yeah! I want your signature, Mr. Y2J! I want you to sign my Fozzy album!

Chris Jericho: Ahh, your Fozzy album Eugene! I’d be proud to sign your Fozzy album...

Eugene gets excited, but Jericho stops him.

Chris Jericho: But you’re gonna have to wait in line! I’ve got a list of the famous people who want my autograph...Ozzy Osbourne can’t get enough of Fozzy, he even said it himself...I can quote his phone call, it went something like “ehbblheh, hebblheh ehhh ehhhhh blehhhh.” What a fluent speaker! And then there are all the sports figures, the celebrities...they all want a little bit of Y2J. Eugene, you’re a ... nice... guy and all, but I don’t know if I can fit you on my schedule.

The fans actually boo Jericho, as they start to see Eugene looking sad.

Chris Jericho: But, junior, I’m going to make it up to you. I’m going to give you an interview, and that ALONE is worth a million bucks. So, lets get it over with...First off, Eugene! What is your favorite Y2J moment???

Eugene: I loved when Chris Jericho beat The Rock and Steve Austin in the same night to win the Undisputed Title!!!

Chris Jericho: Hah! There ya go kid, there’s the—

Eugene: ... and then you lost the title to Triple H at Wrestlemania! That was awesome!!!

Jericho’s smile goes immediately to a frown.

Chris Jericho: ...okay. We’re skipping that one. What was your FAVORITE Jericho match???

Eugene: My favorite Jericho match was when Chris Jericho fought Shelton Benjamin at Taboo Tuesday for the Intercontinental Title!

Chris Jericho: But I lost that one...

Eugene: And...and... I voted for Shelton! And he won! And I was happy!

Jericho becomes even more frustrated.

Chris Jericho: You know what? Lets just finish this off. Last question...this is the big one, Eugene! Who is your favorite wrestler in the WWE...no, that’s too tough for you. Okay, who’s your favorite Chris in the WWE?!?

Eugene: Chris Benoit!!!!!

Jericho is speechless.

Chris Jericho: Chris Benoit. The Crippler. Am I hearing you correctly???

Eugene: Yeah! I remember when he won the World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestlemania twenty! And when he beat you in Japan! And when—

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Jericho smacks Eugene! This draws HUGE heat.

Chris Jericho: Listen up, Junior! I’m sick and tired of guys like Benoit and Benjamin and all those other two-bit hacks trying to take my spotlight! I’m the real deal, the real savior of the WWE! There is no one.... no one...who can do what I do! I’m the most successful wrestler slash musician slash celebrity slash millionaire slash ...

The fans are booing him as they see Eugene crying after the slap. He slows down and realizes what he has done.

Chris Jericho: I’m... I’m sorry. You know what? Just... just cut the damn feed, I’m done here.

With that, Jericho tossed the mic aside and walked out, trying to figure out what he just did in his moment of rage. Eugene stood there, saddened by this sudden outburst, as we went to commercials.

(88% Overall)

(Eugene Gained Overness!)

ANALYSIS: Ooh, shades of Heelism by Jericho. This was a good interview to help Eugene get his character more coverage...he lost a lot of heat from his overexposure last year. Hey, if McMahon still wants the gimmick, ya gotta figure what will make it work.

Edge vs. Tajiri

Before the match began, we got to see a little footage from the failed WWE ‘invasion’ of One Night Stand, where the first Raw draftee, Rob Van Dam, defended ECW against Edge. Edge challenged Tajiri for a match tonight, and he got the Japanese Buzzsaw for a one on one matchup! Edge took a lot of his recent angers out on Tajiri, though the Buzzsaw came back with his usual kicking offense. Of all people, though, Christian ended up coming down during a ref bump and he hit Tajiri with the Unprettier, leading to Edge setting up for the spear! The ref was revived and Edge got the pinfall victory over Tajiri! Post match, Edge and Christian continued their beatdown until the fire blasted and Kane made his entrance! E&C escaped and Kane was in full pursuit!

WINNER: Edge via pinfall

(79 Overall – 76 Crowd, 83 Match)

ANALYSIS: Solid match, Tajiri proves he can always be a solid midcarder and Edge is really getting into his heel act.

The pursuit is halted...

Edge and Christian ran backstage, as Kane followed. Before Kane could catch up, though, security had arrived and stopped the Big Red Machine from wrecking havoc. This drew the boos of many fans, but as he tried fighting through the security, Rob Van Dam appeared to try to calm the beast down!

Rob Van Dam: Yo, Kane, cool it...you’ll get your revenge on those two. I’ve got your back on this one.

Kane: I don’t need help!!!!!

Rob Van Dam: Kane, listen man! You have to play them at their own game. I know what its like to be turned on by someone close to you. In fact, you were the one that turned on me! But I understood that you were going through a lot...its cool, bro. I’m your friend and just like then, I’m here for you. And you know what? You’ll get your revenge, just like I’ll get a shot at Edge for his anti-ECW remarks. Cause I just talked to Bischoff and at Vengeance, it’ll be those two idiots Edge and Christian versus me and you... one more time as a team!!!

The fans cheer as Kane stops trying to break through security and...smiles.

Rob Van Dam: See? There you go. We’re gonna make ‘em suffer, big guy...just like the old days.

Kane: Oh yes, those bastards will pay...so will Lita... dear...dear...Lita.

With that, a commercial!

(71% Overall)

ANALYSIS: Of course, its WWE logic that RVD would be so kind to Kane after the man tried to nearly kill him, but we never gave Vince McMahon credit for continuity. Its crazy enough that they’re even mentioning a past team!

Batista and Triple H vs. Muhammed Hassan and Khosrow Daivari

Hassan and Daivari wanted a piece of the ‘main event’ that they believed they belonged in, so they challenged the two men who would be fighting for the World Title at Vengeance in Hell in a Cell! Triple H and Batista were at each others’ throats from the get go, but once Hassan and Daivari attacked them they worked surprisingly well together. The common hatred against Hassan helped fuel them to mount a comeback against Hassan and Daivari! Eventually, Hassan was knocked out of the ring by Triple H as Batista hit the Demon Bomb on Daivari for the three count!

Post match, Triple H attacked Batista from behind and the brawl between the two commenced! The road agents and officials poured out from the back and the two were kept apart as Raw went off the air!

WINNERS: Batista and Triple H via pinfall

(76 Overall – 78 Crowd, 73 Match)

ANALYSIS: The match was a bit hurt due to Triple H and Batista teaming together, but the fans hated Hassan/Daivari enough so they could actually stand cheering two hated enemies as a team! Decent match but the fans knew who was winning this one.

SHOW RATING: 72

High Point: The Highlight Reel with Eugene

Low Points: The Hype Video for the Young Guns

ANALYSIS: Lots of tag matches, so obviously we didn’t get to see too many mat classics...basically, a ton of angles were progressed, which is good. As of now, we’re getting a bit of everything...thats the nice thing about the Draft Lottery. It’s allowing new guys to shine on different shows.

And a newsbyte right from Wrestling Insider...

Identity Of New Tag Team Member (via WrestlingInsider.com)

Last night on Raw, we saw a video hyping the debut of a new team called the Young Guns. One of the members was Devon Storm, notable for wrestling under said name and as Crowbar in WCW. The other, though, was someone who went under the name of Erick Justice. This, apparently, is the new WWE alias of former TNA star Abyss. They are going to be debuting in a couple of weeks, but they may not actually be appearing on Raw. Videos apparently will be playing on both shows in the coming weeks, and the decision will be made soon enough on which show they will go to. Either way, they are predicted to debut as a face team, judging from the predominately-face teams they showed in the hype video.