Raw is War

Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
Attendance: 17,102
April 23, 2001

Forty-eight hours after Denver was blitzed by a wicked snowstorm, RAW IS WAR packed a powerful punch of its own just six days away from Backlash!

RAW kicked off with the World Wrestling Federation Tag Team Champions Undertaker and Kane in the center of the ring. The Brothers of Destruction had a strong message for Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H, their opponents this Sunday at Backlash. Taker began by saying that he and Kane have never been known for their sense of humor, and that it hasn't exactly been a decade of laughs. Instead, it's been a decade of destruction. But Taker admitted that a couple of weeks ago, Triple H said something that he thought was the funniest thing he ever heard! Taker then had the TV producer roll footage -- twice -- from SmackDown! from two weeks ago, when the Game said that he and Austin were the two most dominant men in the Federation. Taker reiterated that he and Kane found Triple H's statement pretty damn funny. He added that he and Kane would have been happy with a match against Austin and the Game just to see who the most dominant team is, but as luck would have it, the stakes rose just a little bit! Taker and Kane knew full well that every title involved in the main event at Backlash are all up for grabs, and what amuses Taker more than anything else was the thought of the Game and Austin losing their titles. To sum up, Taker suggested that the four take part in a fight to truly find out who the most dominant team really is.

A tag team responded to Taker's challenge, but it wasn't Triple H and Austin. Instead, it was Edge & Christian, and the seven-time Federation Tag Team Champions said that they were "seven times better" than Taker and Kane, and staked their claim as the most dominating team in the Federation. Christian added that they were forced into the title match on SmackDown! unprepared, thanks to Kane setting Commissioner Regal's office on fire, and that if there was a fight the brothers wanted, they'll get it! The Undertaker gladly accepted, saying that the only thing stopping E & C was the space between them and their ass getting kicked! With that, E & C hit the ring. But suddenly, Austin and Triple H hit the ring and attacked the brothers from behind. The Rattlesnake and the Game then unmercifully took out Taker and Kane with steel chairs!

Mr. McMahon and Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley gloated in their private room while viewing footage of the Game's and Austin's assault on Taker and Kane -- until they saw Mick Foley arrive to WWF New York. Stephanie told her father not to worry, because Foley would do anything for free food. But Mr. McMahon surmised that Foley was up to something.

Accompanied by his half-brothers D-Von and Bubba Ray Dudley -- who joined J.R. and Paul Heyman at the announce table -- Spike Dudley took on Hardcore Champion Rhyno. Before the match, the Dudleys acknowledged their six-man tag match at Backlash against the X-Factor.

To their surprise, Justin Credible, Albert and X-Pac watched the match from the entrance ramp! The courageous Spike took the fight right to his bigger opponent, and nearly knocked out Rhyno with a trash can lid as he went for the gore! However, X-Factor made their way to ringside and began to brawl with the Dudley Boyz. In the ring, Spike hit the Dudley Dogg on Rhyno and nearly had the match won, only to have Albert pull him off his opponent. Moments later, Rhyno finished Spike with the gore to retain his title. After the match, the Dudleys hit Justin Credible with 3-D, and X-Factor had to run for cover!

In the Right to Censor's locker room before RAW went on the air, Steven Richards told the Goodfather and Bull Buchanan that they were unstoppable, but expressed anger regarding their losing streak and how people are making a mockery out of their cause. So tonight, he pleaded to Goodfather and Bull to fight to win, and for survival! A fired-up Goodfather and Bull then took on Kaientai -- who both sported John Elway jerseys! Taka told the group that they lost their way and that there's nothing more pathetic that saying the same thing over and over again, and by the power of Elway, the Right to Censor's good is no match for their EVIL! Richards' pep talk did no good. Taka dropkicked the back of Funaki, whose momentum allowed him to cover Bull and continue the Right the Censor's losing streak!

At WWF New York, Foley enjoyed the service he received in his private suite, and said to put everything on Mr. McMahon's bill.

While Mr. McMahon watched in disgust, the Big Show him and asked if he really meant what he told him on SmackDown!, that he was the biggest disappointment in the business. The Federation chairman said he meant it when he made the Last Man Standing match at Backlash pitting the Show against Shane McMahon. Show warned Mr. McMahon what he's capable of doing to Shane, and then he showed footage of Test congratulating Jeff Hardy for giving Stephanie a Twist of Fate on SmackDown! a couple of weeks ago. The Show then suggested that he squeeze Test's neck for payback, and Mr. McMahon thought it was a great idea.

In Commissioner Regal's office, Kurt Angle discussed his tag team submission match pitting he and Regal against Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit. Regal said the match was to simply teach Jericho and Benoit a lesson.

Michael Cole reported that the Undertaker and Kane were shaken up after the attack on them earlier in the night, and because Kane had re-injured his elbow, the Brothers of Destruction were done for the night. However, they also promised they would be ready for Backlash on Sunday! As Cole concluded his report, Austin and Triple H confronted him to make sure that he said Taker and Kane were, in fact, finished for the evening, and that they would see about that.

To the tune of Mr.McMahon's "No Chance in Hell" entrance theme, Austin and Triple H entered the ring. The Game refreshed everyone's memory by recapping the events of earlier in the evening, when he and Austin took out the Brothers of Destruction, and reaffirmed he and Austin's claim as the two most dominant men in the Federation. Triple H then said that the Tag Team Championship belonged to he and Austin, as did the very ring that Taker loves to call his backyard, and at Backlash, Taker and Kane's asses also belonged to them. Austin then said that the people didn't have to like it, but everything that Triple H said was true, and what happened to Taker and Kane could happen to anyone in the arena. The Rattlesnake then challenged Taker and Kane to fight -- if they had anything left in them! When Austin began to question the brothers' guts, a different brother combination came out to accept the challenge -- the Hardy Boyz! Matt said that if they wanted to call anyone out, they're ready and waiting, and they'll never know the word "quit!" Jeff added that if there's a fight they're looking for, the Hardy Boyz are still alive! The Hardyz then ran to the ring -- backed up by the Undertaker and Kane! Austin and Triple H took the high road and avoided a four-on-two confrontation!

Back at WWF New York, Mick Foley came on stage. He told J.R. that for the past hour, he enjoyed his meal, as well as RAW live from Denver, Colo!

Foley then reached into his bag for something he thought would make the show better -- a contract that he and Linda McMahon signed when Foley was still Federation Commissioner. The contract stated that Foley could make a main event for any RAW of his choosing. With that in mind, Foley chose this RAW to make his main event -- an eight-man tag team match pitting Edge & Christian, Triple H and Stone Cold Steve Austin against the Hardys, Kane and the Undertaker!

Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho fought Commissioner William Regal and Kurt Angle in a unique tag team submission match. Before the match, Y2J talked about his Duchess of Queensbury match with Regal at Backlash. He had no idea what type of match it was, but did know that Regal knew plenty about Duchesses and Queens. Jericho then showed a picture of the English Queen with Regal's face on it! The match was no laughing matter, as each competitor tried every submission hold in the book to win the match. Ultimately, Benoit prevailed by getting the Commish to tap out to the Crossface!

Jonathan Coachmen talked with Trish Stratus about her dating game on HEAT. Trish said each guy had the pleasure of seeing her running around naked, and then whispered in Coach's ear about a part in the new Divas Hedonism video that he would like!

The Big Show took on Test in an attempt to please Mr. McMahon.

Hungry to prove his worth and his commitment to remain in the Federation, Show used his immense power to neutralize Test and toss him around like a rag doll! As the Show went to chokeslam Test, Shane McMahon hit the Show from behind with a chair to cause the disqualification. For good measure, Test hit the Show with a big boot to send him flying over the top rope!

In the back, an irate Mr. McMahon was looking for Shane before running into Trish, who he had not seen since WrestleMania. Mr. McMahon said that since Trish has recently stood on the side of good, he demanded that she compete one-on-one with Ivory. If she lost, Trish would become the newest member of the Right to Censor! The Federation chairman then took off in a huff to continue looking for Shane.

Michael Cole interviewed the unlikely six-man tag team of Raven, Steve Blackman and Grand Master Sexay before their match against the Radicalz. Raven and the Grand Master each gave their take on the match in their respective lingo. Their partner, however, had no idea what they were talking about! The match itself eventually was one-on-one between Raven and Eddie Guerrero, and Latino Heat rolled up Raven for the win!

Frustrations amongst the Right to Censor members nearly boiled over once again in their locker room, until Ivory reassured them by telling them that with a little faith, anything was possible, and she would prove it by defeating Trish Stratus and adding her to the Right to Censor group.

The former Federation Women's Champion dominated the inexperienced Trish in the early going, but Trish showed a tremendous amount of heart and skill, and nearly pinned Ivory on one occasion! Ivory went to the top to finish Trish off with a missile dropkick, but missed! Trish then bulldogged Ivory to this time pin her in a stunning upset!

Backstage, Steve Austin and Triple H warned Edge & Christian to act like seven-time tag team champions.

Triple H, Austin, and Edge & Christian battled the Hardys, the Undertaker and Kane in RAW's main event. While the participants in the main event at Backlash brawled outside the ring, the Hardys electrified the fans with a couple of Poetries in Motion to Edge & Christian. Once back in the ring, Taker and Kane showed little effects from the attack earlier in the evening to do a number on Austin and Triple H, until the Game attacked Kane's injured left arm to leave the Big Red Machine open to vicious punishment. Later, the fight took to the outside once again, and Kane battled back to nail Triple H with a clothesline and tag Matt Hardy. Triple H, though, caught Matt in a neckbreaker and had the match won until Taker broke up the count. The Dead Man then executed a chokeslam on the Game, but was double-teamed by Edge & Christian. Out of nowhere, Austin hit the Stunner on Matt to allow Triple H to cover him for the win!

With the Undertaker staring them down, Austin, Triple H and Stephanie left ringside holding their titles high above their heads as RAW went off the air!