Raw is War

Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
June 25, 2001

One night after a King of the Ring Pay-Per-View no one will soon forget, World Wrestling Federation chairman Vince McMahon entered the ring to kick off RAW IS WAR live from Madison Square Garden!

Mr. McMahon began by addressing the rumor that circulated at the King of the Ring that if Chris Benoit or Chris Jericho became Federation champion, they would have defected to WCW. But McMahon was proud to announce that Stone Cold Steve Austin was still the Federation Champion despite the blatant interference of WCW Champion, Booker T. According to McMahon, the burning question was what the 'T' in Booker T stood for? in Tea like what you drink, or terrible? Or trash? Or temporarily employed, which Mr. McMahon said what Booker T was. McMahon then reiterated that he would put the WCW out of business once again!

Mr. McMahon then vowed that no WCW star would ever walk into the hallowed grounds of Madison Square Garden, the home of many memorable moments, including the time in which his father, Vincent J. McMahon, was inducted into the Federation Hall of Fame. Mr. McMahon than rolled footage of a video package dedicated to his father, which included comments from Federation legends "Classy" Freddie Blassie and Gorilla Monsoon! After the footage, Mr. McMahon guaranteed many more memorable moments in Madison Square Garden!

RAW's first match was a Hardcore Championship match with Test defending against Rhyno, who he defeated on SmackDown! 10 days earlier. The challenger went for the gore early, but Test blocked it with a garbage can and nearly ended the match. The fight son took to the stands, where Rhyno unloaded on the champion until being suplexed on the steel barricade. Staying on top of his challenger, Test took the fight to the backstage area. Test nailed Rhyno with a fire extinguisher and placed him on two tables - and it a flying elbow from atop a scaffold! But Test wasn't through. He went to piledrive Rhyno on the concrete, but was backdropped on the concrete floor. Rhyno then gored Test into a steel wall and pinned him to become the new Hardcore Champion! But suddenly, WCW star Mike Awesome attacked Rhyno after the match and powerbombed him on top of a ladder! Awesome then forced the referee to count to three. Just like that, WCW star Mike
Awesome was the Federation Hardcore Champion!

Following the wild Hardcore Title match, Jeff Hardy put up the Light Heavyweight Championship against X-Pac in a rematch from King of the Ring. Hardy had things in control until X-Pac dropkicked him off the top turnbuckle and onto the ringside floor. X-Pac then went to the top but met a Hardy dropkick in mid-air. Hardy soon went for the Swanton Bomb, but missed. X-Pac then rolled up Hardy, and using the ring rope for leverage, pinned Hardy to become the new Light Heavyweight Champion!

In Mr. McMahon's dressing room, Stone Cold Steve Austin and Debra greeted an irate Federation Chairman, who admonished the couple for not being there when he needed them and explained how Mike Awesome raped him by stealing the Federation Hardcore Championship. Austin then told McMahon the hell with him, and asked him where he was when he needed him at King of the Ring! The Rattlesnake also said that McMahon does not care how he feels. But the chairman insisted that he does care, and the two embraced!

In the back, Trish Stratus was talking on her cell phone when she was hit on by the Big Show, who showed off a rather expressive T-shirt that he said he made himself. Show then said that he was considering a European vacation after he defeated Matt Hardy for the European Championship and asked Trish if she would like to join him! Trish said she would enjoy some European down time, but asked if they would stay in separate rooms.

Back in Mr. McMahon's dressing room, Kurt Angle stopped in to visit. Mr. McMahon told Angle how proud he was of him for getting even with WCW owner Shane McMahon. Angle was explaining the nature of his injuries before Austin interrupted, calling Angle pathetic and saying that what he accomplished at King of the Ring was better than Angle competing in two matches. While Austin continued to get in Angle's face, Mr. McMahon made peace and invited Angle to sit down and have some vegetables!

Wearing black, Steven Richards stood in the center of the ring. After calling New York City a cesspool, he was greeted by his opponent -- Tazz! The Brooklyn native finished Richards in under a minute with the Tazzmission!

Making their way to the ring, Tajiri - with King of the Ring trophy in his arms - accompanied Commissioner William Regal en route to the King of the Ring award ceremony.

In Mr. McMahon's room, Angle enjoyed his carrots while an annoyed Austin looked on. The Rattlesnake asked Mr. McMahon to get rid of Angle, but McMahon said that with the King of the Ring ceremony up next, he was afraid Angle would get traumatized. Angle then said that he and Austin had a lot in common being both tough and former Kings of the Ring, and that the two could even be related!

Commissioner Regal and Tajiri entered the ring, with the latter carrying the King of the Ring trophy, to begin the King of the Ring ceremony. First, the Commish noted that a lot of things are lacking in America, including not washing hands after using the lavatory and royalty. With that, Regal introduced King Edge, who was accompanied by his brother, Christian. Regal said that while Edge's victory will forever be tainted by Shane McMahon's interference, he congratulated him on his tournament win. E & C - and Tajiri -- then took part in a five-second pose. Christian then said it was an honor to be standing with Edge, the 2001 King of the Ring.

But his only regret was how Shane also interfered in his match to cost him his place in the finals.

Edge then welcomed the citizens of New York to an Era of Awesomeness until the 1999 King of the Ring, Billy Gunn, suddenly interrupted him. "The One" said that he was unable to defend his crown due to a shoulder injury, and the fact that he was not entered in this year's tournament, and said that his biggest problem was watching Edge win it. Edge responded by calling Gunn a human vacuum cleaner - he could suck and blow at the same time. He added that it wasn't his fault that he did a big pile of nothing since 1999. "The One" then challenged Edge to a fight. Edge agreed, and decreed that his first act in the Era of Awesomeness was a one-on-one battle with Billy Gunn!

Up next was Kane and the Undertaker (with his wife, Sara) challenging the Dudley Boyz for the Federation Tag Team Championship! The teams wasted no time in tearing into each other. Taker scored early with a clothesline and showed off a little "old school" by walking the top rope and driving a forearm into Bubba Ray's shoulder. D-Von, though was able to make a blind tag and help Bubba Ray execute a back suplex on the Dead Man. Taker bounced right back to tag in Kane. The Intercontinental Champion punished D-Von for the next few minutes and nailed D-Von with a flying clothesline.

After Bubba Ray broke up the count, all four men brawled in the ring. Kane nailed a powerbomb in D-Von, but after Bubba Ray pulled the referee out of the ring, Albert interfered to Baldo Bomb the Big Red Machine! Albert then pulled a prone D-Von over Kane. The referee counted Kane out to award the match to the Dudleys! Afterward, Taker chokeslammed Bubba Ray! The Dead Man and Sara then stood together in the middle of the ring. But once they made it at the end of the rampway, Diamond Dallas Page attacked Taker with a steel char. Sara slapped DDP and challenged him to a fight! But DDP taunted Sara, blocked her punch, grabbed her by the hair and pulled a piece of it out! During the break, Taker consoled his shaken wife.

In the Commissioner's office, Regal said that this WCW nonsense had to stop. He addressed the rumors from King of the Ring of Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho defecting to WCW, and tried to figure out a punishment for Jericho with Benoit out of action due to injury. Tajiri offered to fight Y2J one-on-one on RAW, and Regal loved the idea!

Matt Hardy defended the European Championship against the Big Show - accompanied by Trish Stratus. Motivated by Federation gold and a European vacation with Trish, Show tossed Hardy around like unwanted toys. Late in the match Trish suddenly kissed Hardy, and an enraged Lita pulled off Trish's blouse and attacked her! In the ring, Show went for the chokeslam, but Lita kicked him down low to force the disqualification!

Life at WWF New York, fans were supposed to be joined by Perry and Terri. But instead, Shane O-Mac was in the house! The WCW owner acknowledged that his organization has his father hot under the collar and that television exposure was essential to rebuilding the WCW brand. Shane then said that since his father has prevented the WCW from airing television, it was time for the WCW to invade the Federation! Shane added that his grandfather was smiling looking from up above, and promised that he would do what his Mr. McMahon did to his father - put him out of business!

The man to lead the charge - WCW champion Booker T, who joined Shane at WWF New York! Booker T asked Austin how he felt about being the hunted, and that it was too easy to take him out of the game at King of the Ring. He respects that Austin calls himself the Federation champion, but the WCW champion called the Rattlesnake out, and that if he wanted some, he'd be at WWF New York kicking it all night long!

Back at the Garden, Austin asked who the hell Booker T thought he was calling him out. Mr. McMahon and Debra encouraged Austin to go to WWF New York to kick Booker T's ass! Austin agreed, and tried to convince Mr. McMahon to join him. Mr. McMahon was reluctant to go, so Austin asked Kurt Angle to accompany him. Angle agreed!

Backstage, Hardcore Holly and Al Snow were discussing "Tough Enough" when they ran into a meeting at the APA office. Faarooq and Bradshaw addressed the troops by saying how it took years for everyone to make it to the Federation and that the WCW guys who couldn't make it on their own were here to piggy back on the Federation Superstars' success. Bradshaw asked the group to stand up for what they built, and proclaimed that they were going to start a fight!

2001 King of the Ring Edge faced "The One" Billy Gunn in a special challenge match. Edge dominated the match until Gunn caught him in a spinebuster. Gunn was able to ground Edge and slow down the pace of the match until Edge took "The One" down with a spear. At one point, Christian tried to get in a shot, but instead hit his own brother! Gunn executed a jackhammer, but it still wasn't enough to finish Edge. Gunn then signaled for the Fame-Ass-Er, but behind the referee's back, Christian hit Gunn with a backbreaker, and Edge took advantage by finishing Gunn with a DDT.

Mr. McMahon and Debra discussed what Austin was going to do to Booker T when the phone rang. It was Austin, who told his wife he was stuck in traffic. Mr. McMahon then told the Rattlesnake to calm down, and agreed that although Angle was a dork, he is a dangerous dork, "our dork" and his backup dork!

Led by Commissioner Regal, Tajiri took on Chris Jericho. Y2J said that it sounded that MSG was hounded by Jerichoholics tonight, and said that although the Federation Championship was still around the waist of "Stone Cold Ass Clown," his quest to be champion will never end. And since Austin wasn't around, Jericho was going to take his aggressions out of "Ta-Junior!" Jericho had Tajiri locked in the Walls of Jericho about three minutes in, but a Regal distraction broke the hold and opened the door for one of Tajiri's vicious kicks. Jericho fought back with a series of chops, but was met with another kick to the bridge of the nose. Tajiri ascended the top rope and executed a dropkick to the middle of Y2J's spine. Jericho answered with a spinning kick to the back of Tajiri's head and a series of clotheslines.

Y2J nailed a springboard dropkick that sent Tajiri to the outside. Y2J had Tajiri pinned after two powerbombs, but Regal pulled the referee out and held Jericho. Green mist suddenly shot out of Tajiri's mouth -- but Jericho moved and Tajiri spit right into the face of the Commissioner! One Lionsault later, Jericho escaped with a hard-fought win! Afterward, Tajiri tried to make amends Regal, but the Commish pushed him away.

In the back, Mr. McMahon spoke with Austin over the phone. McMahon said that Austin had a brilliant idea and to wait for his signal. The Federation Chairman then told Debra that this was going to be good, and headed to the ring!

Standing in the ring, Mr. McMahon said that the Garden grounds have been soiled, but all's well that ends well! He said that Stone Cold was going to kick Booker T's butt, and Shane McMahon was going to get more of that from Kurt Angle. McMahon added that the two men were outside of WWF New York and said to get this plan under way.

Austin and Angle entered WWF New York to look for Shane and Booker T, but a security guard told Austin that the two men left a while ago. Austin said that he came down there to whip Booker T's ass, but he wasn't there, and said that if you'd ask anyone, Stone Cold Steve Austin was the man, and Booker T was not going to trash the good name of Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Back at the Garden, Mr. McMahon said he wasn't surprised at what happened at WWF New York. Suddenly, Shane's music started playing. Shane O-Mac was in the house -- walking down the ramp highlighted by the WCW logo! While Shane distracted his father, Booker T assaulted the Federation chairman! The APA and the Federation locker room came out, but Booker T and Shane escaped. The Federation Superstars attended to a beaten Mr. McMahon as RAW went off the air!