WWE Raw is War

Washington, DC
December 18, 2006

Rated "R" for Revenge
By Noah Starr
December 18, 2006

Raw rolled into Washington, D.C. with so much excitement, the show had to be three hours long.

On a shocking episode of Raw, Team Rated-RKO delivered what may have been not only the fatal blow on DX’s chances at New Year’s Revolution, but also on the storied careers of Triple H and HBK. Thirsting for revenge and seeking the upper hand for their upcoming pay-per-view match-up, Randy Orton and Edge decimated their bitter rivals. A double RKO on Michaels and a steel chair to Triple H’s skull left DX beaten, bloodied and motionless as Raw went off the air.

Earlier, in the biggest Battle Royal in Raw history, 30 Superstars were pitted against each other for the opportunity to face John Cena for the WWE Championship. One by one, powerful competitors were eliminated over the top rope. Shawn Michaels seemed to have the victory all wrapped up, but Edge stood alone in the end, picking up a controversial win—and the chance to capture more gold later in the evening from Cena.

Edge seemed sure that he would defeat Cena and go on to face Umaga at New Year’s Revolution. The Rated R Superstar put up a valiant effort as he faced John Cena for the WWE Championship, at points nearly getting the pinfall against the Champ. When the referee was knocked out, both Randy Orton and DX got involved in the incredible match-up. When the dust finally settled, it was Cena who retained his gold.

At Armageddon, Joey Mercury suffered a severe injury when a steel ladder hit him in the face, sending him to a local medical facility with a broken nose. Melina blamed The Hardys for Mercury’s injuries, and demanded they compete in a 3-on-2 Handicap Match pairing Johnny Nitro with the World’s Greatest Tag Team.

Jeff Hardy endured an extensive amount of punishment at the hands of both Nitro and the World’s Greatest Tag Team. Johnny Nitro finally pinned the current Intercontinental Champion, who has not been in top form after a series of grueling matches-- including a devastating encounter with Umaga last week on Raw. As WWE fans chanted “Nitro sucks!” Johnny Nitro continued to pummel Jeff Hardy after the bell rang. This loss doesn’t bode well for Hardy who will face Nitro in a Steel Cage Match with his title on the line at New Year’s Revolution.

Victoria continued her rampage through the ranks of the WWE Divas, defeating current WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James in a non-title match. Mickie’s name was the last to be checked off Victoria’s list, and the two beautiful competitors will meet at New Year’s Revolution with the title on the line.

In other Raw action, Carlito faced Chris Masters attacking the Masterpiece before the bell rang. The Caribbean Superstar lost his trademark cool after Masters applied the Masterlock to Torrie Wilson last week. Carlito seems to care deeply about Torrie, and his attacks on Masters were nothing short of devastating. The Masterpiece finally fled the arena after slamming Carlito’s head into a camera.

Ric Flair suffered a loss at the hands of Kenny Dykstra. When the Nature Boy tried to congratulate the talented newcomer, Kenny snubbed him and walked out of the ring declaring, “I’m the real man around here!”

Jim Ross spoke to K-Fed, who will face WWE Champion John Cena at the first Raw of 2007 live from Miami. Federline told the crowd, “I never back down from a challenge.”

Also on Raw, Jerry “The King” Lawler spoke with Hollywood legend Sylvester Stallone about his film Rocky Balboa. WWE fans were introduced to Vladimir Kozlov, a Russian Mixed Martial Arts Sambo champion, and JTG and Shad of Cryme Tyme were up to their old tricks, making off with the President’s wallet.

Photos: Raw photo gallery

Matches

Edge wins a 30 man Battle Royal
Kenny Dykstra def. Ric Flair
Johnny Nitro and The World's Greatest Tag Team def. The Hardys (3-On-2 Handicap Tag Team Match)
John Cena def. Edge (WWE Championship Match)
Victoria def. WWE Women's Champion Mickie James (Non-Title Match)
Carlito vs. Chris Masters (No Contest)
WWE Champion John Cena & DX vs. Umaga & Rated RKO (No Contest)