Raw is War
Buffalo, New York
November 22, 2004
ORTON PLAYS "THE GAME"
The Cerebral Assassin may have outsmarted General Manager Chris Benoit on Monday
night, but next week’s boss has already gotten the best of Triple H.
Randy Orton can’t take on Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship, so
next week’s General Manger announced the next best thing: a company-wide
over-the-top-rope battle royal placing the entire RAW roster in the ring with
Triple H, with the World Heavyweight Championship up for grabs. And the two men
Triple H used to make a mockery of Benoit will be in that battle royal against
their faction’s leader.
When the Rabid Wolverine took his turn controlling RAW, he immediately placed
himself in a steel cage match against Triple H with the World Heavyweight
Championship on the line. “The Game” knew his chances of walking out of Buffalo,
N.Y., with the title were slim, so he concocted a complicated plan to screw The
Crippler out of his title opportunity. It involved a phony argument, a phony
doctor and a phony injury, but the result was very real: Triple H didn’t have to
defend his title after all.
Throughout the evening, Triple H clashed with Evolution’s animal Batista. “The
Game” even went so far as to say that Batista was a man with “a million-dollar
body and a 10 cent brain.” It appeared as if we were witnessing the
disintegration of Evolution before our very eyes. Batista was a powder keg, and
Triple H lit the fuse.
Then, a seething Batista nearly broke Chris Jericho’s neck. The big man picked
up Y2J and “tied him to the tree of woe” in the corner. He then jumped outside
the ring and applied a choking reverse headlock, which he refused to release —
even when the referee threatened to disqualify him. At the count of five, the
referee was forced to call for the bell … and for help. Batista wasn’t done,
waiting until Jericho got to his feet before blasting him with a vicious
clothesline.
Afterward, Triple H and Batista went at it again when Evolution’s leader scoffed
at Batista’s inability to beat Jericho, who did officially win via
disqualification. Batista stormed off, and when it came time for Triple H to
defend the World Heavyweight Championship, he mysteriously had been
incapacitated. After the events that evening, the incident seemed to have
Batista written all over it.
The assigned physician refused to let Triple H compete in his current condition,
leaving Benoit momentarily without an opponent. The Rabid Wolverine decided to
force Edge to replace Triple H. Then, things only got worse for Edge inside the
steel cage. Edge survived Benoit’s diving headbutt and Crippler Crossface, but
he then accidentally speared Benoit right out the steel cage door, giving his
opponent the victory.
But any delight Benoit took in his win quickly evaporated when Evolution’s
detailed plan was revealed. Triple H and Batista went nose-to-nose in the ring,
seemingly on the verge of coming to blows with only Ric Flair there to keep the
peace. Then, the laughter began. Triple H embraced Batista, and the trio boasted
to the crowd that everyone bought into their elaborate scheme.
Triple H called for ladies from backstage to come out and celebrate, but Orton
emerged instead. When the GM-to-be announced next week’s main event, the RAW
locker room emptied. Orton was soon flanked by 20-plus Superstars all itching
for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to win gold with the odds badly stacked against
the champion.
Earlier, a huge six-man tag team match placed three champions against three
Superstars who want a title rematch. World Tag Team Champions Eugene & William
Regal alongside Intercontinental Champion Shelton Benjamin beat the team of
Christian & La Resistance when Benjamin hit the T-bone suplex.
Despite Triple Threat rules and a broken nose, Trish Stratus retained her
Women’s Championship against Lita and Molly Holly. After the match, Lita soured
Trish’s victory by dropping her into a rear-naked choke, further damaging the
champ’s nose.
RAW sponsor Simon Dean interrupted Stacy Keibler’s ECW DVD giveaway, bringing
out a Simon System DVD he said the “fat, disgusting” RAW fans could really use.
When things became heated, The Hurricane came to Stacy’s aid. But Simon dumped
RAW’s superhero with a low blow, then pummeled him with a weightlifting belt
before escaping up the ramp.
Also, RAW newcomer Muhhamad Hassan warned that any who stand in his way are in
for serious trouble.
MATCH RESULTS
Gene Snitsky defeats Maven
Chris Jericho def. Batista (DQ)
Rhyno def. Jonathan Coachman
Women’s Champion Trish Stratus def. Lita and Molly Holly (Triple Threat Match)
Shelton Benjamin, Eugene & William Regal def. Christian & La Resistance
Chris Benoit def. Edge (Steel Cage Match)