Raw is War
Sheffield, England
November 21, 2005
The Blueshirts are coming!
November 21, 2005
The tension between RAW and SmackDown hit an all-time high as RAW rolled into
Sheffield, England this week.
As the show came on the air, RAW GM Eric Bischoff led his Survivor Series team
to the ring. He promised that SmackDown didn’t have the guts to show up, and
revealed that his sending Edge to SmackDown was a master plan all along. As Big
Show & Kane talked about how Batista was the wrong man in the wrong place at the
wrong time, Todd Grisham announced from the parking lot that SmackDown’s team
had arrived. World Heavyweight Champion Batista challenged Team RAW to meet them
in the parking lot, an offer that Team RAW captain Shawn Michaels accepted to
the dismay of Eric Bischoff.
RAW and SmackDown brawled in the parking lot, with RAW seemingly getting the
best of the confrontation. After Chris Masters locked Rey Mysterio in the locker
room, Kane & Big Show apparently gave Batista a double-chokeslam through a car
windshield, leaving the Animal injured. The fight was broken up, and Team
SmackDown took Batista to a local medical facility.
Later in the night, JBL returned, interrupting a match between Rob Conway and
Tajiri, attacking both Superstars. JBL demanded a match with Masters, but
Bischoff came out and offered him a match with HBK instead. JBL accepted, and
later on, Theodore Long and Bischoff agreed to make it a Lumberjack Match.
Early in the match, JBL took control of HBK, working his back. HBK made a
comeback and clotheslined himself and JBL over the top rope. Team SmackDown took
the opportunity to pounce, attacking HBK before Team RAW managed to make the
save. This would happen continuously throughout the match, giving JBL a decided
advantage. HBK made another comeback, but Randy Orton pushed him off the top
rope. HBK would then hit Sweet Chin Music on JBL, but the Legend Killer stuck
his nose in again, this time giving HBK an RKO. This brought all nine men into
the ring, and the brawl was on. After Kane & Big Show delivered another double-chokeslam,
this time to Lashley, it appeared as if RAW would stand tall again. Instead,
Batista returned, wielding a steel pipe. Batista attacked the World Tag Team
Champions, and when the smoke cleared, it was the World Heavyweight Champion who
was the one left standing.
Tensions also mounted within the RAW roster heading towards Survivor Series.
Kurt Angle took on Shelton Benjamin, and shocked the crowd again by announcing
Daivari as the special referee. Angle worked his former protégé’s back and ribs
throughout the match, but Benjamin rallied back. After Shelton hit a DDT on the
apron, it seemed he had the Olympic Gold Medalist right where he wanted him.
However, Angle escaped Benjamin’s attempt at a T-Bone suplex, instead locking in
the Ankle Lock. Benjamin clawed his way to the ropes twice, but Daivari ignored
the standard rope break rule. Benjamin then managed to reverse the hold into a
roll-up, but Daivari blatantly reversed the pinning combination, and counted the
victory for Angle.
After the match, Angle announced that Daivari was his personal referee, and
would be the official for the WWE Championship Match at Survivor Series. Cena
then interrupted Angle’s celebration, saying he wanted to find out what the WWE
Superstars thought of Kurt Angle. After a trio of bizarre confrontations with
the Divas, Snitsky & Tyson Tomko and the Boogeyman, Cena instead decided to ask
the crowd. The crowd voiced their opinion, and Cena declared that Angle still
sucked. The two then brawled, before the WWE Champion was able to send Angle &
Daivari scurrying from the ring.
After Ric Flair used a handful of tights to defeat Trevor Murdoch, Triple H
appeared on the TitanTron to congratulate the Nature Boy. He sarcastically
lauded Flair for cheating to win, but then asked him what he would do at
Survivor Series in a match where there are no rules to break. Triple H said he
would finish what he started, and promised to show Flair what he could do later
on. And indeed, when Triple H met Val Venis later in the night, he sent a
powerful message to the Intercontinental Champion. Venis attacked Triple H
early, sending him to the floor. However, Triple H grabbed a chair, and smashed
it into the skull of the Big Valbowski. Triple H was immediately disqualified,
but continued his attack. After delivering a series of chair shots to the
defenseless Venis, Triple H scored with the Pedigree, leaving Venis beaten in
the ring and sending a message to Ric Flair that this may be his fate on Nov.
27.
Also, another match was made for Survivor Series. During the match between
Mickie James and Candice Michelle, two masked men appeared at ringside and
abducted Trish Stratus. The distraction allowed Victoria to attack James,
helping Candice to victory, but James was more concerned with the whereabouts of
her favorite Diva. Trish was found tied up and gagged in an undisclosed
location, where MNM revealed themselves as her captors. Melina then berated
Trish, saying it was ridiculous that the most dominant Diva in WWE was unable to
challenge for the Women’s Championship. That said, Melina challenged Trish to a
championship match at Survivor Series; after Trish accepted, Melina kicked her
in the head for good measure. MNM then departed, leaving the Women’s Champion on
the ground, still tied to a chair.
Matches
Shawn Michaels and JBL fought to a No-Contest
Kurt Angle def. Shelton Benjamin
Intercontinental Champion Ric Flair def. Trevor Murdoch
Val Venis def. Triple H (DQ)
Candice Michelle def. Mickie James
Rob Conway vs. Tajiri (No Contest)