WWE Raw

Corpus Christi, Texas
July 16, 2007

thanks to: wwe.com

Hardy makes The Bash family night with victory
By Corey Clayton
July 16, 2007

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Jeff Hardy is no stranger to the Intercontinental Championship.

And after successfully fending off challenges from Santino Marella, William Regal and Shelton Benjamin, he’ll have the chance to regain the title for a fourth time at The Great American Bash.

Hardy’s win in a Four Way Elimination Match secured the No. 1 contendership for the Intercontinental Title. He’ll have the chance to take it from the man that ended his last Intercontinental reign, the Samoan Bulldozer, Umaga.

After Santino Marella was eliminated by William Regal and Regal was pinned by Benjamin, Hardy countered a sunset flip attempt with a bridge pin to catch the World’s Greatest Tag Team member by surprise and gained the three-count. Watch the video...

It’ll make The Great American Bash a family affair, as both Jeff and Matt Hardy will be targeting singles gold. Matt will be facing United States Champion Montel Vontavious Porter at Sunday’s event in San Jose, Calif.

WWE Champion John Cena faced off with his Great American Bash challenger, Bobby Lashley. During an interview conducted by Jonathan Coachman, Lashley became frustrated and charged up the ramp toward Coachman, who had stripped him of the ECW World Title on Draft night. Watch the video...

But Cena challenged Lashley to keep his cool and stay focused on beating The Champ, or else he’d go home from The Bash empty-handed. After turning toward the locker room, the Dominator charged toward Cena, then scuffled with The Champ only to be broken apart by WWE officials. Read more...

Another Bash pairing that threatened to throw down early was “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes and Randy Orton. Rhodes was at ringside for his son Cody’s Raw debut, accepting Orton’s challenge.

Cody almost scored a surprising upset victory over the former World Heavyweight Champion with a missile dropkick, but Orton recovered to kick out of the pin attempt. Orton then countered the youngest Rhodes with a backbreaker, and took down the rookie with an RKO to score the pinfall.

After the match, Orton attempted to kick Cody in the head in a similar manner that he had done to Shawn Michaels and Rob Van Dam, putting their careers on the shelf. But Dusty Rhodes stepped in just in time to stop Orton’s charge. The two stared each other down as their Texas Bull Rope Match looms in just six days.

Raw started off in royal fashion as Triple H’s entrance music blared through the American Bank Center. The crowd roared in anticipation, but it wasn’t the The Game that came to ringside. It was Raw’s regal couple, King Booker and Queen Sharmell.

Booker issued a proclamation that he alone was to be called “King” in WWE. He even issued threats to Triple H, who’s known as the “King of Kings.”

Booker called Triple H’s moniker “blasphemy.”

“There’s only one king in WWE. There’s only one king on Monday Night Raw … your foolish reign as King of Kings is over,” Booker said.

But then Booker took issue with Raw commentator and WWE Hall of Famer, Jerry “The King” Lawler. Booker asked Lawler to discontinue use of his long-time title.

Lawler, at first, refused. “I’ve been a king for over 30 years, and I don’t see why there’s not any reason we can’t co-exist as kings,” he said. Booker replied, “There can be only one king. And it’s not Triple H, and it’s not you.”

Lawler conceded as a sign of respect, and told Booker he would not use the title anymore when referring to himself. But then Booker asked the ring veteran to kiss his ring as a sign of the “changing of the guard.”

Lawler refused, and Booker attacked the regal legend. Lawler responded with haymakers as WWE officials swarmed in to break up the melee. The flustered Booker left ringside threatening Lawler as the crowd chanted “Jer-ry! Jer-ry!”

In other action, Melina defeated Mickie James with her guillotine leg drop. With Women’s Champion Candice Michelle watching from ringside and Beth Phoenix giving the paparazzi princess some outside assistance, Melina’s win served as notice that her sights are firmly set on regaining Michelle’s title at The Bash.

Sandman and Carlito attempted to settle their budding rivalry, but their match was interrupted by William Regal, who was seeking to exact some revenge on Sandman for the Singapore cane blow he suffered a week earlier.

Also, while being eliminated first in the Intercontinental Four Way Elimination Match, Santino Marella found comfort in the locker room in the arms of WWE Diva, Maria, who offered to spend the night with the “Milan Miracle.”

Mr. Kennedy settled the score with Mexican luchador Super Crazy, earning a victory with a top-rope suplex. Super Crazy had fooled Kennedy weeks earlier into thinking he’d “lie down” for a Beat The Clock Match loss to the Green Bay, Wisc., grappler, only to turn the tables on Kennedy to cost him a WWE Title opportunity.

Finally, Raw’s deranged giant, Snitsky, steamrolled past Val Venis for a rather easy victory. He pinned the sexy Superstar with a pumphandle slam, then gave Venis another slam post-match for good measure.
 

 Matches

Jeff Hardy def. Shelton Benjamin, William Regal and Santino Marella in a Four-Way Elimination Match for the No. 1 Contendership for the Intercontinental Title

Snitsky def. Val Venis

Randy Orton def. Cody Rhodes

Melina def. Mickie James

Sandman def. Carlito (disqualification)

Mr. Kennedy def. Super Crazy