RAW IS WAR - Week 1, March 2001
Last week on SmackDown! - Trouble brewed within two stables - The Radicalz and Right to Censor. Christian launched a backstage assault on Bubba Ray Dudley before facing D-Von in a six-man tag match. The Rock defended his WWF Championship against William Regal, and Stone Cold Steve Austin took on Kurt Angle - with both matches ending in disqualification. SmackDown! went off the air with The Rock - for the second time in one week - almost hitting the Rock Bottom on Austin!
Too much dark and not enough sky, Why am I the thorn in your eye?
Fireworks explode and the crowd erupts as we kick off Raw is War!
Jim Ross: Hello everyone and welcome to Monday Night Raw!
Paul Heyman: Don't adjust your television set, don't change the channel - THIS is the new voice of Monday nights! That's right - Paul Heyman, the purveyor of extreme - is here in the World Wrestling Federation!
JR: Jerry Lawler - The King - will no longer be joining me on commentary, but we wish him all the best.
Heyman: Oh don't be so sad, JR! I can fill the royal void that Jerry Lawler left behind! Look - PUPPIES! AAAHHH! PUPPIES!
JR: Oh, good Lord.
Triple H's music hits as The Game walks down to the ring with Stephanie McMahon. HHH brags about his dominance over Stone Cold Steve Austin at No Way Out.
He demands that The Rock put his title on the line against him instead at WrestleMania as he has already proven that he's better than The Rattlesnake.
Suddenly, Chris Jericho's music hits! Y2J comes out to the entrance way, mic in hand:
Jericho: Triple H... would you please shut the hell up?! I didn't think your ego could get any bigger than your nose, but here you are - boring all of these people to death. My Jerichoholics didn't pay good money to listen to Hunter Hearst Smellsley bitch and moan!
Triple H is furious - he goes off on Jericho and the two trade insults before Jericho issues a challenge:
Jericho: Alright Hunter, if you want to put your money where your mouth is - if you want to beg and bitch and moan for a shot at championship gold - why don't you meet me at WrestleMania and try to take my Intercontinental Championship from me?
HHH: You're on, Jericho! You're gonna eat your words when I beat you and take your title!
Chris Jericho smiles as his music hits, leaving Triple H fired up in the ring.
Backstage in the green room, The Radicalz are complaining to Vince McMahon as Chris Benoit is a no-show. Vince tries to settle them down:
Vince: Okay, okay... maybe - maybe Chris Benoit got sick of all this in-fighting that's going on between you guys, huh? How about this - you want to get on the same page, huh? You want to be a unit again? How about you three take on Edge, Christian and Kurt Angle tonight?
The Radicalz accept Vince's offer and head to the locker room to prepare for their match.
TAG - The Hardy Boyz vs. Right to Censor
Val Venis and Steven Richards make their way to the ring. Commentary explain that RTC are fragmented - Ivory is out with an injury while Bull Buchanan and The Goodfather have been sent to 'spread the good word' elsewhere.
The Hardy Boyz are out next and the match begins.
Back and forth tag team action, with commentary highlighting the chemistry between Richards and Venis. Venis Irish whips Jeff Hardy across the ring, but Hardy slides between Val's legs and hits a dropkick.
Matt and Richards tag in and the two trade blows, with Richards hitting a nasty clothesline on Matt before attempting a pin. Kickout! Both partners swap out and Jeff begins to get the upper hand over Venis. Jeff sets up for a swanton off of the top rope...
On the outside, Richards snaps - grabbing a chair and clattering Jeff in the back before he can execute the dive. The ref calls for the bell!
Matt rushes to help his brother but Richards catches him with an overhead swinging chairshot too!
Richards throws down the weapon, grabs Venis and leaves the ring. Lita runs down the aisle past RTC, coming to the aid of the Hardys.
JR: What a shocking assault on the Hardy Boyz! RTC couldn't get the job done here tonight, but what a vicious statement they just made!
WINNERS - The Hardy Boyz via disqualification
Edge, Christian and Kurt Angle discuss their upcoming match in the locker room:
Angle: ...I mean, it's ridiculous - I should be getting my hands on The Rock, or Stone Cold Steve Austin! I can't believe I've got to wrestle in this tag match tonight!
Edge: What's the matter Kurt? Do you think you're too good to be teaming up with us or something?
Christian: Yeah Kurt, what's your problem?
Angle: Listen guys, you are both great WWF Superstars - and a great tag team! You're also two of the best friends a guy could ask for. But let's face it... neither of you have Olympic gold medals! Don't take it personally guys!
Angle walks off oblivious, leaving Edge and Christian looking confused and offended.
SINGLE (Hardcore) - Test (WWF European Champion) vs. The Big Show (WWF Hardcore Champion)
Title vs. title
Test makes his way to the ring as commentary explain how this match came about:
JR: ...well folks, tonight we have a champion versus champion match with both belts on the line! This match was suggested to Vince McMahon by none other than William Regal who is trying his damnedest to impress the boss and become the new WWF Commissioner!
Heyman: And what an impression Mister Regal is making! What a genius move on his part to put this together! Whoever wins tonight will take home both titles!
Big Show heads out next. The referee holds both titles high before the match begins. Ding ding ding! Both men trade blows in the ring, but the action soon spills over to the outside.
Big Show whips Test towards the steps, but Test manages to counter and sends Show crashing into the steel.
The goliaths brawl up the ramp and out of sight, right into the backstage area.
Test grabs a ladder to use as a weapon, but Big Show boots the ladder right back - causing Test to collapse to the ground.
Suddenly - Tazz, Raven and Steve Blackman appear! Fists, feet and foreign objects fly as the men battle it out. The three men work over The Big Show, but Raven sees an opportunity - he ducks back, grabs a recovering Test and whips him onto a wooden crate!
He picks him up - Raven Effect! The referee sees the cover - 1, 2, 3! Raven wins!
Raven grabs both titles from the referee and flees!
JR: What the hell? What just happened?! Raven just became a double champion, and he wasn't even in the match!
Heyman: I love it! 24/7 rules are in effect when the Hardcore title is on the line, JR - and both titles were on the line!
JR: I don't know if William Regal thought this one through!
Heyman: This is brilliant, JR - controversy, two title changes in one match and Raven establishing himself as an opportunist here in the WWF!
WINNER - Raven via pinfall
In the manager's office, Vince chews out William Regal for his match going awry:
Vince: ...what - what were you thinking, Regal? How on Earth did you manage to put together a champion versus champion match... and have a non-title holder win it all?
Regal: Well Sir, I -
Vince: I mean, you didn't think to suspend the 24/7 rule? You've seen what happens whenever that belt comes out, you've seen the mayhem it causes!
Regal: I'm so sorry Mr. McMahon, please, I never meant to muck things up!
Al Snow appears, mocking Regal's inability to impress McMahon. Regal loses it and demands a match with Snow tonight:
Regal: Right! I've had enough of you, you miserable little toe-rag! If you want to be the WWF Commissioner so bad, let's see what you've got in that ring tonight! Mr. McMahon, please - let's settle this. Make the match - me versus Al Snow tonight. Whoever wins will become the new Commissioner. Let me teach this headcase a lesson!
Vince: Well... in the interest of fairness... that's not a bad idea. Alright, you've got your match tonight in the main event! A main event street fight for the WWF Commissionership!
The two men stare each other down before Snow leaves with a smile on his face.
TAG (Tables) - The Dudley Boys (c) vs. The Holly Cousins
WWF Tag Team Championship
Crash Holly and Hardcore Holly make their way to the ring, followed next by the champions.
The Dudley Boyz start the match off with dominance, but the Hollys make a steady comeback. D-Von tosses Crash over the ropes - right above a table set up by ringside - but Crash hangs on.
D-Von closes in, but Crash pulls up and grabs D-Von in the head scissors! He pulls - but Bubba manages to flip the table, clearing it out of the way.
The match continues and Crash mounts a comeback - he charges at Bubba - who hits a 3D-style lift - driving Crash straight through the announce table!
The referee slides out of the ring to check on Crash while the Dudleys demand that he calls for the bell.
The referee says no - the announce table doesn't count!
Hardcore Holly ambushes the Dudleys and tosses Bubba into the ring, setting up a table in the middle of the squared circle.
He lifts Bubba for a stalling suplex - but D-Von hits a nasty chop block on Hardcore, causing him to drop Bubba back onto the canvas - and onto his feet.
D-Von hits an Irish whip and lifts Hardcore - 3D through the table!
The Dudleys celebrate in the ring while Hardcore and Crash are tended to by referees. All of a sudden - Edge and Christian hit the ring, chairs in hand!
They crack D-Von and send him rollling out of the ring, before hitting a gut shot on Bubba, dropping him to his knees. They wind back - conchairto!
The sickening bang of steel-on-steel, with Bubba Ray Dudley caught in the middle!
The dastardly duo leave the ring, trash talking all the way up the ramp as Bubba lies motionless.
WINNERS - The Dudley Boyz via elimination
Jonathan Coachman stands by in the interview area with the current WWF Champion, The Rock.
Coachman: Rock - last week, on two separate occasions, you had Steve Austin in your sights and it looked like you were gearing up to hit the Rock Bottom. Why did you hesitate?
Rock: Coach... The Rock says this. Not only am I 'The People's Champion', but I am the WWF Champion. And The Rock is nothing if not a fighting champion. Austin and I have a date in Houston, Texas - Stone Cold's home state - at WrestleMania. I could have hit the Rock Bottom on Raw, I could have hit it on SmackDown, hell - I could hit it tonight in front of the millions... and millions of The Rock's fans. But The Rock is saving that moment... The Rock is building up to that moment... The Rock will live that moment... in the main event of WrestleMania.
Stone Cold Steve Austin walks in - standing opposite The Rock!
Austin: Well Rock... that's all well and good, but that's where you and I are very, very different. See Rock, you want to save your Rock Bottom, you wanna build it up, you wanna wait? Well, I'm an impatient man. See, unlike you and your Rock Bottom - Stone Cold Steve Austin and the Stone Cold Stunner don't hesitate. You had two shots at me, Rock. You had me dead-bang in the middle of the ring. If I get you in that ring - tonight, tomorrow or at WrestleMania? Rock... I will not hesitate... and that's the bottom line.
Austin walks off, leaving The Rock heated.
SIX MAN TAG - The Radicalz vs. Edge, Christian & Kurt Angle
The Radicalz make their way to the ring as commentary recount the turmoil that has been tearing them apart recently.
Edge & Christian come out next, with commentary recounting their vicious assault on The Dudleys earlier.
Kurt Angle heads out last - with JR noting that Angle's ego may push his friends away if he isn't careful.
Eddie Guerrero and Kurt Angle chain wrestle, locking up and switching positions in the middle of the ring.
Christian and Perry Saturn tag in, with Christian trying to outmaneuver Saturn - before getting levelled with a stiff forearm.
Christian makes it to his corner and tags in Edge, who rebounds off of an Irish whip into a Spear! Edge goes for the cover, but Malenko breaks the pin.
Edge tags Angle, who sends Malenko flying with a suplex. He closes in on Saturn - but Saturn manages to get the Rings of Saturn on Angle! Angle twists out of the hold and trips Saturn, dropping him right into an Ankle Lock!
Angle twists the ankle, screaming for Saturn to tap. Saturn raises his hand, when all of a sudden - The Rock's music hits!
Angle releases the hold, screaming and shouting towards the entrance way. He beats his chest and motions for Rocky to come down to the ring. Edge & Christian beg him to focus as Saturn crawls to his corner and tags Eddie!
Eddie blindsides Angle with a flurry of strikes, whipping him across the ring and catching him in a hurricanrana, slamming him face-first into the canvas. Eddie climbs the top rope - frogsplash!
Eddie sails through the air and crashes down onto Angle. The Radicalz charge the ring, cutting Edge & Christian off as Eddie covers - 1, 2, 3!
Eddie celebrates with his friends in the ring while Angle is dragged from the ring by Edge & Christian. Angle is rocked, propped up by his team as they take him up the ramp.
Back in the production area, The Rock stands by the sound desk watching the action on a TV screen. He laughs, finally getting some revenge on Angle.
WINNERS - The Radicalz via pinfall
Backstage, Chris Jericho is walking through the arena when he crosses paths with Stephanie McMahon.
She gets in his face, saying that her husband Triple H will destroy him at WrestleMania and take his Intercontinental Championship. Jericho laughs:
Jericho: Stephanie, please. Does Hunter need you to fight all his battles for him? I mean, I applaud you for standing by your man and being a loyal, loving wife - but come on, who are you trying to fool, Steph? That's just not the role for you, is it? Perhaps you should go back to doing what you do best, Stephanie.
Stephanie: Oh yeah Jericho? What's that?
Jericho: Being a stuck up, self-righteous, filthy, dirty, disgusting, bottom-feeding trashbag h-
Triple H smacks Jericho square in the jaw from out of nowhere! The two trade strikes, with Hunter managing to slam Jericho into the wall. Jericho is rocked - Hunter closes in - Pedigree!
Triple H smashes Chris Jericho into the concrete floor!
'The Game' stands tall, screaming down at Jericho's broken body.
Referees, doctors and staff rush in, pulling The Game away from Jericho.
SINGLE (Street Fight) - Al Snow vs. William Regal
Winner is named the new WWF Commissioner
It's time for the main event to decide the new Commissioner of the WWF!
Al Snow heads to the ring - with Head!
Regal comes out next, mic in hand. He continues to put Snow down with a tirade of insults.
He enters the ring, gets in Snow's face and cracks Snow with the mic!
Regal beats Snow into the corner, pulls back and hits a running forearm strike straight into Snow's face, dropping him to the bottom rope. Regal sees Head lay on the canvas and blows his top.
He picks Head up, tosses it into the air and punts it into the crowd!
The two battle it out on the outside, with Regal slamming Snow into the ringpost. Regal tosses Snow back in and Snow begins to make a comeback, landing some moves on the Goodwill Ambassador. Regal puts a stop to Snow's offense and suplexes Snow with force.
Then - glass shatters - Stone Cold's music hits!
The Rattlesnake runs down to the ring, slides under the bottom rope and hits a Lou Thesz press onto Regal in one fluid motion! Punch after punch after punch rain down on Regal! Austin springs to his feet - Regal struggles up to his - Stunner!
Austin hits the Stunner on Regal - he bounces up and is caught by Snow - right into a catch Snow Plow!
The double whammy knocks Regal out cold! Snow gets the cover for the win!
WINNER - Al Snow via pinfall
Al Snow celebrates in the ring as Austin calls for some Steveweisers. Regal lies prone in the ring as Stone Cold cracks open some cans.
He raises a toast to Snow's victory - they take a swig - then Austin pours beer all over Regal! Al Snow climbs the top rope, continuing to celebrate with the crowd. Austin watches on, taking another swig of his beer, when - all of a sudden - The Rock slides into the ring!
Coming from behind, Rock stands poised and ready behind Austin. The crowd explode and Austin clicks - he turns slowly... cautiously... The Rock flips him off! Austin is wide-eyed - The Rock hits a kick to the gut - STUNNER!
The Rock hits Austin with his own move! Austin bounces up from the impact, spraying a geyser of beer through the air! Snow is dumbstuck as The Rock grabs himself a beer and rolls out of the ring. Austin stirs, dazed and confused, as Rocky makes his way up the ramp. Beer in one hand, WWF Championship in the other, The Rock raises a beer to the crowd as Austin stares in disbelief!
CHAMPIONS
WWF Champion - The Rock
WWF Intercontinental Champion - Chris Jericho
WWF World Tag Team Champions - The Dudley Boyz
WWF European Champion - Raven (NEW)
WWF Hardcore Champion - Raven (NEW)
WWF Light Heavyweight Champion - Dean Malenko
DEVELOPMENTS
Chris Jericho and Bubba Ray Dudley will miss SmackDown! due to injuries sustained tonight.
Chris Jericho vs. Triple H has been set for WrestleMania.
Al Snow is the new WWF Commissioner.
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