Here we are Raw #996, just inching to that ever so golden 1000th episode that we have been on the receiving end of the ads for, for about a month now. Episode #996 seemed to be the blossom of a new direction, but still with some residue from the past storylines. Monday Night Raw has lately been a painful example of either the joys of the being the sole company on the top of the mountain or it’s the summer and writers are on vacation and Episode #996 was no exception.
Ha! Lets see those summer assholes top my Brock Lesnar angle I just got done doing. Ahhhhhh….
Raw opens up with showing the manipulative AJ talking to herself in the mirror and working on what she will say to Kane, CM Punk and Daniel Bryan which turns to be her way of breaking it off with them. I had to double check the guide channel to make sure that I was on the right channel because for a second I thought I was on the CW watching a bad episode of Gossip Girl.
Wrong Channel, but spot on in terms of quality.
After this segment we get a triple threat elimination match with Daniel Bryan, Kane and WWE Champion CM Punk. Yeah, once again the WWE Champion is opening Raw. In addition to that, with the exception of the elimination rules, this is the match that we just had at the No Way Out PPV from last Sunday. I’m starting to ask what exactly is the point of purchasing a PPV when we are going to get the main event matches on Raw anyway in the next week or two? People save your $49.99 and just wait.
Wait, you mean to tell me that If I pay this $50 to watch these matches tonight, I will see the same thing within the next 7-8 days? For Free? SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!
We have 3 ring generals wrestling in this match and they give us something decent, but ends with a bit of foolishness of AJ distracting Kane, him getting pinned and Daniel Bryan head kicking CM Punk and gaining the victory. The finish was all in 12 seconds.
Bigger than the WWE Championship…yeah. Lil ol me. HeeHee
I have a problem with this. I have a problem that the WWE has watered down their #1 championship in the company. The WWE Championship has not been the closing match at a PPV since December of 2011 for the “TLC” ppv. We are going into July, this means that every ppv this year has not closed with the WWE Championship being defended.
Spoiler Alert: NOT closing the show.
And I truly believe that the only reason why the title was defended at TLC was because John Cena had the night off from that PPV. However, John Cena has that luxury of being the closer of PPV’s and Raw.
Yeah. Pretty great being me.
Help me understand what is going on with that belt. When the WWE made the Intercontinental title lose its worth, it was disappointing, but somewhat expected. Same goes with the WWE Tag Belts. Too much history is embedded in those belts life lines, but expected. WWE Championship. Kind of a hard pill to swallow when they are making that belt a prop in the middle of a storyline that should be on Jersey Shore.
Oh wait…I damn near did.
I guess from a new age viewer stand point, their focus is on AJ since the attention has been on her and not necessarily the title. She embodies what is the flavor on media in general. Wrestling fans who appreciate the lineage of the title and the history, this doesn’t bode well at all. Wrestling fans who were brought up on the latter, were programmed to believe that the WWE Championship title is indeed the richest prize in the game. But in 2012, the richest prize of the game is…
Its either ME alone or ME in a title match! That’s all it can be!
Wrestlemania 17, is the 17th annual wrestlemania professional wrestling pay per view, introduced by the world wrestling federation and in my opinion (and many others), this is the GREATEST Wrestlemania of All Time!
This wrestlemania was truly a solid depiction of the success the WWF has been enduring for the past few years. The simple fact that last year’s wrestlemania drew about 50,000 more fans, screams victory for the WWF. And speaking of being victorious just 12 days before Wrestlemania 17, on a live edition of WCW Monday Nitro, for the first time ever, the show opened up and the first image you saw was Vince McMahon and him announcing that he has purchased World Championship Wrestling and WCW would be no more. It was finally done, McMahon, who was at the brink of being put out of business, was the sole winner in the Monday Night wars and was the single #1 entity on planet earth who would hold all of the power of big time professional wrestling. If this wasn’t a shot of adrenaline shooting into the arm of the WWF before going into its biggest revenue earner of the year, then I don’t know what is.
The backdrop of this wrestlemania went back to basics; with Stone Cole Steve Austin wining the 2001 Royal Rumble (for the 3rd time) and heading to Wrestlemania to face the WWF Champion…Kurt Angle. At No Way Out 2001, Kurt Angle lost the WWF Championship to The Rock. Wrestlemania 17’s main event would now feature one of the biggest rematches of all time with The Rock defending the WWF Championship against Stone Cole Steve Austin. Let the games begin.
One of the fascinating things about this mania was every championship title was on the line (6 titles) and 5 of them changed hands. The Intercontinental championship was on the line as Chris Jericho faced off against William Regal. Jericho had some significant build up against Regal on some past Raws and was able to follow through with the win to retain the title.
One match that stood out was not for a title, Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit. Excellent matchup between two technical masters. This would also be (somewhat) of a rematch from the previous wrestlemania, as the two wrestled at WM16. Kurt Angle went on to be the victor.
In an extension of last year’s wrestlemania; the McMahon Saga continued. This time it would be a Street Fight with Shane McMahon (the new “owner” of WCW) vs Vince McMahon; with Mick Foley as ref and with Linda (in a comatose state), Stephanie and Trish Stratus at Ringside. The match was complete shenanigans, but was ever so fun to watch this drama just completely unfold. With the combination of seeing Steph and Trish fight at ringside; with Linda “reviving” from her comatose state and with Lind kicking McMahon where the sun don’t shine; seeing the ending of Shane giving Vince the “coast to coast” was the fine topper as he scores the victory.
The next match would be another return match but this time enhanced. TLC Match for the WWF Tag Team Championship. Edge/Christian vs The Dudley Boys vs The Hardy Boyz.
Just like they did for Mania the year before, these guys blew the roof off once again and gave an absolute stellar contest to determine the superior Tag Team. Each team had someone in their corner as well (Spike = Dudleys; Lita = Hardys and Rhyno = E&C) so this just added to the match. One unforgettable spot would be when Jeff Hardy climbed up to grab the titles, but Christian would take the ladder fro under Jeff, which left Jeff, literally, hanging from the hook holding the titles. Edge was already perched on the ladder, parallel to Jeff and from 10 feet in the air, gave Jeff a spear to the ring. As I write this, I still get Goosebumps thinking of that spot. The match was crash after crash after crash. These men put their bodies on the line for our entertainment and disappoint, they did not. With the assistance of Rhyno, Edge and Christian won the WWF Tag Team Titles.
Undertaker Note: The Undertaker returns to Wrestlemania and faces The Game Triple H. These two gave a fight that you can never forget as they went all over the arena and at the camera structure. Absolutely breath taking match; but Taker; via the last ride; gets the victory. The Undertaker is 9-0 at Wrestlemania
The Main Event would showcase Stone Cole Steve Austin Challenging The Rock for the World Wrestling Federation Championship. The match began with announcing it would be No Disqualifications. Both came in with full intensity, both knowing and understanding the immediate importance of this match up.
Similar to the last time it was face vs face in the main event (WM 6 and WM 12) the crowd was divided once again as both of these men were and are fan favorites. With it being No DQ, these men had unlimited resources to try to outdo one another. Not a dull moment in this match as you witnessed much back n forth between the two. During the match, the two took the fight outside of the ring and into the crowd. When the wrestlers returned to the ring, blood was shed from both Austin & The Rock after both had hit each other with the ring bell. The Rock attempted to place Austin into a Sharpshooter hold, but Austin reversed it and placed The Rock into his own Sharpshooter. After releasing the hold following the referee’s request he held The Rock by use of the Million Dollar Dream, a submission hold best known from his former gimmick, The Ringmaster. Shortly after, The Rock used Austin’s own finishing maneuver on Austin by executing a Stunner. At this time Vince McMahon made his return to ringside. Trying to distract the Rock, Austin was able to give Rock a taste of his own Medicine by giving him the Rock Bottom and later the Stone Cold Stunner. Normally, this would be the trick to end an opponent, but just like the amount of intensity that is in Austin, The Rock had it too and kicked out from the pin. Austin besides himself and cannot piece this together. Austin is desperate to win the WWF Title. Just a week before Raw, Jim Ross held an intimate interview with both Rock and Austin, and Austin stated that he “HAS to beat The Rock; There is no other choice BUT to beat the Rock. And he will do whatever it takes.” And his words rang true moments later when McMahon handed Austin a steel chair and Austin bangs Rock with the chair multiple times to the face and the back. Austin finally goes for the cover and just like that we have a new World Wrestling Federation champion in Stone Cold Steve Austin. Austin sold his soul to Satan himself to win the World Title.
Match Card
HEAT – X-Factor (Justin Credible and X-Pac) (with Albert) defeated Steve Blackman and Grand Master Sexay
PPV
– Chris Jericho (c) defeated William Regal to retain the WWF Intercontinental Championship
– Tazz and The APA (Bradshaw and Faarooq) (with Jacqueline) defeated Right to Censor (The Godfather, Val Venis and Bull Buchanan) (with Steven Richards)
– Kane defeated Raven (c) and The Big Show in a Triple Threat Hardcore Match for the WWF Hardcore Championship
– Eddie Guerrero (with Perry Saturn) defeated Test (c) to win the WWF European Championship.
– Kurt Angle defeated Chris Benoit
– Chyna defeated Ivory (c) to win the WWF Womens Championship
– Shane McMahon defeated Vince McMahon in a Street Fight match with Mick Foley as the special guest referee.
– Edge and Christian defeated The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) (c) and The Hardy Boyz (Matt and Jeff) in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match for the WWF Tag Team Championship
– The Iron Sheik won the 19-man Gimmick Battle Royal by eliminating Hillbilly Jim
– The Undertaker defeated Triple H
– Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated The Rock (c) to win the World Wrestling Federation Championship in a No DQ match.
Maurice D. Proffit
proffitspiledriver 