WWE Monday Night RAW Results - May 26th 2008
Location: The Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado

The show started with the annual Memorial Day video tribute. Tonight's Raw is dedicated to the U.S. armed forces.

After Jim Ross introduced the show, they cut to Vince McMahon on the Titantron. Cheap pop referencing where they are. McMahon said maybe he's tripping because of the altitude or William Regal being fired, but he has a big announcement to make. He said the fans deserve more than just great athleticism and wrestling, so he's going to show even more dedication to the audience. McMahon said by the end of the show, he's going to do something that's never been done before in the history...of television.

In-ring: Todd Grisham was in center ring for the show-opening face-off between WWE champion Triple H and Randy Orton. Grisham welcomed out Hunter first to a strong reaction. Hunter posed for the crowd while the camera picked up a giant "Terraryzing" sign referencing Hunter's very old WCW gimmick. Hunter paused to look at the sign before Grisham welcomed out Randy Orton for the face off. Orton slowly walked out while keeping his eyes locked on Hunter all the way to the ring.

With both men in the ring, Grisham posed questions from a podium facing the center table where Orton and Hunter faced off against each other. Orton said everybody always downplays his accomplishments, and everything he's done seems to be followed by an asterisk. He said this Sunday, the laughing at him stops. Hunter said the fans aren't laughing at Orton because they don't respect him, but because he's an ass. He said he's not laughing because he knows how good Orton is. Build up the ego. Hunter said he knows how good Orton is more than Orton does. He said every time Orton faces a challenge, he finds a way to tip-toe around it. Hunter said every time Orton says how great he is, it's as if Orton is trying to convince him. He said Orton is just a scared little boy in a man's world. Hunter told Orton that if he wants to be the best in the business, he needs to get in the ring with the best in the world and thrive on competition.

Orton cut him off and said when Hunter sees a threat, he either brings him close and makes him a friend, or eliminates him. He said Hunter doesn't like Shawn Michaels, but he keeps him around as a friend because he knows Michaels could beat him. Orton said he became a threat to Hunter in Evolution, so Hunter took him out. Hunter said the only thing him and Flair did in Evolution was make Orton realize his potential, but once Orton got in the ocean, he had to deal with the sharks. Hunter said when it comes to the WWE Title, it's every man for himself.

[Q2]

Hunter continued that he wasn't just going to hand over the keys to Orton and walk away. He said the biggest, baddest lion stays around until another bigger, badder lion comes around and eats him. Orton said that day is this Sunday. He said it's pathetic Hunter wants the people to believe he's the best thing going today when Orton disproves him at the PPV. "I am going to beat the hell out of you!" Orton declared while walking across the table to get in Hunter's face. He said he will beat Hunter until he's the last man standing. Orton slammed the mic down on the table, then turned to walk away.

Hunter cut him short and said that's not the last word. He said the last word is going to happen on Sunday. Hunter said either the Age of Orton continues or the last seven months were all for nothing. He said he's going to beat Orton within an inch of his life at the PPV and walk to the back. Hunter said the Age of Orton won't just be dead, but it will be like it never even existed. Hunter dropped the mic and stepped through the ropes to the apron to give Orton one final look. He then asked Grisham to give him the WWE Title before walking back over to Orton. Hunter raised the belt high in the air giving Hunter a good look at the prize. He then dropped off the apron to the floor and walked away from ringside.

[Commercial Break]

Announcers: Ross plugged an I Quit match between Beth Phoenix and Melina at the PPV on Sunday. Beth Phoenix then joined Ross and Lawler ringside for commentary. Jillian Hall was in the ring to sign Vince's "No Chance in Hell" entrance music to describe Melina's chances against Beth on Sunday. Melina's music finally interrupted the botchery and Melina walked out to face Jillian.

1 -- MELINA vs. JILLIAN HALL

Jillian tackled Melina in center ring and went to work on her early on. Melina came back with a dropkick while Beth said she's going to make Melina scream I quit at the PPV. Melina countered a pin attempt into the Muta Lock on Jillian, who fought the hold for a few seconds before tapping out.

WINNER: Melina in 2:00. Just what you would expect. Beth vs. Melina has potential, but this wasn't a proper showcase for that match. (1/2*)

Backstage: Vince and Chris Jericho were standing in Regal's office watching something off camera. Jericho then pitched his idea to Vince of a Jericho vs. Michaels re-match from Judgment Day tonight on Raw. Vince thought it over, then asked Jericho if he's getting frustrated with Michaels. Jericho confirmed, so Vince booked the match for tonight. Jericho then provided a few suggestions for re-mixing Vince's music, which led to an awkward moment or two. Cryme Tyme then walked in and Vince shot a glance to the various pictures and paintings on the wall from Regal's tenure. C.T. caught on and announced there would be an auction, auction, yeah yeah. They left with the goodies, leading to another awkward moment between Jericho and Vince.

[Q3]

[Commercial Break]

ECW plug: Tomorrow night, Big Show continues to destroy people.

Commercial Break: They showed clips of Cryme Tyme auctioning off the Regal memorabilia to the crowd. Suddenly, Ron Simmons walked out on stage and shouted Damn.

In-ring: There's a Kendrick & London sighting, as they came to the ring to challenge for the World Tag Titles. Apparently there has been a feud on Heat brewing that we were not privy to any knowledge of.

2 -- World tag team champions HARDCORE HOLLY & CODY RHODES vs. BRIAN KENDRICK & PAUL LONDON -- World Tag Title match

Tag champions dominated early on, working on Kendrick exclusively. London took a hot tag at 2:00 and cleaned house until snapping off a huracanrana on Holly. The action broke down, then London tried to skin the cat back into the ring, but Holly caught him on his shoulders. Crowd knew what was up, as Holly delivered the Alabama Slam on London for the pin and the win.

Post-match: Immediately after the match ended, Ted DiBiase walked out on stage. He put Holly and Rhodes on notice that he made a deal with Vince to bring in a new challenger. DiBiase then welcomed out his son, Ted DiBiase, as the newest member of the Raw roster. DiBiase, Jr. walked out on stage looking like Randy Orton. That's the obvious conclusion, especially because he just looks like a heel. DiBiase, Jr. then cut a promo on the tag champs about winning gold in his very first match. He put them on notice, then said he is simply priceless. DiBiase did his classic laugh in the background while pointing out that's his boy.

WINNERS: Holly & Rhodes in 4:00 to retain the World Tag Titles. Match was nothing memorable. Fine opening promo from DiBiase, Jr. Basic and to the point. (1/2*)

[Commercial Break]

[Q4]

Announcers: Ross and Lawler plugged Jimmy Kimmel's cousin, Sal, wrestling Santino on next week's Smackdown. ... They cut to a training video from Hollywood, Calif. of Roddy Piper giving Sal some training before facing Santino. Piper reared back and slapped the **** out of Sal, who decided he wanted to leave. Jimmy Kimmel then walked into the training room to survey the training. Piper gave him a clubbing forearm to the back, then Kimmel called for some holds to be performed on Sal. More punishment for Sal while Kimmel reminded Sal of this being a dream come true to get his ass kicked by Piper. Sal tried to leave after taking his beating, but Kimmel gave him a pep talk about the whole family depending on Sal. Piper then slapped on the sleeper, which left Sal in a state of unconsciousness. Kimmel surveyed the scene and drew a moustache and goatee on Sal before him and Piper left.

Backstage: Vince was with Mickie James, who pitched an idea for schools across America to send a video in on why they love WWE. Winning school gets a diva for a day. JBL then interrupted and said it sounds like an escort service. He told Vince that with five hours of prime time entertainment, they're giving away enough content as it is. JBL suggested some ringside memorabilia, specifically the ringside mat at One Night Stand. Ya know, give away the pieces with John Cena's blood on it. JBL chided Mickie on being Cena's gf, which upset Mickie. JBL suggested maybe they've been trading bodily fluids. JBL walked off, then Mickie told Vince he can't just say stuff like that. Vince acted oblivious and said he thinks JBL was suggesting saliva. Mickie was frustrated getting nowhere with these men.

[Commercial Break]

Video message: Several U.S. troops overseas delivered special messages to family and the WWE audience.

In-ring: Jeff Hardy's music hit and Hardy came to the ring for the top-of-the-second-hour main event tag match. Ross played up Hardy vs. Umaga in Falls Count Anywhere at the PPV. Considering they're in San Diego, I'd pay money to see someone get pinned at Sea World. They played a clip of Umaga taking out Hardy last week. John Cena then came out as Hardy's partner to a huge pop from the kids and women. Cena's arms appear to be on the verge of exploding like Popeye. Umaga came out first for the heels, followed by JBL without the white limo.

[Q5 -- second hour]

3 -- JEFF HARDY & JOHN CENA vs. UMAGA & JBL

Cena was ready to square off against JBL ahead of their first-blood match, but JBL slipped out of the ring and wanted Umaga to start off against Cena. After some trash-talking, Cena teased an FU, but Umaga collapsed onto Cena's back. Umaga followed with a Black Hole Slam for a two count as they cut to break.

[Commercial Break]

They returned with Cena crawling over to his corner for a hot tag to Hardy, who kicked Umaga in the gut and attempted a move from the apron, but Umaga shoved him to the floor into the guardrail. JBL took Hardy back into the ring and started an attack on Hardy. JBL then sent Hardy off to the ropes, but Hardy came right off the top with the Whisper in the Wind. Hardy then made a hot tag to Cena, who cleaned house on JBL. He measured JBL for the Five Knuckle Shuffle and delivered. Umaga then attacked Cena from behind, which knocked Cena into Hardy for a blind tag. Hardy had JBL lined up for the Swanton Bomb, but JBL moved out of the way to take the air out of the building. JBL then waited for Hardy to get up and he delivered the Clothesline from Hell. JBL made the pin before Cena could break it up to earn the win.

WINNERS: JBL & Umaga in 10:00. Well-executed TV match. Crowd was red-hot for the babyfaces, which transferred over to big heat for the heels spoiling the happy ending. Nice set-up for the One Night Stand one-on-one matches. (**)

Backstage: Vince brought in Shawn Michaels to talk about the big announcement. Michaels, in his current low-key character, said he doesn't want to doubt Vince, but he questions whether Vince will do something decent. Vince said he wants to give back to the fans and Michaels will be giving the devil his due by the end of the night. Michaels quietly says he knows about that, then he walked away.

[Q6]

[Commercial Break]

Ringside: They showed various Denver Broncos players fighting amongst themselves. ... Mexico video package: They showed clips from the Mexico tour this past week, including HBK and Hunter sporting luchaDX masks in one of their matches. That's officially the greatest thing DX has done since Michaels's "Bill Clinton" apology years ago.

In-ring: Mr. Kennedy came out to the ring for a match. They showed clips of William Regal being fired last week when he lost to Kennedy. Kennedy took the ceiling mic and introduced the man who single-handedly got that royal piece of garbage, William Regal, dismissed. After Kennedy announced himself twice, Carlito walked out for a match.

4 -- MR. KENNEDY vs. CARLITO

Kennedy won in three minutes with the mic check. After the match, Katie Lea walked out and said Kennedy must be awfully proud of himself for what he did to Regal last week. Suddenly, Paul Burchill stormed the ring and attacked Kennedy from behind. He then said Regal was a great man, and now Kennedy faces serious repercussions. Burchill wasn't done with Kennedy, as he gave him a modified Curb Stomp into the mat. On Memorial Day, fans weren't pleased with the British Invasion on Kennedy.

WINNER: Kennedy in 3:00. Well, for the first time with the new gimmick, they generated heat on Burchill. Interesting to note that Kennedy appears to have shrunk while Burchill has expanded during his time off TV. (1/2*)

[Commercial Break]

[Q7]

Backstage: Trevor Murdoch put a country twist on Vince's theme music, which Vince didn't particularly like. Vince then gave Trevor notice to get everyone on the roster in the ring after the next match. Trevor said he would get everyone except for Cade. Vince was fine with that.

Announcers: Ross and Lawler plugged the One Night Stand PPV card, except for the epic Beth vs. Melina match. ... Clips aired on the Hunter vs. Orton feud.

Backstage: They showed Jericho walking to the ring ahead of his match against Michaels.

[Commercial Break]

Video messages: More videos from troops overseas aired. Mostly shout-outs to family, and one to Ric Flair.

5 -- IC champion CHRIS JERICHO vs. SHAWN MICHAELS -- non-title match

Two world-class wrestlers having a stand-off in the opening minute after a series of takeovers. Jericho then smashed Michaels in the mush with a hard elbow that sent saliva flying out of Michaels's mouth. Jericho tried to capitalize with a catapult dive onto Michaels, but Michaels moved and Jericho ate the floor. Cut to break.

[Commercial Break]

[Q8]

They returned with Jericho on the offensive. He was over-aggressive in the corner, which drew an admonishment from the referee. Jericho tried to nail a bulldog out of the corner, but Michaels shoved him crotch-first into the corner turnbuckle. They went into a rapid-fire exchange of holds with Jericho missing the Lionsault at 8:00. Michaels then went up top for an elbow drop, but Jericho moved out of the way. Jericho tried the codebreaker, but Michaels blocked. You could see Michaels tuning up the band, but Jericho ducked and slapped on the Walls of Jericho. Michaels tried to get the bottom rope while Ross said maybe it would be best for him tap out with a stretcher match in six days. Great line. Michaels reached the bottom rope anyways to break the hold.

Jericho then punted Michaels in the gut, sending him to the floor. On the floor, Jericho slapped on the Walls of Jericho while the ref applied a ten count. Jericho maintained the hold all the way through to the ten count, leading to a double count-out. Afterward, Jericho continued to punish Michaels' back with elbow smashes before slapping on the Walls of Jericho again. The ref finally pulled Jericho away, but Jericho picked up a chair. For several seconds, he threatened to smash Michaels, who put his hand up to block, but Jericho slowly put the chair down. He then extended a hand to help Michaels up, and Michaels reluctantly accepted the help to his feet. Jericho then threw the chair down in frustration before slowly walking up the entrance ramp. Michaels simply gathered himself on the announce table as they ended the segment.

WINNER: Double count-out in 10:00. This feud continues to be one of the most intriguing things WWE has put together this year. Another good match between Michaels and Jericho, with another very good storyline progression in their competitive program. Well-done, although it didn't necessarily sell Michaels vs. Batista at the PPV. (**1/2)

Backstage: They showed Vince McMahon walking toward the ring with a big smile on his face.

[Commercial Break]

ECW plug: Big Show does something.

[Q9 -- over-run]

They returned from break with the entire Raw roster on stage. Mickie James was standing next to Cena. Oooh. Vince McMahon then strutted to the ring looking confident. McMahon said he has an idea to show his appreciation to everyone in the arena and everyone watching at home. He announced the 2008 Draft in four weeks. McMahon said that's not all. He said it might take him a week to figure out the logistics, but there's one thing he's about: the money. McMahon said each and every week, he's going to give away cash-money on Raw. He said he'll give away $1,000 or $10,000 each week, or maybe even $100,000. McMahon said it's not a hoax, but straight from his bank account. He said each and every week, he will give away cash money in the sum of $1.0 million. And cue up Vince's music. Sign Guy looked very confused on the front row. Yes, oh, and buy the PPV on Sunday.

Just 24 hours after Judgment Day, four blockbuster matches were announced for One Night Stand, the one night where the WWE goes extreme. Half of those matches came from the biggest upset of Monday night, when Randy Orton & JBL defeated WWE Champion Triple H & John Cena in a tag team competition, earning the right to challenge the The Game and the Chain Gang Soldier to singles matches with extreme stipulations of the challengers' choosing.

JBL assured that his match will be as vicious as the self-proclaimed "wrestling god" can make it, by demanding a First Blood Match. Orton, however, will compete against Triple H for the WWE Championship in the same type of match in which he won the title last October: a Last Man Standing Match. Knowing the bad blood that still boils between these four competitors, what type of pre-battle tactics can we expect in the next two weeks leading up to One Night Stand?

Flowing out of the ongoing rivalry between Santino Marella and Hall of Famer "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, the cocky Italian Superstar ridiculed "Hot Rod" and his super-fan, Jimmy Kimmel's Cousin Sal on Santino's own version of Piper's Pit. After Piper and Sal threw him from the ring, Marella challenged Cousin Sal to a match, which Piper promptly accepted on Sal's behalf. When can we expect to see these two spicy Italians square off, and how might the kilted WWE Legend be involved in their confrontation?

Batista has a bone to pick with Shawn Michaels, and by defeating Chris Jericho on Raw last Monday, he earned the chance to take on The Showstopper at One Night Stand. The Animal is still angry about HBK faking a knee injury, but William Regal has assured that HBK and The Animal's match will end with someone legitimately injured by making their contest a Stretcher Match. Shawn Michaels is a man who will do anything to win - how will he use the next two weeks to prepare for the raw power of The Animal?

Though much of the night's talk was of One Night Stand on June 1, there was another shocking development Monday night. After being defeated by Mr. Kennedy in a Loser Gets Fired Match, William Regal has been relieved of his duties as General Manager of Raw. Regal has a successful wrestling career behind him, having been recently crowned King of the Ring, and even garnered praise from Mr. McMahon himself for his work as GM of Raw. Have we seen the last we see of this vicious British brawler? And who will step into his kingly shoes on the next Monday Night Raw?

For answers to these questions and more, tune in to Monday Night Raw at 9/8 CT on Memorial Day, only on USA Network!

WWE Monday Night RAW Results - May 19th 2008
Location: The Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo.
Report by: James Caldwell of PWTorch.com

The show started with Jeff Hardy coming to the ring for the opening match. Interesting way to start the show without a post-PPV promo. Ross and Lawler talked about Hardy picking up a win over MVP last night. Umaga came out as the opponent. ... Again.

1 -- JEFF HARDY vs. UMAGA

Crowd is red-hot for Hardy to start off this re-match from last week. Hardy avoided a seated rear end splash on the mat, but he couldn't avoid a Samoan drop that led to Umaga slapping on a nerve hold. Hardy escaped and tried to come off the top with a Whisper in the Wind, but Umaga had it scouted and he moved just in time. Umaga tried to capitalize with the running rear end splash, but Hardy moved in time. Umaga then found himself on the outside where Hardy side-stepped him and sent Umaga head-first into the ring steps. Hardy tried a high-risk move, but Umaga caught him in mid-air and gave him a hard - hard! - sidewalk slam on the floor. Ref then counted to ten for a double count-out. Afterward, Umaga left ringside triumphant while medics checked on Hardy.

WINNER: Double count-out in 5:00. Seemed like a bridge to One Night Stand with another Hardy vs. Umaga match. (*1/2)

Backstage: They showed Chris Jericho warming up, then Batista walked over to him and said he needs to get out of his way so he can handle Michaels. Jericho said maybe he should just beat the hell out of Batista tonight. Batista called his bluff and said Jericho is in no condition to compete tonight after the match against Michaels last night. They shared a moment and stared each other down to close the segment.

[Commercial Break]

[Q2]

Back live: The lights were out, then the lights came back on to reveal William Regal in the ring. Huge heat for Regal. He booked Hardy vs. Umaga in Falls Count Anywhere for One Night Stand in two weeks. He then brought in Orton and JBL on the video screen. Regal booked them in a tag match re-match against Hunter and Cena. He said if they win the tag match, they each get their singles re-matches at One Night Stand in their pick of gimmick match. Regal said if Cena and Hunter win, then they face each other at ONS in a match of his choosing.

Regal started to transition to something else, but Mr. Kennedy interrupted. Regal reminded him of the consequences of interrupting him. Kennedy then asked for Regal vs. him one-on-one, just like he's been asking for for weeks. Regal said he doesn't take challenges from ordinary wrestlers. He said the next person who interrupts him will be fired on the spot. Suddenly, Vince McMahon's music hit. Ross suggested Regal rescind that last statement. He said he doesn't know why these three men are out here, but he suspects it's not to talk about BBQ.

Once Vince's music finished and he strutted out, Kennedy sarcastically told Vince he shouldn't have done that because now Regal has to fire him. Vince told him to shut up. He recapped giving Regal 100 percent endorsement, but as a result of Regal's abuse of power, they have received more viewer complaints than ever in their history. Vince said viewer dissatisfaction abounds. He said he knows Regal doesn't care about the fans, nor does he care what they think about him, but it's all about the money. Vince said he's talking TV ratings. He said Raw is the highest-rated show in all of cable, yet when Regal shows up on the air, the ratings plummet. Vince said when Regal is on, the ratings go down, then they go down further as he continues to be on the show.

Vince turned to Kennedy and said he wants him gone, while the TV viewers want Regal gone. He then booked Regal vs. Kennedy for tonight. And the loser will be gone. Loser Leaves Town on Raw. Vince clarified, "As in... Fiiiired!" Kennedy and Regal had a stare down to close the segment.

[Commercial Break]

[Q3]

In-ring: After a video package aired on Beth's double backbreaker last night, Melina walked out to the ring. She did her split ring entrance on the announce table and Ross pulled out his handkerchief to cool himself down. Melina joined them on commentary before Beth Phoenix came to the ring for a match. Maria came out as the opponent.

2 -- MARIA vs. BETH PHOENIX

Melina and Lawler talked about Playboy, and Melina left the door open for Lawler to convince her to pose. Beth dominated the match, then applied a stretch submission with Maria's shoulders pulled back away from her chest. Maria tapped out, giving Beth the submission win. Afterward, Beth stared down Maria, then she left the ring. Suddenly, Melina stormed the ramp and attacked Beth from behind. Beth recovered and gave Melina a hard slam on the ramp. Melina recovered while refs held Beth back from inflicting further damage. Fans ringside chanted, "Let them fight" as they closed the segment.

WINNER: Beth in 3:00. Two months ago, Maria wins with a roll-up. Things are back in line with good focus on the Melina vs. Beth deal, but we still don't have a reason to cheer for Melina in this feud. (1/2*)

Promo: Batista vs. Jericho is up later, with the winner getting Michaels at ONS.

[Commercial Break]

Promo: Piper's Pit returns tonight. Ross and Lawler then talked about the Piper skit on Jimmy Kimmel Live last week. They showed clips from the skit with Piper at Hooters for Sal's birthday. Santino then interrupted and slapped Sal. Piper made a DUI joke, which led to a round of slaps. Sal then smashed Santino with a cake in the face. Kimmel said this is unfortunate.

Backstage: They suddenly went backstage where Mickie James and Katie Lea traded verbal jabs. Katie said she will hold the Women's Title with more class than Mickie ever will. Katie said now Mickie is sleeping her way to the top. She played the John Cena card, while Mickie played innocent. Katie said it's obvious what Mickie is trying to do.

Elsewhere Backstage: Regal was pacing around in his office, then Shawn Michaels walked in and wished him luck against Mr. Kennedy. Regal said he has a lot on his mind, so he can't worry about Michaels. He said Michaels can sit back tonight, but at One Night Stand, he'll be in a Stretcher match against either Batista or Jericho.

[Commercial Break]

[Q4]

Announcers: Ross talked about WWE receiving the Corporate Patriot award in Washington, D.C. for the Tribute to the Troops show. They showed a video package on the U.S.O. giving the award to WWE, with Ric Flair accepting the award as the ambassador for the company.

3 -- IC champion CHRIS JERICHO vs. BATISTA -- non-title match

Ross and Lawler talked about Batista having the advantage with Jericho wrestling a very competitive match last night. Batista started on the offensive with a big lift-up slam that sent Jericho stomach-first into the hard mat. Jericho then came up lame at 2:00 and sold a knee injury. Batista simply smiled as Jericho rolled to the outside to catch a breather. Fans booed Jericho pulling an apparent Michaels.

[Commercial Break]

Back from break, Batista was working on Jericho in the corner. Ross said that during the break, Batista wasn't buying Jericho's apparent knee injury. Lawler said Batista isn't buying a second leg injury. Jericho pulled the top rope down and Batista spilled to the floor. He clutched his left knee, prompting Jericho to give Batista a curious look. Batista limped back into the ring, then Jericho attacked the left knee. He aggressively went after the leg while Lawler pointed out the miraculous recovery for Jericho.

[Q5 -- second hour]

Jericho tried to pull Batista to the floor, but Batista kicked him away into the announce table. Jericho tried to run back into the ring, but Batista met him with a big crescent kick to the jaw, followed by a spinebuster. Batista set up a Batistabomb, but Jericho countered into a half crab on the injured knee. Batista fought the hold for a while, then he reached out to the bottom rope to finally get a break. Jericho quickly took out the leg, then went for a Lionsault, but Batista moved in time. Batista went for the Bomb again, but Jericho held the ropes to block. Both men recovered on the mat 13:00, then set up the finish. Batista blocked the codebreaker, and caught Jericho in the air to nail the Batistabomb for the pin and the win. Both men remained out cold on the mat post-match. Shawn Michaels then walked out on stage and stared into the ring. Batista stared back to tease the big tension for One Night Stand. They maintained the camera shot for a while.

WINNER: Batista in 14:00. Excellent TV match. Jericho created a really strong base for the match, and the psychology of each man teasing the knee injuries really played into the psychology of the Michaels vs. Jericho feud. They really have to be strong hard-selling One Night Stand, and they hit the right note on Michaels vs. Batista with the post-match.

[Commercial Break]

Backstage: Vince and Regal discussed the Loser Leaves Town match. Regal wanted clarification on why this match is happening. Before Vince could give a full explanation, Ted DiBiase walked in and shook hands with Vince. Vince then sent Regal away so he could talk business with DiBiase.

Piper's Pit: Piper's music hit and Santino Marella walked out instead. He was dressed as Piper complete with giant gut. SantinoPiper took the mic and they replayed the skit on Jimmy Kimmel last week. Do we really need to see this twice? He then called out Cousin Sal as his guest on the Pit.

[Q6]

The actual Sal jogged to the ring and took the mic. Santino asked why Sal idolized Piper. Maybe it was failing to become World champ, cross-dressing, or a string of horrible movies. Sal said the thing he admires the most is his ability to back up what he says, which is opposite of Santino. Sal then cut a pretty decent promo on Santino. Suddenly, Ron Simmons appeared on the Titantron to shout Damn. Sal said Santino is hung like a fourth grader, according to Maria, which prompted Santino to make an excuse that fourth-graders are very mature these days. He's seen the pictures. Err... that's what he heard. Yes, child pornography reference on the show. Stay classy.

Santino then pulled out a cake that read: "I'M SORRY". Santino teased putting the cake in Sal's face, then Roddy Piper snuck in behind and put a hand on Santino's shoulder. Santino stuttered an excuse, then Piper took a lick of the cake. In the interim, Sal shoved the cake in Santino's face before Piper cleared him from the ring. Santino kept the mic and said this is sooo funny. He said he wants a match with Piper's pal, Sal. Piper said it's on. Santino said Christmas came early for him this year.

[Commercial Break]

Announcers: Ross and Lawler talked about Cade and Murdoch being finished as a tag team. They sent it to Lillian Garcia, who announced the Loser Leaves Town between Kennedy and Regal. Kennedy came out first and took the mic. He said no more tea and crumpets on Raw, as the winner of the next contest will be Mr. Kennedy...Kennedy.

4 -- MR. KENNEDY vs. WILLIAM REGAL -- Loser is fired

Regal and Kennedy exchanged control in the first two minutes while the announcers talked about Regal as a ratings killer, when just a few weeks ago, he was the most powerful entity in WWE.

[Q7]

At 4:00, they had a standing exchange which ended with Kennedy nailing a swinging kick to the head for a nearfall. Sign Guy's summer tour '08 appears to have started tonight. The match spilled to the outside and Regal took the mic. He said he's still GM of Raw, so he's making this a No DQ match. Regal then took out a pair of brass knucks and rolled Kennedy back into the ring. Regal measured Kennedy for a knucks shot, but Kennedy punted him in the gut. He nailed the mic check out of nowhere, then rolled Regal over for a three count to win. "Regal's fired!" Ross declared.

WINNER: Kennedy in 6:00 to avoid being fired. Good, high-energy TV match with high stakes for the match. Still waiting for the swerve or the twist on this. (*1/2)

Post-match: Regal was left alone in the ring after Kennedy left. Kennedy's music stopped, then Regal slowly pulled himself up by the ropes. He stared into the crowd with his big frown. Regal bent down to pick up the brass knucks, which he tucked back into his trunks. The fans chanted "U-S-A" as Regal surveyed the crowd. He then slowly dipped out of the ring and walked backwards up the entrance ramp. "Good-bye, Mr. Regal" Lawler declared. I'm shocked there was no "na-na-na good bye" chant.

[Commercial Break]

Backstage: Regal was shown pounding on his locker room door. Suddenly, the door opened just a crack. Regal paused in sheer fright. Out stepped Teddy Long. Oh snap! Long smiled as the crowd popped, then Long asked him what's up. Long walked off, leaving Regal speechless.

Elsewhere backstage: Todd Grisham brought in Triple H to comment on the tag match main event tonight. Hunter said he and Cena aren't the best of friends, but he knows Orton and JBL aren't having lunch dates themselves. Hunter said he doesn't care whether it's Orton or Cena at One Night Stand in two weeks. He said there's constant change in WWE, but what doesn't change is him being the best in the business.

[Q8]

In-ring: Randy Orton walked out first for the main event. It's amazing to see how his body has changed from just two months ago. He was noticeably thin in the early part of the year, but he's looking much larger these days. Just stating observations here. JBL then walked before they cut to a break.

[Commercial Break]

John Cena came out first for the babyface team. Triple H walked out next as Spurs vs. Hornets went to commercial break. If WWE is tracking this minute-by-minute, as Vince said, then Hunter's entrance is going to show an increase in viewership. As Hunter finished posing, Ross talked about Hunter trying to surpass Ric Flair's 16 title reigns. I won't detail again how ludicrous that stat is like in last night's report. After Hunter finished his entrance, he stepped to the outside to let Cena start for his team. Orton made the call to start for his team.

5 -- WWE champion TRIPLE H & JOHN CENA vs. JBL & RANDY ORTON

Barely two minutes into the match, they cut to break after Orton was dumped to the outside. Two commercial breaks in the final quarter hour against the finish of a Game 7?

[Commercial Break]

They returned with JBL working on Hunter with a reverse chinlock. Ross and Lawler recapped the stipulations on the line for One Night Stand with Cena getting Hunter for the belt if their team wins and Orton getting Hunter for the belt if his team wins.

[Q9 -- over-run]

Cena took a hot tag at 7:00 and cleaned house on JBL and Orton. Cena then dropped Orton with the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Suddenly, JBL attacked Cena from behind setting off a brawl in the ring. JBL gave Cena a boot to the head to block an FU on Orton, which set up Orton for an attack on Cena. Their heads butted, then Cena jumped across the ring to make a tag to Hunter. JBL also took a tag, setting up Hunter and JBL battling. JBL set up the Clothesline from Hell, but Hunter nailed a spinebuster and dumped Orton to the floor. Back in the ring, Orton aimed for a punt on Hunter, but Hunter moved and Cena took the punt. It was about 90 percent air. JBL then pinned Cena to win the match.

WINNERS: JBL & Orton in 10:00. Standard TV tag main event featuring top stars. At least there wasn't a five-minute beating on Rhino here. Of course, this sets up yet another round of PPV matches to go with the Backlash re-match of Michaels vs. Batista. They couldn't do Hunter vs. Cena, though, as it wouldn't make sense to book that re-match with one week of build-up. They booked themselves into a corner of doing more re-matches people have already seen far too many times, or giving away a mega re-match that could sell a Summerslam card. (**)

Post-match: The heels ganged up on Hunter after Cena was KO'ed. Orton gave Hunter the RKO, then JBL took the mic and told Cena it will be First Blood at One Night Stand. Orton took the mic and told Hunter it will be Last Man Standing match. Yawn. Hunter and Cena remained out cold to close the show while Orton and JBL stood tall on the entrance ramp. They kept the shot forever, going eight minutes past the top of the hour.