WWE at the Air Canada Center
Monday Night Raw Taping
January 17, 2005
3/4 – 7/8 Full – 12,000-14,000 estimated
Pre-Show: The only tarped off area was three upper deck sections on the camera side.
Show started off with the Desire – Lonely Road of Faith Video.
The only person who was booed was Shawn Michaels. Some mixed reaction for Hogan. Jericho, Austin, Benoit, Andre and Bret all had big pops during the video. It should be noted that the video is now a lot better than it was when it first Raw on TV a few years ago. At the end of the video, it built up WM21. WWE should put this back on TV.
Dark Match:
Chris Masters vs. Tyson Booty (Tyson Duxx)
It starts off with Duxx mocking Masters posing by doing a hilarious dance. Masters pulls off some power moves on Tyson. Duxx hits a pair of leg sweeps but eventually Masters catches Tyson and gives him a combo rib breaker/Razor Ramon falling release. Masters hit a nice looking suplex on Tyson. The crowd started getting down Masters back with some “You Suck” Chants. Duxx battles back and tried to hit a powerslam but his back gave out and Masters hit Tyson with one. Duxx made one more come back, hitting some arm drags but eventually Masters hit a very hard looking double axle handle to the chest followed by an impressive Spinning Reverse Neck Breaker / Reverse F5.
Winner: Chris Masters
At this point, Coach’s music hits up to a chorus of boos as Mark Lloyd and Coach come out for Heat commentating.
Sunday Night Heat:
Rhyno vs. Steven Richards
Crowd was hot for Rhyno, while they were mixed for Steven Richards. Major ECW chants to start the match. Exchange of arm bars. Rhyno goes into a side headlock and displays some power moves on Stevie. Rhyno back body suplexes Richards and goes for The Gore but Richards roles out of the ring. Richards comes back in the ring and starts to get some offense in, with some stiff knees to the kidneys. Richards hits an X-Factor on Rhyno and attempts to go for The Gore but Rhyno clotheslines Richards. Rhyno hits a spine buster on Steven Richards followed by a Gore for the pinfall.
Winner: Rhyno
As Richards, heads back up the ramp, an unknown jobber (Eureka Star?) get into some words. Eventually Star gets in the ring, as he is a cross over between Texas Tornado and Tatanka.
Tajiri vs. Eureka Star (?)
Match starts off with Tajiri on offense, kicking Star in the rear. Tajiri flips Star but he comes back with some chops. Star hits an elbow on Tajiri for a 2. Star headlocks Tajiri but Tajiri battles back and hits a roundhouse kick, followed up by some kicks to the head/body in the corner. With Star down in the corner, Tajiri does a running double click (sort of like a dropkick) into Star. Tajiri hits the handspring elbow but Star pulls out an abdominal stretch into a power bomb. He tries to send Tajiri in the corner but Tajiri turns it into a Tarantula. Eventually, Tajiri misses the standing sidekick to the head but connects with a standing sidekick for the pinfall.
Winner: Tajiri
Christy Hemme comes out to shoot some shirts into the crowd but Simon Dean interrupts. Simon says he thought the television adds 10 pounds but now that he is out there, he sees that it does not. He wants Christy to try her Simon System to look better but she refuses. Simon Dean asks Christy if she thinks she is too good for the Simon System but Val Venus comes out. Dean says he will make it a 2 for 1 offer, as he makes fun of Val and how he looks. Val knocks Dean out of the ring as Christy and Val have a moment. This leads too.
Simon Dean vs. Val Venus
Val, being the local boy had a hometown advantage. Dean blindsided Val when he was still paying attention to Christy as she went up the ramp. He puts his foot to Val’s throat. Val comes out of the corner with a massive clothesline followed by some suplexes. Val begins to make Dean headbut the mat, as Dean would do pushups in the process (was rather funny). Val with two knees to the gut and he keeps on Dean. Dean goes to the outside and gets the upper hand on Val, but can only get a 2 count after rolling him back in the ring. Dean puts Val in a leg scissors submission. Venus gets out and retreats the corner. Dean goes running at Val for a ramming head butt but Val hits him in the head with a massive knee (you have to see this spot). Val clotheslines dean and hits a gut buster. Val goes up top for the Money Shot but Dean roles into the corner to where his Simon System Bag is sitting. He goes in it and throws the bag in the ring. As the ref removes the bag from the ring, Dean hits Val with some brass knuckles and gets the pinfall.
Winner: Simon Dean
At this point, we get the SpikeTV Live Commercial
After this, there is a Chris Benoit Desire Video to Our Lady Peace – One Thing
Interesting to note, there were no Fireworks for Heat.
Lillian Garcia comes out to Sing the Canadian National Anthem
We see the Shelton Benjamin Confidential piece about growing up.
Sooner Song plays up and JR comes out to a big pop.
King’s music comes up and JR and King shake hands at the announce booth.
The Highlight Reel set comes out and the crowd pops, as they know what is coming.
Jericho got a MASSIVE POP before the show went on the air, as he was the ring playing to the crowd.
Raw Notes:
Mixed reaction for Hussan/Daivari. It was extremely mixed, as there was a lot of vocal people pro Hussan. However, Jericho had the Canadian Crowd in the Palm of his Hands.
During the 1st Commercial Break, Benoit’s music plays as they tear down the highlight real set.
La Resistance got a mixed response.
It was funny as they were having trouble keeping the Quebec Flag staying in the pole holder during the match, as it kept on falling.
There was a massive anti Maven chants.
La Resistance almost did not get Rosey up for the Au Revoir.
The Austin Pop was small, as at first the fans thought he was about to come out but then realized he was not there and did not really care.
Major Orton Pop when he first came out sounded a lot better than recent weeks on TV. However as time went on, the crowd became mixed; especially when Orton reminded the Fans he beat Benoit for the Title in the summer.
During the 2nd Commercial Break, Orton poses with the Chair and we get a Casket Match Promo.
Nothing happened during the 3rd break.
Christian was a MAJOR face, as there were a lot of ‘Peeps’ signs and ‘Christian’ chants.
There was a mixed reaction for Edge.
Shawn got the “You Screwed Bret” Chants
There was a pop when Edge went for the Sharpshooter, only he could not actually do it.
4th Break, Shawn mouths to the crowd that he is sorry and the crowd gets really on him with the loudest “You Screwed Bret” Chants.
Crazy Pop for Batista on his entrance
During the 5th Break, there was a “Go Leafs Go” chant.
It was not that the crowd was not hot for the Benoit/Y2J Match but the crowd rather sat around and appreciated the match. Furthermore, there was a “Lets go Chris” chant. As I watch the replay now on TSN, there was a lot of high-paced action during the commercial break and we did not even know it happened.
6th Break, we got a Kane/Snitsky Recap.
The crowd was in Trish’s hand and was loud for everything she said.
There was a mixed reaction when Kane first appeared and remained mixed when he chokeslammed Trish (NOTE: This did NOT make the replay on TSN, TSN opted to show crowd shots instead).
Kane got heavily booed and played to the crowd upon reentering to the arena after Trish was removed.
During the Kane/Snitsky match, the wave started and the crowd started a “Go Leafs Go” chant as we totally rejected that match as the main event, until the final spot. The table/scaffold had been in place all night long.
After the show went off the air:
The fans were unhappy about the no finish to the match. Kane finally got up however had a massive cut down the right side of his head and was heavily bleeding. Eventually he celebrated but began to stumble around on the stage and went to the back. Snitsky then got up without a scratch and went to the back.
At this point, fans started leaving but Edge’s music hit and he came down. Batista came out to a much smaller response compared to earlier as the fans started returning to their seats. HHH did his usual pre-match stuff. Jericho and Benoit both got big pops while Orton got a smaller one.
Triple H, Batista and Edge vs. Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit and Randy Orton
Orton and Batista start the match with a battle of strength. Batista sends Orton into the ropes and hit a shoulder block. He challenges Orton to do it again and Orton fakes out Batista, and starts to punch him out of the ring. Edge gets into the ring and Orton gets some kicks in before tagging out to Jericho. Jericho does a boxer dance so Edge decides to do the same. Edge then leaves the ring, mimics Triple H’s entrance, and tells Hunter to get in the ring. While this is happening, Jericho sits on the ropes in the corner. Hunter gets in and sends Jericho into the corner. Hunter goes to get some offense in but Jericho grabs Hunters legs and puts Hunter in the Walls of Jericho. Edge makes the save but Jericho puts the Walls of Jericho on him. Hunter saves Edge. Edge and Hunter double team Jericho but Jericho lets the two of them have a meeting of the minds and Jericho goes for his cocky 1-foot pin. Benoit gets in the match and starts kicking away on Hunter. Hunter is able to tag out to Edge, who gets a stiff chop delivered to him. Edge freezes in the ring holding onto his body, without moving for about a minute, sort of, like his old 5 second poses. Finally, Jericho turns around and then takes another chop from Benoit. This time, Edge runs up the ramp and holds his upper body. The ref counts to 6 before Edge runs down the ring and tags out to Batista. Batista tags right into Hunter and Hunter tries to tag to Edge but Edge does not want any part of it. Benoit hits 3 suplexes on Hunter and a release suplex on Edge. Batista decides he is better off not getting in the ring, so Benoit goes to the top rope but misses his flying head butt. Hunter tags out to Batista who whips down Benoit for a 2.9 count. The two battle with Benoit getting some chops in and Batista hitting a sidewalk slam. Batista dominates Benoit but can only get 2 counts. Hunter comes in to a ring of ‘You Tapped Out’ Chants and he can only get a 2 as well. Edge gets in and starts to kick a way at Benoit. He buts a submission leg scissors/head lock combo on Benoit. Benoit finally powers out but Edge make sure Benoit cannot make the tag. Edge blocks a suplex and a sharpshooter but Benoit does succeed with some chops followed by the suplex. Hunter tags in and powerslams Benoit. Hunter goes to the second rope and goes for the first drop however gets a big face of boot and he stays in mid-face-to-boot mode for about a minute, which had the crowd laughing. Finally, he turns around and does a Flair flop. Batista gets tagged back in but Benoit hits an enziguiri. Benoit tags in Orton and Batista tags out to Hunter. They unload some punches and Orton hits some clotheslines a poke to the eyes. Orton powerslams Hunter but Edge makes the save. At this point, the match breaks down and everyone pairs off. Orton ducks a clothesline but Hunter does connect with the ref. Orton hits a neckbreaker for a visionary two count. He goes to check on the ref and turns around to be greeted by a Spear by Edge. HBK runs down to the loudest boos of the evening and superkicks Edge. Batista runs in and knocks HBK out of the ring. Jericho and Benoit come in and begin to chop away at Batista, taking him to the outside. Hunter had his arm over Orton but only got a 2. Hunter goes for The Pedigree but Orton reverses and hits a RKO for the finish. Edge could have made the save but just like HHH at New Years Revolution, changed his mind in the middle.
Winners: Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit and Randy Orton
Hunter and Batista go up the ramp and Edge goes over to a lady in the 1st row who appeared to be a wife/girlfriend of one of the boys as he went to kiss her and she slapped him. Edge played that up as he went up the ramp, as he was slapped silly. Hunter and Batista got in a war of words with some fans on the ramp, while the girl who slapped Edge shook hands with Jericho/Orton and took a picture with Jericho. Orton and Jericho shook everyone’s hands, took pictures and signed autographs for a few minutes before both going up the ramp. Jericho and Orton both had time for their separate poses before exiting.
No return date was announced
No Earl Hebner.
They were selling both Raw and Smackdown Merchandise, as well as a new Flair T-Shirt with his catch phrase on the back.
NOTE: After watching some of the replay on TSN, the crowd was A LOT LOUDER than it was on SpikeTV/TSN. Some people that had some major reactions did not really have it come across on TV, especially Batista and the Shawn/Christian/Edge match/segment.
The final match changed the show from a thumbs in the middle to a thumbs up, as it sent the crowd home happy.
Credit- PWInsider.com & Adam Lebow
