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Monday Night RAW June 16, 2008
by Sassy

Monday Night Raw is broadcast on the USA network from Salt Lake City, UT.

Ringside announcers: Jim Ross & Jerry “The King” Lawler

Ring announcer: Lillian Garcia

Backstage interviews: Todd Grisham

John Cena enters the arena to loud cheers from the live audience. Cena will face The Game Triple H for the WWE Championship at Night of Champions. Cena is going to give a long speech and I’m not tuning in for speeches. I’m tuning for action. Cena holds his hand up to say “the champ is…” and HHH, with the title belt on his shoulder, appears to enter the ring. HHH has showed up to give his version of a speech. HHH says it is becoming personal between the two of them and HHH is giving Cena a warning. Cena disagrees with HHH. Cena reminds HHH that two years ago Cena made HHH tap out. It turns into a shouting match in the center of the ring. Cena shoves HHH before he throws off his hat and rips off his shirt. HHH drops the belt and takes off his shirt when Vince McMahon appears and a referee comes running to the ring to stand between the two men in the ring. McMahon says that there won’t be a match between the two of them tonight. McMahon tells Cena that he has a match tonight right now against the Samoan Bulldozer Umaga and it will be a street fight. Cena does not look thrilled. HHH pics up the mic and tells Cena good luck and tells him not to get hurt.

John Cena from MA
Vs.
Samoan Bulldozer Umaga

Cena begins the match before the bell rings but Cena hits the mat first. Cena picks Umaga up but falls backward and Umaga goes for the cover and gets a two count. Umaga comes off the ropes and knocks Cena off the ring apron and into the guardrail surrounding the audience and we go to commercial break. Back to the action, Umaga is beating Cena up the entrance ramp. Cena slams Umaga’s head into the guardrail and then uses right fists, but Umaga delivers a Samoan drop on the ramp. Cena rolls down the ramp toward the ring and Umaga gets back to his feet. Umaga drags Cena by his arm toward the ring. Umaga has Cena outside the ring. Umaga backs up and charges but Cena gets out the way and Umaga hits the ring post. Both men are back in the ring, Umaga delivers a slam and goes for the cover. Umaga gets a two count. Cena is back on the mat after a fist from Umaga. Umaga goes out of the ring and heads towards the announcer’s table where he pulls off the top of the table and then grabs a steel chair before heading back to the ring. Umaga slides the chair into the ring, Cena grabs it and nails Umaga in the abdomen. Cena goes up to the top turnbuckle and delivers a leg drop off that sends Umaga down to the mat. Cena goes for the FU but Umaga is too heavy and Cena goes down under Umaga slamming his head into the mat. Cena rolls out of the ring and Umaga goes out of the ring after him. Umaga sends Cena into the steel steps, sending the steps across the floor. Umaga rolls Cena back into the ring and goes for the cover. Umaga gets a two count before Cena throws his arm into the air, getting his shoulder off of the mat. Umaga heads outside the ring again and grabs the steel steps, throwing them into the ring. Umaga comes around the ring and comes up the steps that are still standing, picks up the steps and as Cena gets to his feet, he grabs Umaga, delivers the FU and gets the three count. Time: 7 minutes.
Winner: John Cena with an FU

Cena just can’t seem to get an actual wrestling match but this match was decent for the type of match it was and the two opponents involved. There was no blood spilled in this match as far as I could tell. Both men took hard hits and dished out hard hits. We go to commercial break.

The Bikini Blow Out was next. I skipped it and it took enough time that we have another commercial break.

Y2J Chris Jericho is backstage and the audience sees a replay of the confrontation between Jericho and Michaels last week. JR and Lawler say that Michaels has been having problems with his eyesight lately and I assume that Jericho slamming Michaels face first into the monitor didn’t help his eyesight.

Jeff Hardy from Cameron, NC weighing 225 lbs.
And we go to commercial break. Back from commercial break,
Vs.
Carlito from the Caribbean weighing 220 lbs.

I am holding my breath hoping that Carlito and Hardy can pull off a real wrestling match here. Carlito nails Hardy in the corner and then slams him head first into the top turnbuckle. Hardy sends Carlito over the top rope to the floor and then springboards over the top rope to take Carlito back down to the floor outside the ring. Hardy rolls Carlito back into the ring but as Hardy tries to springboard back into the ring, Carlito catches Hardy and hangs him up on the ropes. Carlito delivers a DDT and goes for the cover, getting a two count. Hardy comes back fighting but Carlito catches Hardy with a dropkick and goes for the cover. Carlito gets a two count. Carlito goes for some fists to Hardy’s head and comes off the ropes to take Hardy down with an elbow. Carlito goes for a cover and he again gets a two count. Hardy delivers a kick that sends Carlito back into the corner and goes for a stomp but Carlito rolls out of the way and Hardy meets the mat. Carlito goes for the cover and gets a two count before Hardy gets a shoulder off the mat. Hardy delivers a jawbreaker and goes for the twist of fate but Carlito counters and has Hardy hung up in the ropes. Hardy gets himself out of the way and goes up to nail Carlito with the whisper in the wind. Hardy goes for the cover and gets a two count. Hardy delivers a face plant and goes back up to the top turnbuckle. Hardy nails Carlito and goes up again, this time nailing Carlito with the Swanton bomb. Hardy goes for the cover and gets the three count. Time: 6 minutes.
Winner: Jeff Hardy with a Swanton bomb

The referee says something to Hardy after the match but I couldn’t see what he said. The match could have been a little longer but it was a good showing for both of these wrestlers. Wrestling fans don’t see enough of Carlito in the ring. He’s a much better wrestler than he has been allowed to prove to WWE fans and we go to commercial break.

Y2J Chris Jericho, WWE’s Intercontinental Champion enters the arena and the ring. WWE needs to stop the chat and get on with the action. Raw is half over and the fans have seen only two matches, neither of them overly long. Jericho is in the ring to talk about Jericho and there’s another replay of what Jericho did to Michaels. Jericho tells the fans that what happened to Michaels last week was their fault and that it is because everyone has been treating him badly and he isn’t going to take it. None other than The Nature Boy Ric Flair appears at the top of the entrance ramps as Jericho continues to insult Michaels. The fans like it and I don’t mind seeing Ric even though he’s dressed in his suit and tie and we go to commercial break. Back to the show, Flair is now in the ring, face to face with Jericho. JR says Flair had a 3 minute, 30 second standing ovation from the audience during the commercial break. Flair stares at Jericho and then slaps the mic out of his hand. Flair says he can’t wrestle anymore because he’s retired, but that won’t keep him from fighting Jericho in the parking lot. Flair rips off his jacket and heads up the entrance ramp, telling Jericho to meet him outside. Flair leaves the ring and heads toward the back, following Flair. Flair goes out the exit door and Jericho opens the door to face HHH. HHH asks Jericho if he doesn’t think he’s caused enough trouble. Jericho says it is none of HHH’s business but HHH says that he is making it his business and that he wants to be the one that fights Jericho. Jericho walks off and we go to commercial break. Darn! Just when I though there might be some action in the parking lot!

Flair is arguing with HHH at the exit door when McMahon appears. McMahon says that Flair can’t be interrupting the show. McMahon tells Flair that security will escort Flair out of the building. HHH gives Flair a hug and Flair leaves. HHH asks McMahon what his problem is tonight. McMahon says that he doesn’t have a problem but HHH does because McMahon has just made a match and it will be HHH one on one with Jericho.

Non-Title Tag Team Match
Cody Rhodes
&
Hardcore Holly
WWE World Tag Team Champions
Vs.
Shad & JTG
Cryme Tyme from Brooklyn, NY

The direction that Rhodes & Holly have been heading is going to cost them the title belts. Ted Dibiase appears and heads down the ramp and Holly rolls up his JTG and gets the three count. Time: Under 1 minute.
Winners: Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes

Why would Rhodes & Holly even have to suit up for that? Nothing to report because nothing really happened and we go to commercial break.

Mixed Tag Team Match
Paul Burchill & Katie Lea Burchill
From Chelsea, England, already in the ring
Vs.
Mickie James from Richmond, VA
WWE Women’s Champion
& Mr. Kennedy from Green Bay, WI

The men begin the action in the ring. Kennedy is out for blood but Burchill powers Kennedy down to the mat. Kennedy delivers a back body drop and goes for the cover getting a one count. Kennedy delivers a kick to the head and goes for a roll up, getting a two count. Burchill tags in and James enters the ring. Burchill and James do a little brawling before James takes over and pounds on Burchill. James comes off the rope with a short dropkick and gets a one count. James goes up to the top but Burchill goes after her. Kennedy comes through the ropes and delivers a spear that sends both he and Burchill down to the floor. James misses her dive off the top turnbuckle, Burchill delivers a back breaker and goes for the cover getting the three count and the win. Time: 5 minutes.
Winners: Paul & Katie Lea Burchill with a back breaker.

Katie Lea is showing signs of some wrestling talent but the pairing up of the Burchills isn’t allowing her to show off her skills. James is always good in the ring no matter who she is up against and Kennedy did a nice job in this match. We go to commercial break. A long promo for the Night of Champions pay per view. Cena catches HHH coming out of the locker room and tells him good luck and don’t get hurt.

Main Event
The Game Tripe H from CT weighing 255 lbs.
WWE Champion
Vs.
Y2J Chris Jericho weighing 246 lbs.
WWE Intercontinental Champion

The bell rings and HHH sends Jericho to the mat with a shoulder block. Jericho backs HHH into the corner and pummels HHH with fists and kicks until the ref backs Jericho up. HHH comes out of the corner with a boot and now HHH is the one beating Jericho down in the corner. HHH sends Jericho on to the mat with a back body drop. Jericho comes back with more right fists but his misses a clothesline and hits the ring post. HHH sends Jericho shoulder first into the corner post and we go to commercial break. Back to the action, Jericho sends HHH to the mat with an elbow as HHH comes off the ropes. HHH rolls out of the ring and down to the floor. Jericho tells the ref to count and the count is up to 7 before Jericho delivers a kick that sends HHH to the floor again. Jericho goes out of the ring after HHH, slamming HHH’s head into the steel steps around the ring. Jericho chokes HHH with a boot and then uses the ropes to choke HHH again. Jericho holds on until the ref reaches the count of 4. As Jericho charges across the mat, HHH nails Jericho and sends Jericho crashing to the mat. HHH nails Jericho again with a high knee. HHH comes off the ropes and Jericho goes for the walls of Jericho but HHH kicks him back into the corner. As Jericho comes back at HHH, HHH delivers the spine buster and then backs up to wait for Jericho to get back to his feet. HHH goes for the pedigree but Jericho counters it. Jericho misses the springboard lionsault as HHH rolls out of the way. HHH goes for the pedigree again but Jericho sends HHH over to the mat in a back body drop. Jericho goes for a springboard kick to HHH on the ring apron, but HHH moves and Jericho hits the floor. HHH comes out of the ring and suddenly Lance Cade appears causing the ref to ring the bell. Cade and Jericho go to work on HHH but Cena appears to help. HHH gets off the floor and goes after Cena and now Cena and HHH are getting beat down by Jericho and Cade. Actual match time: 6 minutes.
Winner: The Game Triple H via DQ

The ending could have been better and even though there wasn’t much wrestling involved, it was a decent match.

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