MICHAELS-TRIPLE
H: A NEW CHAPTER
It may be
a new year, there may be a new sheriff in town, but near the end of RAW, it
appeared as if nothing had changed. Evolution is still in control of every
championship that a male RAW Superstar can hold, thanks to the efforts of
Triple H. When it seemed as if the Dudley Boyz were mere seconds from their
18th run as Tag Team Champions, the World Heavyweight Champ was there to
distract the referee long enough for Batista & Ric Flair to gain the upper
hand and retain the World Tag Team Championship.
However,
while Evolution still holds the Titles, if Sheriff Stone Cold Steve Austin has
it his way, the reigns will not be for long. At the Royal Rumble, Shawn
Michaels will have his promised rematch against Triple H for the World
Heavyweight Championship, but with a stipulation that will add a new dimension
to this storied rivalry. By decree of Sheriff Austin, HBK and Triple H will
meet in a Last Man Standing Match, and with the history of these two to bring
out the best in each other, this match as all of the makings of a Royal Rumble
Classic. On RAW, both competitors gave a preview of what could be events to
come as Triple H reacted to the news of the upcoming match by giving Michaels a
Pedigree. Later, HBK ruined any celebration by Evolution at the victory for Ric
Flair & Batista by giving Triple H some Sweet Chin Music, and RAW ended
with Triple H lying motionless in the ring.
If the
events that ended RAW did not upset Evolution enough,
The
Intercontinental Championship scenario was brought about by Theodore Long, who
used the favor owed to Mark Henry from Survivor to claim the spot as RAW
General Manager for the night. Long’s first act was to order a match between
Henry and Orton for the Intercontinental Championship, but
In other
action, Christian and Chris Jericho seemed to put their recent differences
aside and teamed together to defeat Hurricane & Rosey. However, the night
was not all smiles for
RAW also
featured another major development concerning the Royal Rumble as Kane
proclaimed that it his he who will win the Rumble for the first time and gain a
shot at the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania. Kane claims that
last year’s loss due to a double-cross by his brother the Undertaker has only
motivated him for the upcoming Rumble, and that last week’s attack on Booker T
was revenge for Booker T winning the Rumble in 2003. However, Booker T entered
the ring to defend himself and gained a measure of revenge by sending Kane over
the top rope via Clothesline. Booker T announced that he will enter the Rumble
with two goals – to send Kane over the top rope, and to win the Rumble to get
another shot at the World Heavyweight Championship.
The road
to the Royal Rumble has begun and with a Main Event that could reach legendary
proportions already in place, it is clear that this event could be a memorable
one. Next week, RAW is in the New York City area for the final time before
WrestleMania, and when WWE comes to New York, something unforgettable always
seems to happen. What will happen at the Nassau Coliseum? Will more RAW
Superstars enter the Royal Rumble? What law will Sheriff Stone Cold Steve
Austin lay down? Only one way to find out – watch RAW next week at 9/8 CT on
Spike TV!
Match
Results:
Spike Dudley defeated Rene Dupree
Chris Jericho & Christian defeated Hurricane & Rosey
Steven Richards defeated Test
Trish Stratus defeated Molly Holly via disqualification Rob Van Dam defeated
Mark Henry in a No. 1 Contender’s Match
Ric Flair & Batista defeated the Dudley Boyz