MR. MCMAHON DROPS A BOMBSHELL!
March 15, 2004

WrestleMania XX may be in the record books, but the spirit behind the greatest event in the history of sports entertainment is still very much alive. On RAW, the theme of it all beginning … again, was very much in the air as Mr. McMahon dropped a bombshell announcement that rocked the very foundation of World Wrestling Entertainment. Indeed, WWE will begin again … and it will happen next week on RAW!

When RAW is next broadcasted live from Detroit, for the first time in more than a year, the Superstars of RAW and SmackDown! will come together under the same roof on a Monday night. According to Mr. McMahon, the spirit of a new beginning behind the WrestleMania event was so powerful that it is time for a new day to dawn in WWE. He said it is time for a shake-up, where new Superstars come together, new rivalries form, and new matches can be enjoyed by the fans of WWE. So, next week, there will be a lottery to form new rosters for both the RAW and SmackDown! programs, and nobody is exempt from being sent from one side to the other. Partnerships may be split, factions could be divided, and Superstars who are currently Champions could very well be in a position where they will have to drop their Championship. As Mr. McMahon said, even members of his own family are not exempt from this lottery!

So what does all of this mean? Less than 24 hours after winning the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania, will Chris Benoit be sent back to SmackDown!? In that case, who will be the World Heavyweight Champion? Will Evolution remain a foursome? How about teams such as the Dudley Boyz and La Resistance, who have experienced much success together? Will they be forced to split up? Don’t miss what will be one of the most important weeks of RAW and World Wrestling Entertainment as a whole in history! New battle-lines will be drawn. New partnerships and rivalries formed. A new day is dawning for WWE. Don’t miss it!

If Benoit, Shawn Michaels, and Triple H are heading for a split of their recent three-way rivalry, on RAW there were no signs of it. Both Triple H and Michaels allowed for no grace period for the new World Heavyweight Champion to enjoy his reign as Benoit was immediately put on the defensive. With Triple H out of action with an arm injury from WrestleMania, RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff set a match between Benoit & Michaels against Randy Orton, Batista & Ric Flair. While Benoit & Michaels functioned as a cohesive unit and scored the win – thanks to the presence of Mick Foley – it was perhaps only for one night. Between next week’s lottery and the fact that Michaels said he was only siding with Benoit to, “protect (his) investment” and make sure he has an opportunity to challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship, it seems that if Benoit and Michaels continue on the same roster after next week, their paths will cross once again.

In other action, WrestleMania seemed to end nothing for the on-going rivalry between Chris Jericho and Christian. An angered Jericho could not control his temper and was disqualified during his match with Matt Hardy. Later, Christian and Trish Stratus appeared together to mock Jericho.

Will Christian and Jericho remain on the same roster? If they do, will Jericho have his chance at revenge? How will the new RAW and new SmackDown! take shape, and what will happen to the existing partnerships and rivalries? Find out next week on a very special RAW at 9/8 CT on Spike TV!

Match Results:
Victoria & Lita defeated Jazz & Molly Holly
Matt Hardy defeated Chris Jericho via disqualification
Kane defeated Val Venis
Miss Jackie vs. Stacy Keibler ended in a no contest
Rob Van Dam & Booker T defeated the Dudley Boyz
Chris Benoit & Shawn Michaels defeated Randy Orton, Ric Flair & Batista