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Monday Night RAW March 10, 2008
by Sassy

Monday Night Raw is being broadcast from Orlando, FL
On the USA Network.

Ringside announcers: Jim Ross & Jerry “The King” Lawler
Ring announcer: Lillian Garcia

Expect numerous repercussions from yesterday’s Wrestlemania XXIV.

Jim Ross tells the audience that tonight will be Ric Flair’s Farewell Address. John Cena’s music begins but he doesn’t enter the arena. Triple H’s music begins but he doesn’t enter the arena. I’m fast-forwarding through this because you and I both know what’s going to show up to start this edition of Raw. John Bradshaw Layfield shows up during the fast forward to tell Orton that Orton can’t beat JBL and he will be the number one contender for the WWE Championship. Through some more fast forward, JBL has left and Matt Hardy has entered the ring and please, for all of us, kick Orton’s ass. No such luck. Security is on it for the first time ever…they are there immediately.

Matt Hardy is backstage and Raw General Manager William Regal is in his face for attacking Regal’s champion. Matt says he wants Orton in the ring and Regal says he will have to think about it.

Tag Team Match
Lance Cade
&
Trevor Murdoch
At a combined weight of 532 lbs.
Vs.
Cryme Tyme from Brooklyn, NY
At a combined weight of 525 lbs. Audience favorites: I think its Cryme Tyme
My favorites: Trevor Murdoch is my favorite but I like them all in the ring.

It appears that Cryme Tyme has been forgiven for their previous WWE indiscretion – it had something to do with a match and a referee – and they are back to take out their aggression on team of Cade and Murdoch.

These four are fairly close in size but Cade and Murdoch aren’t having very much luck against the returning tag team. And as soon as I say that, Cade manages to get the upper hand and tag in Murdoch. Murdoch goes for the cover but can’t get the three count. Murdoch gets himself caught in a roll up and Cryme Tyme win the match.

Winners Cryme Tyme

I’m going to try to be unbiased here since I think Trevor Murdoch has all the makings of an A-1 heel and I like him when he’s a bully. Any day now I think he and Lance Cade will suddenly turn on each other and brawl all over the arena. Cryme Tyme was an audience favorite before their hiatus and it appears they haven’t lost their appeal. This was a little bit more of punching match than a wrestling match but not a bad first match and a nice surprise to have Cryme Tyme appear.

After the match, Cade appears to be very angry and Murdoch appears to be trying to explain what just happened in the ring. Cryme Tyme and the audience celebrate but Cryme Tyme didn’t sell anything off to members of the audience.

The audience sees part of a match where Ric Flair took the NWA title away from then seven-time Champion Harley Race in a steel cage match. Okay, Ric, I love you but you took the belt away from my hero Harley Race! How COULD you, Ric?

Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels is heading toward the ring, dressed in his street clothes.

Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels, now known as the wrestler who ended the career of Nature Boy Ric Flair, is in the ring. The audience doesn’t seem to be angry with Michaels until he reminds the audience that he is the one that beat Flair at Wrestlemania XXIV. He doesn’t stay in the ring long, but puts down the mic and leaves the arena.

JR informs the audience that tonight Y2J Chris Jericho, WWE Intercontinental Champion, will face CM Punk. Punk and Jericho were the last two men on the ladder in the Money in the Bank match at Wrestlemania XXIV. CM Punk won the match.

Lawler tells the audience that tonight Matt Hardy will face Randy Orton in the ring. I guess Regal made up his mind.

HBK is backstage and is approached by Regal. Regal tells HBK that he did what he had to do and Regal says that he thinks it is something that should have been done a long time ago. Batista appears in camera range, staring at HBK. Batista does not look happy.

Non-title Tag Team Match
Brian Kendrick
&
Paul London
At a combined weight of 382 lbs.
Vs.
Cody Rhodes
&
Hardcore Holly
WWE World Tag Team Champions
At a combined weight of 452 lbs.
Audience favorites: I’m not sure
My favorites: I like all four wrestlers

Kendrick walked out on London the last time they were in a match together. JR tells the audience that they have worked out their issues since their match against Umaga.

Kendrick seems to have a problem being a bit of a show off and Cody is no slouch. Kendrick gets himself caught by not paying attention. Cody tags in Holly and Kendrick tags in London. Holly makes a clean break when the referee calls for one, but London takes advantage with a cheap shot and that could be a mistake. London pays with several hard chops to the chest. London goes out on the floor and Holly goes out on the floor to bring London back in. Holly goes for the cover and gets a two count before tagging in Cody. Cody goes for the cover and gets a two count. Cody goes up high with a cross body block with Kendrick yelling at London to tell him that it’s coming. London takes the hit and then manages to get to Kendrick for a tag. Kendrick comes out fighting but Cody delivers a bulldog. London comes out of the corner and pulls Cody off of Kendrick, Holly comes into the ring and London takes him out over the top rope, Cody sends London over the top rope after Holly and in the fray Kendrick manages a bridge roll up and gets the three count.

Winners Brian Kendrick & Paul London

These are wrestlers with very different wrestling styles. Kendrick and London always work well together as a tag team and Cody Rhodes has all the makings of an up and coming world champion. And I have to say that Cody and Holly have been working well together as a tag team.

London’s chest is awfully red as he and Kendrick celebrate their win the in ring.

The audience sees a film clip, May 7, 1989: Ricky The Dragon Steamboat versus Ric Flair. Flair wins the match and for the sixth time takes home the World Heavyweight title belt.

Commercial break.

Rev Theory is in the front row of the Raw audience tonight.

The audience sees highlights from Wrestlemania XXIV. They could show the entire match between Chavo Guerrero and Kane. It may have been the shortest title match in history. Matt Hardy did make an appearance during the Money in the Bank Ladder Match just long enough to spoil M.V.P.’s chance of getting the briefcase and the title shot. The parts of the match they showed between Flair and HBK looked like a hard fought battle. Flair may be going out but I’d say he went out with a bang. Mayweather beat Big Show with the use of a set of brass knuckles. It was a No DQ match, after all. And the final match was The Undertaker taking the WWE World Championship from The Rated R Superstar Edge.

Commercial break.

Money in the Bank Ladder Rematch
Y2J Chris Jericho weighing 221 lbs.
WWE Intercontinental Champion
Vs.
CM Punk from Chicago, IL, weighing 222 lbs.
Representing ECW
& Winner of the Wrestlemania XXIV Money in the Bank Ladder Match

Audience favorite: I’m not sure
My favorite: I like them both

Punk comes to the ring carrying his MITB briefcase.

The match begins with a kicking contest but Jericho gets the upper hand early on. Jericho goes for a roll up and Punk reverses it, neither one gets the two count. The audience initially seemed to be split fifty-fifty between the two wrestlers but then the fans begin chanting for Y2J. I have a lot of respect for these two knowing they already been in a ladder match yesterday and the hard bumps they had to have taken and here they are back in the ring tonight like they didn’t go through that match. Has anyone noticed how much Jericho seems to enjoy himself in the ring? Punk goes out on the floor and Jericho goes for the baseball slide but Punk sidesteps and delivers a kick to the back of Jericho’s head. Jericho appears to have injured his knee and Punk takes advantage. Jericho nails Punk with a bone breaker, goes for the cover and gets the win.

Winner Y2J Chris Jericho

CM Punk and Chris Jericho never disappoint me even if the match is a short one. This match showed the athleticism and talent of both men in and out of the ring. The audience sees Ric Flair in a match from the Royal Rumble, January 19, 1992 for the WWE title. Ric Flair wins the match and the title.

Big Show makes his way to the ring with a standing ovation from the live audience. Lawler reminds the audience that Mayweather beat Big Show with a set of brass knuckles. Big Show comes out to talk to everyone about the Hall of Fame. Big Show says he is going to go back to doing what he does best. No one can stop him one on one, no one can stand up to him one on one but he is interrupted by the music of The Great Khali. Khali appears at the top of the entrance ramp and makes his way to the ring. Big Show tells Khali to get out of his face but Khali refuses and then takes a step back. Big Show drops the mic and puts up his fists. There seems to be a lot of trash talking going on at least on Big Show’s part and Khali steps out of the ring and walks back up the entrance ramp. The audience definitely favors Big Show as Khali is trying to decide whether or not to go back down to the ring. Khali finally turns and leaves the arena.

Matt Hardy is backstage getting ready for his match tonight against Orton.

Santino Marella is backstage working out? And Maria approaches. Santino is upset because Maria made out with Snoop Dogg at Wrestlemania after the match. Maria is supposed to be in a match against Maria tonight but Maria wants him to stop it. Marella refuses and says that he needs to release some frustration unless she can find some other way for him to find that release. Maria slaps him and it looks like the match is on.

Randy Orton from St. Louis, MO
WWE Champion
Vs.
Matt Hardy from Cameron, NC, weighing 243 lbs.

Audience favorite: Matt Hardy
My favorite: You really have to ask – Matt Hardy, of course!

Matt comes out swinging and the audience is chanting “Hardy”. Orton rolls out of the ring and Matt goes after him, slamming him into the guardrail around the audience twice, slamming his head into the ring apron and pounding on him outside the ring. Orton makes it back into the ring and tries to take a shot at Matt as he climbs back in but Matt hangs him up on the top rope. Matt goes for the cover but only gets a two count. Orton again rolls out of the ring but again Matt goes out after him, sending him back into the ring. Matt goes again for the cover but can’t get the three count. Matt nails Orton with a neck breaker, goes for the cover and again gets a two count. The audience is chanting even louder for “Hardy” and we go to

COMMERCIAL BREAK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MATCH! THAT’S ONE!

It appears that Orton is now in control of the match. Matt comes back with the live audience cheering him on. Matt comes off the top turnbuckle with a moonsault, goes for the pin and gets a two count. Matt delivers a bulldog, goes for the cover and nearly gets a three count. Once again Matt goes for the cover and gets a two count. Matt has Orton in a backslide and again gets a two count. Matt goes up to the top turnbuckle but Orton rolls out of the ring, but Matt dives off the apron and takes down Orton to the floor and then comes up to deliver the twist of fate. The referee is in the ring counting as Hardy tries to pick up Orton to get him back in the ring. He makes it but Orton catches him with an RKO and goes for the cover and guess who gets the win.

Is it my imagination or does Orton spend as much time out on the floor as he does in the ring?

Dusty Rhodes is on camera to talk about Ric Flair. Dusty Rhodes calls Ric Flair a national treasure.

Intergender Anything Goes Match
Maria from Chicago, IL
Vs.
Santino Marella residing in Patterson, NJ
Audience favorite: Maria
My favorite: I don’t care, does that count?

Marella seems to have made sure that Lawler can’t get involved in this match. Lawler said that Regal told him he could in no way get involved in the match. Marella hits Maria and he is attacked by all of the WWE divas. Maria goes for the pin and gets the three count.

Winner Maria with the help of the entire female locker room.

Ric Flair’s Farewell Address is next.

Ric Flair enters the arena to a standing ovation. Ric says last night he wrestled his very last match at Wrestlemania and he will never set foot in a WWE ring again. Ric says that no one should be sad they should be glad that he has had the greatest career in the history of wrestling. The audience chants “Thank you, Ric” and Ric thanks the audience for the memories, the support and for making him who he is today. WOOOOO!

The Game Triple H’s music begins and Triple H enters the arena. Triple H says that if Flair thinks only the fans in Orlando and the millions of people watching TV are the only ones who want to say thank you, then he has another thing coming. Triple H hugs Ric and Ric is getting teary eyed. Triple H thanks Ric Flair and then gets down on his knees and bows before him. Rick makes him get up. Triple H says there are a few other people that wanted to say thank you too. Triple H shows four fingers and

The following enter the ring to say goodbye to the one and only Nature Boy Ric Flair:

And my DVR cut off before the end of the show.

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