Raw

Card Information:
 Held in: CALGARY SADDLE DOME
Location: ALBERTA, CANADA
          on January 2005 at 9:00pm

Interview:
Regrouping and Reorganising...
Click here to see highlights.

Hollywood Hogan assesses the previous night for the nWo, and then decides to
make a cut.


Bret Hart and Steve Austin defeated nWo (Marty Jannetty and X-Pac) when
S. Austin pinned Jannetty with the Stone Cold Stunner in 0:25:47.
Rating: ****
(Bret Hart and Steve Austin retained the WWE Tag Team Championship.)

After a hard fought contest, Bret Hart and Stone Cold retained the titles.  
When the match had ended, the Dudley Boys made their way down to the ring and
formally challenge Hart and Austin for the gold.


Rey Mysterio pinned Matt Hardy with the West Coast Pop in 0:00:30.
Rating: *

Mysterio embarrassed Hardy in just 30 seconds.  Understandly, V1 was less than
happy with this.  Unsually though, Nick Patrick was the referee that counted
him down so early in the match.


Interview:
A main event revealed...
Click here to see highlights.

It's announced that Chris Benoit and Goldberg will face Hollywood Hogan and
Brock Lesnar.  Benoit fears a set-up.


Kurt Angle pinned Jeff Jarrett after a clothesline in 0:16:11.
Rating: *** 1/2

After a fairly gruelling match-up, Angle got the win with a clothesline of all
moves.  With Jarrett again left frustrated in the ring after the match, he was
left confused by the lights suddenly shutting off for a couple of seconds, and
then coming back on again.


Booker T defeated Rico by disqualification in 0:05:14.
Rating: * 3/4

Rico's reckless behaviour got him disqualified, but Booker T was not done.  He
managed to hit Rico with the scissors kick, before showing off a spinarooni.


Interview:
Booker T's claim...
Click here to see highlights.

Booker T demands a WWE title shot, but gets an Intercontinental shot instead.


The Outsiders (Kevin Nash and Scott Hall) defeated
The Kliq (Shawn Michaels and Triple H) when Nash pinned Michaels with the
Jackknife Power Bomb in 0:11:47.
Rating: *** 1/4
Click here to see highlights.

After interfering in Michaels' match last night, Nash put HBK down for the 3
count here tonight.  Things are not going well right now for Shawn Michaels.


nWo (Brock Lesnar and Hollywood Hogan) defeated Chris Benoit and Goldberg when
Lesnar pinned Benoit after the Angry Man's Spinebuster in 0:18:43.
Rating: *** 1/4
Click here to see highlights.

One night after winning the title, Chris Benoit was pinned by nWo member Brock
Lesnar.  However, it does seem as though the firing of Goldberg was genuine.



Card rating: ** 3/4


Match observations: 

So, one night after Armageddon, the nWo appears to be getting back on track.
Although Jannetty and X-Pac were defeated here tonight, you can't really blame
them considering the quality of the opposition.  Jeff Jarrett, on the other
hand, may be in trouble for being beaten by a clothesline.  But what is with
those mysterious black outs following Jarrett's matches?  Is there someone
responsible for them?

Despite these defeats, the nWo earned two big tag team victories, as Hall and
Nash were able to defeat Shawn Michaels and Triple H, while Hollywood Hogan
and Brock Lesnar defeated the WWE Champion Chris Benoit, and the nWo outcast
Goldberg.  Based on the Outsiders' victory tonight, it's been announced that
they'll get a tag title shot on Raw next week.  Before that though, Kevin Nash
will go one on one with Shawn Michaels on Smackdown this Thursday.

The other matches here tonight were generally disappointing, with Rey Mysterio
and Booker T getting easy victories over Matt Hardy and Rico respectively.  We
did see the beginnings of a feud between Booker T and Scott Steiner though, who
we now know will meet for the Intercontinental title at the Royal Rumble.

Speaking of the Rumble, it's been announced already that Chris Jericho, Rob Van
Dam, Triple H, Randy Orton and Kane will all be a part of the Rumble match.  Of
course, that's just 5 names, with 25 more to be announced in the weeks to come.

Next Show: Smackdown