Raw

Card Information:
 Held in: ALAMEDA COLISEUM
Location: CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
          on January 2005 at 9:00pm

Interview:
Respect and Revenge...
Click here to see highlights.

Chris Benoit and Edge show respect for one another, before Brock Lesnar makes
an appearence and sets up an unfair handicap match.


Handicap-Match:
Batista, Christian, William Regal and Matt Hardy defeated Edge when M. Hardy
 pinned Edge with the Twist of Fate in 0:06:17.
Rating: ** 1/4

If the 4 on 1 disadvantage wasn't bad enough, Edge also had to put up with Nick
Patrick as the guest referee, who ended up fast-counting the Canadian's after
a Twist of Fate.

To make things worse, as Raw returned from commerical, Randy Orton ran into the
ring and hit Edge with the RKO for no apparent reason.


Bret Hart pinned Val Venis after an elbowdrop from the second turnbuckle in
           0:10:31.
Rating: ****

After a great match, Bret earned a pinfall victory.  The two competitors shook
hands after the match.


Interview:
The Booker Man...
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Booker T falls foul of an nWo set-up.  The Dudley Boys make the save, leading
into the already scheduled match that's up next.


Kevin Nash pinned D-Von Dudley after a kick to the head in 0:05:24.
Rating: **

Nash got the victory, but the action didn't stop there.  Hall and Bubba ran
into the ring, followed soon after by Steiner and Booker T, leading to a six
man brawl.


Ted DiBiase defeated Goldberg by disqualification in 0:05:19.
Rating: ** 1/2

Goldberg's frustration saw him get disqualified.


Interview:
Orton's disappointment...
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Randy Orton berates Goldberg, but ends up getting speared by "Da Man", thanks
to a spot of help from Edge.


Kane pinned Triple H after a Tombstone in 0:02:15.
Rating: ** 1/2

The Big Red Machine made short work on the Game.  Will anyone be able to stop
this monster at the Royal Rumble?


No-Countout-No-DQ-Handicap-Match:
Chris Benoit defeated nWo (Brock Lesnar and Hollywood Hogan) when Benoit made
Hollywood submit to the Crippler Crossface in 0:03:13.
Rating: ***
[Shane McMahon interfered against Hollywood Hogan.]
Click here to see highlights.

In an amazing finish, the no DQ rule backfired on the nWo.  Shane McMahon made
a shocking return, hitting Hogan with a chair, which then led to him tapping
out to Benoit's crossface.  As Raw went off the air, Benoit and Shane O Mac
celebrated at ringside.



Card rating: ** 3/4


Match observations: 

A rather interesting night of action, as we draw ever closer to the Royal
Rumble.  Shane McMahon made an early return here tonight, smashing Hollywood
Hogan in the back, and therefore causing him to tap out to the crossface.  
Expect Hogan to be far from happy about this on Smackdown, where the Hulkster
also has the additional issue of having to face nWo team mate Brock Lesnar
with Benoit as the referee.

Also signed for Thursday is a match between Edge and Randy Orton, after the
game of one-upsmanship they played tonight ended with Orton getting speared
by Goldberg.  In the meantime, 'Berg will have to take down nWo members X-Pac
and Marty Jannetty at the same time.  

We will also see a six man tag match based on the actions of tonight, with
Booker T and the Dudleys facing Scott Steiner and the Outsiders.  This will
give us a preview of two title matches from the Rumble.

And with Smackdown being the last show before the Rumble, expect to see a
number of participants showing up, and attempting to prove to us why they
will be the superstar that will win the big one on Sunday.

Next Show: Smackdown