Raw

Card Information:
 Held in: HARTFORD CIVIC CENTER
Location: CONNECTICUT, UNITED STATES
          on July 2005 at 7:30pm

Interview:
The WWE Champion...
Click here to see highlights.

Randy Orton gloats about his victory last night, and receives a challenge from
the former champion Chris Benoit.


No-Countout-No-DQ-Four Corners Match:
Shawn Michaels and Cactus Jack defeated
The World's Greatest Tag Team (Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin),
The Dudley Boys (Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley) and Edge and Val Venis:
         x Venis beat D-Von via a short clothesline in 0:24:32
         x Michaels beat Edge via a Victory Roll in 0:30:14
         x Michaels beat Haas via the Sweet Chin Music in 0:35:01
Rating: *** 1/4
(Shawn Michaels and Cactus Jack retained the WWE Tag Team Championship.)
Click here to see highlights.

Great start to the night, with the Tag Champions making up for last night's
loss with a big win over three teams.


Triple H defeated Scott Hall by countout in 0:04:58.
Rating: ** 1/2
[Vader interfered against Scott Hall.]

After the match, Triple H and Vader double teamed Hall, until the save was
made by, of all people, Masahiro Chono.  Triple H took off, while Chono hit a
number of right hand shots on Vader.


Interview:
Hollywood Hogan speaks...
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Hogan reveals a stipulation for Vengeance, and calls out Ted DiBiase for a
match.


Hollywood Hogan pinned Ted DiBiase with the Big Leg Drop in 0:19:16.
Rating: ** 1/2

After going so long without defeating DiBiase, Hogan finally got the win he
was looking for.


William Regal pinned Eddie Guerrero with his special move in 0:11:25.
Rating: *** 1/2

After getting a fast count victory last time, this time Regal used brass knux
to defeat Eddie.  It's far from over between these two.


Interview:
Y2J's second chance...
Click here to see highlights.

Chris Jericho explains the Table Death Match tonight, and vows to become the
new Intercontinental Champion.


Brock Lesnar pinned Masahiro Chono with the F-5 in 0:18:09.
Rating: *** 1/4

This was the match they should have had last night.  Brock was much more 
focused on the task, and managed to pick up a victory.  Could Chono's mind
have been more on Vader than it was Lesnar?


Table Death No-Countout-No-DQ-Match:
Chris Jericho and Christopher Daniels battled to a draw in 1:00:00.
Rating: **** 1/4
(Christopher Daniels retained the WWE Intercontinental Championship.)
Click here to see highlights.

Jericho thought he had found a fool proof way to get the title, but the time
limit came to Daniels' rescue.  The Fallen Angel is still the IC Champion.



Card rating: *** 1/2


Match observations: 

Good night of action coming off the Great American Bash.  Jericho and Daniels
put on an excellent match, and if it weren't for the sixty-minute time limit,
they'd probably still be fighting now.  There is plenty of reason for these
two to have another rematch, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it signed up
in the very near future, most likely for Vengeance.

Hollywood Hogan exorcised one demon tonight when he defeated Ted DiBiase.  Next
on his list is Shane McMahon, whom he'll face at Vengeance.  One thing you do
have to wonder is who Hogan has in mind to take the co-commissioner role along
with Shane O Mac, should he win the match?  Could it be Hogan himself wants to
step into those shoes?

The main event for Vengeance has been set as Randy Orton versus Chris Benoit
for the WWE Title.  Benoit made short work of Orton at Wrestlemania, but the
roles are reversed now, with Benoit being the challenger and Orton the Champ.
Can the Legend Killer once again show that lightning doesn't strike twice and
retain the title, or will Benoit take the title for the 3rd time in the past
12 months?

Brock Lesnar gained revenge on Masahiro Chono by defeating him here tonight.  
It seems as though Chono is headed for some issues with the mighty Vader, but
after the result tonight, there could still be more meeting between him and
Lesnar to come.  

Next Show: Smackdown