Raw

Card Information:
 Held in: MELLON ARENA
Location: PITTSBURGH, UNITED STATES
          on September 2005 at 9:00pm

Interview:
Champion and Challenger go face to face...
Click here to see highlights.

Triple H and Chris Benoit meet in the ring, with an important stipulation being
further revealed by The Game.


Ultimo Dragon pinned Billy Kidman after a power bomb in 0:08:26.
Rating: **** 1/4
(Ultimo Dragon retained the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.)
[Steve Austin interfered against Ultimo Dragon.]

Ultimo retained the gold, but in a shocking turn of events, Stone Cold Steve
Austin actually helped Billy Kidman!  Post match, Kidman and Austin beat the
tar out of Ultimo.  A surprised Rey Mysterio ran down to ringside, and just
when it looked as though he was about to assist the Cruiserweight Champion,
he joined with Kidman and Austin in a 3 on 1 assault.


Brock Lesnar and The Big Show battled to a double countout in 0:07:06.
Rating: ** 1/2

Lesnar couldn't beat Big Show, but he was able to brawl with him to a double
count-out.  Looks like these two have unfinished business.


Interview:
Goodbye and Hello...
Click here to see highlights.

As one commissioner goes, a new one shows up.


The Rock and Chris Jericho defeated Evolution (Batista and Randy Orton) when
Rock pinned Batista with the People's Elbow in 0:22:07.
Rating: ***

A big win for Rock and Jericho over the Evolution duo, but it was Batista who
took the fall, and not RKO.


Triple H pinned Brian Kendrick with the Pedigree in 0:16:37.
Rating: *** 1/2

Kendrick seemingly gave the Game much more than he bargained for, but in the 
end, Triple H came out with the expected victory.


Interview:
Reactions from Austin...
Click here to see highlights.

Stone Cold explains his actions from earlier tonight.


12-Man Tag Team Battle Royal:
Doug Basham and Danny Basham won a 6-team Battle Royal:
         x D-Von threw out R. Dupree (partner: Sylvan Grenier) after
a short lariat in 0:01:17
         x Scotty threw out Venis (partner: Edge) after a springboard dropkick
 in 0:06:18
         x Scotty threw out D-Von (partner: Bubba Ray Dudley) in 0:09:52
         x Scotty threw out Tazz (partner: John Cena) in 0:15:41
         x Danny threw out Scotty (partner: Grandmaster Sexay) after
a series of punches in 0:19:56
Rating: *** 1/2

The Basham Brothers will now face Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin for the tag
titles at Unforgiven.


Ric Flair pinned Chris Benoit after a small package in 0:10:13.
Rating: ** 3/4
Click here to see highlights.

In a shocking finish, Flair rolled up the Champion for the 3-count.  Benoit
was disappointed, but could do nothing but accept the loss, while Triple H
emerged on the stage and laughed at the Crippler, while congratulating the
Nature Boy.



Card rating: *** 1/4


Match observations: 

A night of ups and downs for Evolution.  Randy Orton and Batista may have been
defeated, but Triple H picked up a win, while even more impressively, Ric Flair
defeating the WWE Champion, Chris Benoit, with a clean pinfall in the middle of
the ring.  Just how will this affect Benoit's morale, as we move closer to the
Unforgiven Pay Per View?

It seems as though Roddy Piper has gone almost as quickly as he arrived, and in
his place, we now have Terry Funk as the co-commissioner.  Just what Shane O
Mac thinks about this, we don't know, but it'll be very interesting to see if
he has anything to say come Thursday night on Smackdown.

Already signed for Thursday night on Smackdown is a six man tag match, with the
Stone Cold Turncoat, Steve Austin teaming up with Billy Kidman and Rey Mysterio
to take on Ultimo Dragon and two as-yet un-named partners.  Many can't wait to
find out who those partners are.

What's next for Brock Lesnar and the Big Show?  They battled to a draw here on
Raw tonight, but I can see them getting it on once more come Thursday, whether
they're in a match or not!

And The Bashams won the tag team battle royal to earn their shot at the World's
Greatest Tag Team.  The Bashams have held the belts on multiple occasions in
the past, but can they grab them one more time when faced with the challenge of
Haas and Benjamin?

Next Show: Smackdown