Raw - The Night of Champions

Card Information:
 Held in: MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
Location: NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
          on January 2004 at 9:00pm

Four Corners Match for the vacant WWE Tag Team Championship:
a.P.a. defeated The Road Warriors, William Regal and Lance Storm and
Los Guerreros:
         x Bradshaw beat Animal via a jack-knife power bomb in 0:10:15
         x Bradshaw beat L. Storm via a bodyslam in 0:18:45
         x Ron Simmons beat E. Guerrero via the Spinebuster in 0:20:57
Rating: * 1/4
(a.P.a. won the WWE Tag Team Championship.)
Click here to see highlights.

After dominating the match completely, the a.P.a. become the first WWE Tag
Team Champions, in an interesting, if not technically sound match.


[Round 1]:
X-Pac pinned Val Venis with the X-Factor in 0:08:37.
Rating: **
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A good win for X-Pac, who advances to the Semi Final round.


[Round 1]:
Booker T pinned Christian after a small package in 0:11:45.
Rating: * 1/2
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Booker T moves on to face X-Pac in the semi-final round.  Christian throws a
tantrum after his defeat.


[Round 1]:
Edge pinned Rico with the Edgeacution in 0:09:58.
Rating: **
Click here to see highlights.

Match was restarted after Jackie got Rico disqualified almost immediately. 
Despite this, Rico still lost out in the end - Edge moves on to the semis.


[Round 1]:
Ken Shamrock made Dean Malenko submit to the Ankle Lock Submission in 0:13:43.
Rating: *** 1/2
Click here to see highlights.

Best match of the night so far, Shamrock advances.  He'll now face Edge in the
semi finals.


[Semi-Finals]:
X-Pac pinned Booker T with the X-Factor in 0:06:54.
Rating: ***
Click here to see highlights.

X-Pac advances to the final, with a solid performance in his victory over the
Booker man.  Can he make it three wins to become the IC Champ?


[Semi-Finals]:
Ken Shamrock made Edge submit to an armbar submission in 0:12:37.
Rating: ** 3/4
Click here to see highlights.

Not as good a performance as his first match, but Shamrock still moves on to
the final.  Hmm, Ken Shamrock vs. X-Pac in an IC title tournament final.  Where
have I seen that before?


[Finals]: Match for the vacant WWE Intercontinental Championship:
X-Pac pinned Ken Shamrock with the X-Factor in 0:02:59.
X-Pac injured his left knee. He will be out for approximately 1 card.
Rating: **
(X-Pac won the WWE Intercontinental Championship.)
Click here to see highlights.

A very short match, which saw X-Pac come away with the gold.  His knee injury
won't keep him out of action long enough to forfeit the title though.


No-Countout-No-DQ-Four Corners Match:
Scott Hall defeated Shawn Michaels, Triple H and Kevin Nash:
         x Nash beat HHH via the Jackknife Power Bomb in 0:17:49
         x Hall beat Michaels via the Outsider Edge in 0:28:57
         x Hall beat Nash via a clothesline in 0:32:51
Rating: **
Click here to see highlights.

A surprisingly easy win for Scott Hall, using a mere clothesline to pin Kevin
Nash.  Scott Hall win now face the winner of the upcoming Battle Royal for the
WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble.


20-Man Battle Royal for the vacant WWE Championship:
Randy Savage won a 20-man Battle Royal:
         x B. Hart threw out Undertaker in 0:00:49
         x Rock threw out DiBiase after a flying cross body press in 0:04:10
         x Lesnar threw out Flair in 0:11:22
         x Lesnar threw out B. Hart in 0:11:32
         x Y2J threw out Benoit after a back suplex in 0:16:41
         x Kane threw out S. Austin after a clothesline in 0:19:25
         x S. Steiner threw out Sting after a gutwrench suplex in 0:22:21
         x RVD threw out U. Warrior after a clothesline in 0:28:07
         x Jarrett threw out Rock after a DDT in 0:28:54
         x Y2J threw out Mankind after a bodyslam in 0:31:32
         x Jarrett threw out Angle in 0:39:32
         x RVD threw out Jarrett after a flying spinning leg lariat in 0:45:36
         x Kane threw out Rhyno in 0:52:11
         x Kane threw out Y2J after a punch in 0:53:15
         x Savage threw out Kane in 1:02:08
         x Savage threw out Lesnar in 1:07:00
         x The Hulkster threw out S. Steiner after a stomp in 1:10:38
         x Savage threw out RVD in 1:18:06
         x Savage threw out The Hulkster after a bodyslam in 1:28:03
Rating: *** 3/4
(Randy Savage won the WWE Championship.)
Click here to see highlights.

The Macho Man Randy Savage becomes the first WWE Champion, after an epic battle
with Hulk Hogan at the end of the Battle Royal.  Kudos should also go to Rob
Van Dam, who held on for so long.  At this moment in time, Savage will move
on to face Scott Hall at the Royal Rumble.



Card rating: ** 3/4


Match observations: 

Overall, a solid night of action for the first card.  Titles have changed hands
and a few rivalries have surely been formed.  Things can only get better.

Next Show: Smackdown