by Matt Hocking    
Exclusive to OnlineOnslaught.com

Lance Storm/Val Venis v. Garrison Cade/Mark Jindrak v. Hurricane/Rosey v. The Dudley Boyz
Tag Team Turmoil for the WWE World Tag Team Titles

(Note:  The list above is the official WWE.com listing and by no means the final listing for the match, given the high number of faces, especially considering that Cade/Jindrak JUST turned heel, and the events of the past two RAWs I would expect Steiner/Test and La Resistance will be added to this match as well).

The Why:
The real story going into this match is that young upstarts Cade and Jindrak are sick of being mired in the lower ranks and are trying to get one over on veteran tag team the Dudleyz.  The Dudz, however, have not been surprised easily.  When Mick Foley arrived as co-General Manager of RAW, he set up this match to shake up the somewhat stagnant tag team division.  With the firings of Test and Steiner and La Resistance (both of whom had their sights set on the Tag Titles as well) this became only a four team field, however, by Sunday I’m that number will be back up to six.  In that case, Steiner and Test have issues with the Dudleyz dating back to a few weeks ago, when Stacy helped her former team retain the tag titles.  La Resistance has already settled their issues with the Dudleyz, but they were shown up by the Rock and Sock connection last week, so they have a bit of extra motivation to win this match.  Storm and Venis and Rosey and Hurricane aren’t really THAT involved in any of the stories to this match, but they round out the RAW Tag Team division, so their presence here is entirely excusable.

What’s Worked:
Cade and Jindrak are quickly becoming a decent in ring combination and their “punk kids who want the titles shtick is a nice starting point for them.  Their work, while unremarkable, is inoffensive despite their reliance on dropkicks.  The Dudleyz always know how to work the live crowd and given their recent history with Jindrak/Cade there should be some pretty hot sequences in here.  While Val and Storm are just starting out and Hurricane and Rosey aren’t a regular team, their segments should be short and fun, and while Steiner/Test and La Resistance won’t win any awards for their in ring skills they should have no trouble filling the heel gaps in the matches.

What Hasn’t:
Given the duration of the Cade/Jindrak v. The Dudleyz angle, one would think that the logical match for this PPV would be a one on one tag match, but such is not the case.  Throwing in teams like Val/Storm and Rosey/Hurricane is nice to get them onto the show, but these matches are usually the product of lazy booking more than anything else.  The Jindrak/Cade v. Dudleyz confrontation seems inevitable which makes the rest of the match filler, which is fairly lame.  Jindrak and Cade desperately need to get better on the mic.  Cade seems more comfortable, but he needs to be more engrossing.  This isn’t Smackdown, he can’t just slide like this if he’s going to be the mouthpiece.

My prediction:
The Dudleyz run the gamut of both evil and good teams, but when Jindrak and Cade come up they are beaten and woozy (perhaps one of the heel teams, likely Test and Steiner can put them through a table).  Jindrak and Cade pull in, and through the Dudleyz put up a great fight, Cade takes it with a pull of the tights.  The Dudleyz are vindicated in that they were beaten by TWO illegal attacks, but Cade and Jindrak are legitimized by having the belts.  Should be good, if a bit short in spots.

Well, What Then:
Storm and Venis have some potential as a tag team, and they could make a run at Jindrak and Cade.  There’s always the Dudley rematch, too, though I’d rather see them splinter off towards Test/Steiner.  A more focused Hurricane and Rosey effort toward the titles might be interesting as well.

Chris Jericho/Christian v. Lita/Trish Stratus
Battle of the Sexes

The Why:
Oh boy…Ok.  A few months ago, Chris Jericho was leading a group of wrestlers trying to get Steve Austin fired.  One night, because she would not share a beer with him, Austin attacked WWE Diva My Darling Stacy Keibler.  To show Austin how to REALLY treat a lady, Jericho showed up later in the night to stop a beatdown on Trish.  Jericho laughed off early speculation of he and Trish as a pair and said that he was just trying to prove a point to Austin.  Christian, taking his cue from Jericho, saved Lita from a similar beat down later on, and in subsequent weeks showed up to her aid and showed concern for her condition, however always with a wink and a nod towards the camera to show that he was really hamming it up for her benefit (an attitude he’d adopted previously when he was trying to get Trish and Lita to check him out in the hall weeks before even THIS incident).  This continued for a few weeks, until finally Jericho admitted to Trish that he was, in fact, interested in her.  She got him to drop the smarmy Y2J character and be a civil young Canadian.  Christian, meanwhile, was taking another approach.  While never directly approaching Lita in a romantic way, he became her shoulder to cry on after being dumped by boyfriend Matt Hardy and being fired by Eric Bischoff, even using his one wish from Bischoff (after Christian participated in the Survivor Series match that led to the firing of Steve Austin) to get Lita hired back.  Lita barely seemed to be buying it, but as things approached December, Christian’s attitude seemed more genuine, as Jericho would only change his attitude when around Trish (culminating in a half hearted attempt to win a tag team match with rival Shawn Michaels).  Trish, however, had fallen harder and just a few weeks ago she confided to Lita (and the rest of America) that she had done some knittery and some shopping and decided that she was ready to seal the deal with Jericho, that is until she overheard Christian and Jericho talking about having a one Canadian dollar bet about who could bag a Diva first.  Heartbroken, Trish ran off, assumedly to tell Lita.  Last week on RAW, the boys tried to apologize and cast off the bet as a joke made between two old goofy friends.  With good reason, Trish and Lita had a hard time swallowing that one and attacked their almost exes.  After the Dudleyz saved the ladies from a sure revenge attack, Trish and Lita returned the favor by helping the Dudz defeat Jericho and Christian in a tag match.  Well, Christian couldn’t wait to storm into Bischoff’s office, and Eric, for his part, was more than happy to make this match.  Jericho, on the other hand, seemed to come to the realization about what he’d done, and while he let himself get pumped up by Christian, he didn’t seem too excited.  Phew.

What’s Worked:
Frankly, just about everything.  Lita and Trish will never win Emmys for their acting, but they’ve done a solid job of keeping up with their wittier male counterparts.  Jericho, for his part, has been solid gold as the guy whose world has come spiraling down on him.  This is probably the best written angle in the past several years, especially considering that at three of the four mains are bit players in the WWE.

What Hasn’t:
This whole angle, at times, has threatened to pigeonhole itself as a sappy teen romance story, but has thus far navigated out of that territory.  There does not seem to be any satisfactory conclusion either in terms of a match or in terms of a story (if, say, Jericho DOES end up with Trish, how long can they keep that up?). 

My Prediction:
A confused Jericho gets into the match early as he’s to proud to allow Trish to just pound on him, but his emotions quickly get in the way and force him to bail on his little buddy.  Christian looks to be in trouble, but some timely interference from Matt Hardy helps him pick up the win anyway.  It won’t be a good match by any means, but it should stay interesting the whole way through.

Well, What Then:
Trish is still pissy at Jericho, but thankful for his reborn goodheartedness.  She and Lita concoct a plan to use the boy that sided with them to fight off their male enemies (Hardy and Christian) while they focus on bigger issues (like Victoria and Molly).  Jericho officially “learns his lesson” and agrees not to pester Trish.

Booker T v. Mark Henry 

The Why:
In addition to eliminating Mark Henry from the Surivor Series match, Booker cheated and got another win.  Infuriated, Henry, led by Theodore Long, destroyed Booker in a Salt Lake City Streetfight during RAW roulette.  Perhaps pissed that the other stole their cool hairstyle, Booker and Henry have agreed to fight on PPV.

What’s Worked:
Theodore Long, while barely saying anything about this feud, has been one of the better interviews this year.  Booker, for his part, has been energetic in his ring work.

What Hasn’t:
This feud has received very little build-up outside of the occasional in-ring clash between the two, which is sad, because a Long/Booker interview battle may have been some fun.  Henry’s lethargic work is not terribly exciting, and as such he’s sucked whatever drive might have been behind this feud straight out.  As it is, this just feels like giving these two something to do until spots open up for them against opponents better suited for them.

My Prediction:
As much as I dread saying it…Mark Henry with the bear hug.  They didn’t spend all RAW building it up last week for nothing.  I say he KOs Booker somehow and then locks in the hug to get a cheap KO win.  Ick.

What Then:
Booker is rewarded for his patience with a feud against newly crowned Intercontinental Champion (see below) and Mark Henry is rewarded for his huge size and contract by moving into yet another pointless midcard feud, perhaps with Rob Van Dam or The Hurricane.

Randy Orton v. Rob Van Dam
WWE Intercontinental Title Match with Guest Referee Mick Foley

The Why:
Orton has his sights set on the Intercontinental Title to help add to the legend that he is building for himself.  Rob Van Dam holds that title, and is not going to take Orton’s challenge lying down, however he’s fallen a bit since Orton’s partners in crime Batista and Ric Flair have gotten involved on Randy’s behalf.  Mick has inserted himself as the guest referee in part to keep Flair and Batista out of Van Dam’s business, and in part because I don’t think he’s quite forgotten that he was one of Orton’s “killed Legends”.

What’s Worked:
While both guys ringwork can be described as “hit or miss” they have the possibility of working a really nice match if they both bring their A-Game.  Orton’s title quest is quite believable and it seems right for Randy to be going for the belt at this stage of his WWE career.  While Foley only got involved last Monday, his presence will be a welcome addition to the match.

What Hasn’t:
Foley hasn’t been given adequate time to get involved with both guys in the feud.  The feud seems almost entirely one sided as Orton has been given the lion’s share of the screentime to get him over coming into the match.  Both Van Dam and Orton were very sloppy Monday, and have to watch that if they want to have a good match Sunday.

My Prediction:
Orton’s cheating is curbed by Foley, and Rob looks to have the match all sewn up, when Orton “accidently” KOs Mick.  With that, the Evolution hits the ring and takes out Van Dam.  Foley wakes to see RVD down and gives Orton the win.  Spotty match, but entertaining throughout.

Well, What Then:
In the ensuing weeks, Foley makes Evolution’s life a living hell for plotting against him.  Orton gets the lion’s share of the blame, but doesn’t seem to mind because he’s the champ.  This could either cause a rift that leads to the proposed HHH/Orton match OR could lead to a HHH/Orton v. Rock/Foley match down the road.

“Dave” Batista “Davidson” v. Shawn Michaels 

The Story:
You could count this as an offshoot of Shawn’s never ending feud with former partner HHH, but let’s not.  Batista’s interference during last month’s Survivor Series elimination match cost Shawn not only the match, but also Steve Austin his job.  Shawn didn’t take kindly to losing, and Batista was more than willing to step up to Michaels’ challenge.  After multiple beatings (and internal injuries), Batista is ready to add the biggest win of his career at Armageddon…or IS he?

What’s Worked:
Shawn has been inspired of late, notably at Survivor Series, and that momentum has carried him through both this feud and his previous one with Henry.  Batista is slowly working his way into being a halfway decent power man on the roster, and there’s no reason to think that the trend won’t continue against such a decorated worker as HBK.

What Hasn’t:
For the hype that the match has received, the two have had very little to do with each other.  That’s not to say that they haven’t battled, or that Batista hasn’t taken a distinct advantage in the feud, but honestly the story could have been fleshed out a bit better.

My Prediction:
Up until a few days ago, I would have said Batista.  But now, with Shawn agreeing to a full time wrestling schedule again, I think things aren’t looking too hot for ol’ Dave Davidson.  Shawn shows a lot of “heart” and gets the win.  Batista gets mad and beats him up.  Mostly harmless.

Well, What Then:
Batista is obviously in need of just a touch more seasoning, but there’s nobody left for him to feud with at this level.  Let him work on his promos and nuances while he plays Kevin Nash to Randy Orton’s…well…Shawn Michaels.  If they’re going to keep running Shawn with the little dogs for a while, I could see potential in him forming an uneasy partnership at Trish’s behest to take on Christian and Matt Hardy.  Maybe he can hook up with Lita.  I kid, I kid.

Kane v. Triple H v. Goldberg
WWE World Title Match

The Why:
While HHH worked to get his belt back from Goldberg, Kane stepped in and threw his hat into the World Title ring.  Both pleaded their cases (Kane that he was next in line for a title shot after demolishing Shane McMahon, HHH that the belt was his by right), and Bischoff granted them both a match.  On the same night.  HHH threw a hissy fit and stopped showing up, Kane meanwhile revealed that his purpose was to take the belt away from Goldberg so that the fans who love him so much would see him beaten and titleless.

Goldberg, on the other hand, is ready for any and all comers, no matter how clever or unstoppable.

What’s Worked:
Kane and Goldberg definitely has some interesting possibilities because of the similarities between their styles and personalities.  Fans have no reason to believe that either guy will be beaten easily, which helps add a kind of mystique to their confrontations.  Triple H is the X-Factor here as he’s always a threat to win the title, but its becoming a little unbelievable lately. 

What Hasn’t:
Kane’s explanation for suddenly picking this fight wasn’t explained as well as it could have been, but it was decent enough.  What really hurts this match is the absence of HHH who could have carried over the history of his feud with Goldberg into this match, as well as using his hatred for Kane to push the match forward a bit.  Something about this match just screams “jumbled” to me.

My Prediction:
I’m thinking that they’re saving a one on one Kane/Goldberg match for Royal Rumble.  I don’t think that Hunter has a shot in hell here.  But everything is adding up too easily.  If Goldberg wrestles Brock and Kane wrestles Undertaker and HHH wrestles Foley in some form then what is the WrestleMania World Title match?  It’s all rather frustrating to predict, which is nice.  Goldberg gets the win over HHH this time, but Kane gets the last laugh allowing them to set up the run into January.

Well, What Then:
Kane and Goldberg square off at the Royal Rumble, with Kane getting a little more 1 on 1 screen time with Bill to build up their relative unstopability and Kane’s hatred for the Goldberg fanbase.  Kane wins the title, but is left laying by Undertaker after the match.  Kane goes on to beat Undertaker and end the streak at WrestleMania XX.  Who knows after that?  Goldberg and HHH follow their aforementioned paths to Mania.

6 matches (though one is several matches mixed together) and a mix of some of the best and worst storytelling in the WWE.  In the world of sizzle and steak, I’m a sizzle man, and I’m interested to see how all these matches and stories play out, especially with the WWE heading into the big stretch run.  I hope you all can find something to enjoy this Sunday.

E-MAIL MATT    
BROWSE THE RAW SATIRE ARCHIVES

All contents are Copyright 1995-2014 by OOWrestling.com.  All rights reserved.
This website is not affiliated with WWE or any other professional wrestling organization.  Privacy Statement.