WWE in Japan footage (1:06)

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Muhammad Hassan vs Rhyno (no introduction because Daviari didn't give back the mic, but we know he's from Detroit, MI) - Oh oh oh - intercity rivalry, now I get it. Just a bit slow today. Does Hassan really want to be a 'king'? I'm thinking the terminology is just a bit off to annoy me. The people love the Rhyno. Circle. Lockup, Headlock by Rhyno. Hassan elbow, elbow, Rhyno stops him with a right hand. Hassan pushes Rhyno into the corner, break with a Hassan shove and head slap. And another. Big right in return. Right. Right. Right. Kick, kick, kick [please stop showing from the angle best at illustrating the wide gap between his foot and Hassan], kick, pose. Whip, reversed, Rhyno back with a shoulder. Rhyno off the ropes, over, quick stop, kick for Hassan as he gets up. Whip, hiptoss. Daivari up on the apron and angry - if you believe that! - and successfully distracts Rhyno into a Hassan clothesline. Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. Coach is hungover. Sorta. Todd: "I just sit in the hotel room and watch PPV." Reverse neckbreaker, one two no. Forearm to the back, choke on the middle rope. Whip, back elbow. Camel clutch? No, working the back with a forearm. Choke on the middle rope - setting up for a Daivari cheapshot? Yea, there's the choke. Rhyno manages to get his hands on Daviari to return the favorite, but Hassan breaks it up. Rhyno fighting his way up with rights, but Hassan knocks him back down. Chinlock. Coach: "I don't necessarily agree with having someone at ringside in your favor" - is Garrison Cade dead? Chinlock, Rhyno rallying out, but thrown down by his hair. Chinlock. 

Coach: "I don't particularly like people who never shut up." 
Todd: "Easy there, killer. People have said the same thing about my broadcast colleague here. (That's you, by the way.)" 
Coach: "Ivory on Experience? Because I know you're not talking about me." 
Todd: "Hey, if the shoe fits."

Rhyno's rallied out of the chinlock by now, ducking a clothesline and landing a jumping one of his own. Clothesline. Shove. Corner whip, charging shoulder. Coach notes the high elevation. Side belly to belly suplex. Rhyno points to the corner; Todd: "He's thinking about going up!" Coach explains the concept of the Gore. Fans: "GORE GORE GORE GORE" GORE is shoved aside, and Rhyno hits the opposite turnbuckle. STO into the Camel Clutch. (5:01)

Tonight: Shelton Benjamin (c) vs Val Venis for the IC Title
Next: Christian tells us all we need to know about Randy Orton.

WM Recall, sponsored by Subway: Andre the Giant vs John Studd, 1985.

WM 21: Basic Instinct

Orton vs Tomko. How is Orton allowed to be in the ring after two concussions in two weeks? I guess we'll see if three is enough. Maybe he'll have a head cast he'll be able to illegally use. (2:18)

WWE Rewind of the Week, sponsored by Constantine: Tajiri and Regal win the Tag Team Titles.

Gene Snitsky (Nesquehoning, PA, 300 pounds) vs the Hurricane (215 pounds) - no no no no no no no no no no. I think I hate him most because I'll never be able to spell that home town. Coach complains about Lillian being our ring announcer and talking over him. Coach: "She looks cute, she looks cute. If she was as worried about her job as the cute little outfit she wears each week, maybe she wouldn't make as many mistakes! Like interrupting me, that's a mistake." Anyway. Todd: "On paper, this may be a mistake from the get go". He means for Hurricane. Coach figures Hurricane can win if he gets really really lucky. And if he gets really really lucky, I will cover this match. Weird moment when Grisham can't find the right ending for a Hurricane fan "Hurricanay-, Hurcancaloic-" and then goes "I was going to say Hurricane-" and then no one says anything for five seconds. Hurricane gets dropped on a barricade (just a covered guardrail this week), as Coach explains the steel in Japan is harder than the steel in the US. Coach: "You know, the Hurricane's thinking now: 'I came all the way to Japan for this?'" Pumphandle slam is still his move. (3:22)

Next: Batista does not actually decide anything.

RAW Live
Monday - Cincinnati, OH [RAW]
Friday -Cadillac, MI [road]
Saturday - Kalamazoo, MI [road]
Sunday - Erie, PA [road]
Monday - Penn State [RAW]

Edge vs Triple H. (6:04)
Next: Shelton Benjamin (c) vs Val Venis for the IC Title

More WWE in Japan (1:03)

Shelton Benjamin (c) (Orangeburg, SC, 248 pounds) vs Val Venis (Las Vegas, NV, 244 pounds) InterContinental Championship - Despite Coach's cell phone not working, Val still called Coach's room phone to ask if he could help Val out. Todd: "Coach, I think I speak for not just America, but for the entire whole world when I say: Every woman wants you, and every man wants to be you." Coach agrees. Your ref is Mike. Circle. Val is unnerved. Lockup, Val with a headlock, shot off, Val back with a shoulderblock. Val over, under, hit by a shoulderblock (which comes as a surprise to Shelton). Shelton off, over, into a Val hiptoss, Val into a Shelton hiptoss, Val hiptoss, Shelton with a leg trip for zero, Val with a leg trip for zero, Shelton kips up, standoff. Lockup. Val backs Shelton into the corner. Clean break. Lockup, Val backs Shelton into the corner, clean break. Lockup, Shelton is backed up, then backs Val up instead. Clean break - wait, no, Val shove. Val charges out into a backdrop, backdrop, dropkick, dropkick - no, waved away by Val. Clothesline. Off the ropes, waved by, and clotheslined out by Shelton. Time for a break. (2:32)

We pick up with Val begging off from Shelton in the ring, and luring Shelton into being tripped out of the ring. Shelton climbs up to the apron, shoulder to the midsection, shoulder sidestepped by Val, and Val goes after Shelton's neck with forearms and knees. And on. Right hands to the side of the head, yelling at the referee for waning him. Kneeling chinlock. Crowd quiet, but rallying for Shelton. Shelton elbow, elbow, off the ropes, Val kick to the midsection, reverse neckbreaker. One two NO. Val with a front facelock. Crowd is very quiet and announcers are trying to cover it. I guess it's a front facelock. It's a sleeper as far as the match is concerned. Shelton fights out with elbows, and Val pounds him down. As Coach rips D-McNabb, Val gives Shelton a Russian Legsweep. One two NO. Anaconda Vice? I guess. Sorta. Not really. Coach says Val "has been looking for a signature win - for the last couple of years." Shelton with some sort of weird head spin escape. Val up first anyway, grabs a leg, eats the other on the Dragon Whip. Both slow up, but Shelton's going to win the strike battle. Shelton batters Val across the ring, and drops him with a right hand. Clothesline. Clothesline. Val backdrops Shelton to the apron, but Shelton punches him from there. Shelton to the top - top rope clothesline one two NO. Whip, quick reverse into a Val back suplex powerbomb (Todd: "spinebuster!") one two NO. Val's short clothesline is ducked under, Shelton trying for the T-Bone but Val block with elbows. Shelton shoved off into the ropes, back into the spinebuster. Val going up. Coach: "trying for a Yen Shot! Hahahaha" KNEES. Both guys pull themselves up, but Shelton is first and hits the Stinger Splash. T-Bone Splash one two three. (5:40, 9:12)

That's it.