Vince's Raw Return, Steph's Raw Deal?

On last night's Raw, Chris Jericho dropped the bombshell on Stephanie McMahon that "daddy" would be returning in two weeks, and then we'd all see just whose show WWE Raw really is. Stephanie was shocked, as she recalled the last fans had seen of Vince was during the "tragic" accident after McMahon's Millions was finished. The Chairman was attended to by a handful of concerned wrestlers, then rushed out in a stretcher and neck brace. Afterwards, the family (Shane, Steph, Linda) requested that fans respect their privacy in Vince's medical situation. No real details were given on his condition and the show was first run by nobody, allowing a free-for-all basically. Then former ECW commentator Mike Adamle stepped in briefly, and then it was the two-headed McMahon monster of Steph and Shane. They had a falling out, with Shane storming off and leaving things in Stephanie's "capable" hands.

Stephanie's no stranger to being in charge, as she's shown it many times on Raw and Smackdown, flexing her evil muscles against divas and superstars alike. It's been a stranger role for Stephanie this time around though, as she hasn't really been in any petty cat fights with anyone on the roster. Instead she plays the role of attentive GM who enforces the rules in a professional, business-like manner. That's far from what fans can expect from her father Vincent Kennedy McMahon, who's been know to throw the rule book way out the window. Vince has pulled all sorts of stunts including allowing Shawn Michaels to have God as a tag partner, fighting his own daughter Steph in a street fight, and faking his own death at least once. He nearly died again after McMahon's Millions, but it was merely another stunt to get him off the show for some time and possibly generate buzz from media spots like TMZ. WWE fans should be buzzing now as the Chairman is set to make his grand return, but will he be throwing out his temporary GM daughter with the trash or congratulating her on a job well done?

The Jeff Hardy WWE Controversy

There continues to be talk amongst analysts, media and wrestling fans alike regarding the angle played out with Jeff Hardy at last weekend's Survivor Series. The story had reports that Jeff was found unconscious in his Boston hotel room. Many shocked fans immediately jumped to horrifying conclusions that Jeff had overdosed. Hardy's already had two WWE Wellness policy violations resulting in suspensions, so it tied in with his real life demons. This all took Jeff out of the WWE Title Triple Threat match at Survivor Series 2008. Luckily, Jeff showed up anyways and went after Edge, who is believed to be the assailant in Jeff's storyline. The story was reported by WWE to have been picked up by media outlets such as TMZ and CNN, which was also fake.

The reason many see this angle as poor taste is simple. The WWE has had tragic deaths that were far from written storylines and nothing anyone from WWE would ever have wished for. Eddie Guerrero and Brian Pillman are just two superstars who come to mind, both dead due to drug issues. For the WWE to use a fake tragic situation in order to pull the wool over fan's eyes, seems in poor taste. It was mainly a diversion tactic, so fans would be concerned over Jeff's situation and not notice that Edge was set to return and take the WWE title.

You can argue on the flipside that there's been plenty of other storylines that have come and gone which have been highly controversial in nature. The fans seem to forgive and forget somewhat. Take for example the whole "Mr. McMahon dies in an exploding white limo after Raw" story. Fans were shocked by the story, which was covered on the news but only to note it was a stunt. Despite that, WWE ran fake FBI briefings and showed stories of fans showering WWE headquarters with memorial items for the assumed to be deceased chairman. I'm not sure if you can rule out anything in the WWE anymore as they prey upon controversy to hype up their brand of sports entertainment.

So do you feel the WWE's Jeff Hardy story was done in poor taste or just another WWE angle? Voice your opinions in the comment section below.

Are WWE Stories Too Much?

I was tuning in to the Non-Productive radio show last night and they had an interesting conversation regarding the WWE's latest story. The story we all know involves WWE Chairman, Vince McMahon, trying to find his long-lost illegitimate son. Many have said the storyline is yet again the WWE going too far. I'm not sure what's too far anymore.

We have all sorts of TV shows, movies and pop culture happenings where the limits are pushed. I've seen movies such as Saw and Hostel, where violence is glorified and used to sell movie tickets. One of the biggest hit shows on TV last year, NBC's "Heroes" involved a villain who would eat the brain of his victims. It's really all a part of a "free society", which continues to push that free expression to new limits. For some reason WWE, is a quick and easy target due to the fact a large part of its audience is minors. That's understandable, however WWE is just like any other show on TV, or any other movie. It contains an entertainment value for people, and at the same time everyone has the ability to simply watch or not watch. Parents have the ability to parent kids and prevent them from tuning in as well (which is not an easy thing due to peer pressure).

Some other WWE storylines that may have seemed to "go too far":

- Vince's limo explosion and fake death

- HHH insinuated necrophilia/rape by Kane (using a fake corpse to demonstrate).

- Brian Pillman going into Stone Cold's home with a gun, threatening to shoot/kill Austin.

- Dawn Marie sleeping with Torrie Wilson's father, getting him to marry her, then apparently giving him a heart attack. This included Dawn Marie getting Torrie to participate in some "HLA".

- Various other diva/wrestler stories involving coerced physical relations. (Pillman/Marlena is just one as well as the Dawn & Torrie story above).

There's also examples of the Undertaker being buried alive, dying and then being reborn. Papa Shango (Godfather) used to cast voodoo spells on wrestlers, and made the Ultimate Warrior vomit uncontrollably once. Vince McMahon claimed "God" was Shawn Michaels' wrestling partner and took them on. There was also the famous "humiliation of Trish Stratus" storyline which had women's rights groups up in arms. It's mostly entertainment, and its meant to shock and create controversy, and yes, push the limits. (See Eric Bischoff: Controversy Creates Cash (WWE))

When you look at the above list, the latest Vince story doesn't seem all that bad. It's providing intrigue, mystery and hopefully a great new storyline. I think the whole illegitimate child story is yet another example of how WWE can offer unique entertainment. Besides, don't soap operas have illegitimate children stories all the time? The only way in which WWE will again have pushed things too far, is if it comes to fruition that Triple H is indeed that long lost son of Vince. This will only be introducing a new incest plot which is something the WWE should stay far, far away from right about now.

Kennedy Discusses Steroids & Wellness

The Sun UK has a very interesting and revealing interview with Mr.(Ken) Kennedy from today. In the interview, Mr. Kennedy discusses the whole media attack on WWE and steroids. Kennedy was outraged by what he was seeing on various media shows such as "Nancy Grace". Kennedy said he was begging Stephanie McMahon to let him write something on his website defending the WWE and its policies but Stephanie was telling wrestlers to keep quiet because it was a no wn situation. Finally, Vince gave wrestlers the go ahaed to post their responses and thoughts on blogs/websites. Kennedy received critism from many for his thoughts, but he defended the WWE and its wellness policy and fights back against the media.

Kennedy admits to problems in the wrestling business, himself included in those who used to take steroids. Kennedy says the WWE's wellness policy stopped him from using steroids in 2005.

From Sun UK:

"Ken: Honest to God, Vince said "Be honest. Tell the truth. We don't have anything to hide."

And the thing is, I did take steroids.

I never took a lot of steroids, but when I was working the independent scene I was trying everything I could.

I never took massive amounts of steroids and do you know why I stopped taking them?

Because of the (WWE's) Wellness Policy.

Because they instituted the Wellness Policy and I knew that having a job with the WWE was way more important than the 10 pounds of extra muscle that the steroids gave me."

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Kennedy goes on to discus the list of deceased pro wrestlers that has been circulating, his belief that guys like Cena & Lashley never took steroids, his own plans to headline Wrestlemania, and the Benoit tragedy. A great read for fans to get some very candid and heartfelt comments/observations from the rising superstar, Mr. Kennedy. Read or listen to the full interview here.

Raw Comments & Speculations

Alot was given to us to digest on Raw, although it seems that few matches took place on the show overall. Here's some thoughts and speculations, which many others might agree or disagree with. I found that overall the show included a lot of commentary by Vince, and some predictable match outcomes along with filler. I know they are still trying to recover from the injuries to quite a bit of talent and needed to do something big.

The battle Royal was a nice twist. I was shocked when Sandman won, despite the fact I had read rumors of Regal becoming GM on various sites. They pulled the "Edge" idea of having Regal exit with a fake injury then re-enter to win. I almost believed Sandman would be our new Raw GM, similar to how Austin was at one point. Mainly because Sandman rarely wrestles and doesn't have much to do. However, Regal is a smart choice as GM and carried the role very well with some humorous comments and speeches he gives.

Vince talking about the US Congress thing - Strange. To me it didn't make Vince look strong in the face of US Congress requesting records. I'm not too into politics, but the Congress request is what it is. They requested records and McMahon has to face the music. But discussing it as he did on Raw made him look a bit nervous, as he tried to make it laughable. I'm not sure as a business move, bringing that up on the Raw TV show makes the most sense. A press release from WWE saying "we fully cooperate, etc etc" always looks good to shareholders. Possibly Vince is nervous about what the info will show to Congress and the public. But he has a few more days to mull that over.

The receiving a fake summons at about 11PM EST on live TV, is almost insulting to the audience's intelligence. I enjoy the show and all, but make it believable to everyone if you want the story to work. Not many people are working at that hour in a business suit ready to go issue a summons in person. I'm not trying to be overly cynical here, but WWE needs to be a bit smarter with a few things like this. An "Earlier tonight" video replay with Coach saying "Vince this arrived earlier" would work just fine. Not trying to nitpick either, but WWE must realize that it has viewers of all ages and in order to make a storyline seem legit, the devils in the details.

The Dating show while some may call it cheesy, seemed to get crowd laughs and response. Personally, I thought Regal's comments were hilarious, such as "we didn't see that coming" after Simmons gave his routine "DAMN!". It's always good when WWE can poke fun at itself, to me that involves putting some creativity and wit into the show. It was a good move to make Regal a GM at this point, because it was hard to see him contending for any titles (despite people believing he deserves them). Ron Simmons also seemed to have the crowd laughing quite a bit.

The King match was predictable and I think we can all see what's coming. Triple H will interrupt next week's coronation ceremony in Madison Square Garden. It's a good place for Triple H to do it. Makes sense and we know Booker will probably go on and on about how he is the true "King of Kings", until HHH breaks things up. That will set up a match for the two at Summerslam and maybe give us HHH a few weeks early. Let's see.

They had no choice but to make Umaga into a "good guy". With Jeff Hardy either injured or suspended, and now Santino in an arm sling with an injury, they know Umaga needs a Summerslam opponent. They turned him face tonight and he will probably compete against Carlito at Summerslam, defending the title. Or perhaps Shelton Benjamin, but smart money is on Carlito for now. They don't like giving the crowd "bad guy" vs "bad guy" matches too much.

This also raises the injury question, and that is why is it happening so much? Are they overdoing it? Are wrestlers not being trained in how to prevent themselves from really hurting each other? Or are guys just messing up and causing their own injuries? I understand accidents happen, but we saw Cody Rhodes mess up in the battle royal tonight. He didn't get hurt, but it makes you wonder if this plays a part in why injuries are happening. It gives Congress fuel for fire to say that maybe these guys need to be given time off regularly and not put on such a hectic schedule.

Finally, WWE did well to introduce that new "mystery storyline" at the end of Raw. It was also a sharp mocking of the limo explosion, as they made us all think "here we go again". I actually expected Vince to walk away from the limo after hearing the news and we see it explode again. Vince put yoke on our faces though and had a different plan in mind as Coach informed him of the fact there's yet another McMahon that Vince illegitimately fathered, running around out there. It will make us wonder who exactly that child might be. Are they full grown to the age of Stephanie and Shane, or are they younger? Will it be a current or former or even new wrestling superstar? Most importantly, Will that get people watching like Vince's fake death and limo explosion? Probably not, but it's a start for possibly getting people interested and getting the ratings up slightly.

Raw Recap 08.06.07

Raw recap from Buffalo, NY:

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Raw started off with an "Earlier tonight" showing Mr. McMahon walking in the back garage of the arena. Coach came up to Vince, welcoming him back. Vince said tonight he wants "every WWE superstar under contract in the ring when they go live" Vince said as a citizen of the US he intends to express his freedom of expression.

After the fireworks went off, Jim Ross talked about Vince being back as every WWE wrestler and diva from backstage began walking down to the ring. Just about everyone from the Raw roster filed into the ring except for Orton and Cena. Mr. McMahon's music came on as Vince came from backstage onto the ramp with a mic in hand.

Vince told everyone they will begin where they left off, with the limo explosion on Raw when he was blown to smithereens. Footage shown of Vince entering the lim as it exploded. Vince said that's the way he wants to go out "in a blaze of glory". Vince said many would ask "why would you stage your own demise?" Vince said he needed to know if everyone really cared. Vince said he's a sensitive human being who needs positive reinforcement, and the outpouring of sympathy and concern he got was overwhelming. Vince said he has to address many topics, including "US Congress". the hypocrisy of the news media, and certain individuals from his immediate family. Vince said first he needs to address the wrestlers in the ring. Just then Coach came out onto the ramp and stood next to Vince.

Vince said in just a moment the bell will ring and they will have a battle royal with everyone in the ring. Vince said the winner of the battle royal becomes the new General Manager of WWE Raw. Coach looked at Vince, shocked, as Vince said to ring the bell. Everyone in the ring started fighting as the divas took off up the ramp.

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Battle Royal to determine GM of RAW

All the men in the ring began fighting ferociously, with Umaga eliminating 3 men quickly. Sandman able to eliminate Booker over the top rope, right in front of Jerry Lawler at the announcers' table. Umaga then tossed Big Chad from Cryme Tyme out of the ring. Lawler said Umaga has to be the favorite here. Raw went to commercial with at least 10 men still in the ring fighting, including Umaga, Regal, Carlito, Hacksaw and Sandman.

Raw returned with the battle royal still going. Everyone except Carlito began to gang up on Umaga. Carlito stood back watching as they tried to push Umaga over the ropes, but Umaga able to escape. Umaga knocked Lance Cade down with a solid punch. Val Venis able to eliminate Cade over the ropes. Venis then tried to fight Umaga, who tossed Vince over the ropes. Val landed on the apron but Umaga punched him off, eliminating him. Umaga clotheslined Brian Kendrick but fell out of the ring with him. Just then Mr. Kennedy was tossed out. Hacksaw was one of the next out.

The match came down to 4 with Shelton Benjamin, Cody Rhodes, Carlito and Sandman. Rhodes began to punch away at Benjamin as Carlito worked on Sandman. Rhodes with some high flying moves off the ropes. Benjamin tossed him over the ropes but Rhodes hung on and got back in the ring. Shelton then used a strong kick to Rhodes knocking him down. Carlito picked up Rhodes and tossed him over the ropes. Sandman climbed the top turnbuckle. Carlito went up after him but got shoved off. Just then Shelton ran up to the top and suplexed Sandman down to the mat hard. Shelton and Benjamin remained on their backs as Carlito got up. Benjamin and Carlito went over the top rope onto the side apron, battling.

Sandman got up and saw the 2 men fighting. Sandman ran over and clotheslined both wrestlers off, eliminating them. Sandman raised his arms up thinking he won the GM of Raw position. Just then William Regal slid back under the ropes and into the ring behind him. Ross and Lawler asked where he came from. Regal grabbed Sandman and tossed him over the ropes, then was pronounced the winner of the match. Regal celebrated in the ring as symphony music played. A replay showed Regal had left the match under the bottom rope, appearing to have hurt his leg. JR said Regal may have been faking the injury while the match went on.

Winner: William Regal wins the battle royal and becomes the new General Manager of Raw

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When Raw returned from break Ross and Lawler replayed the battle royal outcome and aftermath showing Regal sneak back into the ring to toss Sandman out.

Backstage, Coach was complaining to Vince about Regal becoming the new GM because he's not even a US citizen. Vince told Coach he was more upset about 2 Congressional committees investigating WWE because they seem like Barney Fife doing this job. Vince asked why they need 2 congressional committees to investigate WWE. Vince discussed history and Ben Franklin standing up for rights. Vince told Coach to not worry about his job. Vince said he could be an assistant for Regal who likes Earl Grey tea.

Promo shown for HHH's return at Summerslam.

Backstage, Todd Grisham interviewed King Booker with Queen Sharmelle. Todd started off asking him about Triple H the "King of Kings". Booker said HHH is a punk just like his opponent tonight, Jerome Lawler. Booker said he will prove there is just one form of royalty on Raw, King Booker. Booker said next week there will be a special ceremony where the loser of tonight's match will have to put the crown on the winning king's head. Booker said he is the true King of Kings. Queen Sharmelle then said "all hail King Booker!"

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Rory of the Highlanders vs. Snitsky

Rory tried to kick Snitsky, but Snitsky tossed him to the ropes then clotheslined him down hard. Snitsky with a powerslam from his shoulder and an immediate pin to capture the victory. Snitsky then stood over his fallen opponent menancingly before he left the ring. Robbie got into the ring seeming to talk to his partner angrily about losing so quick.

Winner: Snitsky wins via pinfall over Rory.

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Vince backstage talking to a WWE staff member. Coach came running up and said Regal was in the shower when a call came through for Vince on Coach's cell. Coach told Vince it's his accountant. Vince took the cell phone and said "you're kidding me" and "i dont care open them all up we have nothing to hide, let them audit every single thing time we have". Vince said "they are gonna wind up owing me money". Coach asked Vince what that was about, and Vince said the IRS is investigating Vince. Vince said the media will have a field day with this one. Vince told Coach there's no difference between media and WWE, because both are "in the entertainment business". VInce said you could roll it all together into one big show. As Vince exited with Coach, a man sitting and reading a newspaper was shown. The man lowered the paper and it was Irwin R Scheister, wrestler IRS, looking on.

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Jillian Hall

Jillian got into the ring wearing a microphone headset saying in honor of Summerslam they need to kick this party off. Jillian asked Lillian about her new album, Lillian said the Spanish title and it translates to "I Want to Live" in English. Jillian asked the crowd if they wanted to hear a new song by Lillian. The crowd cheered for it, but Jillian said "no they want to hear me". Jillian then began singing in her tone deaf style, until Mickie James came out interrupting for their match.

Jillian attacked Mickie James at the bell, then held Mickie's arms behind her back to keep her seated on the mat. Mickie flipped Jillian over her back then got to the corner. When Jillian came at her Mickie was able to jump up and get her in a head scissors move. Mickie took control from here, eventually landing a neckbreaker. Jillian kicked out of a pin at 2. Mickie continued to dominate and climbed the top rope with Jillian down. Jillian rolled under the bottom rope then waited for Mickie to come at her on the apron. Jillian snapped Mickie's head down against the ropes, then finished her off with a neckbreaker for the pinfall victory.

Winner: Jillian wins via pinfall over Mickie James.

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Backstage Coach congratulated William Regal on becoming the new GM. Regal thanked him and called him the assistant. Coach corrected him saying "executive assistant". Regal said now that he's GM, he always wanted to be the host of a live game show. Regal said they would be doing a new version of his favorite game show "The Dating Game". Regal told Coach to round up contestants and a set for the show. Regal added in for Coach to get him some Earl Grey tea as Coach exited.

Reply shown of Carlito spitting an apple in Cena's face after beating him on Raw last week. Jim Ross said Carlito's Cabana featuring John Cena would be up next.

Promo ad shown for Summerslam with various superstar highlights. Summerslam is 3 weeks away.

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Carlito's Cabana w/Guest John Cena

Carlito got into the ring full of a cabana hanging on the ring posts and chairs and trees. Carlito said things went so well last week he would have the same guest as last week, John Cena. Cena made his way down to the ramp and got into the ring and stared straight in Carlito's face. Cena shoved Carlito down so he was sitting in one of the chairs. Cena then took the mic to talk.

Cena welcomed the crowd to "Carlito's Cabana" and said tonight this is a special show called "Cena's Cabana" with Cena as host. Cena said Huey Lewis and the news would be there later. Cena said the first guest would be current champ "John Cena". Cena then did an interview with himself, back and forth as host and interviewee. Cena said he is "pissed after last week when an apple was spit in his face". Cena had them roll footage on the Titantron of last week's match with Carlito, Orton interfered and distracted Cena allowing Carlito to score the pinfall win. After the win, Carlito spit out chewed apple into Cena's face after the win. Cena then spoke about Randy Orton who has been ending careers, making statements and who believes after Summerslam he will be the new WWE champion. Cena said "the champ is here!" and then as host said "catch John Cena each week on Raw and in 3 weeks on Summerslam".

Cena said it is now time for the Cabana's Top 3. Tonight he would give the Top 3 reasons to trash the cabana and beat the hell out of Carlito:

Reason #3: Cena held up a drink in a coconut mug and said "these are the only nuts Carlito will ever have".

Reason #2: Cena said in real life "Carlito doesn't like apples or spitting them out, he'd rather swallow a banana". Carlito angrily stood up and got in Cena's face.

Reason #1: Cena said because "that my friend is cool" and began to beat up Carlito.

Cena knocked Carlito to the mat, pounding on him. As Cena was attacking Carlito, Randy Orton hopped over the crowd barrier and snuck into the ring. Cena saw Orton get in the ring and went at him. Orton came at Cena and tried for the RKO. Cena shoved Orton against the ropes and Orton quickly exited the ring to retreat. Cena then picked up Carlito on his shoulders and stared out at Orton before he did the "F U" on Carlito in the ring. Cena took his shirt off and then taunted Orton who stood on the ramp.

Just then, William Regal came onto the ramp and told Cena he is glad he's ready for a fight tonight. Regal then told Carlito and Orton to get themselves ready because they would decide amongst themselves who should be Cena's opponent tonight. Regal said he wants an answer from them soon as Raw headed to commercial.

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September issue of WWE magazine shown with Triple H as guest editor and cover of the magazine in a Terminator costume.

Replay shown of what just occurred in the ring with Cena, Carlito and Orton. Ross discussed how Cena made a statement to Orton F-Uing Carlito in front of him.

Backstage, Regal asked Carlito and Randy Orton who should face Cena. Orton said that he has the chance to face Cena at Summerslam and Carlito beat Cena last week. Carlito said they came up with the idea of having the IC Champ Umaga face Cena on tonight in the main event. Regal told them it was a brilliant idea as they left.

Vince McMahon was sitting near the men and asked Regal to sit down on a couch with him. Vince told Regal not everyone was concerned about his alleged demise, most importantly his family. Vince said his son Shane was MIA after the demise of Vince and his daughter Stephanie was seen meeting with lawyers about collecting on insurance and inheritance money. Vince said he also knows his wife was being consoled by Basil Devito a longtime faithful employee of the WWE. Vince said he needs a way to bring his family back together. Vince said despite the pressure on him, he needs to do this and bring the goodness of Mr McMahon out. Vince told Regal nothing can stop us. The audience was heard applauding in the arena.

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Jerry Lawler vs. King Booker (to determine King)

Lillian Garcia announced this match will decide who is coronated at a special ceremony on next week's Raw in Madison Square Garden. Ross went over a replay of what happened last week between Lawler and Booker in their match, with Lawler winning and attacking Booker on the ramp after the match ended.

Booker backed Lawler into a corner early attacking him with punches. Booker and Lawler punched back and forth in the ring corner. Booker tried to hold Lawler in a hammerlock, but Lawler escaped and came off the ropes to attack Booker. Booker able to kick Lawler in the gut and then chest chop him. Booker knocked King to the mat with a righthand punch. Booker dropped Lawler's neck against the top rope. Booker dominated Lawler from here, scoring a strong kick to Lawler's head as he tried to stand up. Booker continued to knock Lawler around and tried for a pin. Lawler able to kick out at 2. Booker kept Lawler seated down on the mat in a hold.

Lawler able to stand up and tried for a dropkick at Booker, but Booker avoided it as Lawler fell to the mat. Lawler again tried to grab momentum punching Booker near the ropes. Booker grabbed Lawler's trunks and pulled him through the ropes. Booker went out of the ring after him. Both men fought outside the ring. As Lawler started to get in the ring from the apron, Queen Sharmelle distracted him. Lawler looked at her from the side apron then got into the ring. Just as he entered, Booker ran over and did his finisher kick to Lawler's head. With Lawler down, Booker picked up the win. JR said he can only imagine what Jerry Lawler is thinking now after losing the match, having to crown Booker next week in the ring.

Winner: King Booker wins via pinfall over Jerry Lawler. Lawler must officially crown Booker in the ring at a coronation ceremony on next week's Raw.

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Mr. Kennedy shown walking backstage. Jim Ross said the man who injured Bobby Lashley would be coming to the ring to speak, next.

Replay shown of last Monday's Raw match between Lashley and Mr. Kennedy. Lashley injured his shoulder when Kennedy kicked him against the steel steps, then repeatedly attacked him. Kennedy scored a pinfall win due to exploiting Lashley's injury. JR said Lashley has a torn rotator cuff and will have surgery in Birmingham AL tomorrow. Ross said he expects WWE.com to update everyone on the surgery.

Mr. Kennedy came down to the ring gloating. Kennedy grabbed the microphone which dropped from above as the lights dimmed. Kennedy told the crowd that what Lashley is hearing right now is something everyone else will be hearing for a long time:

"Kennedy!........Kennedy!.......Kennedy!...........Kennedy!............Kennedy!....." Raw went to commercial break as Mr. Kennedy continued to yell his last name out.

Backstage, Orton and Carlito were trying to get Umaga riled up for his match against Cena. They told Umaga to break Cena. Ross said the main event would be later on tonight on Raw.

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WWE Dating Game hosted by GM Regal

William Regal in the ring at a podium said he was honored to present the dating game. He said tonight a WWE diva would win a date with a superstar. Regal introduced the 3 contestants for the game show, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Ron Simmons and Santino Marella. Hacksaw said he was ready with his "big piece of wood". Ron Simmons exclaimed "DAMN!" and Regal said "I didn't see that one coming". Santino Marella wearing an arm sling said "I'm in lots of pain".

Regal introduced their lovely diva who loves walks on the beach, sunsets and Rainbow Brite, Maria. Maria came down to the ring in a tight pink and black dress, Maria sat in a chair next to Regal with the 3 wrestlers behind a screen so Maria could not see them.

Maria asked each man a question, but Santino interrupted and told Maria it was him behind the screen. Maria told him "thats the worst Santino impression i've ever heard". Maria continued with the game show, but Marella became upset. Hacksaw and Santino got into each other's faces, but Regal yelled for them to shutup. Regal asked Maria to make her choice. Maria said she likes the strong silent type, so she chose Bachelor #2, Ron Simmons. The crowd cheered her choice and seemed to enjoy Simmons' answers to her questions which each rhymed with "DAMN!".

Ron Simmons ran out and hugged Maria as the winner. Santino told them to stop with this. Marella came up and asked Maria what she was doing and said Simmons was a creep. Simmons told Marella "SCRAM!". Marella told Simmons he is leaving with Maria and nobody can stop him. Just then Umaga interrupted as his music came on. Umaga came walking down to the ring for his match with Cena up next, as everyone scrambled to run out of the ring.

Winner: Ron Simmons wins a date with Maria from the WWE Dating Show.

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Backstage, Coach was sitting on a couch. A man entered the office and said he had documents for Mr. McMahon. The man told Coach he had a summons for Mr. McMahon, which Coach signed for. Coach took the paperwork out and started to look it over. Coach looked over the paperwork, shook his head and said "I gotta go find Mr McMahon".

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John Cena vs. Umaga

Umaga ran at Cena in the corner, then chopped him down to the mat. Umaga started to dominate Cena tossing him around the ring. Umaga stood up Cena and headbutted him. Umaga continued beating up Cena in the ring. A loud "Cena sucks" chant was heard just as Cena reversed and grabbed some momentum. Umaga was able to score a flying kick on Cena, knocking him out of the ring. Raw hit commercial.

When Raw returned, Umaga and Cena were on their feet in the center of the ring. Umaga tried to overpower Cena, but Cena escape and ducked a clothesline. Despite getting Umaga on his shoulders for the "F U", Umaga's weight was too much and he fell on Cena. Cena started to hold his neck as if he were injured near the ropes as he lay on the mat.

Umaga jumped off the ropes at Cena, but Cena rolled away. Cena then grabbed Umaga in the STFU submission hold and kept it locked in with Umaga looking to be in pain. As Umaga was about to tap, Orton and Carlito came running down to the ring. Orton and Carlito doubleteam attacked Cena as the ref called for the bell. The 2 wrestlers beat up Cena and left him sitting in the corner. Orton and Carlito went over and helped Umaga get to his feet and told him to rush Cena in the corner with his hip splash. Umaga looked at both men and then surprisingly hit Orton, knocking Orton out of the ring. Next Umaga used a superkick to Carlito's chin/face, knocking Carlito into a corner, sitting. Umaga then looked at both Carlito and Cena seated in adjacent ring corners. Umaga decided to run at Carlito. Carlito saw the Bulldozer coming and quickly rolled out of the ring.

Regal came out to interrupt the brawl and announced that next week Cena and Umaga would team up to face Orton and Carlito in a tag match. Just then Cena ran up the ramp chasing Orton backstage. Umaga then saw Carlito and chased him up the ramp too.

Winner: John Cena wins due to disqualification, when Carlito and Randy Orton interfered in the match.

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Vince McMahon shown backstage walking past a line of Raw superstars. He stopped at Paul London and said "keep that smile on your face". Vince exited the arena in a moment of deja vu, similar to weeks ago when his limo exploded. Vince walked through a wet parking lot and turned back to look at the arena. Vince walked up to a white limousine and began to get inside. Coach ran up before Vince could close the door.

Coach yelled "No No No" and told Vince he needs to read the summons that just came in. Vince stood up from out of the limo and yelled at Coach for reading his summons. Vince asked Coach to tell him the news. Coach said the state of Connecticut is serving Vince with a paternity suit for an illegitimate child he sired. Vince turned away looking upset. Coach said there may be another member of the McMahon family running around somewhere out there. Raw left with Vince standing next to the white limo, looking shaken up.

WWE Business Issues

The Montgomery Advertiser has a recent article which basically recaps the injuries and problems that have struck the WWE since Triple H became injured in January, then Undertaker, Michaels, Edge and Lashley went down. It includes the info about Jeff Hardy being reported as injured, then suspended and how he will most likely not be a part of Summerslam. It also discusses the impact the Vince limo explosion and then the Benoit tragedy had which is probably why ratings are down lately. While the article doesn't have anything much that most WWE fans didn't know about, its a good timeline of the problems that have struck the WWE this year.

Read the full Montgomery Advertiser article here.

The Motley Fool, a site about business news, stocks and other investments has a new article up about WWE as an investment. The article talks about whether WWE can ever heal from its recent problems and profit freefall. They discuss the impact of three "failed movie attempts" in "The Marine", "See No Evil" and "The Condemned" as well as the Benoit tragedy and its impact on the business. The article goes on to say it believes WWE makes for a good long term investment as a stock, once it steers through the recent troubles. They believe WWE can survive the steroid accusations and problems resulting from the Benoit tragedy in the short term. As for the film production division of WWE, it says "If Vince McMahon wants to be in a business dominated by studios like Viacom (NYSE: VIA) and Sony (NYSE: SNE), he'll have to step up his game."

Read the Motley Fool's article here.

Finally Chicago Sun-Times had this short article about WWE, its injuries and ratings problems:

"IT STARTED WITH Triple H tearing his quadriceps in January. Then The Undertaker tore his biceps in May. On top of those losses, there have been injuries to Shawn Michaels and Edge, the inexplicable situation with Chris Benoit and stars such as Rey Mysterio and Mark Henry continuing to sit out. Believe it or not, things got worse for WWE last week, as Bobby Lashley suffered a serious shoulder injury and required surgery; he could be out up to six months. As the saying goes, the show must go on. On Monday, company chairman Vince McMahon will make his return to ''Raw.'' Look for him to open the show in a bid to change the course of WWE immediately.

AROUND THE RING: ''Raw'' isn't the only show having ratings trouble, as ECW continues to drop close to the sub-1.0 level. In fact, TNA's ''iMPACT'' is very close to taking over as the third-most-watched wrestling show on TV."

Note: The Chicago Sun-Time article mis-states that Mark Henry has been sitting out. Henry has been wrestling on Smackdown for several weeks now and is beating virtually unknown opponents in under just a few minutes.

Vince, Umaga, HHH & Coach

First off, the Vince appearance on Raw Monday night. Some rumor wrestling sites are suggesting Vince may be responding to the failed limo explosion plot, where Linda McMahon is the main suspect and Mr. Kennedy may also play a part. Stay tuned.

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There have been recent rumors that Umaga may be turning into a "good guy". Evidence of this was last week's Raw, with Umaga coming down to interrupt Santino Marella whining and berating a referee in the ring.

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zidio.com which is part of the WWE's Greatest Fan contest is showing a video ad for Triple H "King of Kings" versus King Booker at Summerslam. This match has not been officially announced by the WWE.

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Jonathan Coachman has received a new job with MSG, the New York sports channel. He will be a reporter and presenter for MSG Network's "MSG NY" show. Coachman already calls various sports events on College Sports Television, a cable and satellite network owned by CBS. He also calls college basketball for CN8.

How WWE Can Rebound

With reports this past week that WWE profits fell 52% and the failing ratings of its various TV shows, the WWE is definitely in a position where it needs to save face and make some improvements. While the already announced appearance of Vince McMahon for this Monday's Raw, may cause a few more fans to tune in, it's not by any means going to repair the damage.

Here's some ways the WWE could improve itself right now:

1)Bring Triple H or another former WWE star into the mix

I noted this in a previous blog, but Triple H could in fact be the savior WWE needs right now to restore its ratings and viewers. Unfortunately his return was announced for Summerslam (probably to sell more Pay Per Views), because he needs to be back now. Even if they kept speculating "hey HHH is coming back for Summerslam" but then he shows up surprisingly on Raw. It would help.

I think adding another former star like Jericho, Stone Cold or Undertaker in, even if they are just a commentator, would help even more. I don't know everything going on behind the scenes, so perhaps something is in the works. Jericho did say on the Larry King show that he was trying to work out a deal to come back to WWE. You could use Jericho or Austin in a third match analyst/commentator role alongside JR and Lawler, or JBL/Cole. I won't get started with ECW. Stone Cold would make a good commentator, but Lawler and Ross are both "face commentators" at the moment and Austin wouldn't play off them. Jericho might be better in this role. Another idea is to make William Regal the new GM of Raw, then have Austin come back to stick up for the stars that Regal tries to screw over.

2) Do away with some of the current gimmicks

I'm all for cool gimmicks, but alot of them just get old or don't work so well. A big example for me is Randy Orton. While I understand he is the "Legend Killer", I don't believe fans need to keep seeing him in matches against guys who only wrestle here or there (Dusty Rhodes, Sgt Slaughter, etc). It's fine to give Orton that name, but its overly predictable now. We also see a new cowgirl gimmick they are using on Smackdown with Torrie. I don't see how this fits or can improve any ratings.

3) Introduce a mystery storyline which develops over several weeks

WWE was going for this with the fake limo explosion and fake death of Vince McMahon. They could have a storyline such as a "Diva was kidnapped", or someone's item was stolen, like a championship belt. Or have a masked superstar where people don't know their identity. These are just a few ideas, but they cause more intrigue and more reason to keep watching the shows. A mysterious plot might cause people to tune in each week to find clues towards who was behind the crime. (By the way I still get comments from people asking if Vince McMahon is dead, so mystery plots can have far-reaching implications).

4) Make the whole process for matches more fan based and interactive

I see this as the way we are heading with technology and reality TV. Fans vote on who to send off an island, who to kick out of a house and hopefully soon on who wrestles who. They do this at the Cyber Sunday Pay Per View just once per year, but that's it. What better than to give fans the control over the matches they will get to see? I'd say that's a formula for happy fans and increased viewers tuning in to see the matches they voted for. Give the fans Cena vs 1 of 4 opponents, and let the fans choose Cena's opponent.

In closing, it's a very tough time for WWE as a corporation. While I realize alot of the problems are their own fault, they can still fix things. They are facing accusations of steroid abuse of their former and current wrestlers, dealing with the injury bug striking big name stars, and Vince McMahon having to turn information over to Congress. Now more than ever they need to inject some more creativity and superstar power into their product to prevent it from falling flat.

Vince Death Story and Congress

David Meltzer of Wrestling Observer has reported on how the whole "Vince death angle" was set to work: (source: Wrestling Observer.com)

"...the plan was to have Vince return this summer claiming that he faked his own death. He was then going to reveal an accomplice with several names being mentioned for the role. Mr. Kennedy was a top candidate for the role as WWE wanted to build a monster heel character off the storyline.

The June 25th edition of RAW (which ended up being a Chris Benoit tribute show) was scheduled to be a memorial service for Vince. WWE brought in a casket, flowers, candles, and pictures of the Chairman. All of the talent was told to wear a black suit for the evening. The show was suppose to end with a cliff hanger with the lead detective ("Mr. Beck") making an arrest of the fake culprit, which would later turn out to be Linda McMahon.
"

- Yet another article today about the WWE and "cleaning up its act" in the National Ledger. It discusses how the general public many who were never wrestling fans now want answers about steroids.

From nationalledger.com:

"Can Congress fix the WWE? Probably not, they can't even take care of matters they should be looking at and right now they have an approval rating of 14%. But people that have never watched any wrestling are demanding answers on steroids."

Read the full article here

Technorati Profile

Raw Preview 06.25.07

From WWE.com:

Tonight, a very special three-hour edition of Monday Night Raw will start at 8/7 CT. Superstars from Raw, SmackDown and ECW are required to attend Raw as the federal investigation broadens into the demise of Mr. McMahon.

Every Superstar has begun the finger pointing at their peers, and lead federal investigator Daniel Beck has the task of deciding between fact and fiction. Will Beck find any leads into Mr. McMahon’s limo explosion?

Our fans in Corpus Christi, Texas will have the opportunity to pay their respects to Mr. McMahon as well. A memorial will be set up inside the lobby of the American Bank Center, where our fans can give their own eulogy for the fallen Chairman.

After Vengeance: Night of Champions, John Cena is still the WWE Champion, having defeated Mick Foley, Bobby Lashley, King Booker and Randy Orton in the WWE Championship Challenge Match. How will those Superstars react to failing in their quests for gold, and will anyone emerge as a contender to Cena's title?

Also, Candice Michelle left Vengeance as the new WWE Women's Champion after defeating Melina. What will Candice do on her first night as a champion?

To find out these answers and more, tune in to a special edition of Raw tonight at 8/7 CT on USA Network.

The Vince Myspace Ad

A funny ad seen when signing on to Myspace the other day. It features a "Yes/No" poll of whether or not you believe Vince McMahon is dead. Clicking either choice results in a big page (from giftfreebies.com) saying "FREE IPOD" with the fine print saying you must complete offers to get an actual ipod. But it looks like some sites are trying to bank on this story beyond just WWE.com. In review, Vince is not dead and you won't get a free ipod for voting...

Fans Vote on Who Did It

The fans have spoken on wwe.com about who they think was behind the Vince McMahon limo explosion and death. Here are the results:

• Jonathan Coachman: 32%
• Bobby Lashley: 16%
• Stone Cold: 12%
• Shane McMahon: 10.2%
• Eric Bischoff: 9.7%
• The Limo Driver: 7.2%
• Triple H: 5.4%
• Donald Trump: 3.1%
• Stephanie McMahon: 2.3%
• Paul London: 1.2%
• Other: .9%

Interestingly enough the fans choose Coach as the culprit. He has plenty of motive and was the one who pointed Vince in the right direction for the limo. Also interesting that Trump and the limo driver were amongst the suspects, when they seem to not have too much motive. Trump already embarassed McMahon at Wrestlemania, there's not much reason for a man of his power and fame to do this. Smackdown's latest news that a third strand of DNA was found in the limo from a "well known personality" would definitely exclude the limo driver. Tomorrow's 3 hour Monday Night Raw should have more infomration on this continuing investigation.

Smackdown Recap 06.22.07

Smackdown recap from Charlotte, NC 06.22.07:

Edge came down to the ring to start off Smackdown with his talk show "The Cutting Edge". Edge spoke about the Vince McMahon tragedy and how he conducted the final interview of Vince's life. Edge reminded the fans there will be a special 3 hour Raw this coming Monday to remember Mr. McMahon. Edge began to question who could have done this to Vince, and said it's sometimes the people you least suspect. Edge called his guest, WWE Diva Torrie Wilson to the ring. Torrie asked Edge what he meant by his introduction and Edge proceeded to accuse Torrie of setting up Vince's limo to explode. Just then MVP came out as Edge was confronting Torrie in the ring. MVP told Edge he shouldn't be calling Torrie a liar without giving her a lie detector test. MVP began yelling at Torrie about lying in the WWE, when Ric Flair came down the ramp to the ring. Flair attacked Edge and MVP, but the two were able to doubleteam him and started a beatdown on Flair. Just then, Batista came running down the ramp into the ring. Flair and MVP escaped under the ropes and up the ramp as Batista yelled out at them.

Michael Cole announced that Teddy Long and Vickie Guerrero set up Batista and Flair for a tag match against MVP & Edge tonight in the Main event on Smackdown.

Shannon Moore & Jimmy Wang Yang vs. Jamie Noble & Chavo Guerrero - Wang Yang in preparation for his big Cruiserweight match vs. Chavo this Sunday at Vengeance. Cole announced their may be a major announcement about the McMahon investigation tonight. Early on Moore able to gain some momentum against Chavo briefly, then tagged in Yang. Chavo ducked out and tagged in Noble. Yang with a series of impressive moves against Noble, until Noble slammed Yang down face first. Chavo came in to start beating up Yang. Chavo and Noble teamed up to continue a beatdown on Yang, including focus on his injured left arm. Chavo with a flying splash over the ropes onto Yang, who Noble held down. Yang able to whip Chavo to the corner and charged at him, but Chavo moved away, causing Yang to ram his hurt shoulder into the ring post. Yang finally able to duck a clothesline by Chavo and tagged in Shannon Moore. Moore took the fight to both Chavo and Noble, and tried for a pin on Chavo. Noble with the save. Yang dove off the side apron onto Noble outside the ring. When Chavo and Moore were alone in the ring, Chavo was able to reverse a Moore pin and slam Moore down to the mat. Chavo with the pinfall victory.

Winners: Chavo Guerrero & Jamie Noble win via pinfall.

Funaki vs. Mark Henry - Henry shoved Funaki down face first early. Funaki tried to punch Henry twice in the face, but Henry soon picked up Funaki overhead. Henry about to toss Funaki over the top ropes, until Funaki escaped. Funaki then tried to kick and attack Henry's leg, but Henry shoved him away. Henry with a series of slams on Funaki followed by a bear hug submission hold. Ref signaled for the bell to ring when he determined Funaki was not responding.

Winner:Mark Henry wins via submission over Funaki.

More replays shown of WWE VP Ed Kaufman's speech to the press on behalf of the McMahon family, as well as eye witness accounts of the limo explosion and footage of the tragedy/memorial.

Backstage, Vickie told Teddy that she finished arranging everyone's travel for next week's special Raw. Teddy told Vickie that this is going to be a big night for him. Kristal came in and asked what was going on. Teddy said he had to do something special tonight and asked Kristal to join him in the ring after the next match.

Matt Hardy vs. Finlay - Early on Finlay caught Matt in the face with a hard punch, then knocked him down off the ropes. Finlay used his physical style to dominate early on, until Matt Hardy got him down on the mat in a neckhold. Finlay able to stand up and then slam Matt back. Finlay started to dominate again using an elbow drop and then a neckhold on Matt to keep him down in the ring. Matt eventually got up and used a bulldog on Finlay. After a failed pin, Matt started to wear down Finlay with a stronghold on his arm. Finlay able to duck under the top rope to break things up. Matt and Finlay battled and Matt able to kick Finlay outside the ring. Hardy went after Finlay outside the ring. Hornswaggle crawled out to grab Matt's leg from under the ring. Matt then stepped on the leprechaun's hand. With Matt distracted, Finlay came over and knocked him down as Smackdown went to break.

Back from break, Finlay continued to attack Matt's injured leg with submission moves and kicking, punching it. Finlay tossed Matt out of the ring at one point and then shoved him into the steel steps. Finaly even took off Matt's knee brace to expose his hurt knee. Hornswaggle came into the ring to interfere and distracted the ref, as Finlay used the shalalee to hit Matt's leg for good measure. When the ref turned back Finlay went to finish Matt off, but Matt caught him with the Twist of Fate. Matt able to score the pinfall victory. Matt needed help from the ref to walk up the ramp.

Winner: Matt Hardy wins via pinfall over Finlay.

Replay shown of Stephanie McMahon's in ring appearance on Raw this past week, thanking everyone for their sympathy and support, and announcing the 3 hour Raw for next week to remember Mr. McMahon. Michael Cole asked fans to go to wwe.com to give their opinion of who blew up Vince's limo, and the results would be announced at 4PM EST on Saturday.

Teddy Long came down to the ring with his girl Kristal. In ring, Teddy announced to Kristal and the crowd that he wanted to be out there because of what happened to Mr. McMahon. Teddy said he realized life is precious and something can happen at any time or any place. Teddy told Kristal she has changed his life and made him very happy and in love. Teddy told Kristal he can't see his life without her, and then proposed to her on one knee. Kristal began crying when asked and ran out of the ring in tears without giving Teddy an answer.

Chris Masters vs. Danny Shanley- The debut of Masterpiece on Smackdown against a no name wrestler in Shanley. Early on Masters took his opponent down then started to dominate physically. Masters started to punch away at Shanley when in a seated position on the mat. Masters used a catapult type move to pull Shanley neck first into the middle rope. Masters with a series of slams on Shanley, and then kept him down on the mat to wear him down. Commentators noted that Masters was showing aggression like never before and how he wastoying with his opponent. Shanley fought back briefly, but Masters regained control and slammed him down on his back. Masters finally put the Masterlock on Shanley and picked up the win.

Winner: Chris Masters wins via submission.

A brief "in memory of Sensational Sherri" picture was shown on screen before Smackdown went to commercial break.

Teddy Long seen backstage knocking on the door and asking Kristal to come out and talk to him. Kristal came out crying and sat down. Teddy apologized if he put her on the spot in public in front of so many people. Kristal asked to see the ring again, the put it on her finger. Kristal told Teddy she would marry him and the two hugged.

JBL and Michael Cole reviewed several of the matches from this Sunday's Vengeance.

Federal investigator Daniel Beck revealed the latest in the Vince McMahon limo explosion. Beck said they are continuing with interviews with various people from the WWE and associates/friends of Mr. McMahon. Beck said DNA from Vince McMahon, the limo driver, and "1 other well known personality" was found in the limo.

Michelle McCool promo shown of her playing tennis and then saying she is "loving life".

Main Event: Batista & Ric Flair vs. MVP & EdgeA tune-up match for the Smackdown stars involved in Vengeance matches. Early on, Edge tried to corner Flair, who turned and used several chops on Edge's chest. Batista tagged in and Edge quickly retreated over to tag MVP in. Batista began to physically dominate MVP from here, including a kick to MVP's chest when he was seated on the mat. Flair came back into the ring to continue the attack on MVP. Flair and Batista showed good teamwork early, tagging in and out against MVP and keeping him away from Edge. MVP finally able to blindside Batista with help from Edge who smacked the back of Batista's head. Smackdown went to break with Batista down on the mat.

Back from break, Edge was in the ring attacking Batista who was stil down. Edge backed Batista to his corner and distracted the ref as MVP attacked Batista from behind. Edge continued to kick and attack Batista down on the mat. MVP came in the ring and kept attacking Batista, until Batista caught MVP in a sidewalk slam. Batista able to crawl over and tag in Flair. Flair came in and started chopping MVP down and then punching away at him. Flair went for a figure four, but Edge ran into the ring and speared Flair down. MVP tried for a pin, as Batista came in for the save. Edge tagged in and started kicking Flair who was down on the mat. MVP came back ito the ring to capitalize on Flair being down. MVP with a submission style move stretching Flair. Flair finally got back to his feet and started to fight back. Flair able to chop MVP down off the ropes, but MVP kept Flair away from a tag to Batista. Edge returned to continue beating up Flair. Despite the attack tactics of Edge and MVP, Flair was able to escape MVP and tag the Animal back in. Edge tagged in and faced Batista. Batista took control over Edge and slammed him down, then threw MVP into the ring. Flair came in and began to attack MVP. With all 4 men in the ring, MVP went over the ropes and Flair followed. Batista waited for Edge to get up in the ring and then ran at him for a spear. Edge moved away then waited for Batista to turn. Edge tried to spear Batista,but Batista caught Edge and slammed him down. Batista then did the Batista Bomb on Edge and scored the pinfall victory. Batista stood over Edge in the ring. Is this a sign of what's to come at Vengeance?

Winners:Ric Flair & Batista win via pinfall over Edge and MVP.

The Vince: "I DID IT" T-Shirt

Everyone's a suspect. WWE.com's shop will now be offering a new T-shirt which fans can wear to claim they were the one responsible for Vince's limo explosion/death. The image of the shirt can be seen here:

http://www.wweshop.com/newimages/images/W00970X.JPG

A little far-fetched and overboard, but the story keeps getting attention. The proof will be in just how many of these shirts are sold now.

Who Killed Vince?

Anyone and everyone is a suspect in the explosion of the limo and death of Vince McMahon. Everyone from current superstars and front office personnel to former WWE employees, celebrities and the McMahon family themselves. With a 3rd strand of DNA found in the limo (as revealed on Smackdown), it's time to look at the various suspects who might have perpetrated this attack on Vince McMahon:

1) Some people have suggested Bobby Lashley or Triple H. Both have been screwed over alot by Vince McMahon, which gives them motive for this. Lashley was a former military man. Triple H is no stranger to foul play and has been married to Stephanie McMahon. But what would they really gain from doing this and is it really worth it for them? Probably not.

2) Stone Cold, Bret Hart, Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff - More names that Vince screwed over, but who really haven't been around much lately. You could even throw former ECW/Smackdown GM Paul Heyman in the mix here. I wouldn't expect any of those guys to tarnish their careers or reputations by installing a detanator in Vince's limo though.

3) Johnathan Coachman has a very strong motive, in fact didn't he instruct Vince on Raw "Sir, your limo is that way"? It's not like Vince has been nice to Coach and I'm sure Coach wouldn't mind running Raw by himself. Being the new GM on Raw would make him the big cheese and up his bank account for sure.

4) Then we have the McMahon family themselves. They also seem to have so much to gain from this, and tremendous motive. I hate to point fingers, but its hard to overlook the motives from Vince's own family. With all Vince has done and put his family through over the years; everything from blatantly cheating with divas in front of his wife, doublecrossing both his son and daughter and beating them up in the ring and in street fights..And then there's the trust fund/insurance policy and I doubt that it's not a huge sum of money. The McMahon family has alot to gain from this, including the WWE company itself.

5) It's hard to rule out the concept that Vince set all this up, and had an accomplice in it, or planted DNA to frame someone. That would also make alot of sense here, in that Vince did it to garner attention and show that the fans of WWE truly do appreciate him. So either Vince will resurface once the framed individual has been put through hell, or Vince will resurface to show us he didn't really die and everyone appreciates him as part of the WWE.

With Coach and the McMahons seeming to have the most to gain from this, the investigation continues, but never rule out Vince himself as the perpetrator..and if anyone knows exactly who Daniel Beck is (actor or real federal agent), please let me know :)

Note: WWE.com is also accepting fan votes/comments on who they think perpetrated this crime. 1st results to come after 4pm EST today.