WWF RAW 8/28/2000

Written by: Adam King

WWF RAW IS WAR
Monday, August 28th, 2000

Live (via tape-delay) from the Greensboro Colliseum in Greensboro, NC

List of WWF Champions at the time:
●  WWF World Heavyweight Champion: The Rock (6/25/2000)
●  WWF Intercontinental Champion: Chyna (8/27/2000)
●  WWF World Tag Team Champions: Edge & Christian (6/25/2000)
●  WWF European Champion: Perry Saturn (7/23/2000)
●  WWF Hardcore Champion: Steve Blackman (8/27/2000)
●  WWF Women’s Champion: Lita (8/21/2000)
●  WWF Light Heavyweight Champion: Dean Malenko (4/27/2000)

~ This special late-night edition of Raw comes on the air with with Michael Cole metting Commissioner Mick Foley in his “office” in a penalty box tonight. Foley calls last night the greatest SummerSlam ever so he’s assembled an all-star card for tonight, here in Greensboro. Foley says tonight Chris Jericho will team with the Acolytes in a six-man tag to take on Chris Benoit and T & A, Lita defends the Women’s Title, Val Venis gets a shot to reclaim the Intercontinential Title against Chyna and Tazz gets Steve Blackman for the Hardcore Title after Blackman sent Shane McMahon falling off the stage. Foley also mentions The Rock will defend the WWF Title against Kane in memory of the Rock ‘N Sock Connection. Dont know how that works but that’s was Foley said.

~ Elsewhere we find Triple H waiting for the arrival of Stephanie, whom he hasn’t seen since the pay-per-view. You can bet we’ll be spending much of tonight’s show wondering where she could be after Kurt Angle carried her off.

~ Now we finally get the intro with Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler welcoming us to the show. JR mentions Kurt Angle suffered a concussion during last night’s main event and isn’t expected to be here tonight.

• Chris Jericho & The Acolytes vs. Chris Benoit, Test & Albert (w/Trish Stratus)

All the participants file out when Jericho goes out to meet Benoit on the stage and they go at it to start things off whilet he Acolytes and T& also duking it out in the ring. Benoit and Jericho fight down the ramp to ringside where Jericho rams Benoit into the steps and tosses him in the ring as the referee gets the other guys out to the corners. Jericho chops away at Benoit in a corner then goes for a whip when Benoit reverses him into the opposite corner but Benoit eats an elbow. Jericho hops to the middle rope and hits a missile dropkick then tees off on Benoit. Jericho whips Benoit and hits him with a double-underhook backbreaker then follows up with a clothesline. Jericho goes for the ropes when Test kicks him from behind and Jericho decks him when Benoit spears Jericho. Test tags in but runs into a drop toehold and Jericho tags Faarooq in. Faarooq works Test over in a corner then whips him into the other corner and charges but eats a boot. Test comes out with a clothesline then goes for a whip but Faarooq reverses it and plants him with a powerslam that gets a two count. Faarooq rams Test into Bradshaw’s boot then tags him in and the two whip Test and hit a douoble spinebuster. Bradshaw hits a Russian legsweep for a two count then whips Test but lowers the head and Test hits a neckbreaker. Test goes for a whip but Bradshaw reverses it and hits an elbow before getting in a shot on Albert in a corner. Bradshaw whips Test into another corner and clotheslines him but Albert comes in and squashes Bradshaw with an Avalance. Albert rams Bradshaw into a boot from Test then takes over on him even though I never saw him legally tag in. Albert slams Bradshw to the mat and follows up with a big splash that only gets a two count. Benoit tags in and gets in his damage before tagging Albert back in and Albert whips Bradshaw but misses a clothesline and Bradshaw comes back with a shouldertackle. Bradshaw makes the tag to Faarooq when Jericho tags himself in instead and hammers way on Albert. Faarooq goes after Test and the two of them roll fight it out on the floor. Jericho goes for a whip, Albert reverses it but Jericho kicks the face then comes off the ropes with the bulldog. Jericho pops Benoit off the apron and Bradshaw rams him into the steps while Albert smacks Jericho’s face. Albert whips Jericho who goes for a crossbody but Albert catches him and hits the torture rack neckbreaker. However that only gets a two count prompting Trish to hop on the apron and aruge the count with the referee. Albert presses Jericho up but Bradshaw is in and boots Albert down with Jericho landing on him with a splash. Jericho then springs off the ropes right near Trish and connects with the Lionsault on Albert for the pin. (5:24) Solid enough six-man tag. Jericho then asks the referee to raise his left arm saying his right shoulder is still smarting from last night. **½

~ Backstage Triple H is still pacing around backstage when X-Pac comes up and asks his buddy how he’s doing. Triple H mentions what happened in last night’s main event and that he hasn’t seen Stephanie in the 24 hours since before suggesting Kurt Angle has something to do where she is. Triple H then decides he’s going to take Angle out if he shows up. X-Pac chuckles that the last time he saw Stephanie she was in “good hands” but Triple H doesn’t find it funny at all. Is that a face turn for Triple H I’m sensing?

~ Back from break Triple H tries confiding with Road Dogg about Stephanie hoping he’ll have the right attitude about it and Road Dogg assures him that he won’t joke about it because he’s a married man himself and understands his plight. Road Dogg feels Stephanie is safe wherever she is and that these things often tend to take care of themselves. Road Dogg then leaves while telling Triple H that waiting in the parking garage won’t make Stephanie arrive any faster. Triple H decides to continue waiting when we suddenly hear Kurt Angle’s theme music so he heads off…

~ And we cut to the arena as Kurt Angle comes out, shocking everyone who though he wasn’t going to be here tonight after spending a night at a hospital. Angle grabs a mic and admits he can’t remember much from last night after Triple H tried to Pedigree him through the Spanish table. Angle says what he’s heard is that after suffering his concussion he still came back to compete for the WWF Title and that Triple H struck his own wife down in the middle of the ring before getting beaten by The Rock. Angle then says he’s been told about how he helped Stephanie from the ring after the match and got her to a hospital. Angle says he’s always known Triple H to be a shady characeter but calls hitting his own wife deplorable and criminal and feels Triple H is a lousy WWF Champion and now a lousy husband. That brings Triple H out for a rebuttal and Triple H grabs a mic to emphasize that he gave Angle his concussion before demanding to know where Stephanie is. Angle doesn’t appreciate being accused of kidnapping before saying he doesn’t know and can’t remeber much last night. Triple H tells Angle that he may have other people convinced he’s an ignorant fool but he’s not buying it for a second since he’s the king of the shady characters. Triple H threatens to beat Angle down if he doesn’t give him answers but Angle insists he’s telling the truth because he’s an Olympic gold medalist and wouldn’t do anything else. Angle then suggests to Triple H that Stephanie hasn’t contacted him becuase she’s scared of him and doesn’t trust him. Angle even feels Triple H hitting Stephanie knocked some sense into her and now she sees him for the b*****d he is. Triple H then responds by shoving Angle through the ropes and that actually gets a huge pop from the crowd! The referees swarm in to keep these two apart and I guess this officially makes Triple H a babyface now.

~ Backstage we find Eddie Guerrero and Chyna watching this on a monitor with Chyna feeling sorry for Triple H but Eddie says Triple H doesn’t know how to treat a woman. Eddie then tells Chyna she should be focusing on her title defense, which is next.

• WWF Intercontinential Title: Chyna © (w/Eddie Guerrero) vs. Val Venis

Val isn’t too happy with Trish Stratus losing the title for him at the pay-per-view so he’s ordered her to stay in the back for this rematch. Val has words with Eddie on the floor when Chyna tries to attack but Val catches her and gets in the first shots then clotheslines her down. Val throws Chyna through the ropes then goes out and kicks her in the chest ebfore tossing her back in the ring. Val whips Chyna and hits an elbow as we see Trish looking on from the stage. Val slams Chyna for a near fall then chokes her on the middle rope and hits a delayed suplex for a two count. Val stomps Chyna down in a corner then whips her into the other corner and charges at her but eats an elbow. Chyna comes out but Val elbows her in the chest then comes off the ropes but Chyna gets in a clothesline, finally getting some offense going. Chyna connects with a handsrping elbow in a corner followed by a DDT for a two count. Chyna then sets Val up for something but Val takes her down by the legs and catapults her into a corner. Val stomps Chyna down in a corner and chokes her with his boot when Eddie tries to come in and help her out. The referee keeps Eddie out and Val yells at him but that allows Chyna to recover and Chyna slaps Val’s face then kicks him below the belt, Chyna hammers Val with forearms then caps off with a claw below the belt as well. Chyna clotheslines Val over the ropes and Eddie tries to get some shots in but Val drops him onto the barricade. Chyna brings Val back in the ring but Val stomps her as she comes in and whips her then hits a spinebuster. Val climbs to the top rope looking to hit the Moneyshot when Trish heads down the ramp for a closer look. Instead of finishing Chyna to regain his belt Val hops back down to the floor and yells at Trish for coming out. However Eddie comes up and pounds away at Val then tosses him back in while the referee is tending to Chyna. Val yells at Eddie when Chyna rolls Val up from behind and that gets the three to retain. (5:18) And Trish costs Val the title again. I guess this sort of legitimizes Chyna’s title win last night since she’s pinned the previous title holder. I just wish the match wasn’t so ugly. *

~ Backstage Michael Cole interviews Kurt Angle, skeptical that he supposedly can’t remember anything about last night. Angle reminds Cole of his concussion and the only reason he knows about carrying Stephanie out is someone told him then tries to search his memory of what happened after that. Angle recalls being with Stephanie in a hotel lobby and says things are fuzzy but then remembers a hotel room, which he says was his as first before remembering it was Stephanie’s.

~ Back from break we get an exterior shot of the building as well as NASCAR drivers Elliot & Hermie Sadler in the crowd.

~ Steven Richards then leads the Right to Censor out to the ring as JR mentions he’s requested a match with Rikishi tonight. Richards gets on the mic and says a victory was won for morality and decency last night then chastises the fans for continuing to boo them when he and his men fight the good fight for everybody. Richards calls the Constitution archaic because the forefathers didn’t intend freedom of expression to become perverse. Richards offers a lesson in morality and calls violence and Rikishi’s rear end hanging out of a thong unacceptable. Richards says scantily-clad women is also unacceptable and Rikishi bringing them back has made this personal. Richards says someone has to fight the good fight for the children because the Bible Belt doesn’t seem to care and he’s willing to sacrifice his well being to censor inappropriate material because North Carolina won’t.

• Rikishi (w/Tool Cool) vs. Steven Richards (w/Bull Buchanan & The Goodfather)

Rikishi also brings out with him Victoria and her blonde friend, who is finally identified during the intro as Mandy. Buchanan and Goodfather rush in to take out Too Cool and Buchanan and Scotty 2 Hotty fight on the floor while Rikishi and Grandmaster Sexay take turns poping Goodfather. Goodfather heads out with Sexay right behind him when Richards comes in and tries to sneak attack Rikishi during the confusion but Rikishi catches him with a superkick. Rikishi squashes Richards in a corner with the running butt splash and Richards drops down in position. Rikishi moves in for a stinkface when Buchanan and Goodfather come in but Rikishi clotheslines them both down. Rikishi tries for the stinkface again but the RTC’ers pulls Richards out of the ring to safety, again denying him. Richards and company head up the ramp and I never heard an opening bell so I guess there was no match. That doesn’t stop Rikishi, Too Cool and the ladies from donning the shades and doing the post-match dance. NR

~ Backstage we find Triple H still down in the dumps when he gets a visit from Chyna who tries to console him as Triple H says his marriage is falling apart because of Kurt Angle. Chyna feels he and Stephanie will work it out and says trust is an important part of any relationship. Chyna says she and Eddie work because they trust each other then tells Triple H to give Stephanie a chance and Triple H thanks her with a hug. Of course Eddie Guerrero comes in at that point and shoves Triple H down, accusing him of moving in on his woman. Eddie leaves with Chyna as they argue and Triple H is left asking if everyone has lost their mind around here as we go to comercial.

~ Back from break we get a replay of Chyna consoling Triple H only for Eddie to misunderstand what’s going on. You know if Eddie watched the monitor he’d probabaly see it was nothing more than friends consoling each other.

~ Out in the arena Edge & Christian make their way to the ring, bandaged up and a little subdued after last night. Christian gets on the mic first and says normally they come out and do their schtick but can’t after the TLC match. Edge adds he and Christian don’t see eye-to-eye with the Hardys and Dudleys but now have more respect for them. Edge says the Dudleys aren’t here tonight but the Hardys are and invites them out so they can shake their hands. The music starts playing and out comes … a pair of midgits wearing Hardy Boyz t-shirts and carrying stepladders. E&C almost fall over laughing at their little joke and the champs help the “Hardys” in the ring and shake their hands. Christian continues on the mic saying the Hardys and Dudleys had nothing to do with the TLC match being so great, claiming they could have fought the Buchwackers or Techno Team 2000 and still would have had a great match. Suddenly the Dudleys’ theme fires up … and out come another pair of midgets complete with glasses and a kid’s table. Edge says instead of shaking the opponents’ hands they followed another tradition of mocking their inferior opponents. The Mini-Dudleys yell “Wassup” and “Testify” while the Mini-Hardys pose because the real Hardys never get to talk. E&C then proceed with their 37-second pose which sees them hold the tag belts out of reach of their tiny opponents. Eventually the real Hardys decide this joke has gone long enough as they rush the ring and duke it out with E&C. Matt is able to take Edge out with Poetry in Motion then turns and throws the kid’s table at Christian in a corner and Jeff leaps of one of the stepladders and hits the Poetry in Motion on Christian, sending him rolling out to the floor. The Hardys bring a pair of real ladders in the ring and sandwich Edge in-between them then set them up in the corners and each climb a ladder looking for the Event Omega. However Christian pulls Edge out of the ring to safety and E&C retreat while the Hardys have sent a message saying this thing isn’t over between them.

~ Backstage we find Eddie Guerrero still mad about Chyna and Triple H together and taking it out on a wooden locker when Kurt Angle appears and calms Eddie down. Angle tells Eddie there’s nothing lower than a man stealing another man’s woman and also mentions Triple H and Chyna’s past relationship with each other but Eddie doesn’t want to hear about it. Angle feels Eddie should show Chyna how much he cares and fight for her by challenging Triple H to a match tonight, saying Triple H needs to be taught a lesson. Eddie buys into it and heads out to do so while Angle smiles.

• WWF Hardcore Title: Steve Blackman © vs. Tazz

Tazz gets on the mic and asks JR and Lawler if it was funny how they almost took out his eye last night then says the mood will change tonight because there’ll be three victims: Blackman, Lawler and “leather-faced” JR. Tazz ducks a trash can lid shot to start and suplexes Blackman then goes out to the floor and gets in JR’s face. Blackman goes out and tosses a trash can at Tazz who catches it before Blackman superkicks the can into him and over the barricade. Blackman fights Tazz through the crowd then brings him back in the ring. Blackman whips Tazz and whacks his knee with a trash lid followed by his head. Blackman dropkicks Tazz into a corner and works him over then goes for a whip but Tazz is able to reverse it. Tazz ducks a roundhouse kick and trips Blackman by the leg then grabs a leather strap and whips him with it. Tazz tosses Blackman through the ropes then nails him a trash lid before turning and bashing Lawler with it. Tazz lunges for JR but Lawler is up and attacks Tazz who grabs him when JR grabs the lid and brains Tazz! Blackman then leaps off the apron and connects with a flying pump kick on Tazz for the pin on the floor. (2:38) Tazz then crawls to the announce table looking for another piece of Lawler and JR but the referee stops him while Lawler throws his chair at Tazz and more referees quickly run out to keep this thing from escalating further. Looks like this thing between Lawler and Tazz isn’t over, even though Lawler already beat him at the pay-per-view. *½

~ Backstage Triple H gets a visit from Just Joe but isn’t in the mood for his gossip and kicks him out of the lockerroom. Triple H then gets another visitor when Eddie Guerrero storms in and yells at him while a refere tries to hold him back. Eddie tells Triple H everything he heard about is true and got Commissioner Mick Foley to sign a match between them. Triple H tells Eddie he just wrote a check his rear end can’t cash so Eddie dares him to come and cash his check.

• WWF Women’s Title: Lita © vs. Jacqueline

The question is how will Lita fare in her first title defense after taking Edge’s spear at the pay-per-view. Jackie gets in the first shots and whips Lita but Lita comes back with a headscissors then trips her with a drop toehold. Lita follows up with a huricanrana for a near fall then whips Jackie in a corner and connects with a clothesline. Lita snapmares Jackie to the mat and dropkicks her from behind then whips her into a corner but eats a kick. Jackie climbs to the top rope for something but Lita bumps the ropes causing Jackie to straddle the tunbuckle. Lita then goes up for a superplex but Jackie shoves her off then hops back down and kicks Lita in the ribs. Jackie works Lita over then goes for a whip, Lita reverses but Jackie floats over her into a DDT for a near fall. Jackie whips Lita and flapjacks her then climbs to the top again and hits a flying crossbody that gets two count. Jackie scoops Lita up but Lita floats over her and hits a Slop Drop then follows up with a pair of clotheslines. Lita nails Jackie with a Twist of Fate then climbs to the top rope and connects with the moonsault for the pin. (3:33) That actually wasn’t too bad of a match, though the crowd was dead for it. **

Lita doesn’t get to celebrate her win much as Edge and Christian start making their way down the ramp when Jackie pulls Lita back in the ring and pounds on her. The Hardys come out looking to get more of E&C but the tag team champs take them out then Edge goes in and spears Lita, just like he did last night. E&C and Jackie get in some stomping on Lita before the Hardys are able to chase them all from the ring. Can you almost sense a six-person tag match with these guys in the near future?

~ Backstage Michael Cole interviews Kane in some dark place about his title shot and Kane asks him if he’s nervous. Kane says his brother tried to show the world what he’s tried to hide his whole life and what the people won’t accept and that is he’s always been a monster. Kane says if the world is afraid of him then he’ll give them someting to be scared of. Kane then says he’s going to enjoy beating the The Rock so the monster can represent the people as WWF Champion.

~ Elsewhere Eddie Guerrero is heading for the ring when Chyna comes up telling him that he doesn’t have to do this. Eddie insists that this is something he has to take care off man-to-man then orders Chyna to stay in the back.

• Triple H vs. Eddie Guerrero

A very rare match between these two guys, and to recap Chyna is staying in the back while Stephanie is still MIA. Eddie goes right to work on Triple H and goes for a whip, Triple H reverses it but Eddie hits the headscissors followed by a clothesline. Eddie tees off on Triple H in a corner on the middle rope when Triple H shoves him away then comes out but misses a clothesline and Eddie gets in more shots as we see Chyna watching backstage. Eddie caps off with a pair of European uppercuts and Triple H gets in a shot but Eddie regains the advantage. Eddie goes for another whip but Triple H reverses it and hits the high knee then works Eddie over in a corner and chokes Eddie with his boot. Triple H whips Eddie and hits an elbow and follows it up with a vertical suplex. Triple H connects with a kneedrop to the face for a near fall then unloads on Eddie who starts to fight back but Triple H stops that with a knee. Triple H whips Eddie and lifts him up but Eddie comes back with a Frankensteiner. Eddie goes for a whip, Triple H reverses him into a corner but eats an elbow and Eddie hits a tornado DDT. Eddie then climbs to the top rope looking to hit the Frogsplash but Triple H is able to avoid it. Eddie rolls through it back to his feet and charges at Triple H but gets tossed over his head onto the buckles. Triple H sets Eddie up for the Pedigree but Kurt Angle runs in with a chair and smacks Triple H to end this. (3:30) Good but criminally short match and for some reason the crowd was dead for this one as well. **½

Angle turns and nails Eddie with the chair as well for some reason and both participants are out when Chyna runs in with her own chair and chases Angle away. Chyna tends to Eddie …. before tending to Triple H and looks split over which man she should be concenred about more. Looks like the Triple H/Angle/Stephanie issue is starting to affect other relationships in the WWF.

~ Back from break we get a replay of Kurt Angle laying out Triple H and Eddie Guerrero with a chair in their match and Chyna’s concern for both men as JR mentions Angle has bolted from the building.

• Al Snow & The Kat vs. Perry Saturn & Terri Runnels – Intergender Tag Team Match

Really, we’re getting this match this late in the show? Plus it’s even one we already suffered through before. Kat reminds Terri of the stinkface she gave her last night so Terri responds by booting her in the rear. Terri slaps Kat and they get to catfighting when ends with Terri hiting Kat with a sloppy Fisherman’s suplex. Terri then poses before going for a sitdown splash but Kat avoids it and Saturn isn’t happy with his partner. Kat then goes for her own sitdown splash but Saturn shoves her away so Snow tags in and thankfully so does Saturn. Snow hammers away on Saturn and whips him into a clothesline then stomps away on him. Snow goes for another whip and Saturn counters but Snow slides under him while holding his arm and plants Saturn with a modified back suplex. Snow works Saturn over then whips him into a corner but eats a boot and Saturn hits a butterfly back suplex. Saturn takes down Snow by the leg and floats over into an armbar but Snow gets his foot on the bottom rope. Snow comes back with a modified Northen Lights suplex then kicks Saturn down and covers him for a near fall. Snow goes for a whip, Saturn reverses into a corner and Snow slides to stop himself but eats a superkick. Saturn climbs to the top rope but Snow kicks his legs to cut him off then goes up himself and hits a superplex. Snow and Saturn are up and exchange shots when … Mideon comes in … wearning nothing but a jockstrap?!! Mideon does a dance before taking back off through the crowd and everyone in the match is discombobulated. Saturn chagres at Snow who catches him with a Rydien bomb then climbs to the top rope and hits a moonsault. Snow covers Saturn when Terri jumps on his back to make the save and Snow eventually shrugs her back off. However Saturn shoves Snow right into Kat, flipping her in the ring with the referee counting it as a tag. Saturn then slaps Kat in the Rings of Saturn and Kat is forced to tap out in short order. (4:22) Bad wrestling from the ladies and the men tried to salvage things but the run-in by Mideon completely derailed the match. *

~ We then find Kevin Kelly outside The Rock’s door meaning an interview is coming up soon as we go to commercial.

~ Back form break we get an exterior shot of the building as JR hypes the ongoing Smackdown Your Vote campaign and reports that 40,000 new voters were registered by the WWF so far.

~ We then cut over to WWF New York and find the banged-up Dudleys Boyz there to offer their comments on Edge & Christian making fun of them. The Dudley feel E&C are pretty brave with them 1,500 miles away and Bubba Ray says everyone knows if they were in Greensboro they’d put E&C through tables, hurt or not hurt.

~ Back at the arena Kevin Kelly interviews The Rock asking if he’s physically and mentally pepeared to face Kane. Rock starts off with the usual then asks Kevin why he asks stupid questions, even working in a hermaphrodite joke. Rock says he went through a war at SummerSlam and is still WWF Champion, only to have to defend against Kane. Rock mocks Kane’s plans to take his title and represnet the people before saying there is only one People’s Champion. Rock promises to beat Kane up and down all over Greensboro then finishes with the usual stuff.

• WWF World Heavyweight Title: The Rock © vs. Kane

Don’t know what Kane did to warrant a title shot since he didn’t win his “match” with Undertaker last night. Anyway Kane is sporting a new mask after Taker ripped off his previous one at the pay-per-view. Rock stakes Kane down and gets in the first shots and goes for a whip but Kane reverses it and hits a boot. Kane gets in his shots and goes for a whip but Rock counters with a Russian legsweep that gets a two count. Kane pummels Rock in a corner but Rock reverses positions and wails on Kane then hits the Smackdown. Rock charges at Kane but Kane hits him with a powerslam then plants him with a vertical suplex for a two count. Rock starts fighting back and comes off the ropes but runs into a sidewalk slam. Kane climbs to the top rope and connects with a flying clothesline but only gets a two count. Rock again rallies until Kane stops that then goes for a whip and Rock counters it into a Samoan Drop but can’t make the cover while Kane sits up. Rock hammers away on Kane and goes for a whip, Kane reverses but Rock comes back with a flying forearm. Rock DDTs Kane for a near fall then goes for a whip but Kane reverses him right into referee Earl Hebner. Hebner is down when Kane scoops Rock up but Rock slips out of there then plants Kane with a spinebuster. Rock follows it up with the People’s Elbow and covers Kane but Hebner is still KO’ed and can’t count the pin. Rock heads over to revive Hebner but doesn’t see Kane gets back to his feet and Kane grabs him by the throat and hits the chokeslam! Kane then covers Rock as Hebner revives to make the count … and only gets a two count! Kane is not happy with not getting the three and goes for a whip but Rock counters with the Rock Bottom… but that only gets two as well! So Rock clotheslines Kane over the ropes but Kane lands on his feet. Rock goes out after Kane but Kane rams him into the ringsteps then pops him over the barricade into the crowd. Kane goes after Rock in the crowd when the Kid Rock theme fires up and the Undertaker rides out to ringside. Kane decides to leave Rock in the crowd to go after Taker and the two of them fight it out in the ring. Taker goes for a whip and Kane reverses it but Taker grabs him by throat and nails him with his own chokeslam. Taker then heads out as Rock comes back in the ring with Hebner and covers Kane … but that only gets two. Taker seems stunned when Rock plants Kane with a second Rock Bottom and that keeps him down for three. (8:09) Despite some overbooking still a pretty good main event. And they made it seem like Rock merely survived Kane since he needed two Rock Bottoms and an Undertaker chokeslam to retain his title. ***

Rock celebrates his title defense then looks out at Taker as he rides his motorcycle back up the ramp. Taker stops on the stage and stares back at Rock, as if he might be interested in going for the belt himself. Taker then heads out with Rock still glaring at another potential challenger as Raw comes to a close this week.

~ And I just realized we never did see Stephanie tonight so I guess the mystery of where she is remains, at least for now.

Conclusion: Not the best follow-up to the pay-per-view but still a somewhat good show. The Triple H/Angle storyline is being advanced nicely with others being drawn into it and we got a good main event that rebuilt Kane as the monster he originally was. Although The Undertaker getting involve does suggest Rock is going to again have more than one angling for his belt. There was a few other nice matches but this show does take some hits from some subpar to poor bouts and a Greensboro crowd that was surprisingly flat for much of the card. And what the heck was up with that Mideon segment? That’s something I definintely don’t want to see on TV anytime soon. Overall a decent two hours that might be worth checking out.