Any time Raw rolls into the mecca of sports-entertainment – New York City’s Madison Square Garden – the strangest, most outrageous and most shocking things occur. This Monday night will be no exception, as heated rivalries build ever hotter toward SummerSlam, a crowning achievement seems inevitable, and WWE’s Chairman may suffer the consequences of some unexpected paternal affairs. It was the mother – actually, father – of all bombshells last Monday, when Mr. McMahon was served a summons relating to a paternity suit for an illegitimate child. In the past, the Chairman has considered himself a “genetic jackhammer”; now it seems there may be truth to his statement.
WWE Champion John Cena has never been one to back down from his commitments; however, his Garden obligation Monday night must have him considering it on some level. As if facing his SummerSlam opponent, Randy Orton, and Carlito in a Tag Team Match wasn’t going to be bad enough, Cena must do so with a savage partner who tried to destroy him last week: Intercontinental Champion Umaga. How can The Champ possibly co-exist with the Samoan Bulldozer and fend off a calculated attack from two of Raw’s most cunning Superstars? On top of everything else, Madison Square Garden will also host royalty this Monday night. After a momentary distraction by Queen Sharmell cost him his match last week, Jerry “The King” Lawler must hail King Booker and crown him in a Royal Coronation ceremony. How difficult will it be for Lawler, a wrestling “King” for more than 30 years, to swallow his royal pride and acknowledge Booker as His Majesty in the kingdom of sports-entertainment?
For the answers to these questions and more, be sure to watch Raw in Madison Square Garden, live at 9/8 CT, only on USA Network.
This Monday night, live on Raw at 9/8 CT on USA Network, Mr. McMahon strikes back. when Raw went off the air last week, an infuriated WWE Champion John Cena was wiping apple and spit off his face and staring lasers into Carlito, who thanks to Randy Orton, got a pinfall victory over The Champ. The Caribbean Superstar, who had argued that he deserved to be the No. 1 contender to the WWE Championship, now seems to have further ammunition to his claim. But, will he have to feel the wrath of Cena, who could look for revenge for his humiliating defeat?
Will Cena have something in mind for Orton, who has taken pleasure in sending messages to the champion in the weeks before their SummerSlam showdown? Last week, Orton added another legend to his casualty list when he took Sgt. Slaughter to boot camp and hospitalized him with a punt to his cranium. What is Sarge’s medical update? And will yet another legend challenge Orton?
Another Superstar who made a powerful statement was Mr. Kennedy, who also wants to be recognized as the No. 1 contender to the WWE Championship. Kennedy did the nearly-impossible – put Bobby Lashley on the sidelines with a shoulder injury. How much will the loudmouth from Green Bay, Wis., boast about his latest conquest? And what is Lashley’s condition? You can find out the answers to these questions and more by tuning in to Raw on Monday night at 9/8 CT on USA Network.
Bobby Lashley cemented his spot in The Great American Bash’s WWE Championship Match last week when he defeated Shelton Benjamin and the time of King Booker in the final “Beat the Clock” Match of the evening. This Monday night, right at 9 p.m. ET, King Booker will look for revenge as he takes on Lashley in one-on-one action. Will royalty rule this week on Raw? Or will Lashley overthrow the King en route to his WWE Championship Match with John Cena?
Also, Randy Orton may also have a chance to add another Legend to his list of victims. After he slapped WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes last week, “The American Dream” told Orton to meet him face-to-face in Lafayette. What does Dusty have in mind for the Legend Killer? Plus, Candice Michelle may be Women’s Champion, but Melina’s not ready to let go. After defeating Maria in action last week, the former champion attacked Candice, only to find herself with a face full of floor. Will the rivalry between Candice and Melina come to a head this week? Find out the answers to all of these questions and more on Raw, Monday night at 9/8 CT on USA Network.
After a night of Extreme Rules at One Night Stand, Raw Superstars will arrive in Tampa, Fla., in an extremely uncomfortable situation, awaiting their uncertain fates as the WWE Draft looms closer – just seven days away. John Cena successfully defended his WWE Championship against The Great Khali in a Pinfalls Count Anywhere Match, pinning the giant’s shoulders for the first time in his career. Who will be next to challenge the Chain Gang commander? The Hardys arrive in Tampa as the World Tag Team Champions after successfully defending the titles in a high-impact Ladder Match against The World’s Greatest Tag. A post-match scuffle in the trainer’s room between these teams at One Night Stand showed these two teams still have unfinished business.
Finally, the proof was in the pudding for Candice Michelle, who nearly drowned the Women’s Champion, Melina, in their Pudding Match. Candice made the champion tap out at One Night Stand in the chocolate goo, but will she be able to do it again if she’s given a title opportunity in the future? Don’t miss all the action on Raw, Monday night at 9/8 CT on USA Network.
All roads lead to One Night Stand this week and two men who will be watching each other closely are World Heavyweight Champion Edge and Batista. This Friday, the Cutting Edge makes its debut on SmackDown and the Rated-R Superstar’s guest is the man he will face in a Steel Cage Match on Sunday: The Animal. What will transpire in Edge’s controversial talk segment? Will the champion’s mouth get him into deep trouble with the former champion, a mere 48 hours before their caged collision? Some other Superstars with golden aspirations will seek out Deuce & Domino on SmackDown as the champs defend their titles in a Triple Threat Match against Paul London & Brian Kendrick and the dangerous duo of William Regal & Dave Taylor. The boys from the Other Side of the Tracks hope to keep their reign as champions, but with London & Kendrick poised to regain their gold and Regal & Taylor hungry for their own taste of championship gold, can Deuce & Domino keep their titles? As if that wasn’t big enough, SmackDown takes things to a smaller level as Hornswoggle meets Little Boogeyman in a mini-sized match Friday night. These two tiny tusslers take out weeks of frustration on one another, but will their larger counterparts be far from the action? Finally, Vickie Guerrero has been named the Assistant General Manager of SmackDown. How will Vickie’s first night on the job go?
Raw steamrolls into Moline, Ill. tonight, with the court of public opinion still in shock over what transpired at Judgment Day less than 24 hours ago. On three separate occasions in as many weeks, WWE Champion John Cena suffered the Raw wrath of The Great Khali, falling before the behemoth’s colossal might. However, The Champ accomplished the impossible at Judgment Day, withstanding Khali’s vaunted power and becoming the only man who has ever made the leviathan tap out. Though bruised and battered, a victorious Cena heads into Moline still wearing the gold. But is the threat of Khali truly behind him . . . or will giant-sized retribution be on hand Monday night?
Randy Orton took a major first step in refocusing his career onto a championship-bound track . . . at the expense of a barely-able-to-focus Shawn Michaels. After already dealing HBK his second severe concussion on Raw Monday night, the Legend Killer orchestrated a pre-match attack Sunday night that made easy ring pickings of The Showstopper, whose indomitable spirit urged him to compete against doctor’s orders. The badly injured Michaels left Judgment Day in an ambulance, while Orton now heads into Raw with a revitalized agenda. Has he killed the legend of Shawn Michaels? Be prepared as Raw raises the roof in Moline tonight at 9/8 CT on USA Network.
This week, SmackDown rolls into Baltimore with Edge, the brand-new World Heavyweight Champion leading the way. To celebrate his championship triumph, the Rated-R Superstar will present his inaugural address on Friday Night SmackDown, just days before his first title defense against Batista. The controversial Superstar is known for making big splashes, most notably the Live Sex Celebration with Lita following his first WWE Championship win. What can he possibly have in store for SmackDown? How will The Animal – Edge’s Judgment Day opponent – respond to the Rated-R festivities?
Also this week, the unbelievable aftermath of Edge’s title theft from last Friday’s SmackDown will be revealed as exclusive footage of Undertaker’s post-loss departure from the arena. Tune in to see the mysterious and eerie events that you didn’t see last week. General Manager Theodore Long continues to look for an assistant. This week on SmackDown, Long will interview Vickie Guerrero at the behest of his girlfriend Kristal. Could the GM finally found the right person for the job? Finally, legendary music icon Ozzy Osbourne will rock SmackDown with a live performance of the official theme song for Judgment Day, “I Don’t Wanna Stop”. Will WWE Superstars be ready to jam with the Prince of Darkness? Catch this first for SmackDown this week and experience a rock milestone for sports-entertainment.
One week after he tore Mr. McMahon’s Executive Assistant limb from limb, Bobby Lashley will get another crack at Jonathan Coachman…this time in a sanctioned match Monday night on Raw. Will we see a repeat beating when these two square off one-on-one? Or will Coachman somehow manage to hold his own against the mountainous Lashley? Also, the new World Heavyweight Champion, Edge, will be at Raw to say goodbye. There’s no doubt the Rated-R Superstar will be gloating as he makes his final Raw appearance before heading to SmackDown. WWE Champion John Cena has a tall mountain to climb as Raw heads to its final stop before Judgment Day.
One would assume Cena will be looking for The Great Khali, the No. 1 contender, who stole the title and walked out of Raw last week after leveling The Champ with his own gold. Can Cena gain any momentum against the monstrous Khali heading into their one-on-one encounter? Carlito called out Ric Flair on Raw last week, but as first reported by WWE.com, Flair was not in the arena. Will “Nature Boy” have anything to say this week in response to Carlito’s words and his treatment of Raw beauty Torrie Wilson? Find out all this and more on Raw, Monday night at 9/8 CT on USA Network.
The SmackDown realm has become Rated-R with its new World Heavyweight Champion, Edge. At the conclusion of the Steel Cage Match between Undertaker and Batista, the Rated-R Superstar capitalized on the beaten and exhausted gladiators and cashed in his Money in the Bank title opportunity. Want to see how it all went down – from the hellacious cage confrontation to the execution of Edge’s calculative scheme? Tune in this Friday night for the dramatic and historic edition of SmackDown. Montel Vontavious Porter is another Superstar in search of gold, and the cocky MVP is the No. 1 contender to Chris Benoit’s United States Championship. Can MVP find a way to defeat the Rabid Wolverine to claim his first bling on SmackDown?
A major announcement regarding the main event of Judgment Day will kick off Raw at 9/8 CT. What will that announcement be, and will it shed any light on the complicated WWE Championship picture? The locker room is on notice as Raw prepares to invade the Bryce-Jordan Center on the campus of Penn State University Monday night. Last week, The Great Khali made his intentions known: he wants the WWE Championship. After laying out Shawn Michaels, Edge and Randy Orton (with the attack on Michaels ruining a scheduled Cena vs. HBK battle), Khali hit the ring and laid out John Cena.
This week, Cena will battle Orton. But with HBK having been denied a championship opportunity last week, Edge upset about not getting another one and Khali on the prowl, no one is safe. Will The Champ or The Legend Killer survive long enough to come out on top? Last week, the alliance between Ric Flair and Carlito came to an end when the Southpaw from San Juan attacked Flair during a tag team match. After seeing Flair and Carlito brawl up the entrance ramp, it became clear that there is some serious animosity between these two. What will happen after a week of separation? Find out all this and more on Raw, Monday night at 9/8 CT on USA Network.