An Amazing Wrestlemania 23 Rematch: WWE RAW Results, 4-23-07

The following report is courtesy of wrestleview.com ...

Shane McMahon’s music hit and he came down to the ring. Shane said Bobby Lashley certainly wouldn’t be here tonight. He said Lashley was responsible for shaving his father’s head bald and costing Umaga the Intercontinental Championship. A video recap aired putting over Santino Marella’s improbable win over the Samoan Bulldozer last week.

Shane said in honor of St. George’s Day in England, one of these people would have the opportunity to slay a dragon. They said that dragon would be Shane. Shane said one of these people tonight would be facing him tonight. He pointed to a bunch of people and even pointed out the head coach of Chelsea FC . Shane said he wasn’t going to bother with these people. He had already scoured the English country side and found the greatest wrestler in the country, Robbie Brookside. Brookside came out and wow, is he looking pathetic.

No DQ: Shane McMahon v. Robbie Brookside
The two locked horns and Shane grabbed a side headlock and then took him down with a take over. Brookeside counteed only to get hip tossed aside by Shane-O-Mac. Shane locked horns with Brookside and rode all over Brookside before driving some mean forearm shots into the back of the head and the kidneys.

Eventually, Shane introduced us to his ‘tag team’ partner, Umaga. Brookside was completely unconscious. Umaga hammered away on Brookside in the corner and after Shane added some boots for good measure, Umaga came sailing across the ring and hit the running ass to the face.

Umaga dragged Brookside’s completely unconscious body to the center of the ring and lay him prone in the center. Umaga came flying off with a big splash. Shane grabbed the mic again and forgot to mention the fact that this was a 3 on 1 handicapped match and introduced Vince. McMahon sneaked into the ring and grabbed the cover on Brookside for the ‘win’.
Winners: Umaga, Shane & Vince McMahon via pin fall

Matt Hardy (w/Jeff Hardy) v. Trevor Murdoch (w/Lance Cade)
After some back and forth, Hardy connected with a side effect before going for another cover but again, got nothing. Hardy jumped to the second rope and hit a leg drop, but Lance Cade showed up out of nowhere and interfered, distracting Hardy long enough for Murdoch to hit his finisher for the win.
Winner: Trevor Murdoch via pin fall

A video putting over Steve Austin’s new movie The Condemned aired.

Melina v. Maria
The two circled it up and locked horns before Melina tossed her to the mat. Maria returned the favor before Melina snapped and went a little loopy, bum rushing Maria to the corner and choking her out with a furry boot. Melina kept up the pressure, choking Maria out on the top rope before landing a chop and whipping Maria in to the ropes. Maria countered with a hurricanranna and came flying back at Melina, but got caught with a face buster that put her down for the count.
Winner: Melina via pin fall

The Great Khali v. Carlito
Khali hit a shoulder block and then just screamed. Carlito ducked under Khali and tried to kick out the big man’s legs, but Khali just killed him with a head butt. Khali hoisted up Carlito by the hair and went for a power slam, but Carlito raked the eyes and escaped. Carlito mounted the top rope and went for the missile drop kick but Khali swatted him out of the air. Khali hit a CHOP!!!!!!! YES! Double choke slam and a foot on Carlito’s chest later, this one’s over.
Winner: The Great Khali via pin fall

After the match, Ric Flair went to tend to Khali. Carlito asked him where he was and then went nuts in Spanish. I think Carlito said he had no heart. Flair looked confused as he walked up the ramp.

Mick Foley is in the back. He said he didn’t get to be on Raw much anymore and was looking quite dapper. He said it was a privilege to help Michael Pena. He said Pena had made a match before Edge showed up. They made an Al Snow joke. Edge said it meant that he’d get to go through three people on his way to the WWE Championship. He said he would get a cup of coffee after he ran over Randy Orton and watch HBK and Cena tear each other apart. Edge told him he wrote a good book and left.

John Cena v. Shawn Michaels
The bell rang and the two circled it up. HBK grabbed a knuckle lock and used his shoulder to hammer away at Cena’s left arm. Michaels grabbed a fireman’s carry take down and Cena escaped and we’ve got a stalemate.

The two locked up again and HBK grabbed a head lock. Michaels skated around Cena’s body and grabbed a hammer lock before Cena threw him off. Michaels was frustrated and Cena was smiling. The two locked up again and HBK grabbed another arm wringer. HBK flipped Cena over and went for a quick cover and used the kick out to grab another arm bar. Cena countered out and went for a quick STFU and HBK frantically escaped.

HBK grabbed another side headlock Cena tossed HBK off the ropes and hit a drop toe hold and looked for another STFU and again, Michaels, frustrated, escaped. Michaels is really starting to get frustrated. Cena kept smiling and pointing to his head.

HBK grabbed a go behind and Cena struggled a bit to undo the hold. Cena grabbed the go behind and went for another STFU and again, Michaels escaped and Michaels was looking almost helplessly over matched. Michaels got in Cena’s face and shoved him while Cena smiled. HBK smacked Cena but then got decked. Michaels flopped back into the corner and was fuming while trying to collect his senses.

The two locked up again and Cena took HBK over with a side headlock. Cena was able to hang onto the hold while HBK couldn’t counter out. HBK tried to send Cena off the ropes but Cena held onto the hold. Wow, this is awesome. Cena took HBK over again and got a near fall out of it and was clearly and completely out wrestling Shawn Michaels. HBK fought to his feet and desperately attempted to break the hold. HBK finally broke the hold with some punches but completely ate a Cena shoulder block and then found himself right back in the head lock.

Cena rolled Michaels over again, maintaining control with the head lock and almost grabbing another near fall. This is almost like WM 23 in reverse. HBK began punching out again and sent Cena off the ropes and went for an arm drag and the got F-ING DECAPITATED by a Cena lariat. Cena got a near fall and then went right back to the head lock. HBK again used punches to the gut to toss Cena off and finally hit a reverse elbow and floored the champion.

Michaels slammed Cena’s head into the buckles and chopped him before slamming Cena off the other buckle and landing another chop. Michaels hit some clubbing blows to Cena’s back and then landed a third chop. HBK whipped Cena to the corner but ate a big boot and then got hammered with a second Cena lariat for a near fall. Cena’s right back to that head lock.

HBK, a little quicker than last time, was able to fight out of the hold, but Cena flattened him with another shoulder block. HBK stumbled to his feet and looked for sweet chin music out of nowhere, but Cena held up and back dropped the veteran to the floor. Michaels is beside himself, completely unable to get anything going and for the first time in maybe a decade, overmatched completely.

****Commercial****

We came back to some more Cena head lock action. Michaels broke the hold all dirty and chopped Cena in the corner. HBK began showing a little attitude and hit a back elbow to Cena’s face. HBK hit a snap mare take over and booted Cena right in the face. Wow, the crowd’s beginning to heel on him. Michaels hammered Cena’s head into the corner and let loose two chops. Cena began fighting back and grabbed the headlock but it’s not working now. HBK came bounding off the ropes looking for a cross body block but got caught in mid air by Cena and front slammed hard to the mat for a near fall.

Cena hit the whip to the buckles and fisherman buster combo for yet another near fall. Cena waited for HBK to rise to his feet, coiled and ready to strike. Cena hit a boot to the gut and his flipping face buster for a two count. Cena’s beginning to get a little frustrated.

Michaels and Cena stood toe to toe, exchanging strikes before Cena dumped Michaels to the mat with a back body drop. Cena made an exhausted cover attempt but Michaels kicked out. Cena went for a vertical suplex but HBK fought out and hit a beautiful swinging neck breaker. However, HBK was too exhausted from the punishment to really follow it up.

The two exchanged some strikes before Michaels came flying off the ropes with his flying forearm. Both men are laid out on the mat. Michaels nipped up at six and went into his victory sequence. HBK connected with a body slam before landing the top rope elbow.

HBK began to tune up the band in the corner. Cena saw it coming and came with a clothesline but was almost caught in a back slide. Cena kicked out and both came bounding off the ropes at each other before Michaels ducked under a completely wild Cena shoulder block attempt. The Champion missed by a mile and went clattering to the outside. Michaels went for a plancha but CENA CAUGHT HIM in mid air. HBK fought out and tossed Cena into the ring steps. Both are laid out on the outside of the ring.

Michaels was working Cena’s left side and arm, capitalizing on the whip to the ring steps. Michaels grabbed a hammer lock and sent the champion careening into the ring post shoulder first. Cena tumbled out of the ring and was writhing in pain on the outside of the ring. Um, this match is officially 30 minutes old. That’s an eternity for TV.

HBK jerked Cena’s arm across the top rope while the Champion paced around on the ring apron. Michaels brought him back into the ring and began yanking, twisting and landing on Cena’s injured arm in any way he possibly could. HBK tried to leverage the hold for a cover attempt on two occasions, but Cena was able to kick out. Michaels drove some knees into Cena’s left arm. Now it’s looking like Cena can’t use the STFU or the FU. Cena fought back but missed with an elbow.

HBK tried to capitalize again before Cena went into victory sense. His selling of the shoulder is awesome here, writhing in pain but going through with the move anyways. Cena hit the five knuckle shuffle and looked for the FU. Cena looked for the FU but Michaels ducked out and went for sweet chin music. Michaels went for sweet chin music but Cena ducked under it and hit the FU. Cena went for the cover but HBK KICKS OUT!!

By the way, we’ve just passed 35 minutes in this match. Cena’s apparently been killing HBK’s back over the break. Cena tossed Michaels to the floor like last week’s garbage before ramming his back into the ring apron and tossing him right back into the ring. It took everything Michaels had to kick out of the cover attempt. Cena began HAMMERING away at the back of Shawn Michaels before looking for another vertical suplex. Cena powered Michaels over despite Michaels trying to dead weight himself. HBK kicked out of yet another cover attempt before Cena bore in with a bear hug. Now Cena’s dipping deep into that move set people say he apparently doesn’t have.

Michaels began hammering desperately on Cena’s back and barely managed to escape the hold. Michaels went for a whip but the move was reversed and HBK crashed into the buckles, getting dumped upside down, over the top rope and to the floor. Kids, we’re past 40 minutes.

Cena went to the top rope and hit his wild looking leg drop but Michaels still, still, still found a way to kick out. Cena turned to the announce table and with a smirk on his face, shook his head and asked them what it was going to take. Cena perched HBK on the top rope. Cena lofted HBK up on his shoulders looking for a top rope FU but HBK wiggled out and hit a freaking CRAZY power bomb. Jesus, this is incredible.

Both men are laid out in the middle of the ring. HBK staggered towards Cena but the champ popped to life out of nowhere and clipped the leg, looking for the STFU. HBK kicked Cena off to the ring apron and shoulder blocked Cena off the ring apron and on to the announce table.

HBK broke the referees count intentionally before bumbling out to the ringside area. Michaels gathered Cena and went for a freaking pile driver on the ring steps. Cena blocked the move and back dropped Michaels to the floor. Cena rolled into the ring as we headed to commercial. Kids, welcome to 45 minutes.

Literally we went from black screen to Cena and HBK rolling over the announce table beating the F__K out of each other! Cena tossed HBK back into the ring and finally slapped on the STFU. Cena’s got Michaels cinched in HARD. The move actually looks incredible and Michaels’ selling is phenomenal. We’re at 50 freaking’ minutes. Michaels, with no wrist tape on and covered in sweat, with a desperate reach, grabbed the bottom rope.

Cena was just slumped over and was in complete kill mode. Michaels stumbled to his feet and almost hit sweet chin music but Cena barely caught it and went for an FU. Michaels wiggled out and this time, planted Cena right in the face with sweet chin music. Cena KICKS OUT!! The London crowd are eating their poopie.

Both oozed up the corner buckles as HBK managed to lay in some extremely weak and sloppy chops. HBK went for a whip but Cena reversed him and sent him reeling into the turnbuckles. HBK flipped upside down and rebounded out. Cena scooped up HBK for the FU but HBK FLIPPED OUT AND HIT SWEET CHIN MUSIC! A cover attempt later, Michaels is your winner.
Winner: Shawn Michaels via pin fall

HBK knelt down to Cena and took the WWE Championship and posed with it before draping it across Cena’s waste and giving him a ‘suck it’ as we went off the air.