Shawn Michaels vs. Randy Orton: WWE RAW, 4-9-07

The following report is courtesy of lordsofpain.net ...

The show opened with Shane McMahon coming to the ring, as JR and King hyped that he’d promised to make an impact tonight on RAW. The crowd was all over Shane. McMahon said that his last name usually strikes fear into people’s hearts, but since Wrestlemania, the people have been singing a different tune. Shane said that there were five generations of McMahons, and that tonight he intended to put some respect back into the McMahon family name. He called out Bobby Lashley. The crowd responded with a “Bobby” chant. ECW Champion Lashley made his way out to the ring in a suit. The crowd responded with another “Bobby” chant. Shane said that he was going to take Bobby’s dignity tonight by taking his ECW Championship tonight.

At that point, Umaga (w/Armando) came to the ring. Shane ran out to cut them off. He told them he appreciated their offer, but to get out of there. Shane went face-to-face w/Umaga and showed no fear. He slapped Estrada. AAE and Umaga went to the back. Shane returned to the ring and told Lashley he’d give him the beating of his life. Lashley wanted to make things interesting, so he told Shane that if he beat him, he should get to shave Shane bald. McMahon thought about it for a minute, and then accepted Bobby’s challenger. So, tonight, it’ll be Shane vs. Lashley in a title vs. hair match.

Match 1: Mickie James and Candice Michelle vs. Women’s Champion Melina and Victoria
- Melina asked for Mickie James, so her and James started off the in-ring action tonight with a quick brawl. Mickie scored with a low dropkick and tagged Candice, who dropped Melina with a top rope double axe-handle. Candice splashed her in the corner and choked her across the top rope with a hangmen’s neck vice. Victoria interfered and helped Melina escape. King made an annoying comment about shaving his back for Candice Michelle. The heels dominated and traded tags to keep James grounded. Melina used a modified surfboard stretch to take full control. Victoria tagged back in, but missed a slingshot leg drop. Mickie got the tag and eventually dropped Victoria with a hurricanrana. James soon found herself in a double-team predicament, but Candice made the save with a spinning wheel kick on Melina. Mickie finished off Victoria with her spike DDT. Mickie and Candice defeated Victoria and Melina at 4:36.

Backstage, Mick Foley introduced Michael Pena, the honorary GM of RAW (thru Make-a-Wish Foundation). Foley introduced Pena to Maria, the Highlanders, and the millions of fans. He got the kid to get a cheap pop…

Match 2: Ric Flair and Carlito (w/Torrie) vs. Cade and Murdoch
- The match began during a commercial break. Back from the break, Cade caught Flair with a diving clothesline. Murdoch tagged in and gave Flair several mounted punches. A few quick tags ensued, with Cade and Murdoch maintaining control. Murdoch suplexed Flair and then applied a neck vice. Flair fought back out of the heel corner and eventually reached Carlito. CCC cleaned house, taking Cade down with a dropkick and Murdoch to the mat with a running knee lift and clothesline. Carlito went for a springboard back elbow, but Cade pushed Murdoch out of the way. The finish came when Cade and Murdoch drilled Carlito with Total Elimination.

Further backstage, Todd Grisham interviewed HBK. Michaels said he wasn’t the sharpest tack, but even he knew that nice guys don’t finish last. He said that he had to beat Randy Orton to keep his title hopes alive and that tonight’s match was about who wanted it more. Randy Orton stepped into the picture and told HBK that he wanted it more and that HBK’s days as the top contender were long gone. HBK congratulated him on being the ten thousandth guy to tell him that his days were done. He said Orton would need a set of dentures after he kicks his teeth down his throat.

Match 3: #1 Contender’s Match - Randy Orton vs. Shawn Michaels
- A lock-up to start, with HBK grabbing a headlock. Orton powered into a overhead wrist-lock, but HBK countered into a hammerlock. Randy countered into one of his own, but HBK countered into an overhead wristlock. Michaels used his foot to bring Orton to his knee. Orton used a hair pull to break the hold and buy himself time to re-apply his hammerlock. The crowd was very into HBK. Michaels countered into a hammerlock of his own. Orton took HBK down with a shoulder tackle and an arm drag, but Michaels came back with a boot to the face and a headlock take down. HBK ended up getting busted open over his right eye. Orton got to his feet, broke the hold, and caught HBK with a knee lift. Randy stomped his mid-section and pounded on HBK’s chest with his forearm. A bodyslam followed for the Legend Killer. Michaels then dodged a knee drop and gave Orton a chop block. He proceeded to focus on Orton’s left leg. He stomped it, raked it across the apron, and rammed his knee into it. The crowd chanted “Orton sucks.”

HBK continued to work over Orton’s leg with a grapevine submission. Orton tried to come back, but HBK caught him with a leg drag. Michaels went for the Figure Four, but Orton pushed him shoulder-first into the ring post. Edge came to the ringside area at that point. HBK took advantage of Orton’s distraction and rolled him up for a near fall. Orton came back with a hard shot that sent HBK back to the mat and returned his attention to Edge. We then got a dreaded mid-match commercial break, but that was to be expected. Back from the break, Orton had Michaels in a rear chinlock. HBK fought out of the hold, but Orton backdropped him to maintain control. Randy proceeded to connect with a back elbow smash that sent Michaels to the apron. Orton dragged half his body back in the ring and dropped him with a spike DDT for a series of near falls. The crowd chanted for HBK. Orton stomped a mud-hole in Michaels, but HBK fought back with a sunset flip (complete w/pull of the tights). Randy came right back with a hard clothesline before returning to the rear chinlock. Michaels fed off the crowd and broke the hold. The two traded blows until HBK scored with a swinging neckbreaker. Meanwhile, Edge looked on, pacing the ring. Back to the action, both competitors gingerly reached their feet and traded blows. Michaels went for the flying forearm, but Orton ducked it and sent HBK into the ref. The Showstopper kept rolling, though, connecting with an inverted atomic drop, a series of clotheslines, and a top rope elbow drop. He tuned up the band for Sweet Chin Music, but Edge got up on the apron. Orton used the distraction to clothesline HBK, sending both he and Michaels over the top rope.

Edge stalked the two of them on the outside. Out of nowhere, Orton hit HBK with the RKO on the floor. Orton put HBK back in the ring and told Edge to get lost. Edge wanted to know what the problem was. Orton ducked an Edge clothesline attempt and went for the RKO. Edge countered and pushed Orton toward the ring post. Randy blocked himself from hitting the steel, but Edge surprised him with a spear! Edge put Orton back in the ring, and then put the ref back in the ring. A new ref came to the ring and started count out the two superstars. They made it to their feet. HBK caught Orton with Sweet Chin Music. Michaels fell across Orton’s fallen body, but his own shoulders were down on the mat, too. One ref counted Orton down for three, but the other counted HBK down for three. The ref’s deliberated after the match and tried to decided what to do. Edge, from the ramp, pleaded his case for being number one contender. Orton and HBK fought to a no-contest (unofficially) at 17:29.

Backstage, Orton approached Shane about the title situation, but Shane told him to take it up with Coach.

Further backstage, Foley introduced Michael Pena to Val Venis, Super Crazy, and Cryme Tyme. Johnny Nitro walked into the picture and stared a hole thru Foley as he walked by. Coach came into the picture and established dominance. Edge approached Coach and wanted to have a little talk. Mick told Pena that they tried to tell Coach something, but he wouldn’t listen.

Match 4: World Tag Champions The Hardys vs. TWGTT
- Matt and Charlie started it off. They traded hammerlocks until Hardy took control and tagged Jeff Hardy. They used a double back elbow and double elbow drop to gain complete momentum. Jeff went to the top rope, but Shelton interfered, jumped to the top rope in one leap, and caught Hardy with a jumping roundhouse kick. Haas then took control, as the crowd chanted for the Hardys. Shelton came in and controlled until Jeff used a mulekick to free himself and tag Matt. Matt took down TWGTT with a bulldog-clothesline combo. He then gave Shelton a Side Effect. Haas ended up on the outside, allowing the Hardys to catch Shelton with Poetry in Motion, the Twist of Fate, and the Swanton Bomb for the 1…2…3! Hardys over Haas/Benjamin at 3:36.

The Rated-R Superstar hosted the Cutting Edge, featuring WWE Champion John Cena. - Edge came to the ring with a cocky smirk. The crowd chanted “You Suck.” Edge commented on the outcome of the #1 contender’s match, citing HBK and Orton as having both lost. He said that Coach agreed that it should be Edge, not Orton or HBK, that should be #1 contender. Orton stormed the ring, prompting Edge to get out of dodge. Randy said that Coach agreed that Edge shouldn’t be #1 contender. HBK hit the ring, at that point. Michaels said he was looking them in the eye and telling them that HBK was the better man. He wanted HBK vs. Cena at Backlash.

Finally, John Cena came to the ring. Cena told everyone to hold on. He got a mixed reaction from the crowd. Cena said they were supposed be talking about the WWE title, but instead they were just out there talking about their packages…Edge just beats his, Orton doesn’t have one, and HBK is unhappy about what he’s got. HBK got in his face. Cena approached Edge, citing that the last time they faced, he beat him in a TLC match in Toronto. He said he was fine w/facing Edge. Cena approached Orton, citing that Orton has only himself to blame for not having had a 1-on-1 title shot. He said Orton didn’t have the guts to step up, but if he now thinks he’s ready…he’s fine w/facing Orton. Cena turned to Michaels, citing how they could re-create Wrestlemania 23…so he’s fine w/facing HBK, as well. All this talking brought out the Coach, who came to the ramp and hyped Orton and Edge for having sought him out. He said that Orton and Edge would face Cena in a 2-on-1 handicap match at Backlash, with the guy who gets the pin becoming champion.

At that point, Mick Foley came to the ramp and told Coach that he doesn’t get to make the big decisions tonight. Foley said the only guy who could make those decisions was little Michael Pena (from Make-a-Wish Foundation). Pena overruled Coach’s decision and announced that John Cena would defend the WWE title at Backlash in a Fatal Four-way match against Orton, Edge, and HBK.

Match 5: ECW Champion Bobby Lashley vs. Shane McMahon
- Before the opening bell sounded, Shane speared Lashley thru the top and middle ropes. Lashley tried to respond with a slam on the floor, but Shane countered and pushed him into the ring post. As Bobby tried to re-enter the ring, Shane caught him with a baseball slide. Shane then drove Lashley into the apron and the steel steps. The bell rang and officially started the match. McMahon continued to dominate with a series of knee lifts and elbow smashes, but Lashley came back with a belly-to-belly overhead suplex, a hard clothesline in the corner, and a back body drop. He followed with a fall-away slam. Shane grabbed the ref and got himself disqualified. Umaga, AAE, and Vince came to the ring after the bell sounded. Lashley and Umaga brawled, w/ Umaga gaining the advantage thanks to interference from Estrada and Vince. Umaga caught Lashley with a pair of running rear smashes in the corner.

Vince, by the way, sported a gangster-style hat. Shane blasted Lashley right in the face (unprotected) with a steel chair. McMahon grabbed a mic, as Umaga continued to beat the hell out of a bloodied Lashley. Vince took off his hat and revealed some hair growing in. He also said announced Vince vs. Shane vs. Umaga vs. Lashley for the ECW title at Backlash. Umaga finished off Lashley with a Samoan Spike. Lashley defeated Shane via DQ at 2:28.