Hacking is a Felony

Source: pwinsider


Eric Ganzerli is live at the Monday Night Raw taping in Milan, Italy and will be updating us with results as the taping progresses.

Pre-Show Notes:

*When WWE played the history of WWE video, every clip of John Cena was booed out of the building.

*The set is the same one used for recent tapings in Great Britain, with Italian flags replaced the UK flags.

*Todd Grisham came to the ring to introduce Heat.

Dark Match:

*CM Punk defeated Kevin Thorn with Go To Sleep. Thorn was bleeding after the match.

Heat:

*Val Venis pinned Daniel Rodimer with the Money Shot. Crowd was chanting the World Cup song to entertain themselves.

*Matt Hardy pinned Kenny Dykstra with the Twist of Fate. A bit long and slow at times.

Raw:

*The Italian announce team will be at ringside at a table next to Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler.

*Monday Night Raw opens with Jonathan Coachman on the stage, announcing John Cena vs. Rated RKO tonight. Coachman then introduces Vince McMahon, who rips on the crowd and "fashion city." McMahon introduces Umaga and Armando Alejandro Estrada. They review destroying ECW champion Bobby Lashley last week at the end of Raw. McMahon promises to destroy Lashley at Backlash and notes that neither Lashley nor Shane McMahon are here tonight. He says that Umaga is here, though, and issues an open challenge for anyone to face the Intercontinental champion. No one comes out. McMahon raises the stakes, saying the title is on the line. No one comes out. McMahon asks if anyone from the audience would like to fight Umaga. A lot of fans raise their hands. An "obvious plant" is called into the ring. McMahon tries to talk to the "fan", who responds to him in Italian. A referee comes down and we have our first match.

WWE Intercontinental champion Umaga vs. ?

After the fan nearly gets a two count, McMahon returns and announces the match is no No Holds Barred. Estrada slaps the fans, who slaps him back. Umaga and Estrade trounce the fan. The building chants for Lashley. Lashley hits the ring and attacks Umaga. McMahon grabs a chair but Lashley blocks it and Vince scampers out of the ring. Lashley drills Umaga with the chair three times, then spears him. Lashley puts the fan on top of Umaga. The fan gets the pin. The fan, announced as "Santino" is the new WWE Intercontinental champion.

*Backstage vignette with Ric Flair psyching up Carlito for their match tonight.

*They announce the main event of Raw next week from London will be WWE champion John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels.

*Carlito and Ric Flair vs. Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin

Ric Flair interferes during the match and is admonished by the referee. Carlito is hit by Haas as he rebounds off the ropes. Benjamin hits an exploder suplex and pins Carlito. Carlito has words with Flair and walks off.

*They air a vignette on HHH's injury. It may have been just for the live crowd.

*They air a recap video on the Make-A-Wish child that was General Manager last week.

*Maria interviews WWE champion John Cena, who is booed by the crowd. Shawn Michaels comes in. Cena says that before Wrestlemania he had to worry about whether Michaels had his back or not, but next week, he doesn't have to worry about that - he's just going to kick Michaels' ass.

*They air a trailer for The Condemned.

*WWE Women's champion Melina is backstage preparing for the Diva Fashion Show with Johnny Nitro. Eugene appears on the scene and Nitro sends him packing.

*They air a video feature on The Great Khali and announce he'll return to Raw next week.

Johnny Nitro vs. Eugene

Nitro pins Eugene with a snapshot neckbreaker in a quick bout.

*The Diva Fashion Show is next.

*Torrie Wilson wins the Fashion Show. Melina attacks her, leading to the babyface Divas clearing the ring.

Jeff Hardy (with Matt Hardy) vs. Lance Cade (with Trevor Murdoch)

Hardy goes for the swanton but Cade gets his knees up. Cade then nails a lariat for the pin.

*Another Condemned promo.

Chris Masters came to the ring and cut a promo saying none of the greats like Da Vinci and Michelangelo created a masterpiece like his body.

Chris Masters vs. Super Crazy

Dueling chants for each. Masters gets the win with a new move, not the Masterlock.

*They aired a new Undertaker video highlighting his undefeated streak (15-0) at Wrestlemania.

*Added to Backlash is Melina vs. Mickie James for the WWE Womens title.

WWE champion John Cena vs. Rated RKO - Handicap Match

Edge and Orton did a promo before the match saying they were letting bygones be bygones to get the job done together. Late in the match, they were destroying Cena. Shawn Michaels came out and pulled the rope down, causing Orton to fall from the ring. Cena made a comeback and went for the F-U on Edge, but Orton dropkicked them, bumping the referee in the process. Michaels tries to hit Sweet Chin Music on Cena, but he avoided it. Edge got nailed. Cena hit the F-U on Michaels, then covered Edge for the pin. RKO attacked Michaels and after some hesitation, Cena hit the ring. Cena and Michaels hit their finishers on RKO. Michaels then nailed Cena with Sweet Chin Music and celebrates to end the show.


more info about the "fan"



On tonight’s edition of RAW, a “fan” that debuts inside the ring faces off against Umaga. He will be the newest edition to the RAW roster and he goes by the name “Santillo.” He has been working in Ohio Valley Wrestling as Boris Elexiev. In OVW, he has been portraying a Russian monster heel.

Santillo’s real name is Anthony Carelli, and he is Italian. Thus resulting in WWE giving him the big debut tonight on the Italian tour.

In a side note, you may recall Carelli as an OVW student that was slapped around by Jim Cornette. That was the reason for Cornette’s departure from WWE.

XPmpnII

Thanks for the info about that fan... you know, I was watching that and was like, haha, what the hell. But then again, I figured he might've been from OVW or something like that.

I LOL'd hard when those Italians started chanting at the beginning of Raw with Vince out there and he was like, "I still can't understand a damn thing you people are saying" and then was like, "SHUUUUT UP!" hahaha.

I still don't get WWE. Why the **** will they not turn Cena heel? lol, it's retarded to keep him as a face when he's clearly not being cheered anymore. He's MUCH better as a heel, IMO. They turn him back heel and he picks up his rap gimmick again back from where he left off last time and that'll be gold right there.

Did you see when Vince pointed to that kid in the striped red and white t-shirt and asked if he wanted to fight Umaga? LOL, he looked like he was about to cry.

Hacking is a Felony

I like the fact that they threw the Intercontinental Championship on this new guy. From a financial standpoint it was a smart move by the WWE since they are in Italy this week. If the crowd believes that one of their own people won the belt, it will create more interest into the WWE, they will gain a larger audience, and in turn sell more product.

Yeah this guy is from OVW, but the italian crowd doesn't know that .. unless they read spoilers and surf the web for info.

Some might disagree, but I think it kind of gives credibility to the "intercontinental" title since it was won by an italian guy in Italy. The IC belt has lost it's credibilty in the last few years especially with the lack of it being defended at the major PPV's. That belt meant much more back in the day when the Macho Man, Ricky the Dragon Steamboat, and others held that title and how it was defended in different countries compared to today.

It was also interesting to see how the italian crowd reacted to the show in general. LOL at the soccer songs and chants and Vince not undertanding them.

In regards to Cena, yes .. it's time for change. I don't know how much longer they will continue to make him "immortal" like Hogan. It's time for a new champ and a new direction for his character. I can understand it from a financial standpoint, Cena is a cash cow and is generating product sales. In a way, Cena is this generation's "Hulk Hogan" and is a hero to a much younger generation. LOL .. it makes more sense to me now that I have two little ones of my own who watch with me. Regardless, the crowd booing Cena has increased more and more lately. Those boos are the loyal fan base saying "it's time for change".

In my opinion Shawn Michaels should have walked away with the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania 23. Giving Michaels another title run would be good for the old school fans. That's what the fans wanted and didn't get.

XPmpnII

I pretty much agree with everthing you just said. You're right about the IC title, man. It used to mean so much more back in the day... now it just seems like it doesn't mean shit... as if the heavyweight championship is the only belt that's worth a damn thing.

And yeah, I agree with the Cena bit. I think people want to see Cena turn heel and go back to how he used to be. The way he's acting now... the Marine salute, the fact that he seems to be a more "clean" version of himself... in other words, the old Cena when he was heel and had the rapping gimmick... he was like Rated R. Now they've just had him kinda drop that and cleaned him up to where he's more like Rated PG. You kinda see what I'm saying? Like he's more aimed toward younger kids... just like what you were saying. A 2007 version of Hulk Hogan, so to speak. I hate that, too.

And I definitely think HBK should've walked away from Wrestlemania as the champ. I'm pissed that he's not getting to have another title run... unless he wins it in the future. But it would've been so much better for him to win at WM.

Curl Master

I miss when IC title meant something. I remember when true champions had it like Mr. Perfect, Randy Mancho Savage, Rick the Dragon Steamboat had the title. They do not make wrestlers like that any more. The wrestling talent know days can not even compare back to the old days. The talent know days do not know how to wrestle or have good gimicks like the old school wrestlers.