By: Brock Moore, rajah.com reader
WWE presents RAW Live!
January 20, 2008 – Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena – Binghamton, New York
5,000 plus people filled the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena for the first WWE event in Binghamton, New York since May 6, 2007. Tony Chimel came out and welcomed everyone and introduced the RAW General Manager William Regal who annouced the main matches of the evening.
Brian Kendrick defeated Charlie Haas
Brian Kendrick came to the ring and got the crowd on their feet. Haas came to the ring and got booed, Kendrick pinned Haas after the Slicebread 2 at about 10 minutes.
Snitsky defeated Super Crazy
Super Crazy came to the ring first acting like he was going to have a normal challenge instead he got Snitsky. This was a basic two minute match with Snitsky nailing Super Crazy with a big boot and his huge powerslam for the pinfall.
Vladimir Kozlov defeated Jim Duggan
Vladimir Kozlov pinned Jim Duggan after a backbreaker.
D.H. Smith defeated Trevor Murdoch
D.H Smith pinned Trevor Murdoch with a roll up.
Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes defeated Santino Marella & Carlito
This match was contested for the World Tag Team Championships currently held by Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes. During the match Hardcore Holly and Santino Marella exchanged chops. Marella and Carlito put up a heck of a fight but in the end Holly & Rhodes retained the championships after Holly hit Carlito with the Alabama Slam from the pinfall. Following the match Marella walked up the entrance way yelling “We should be the champions.” As he was walking up the entrance way I called him a “cry baby” and he tryed to take a shot at me but obviously he didn’t hit me, It was funny though.
Chris Jericho defeated John “Bradshaw” Layfield (Count Out)
JBL came to the ring and acted like he didn’t know were he was saying “I should have to wrestle wherever the he11 we are”. Chris Jericho came out to a standing ovation. Jericho grab the microphone from Tony Chimel and nailed JBL in the head with it. The match fought to the outside and both men took shots off the steel steps. Jericho tryed to put JBL in the Wall of Jericho two times match but JBL found a way out. In the end both men took a fall to the outside but Jericho was the only one able to make it in before the referees 10 count. After the bell sounded Jericho got back on the mic and told JBL if he gave him 5 more mintues he would pin him. JBL gave Jericho the finger and walked up the entrance way saying this is on my terms not yours. Jericho’s music hit and he signed autographs as he left.
Intermission
Ashley came to the ring and tossed shirts to the fans following intermission and wish Mickie James good luck in her match with Beth Phoenix as Mickie James entered the ring.
Beth Phoenix defeated Mickie James
This match was for the Womens Championship. The match was a typical Beth Phoenix vs. Mickie James match with Phoenix retaining the Womens Championship after hiting a Fishermans Suplex of Mickie James to score the pinfall.
Shawn Michaels defeated Umaga
Umaga came to the ring first, then Michaels came to the ring and a Secruity Guard had to tell Michaels which way to go because Michaels acted like he didn’t know. The fans were excited to see Michaels and he got on the microphone and said “I thought I wasn’t suppose to wrestle tonight but if you really want me to, okay.” Michaels jumped in the ring and the bell sounded. Umaga domintated most of the match, nailing Michaels with his thumb. In the end Michaels went for the Sweet Chin Music and Umaga reversed and tryed to spike Michaels but Michaels ducked and when Umaga turned back around he got the Sweet Chin Music, Michaels covered and got the pinfall.
Before the main event, Tony Chimel thanked everyone for coming and told everyone that WWE looked forward to returning to Binghamton sometime in the future.
Randy Orton defeated Jeff Hardy
This match was contested for the WWE Championship held by Randy Orton. Both men are still sore from RAW last Monday as they made there way to the ring. Orton talked on the microphone about Jeff Hardy and as Hardy came down the entrance way Orton walked up it and the two began to fight right then. Hardy took some hard falls to the outside and Orton reversed the Twist of Fate and hit an RKO for the pinfall to retain the WWE Championship. Following the match, Jeff Hardy nailed Randy Orton with a steel chair and Orton rolled out of the ring and grab the WWE Championship and headed backstage. Hardy’s music hit and he tossed his arm-bands off to the crowd as the show drew to a close.
Other Notes: I got autographs from Chris Jericho, Marty Elias and Tony Chimal. We seen some of the superstars leave before we left the arena. The superstars are off to Hampton, Virgina for RAW on Monday that is way this show was held at 3:00pm in the afternoon.
Biggest Pops:
1. Chris Jericho
2. Shawn Michaels
3. Jeff Hardy
4. Mickie James
5. Hardcore Holly & Cody Rhodes
Biggest Heat:
1. Randy Orton
2. John “Bradshaw” Layfield
3. Santino Marella & Carlito
4. Umaga
5. Snitsky
WWE RAW Live House Show Results
Binghamton, NY
January 20, 2008
By Jason Tyreman
Hi Rajah, I attended the RAW house show in Binghamton, NY. It was not a sellout,
but there was a good 6,000 people on hand. Tony Chimmel was the ring announcer
for the event. He has the weirdest entrance music I have ever heard. It sounded
like post-time at the Kentucky Derby.
Chimmel introduces William Regal, who comes out and welcomes us to the show. He
announces a Women’s Championship match, a WWE Title match, as well as a match
between Umaga (which he pronounced Umanga) vs. Shawn Michaels.
Match #1: Brian Kendrick vs. Charlie Haas
Kendrick is wearing his black version of his ring gear. Haas is wearing his usual
red and white singlet. Haas was more into showing off, which nobody bought.
Kendrick uses a schoolboy in the corner to win.
Winner: Brian Kendrick
Match #2: Super Crazy vs. Snitsky
For a house show, this was an extremely short match. The match didn’t even last
three minutes. Snitsky demolishes Super Crazy with a pumphandle slam.
Winner: Snitsky
After the match, Snitsky gives Super Crazy another pumphandle slam for his
troubles and leaves.
Match #3: Ivan Volkoff vs. Hacksaw Jim Duggan
This is the first time that I have seen Volkoff. Not many in the arena even knew
who he was. Hacksaw gets a big ovation from the crowd. He does his usual 2X4 bit
at the start of the match. There was a lot of technical moves in this match.
Hacksaw gets very little offense in as Volkoff wins.
Winner: Ivan Volkoff
Match #4: D.H. Smith vs. Trevor Murdoch
There was a lot of “Take A Shower” chants towards Murdoch in this match. D.H.
Smith looks like the basic, by-the-book wrestler. While Murdoch was arguing with
the ref over leg placement during a pin attempt, Smith rolls him up in a small
package to steal the win.
Winner: D.H. Smith
After the match, Murdoch has a tantrum in the ring before dropping to his knees in
disbelief.
Match #5: World Tag Team Titles Match-Cody Rhodes/Hardcore Holly (c) vs. Santino
Marella (w/Maria)/Carlito
Before the match, Marella cuts a promo that basically tells everybody that Carlito
is the only one who really cares about Maria. He botches saying Binghamton before
Rhodes/Holly enter. The match took forever to begin because Carlito and Marella
didn’t want to enter the ring. Marella was in the ring for a long time while
Carlito was fooling around with Maria on the outside. Marella does not help his
“good friend” Carlito when Holly delivers his Alabama Slam.
Winners and still champions: Cody Rhodes and Hardcore Holly
Match #6: JBL vs. Chris Jericho
JBL comes out and blasts Chimmel for not introducing him correctly. He cuts a
promo saying that the fans in Binghamton are like Chris Jericho. He said that we
both live up north in towns that nobody gives a damn about. He goes on to give
Jericho two options, either come down and kiss his feet or come down and have his
career ended. Jericho enters wearing purple and blue tights and says that the
only thing that is going to be kissed is Jericho’s a$$. Jericho then hits JBL
with the mic before starting the match. This match is going to look great on PPV
next week. Jericho gets JBL into the walls, but JBL gets out of it and pushes
Jericho out of the ring. The two fight outside the ring as the ref administers
the 10 count. Jericho bashes JBL’s head on the ring steps and slides back into
the ring before the count of 10 is finished to win the match.
Winner by countout: Chris Jericho
After the match, JBL gives the finger to Jericho all the way back up the aisle.
Jericho poses in the corners and shakes hands at ringside. His music played twice
as he went basically around the entire ring.
Chimmel then plugs the Royal Rumble and the souvenir stands. We then have a 15
minute intermission. At the conclusion of the intermission, Chimmel introduces
Ashley, who comes out to throw T-shirts into the crowd. She saves one for the
next wrestler to throw.
Match #7: Women’s Championship-Mickie James vs. Beth Phoenix (c)
Mickie James enters the ring wearing a light blue version of her attire. She
throws the final T-shirt into the crowd. Beth Phoenix comes out next, wearing a
red version of her attire. Beth and Ashley stare each other down in the aisle as
Phoenix is entering. Phoenix is absolutely huge, as she used a lot of power moves
in this match. Mickie James used a lot of leg headlocks and got many near falls.
Phoenix wins with a bodyslam by picking James up, holding only one of her legs.
Winner and still champion: Beth Phoenix
Match #8: Umaga vs. Shawn Michaels
Umaga comes out wearing the white-printed version of his gear. HBK comes out next
to a massive pop wearing the red and white version of his gear. He poses around
the ring for like five minutes before the match begins. Umaga during this time
stalks Chimmel around the ring. HBK gets on the mic and says that since Sunday is
his day of rest, he would like the fans to give him the day off. The crowd begins
to boo and Michaels says “all-right, all-right, sighing.” Umaga goes for a Samoan
drop late in the match, but HBK got his knees up. HBK goes for the “Music”, but
Umaga catches him. HBK pushes Umaga off and then hits the Sweet Chin Music.
Michaels covers for the 3.
Winner: Shawn Michaels
After the match, Michaels begins to leave, but comes back to pose one final time.
Chimmel then plugs the PPV and souvenir stand once more and thanks the crowd for
coming.
Match #9: Main Event WWE Championship match-Randy Orton (c) vs. Intercontinental
Champion Jeff Hardy
Orton comes out all taped up, selling his injuries from the last RAW. He is
wearing the yellow lettered version of his gear. He gets on the mic and says that
he is a company man and follows the rules. He says that Hardy is a suicidal freak
and doesn’t follow the rules. Hardy comes out and Orton meets him halfway. They
fight outside the ring for about three minutes before getting into the ring and
officially beginning the match. This match will also look great on the PPV next
week. I thought Hardy had seriously injured himself during the match when he did
a baseball slide to the outside of the ring hitting the barrier, knocking it back
several feet. He climbs back in before the count of 10. Orton does a nifty drop
kick, kicking Hardy in mid-air while he was springing over the ropes. Hardy goes
for the Twist of Fate, but Orton reverses it into the RKO and gets the 3.
Winner and still champion: Randy Orton
After the match, and as about half the people attending were leaving, Orton stalks
Hardy while Hardy is writhing on the mat. Hardy recovers and knocks Orton to the
mat. Hardy goes outside the ring, picking up a steel chair from under the ring.
Hardy blasts Orton in the gut with the chair before hitting Orton over the head
with it. Orton slowly retreats out of the ring and Hardy poses in the corners,
throwing his arm covers and shirt into the crowd. After he does this, it reveals
the taped up places where Hardy is selling his injuries. Hardy shakes hands
outside the ring for about the same time as Jericho did before leaving.
End of Show
Overall, it was a decent show, with a couple of PPV-caliber matches on the card.
There was no Triple H or Mr. Kennedy. There was one sign confiscated before the
main event, I didn’t get a chance to see what it was about. The show lasted a
good 2 and a half hours.
Biggest Pops:
1) Shawn Michaels
2) Jeff Hardy
3) Chris Jericho
4) Hacksaw Jim Duggan
Biggest Heat:
1) Randy Orton
2) JBL
3) William Regal
4) Umaga