Raw Spoilers

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The show started out with some extremely beautiful women dancing in an office backstage, showing off their good looks. Coach announced it was time for someone to be eliminated. Coach stalked the girls, and told Julia, one of the twins, was eliminated. She giggled as much as the rest of the girls did. Coach had a special assignment for the girls – to seduce a former WWE Superstar! A vignette aired of Chris Benoit’s ascension to Champion, and Hunter’s chase for his gold leading to tonight’s Iron Man Match. The opening video played, and was immediately followed by the Intercontinental Champion Edge, Matt Hardy, Chris Jericho, Kane, and Evolution making separate introductions. The ring had been filled with the rest of the Raw roster besides HHH and Benoit prior to the show’s opening. Eric Bishoff came to the stage and announced the Iron Man Match. He said that the winner of the Iron Man Match would face the winner of tonight’s Twenty-Man, over the top rope, Battle Royal. Order of eliminations for this segment: William Regal, Tyson Tomko, Chuck Polumbo. Show went to commercial.

During the commercial break Val Venis and Matt Hardy were eliminated. Hurricane, Rodney Mack, Stevie Richards, Rosey, Sylvain Grenier, Rob Conway, Tajiri were eliminated.

We returned with no eliminations during the commercials, though Kane was shown to be dominating until running into Batista. Rhyno gored Batista, and the standard Battle Royal mess resumed. Ric Flair was eliminated by Maven. Rhyno was eliminated by Rhyno. The remaining men in the ring teamed up to eliminate Kane. Orton eliminated Maven. Edge used a head scissors, with help from Jericho, to eliminate Batista. Jericho begrudgingly eliminated Edge when he was not looking. It was now down to Chris Jericho and Randy Orton for the number one contender spot. Orton and Jericho brawled, and Orton tried to lift Jericho over the top, and settled for a spine buster. He attempted a sling shot, but Jericho was hung up on the ropes. Jericho tried a fireman’s carry but couldn’t get Orton over. Orton delivered two clotheslines, but twice Jericho skinned the cat. The two tied up with one another in the exact same spot Benoit and the Big Show were in, but neither man fell. The two were dueling dramatically on the ring apron with neither men toppling. Jericho tried to kick Orton upward, but Randy used to the leverage to propel himself over the ropes back into the ring. Orton grabbed Jericho’s neck and hit an RKO – and still Jericho hung on to the ropes. While Chris was still recovering, Orton hit a desperation kick from the floor and propelled the former undisputed Champion onto the floor. Randy Orton won a Twenty Man Battle Royal. Your number one contender at Summer Slam is now, Randy Orton. The announcers debated the possibility of an all-Evolution Main Event at Summer Slam. Coach was backstage with the Diva Search contestants, and announced that the girls would be trying to seduce a former WWE superstar next. A new Summer Slam ad, with Booker T cutting off a fencer’s arm, was shown during the break.

Last week, the Diva Search contestants trashed Bishoff’s office rather happily. This week, the girls were lined up and individually tried to seduce… Kamala! Sweet Pelor. Each girl went into a room alone and was surprised by the specter of the 80’s. The girls weren’t very surprised or scared by the outright ludicrous behavior, and seemed to be in hysterics when they met the belly patting, bone wearing bare-foot from deepest, darkest – oh just shoot me I’m so drunk. Not much actual seducing was done, just some silly lines and giggles dropped to a whacked out Kamala. The girls were announced to be present in bikinis next. The Smackdown! Rebound! aired, showing the Undertaker beginning his hunt for JBL and Kurt Angle’s firing from his GM position. An advertisement for Ric Flair’s book was shown during the break, including some controversial quotes about Bret Hart and Mick Foley.

The Chris Benoit DVD has an advertisement now. Ivory, Stacy Kiebler and Linda McMahon were at the Democratic convention promoting the Smackdown Your Vote! Initiative. Mick Foley was shown talking with Peter Jennings as Ivory interviewed Stacy about the issues of the 18-30 demographic. Ah Stacy, so beautiful… so brilliant. At the stage, the Coach introduced the Diva Search contestants in bikinis. They showed the numbers under each girl as they boogied to “Idiot.” In the Evolution locker room Orton was on cloud nine. Randy told Hunter it would be an honor to face Triple H at Summer Slam, wished him luck, and offered his hand. The Game looked at the hand for a good while before finally shaking it and saying that he did not need luck.

The sting of the night was Batista’s assault on the World Heavyweight Champion, Chris Benoit. The two men entered, and the official presented the title belt. The competitors were explained the rules, including the stipulation for a sudden-death overtime. They went to their corners, the bell rang and the match was underway. The clock and scoreboard was place in the corner as the two men locked up. Benoit was in the corner and was hit by a right hand, but retaliated with a stiff chop. The challenger backed off, and the two circled a bit. Hunter tried to get in the head of Benoit, slapping him and jumping in and out of tie ups. Chris retaliated with a take down and also breaking off. Benoit grabbed a headlock, and head on through an attempted belly to back to pull Hunter over and maintain the hold. Hunter fought out and applied a wrist lock, bridging Benoit down. Chris was quick to curl up to his feet and twist Hunter over. After a failed attempt at the cross face by Benoit, The Game took a powder to pace around the ring briefly. When he returned he missed a pedigree attempt, and the circling resumed. The two tried some mat wrestling as I fail to pace my typing. I am going to be gassed by the end of this, so I have no idea how Hunter is going to survive. Benoit tried to lock on the cross face again, and once again Hunter immediately went outside. This time he returned with a knee for the champion and tosses him to the outside. When he followed he met some stiff chops though, and was forced to retreat back into the squared circle as his back was pressed to the ring steps. Benoit began to focus on the leg of Hunter, hitting his knee with leg lace take downs and kicks. Benoit continued to work the leg of The Game, but Hunter managed a desperation kick from the corner and a hard DDT to get a chance to recover. Triple H was now on the assault, and after the knee drop attempted a pedigree. Benoit reversed it into an attempted sharpshooter. When Hunter went to follow up Benoit grabbed the cross face out of no where. Seeing how close to the ropes they were, Chris rolled him over and nabbed a quick three count, and Chris Benoit won the first fall.

We returned with just over forty-six minutes remaining, and the Champion ahead and in control with a rear chin lock. He hit a snap suplex, pounded the lower back with forearm shots and a belly to back suplex for a near fall. Chris locked on an abdominal stretch, and Hunter muscled out of it to arm drag the champ over the top and outside. The replay showed Benoit’s back hitting the ring apron, and Hunter followed slowly. Blood was present in the Rabid Wolverine’s mouth, and Hunter went on the attack. Hunter sent Chris into the corner hard with an Irish whip, and kicked Benoit in the head when the champ attempted his own with a splash follow-up. Benoit tried an Irish whip, but some miscommunication on intent meant that Hunter didn’t hit the turnbuckle. Hunter landed a backbreaker, but was tossed into the corner right and flipped over to the outside. Benoit dived for the challenger, but only landed a glancing blow and sailed into the divider. Both men were down, and JR talked about the Pegasus Kid and Topes, and I remembered that Jim Ross was once called the best announcer in wrestling.

A little under thirty-seven minutes were left in the match when the show resumed. During the break Benoit sent Hunter into the ring steps. Chris had control of the match, holding on a wicked-looking Indian death lock. Hunter had to sit up to avoid being pinned, and Benoit knocked him back repeatedly with some vicious head butts. The hold was broken, and Benoit put on a figure four. Triple H (Who looked a little gassed) turned it over, and Benoit grabbed the ropes immediately. Chris was still in control, going for the ten shots in the corner – but was dropped head first into the turn buckle. Hunter tried to capitalize with a suplex, but Benoit crawled over the challenger’s body and held on for three German suplexes. There was no one home for the flying head butt. Benoit was holding his chest, and Hunter threw him into the corner front first. Triple H hit the pedigree before the camera caught up with him, and landed a decision via pin fall to tie the standings. Hunter was too tired to get another pin, so he threw Chris to the outside so he would have to answer the referee’s ten-count. When is was clear he would make it, Hunter knocked him off the apron and went outside. He put Benoit into a suplex position, and dropped him chest first onto the ring steps. This time, the champion was unable to answer the ten-count and Triple H was suddenly ahead two to one.

The show returned, and just a tad over twenty-five minutes was remaining, and the challenger was in the lead and finally in control. During the break, Hunter landed a suplex onto the steel ramp. The officials had been discussing if Benoit had sustained a sternum injury as the Game continued to attack the chest of Chris Benoit. Hunter had his second wind, and was intensely attacking the Champion’s torso, front and back. Benoit still fought back, but seemed hurt and ran right into an Arn Anderson spine buster for another three-count. Hunter was now up three to one as the show took another commercial break.

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Eighteen minutes and change remaining in the Iron Man Match as we resume, but Hunter was still in control. The champion showed signs of life, reversing an abdominal stretch into an arm drag take down. The Game wanted to cement the deal, so he went for a pedigree. The first was nearly countered for a sharpshooter, so he tried again. The second one was also countered, but this time the sharpshooter was applied. Hunter strained and crawled for the ropes, and was pulled away before he could reach them. Hunter couldn’t get back to the ropes a second time, and was forced to tap out to the delight of the crowd. The Champion was now only down by one at fifteen minutes remaining, but foolishly released the hold. Hunter went to run outside for a breath, returning at the number eight was sent out at nine. Benoit used a baseball slide to knock Hunter right back out, and Benoit was right after him. He beat the challenger around the ring before throwing him back inside. Once again Benoit ran into Hunter’s boot, but maintained his intensity to turn a second turnbuckle double axe handle attempt by Triple H into a cross face. The Game got to the ropes, and Chris released the hold. When Hunter got back to his feet, Benoit simply reapplied the cross face right in the center of the ring. Once again Hunter was forced to tap out. Things were all tied up, when Evolution came down the ramp towards the ring.

Just over eight minutes left, and Triple H threw Benoit to ringside where Flair and Batista were waiting for an opening. Triple H tried to prevent the champion from re-entering the ring, but was pushed back by a pair of shoulder blocks. Triple H retreated, grabbing the ring with him. This gave Batista the chance he wanted, driving the champion into the ring post so he could do a sick blade job. Seriously, it poured so much so fast that I can only hope it was from a pill. Batista threw Benoit into the ring, but Hunter couldn’t get the three-count. The Game did not take time to argue, assaulting the bloody forehead of the champion. Benoit fought back with a pair of Germans, but Hunter escaped the third one and tried a splash in the corner. Benoit moved though, and it was referee who was knocked out. Evolution entered and attacked the champion. He dealt with them handedly, but Hunter nailed Benoit in the back of the head hard with a steel chair. Bishoff sent a new referee to the ring, but Benoit amazingly kicked out. Triple H tried another pin, and Benoit kicked out. Hunter tried another pin, and once again Benoit kicked out. Frustrated, Triple H knocked the official out and the three members of Evolution took turns beating on Chris Benoit. From the crowd, Eugene ran down, making the save by taking out all three members of Evolution (With a chair shot on Triple H for cosmic balance) and Eric Bishoff as well. Both men were no down in the ring, and the champion had to crawl and claw forward to drape an arm over Triple H. There was no official time was running out. Eugene lifted the referee into the ring, and it took fifteen seconds for the one… two… three. Benoit went ahead with just five seconds left on the clock, and retained the World Heavyweight Title by winning the sixty-minute Iron Man Match 4-3! Chris Benoit defeated Triple H in a sixty minute Iron Man by a score of 4 decisions to 3. After the match, the bloody Champion posed in the ring and the special young man celebrated on top of the announcer’s table.