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WWE presented their Monday go-home show leading into WrestleMania XXIV with last night's Raw, which featured a star-heavy main event as well as an emotional verbal confrontation between Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels.
General Manager William Regal announced an eight-man no-disqualification show headliner during the opening segment of the broadcast pitting Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, John Cena, and Triple H against Umaga, The Big Show, Randy Orton, and JBL. This bout served to showcase most of the Raw brand’s focal matches at WrestleMania, as both Finlay and Batista appeared to chase away their respective WM opponents, Umaga and JBL. Show - irriated with Orton’s overbearing attitude - performed another instantaneous heel/babyface turn and chokeslammed the WWE Champion before heading up the entrance ramp. Cena and Hunter fought over who would score the winning fall over the downed Orton and ended up battling to the back. Michaels prevented Flair from applying the figure-four to Orton, but The Nature Boy sent Shawn to the outside with a low blow. This allowed Flair to lock The Legend Killer in his trademark hold to gain the tapout victory.
The highlight of the program was a face-to-face confrontation between Flair and Michaels earlier in the night. Angry that HBK had interfered in his match with Vince McMahon last week, Flair called Michaels to the ring and told him to shut up when Shawn attempted his usual verbal glorification of the sixteen-time World Champion. Brandishing a version of the NWA World Title, it was instead Flair who told Michaels that he was well aware of his accomplishments in the wrestling business and demanded that The Showstopper bring his best on Sunday. HBK vowed to put Flair out of his misery at WM, and an enraged Nature Boy twice slapped Michaels across the face. Flair challenged Shawn to take him out at that moment, but Michaels opted to wait for ‘Mania. In my opinion, this promo defined the type of emotion that should have been put behind this angle when it was originally launched, rather than pushing a pure mutual respect story.
Whether or not this was a successful go-home show heading into WM is a matter of individual opinion. The main event appeared to be a platform for hyping many of this Sunday’s key matches (although I question the logic in having your WWE Champion cleanly tap out six days before the biggest event of the year to someone he is not paired with on that stage) and most of the grapplers appearing at ‘Mania received time to get their storylines over.
I find it unbelievable that Floyd Mayweather Jr. did not appear live to promote his clash with The Big Show on Sunday. Although the on-camera twenty-million dollar figure is certainly questionable, Mayweather is undoubtedly being paid a substantial sum for his participation in the event, and WWE should have ensured that he would be on hand for each television show and taping leading up to the big day when negotiating his ‘Mania deal.
Match Results: U.S. Champion MVP and Carlito over Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho and CM Punk via pinfall when MVP pinned Punk … The Great Khali over Hardcore Holly via pinfall … Santino Marella, Women’s Champion Beth Phoenix, and Melina over Maria, Ashley Massaro, and Jerry Lawler via pinfall when Marella pinned Maria … Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, John Cena and Triple H over Randy Orton, The Big Show, Umaga, and JBL via submission in a no-DQ match when Orton tapped out to Flair’s figure-four leglock.
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