WWF Raw is War Results – April 16, 2001

April 16, 2001
Knoxville, Tennessee
Hosted by Jim Ross and Paul Heyman
Report by Fred Venturini – TPWW.net

Raw opens up with highlights from Jeff Hardy’s IC title win against HHH on Smackdown, no doubt to hype up their main event rematch tonight on Raw.

Raw then pipes in live from the University of Tennessee, and Vince McMahon immediately makes his way down to the ring. He tells us how last week his wife had him on his knees, begging for forgiveness, and she asked for a divorce. He then begins to tell the people of Tennessee his thoughts on the sacred institution of marriage. He believes that marriage is forever, and that divorce is the source of all that’s wrong with the country because the man’s fingers get worked to the bone and he ends up losing half. Vince rambles on and on about pretty much nothing, but ends up saying that he will not grant Linda her divorce.

Then, Debra’s music hits? This could be interesting . . . she says that Mr. McMahon is a liar, and a bad influence on her husband, Steve Austin. McMahon says that Austin came to him, and she can’t blame Vince McMahon for beating down the Rock, whipping JR (he stares down JR as he says it. Funny.), or beating up on Lita, or even hooking up with HHH.

Vince then says that Stone Cold is a great man, and behind every great man is a great woman . . . but he guesses that Debra is an exception to that rule. Ouch! Debra then says she blames Steve, but she blames him too, and she gives him a vile slap in the face!

As she makes her way to the back and Vince rubs his face, Raw goes to commercial.

When we come back, Vince is leaving in his limo, and Stone Cold is shown chewing Debra in their locker room. He sits her down and asks her what the hell she’s doing hitting Vince. He’s the boss for God’s sakes, and he wants her to sit in the chair and not move until he comes to get her because she’s been enough trouble already.

MATCH: EDGE AND CHRISTIAN VS. THE HOLLYS
E and C come down, and hand Paul Heyman a note. Hmmmm . . . that’s weird. The Hollys come down with the hot, hot, hot Molly Holly. While Bob Holly is in the ring and distracted by E and C, Rhyno comes in and gives him an awesome gore-spear. The bell rings as Rhyno is ordered away from ringside, and Edge goes for the pin, but Crash breaks it up. Edge continues working over Bob Holly with kicks and punches. Christian comes in with a Russian leg sweep for a two count, and then Holly fires back with punches, only to have Christian give him a reverse DDT into his knee, which looked pretty painful. Heyman is reading bits from the sheet, with such gems as Edge and Christian should be in the WWF hall of fame, they’re seven time champs, and extremely good looking. Meanwhile, Hardcore Holly continues to get pounded and kept away from his corner. Edge goes for a snap mare into a reverse chinlock, but Holly makes it to his feet and lands a dropkick. Holly finally tags Crash, who gets clotheslines and dropkicks, then scoring with a DDT on Christian, following it up with two successive top rope bulldogs. Edge spears him, but Molly lands her flip onto Egde for the one . . . two . . . no, Edge kicks out, and then Bob takes Christian outside as Crash goes up top for a cross body, which Edge reverses into a pinfall with a handful of tights!
WINNERS VIA PINFALL: EDGE AND CHRISTIAN

The Hardyz are shown walking in, without Lita. Awww, but Jeff says it’s an amazing accomplishment to win the title and what Stone Cold and HHH did to Lita was wrong, and they would take care of unfinished business.

Then Shane’s WCW-1 limo pulls up, and he gets out to a pretty good pop. Then we’re all set for another match.

JUSTIN CREDIBLE VS. BUH BUH RAY DUDLEY
Is it just me or does X-Factor’s music sound like some Micheal Bolton crap? At least at the beginning, and speaking of music, why did they change the Dudleyz music? I liked it better the way it was before. Anyways, Buh Buh comes out with a side suplex and big right hands, including a hard chop. Heyman mentions they’re alumni of ECW, and the smart money is on Justin Credible. X-Pac tries to interfere, but D-Von comes over, only to have Albert take him out with a boot. Action continues in the ring with cheapshots from X-Pac, and a DDT from Credible. Buh Buh comes back with a full nelson Buh Buh Bomb, and then a massive backdrop. Sidewalk slam on Justin now, and Buh Buh goes up top, but misses a splash. Justin goes up top, but gets the Buh Buh cutter out of mid air for the one, two, and then Albert drags the ref out as X-Pac lands his heel kick. Credible pins and then Buh Buh kicks out. With the ref distracted by Albert, D-Von goes up and hits the “Wasssup” crotch rocket for the pinfall and the win.
WINNER VIA PINFALL: BUH BUH RAY DUDLEY

Gransmaster Sexay is in the back, and he sees Shane, who can’t understand his jive talk. Shane says WCW is sublime, it’s just a matter of time, he’ll drop a dime. Funny stuff. Big Show interrupts, and tells Sexay to beat it, to which Sexay says, why you gotta be so mean Jolly Green! Show convinces Shane to check out his match with Kaientai. Shane says he will, and Show seems pumped about it as Raw goes to commercial.

When we come back, Richards is explaining the trouble with the RTC and how he’ll make them stand together in one way or another when he goes for the Hardcore title.

Kurt Angle is then shown talking to E and C, telling them the commissioner is nuts for putting him in a match with Jericho. He’s making the citizens of Knoxville look smart, which is next to impossible. Angle should be fighting Benoit and Regal with Jericho, what is he nuts? As Angle says “what’s with that fake accent,” Chrisitan coughs “right behind you.” Regal takes Angle away to adjourn over some tea. As Regal walks away, Christian coughs “Regals tea is urine,” to which Angle says, “you should have a doctor check that out.” Hilarious segment!

Stone Cold is talking to Micheal Cole, and he says that it took two men to beat HHH, and Cole shouldn’t talk about his wife. Before he can finish, Matt Hardy clubs Austin with a chair and begins to assault him while refs break it up and Raw goes to commercial.

When we return, Steph and HHH are in their dressing room and Austin comes in, pissed as hell. HHH says that Matt has a big sack, but he wouldn’t want to be him. Austin storms in, asking HHH to go kick his ass with him. HHH wants Austin to calm down because a beat down is what the Hardyz want so that Jeff won’t have to defend his title. Austin says “you want me to sit on my ass and take it?” As well as, “I just got my ass whipped!” I honestly laughed out loud at that one. Austin offers to help HHH win his title back, but HHH says that Austin will get him DQ’d in his state of mind. This segment made Austin look like a brainless lunatic and HHH like the true cerebral assassin. It was weird hearing him say “I just got my ass whipped.” At least he can admit it. HHH convinces Austin to go back to the hotel.

MATCH: STEVEN RICHARDS VS. KANE
The match starts with Richards banging Kane in the head three times with a trashcan without even phasing the monster. They make their way to the back in usual hardcore style, and while back there, the rest of the RTC interferes, beating down Kane near a bunch of semi trucks. Then, we hear a horn honking, and the Undertaker leaps out of the truck, bailing his brother out. Richards tries to run, but Kane grabs him and spears his head into the side of a trailer for the three count and the hardcore victory. Undertaker tells a fallen Richards, “you don’t need to fight the good fight, you need a good woman.”
WINNER VIA PINFALL: KANE

Austin packs up his stuff and tells Debra to get her suitcase because they’re leaving.

MATCH: KURT ANGLE VS. CHRIS JERICHO
Kurt grabs the mike and says “Your Olympic hero . . .” but is cut off by the Y2J countdown. Jericho says that unless you were ending you were going to finish that sentence with “is a complete and utter assclown,” then Junior, you have nothing else to say, so please, shut the hell up. This match starts off fast, with Jericho landing a quick armdrag and some chops while Angle fends him off with a shoulderblock and some reversals, such as a backslide for a quick two. Jericho lands a clothesline, and then a big hiplock takeover, and a springboard dropkick that sends Angle out of the ring. Jericho follows up with a stiff baseball slide into his back, and then pursues him to the outside, impaling Angle’s throat on the guardrail. As he slams Angle into the announce table, Heyman says “leave this table alone, we don’t speak Spanish!” He then utters some Spanish sounding words, and it was pretty hysterical. The match goes back in after Angle cracks Jericho with the ring bell. Angle starts on his suplex rampage, getting two vertical suplexes and a two count. Angle takes a foot to the face, and then catches Jericho for a belly to belly. Then he follows up with a huge side suplex, and then he applies a sleeper hold. Jericho shocks Angle with a rollup for a quick two, and then Angle moves a drop toe hold into his ankle lock. Jericho gets the ropes, and Angle ends up taking an kick to the head. Both men down now, and Jericho gets up with rights to the head of Angle. Angle goes for a reverse suplex, but Jericho gets him in a victory roll for a quick two. Then Angle goes for the Olympic slam, but Jericho gets his patented bulldog. It’s time for the lionsault, but Angle rolls out of the ring as Jericho lands on his feet. Jericho chases to the outside, but Regal comes out and attacks Jericho, causing the ref to call for the bell. They get Jericho in the ring and the beatdown is on. Jericho applies the walls of Jericho onto Regal, and Angle ends up taking a lionsault, but the numbers prove too many as both the Regal stretch and the ankle lock are applied at the same time. Benoit comes streaking out to make the save, immediately dropping the heels with a DDT and a release suplex. Benoit’s music hits as Raw goes to commercial.
WINNER VIA DQ: CHRIS JERICHO

When we return, Regal is in the ring with Angle, calling out Benoit. After a few seconds, Benoit comes, but Jericho is in tow.

MATCH: REGAL VS. BENOIT
Right off the bat, there’s a foursome of destruction in the ring. Jericho takes Angle outside, and Benoit tries for his headbutt but Regal moves. Now we’ve got a match, and Regal starts up with his European uppercuts. Multiple pinfall attempts, but Benoit continues to kick out. Benoit reverses a suplex into a cross body, but Regal applies a headlock type maneuver, grinding it out until Benoit fires back with chops. Regal puts him down once more, and waves to the crowd. Regal sucks is the chant he gets as Benoit comes back with a suplex, only to get thrown outside to Angle. Jericho lays into Kurt while the Regal stretch gets applied. Jericho knocks Regal off of him while the ref isn’t looking, and Benoit locks on the crossface for the tapout. Jericho then raises the hand of Benoit, and they walk out together after Benoit offers his hand for Jericho to “bone up” with.

Billy Gunn and Test are talking over their match. Test can understand him and Billy being in a match against the Radicalz. Test wants Eddy, Billy wants Malenko and Saturn . . . but why the hell are YOU teaming with us, Test says as the camera pans over to Raven, who’s slouched against the hallway wall.

Raven says sometimes in life, we make our own choices, sometimes, choices are made for us, and sometimes there is no choice. It would be his pain and his torment to team with them against the Radicalz . . . fate, destiny, and pain. Billy asks if they can trust him, to which Test says, “trust him? What the hell did he just say to us?”

The Hardyz are getting psyched up with Jeff giving Matt major props for taking out Austin. Matt says that Jeff needs to be on his game as Lita comes in. She’s not concerned about safety, she’s concerned with the action. Matt says they’ll give them some action.

MATCH: RADICALZ VS. TEST, RAVEN, AND BILLY GUNN
The three babyfaces immediately clear the ring, and Malenko starts off against Test. Test gives him a tilt a whirl slam and a clothesline. Gunn comes in, and so does Eddie, and Gunn tries to give him a benchpress slam, but Saturn is tagged in and he kicks Gunn in the throat, causing him to drop Eddie. Malenko comes in and Gunn hits the fameasser, but the Radicalz maintain control with punches in the corner. Gunn gets whipped for several minutes with kicks and punches until Gunn comes back with a jawbreaker and a tilt a whirl slam of his own. Raven ends up getting the tag, and he cleans house with a bigtime bulldog. Everyone in now, and Test lays out Saturn with his full nelson slam. Raven gets a suplex, and Eddie goes for the a swanton bomb, which Raven dodges, planting his DDT for the pinfall on Eddie.
WINNERS VIA PINFALL: RAVEN AND BILLY GUNN (TEST DIDN’T GET A TAG)

Kevin Kelly is getting Big Show’s thoughts on Kaientai. He says that he’s seven feet, five hundred pounds of bad attitude, and he’s coming quick and hard. Not just because they called him out, but because Shane McMahon is watching.

MATCH: THE BIG SHOW VS. KAIENTAI
Show is in the ring as our Japanese friends come out, complete with mike in hand. BIG SHOW, WE HAVE FOOLED YOU! WE WANTED TO LURE YOU DOWN TO FALL INTO OUR TRAP. EVEN GODZILLA ISN’T A MATCH FOR COLD HARD CASH! THIS WILL SHOW YOU OUR TRUE . . . EEEEEVIL! INDEEEED! Then the APA music hits, and both men are in their black ass-kicking gloves. Bradshaw takes out Show with a hard clothesline from hell, and the give him a facefull of rights and lefts, finally finishing him off with a double spinebuster. APA leaves, and the bell rings. Kaientai start landing splashes, and then they hug some, going up top together. Then the Show has had enough, catching both men by the neck and landing a massive double showstopper chokeslam for the three count.
WINNER VIA PINFALL: THE BIG SHOW

Trish is shown in WWF New York. She says that many people thinks she’s just a naughty girl, which she admits she is. She says she was more attracted to Mr. McMahons billions than his grapefruits. She would do anything for the right cause . . . and she found the right cause, taking Linda McMahon off her medication, and she’ll see to it that Linda gets everything she deserves. Deep down inside, she’s nice, but there’s always a naughty part people should look out for.

A video package of Smackdown and some earlier highlights from Raw are shown, pumping up the IC title match. HHH is shown walking down the hallway, as is Jeff. He’s got Matt and Lita in tow, but Regal interrupts them, saying that because of his actions earlier tonight, Matt will be barred from ringside, and if he interferes, Jeff will have his title stripped. Raw goes to commercial as we gear up for the main event.

MATCH: JEFF HARDY VS. HHH
HHH simply begins to demolish Jeff Hardy, hitting him with viscious kicks, punches, and shoulderblocks in the corner. Matt is shown in the back, checking out the action on a monitor. Jeff tries to come back with a boot to the face, but the Game extinguishes the momentum by tossing Jeff about fifty feet in the air when he runs at him off the ropes. Then he tacks on a vertical suplex and a knee to the face. More rights from the Game, and this is looking like a squash so far. During another vertical suplex, Hardy pops out of it with some rights and some chops, but the Game stops him cold with a powerslam, and then he tosses Jeff out of the ring. Jeff gets dropped onto the ringsteps outside, and the Game tosses the prone Hardy brother back into the ring for some final nails in the coffin. Hardy tries to fight back again, and HHH gets a big clothesline to stop him once again. HHH covers to no avail, so out of frustration he puts him in an abdominal stretch, reaching for the ropes for added leverage. Hebner catches him, and kicks his hand away as Jeff hip tosses HHH out of the hold. Hardy once again tries to mount some offense, but HHH buries his knee in Jeff’s stomach. Jeff Hardy gets a jawbreaker and goes for another comeback, but he gets the HHH patented facebuster. As he covers, Lita drags him off, and then Lita chases Steph until HHH intercepts her. As the ref is distracted, HHH sends Jeff outside. Jeff grabs the IC title belt and smashes HHH in the face with it, sending him into the announce table. Finally, Hardy with some sustained momentum, slamming HHH’s face into the steps and the ringpost before sending him into the ring. Hardy lands a sky high drop kick for the one . . . two . . . but HHH barely gets his shoulder up. Hardy with another drop kick into the turnbuckle and rollup for another near fall. Game goes for the pedigree, but Hardy counters it into a backslide for another near miss. Jeff goes up top once more, but misses his high risk elbow/flip move. The Game gets stuck up top, and Hardy hurricanrana’s him off of the turnbuckle. Jeff goes up top, but he misses the swanton bomb as HHH moves. In the back, Matt Hardy is getting attacked by Stone Cold with a chair. With Matt laid out, Lita makes her way to the back to check on her boyfriend. Austin cuts her off on the entryway, walking her back. With all the distractions, HHH gets the pedigree and the three count, which we don’t even get to see on TV. So HHH is the new IC champ, and Austin and HHH begin their usual Monday fare, beating down the Hardy boyz. Matt stupidly comes to the ring with a chair, only to gave the tables turned. Austin whips and chokes Jeff and Matt with his belt, and HHH is beating them down with a chair. After their satisfied, they stare down Lita, who is tossed into the ring by Steph.

As the Game and Austin are about to start their assault on the lovely Lita, the lights go out, and Limp Bizkit shatters the speakers. When the lights come on, Undertaker and Kane stand in the entryway as Austin and HHH curse and rant. Austin takes off his shirt, and they look like they’re ready for a fight with the unholy alliance. Undertaker and Kane have seen enough, and they saunter down to the ring. The very second they get in, Austin and HHH bail out and talk their trash from the ramp. Undertaker and Kane invite them to come in, but they don’t as HHH and Stone Cold go towards the back and Raw fades out.