After the disappointing Vengeance in July Raw follows up with another poor p.p.v. Uninspiring matches and an unhealthy focus on Triple H in the main event.
Match 1: Flair & Batista vs. Regal & Benoit
Match Rating: 2/5
We're backstage. Christian doesn't want Tyson Tomko to escort Trish to the ring. Tomko does anyway.
Match 2: Trish vs. Victoria. Women's Championship
Match Rating: 2/5
Post-match Tomko attacks Victoria but 'the mystery woman' from the last Raw episode makes the save. Tomko calls her out and apparently this is going to be a match. Tomko ain't happy. Me neither. I can feel the suck emanating from the ring already.
Match 3 Tomko vs. Steven Richards
Match Rating: 0/5
Promos for The Feud That Never Ends; Jericho vs. Christian.
Match 4: Chris Jericho vs. Christian. Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match
Match Rating: 4/5
Lita is interviewed. She says she hopes Shawn destroys her husband tonight. Kane comes out and says his match against HBK now is a No Disqualification Match. Man, this is getting boring. I'm sorry I have problems paying attention when this angle is involved.
Edge tells Jericho that he's taking back what's his (the IC belt) as soon as he's ready. I'm looking forward to an Edge heel turn because that guy sure is annoying.
We take another look back at the marriage of Kane and Lita and if I wasn't paying for this I'd be switching channel.
Match 5: HBK vs. Kane. No Disqualification.
Match Rating: 2/5
The master of burying talent Triple H, is interviewed. Trips says he made Randy Orton a superstar and then he says some crap that finishes off with him making Randy Orton a superstar. Stale and repetitive interview.
Match 6: La Resistance vs. Tajiri & Rhyno. World Tag Team Championship.
Match Rating: 2/5
Match 7: Orton vs. Triple H. World Championship.
Match Rating: 2/5
The Good: The Jericho/Christian match.
The Bad: The Tomko/Richards match was ten minutes of my life I will never get back. Kane is badly misused. It seems Triple H is the only heel allowed to be in the main event. Seeing the world's largest nose prancing around with the title for another six months doesn't do it for me.
Unforgiven Rating: 2/5
Match 1: Flair & Batista vs. Regal & Benoit
- I like the combination of Flair and Batista in a team. As for Regal and Benoit, I always expect much from them. But there is no heat in this match. Flair looks ridiculous with all his flops. Not even Chris Benoit impresses me. Benoit however, forces Flair to submit to the Crossface in 18:30. Benoit headlined SummerSlam last month and now he opens up Unforgiven. If you lose one title match you're immediately sent back to the murky depths of the midcard (the only exception is Triple H).
Match Rating: 2/5
We're backstage. Christian doesn't want Tyson Tomko to escort Trish to the ring. Tomko does anyway.
Match 2: Trish vs. Victoria. Women's Championship
- I'll cut this one short: Pretty dull match. Only highlight was Victoria's gutbuster.
Match Rating: 2/5
Post-match Tomko attacks Victoria but 'the mystery woman' from the last Raw episode makes the save. Tomko calls her out and apparently this is going to be a match. Tomko ain't happy. Me neither. I can feel the suck emanating from the ring already.
Match 3 Tomko vs. Steven Richards
- So, 'the mystery woman' is Steven Richards. Does ANYONE care? Though it's a complete squash, this god-awful match lasts almost ten minutes! Finally Tomko hits the modified swinging neckbreaker he uses as finisher. 1-2-3 and not soon enough. Not only was this the worst match of 2004, it was one of the worst matches I've ever seen as well.
Match Rating: 0/5
Promos for The Feud That Never Ends; Jericho vs. Christian.
Match 4: Chris Jericho vs. Christian. Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match
- Usually I have a problem with Ladder Matches because the wrestlers take forever to climb the ladder, even in the beginning of the match. IC title is vacant here since Edge got injured and WWE decided to bring back the 30 Days Rule that nobody has cared for in years. Some high-risk moves here; Jericho hits a Lionsault on the ladder, looks very painful. Later Jericho removes the ladder and Christian hangs high above the ring, holding on to the title. Nice. A bulldog from Jericho from the top of the ladder finishes Christian off.
Match Rating: 4/5
Lita is interviewed. She says she hopes Shawn destroys her husband tonight. Kane comes out and says his match against HBK now is a No Disqualification Match. Man, this is getting boring. I'm sorry I have problems paying attention when this angle is involved.
Edge tells Jericho that he's taking back what's his (the IC belt) as soon as he's ready. I'm looking forward to an Edge heel turn because that guy sure is annoying.
We take another look back at the marriage of Kane and Lita and if I wasn't paying for this I'd be switching channel.
Match 5: HBK vs. Kane. No Disqualification.
- Comeback match for Shawn. Match is what you can expect from these two. I'll give credit to HBK for being 39 years old and still one of the most motivated wrestlers in WWE. Normally I'd give a match like this a 3/5 rating, but the build-up was poor, the match predictable and the Kane/Lita storyline is pathetic, so this match gets 2/5. Kane has been used three times now to put returning wrestlers over (Undertaker, Edge and now HBK).
Match Rating: 2/5
The master of burying talent Triple H, is interviewed. Trips says he made Randy Orton a superstar and then he says some crap that finishes off with him making Randy Orton a superstar. Stale and repetitive interview.
Match 6: La Resistance vs. Tajiri & Rhyno. World Tag Team Championship.
- Average tag team match with all the usual match clichés; The faces get the early advantage. The heels come back and dominate one guy. The heels take a cheap shot towards the other guy and when the referee stops him from running in, the heels double-team the legal man. The illegal heel enters without a tag but the ref allows it. The faces make the hot tag. One face clears the ring. The heels win via screwjob. Not a great match but I'm satisfied with the result. La Resistance is the best tag team right now.
Match Rating: 2/5
Match 7: Orton vs. Triple H. World Championship.
- The fans aren't into this match and can anyone blame them? I don't know whose idea it is to have Triple H with his played out character in every damn main event while more deserving wrestlers are held back. Orton starts up the match with two sidelock takeovers and Trips with some half-assed counters. Orton has the advantage. He spits on HHH and slaps him in the face. Now Trips starts working on Orton's knee. A mediocre match so far. Later the referee gets knocked out. *Of course* Evolution interferes. Orton fights them off but HHH recovers and hits the Pedigree for the victory. Evolution celebrates. Be sure to read Triple H's new book: 101 Ways to Screwjob a Match.
Match Rating: 2/5
The Good: The Jericho/Christian match.
The Bad: The Tomko/Richards match was ten minutes of my life I will never get back. Kane is badly misused. It seems Triple H is the only heel allowed to be in the main event. Seeing the world's largest nose prancing around with the title for another six months doesn't do it for me.
Unforgiven Rating: 2/5