LIVE WWE Raw Report

[Guest Hogan Made Wrestling]

I would have posted this right after the show but me and my friend decided to split from Vancouver immediately and drive home overnight. I was badly organised with regards to time so I didn't end up getting any autographs or meeting any wrestlers before the show. I also didn't have time to make a sign, but thankfully they were giving away free posterboards inside and letting you make one on the spot.

 

-I was wearing a Miami Dolphins jersey and holding an "I Came To See Bischoff" sign. Can anyone tell me if I made it on camera?

 

-Right off the bat I knew the crowd was going to be pro-Flair and anti-Goldberg. Tons of Whooo and What? chants in the parking lot and in line, and throughout the night.

 

-Show started off with a really good hype video for Wrestlemania XX. No idea if this has been shown on TV. Crowd popped big for Hart, Austin, Hogan, and a few others. Boos for Michaels beating Hart.

 

-The Fink got a big reaction from the crowd.

 

-First dark match was Harry Smith vs. Randy Anderson. Smith looked pretty good and given his name could end up making it. He needs to add some bulk and get a tan though; he looked like someone from the white boy challenge. OK match that got a lot of boring chants for some reason. Smith won with a top rope dropkick.

 

-Next was Mark Jindrak and Garrison Cade vs. some guys I didn't know. Boring, sloppy match that Jindrak and Cade won.

 

-Coach came out to a small reaction, and Al Snow got a big cheer.

 

-First Heat match was Test vs. Dreamer. Test was over huge as a heel and played it up for all it was worth. Dreamer was also over, mainly for the cane. I don't remember who won, I think it was Test.

 

-Maven and Ivory vs. Richards and Victoria. Decent mixed tag match here, again I'm pretty sure Victoria picked up the pinfall but I may be wrong.

 

-Lilian came out to a bunch of cheers and whistles. She looks really good in person, better than on TV I would say. She intro'd the Coach who got a more heelish reaction from the crowd than when he came out for Heat, probably because everyone wanted JR instead.

 

-Lawler came out next to the biggest babyface pop of the entire show. Huge Jerry chant, with Lawler posing for the crowd for a few minutes.

 

-The pyro that opens Raw is among the loudest I've ever heard.

 

-Opening promo sees Shane get a big pop, Bischoff get a lot of heel heat (I was cheering him the whole time though), and Austin get arguably the loudest of the show, up there with Lawler's. The crowd just explodes out of their seats when the glass shatters, TV doesn't do it justice. Pretty boring segment as far as Austin-Bischoff stuff goes, but it was important for setting up the rest of the show.

 

-Dupree vs. Bubba was next and was a terribly shitty match. The juice from the flag shot was about the only redeeming quality. Way more entertaining than the actual match was the "flag battle" that went on between a fan with the French flag and all the Canadian flags. Big Canada chant during the break.

 

-Steiner vs. Orton was another useless match whose high point was Orton's line about people coming to see his tits rather than Stacey's. I actually started to cheer this line because I thought he was going to say "to see him", but I cut myself off when the tits were brought up. Stacey was easily more over than Steiner.

 

-Hurricane vs. Christian was ok, with the crowd cheering for both guys at various points. Rosey gave the crowd a good laugh, and since Hurricane is just a midcard comedy gimmick to begin with, it's pretty harmless stuff.

 

-The only real downer for me happened next, as my first roll of film didn't rewind properly and got messed up in the camera, causing me to lose all my first half pictures. Thankfully I got it fixed and got a new roll in for the second half of the show, but unfortunately not in time to photograph the great moment that came up next.

 

-During the commercial break, Earl Hebner comes out to a huge You Screwed Bret chant, followed by a We Want Bret chant. Earl posed with his arms over his head in the ring to acknowledge the crowd, drawing even more boos, and then in a weird moment had to be restrained by security from leaving the ring to go after someone in the crowd. Not sure if that was worked or not.

 

-Flair vs. Goldberg is up next. Lots of heel heat for Goldberg with a few pockets of Goldberg supporters. Flair was completely over as a face with the crowd. Goldberg Sucks chant right off the bat, and the fans booed all of Goldberg's no-selling. Orton comes in for the DQ and is more over than Goldberg with the crowd. HHH gets a huge face reaction for the sledgehammer. Michaels and Nash, the supposed faces, draw big heel heat while Jericho gets one of the loudest pops of the show. Austin gets a big pop when he shows up, and for the Elimination Chamber announcement. This segment, and the stuff the followed, would have come across much better in the States. Nash gets huge heel heat for laying out Jericho although the Truckstop Drop actually drops a pop from the crowd.

 

-I don't care about the Trish vs. Molly match or all the nonsense that followed. Both ladies were looking good, of course.

 

-In a hugely ironic moment, Storm draws a big face reaction from the crowd while talking about how even in Canada he's called boring. The Storm-Goldust pairing could either work really well or completely flop.

 

-How Bischoff can get all the cops to abandon the van, and get the keys, I have no idea. As usual though, he's been one of the best performers on the show.

 

-RVD vs. Jericho was the best match of the night, although nothing great compared to some of their previous encounters. Both guys were hugely over with the crowd which kept them in the match the whole way. Seeing these guys do their spots live gives a better appreciation for the timing involved. RVD did a good job playing to the crowd. A big BC Bud chant started up during the commercial break before Jericho came out, which Rob joined in. Jericho's hair vs. hair challenge drew a big surprise reaction from the crowd.

 

-I was hoping Bischoff would spot me and my sign, but I was a bit high up some I don't think he did. Nothing match, but the tombstone on the stairs was pretty cool and drew a holy shit reaction. Bischoff got a good heel reaction for his post match antics. They did the stretcher tease with Shane after the show, but he walked off to some mild cheers.

 

-I didn't get out quickly to the parking lot and so I wasn't able to pick up any autographs from my position, although I did get some photos. Randy Orton and Maven were cool, signing a lot of autographs and chatting with the crowd. Orton jumped on top of the car and took his shirt off to pose which of course got all the chicks in a frenzy. Lawler came out with Terri (surprise, surprise), and posed for photos which some bimbos along the rail. Al Snow signed a bunch of autographs, and when someone asked him "what's the most embarassing thing you've ever done?" he immediately replied "talked to you" which drew a big laugh from the crowd. Earl left with Slaughter, who drew some maggot chants. Someone said "Earl you screwed Bret, don't screw us" while begging for autographs. Jericho left after waving to a crowd a few times. Some guys on cells started calling their buddies to tell them Jericho's plate number and car model so they could tail him into town. There were a few limos, which I think contained the McMahons, Austin, HHH, Flair, and probably a few others. There was a Charger parked in the corner of the lot which we assumed might be Goldberg's but we never saw him show up.

 

-A few videos played during commercial breaks. The trailer for the Rock's new movie The Rundown was well received by the crowd. They also liked the SummerSlam ad where Brock gives an F5 to a shark.

 

 

I'm sure the show was pretty bad on TV, but it was a blast to be there live. If you've never gone to a TV taping, I suggest you do, even if the show doesn't sound great. The atmosphere is really unique and it gives you a different perspective from what you see on TV.

[Mecha Mummy 0]

So, that's another time the fans turned on Goldberg. Of course, it WAS in Canada, but...

[Guest TheArchiteck]

It's always good hearing things from a person who was there live.

[Guest nl5xsk1]

"A big BC Bud chant started up during the commercial break before Jericho came out, which Rob joined in."

 

Far and away the FUNNIEST thing that I've ever seen in an on-site report.

[Lil' Bitch 0]

*waiting for CC's report

[Elbarto997 0]

So, that's another time the fans turned on Goldberg. Of course, it WAS in Canada, but...

Heh, Canada is NOT Goldberg country. Did'nt they pop for the Spear on Flair???

[Guest Y2Kurt]

Why does Canada always Pop for Hogan? He sucks,geeez.

Someone said Canada Cheers guys with Talent,Hogan has Talent?hahaha Canadians better think again.

[TheFranchise 0]

How come you ain't banned yet?

[Guest Y2Kurt]

Why should I be Banned?