1st Week of June - First Union Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Ratings : 7.54
Raw opening
The Raw GM's music hit the arena and Eric Bischoff made his way to the ring with a big smile across his face. Once in the ring, Bischoff greeted everyone to Monday Night Raw, "the only show where the GM is the one giving the orders…and not receiving them like let's say…Stephanie!" Bischoff laughed and for those who had been living under a rock this past week end, he asked for the footage to be rolled. On the Titantron, the end of the match between Stephanie and Lita at Judgment Day was shown. Once over, Bischoff declared that he couldn't get enough of watching this clip! But the best part of that, he added, was the stipulation of the match which compelled the loser to become the champion's servant! Bischoff then introduced the new Women's Champion, Lita…as well as her…let's call her, her slave, Bischoff introduced Steph! Lita's music played and the new Women's Champion walked down the aisle followed by a Stephanie dressed in French maid uniform and bowing her head shamefully.
Bischoff taunted Stephanie by telling her that he found her to look pretty good dressed like that just as if it was a second skin for her! Bischoff can't prevent himself from laughing at the sight of his rival thus humiliated. He then explained that at Judgment Day, he and Lita made a little deal. If she were to become the new Women's Champion then she would bring on Raw her new domestic! Lita took a mic and asked how could she had refused such a deal, being able to humiliate Stephanie twice a week live on TV was something she would have missed for nothing. Nevertheless, she added, she reserves the best part for Smackdown! though she allowed Bischoff to order her to do whatever he wants with her this evening. The crowd got excited but Lita quickly added, "Well, except that, of course" which provoked some boos in the arena. Stephanie told Bischoff there was no way she'd obey him 'cause he…The Raw GM interrupted her telling her that from now on "that's Mr. Bischoff" for her. Lita quickly added that he was right and demanded her servant to apologize, which did with a disgusted look on her face calling him Mr Bischoff.
Wasting no time to enjoy his moment of triumph over Stephanie, Bischoff told her that there was a little club her father really takes pride of…and she will be the first member of his, the Eric Bischoff Kiss My Ass Club!!! Lita and Bischoff laughed while Steph looked horrified. Lita insulted Stephanie by commanding her to drop on her knees like the slut she has always been and added that this position must remind her lots of memories. While the crowd laughed Lita ordered her to kiss Bischoff's ass which made Steph cried.
All of a sudden, Vince McMahon's music hit the arena and the WWE Chairman stepped into the ring and took a mic. Steph, hoping her dad was here to relieve her from the nightmare she was in, asked him if he was there to get her out of this Hell. Vince answered "Hell no!" and told her to stop being so self-centered since the world doesn't revolve around her! He was definitely not there to help her because after all she was the one who wanted this stipulation so bad, now she just had to get used to her new life as a servant! If Vince was there tonight it was for something completely different. Indeed, this month's PPV is the King of the Ring and it will be the first time since the brand extension that the Raw Superstars would be able to face the Smackdown! Superstars! At the end of this clash, only one will reign supreme and will be granted a title shot whenever he wants!!! The crowd applauded. Hence, each and every week, in both Raw and Smackdown! a qualification match would occur…starting tonight! Moreover…hardly had he the time to finish his sentence that Trish's music interrupted him. The Canadian bombshell joined the little group inside the ropes and apologized to Vince for interrupting him but she had her reasons since he knows she would do ANYTHING just to please him. Vince smiled and forgave her. Trish then said that if she took the freedom of disturbing them was because she was fed up with all these discriminations going around there! Indeed, there's always been a King of the Ring but never a Queen of the Ring, and "who better than her, she said preening herself, to be the Queen of the WWE".
Vince told her she had a point and announced that at this year's King of the Ring there would be a Queen of the Ring tournament. However, since there are less WWE female Superstars, only the semi-finals and finals would take place at the PPV, hence every two week from now a qualification match would occur and the winner would be granted the same right as the males but for the Women's Championship. Trish told him that she always knew he would make the right decision but for now she just hoped the crown would match her "beautiful hair color". Trish was about to leave when she told Lita one last thing. She wanted her to be the guest in her show, The Blonde Minute next week. Lita answered that she would be there and so would Stephanie. Once Trish left, Vince also announced that he randomly took 2 wrestlers out of Raw and sent them straight to Smackdown! and he did the same with 2 random Smackdown! Superstars that are now Raw's properties! But before he'd leave, he said, he told Stephanie to kiss Bischoff's ass! A reluctant and completely frightened Stephanie just did so while the crowd was laughing at her!
1) A-Train defeats Tajiri in 5:24 with the Baldo Bomb after dodging the Green Myst.
In the GM office, Bischoff announced that he wouldn't let Smackdown! being the exclusive owner of the Tag Team belts and that's why he decided to create as well Tag Team belts specific to Raw. Furthermore, a tournament will be taking place and tonight on Raw there would be two matches for this Tag Team Championship tournament. He declared that he chose himself those who were according to him worthy of representing the Tag team division of Raw. The Tag Team Championship Tournament's brackets were shown on the Titantron and the first match for the quest of the Tag Team gold began.
2) Rey Mysterio/Rob Van Dam defeat the World's Greatest Tag Team in 13:47 with the West Coast Pop of Rey on Shelton Benjamin and thus advanced in the Tag Team Tournament.
After the commercial break, the Highlight Reel set was installed in the ring and Jericho introduced the audience to his show as well as to his new Jeritron 5,000 offered courtesy of Mr. Bischoff. Trish was with him in the ring as the co-hostess of the show. Jericho told the crowd that he just came back from Bischoff's office and that he had some great news for Raw but not to spoil the fun he'd just wait for Bischoff to make this announcement. Meanwhile Trish was holding several signs such as "Jericho to the office" or "Jericho for President" or even "Jericho is God". Jericho asked for the tournament brackets to be shown once again on the Titantron and started to make fun of all the contenders. He said that no matter who would win the tournament it would definitely make a crappy team because c'mon, who would want Tajiri and Matt Hardy or Billy Gunn and Billy Kidman as champions?! The others are even worse, Lance Storm and Val Venis, Randy Orton and Christian?! What are those freaking teams he said, the only team who according to him deserves to be champion is the one of Big Show and A-Train. Nevertheless, they are all second-rate wrestlers and with such a tournament he could have won the Tag Team belts with Trish as his partner and a hand tied behind his back! However, he's not angry of not being in the tournament since as he mentioned earlier, Mr Bischoff has greater plans for him…
3) Randy Orton/Christian defeat Batista/Sean O'Haire in 4:13 with the RKO of Randy on Batista and thus advance to the second round of the tournament.
Eric Bischoff still in his office, while Stephanie was bringing him some coffee, announced that the Tag Team tournament wasn't the only surprise for tonight's Raw, no, he's in need for vacation because being the best show of the two is really exhausting, isn't it right that Raw is superior to Smackdown!, he asked Stephanie putting a hand to her butt which she slapped immediately, and Steph was forced to answer "Yes Mr Bischoff". Therefore, he won't be there next week but don't worry Raw fans as tonight he had decided to set up a match between two Raw Superstars, the winner of which would become the Raw GM for one night only, and these two Superstars are Chris Jericho and Triple H! Once he made this announcement, he commanded Stephanie to bring him the two wrestlers he talked about before making this announcement. Steph was once again compelled to answer "Yes Mr Bischoff" which made him smile and said that he just loved his life!
4) Chris Jericho (w/ Trish) defeats Triple H in 6:53 with a School Boy Pin with his feet on the ropes for more leverage. Therefore, Jericho will be presenting next week's Raw as the General Manager.
After the last commercial break, Triple H was furious to have lost to Jericho and told his DX acolyte, Billy Gunn, that next week's edition of Raw would definitely suck big time. He then asked him where X-Pac and Michaels were. Gunn told him that X-Pac was nowhere to be found and that Stephanie came here to bring HBK to the GM for the main event, a King of the Ring qualification match. Triple H asked in disbelief if it was a joke since he thought him to be the main event as he is the WWE Undisputed Champion!
5) Shawn Michaels defeats Booker T in 7:28 with a Standing Moonsault as his several Sweet Chin Music kicks proved to be ineffective. Shawn Michaels is therefore the first Superstar from both Raw and Smackdown! to advance to the quarter-finals of the King of the Ring tournament.
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