October 3, 2005
SLAM! Predictions
Bob Kapur
What a non-event this will be. Cena will beat Bischoff for a few minutes, then Kurt Angle will do a run-in. It's too bad that, for a world title match on the biggest TV show in many years, there's no drama whatsoever.
John Milner
They can't put the title on Bischoff, can they? I mean, this is just a glorified squash with a late Kurt Angle run-in to continue their feud, right? (John remembers David
Arquette, Vince McMahon, Vince Russo) Well, in this case, I think it's a glorified squash. I'll take Cena to retain.
Chris Sokol
This has to be changed at some point during the show. WWE couldn't actually go through with this. Honestly; WWE's biggest Raw in quite some time, and they put Eric Bischoff in a main event spot? That's ridiculous. A Kurt Angle/John Cena rematch would have enticed the fans much more than this. But, if this does go down, for the sake of WWE, John Cena wins
Jon Waldman
The big mystery here is who is Bischoff's freind that Vinnie Mac alluded to last week. The knee-jerk reaction would be Kurt Angle, but you almost have to bank on it being someone from the days of WCW. In order for that to be plausible, it would have to be a major heel or someone from the nWo, say Scott Hall. More likely, however, it's Triple H. In any case, Cena wins, but gets punked to end the show.
SLAM! Predictions
Bob Kapur
Oooh, mama! These two have already put on two of the best matches of the year, and this should be no exception. If they keep it free of interference and screwjobs, this could be a downright classic. Angle wins 5-4.
John Milner
The Angle/Michaels series is tied at one apiece and since the previous two matches got high marks from fans, this may be the match of the night, something to let
fans know, "hey, this is what you can expect on Raw" (like maybe once a year?). With Angle still feuding with Cena, expect Angle to go over here…momentum and stuff.
Chris Sokol
While Angle would have fit better in the Heavyweight Title scene at this moment, this will still be an outstanding match. Angle will go the distance and stop the show for "The Showstopper", further gaining momentum towards his WWE Championship run.
Jon Waldman
This will be an awesome bout as long as it stays run-in free. Given that the last Iron Man of any sort was Triple H vs. Chris Benoit, which ended with Eugene's interference, this one should be clean. With HBK now out of the feud with Chris Masters, this one should be a straight win for Angle.
SLAM! Predictions
Bob Kapur
As much as I would like Matt to get a title shot by winning the Money in the Bank briefcase, I can't see that realistically happening. He'll be a great addition to Smackdown, though, and hopefully he can add some credibility to the Cruiserweight division.
John Milner
It's not like these two guys haven't impressed in ladder matches before. If Angle and Michaels steal the show, they may steal it from this match. I'll go with the prevailing belief that it's Hardy going to Smackdown and pick Edge for the win here.
Chris Sokol
The way things have been going, it's fairly easy to pick Edge as the winner on this one. Hardy won the cage match and recieved a little praise from WWE, but it's time for him to continue right back to his losing ways, falling victim to Edge.
Jon Waldman
This is definitely the most appropriate blow-off for their feud. For Matt's sake, he'd better win. There's no question that he'll get lost in the shuffle on Smackdown, and fired again. Should he win, Edge would go to SD!, but leave Lita behind. That alone sets up enough feuding until 'Mania, as Lita finds more men to punish Hardy for taking her man away. Please, for all that is good, let Matt take this one.
Countdown to WWE Homecoming
By SLAM! Wrestling Staff
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Honey, I'm home!
WWE returns to USA, in the very high hopes that their ratings will return to the lofty heights they were at before the Fed jumped to Spike. If they're going to attract an audience, they've definitely done their best to draw people in with the most stacked Raw since...well...their debut on Spike. Let's take a closer look at the card.
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Eric Bischoff vs. John Cena |
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SLAM! Predictions
What a non-event this will be. Cena will beat Bischoff for a few minutes, then Kurt Angle will do a run-in. It's too bad that, for a world title match on the biggest TV show in many years, there's no drama whatsoever.
They can't put the title on Bischoff, can they? I mean, this is just a glorified squash with a late Kurt Angle run-in to continue their feud, right? (John remembers David
Arquette, Vince McMahon, Vince Russo) Well, in this case, I think it's a glorified squash. I'll take Cena to retain.
This has to be changed at some point during the show. WWE couldn't actually go through with this. Honestly; WWE's biggest Raw in quite some time, and they put Eric Bischoff in a main event spot? That's ridiculous. A Kurt Angle/John Cena rematch would have enticed the fans much more than this. But, if this does go down, for the sake of WWE, John Cena wins
The big mystery here is who is Bischoff's freind that Vinnie Mac alluded to last week. The knee-jerk reaction would be Kurt Angle, but you almost have to bank on it being someone from the days of WCW. In order for that to be plausible, it would have to be a major heel or someone from the nWo, say Scott Hall. More likely, however, it's Triple H. In any case, Cena wins, but gets punked to end the show.
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Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels |
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SLAM! Predictions
Oooh, mama! These two have already put on two of the best matches of the year, and this should be no exception. If they keep it free of interference and screwjobs, this could be a downright classic. Angle wins 5-4.
The Angle/Michaels series is tied at one apiece and since the previous two matches got high marks from fans, this may be the match of the night, something to let
fans know, "hey, this is what you can expect on Raw" (like maybe once a year?). With Angle still feuding with Cena, expect Angle to go over here…momentum and stuff.
While Angle would have fit better in the Heavyweight Title scene at this moment, this will still be an outstanding match. Angle will go the distance and stop the show for "The Showstopper", further gaining momentum towards his WWE Championship run.
This will be an awesome bout as long as it stays run-in free. Given that the last Iron Man of any sort was Triple H vs. Chris Benoit, which ended with Eugene's interference, this one should be clean. With HBK now out of the feud with Chris Masters, this one should be a straight win for Angle.
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Edge vs. Matt Hardy |
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SLAM! Predictions
As much as I would like Matt to get a title shot by winning the Money in the Bank briefcase, I can't see that realistically happening. He'll be a great addition to Smackdown, though, and hopefully he can add some credibility to the Cruiserweight division.
It's not like these two guys haven't impressed in ladder matches before. If Angle and Michaels steal the show, they may steal it from this match. I'll go with the prevailing belief that it's Hardy going to Smackdown and pick Edge for the win here.
The way things have been going, it's fairly easy to pick Edge as the winner on this one. Hardy won the cage match and recieved a little praise from WWE, but it's time for him to continue right back to his losing ways, falling victim to Edge.
This is definitely the most appropriate blow-off for their feud. For Matt's sake, he'd better win. There's no question that he'll get lost in the shuffle on Smackdown, and fired again. Should he win, Edge would go to SD!, but leave Lita behind. That alone sets up enough feuding until 'Mania, as Lita finds more men to punish Hardy for taking her man away. Please, for all that is good, let Matt take this one.
| OTHER MATCHES |
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| Bra and Panties Handicap Match: Trish Stratus/Ashley Massaro vs. Ladies in Pink |
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Smackdown Showcase Match |
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WWE Returns |
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an existing Raw superstar, leading to either a comeback (if it's Hogan or Foley) or a Masterlock Challenge (if it's McDaniel or Valentine, etc)- too bad "Legend Killer" Randy Orton isn't still on Raw. |
-- compiled by Jon Waldman