WWE: RAW
July 30, 2007
Tucson, AZ
Tucson Convention Center

The current RAW champions are as follows:
WWE Champion: John Cena (9/17/2006)
WWE Intercontinental Champion: Umaga (7/2/2007)
World Tag Team Champions: Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch (6/4/2007)
WWE Women’s Champion: Candice Michelle (6/24/2007)

Read along as you watch on the WWE Network!

Your hosts are Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler.

THE CHAMP IS HERE! John Cena comes out to talk about the #1 contender to his title: Randy Orton. Carlito comes out and has a crew set up his cabana show for the first time in a while. He’s so spontaneous! Anyways, he does all this just to remind Cena that he beat him back in 2004 for the US title and should be the #1 contender right now. Cena drinks to the cabana when Mr. Kennedy interrupts with the same idea. While Kennedy and Carlito argue, Cena yells out that Randy Orton does deserve a WWE title shot because he earned it. If they want to earn a title shot so bad, Cena thinks Kennedy should challenge Lashley while Carlito can take on THE CHAMP — RIGHT HERE TONIGHT!

• Candice Michelle, Maria & Mickie James (w/Santino Marella) vs. Melina, Beth Phoenix & Jillian Hall
  

JR says that rumor has it that Santino and Maria are now “more than just friends”. This is the earliest we’ve seen of Beth Phoenix on the Ten Years After series here. It starts out fine going back and forth with the better workers until Mickie and Candice (your WOMEN’S champ) screw up the rolling double leg slam spot. Candice plays the face-in-peril for about a minute. Not exactly Ricky Morton territory here. Hot tag to Maria, and the match breaks down. The ref gets all distracted allowing Jillian and Melina to hit a wheelbarrow facebuster on Maria for the win. (3:09) Afterwards, Santino – ever the Italian simpleton – complains to Jack Doan about all the cheating in the WWE. That brings out Umaga to shut him up. ¾*

• Umaga vs. Santino Marella
  

Well, it’s safe to assume that Jonathan Coachman doesn’t put up with complaints over ethics. Umaga immediately thrust kicks Santino right in the face. Buttalanche. Gunnslinger. Samoan Spike. Umaga finishes the squash at 1:00. I’m not sure if this was supposed to spell a face turn for Umaga, but it sure was fun to watch. ½*

In the back, King Booker lets Todd Grisham know that Jerome Lawler’s reign as king is over.

Elsewhere, Coach tells Cody Rhodes he either has to win tonight or get out of the E.

Back over to Todd, Randy Orton brags about putting people out of action when Sgt. Slaughter interrupts and calls Orton a maggot. Yep, a MAGGOT. It’s what he does.

• Cody Rhodes vs. Daivari
  

Well if Cody can’t beat Daivari, he really shouldn’t be here anyways. Daivari actually gets in a lot of offense early, but Rhodes comes back with a Dustin Rhodes bulldog for two. A snap powerslam leads to a DDT for the win. (2:21) That DDT was pretty ugly and I really don’t think he ever made it look good as his finish. The Cross Rhodes move is wayyy better in my opinion.

• Mr. Kennedy vs. Bobby Lashley
  

Lashley gets a couple of go-behind takedowns early. A vertical suplex sets up an attempt at the Spear, but Kennedy ducks out of the ring. To the floor, Kennedy kicks Lashley into the steps and then curb stomps his shoulder. That sets the tone for the rest of the match. Back in, Lashley tries a superplex, but Kennedy counters and snaps Lashley’s arm off the top rope. Lashley comes back with some one-armed offense. He sets up for the Spear, but Kennedy kicks him right in the injured shoulder and gets the pin. (5:57) Good psychology there. While it could have been longer to get some more heat on the finish, Lashley’s shoulder injury is a shoot and now we’ll probably never see him in WWE again. Love me some Mr. Kennedy. **½

We get a recap of Mr. Kennedy smashing Bobby Lashley’s shoulder and Lashley being helped back to the locker room.

Snitsky, whose teeth are getting worse by the day, philosophizes on pain and pleasure.

TRIPLE H RETURNS AT SUMMERSLAM!

• King Booker (w/Queen Sharmell) vs. Jerry Lawler
  

Tentative start with Lawler throwing jabs. Booker backs him into the corner and throws some forearms. Lawler fires off a series of punches to come back. Man, look at those punches. Lawler walks into an elbow, but avoids the Scissors Kick. DOWN COMES THE STRAP! Lawler fires off another series of punches and drops an elbow for the apparent three-count, but Booker had his foot on the ropes. Booker comes back with a thrust kick though and corners Lawler again. This time, he doesn’t bother listening to the ref and gets himself DQ’ed. (5:17) Booker screams in Lawler’s face that he’s the “king of the world”. I’m digging crazy Booker! After the match, Lawler chases him down and jumps him on the ramp. **

• Cryme Tyme vs. John Mason & Brandon Gadsen
  

The jabronis get nothing, but they sure do flop around for CT’s offense. Cryme Tyme finishes with the G-9. (1:22) After the match, Cryme Tyme sells the boots of one jobber to a guy in the audience. That post-match stuff went on WAYYY too long. Maybe they should have gone to a commercial.

• Randy Orton vs. Sgt. Slaughter
  

Special note: BURN NOTICE, which ended up being fairly popular by cable TV standards, is being advertised here as a brand new summer series for the USA Network. Orton knocks Sarge down and Garvin Stomps him. Sarge comes back and applies the COBRA CLUTCH, but it’s 2007. Orton hits the RKO for the win. (3:34) After the bell, Randy kicks the Sarge in the head to add another victim to his list. ½*

• John Cena vs. Carlito
  

Randy Orton hangs out at the announce table for the main event. Cena powers Carlito to the corner and then takes him down for an early STFU. Carlito runs away, forcing Cena to chase him. Carlito jumps Cena on the way back into the ring, but Cena comes back with a Fisherman’s Suplex. Cena misses a charge and winds up in a chinlock. Cena powers out and hits a Throwback. There’s the spinning backdrop. YOU CAN’T SEE ME! Orton hops up on the apron though allowing Carlito to hit the BACKSTABBER for the win. (5:58) Cena gets a face full of apple. He had it coming though. This changes the title picture…maybe? **½

And that’ll do it for this week. Until next time, so long for now!