[Vince McMahon is choking Eric Bischoff outside the ring as Stone Cold Steve Austin watches]
Hey wait, what the hell?!
What? [Brock Lesnar is in the ring standing behind Austin] Oh my god!
My god it's, it's Brock Lesnar!
[Lesnar lifts Austin up on his shoulders] Stone Cold up!
Lesnar! [Lesnar delivers an F5 to Austin] Brock Lesnar from SmackDown! just F5'd the hell out of Stone Cold! Lesnar's got no business being here! This is not SmackDown!, this is Raw!
What the?! I cannot believe this! Brock Lesnar F5'd Stone Cold Steve Austin! What does this mean?!
What the hell is going on?! What is Lesnar doing here?! Brock Lesnar, from behind! It's Lesnar standing over Austin! My god what has, what has happened here?! What has happened here??!
Mick Foley, yesterday, WrestleMania XX, Madison Square Garden, I beat you with an RKO. I proved to the entire world that I'm better than you. But I, I don't think your family, I don't think you quite believe that. You see, so, so what I'm gonna do, Mick, is challenge you to a one-on-one match. A one-on-one match, Mick, with Evolution banned from ringside. That way I can prove to you and your family that you're nothing but a loser. And how's it gonna feel Mick? How's it gonna feel when your little son Hughie, little, little cute Hughie grows up. Not with his father as a role model, but idolizing me?
Was WrestleMania XX the biggest stage of them all? Some have said that it was the greatest match of all time. And now at Backlash, it'll become the greatest rematch of all time. The final encounter. Chris Benoit, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, for the World Heavyweight Championship. Three of the greatest of all time, all with something to prove. Benoit will try to prove to the world that he is more than just a one-hit wonder. Shawn Michaels will try to prove to the world that he is still the icon. And Triple H, I will prove that that World Heavyweight Championship still belongs to me. Guys, there is a reason that they call me The Game. There is only one diamond in this business, and you're looking at him.
WrestleMania XX was definitely the biggest night of my career. The night I faced the World Champion, the night I faced two of the greatest wrestlers in the entire history of this business. The night I made Triple H tap out. Oh I heard it all, too. Chris, you'll never do it. Chris, you got lucky. Well, I don't believe in luck. I believe in hard work. Once you step into that ring, the only person that you can rely on is yourself. And at Backlash, it's gonna be about myself. It's gonna be about my hard work. It's gonna be about my title. And I will still walk away World Heavyweight Champion. And luck will have nothing to do with it.
[Eric Bischoff has had enough of Triple H and Shawn Michaels, who are being restrained by other wrestlers from mauling each other in the ring]
That is it, that is enough! Triple H, Shawn Michaels...at Bad Blood, it is going to be has a.. [Triple H breaks out and attacks Shawn and the wrestlers still push to stop them]
Well. look out! He's loose!
Triple H breaking loose before Bischoff had to finish what he was gonna say.
Triple H is a man of his word. He said he's gonna destroy Michaels here tonight, he'll do it!
ENOUGH!! [everybody stops] At Bad Blood, it will be Triple H versus Shawn Michaels... HELL... IN A CELL!!!
Oh my God, oh my- that's what Michaels wanted! Hell in a Cell!!
[Jim Ross brings together Triple H and Shawn Michaels after their Hell in a Cell match at Bad Blood]
Gentlemen, I, along with all these fans here, totally understand the physical condition that you're in. I hope that you will totally conduct yourself in the spirit of why you were asked to be here. I must say that in 30 years of broadcasting this great game that your match last night at the Hell in a Cell will live for generations to come. But Shawn, Triple H, it's time for this to end. I am respectfully, respectfully asking you two men to shake hands, to officially signify the end of the most storified rivalry in the WWE so that you may both get on with your lives.
[on commentary as Triple H and Shawn get closer and JR distances] I don't know... that don't look good on paper, I don't think thats gonna... So much history, so much hatred between these two men, who one time were best friends, closer than brothers. I wonder who's gonna extend their hand first, I think Shawn [Shawn reaches out] You think this should happen? [Triple H moves to shake hands but Eric Bischoff's theme plays and he steps out]
Randy Orton, tonight is obviously one of the biggest nights of your career. For the first time in over seven months, you're coming off an Intercontinental Championship loss. How do you regain your --
Whoa whoa, hold on just a second! Do you know who you're talking to? I am Randy Orton. Okay, still a member of Evolution. Still the Legend Killer. You wanna talk about losses, Todd? Have a look at the back of my T-shirt. [turns around]
That, that's pretty impressive.
Well hell yeah, it's impressive! Foley, Stone Cold, HBK, they're all on there baby! I humiliated them all, okay? And the lucky win Edge had, that's all it was was luck. To me, Edge is a fluke. Okay? His first Intercontinental title reign was one day. Mine lasted seven entire months. Okay, tonight I'm gonna get my title back. I'm gonna do it in the middle of that ring, and I'm gonna prove to everybody -- [notices Edge standing by him] Can I help you?
No. But I did think you needed to know something. You see, I didn't come back after being out for over a year just to be a statistic on a Randy Orton T-shirt. I mean, it's a nice little T-shirt you got there. But uh, I've got something better to wear. [holds the Intercontinental Championship] I've got you figured out, Randy. I got you all figured out. You have some serious self-confidence issues. Yeah, I mean, you're like a little kid. You always need approval, but I get it. I feel your pain, Randy. You see, I'd have some confidence issues if my dad made his living being "Rowdy" Roddy Piper's personal bitch! And just think, if old Cowboy Bob had worn a condom instead of a cast all those years, we wouldn't even be having this conversation. See you in the ring, Randy.
Yeah, yeah, okay, say your piece. Sit, talk and run, Edge. That's right. That's right, tonight, when I get my title back, then you'll be my bitch.
Uh, Randy Orton, uh, first let me start off by saying--
You know what Todd? Let me ask you a question. Do you believe in destiny? Well, I do. And I believe the reason that I lost the Intercontinental Championship to Edge last month, is because I am destined to become the youngest World Heavyweight Champion in history. Now I know what you're thinking. Brock Lesnar. Brock Lesnar defeated The Rock in 2002 at SummerSlam for the World title at the young age of 25. But at SummerSlam this year, Randy Orton will be a very young 24. And just think I'll have accomplished more at the age of 24 than most people accomplish in their entire life. Now Chris Benoit, he's the World Champion. He's the toughest, he is the best...right now. But you see, Todd, at SummerSlam this year, Chris Benoit's gonna be like Mick Foley, Harley Race, Shawn Michaels, and Stone Cold Steve Austin. They're all the same, all of that whole list, they've all been laid down by the Legend Killer. They've all been killed off by the hands of the Legend Killer. And the next, and youngest, World Heavyweight Champion, Randy Orton.
[Kane is standing outside of Lita's hospital room]
Kane, since that horrible accident last week, everyone's been concerned about the status of Lita and your baby.
Let's just say that, um, this hasn't been one of Lita's better days. The, um, doctors are doing everything that they can do, but now they're telling me that um, that there's only a 50-50 chance that they can save the baby.
Uh, Kane, we, we also had the chance to interview your opponent from last week, Gene Snitsky. And, um.
Snitsky? [starts to breathe heavily in fury]
Um, yes, and uh, he actually said that he didn't think the accident was his fault.
That was no accident. Snitsky hit me in the back with a steel chair while I was moving my pregnant wife out of the ring! Now what exactly did he expect to happen?! Now my wife is in that hospital bed with a 50-50 chance that our baby will live, and he says it's not his fault?! No matter what happens, Snitsky is a dead man.
Doctors, now that the emergency appears to be over, could you please just give us an update on Lita's condition?
DDoctor
Sure. Um, Lita's in stable condition, she fought very hard, but, unfortunately, we lost the baby. Um, we did everything we could... [Kane walks out of the hospital room, breathing heavily. He is distraught over the news and hits a wall]
NO! NOOOOOOO! NOOOO! NOOOOO!!!! NOOOOOO!!!!! NO! NOOOOOO!!!! [he walks into the hospital room and breaks down as Lita lays in the hospital bed, motionless]
Look you know I've always tried to shoot straight with you. You and I, we're out there together again tonight, familiar waters for us. And I want you to know and I'm gonna be honest. Tonight, I'm gonna do what's best for me.
What's - what's best for you? Sh - Shawn, what do you mean by that?
Look, I'm gonna go out there tonight and I'm gonna do what I always do. Show the entire world why I'm the showstopper. I wanna make sure, come Taboo Tuesday, that I leave absolutely no doubt in anybody's mind that HBK should be the man they vote for to face Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship.
Well just so you know, I'm not gonna sit back and let you steal the spotlight. All right? You want a piece of Triple H, you're gonna have to pry me off of him, because tonight, I'm gonna show all the people what the Crippler can do, and come Taboo Tuesday, by making Triple H tap out in the middle of the ring. [Edge approaches Michaels and Benoit]
Excuse me, you mind? We're - we're having a conversation.
Yeah yeah I noticed that. You know, thank you for including me in your discussion.
Whoa whoa, now if I remember correctly, he and I, we're not really worthy of uh, getting another title shot against Triple H. I mean, that is what you said last week, wasn't it?
Yeah it is what I said. And I stand by it. You see, both of you, you've had your shots against Triple H. You've had your chances at the World title over and over and over again. But I haven't. I deserve the shot against Triple H at Taboo Tuesday. And tonight, I'm gonna prove it. See you out there boys.
This is gonna get interesting.
Well ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of all of us here at the WWE want to thank everyone for making Taboo Tuesday such a phenomenal success. In all the years I've had the privilege of broadcasting for you, I've never had as much fun and it was all because of your votes. Now ladies and gentlemen, we had hoped to have Edge here live tonight. Unfortunately he has refused to appear here in Des Moines live. However, he is joining us via satellite. [Edge appears on the Titantron] And Edge, I, I think the question is, is rather obvious. Would you mind explaining to our worldwide audience and the great folks here in Des Moines, Iowa, just exactly, well, how do you justify your actions at Taboo Tuesday?
Justify? That title was not Shawn Michaels' to win. That title was mine to win. Mine. You know, do I need to spell it out? Do I need to spell it out for you and all the people once again? Well I will. But it's for the last time. Here's the laundry list. I defeated Triple H in a tag team match two weeks before Taboo Tuesday. I defeated Chris Benoit and Shawn Michaels in a triple threat match the night before Taboo Tuesday. But I still didn't get voted in. Now once again, I got taken for granted and I thought about it, I thought, "Why is that?" Is it the sympathy factor? "Oh, poor Shawn Michaels. You're breaking my heart, Heartbreak Kid! Your poor knee." But you wanna talk about injuries? You wanna talk about personal hells? I came back after a year off because of a broken neck! I fought through it, I came back and what happened? I broke my hand. I fought through that! My foot, my groin, YOU NAME IT, I've done it! And I came back. Then what happened when I come back? Oh let's see, I go to my hometown of Toronto at SummerSlam, and the people boo me out of the building. Once again, taking me for granted. Well I'm sick of it, I'm fed up. So because of six percent, JR, six percent, my life changed. My life completely changed because of six tiny little percent. You know, you may ask yourself, why am I not there tonight? People take me for granted. They could have had me there tonight. I could have been standing in the middle of that ring holding the World Heavyweight Championship above my head, and they would've seen me. But I figured it out. They don't deserve to see me. And they'll see me back on Raw when I'm damn good and ready.
[Shelton Benjamin is in the locker room]
SBShelton Benjamin
Trish! [sees Trish Stratus in a towel combing her hair]
TSTrish Stratus
Hey Shelton.
BBenjamin
What are you doing here?
SStratus
Oh me? I was just taking a long, hot shower. And where you off to, looking so pretty?
BBenjamin
Monday Night Raw? I got a six-man tag match. William and Eugene need me.
SStratus
But what about my needs? What about Trish?
BBenjamin
Oh sugar. Don't worry. You'll find somebody else. I mean, you are the biggest slut on Raw.
SStratus
[scoffs] You're so uptight. You need to loosen up. And I'm just toweling.
What the hell's going on here?! [sees Benjamin and Stratus and is shocked] It's a woman in a towel. I mean, this is unconscionable. Th - this is scandalous. I, I can see the, the moral fabric of America disintegrating right before my very eyes. The sexual overtones, the, the racial overtones.
MMcMahon
Well Shelton, you, you may not realize this but, you're an African-American. And everybody knows African-Americans are attracted to Canadian white women with broken noses. [Stratus adjusts her face mask] No. I'm sorry, but the FCC is not gonna tolerate this, and neither will I. I mean, I'm not gonna have a locker room full of miscreants and deviants. This is the WWE. This is NOT the NFL. And it damn sure is not the NBA. Because of this kind of sexual titillation that will send you and other professional wrestlers up into the stands to, to attack the audience! And if that would've happened, that would be the downfall of civilization as we know it.
BBenjamin
You know what? You really need to lighten up. [walks out]
MMcMahon
But I have a board of directors to answer to. Someone has to uphold the, the, the, the virtue. Is he gone?
SStratus
Yep. [drops her towel as the "Monday Night Football" theme plays]
MMcMahon
Oh my God. [Stratus jumps into McMahon's arms] Oh, oh yeah. Are you ready for some wrestling?
[Eric Bischoff is making a decision regarding the vacant World Heavyweight Championship]
Triple H, I asked you to come down to the ring alone.
It's all right. It's okay Eric. Evolution and I are one of the same. Evolution is a part of me. When Evolution succeeds, I succeed, and vice versa. It doesn't matter, Eric, whether it's Batista, whether it's the Nature Boy, or whether it's The Game. Together, we have more wins than both of these guys combined and above all else, Eric, the World Heavyweight Champion should be a winner. So, I just think the choice is, is pretty obvious for you, Eric.
Interesting. That's a, uh, that's a different approach to the one you had in my office a few moments ago. Well let's talk about my choices. My first choice tonight was Chris Benoit's option. To have a rematch with the Triple Threat match tonight.
Well that's what the fans want.
Well I thought about that and I decided that that's just not what I wanted to do. And then Edge. Edge gave me a choice. He wanted me to just hand the belt over. But you know what, from a purely business point of view, that would be just too risky, given that you've never held the title before. Which brings me to my third choice. Now Triple H, you say that a win for Evolution is a win for you, right? Well I'm gonna put that theory to the test. On January 9, 2005, we're gonna have a pay-per-view called New Year's Revolution. And at New Year's Revolution, we're gonna have a match that's a proven commodity. A match that will prove without a shadow of a doubt, who deserves to be the World Heavyweight Champion. It's something that I like to call...the Elimination Chamber!
The World title will remain vacant until New Year's Revolution, when we have one of, if not, the biggest championship matches in Raws history. And it's going to feature...Chris Benoit...Edge...Triple H...Y2J, Chris Jericho!
And Evolution's own, Batista!
And last but not least, RANDY ORTON!
