The Rap Sheet - by the Crimefighter
WWE [RAW] Wrestling
Springfield, IL 8-31-2K2

This was the third wrestling event to come through Springfield in the month of August. As a comparison of attendance figures with two previous shows, Intergalactic Wrestling Federation drew about 300-400 people at the IL State Fair as a free attraction three weeks ago, New Midwest Wrestling drew 250 or so people last week. WWE drew about 4K-5K people in an arena with a sell-out capacity seating of 8900. I personally have not attended a live WWF show in over a decade, especially since there was so much wrestling WWF and WCW was airing on television. Tickets back then were $9, $12, and $15; now they're charging $20, $30, and $40. I was rather surprised that all the $40 seats were sold, unless of course some of the $30 seat buyers moved down there. I got an inkling about how things would turn out tonight after reading the Lincoln, NE results from the day before.

Howard Finkel comes to the ring with "Welcome to the Jungle" blaring in the background to a chorus of boos. Obviously some are still mad at him for throwing Lillian Garcia to the cowardly Island Boy thugs. He gives us the legals then intros the first match.

Ravyn vs. Spike Dudley -- Ravyn comes out to a mixed reaction, he seems to have some fans. Spike comes out to a much louder response. First exchange sees Spike do a head scissors takedown and clotheslines Ravyn out of the ring. Spike with the baseball slide kick. Back in Ravyn hurls Spike to the corner and a clothesline. A trade-off of sleeper holds. Spike backdrops Ravyn, headbutts him in the gut for two. Ravyn comes back with a powerbomb, but in the end Spike headlocks him for the Acid Drop/Dudley Dog and gets three.

WINNER: Spike Dudley pin -> 4 mins. **

Justin Credible vs. Shelton Benjamin -- Credible comes out to the first really negative crowd response. Shelton has music playing off the "All About the Benjamins" movie. Shelton does a takedown, reversed to the ropes, Credible tosses Shelton but holds onto the ropes, tosses Credible. Shelton does a number of arm tosses, chops him, and atomic drops Credible. Credible comes back with a DDT, does some kicks, and mat wrestles Shelton with a headlock. Back up, Credible manages to hit a superkick for two. But Shelton later does a press slam for two. Shelton tries to kick him in the gut but Credible catches the foot, spins him around but Shelton does a spin kick to the head with it and gets a three count in a decent bout to avenge the previous night's loss. Has Justin forgotten how to use the "That's Incredible"?

WINNER: Shelton Benjamin pin -> 7:30 mins. ***

Lord Steven Regal & Chris Nowinski vs. Booker T & Golddust -- Yes I still call him "Lord Steven Regal" instead of "William" and the bluebloods get very loud boos. They are booed so heavily that when they get the mike where Chris says he was born in Illinois but we all can go to hell, Regal says we're disgusting, you could barely hear them speak. Golddust and Booker T come in to loud cheers. Booker and Golddust do a shoving match to start, guess it's their way of deciding who starts the match. Golddust and Regal start, Golddust with an armbar then a takedown and holds him on the mat. Tag Booker and Chris, Booker gets an armbar, tag Golddust. Chris and Regal tag in and out and keep Golddust down, back suplex on Golddust, side suplex gets two. Golddust hits a couple moves, and tags Booker while Regal distracts the ref. Booker blasts Chris and Regal a couple time while the ref forces him back out, the heels drag him back to their corner from the ring apron and double team him some more. Golddust hits a suplex and tags Booker again. House cleaning by Booker, and in the end kicks Chris in the gut and hits the scissors kick to the back of the head for three. Match was kinda slow for too long.

WINNER: Booker T and Golddust pin -> 10:10 mins. *½

After the match, Golddust calls for the spineroonie which Booker does for us. Booker then calls for Golddust to do the golderoonie, which Golddust does and does well. Charles Robinson comes out for the next match, and fans call him do to the Nature Boy struct, which he does only two steps to our disappointment.

Steven Richards vs. Tommy Dreamer -- Dreamer's shirt says "Psych Ward". Richards bails early to run away from Dreamer but kicks him at first chance, Dreamer misses a dropkick on a irish whip to the ropes. Richards with a brainbuster, and a Bravo side-slam. Dreamer comes back with a spinning neckbracer for two, spinebuster on Richards gets two. Dreamer goes for the DVD but Richards slips out, Richards tries for the Steviekick and is blocked. Dreamer takes him out with a DDT for the pin.

WINNER: Tommy Dreamer pin -> 4:30 mins. *½

Earl Hebner comes out, that means only one thing...

Undisputed WWE Heavyweight Title Match
(c)Brock Lesner vs. The Undertaker -- Paul Heyman is no where to be seen. Undertaker apparently has moved out of Death Valley, California for the slightly cooler Houston, TX. Well the first eight minutes or so was a staredown, stall, lockup, shove, Brock bails outside and barely beats the count back in with that sequence performed about once a minute. Arrgh, I have no patience for this. Armbar Taker, Brock takes Taker to the corner, irish whip, Taker with a flying clothesline, Brock leaves. Taker comes after him, kick in the corner, Taker climbs the ropes for a rope walk and drops the big arm a third of the way across the ropes. Charge by Taker misses, Brock spears Taker. Suplex on Taker, then locks in the side bearhug and holds onto it. Taker elbows out, Brock locks it in again. Taker runs to the ropes sending Brock flying out. Brock back in, hits a side suplex for two. Another bearhug on Taker, Taker breaks out and back bodydrops Brock. Taker does an Irish whip and splash to the corner. Taker does it again, but Brock reverses and Earl is standing in the corner they came from and gets crushed. Taker gets a chokeslam and covers but Earl is out. Brock gets up while Taker tries to revive him and hits a fisherman's suplex but gets a very long two. Ref gets up but Brock shoves Taker into Earl knocking him down again. Brock gets a chair and whacks Taker with it. Brock grabs the ref by the belt buckle and lifts his entire body up in the air with it toward Taker. Brock gets another very long two count. Brock gets the chair again but Taker kicks it into his face, Taker picks up the chair and hits Brock in the head but by that time the ref is looking in that direction and calls for the bell. Champ retains.

WINNER: Brock Lesner DQ -> 18 mins. *

Taker clotheslines Brock outta here and holds up the belt. Taker says on the mike that he's coming. This was not a good match with all the stalling for the first half. Had that been clipped out, it probably could had gotten a slightly higher rating, but if this is done on a PPV I can see Scott Keith giving it negative stars. Brock could get over a lot quicker if he did his rumored shooting star press once or twice on TV like Big Van Vader did his moonsault. Howard Finkel gets in the ring to show off the T-shirts for sale and has a couple of kids shoot shirts into the crowd, with one actually reaching the upper deck.

Victoria & Molly Holly vs. Trish Stratus and Jacqueline -- Vicky and Trish start, takedown by Vicky, armbar Trish, Vicky flips out of it. Trish gets a sunset flip for two, clothesline for two. Tag Jackie, tag Molly. Pair of suplexes by Molly, tag to Victoria, chokes Jackie on the ropes, Molly helps. Slugs Trish off the apron in a cheap shot. Double suplex by the heels on Jackie gets two. Molly climbs to the top but gets crotched when Jackie stumbles into the ropes. Trish comes in and flips her off. Victoria gets a tackle on Trish, but Trish gets the Stratusfaction for the win.

WINNER: Trish Stratus and Jacqueline pin -> 6 mins. **

Lance Storm vs. Justin Hawk Bradshaw -- Storm got the biggest round of boos of the night, Bradshaw comes in and says how dare you have an upside down flag, shut up your arse, you're a whiner, get out or come get it. USA chants. Tackle Bradshaw, overhead slam Bradshaw. Bradshaw gives Lance two suplexes and a bodyslam. Storm comes back with a flying clothesline from the top rope as a springboard. Outside, Bradshaw is thrown into the stairs. Back in, side suplex by Bradshaw, shoulder block, whip to the corner, back body drop, and a boot to the head on Storm. Bradshaw tries a lariet and misses, Storm blasts him with a superkick but gets two. Storm tries for a piledraw but is blocked. A last Irish whip allows Bradshaw to clothesline Storm to hell for three.

WINNER: Bradshaw pin -> 6:45 mins. **½

Chris Jericho vs. Bubba Ray Dudley -- Y2J gets a mixed reaction, but Bubba get big cheers. Bell rings and Jericho doesn't want to lock up but grabs the mike instead and orders Springfield arse-clowns to shut up, I was the first undisputed WWE champion, and I'm king of the world. "Jericho sucks" chant. Jericho then tells Bubba, what are you gonna do, put me through a table? Bubba lights up and slugs Y2J. Bubba slams Jericho ten times into the turnbuckle, beats him in the corner, Jericho bails outside. Table chants. Back in, Jericho backdrops Bubba, neckbreaker slam, dropkicks Bubba in the head. Runs to a corner and removes the turnbuckle pad which the ref tries to desperately to put back on while Bubba rolls up Jericho and gets two after a long delay. Turnbuckle pad just falls off. Jericho gets a butterfly vice with the knee driven in his back. Bubba twists his way out of it. Jericho hits another dropkick. Tries a lionsault but meets up with Bubba's lower legs. Bubba hits a back body drop, then a neckbreaker for two. Jericho tries for the walls out of nowhere but is reversed into a pinning combination for two. Samoan drop by Bubba, picks up the turnbuckle pad and throws it down on Jericho before climbing the ropes. Misses a Bubba back splash. Jericho fetches two chairs, but Bubba grabs Jerichos legs for a takedown. Bubba tries something but Jericho takes him down and puts him in the position for a liontamer, but turns him over all the way for a regular Boston Crab. Bubba tries to make the ropes but is dragged back to the center of the ring and Bubba taps out.

WINNER: Chris Jericho submission -> 12:40 mins. ***½

Bubba Ray gets cheered for his efforts. Howard Finkel saluates us all for coming while another referee puts that turnbuckle pad back on.

WWE Unified Intercontinental Title
(c)Rob Van Dam vs. The Big Show -- RVD gets big cheers. RVD and the show go nose to nose. Big Show throws him around and chokes him with his foot in the corner, then on the bottom rope by standing on him. Whip to the corner, RVD gets up top and hits a flying karate kick, then RVD gets on other side's the top rope and tries a moonsault but is caught and almost slips out of his grasp before Show slams him down. RVD gets tossed outside, Show chops him, then jaws with the fans when he chokes him on the rail. Show picks him up to ram RVD's head into the post but RVD slips out and shoves Show into it instead. RVD jumps on the rail and does a flying legdrop, then jumps on the rail again for a twisting leg drop. Show gets back up and clotheslines RVD before throwing him back in. Show tries something and gets knocked down allowing RVD to hit his rolling thunder. Show tries for a chokeslam but is blocked. Show brings in a chair but RVD kicks it in his face. RVD sees his chance to go for the five star splash and hits it for three.

WINNER: Rob Van Dam pin -> 6 min. **½

The Show gets up, but falls down flat on his back to a loud thud. Well RVD vs. Show looked to be a decent match compared with the complaints from the Lincoln, NE attendees. Fink says goodbye. Outside, people from New Midwest Wrestling are handing out flyers for Springfield's next wrestling show set for 9/21 to everyone exiting the doors. Smart advertising.

Overall, a good show that you normally would not get on TV with mostly clean finishes and not the sort of crap we've been getting with the less than three-minute matches. The heavyweight title match was the big sore spot of the evening. They are gonna have to take it up a few notches or find some other challenger for the next PPV. Biggest cheers were received by Booker T & Golddust, Undertaker, and Bubba Ray Dudley. Loudest boos were received by Lance Storm, Chris Jericho, Regal and Nowinski.