WWE Raw Retro GRADED: January 19, 2004 - The Fight For #30

We’re back with another WWE Raw Retro GRADED and this week’s show on January 19, 2004, takes place in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Not much was announced last week besides Scott Steiner taking on Goldberg. Something tells me we’re not getting a Fall Brawl 2000 effort here, mind.

We open with Jonathan Coachman - who is in charge tonight - in the locker room addressing a bunch of wrestlers who are in the upcoming Royal Rumble match. He announces a battle royal for later, with the winner getting the coveted number 30 spot in the Rumble. To enter the battle royal, wrestlers must win their matches tonight. If there is any outside interference, not only do you lose the match, but you’re out of the Rumble, too. 

We get the typical Raw opening video and pyro. Let’s get it on, groove to the music, etc…

WWE Raw Graded - January 19, 2004:

Rob Van Dam & Booker T def. Christian & Matt Hardy

The winners are in the number 30 battle royal later. Booker T is still selling the beating he received from Kane last week. Oh, and Matt loves Mongolian BBQ and his countertops are all granite. Good to know.

Matt and RVD start off and RVD immediately hits a step-over wheel kick. RVD flips over a backdrop attempt and hits another big spinning heel kick for a near fall. RVD with a second-rope twisting crossbody for two, before Matt tags out. Christian gets his legs swept and hit with a 360 leg drop, which gets two. 

Tag out to Booker, who lights Christian up in the corner and hits a big back body drop for two. A big side kick knocks Christian down as Matt takes a pump kick to the face. Booker goes for the scissor kick, but Matt pulls him out of the ring and Christian wipes Booker out with a baseball slide. 

Back in the ring, they isolate Booker and Christian slaps on a hold. Booker tries firing up on Matt but walks into a side effect for two. Booker catches Christian jumping off the second rope with a sweet leaping side kick before tagging out to RVD, who bumps the heels around with this and that before catapulting Matt into Christian, knocking him off the ring apron.

RVD with a spin kick and a standing moonsault on Matt for two. RVD hits a slingshot side kick off the second rope and follows up with a Rolling Thunder, but Matt gets his knees up. Matt and Christian go for a double back body drop but RVD holds onto the ropes and Booker hits them with a double scissor kick in a cool spot. RVD hits Matt with the Five-Star Frog Splash for the win.

Grade: C- - This was an all-action tag match with four talented guys who know each other very well. It could have been really good with a bit more time, as it was a little on the short side, but what we got was good.

The Goldberg versus Steiner match has been changed into a triple threat also featuring Test. The Coach is out to provide commentary. 

Chris Jericho def. Rene Dupree

Jericho is great and everything, and it’s always fun to watch him, but the bloke is still wearing the same purple tights from 2000 here. Time to freshen things up a little, no? 

Anyway, Dupree gets an early hip toss but gloats and Jericho slaps him around and gives him some chops as a receipt. Jericho with a back elbow and mounted punches before going for the Walls of Jericho, but Dupree makes it to the ropes to break the hold. 

Jericho with the second-rope springboard dropkick to knock Dupree off the apron. Back in, Dupree begs off but Jericho hits him with another dropkick. Jericho jumps off the second rope, with Dupree catching him with a dropkick of his own before locking in an abdominal stretch. Jericho reverses, only for Rene to hip toss his way out of danger and hit a couple of elbow drops. 

We see Dupree’s French Tickler – the dance, not the other one - as he misses a third elbow drop. Jericho comes back and bumps Dupree around before getting an enziguiri for two. Jericho slips out of a running powerslam attempt and hits a bulldog, but the Lionsault gets knees and a death valley driver gets two for Rene. Dupree goes for a knee to the gut but it’s countered into the Walls to give Jericho the win via submission. 

Grade: C- - Another fairly quick match here, but it was solid enough. Never any doubt about who was advancing to the battle royal, but Dupree looks confident as a singles guy despite his relative inexperience. 

We get one of the hit piece videos on Mick Foley, paid for by the Friends and Supporters of Randy Orton.

Backstage, Christian tries to get Chris Jericho to use his Survivor Series favour to let him replace Jericho in the battle royal later. Christian pleads his case, but Jericho thinks he’s crazy and says no. Christian wishes him good luck anyway. 

We get a long video recapping the history between Shawn Michaels and Triple H, with this being their only involvement on the show.

Mark Henry w/ Theodore Long def. Rico w/ Miss Jackie

I don’t like the chances of Rico, who is already in the ring as Henry makes his entrance. Rico spanks Henry to start and quickly bails to the outside, where he kisses Long on the head. Back inside with more spanking, as Rico tries to run away, only to be tripped by Long. Henry slaps on a nerve hold, which goes nowhere, before missing a running splash in the corner. 

Rico comes back with some martial arts kicks, but misses a flying something off the top and the World’s Strongest Slam sends Henry into the battle royal. 

Grade: D- - Basic squash without much heat. They’re trying with Henry, but it still feels like he’s missing something. Rico is floundering.

Backstage, Ric Flair, Randy Orton and Batista get all excited about how great Evolution is and Orton vows to win the battle royal and get the number 30 spot in the Rumble. 

JVC’s Extreme Blast of the Night is YouTube’s Maven eliminating The Undertaker from the 2002 Royal Rumble.

Spike Dudley def. Kane by DQ

Spike runs in, ducks a clothesline and hits a diving headbutt to the midsection, but Kane easily counters a Dudley Dog attempt and levels Spike with a big boot. Spike jumps off the top, but Kane catches him in a double-handed choke. Kane continues to choke away in the corner, but Spike sneakily pushes the referee from behind and he disqualifies Kane.

Rating: D- - Another quick squash, albeit one with a less predictable outcome. Kane’s post-match destruction of Spike is a little more predictable, mind.

We get a video showing highlights of a recent house show loop as the announcers talk about how much fun house shows are. Did you know you can actually touch WWE stars at live events? You should probably buy a house show ticket if WWE rolls through your town! Please buy a house show ticket. Please. 

Goldberg def. Scott Steiner & Test - Triple Threat

Test and Scott Steiner team up on Goldberg to start, but Goldberg ducks a double clothesline attempt and drops them with a double clothesline of his own. Goldberg beats on Test before getting rid of him, with Steiner attacking Goldberg from behind. Steiner with chops and clubs, but Goldberg fights back and hits a short clothesline, followed by a weird-looking throw. 

Steiner with a belly-to-belly suplex, before more double teaming and a double suplex. Inevitably, Test accidentally hits Steiner, allowing Goldberg to blast Test with a powerslam before clotheslining him over the top rope. Goldberg hoists Steiner up with a military press and holds him there for an age before hitting another powerslam. Seriously impressive strength there. 

Goldberg loads up the spear, but Test distracts him and Steiner hits a flatliner. Test pulls him off the cover, however, and they start slugging each other. Steiner slips out of a pumphandle slam attempt and knocks Test out of the ring before hitting a messy flapjack into the ropes on Goldberg.

Steiner slaps on the Recliner, but Test breaks it up with a big boot. Test talks some trash to Steiner, leaving him prone to a Spear and a Jackhammer, as Goldberg advances. 

Rating: C- - Not half-bad, this, although it followed a predictable formula and neither Test nor Steiner had any chance of winning. Steiner looked completely knackered out there, too, a little over a year on from his WWE return. I have a suspicion Test was brought in to ‘protect’ him from having to wrestle in a singles match here, and boy is that a depressing thought.

Backstage, Sheriff Austin is disgusted by a new video that was paid for by the Friends and Supporters of Randy Orton. He speeds off in his ATV, almost killing Mark Jindrak and Garrison Cade in the process.

WrestleMania Recall is Bart Gunn getting Butterbean’d at ‘Mania XV. 

Austin is out to address the Mick Foley situation. He recaps what’s happened so far and reminisces about travelling together with Mick back in the day, noting they would save on everything and compete to see who could make Diamond Dallas Page crack first. The Foley who is ducking Randy Orton is not the Foley that Austin knows. He orders Foley to be at the Rumble. If he doesn’t show up, he’ll be breaking Sheriff Austin’s law, which isn’t something you want to do. He hopes Foley will do the right thing.

We get a video about the launch party for the WWE Originals CD. Fans got to meet Austin, Jericho, Trish Stratus and Lilian Garcia if they purchased one of the greatest records in music history. 

Backstage, Christian wants to clear the air with Trish, after Molly Holly tells Trish she’ll never beat her for the WWE Women’s Title. Well, not really clear the air, but stir the pot by showing Trish some pictures of Jericho having fun during a lad’s night on the town last week, with Christian saying Trish was the last thing on Jericho’s mind. Christian is such an awesome jerk and WWE continues to be patient with this storyline.

Jazz w/ Theodore Long def. Lita

Jazz overpowers Lita to start, but Lita hits a monkey flip into some mounted punches before sending Jazz to the outside with a dropkick. Lita with an STO, corner clothesline and another monkey flip, but Jazz sends her into the turnbuckle and hits Lita with a dropkick to the back of the head. 

Jazz works over the neck, but Lita comes back with a sloppy takedown and jackknife pin for two. A headscissors takeover followed by a spinning side slam gets two for Lita. Jazz misses a splash in the corner and Lita hits a reverse Twist of Fate, but Long distracts her as she goes for the moonsault and Jazz gets a roll-up while holding the tights for three.

Rating: D - A short match without much rhyme or reason. They did what they could in the time that they had, but the women’s division in general is quite weak at the moment and they’re just going through the motions. They could use some fresh blood or an interesting storyline (or both).

Hurricane is interviewed by Terri Runnels, who is dressed like a farmer’s wife for some reason. Hurricane talks about being an underdog against Orton tonight and in the Rumble itself, but he believes in himself.

We recap Foley failing to show up on Raw last week.

Randy Orton def. The Hurricane

This is non-title, but a spot in the number 30 battle royal is up for grabs. 

Orton takes control to start and hits a big clothesline for two. A beautiful standing dropkick also gets two. And we’re already hitting a chinlock of some description as these two are clearly pressed for time. Hurricane fires back with a crossbody, flying clothesline and running uppercut before getting a diving blockbuster off the second for two. 

Hurricane gets a couple more near falls and hits a big top rope crossbody for another two count. Orton with the thumb to the eye and then an RKO gets the three. 

Rating: D+ - They were clearly rushing out there but managed to pack a lot into the short time they had. The fans are still into Hurricane, but Randy is a star on the rise and a real one to watch for the future.

After the match, Flair and Batista come out to celebrate. Rosey is out to make sure Hurricane is OK, but he gets beaten down three-on-one. That brings out The Dudleys, who clean house and set up a table. Coach comes down to stop it and takes a 3D through the table instead. 

Backstage, Jericho and Henry get into it (verbally) and Henry promises to leave his ‘stank’ on Trish. Cool.

Goldberg def. Rob Van Dam, Booker T, Chris Jericho, Mark Henry & Randy Orton - Over The Top Rope Challenge

The winner gets the number 30 spot in the Royal Rumble. Spike Dudley will not compete in the match tonight after the hiding he received from Kane earlier. 

Goldberg starts things off by punching everyone in the face a couple of times before hitting Orton with a powerslam. Everyone else gangs up on Goldberg, however, and he takes a Book End, Lionsault and Five-Star Frog Splash. RVD turns around into a pump kick by Booker, sending him over the top rope. Jericho then sloppily eliminates Booker with a clothesline over the top. Orton goes to dump Jericho, but he skins the cat and dropkicks Orton from behind. 

Goldberg sends Orton into the lights with a back body drop as not much else is happening besides elimination teases. Jericho hits Henry with a missile dropkick, but Henry teams up with Orton to eliminate Jericho. Golberg hits Henry with a spear, but then Orton hits Goldberg with a dropkick. Goldberg bundles Henry out as we’re down to two. 

Cue Flair and Batista, but Goldberg hits Orton with a Spear and then military press slams him over the top onto his Evolution teammates to win.

Grade: D+ - This was far from inspiring stuff and it felt like they were rushing to finish in time (a theme tonight). Goldberg also looked lost out there and there were a couple of noticeable communication issues. That being said, the main thing is Goldberg is now confirmed as the number 30 entrant in the Royal Rumble, which adds a little more intrigue heading into the pay-per-view. 

Show Grade: C - That might seem high given the fact that no match managed to hit above C-, but the show was compelling and had a thread running throughout which made it enjoyable. 

It had a slightly weird vibe with Eric Bischoff not being there (as his mother was very ill IRL), as well as no involvement from HHH or Shawn Michaels, with the former working on Blade: Trinity and the latter being given the night off since creative had nothing for him to do without HHH around. 

Anyway, the next stop for the Raw brand is the Royal Rumble pay-per-view, which this show did a good job of building towards.