Live from the Mobile Civic Center in Mobile, Alabama.

Your Announcers are Jim Ross and Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler.

We open with footage from last week’s show. Raw co-General Manager Stone Cold Steve Austin, disgusted with World Champion HHH for getting himself disqualified during his title match with Kevin Nash at last week’s Judgment Day PPV, told him that like it or not he’d be involved in a match later that night. Considerate soul that the Rattler is, he allowed Hunter to select his own opponent-with the stipulation being he name a former World Champion (Austin specified either Kane, Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho or Kevin Nash). Hunter cagily selected another former World Champion-his good friend Ric Flair. Backstage, Hunter told the Nature Boy that he expected him to simply lay down for him. After a pep talk from Shawn Michaels and some soul searching, Ric, fired up as all hell, informed HHH he had no intention WHATSOEVER of taking the dive-he intended to find out if he was really worthy of being known as ‘The Game’. Match went on as scheduled, Ric gave it his all but eventually succumbed to the Pedigree in one of the best Raw main events in recent history.

Let’s do this…

Pyros go, J.R. and the King welcome us in and Shawn Michaels makes his way to the ring. He wastes no time inviting ‘the greatest World Champion of all time’, Ric Flair, to join him. Nature Boy obliges, HBK praises him to the hilt, describes him as his inspiration for getting into the biz. Shawn asks if he could have the honor of getting in the ring with Ric tonight! Ric gratefully accepts the invitation, lovefest is interrupted when HHH hits the ring. Hunter admits Ric took him to the limit last week, asks if the Nature Boy is turning his back on him. Nope, Ric still feels Hunter is the best in the biz-but also has a newfound respect for HBK for providing the kick in the butt that got him in the ring last week. Hunter goes nuts, hurls verbal abuse at the Nature Boy. Hatefest is interrupted when Raw co-General Manager Eric Bischoff makes his way down the ramp. He describes Ric, Hunter and Shawn as 3 of the biggest egos in the history of the biz. He feels Flair vs. Michaels is too big for free TV, books the match for next month’s Raw-only Bad Blood PPV. As consolation for the fans in attendance tonight, they’ll get Ric and Shawn teaming against HHH in a handicap match! Eric exits, Hunter is enraged, Ric and Shawn share a handshake.

We’re reminded that Bill Goldberg will be the guest on this week’s installment of ‘Chris Jericho’s Highlight Reel’-as you may remember, it was revealed last Monday that Y2J was the mastermind behind the attempted vehicular assault on Bill the previous week. Break.

Back, J.R. and the King inform us we can log onto www.WWE.com to voice our opinion on the question, ‘Will Goldberg spear Chris Jericho tonight?’

First match: Test, with Stacy Keibler, takes on Booker T. We’re informed that Stacy has given up on having Test team with Scott Steiner, but has agreed to manage both men on an individual basis. Bell rings, pretty good straightforward match-until Test pulled Stacy in front of him to avoid taking a baseball slide from the Book. Stacy went down, Big Poppa made his way to the ring to carry her backstage as Booker got the win over Test with the Scissors Kick.

We cut backstage-Stone Cold is checking out the match on a monitor, appears happy that Booker is ‘coming along’. HHH enters, tries flattery then verbal abuse to get out of the ‘Hell in a Cell’ match with Kevin Nash that the Rattler booked for him last week-no luck, Stone Cold informs him the match is still a go for Bad Blood. Break.

WWE Rewind: Trish Stratus gets busted open during a ‘Fatal 4-Way’ for the Women’s title at Judgment Day. (FYI, Jazz went into the match champion and left the same way.)

Back, Trish joins our announcers for our next match-The Big Valbowski, formerly Raw Chief of Staff Sean Morley, faces Steven Richards, who’s accompanied by Victoria. Pre-match Val offers Victoria a ‘position’ in his new adult film company. Steven attacks, bell rings, very short match sees Val getting the win after the Money Shot. Break.

Back, J.R. and the king hype next month’s ‘Hell in a Cell’ match.

Cut to Jonathan Coachman interviewing Kevin Nash. Short low-key chat, Kev feels Hunter’s world is unraveling around him and that he’ll have no problem beating him at Bad Blood.

Cut to Terri interviewing Intercontinental Champion Christian. She wants to talk about his title match with Booker T, scheduled for Bad Blood, and his upcoming non-title match with Goldust. Little interest shown, he’d rather put himself over as the new ‘People’s Champion’. Goldust enters, words are exchanged, Booker in next, not a whole lot to see here, lets cut to…

Stone Cold and Bischoff arguing over who gets the right to officially present Bad Blood. Banter ensues, Rattler makes the announcement that in honor of Memorial Day the PPV will be available free to active members of our armed services. Austin exits-he’s going to hoist some brews while Lillian Garcia sings ‘America the Beautiful’ for us after a break.

Back, Lillian sings until interrupted by Sylvan Grenier and René Dupree, collectively known as ‘La Resistance’. They rag on the U.S.A. until Stone Cold hits the ring and issues a Stunner to René. Frenchies split, Rattler gives a patriotic speech and invites Lillian in to finish her song with himself providing accompaniment. Post-song Lil and Austin engage in downing some beers.

We cut backstage, where Flair is in his dressing room preparing for his upcoming match. As he exits, we see a masked man standing in the shadows. Break.

Straight back for Christian vs. Goldust. Decent short match, Goldust gets the clean win with a powerslam. Break.

Slam of the Week: From last Monday, Rodney Mack narrowly defeats Spike Dudley in last week’s installment of the ‘5 Minute White Boy Challenge’.

Back, Rodney and his manager Theodore Long are in the ring for this weeks ‘5 Minute etc.’ Rodney’s challenger tonight-Spike’s brother Bubba Ray. Back and forth action-until Chris Nowinski (?) runs in from the crowd and nails Bubba Ray from behind. Ref calls for the bell as Rodney applies the Blackout to Bubba Ray. Post-match D-Von Dudley hits the ring to check on his brother.

In the back, Sylvan and René complain to Bischoff about being mistreated by Austin. Eric plays it cool, books Sylvan in a ‘flag match’ (huh?) with co-holder of the World Tag Tram Championships Rob Van Dam. If victorious, he and René get a shot at Rob and Kane’s tag team titles at Bad Blood. Break.

Back, we see Chris Jericho being prettied up for his upcoming interview segment.

J.R. and the King quickly recap the attempted vehicular assault on Goldberg. Stone Cold launched his own investigation of the matter last Monday and rather quickly identified the culprit as Lance Storm. Lance claimed he was acting under another party’s orders, but wouldn’t reveal the name to the Rattler. Lance only spilled his guts after being unceremoniously squashed in a match with Big Bill-he revealed that Chris Jericho was his co-conspirator while being choked out.

We get an update on the poll at WWE.com. Looks like 81% of the people voting feel Jericho gets speared.

Cut to The Game and the Nature Boy backstage. Ric appears confident he and Shawn will emerge victorious in their upcoming match. Break.

Back for Rob Van Dam, accompanied by Kane, vs. Sylvan Grenier with René Dupree. American and French flags are attached to poles on opposite corners of the ring-winner will be the man who can capture their home country’s flag. Messy match, tons of interference, ref got bumped, Rob retrieved Old Glory only to be taken out by René. U.S. flag was put back on top of the pole (VERY obviously not in it’s original holder), Sylvan then grabbed the French flag, ref recovered and declared him the winner.

View of Goldberg’s dressing room door sends us to break.

Straight back for ‘Chris Jericho’s Highlight Reel’. Y2J hits the ring, announces his guest next week will be The Rock! That’s in the future, tonight’s episode is all about Goldberg. As to why he staged the vehicular assault-he’s simply sending the message that no one, including himself, wants Goldberg in WWE. He claims to have been a friend of Goldberg in their WCW days, but was driven away by his incredible ego. Chris challenges Bill to a match at Bad Blood as the former WCW Champion charges into the ring. Chris bails, Bill accepts the challenge and drags him back in. Chris sprays something something into Goldberg’s eyes, issues his own version of the Spear and hightails it up the ramp. Break.

When we return, Terri tries to interview Y2J in the parking lot. No luck, Chris is too busy trying to run a 3.8 minute mile.

Main Event: World Champion HHH vs. Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels in a handicap match. As Ric enters the ring we see Kevin Nash backstage watching the action on a monitor. Bell rings-Shawn starts, looks like he and Ric are working under tag team rules. Shawn backdrops his way out of a Pedigree attempt, hits Hunter with Sweet Chin Music and tags in Ric-who promptly decks him. Beatdown on HBK ensues-we cut backstage, where the masked man lays Big Kev out with a chair shot. Hunter wins the ‘match’ after hitting Shawn with the Pedigree.

Massacre of Shawn continues, Nash slowly hobbles down to the ring to help him, masked man with chair follows. Beating continues on a 3 on 2 basis, Flair removes the mask of the mystery man-to reveal Randy Orton. He, Hunter and Ric continue the assault on Shawn and Kev as the show ends.

Short form match results (all victories by pinfall unless otherwise noted);

1. Booker T defeated Test.

2. The Big Valbowski defeated Steven Richards.

3. Goldust defeated Christian.

4. Rodney Mack defeated Bubba Ray Dudley, TKO.

5. Sylvan Grenier defeated Rob Van Dam in a ‘flag match’ to earn himself and René Dupree a shot at Rob and Kane’s World Tag Team Championships at Bad Blood.

6. HHH defeated Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair in a handicap match.

(Credit: 1wrestling)