WWE Bad Blood 2004
June 13, 2004
Columbus, OH
March 15, 2014
Background: I’m sure I touched upon a lot of stuff when I did the Great American Bash 04 review, so here I’ll just write about RAW at this time specifically. To be honest, it’s the HHH and Shawn Michaels show. I guess I can throw Chris Benoit in there too, but this is the tiebreaker. Royal Rumble? Shawn vs. HHH in a Last Man Standing Match. Mania? HHH vs. HBK vs. Benoit. Backlash was the rematch of Mania. Now this. The only time Benoit would be in the last match despite being World Champion is when he faced off against HHH or when he lost the title to Randy Orton. On the flip side, I don’t think there is anything wrong with putting your top draws on the top of the card, just don’t say you are giving Benoit a chance as a top guy when really you aren’t (it’s not unlikeUndertaker and Eddie on Smackdown, except Taker was part time enough to let Eddie have some of the glory. Not that either was optimal though). Also, Benoit was still doing midcard feuds, as he’s in the Tag title match here as well. I guess this elevated Edge, so again, I guess I can’t complain. (I will complain about the absolute waste of Chris Jericho though).
Some of the younger guys were really coming along though. Orton was a solid IC Champion who just finished getting put over by Mick Foley. Shelton Benjamin went from a dying tag team to the most exciting guy on the roster match wise. Even Batista looked like a solid force in Evolution. And say what you want about Eugene, it may have been an offensive character, but he was over until Summerslam. If he was booked as more of a serious threat, that could have been a really cool thing for WWE. Of course he was wearing a superhero cape two years later, so so much for that.
Let’s get to HHH vs. HBK part a billion.
The Card
World Tag Team Championship
La Resistance (Robert Conway and Sylvian Grenier) vs. Edge and Chris Benoit
World champ in the opener!
Canadian National anthem in French! Edge interrupts. I wonder if the fans are dumb and chant USA in this match.
Benoit is from Atlanta, Georgia. I forgot about that stupid intro thing for Benoit and Jericho. I think you can blame Kenzo Suzuki for that.
Most of the match has Edge in the ring. I guess to save Benoit for later.
Nice reversal of the double suplex to a double neckbreaker by Edge.
Benoit and Edge win by DQ in 10:15. Benoit has Grenier locked in the Crossface, but Kane shows up to cause the DQ. Match wasn’t really much of anything. Benoit got a good pop when he got the hot tag. La Resistance was just never that good.
Eric Bischoff and The Coach are backstage. Turns into Eugene and Eric with Eugene being upset that Uncle Eric doesn’t like him. I always thought it was great that Eugene’s favorite wrestler was Triple H. Nick Dinsmore played the character excellently.
Chris Jericho vs. Tyson Tomko
This was Christian and Trish Stratus’ Problem Solver.
Pretty nice Bossman Slam from Tomko. Match is pretty damn boring though.
Chris Jericho pinned Tyson Tomko in 5:57. Tomko accidentally knocks Trish off the apron and Jericho hits a standing enzuigiri for the pin, which is a weak finish as it is. Match was boring. Jericho wrote in his book that he was unmotivated here, and it’s kinda obvious. I don’t blame him for how far down the card he went.
Randy Orton does this weird interview where he talk to the crowd. It’s like someone doing a horrible Rock impression without catchphrases.
Ouch Shelton promo afterwards.
Intercontinental Championship
Randy Orton© vs. Shelton Benjamin
Missed baseball slide from Shelton. Not a good start.
Fans are actually behind Orton here. This probably is why he ended up horribly turning face. Thanks fans.
Ric Flair’s out here!
That reverse gutwrench neckbreaker is a cool move from Orton. Wonder why he doesn’t use it anymore (maybe he does?).
Pretty cool slugfest from Orton and Benjamin.
Flair saves Orton after a T-Bone by putting Orton’s foot on the rope. Benjamin takes out Flair!
Benjamin puts the Figure Four on Flair…and gets booed! He then almost rolls up Orton for the win with the figure four still locked in! Creative!
Randy Orton pins Shelton Benjamin to retain in 15:02. Crossbody by Orton who then holds the tights. Shame, as I was really getting into the match with Benjamin’s comeback and nearfalls. Still, a solid match. Probably the 2nd best of Orton’s young career at this point (behind vs. Foley at Backlash).
Matt Hardy and Lita make out session! Bischoff interrupts with security to remove Matt from the building, as he thinks he’s going to interfere in the Benoit vs. Kane match later. The Kane-Lita-Hardy feud was not a high point for anyone.
Women’s Championship
Victoria© vs. Gail Kim vs. Trish Stratus vs. Lita
As much as I thought psycho Victoria, bland face Victoria was awful.
I am a Gail Kim fan though.
Standing moonsault from Victoria looks cool, but makes a strange thud that made it obvious she didn’t hit Kim.
Tomko breaks up a Lita pin and he’s GONE!
Fun fact: Two of these women began their WWE careers as a Godfather Ho.
Gail Kim with an awesome leg scissor with an arm bar. Does AJ do this now?
Gail Kim with a Dragon Sleeper! I knew I remember correctly about Gail Kim being awesome.
Trist Stratus wins the title when she pinned Lita at 4:43. Lita hits a sick DDT on Gail Kim…then Trish rolls her up for the win! Not a bad Women’s match, when it was a string of 1 on 1 stuff it was good.
Eugene vs. The Coach
I gotta admit, The Coach was an amazing heel.
The Eugene angle also involved an awesome William Regal face turn.
Handshake Lock!
Fans are really into Eugene here. Eugene was over, there was no denying it.
Eugene gets into some weird position I can’t explain for no reason. I didn’t get that.
Ok Eugene turns it into a trap on the Coach. Awesome.
Eugene is now playing with a stuffed animal from a fan at ringside while Coach just runs the ropes. Weird but funny.
I really wish they went the route of Eugene actually being a super serious wrestler. This match is alluding to that idea.
A blonde model comes out with cookies. Eugene eats some cookies, and the Coach slams Eugene into the cookies!
Garrison Cade is out here and rips apart the stuffed animal.
Eugene pins The Coach in 7:36. Coach accidentally nails Cade. Rock Bottom! People’s Elbow! Eugene wins! Eugene Stunners Cade for good measure. Fans chant Eugene. Sure, the match sucks, but I think it’s pretty funny and the crowd was most into this than anything else so far tonight.
World Heavyweight Championship
Chris Benoit© vs. Kane
Sadly, this feels like a battle of two second tier guys. That’s because Benoit wasn’t really the top guy on RAW, and Kane has entered the feuding with Matt Hardy and Lita portion of his career. It’s a shame too, as this could have been a top tier feud in an alternate time period.
I did like the booking of Benoit at this time though. He was the tough bring it on guy. Feared no one.
Good match early on. Benoit really brings out the best in everyone and Kane is no exception. Kane also looks like he’s really trying.
Match is just crisp. This feels like a Bret Hart-Diesel match a bit.
Benoit works on the knee! Classic little man big man strategy.
No Sharpshooter though, as Kane blocks with a throat grab.
Sharpshooter!
Germans!
Great Diving Headbutt to Kane situp combo. Really making both guys look strong here.
Chris Benoit retains when he pinned Kane in 18:12. Benoit locks in the Crossface, but Kane stands up from it! Benoit tries to reverse into opposite side of the Crossface, but then rolls Kane up for the 1-2-3! Great match! The finish was a little disappointing but it works as Kane doesn’t tap out. Keeps Benoit strong for HHH again (nevermind he’s the champ!). Kane stays strong for…Matt Hardy. Whatever. Great match. Best of the unmasked Kane at the time for sure.
Hell in a Cell
Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H
The HHH-HBK video says HBK is entering HHH’s world because HHH never lost a HIAC. At this point, HBK was in the first HIAC…and HHH didn’t win every one he was in either (Armageddon 2002).
Early on we get a lot of…wrestling.
HHH is the first to bleed by getting slammed into the cell.
I don’t really get the early pin attempts. It’s Hell in a Cell. You know it’s going to be more violent. That’s why the crowd is dead for them (Mick Foley pointed this out for his HIAC match in 2000).
HHH with the chair! Very slow match here. Maybe if this was their first meeting it would be fine, but this had to be their 100th in two years. I need something different.
Nice hip toss by Michaels to HHH sending him over the top rope.
We’re about 15 minutes in and we’ve barely used the cell or any weapons. I understand in 2010. Not in 2004.
We’re getting some stairs and cell action now.
HBK was about to do one of my favorite spots, the piledriver on the steps, but HHH backdrops him to the floor. We’re picking it up a little at least.
Some chair action now. They were going with the whole HBK injured back story again…which was fine.
Missed Sweet Chin Music turns into a stair shot by HHH. Small holy shit chants…which are unwarranted.
HBK is busted open.
You know what this is like? A bad prototype of the Undertaker vs. HHH matches at Wrestlemania seven years later. Those work because they are guys you see going at it once a year. This just isn’t working here as again, this match has been on RAW and other PPVs many many times.
HBK bringing in a ladder. This is reminding me of HHH vs. Jericho’s HIAC now.
Some ladder shots. This match is just dragging.
We have a table.
HBK with an elbow off the top of the ladder through HHH. Not really a great elbow though, he had to fall due to the roof of the cell.
Sweet Chin Music! HHH kicks out. This needs to end.
Pedigree (2nd one) and both men are dead.
Triple H pins Shawn Michaels in 47:25. Another pedigree and it takes HHH forever to get the cover. He gets the three. I’m sorry, but this match isn’t good. It goes a good 15 minutes way too long and was just a standard street fight. The spots weren’t much, nothing special between the ladder and table spots. Cell was barely used. Also, it didn’t matter who won! That’s probably the worst thing about this match. It literally had no impact on storylines. Win or lose, HHH is still probably fighting Benoit at Vengeance. This was just a flat out boring Hell in a Cell match and they gave nothing you haven’t seen before between the two over the past two years.
This card had very little historical significance. It gave Shelton a chance at a big PPV match I guess. HHH vs. HBK really didn’t matter. Benoit vs. Kane didn’t even matter as Kane was headed back to the midcard and Benoit would be back there in a year as well. Emergence of heel Edge wasn’t apparent yet. Jericho wrestled Tomko.
We wouldn’t be that far from the Cena-Orton-Batista era…but we weren’t there yet.
The main event could have swung this to B status. Instead, it lowered it to C.
Final Grade: C